Deja Vu clubs

avatar for chitownlawyer
chitownlawyer
Florida
I would like to canvass the group on that most ubiquitous of strip clubs, the Deja Vu chain.

I have been in exactly two DV clubs, on exactly two occasions, twelve years apart.

The first was in Las Vegas. I was relatively new to The Life, and naive. Keep in mind that institutions like this board were not yet a part of my life (maybe not even FOUNDER's). I got into a cab at Circus Circus, asked the cabbie where to go, and he took me to DV.

Late last year, I went to the DV in Springfield, Illinois.

The common features that I found, over a span of twelve years and about 750 miles were:

1. A remarkably studied and efficient way of squeezing every possible nickel out of the patron, in the shortest amount of time, even at the expense of subtlety or finesse, and

2. Very clear non-touching rules. In Vegas, the dancer told me not to touch her between the shoulders and knees. In Springfield, the dancer just told me to put my hands behind my head.

Because I assume that these are common to all DVs, I have a bias against them. Is that bias justified? Or are there DV clubs that permit a man to sit at a table and take as much as fifteen minutes to finish a drink? And are there DV clubs that allow touching of any of the parts that we want to touch--even if that doesn't involve going under the g-string/t-bar.

Occasionally I do see go reviews for DV clubs, which makes me think that there must be more liberal clubs in the chain, or other mongers are happy with less than I need to make me happy. I also see reviews for the DV in Tampa. Based on my experience with Mons, Ybor, etc., going to the Tampa DV would be like going to Paris and eating in a MacDonald's--but again, maybe that club is more liberal.

Can anyone provide some insight?

21 comments

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avatar for Officer
Officer
18 years ago
One nice thing is that the clubs allow free entry with a pass from the dejavu.com website. That is nice. The Deja Vu chain also owns sister clubs (Larry Flynt's Hustler Clubs) too. I've only been to one--the Deja Vu in downtown Seattle, which was nice. I'm not sure about contact levels.
avatar for minnow
minnow
18 years ago
CTL: Based on my experience at 12 dif. DV's in 11different cities over a 13 yr timeframe, I'd say the level of contact depends on the city visited. IME, contact allowed @ Tampa, SF, Seatac location, and I think light contact @ Spokane, and C Springs location. Its been over 10 yrs since I've been to last 3 locations. I've had some enjoyable times @ DV's, yet I recognize that DV clubs are more about extracting $$ from customer than creating an enjoyable atmosphere. One other trait I've noticed is that when DV opens new club, they roll out the red carpet (complimentary snack spreads, low dance prices), but as soon as they reel in the customers, they jack up the prices, and roll out the gimmicks.
avatar for DougS
DougS
18 years ago
Lowpaw: Let me know... next time I will spring for the camcorder! [wink]

Again... YOWZA!
avatar for lopaw
lopaw
18 years ago
DougS - it was amazing! Both dancers were hot as hell (completely unexpected considering it was Sunday AM), and I would have killed for a camcorder to record the encounter. Asses & elbows everywhere....it was a bit chaotic at first, but once we three found our "groove"...it was ON!!!

I get a bit misty-eyed nowadays whenever I drive past a DV club.They gave me a memory that will be hard to beat (but I will continue to try, of course!).
avatar for Book Guy
Book Guy
18 years ago
Interesting. I don't have trouble with general fondling at a Deja Vu club -- some girls here in NOLa don't allow breast fondling at one of the DV places I frequent, so I have to double-check on the right lady. That is a mildly lower-mileage joint than I would prefer, but definitely not a sit-on-your-hands place.
avatar for ArtCollege
ArtCollege
18 years ago
In Seattle, DVs are sit-on-your-hands places. Much less mileage than other clubs (though my info is a few years old, because why would I go to DV?). That said, my first real happy experience was at a DV. Sat back in just the right position and she lapped me perfectly. But if you like to have your hands touch something other than your own ass, it's not the best choice.
avatar for Pete22z
Pete22z
18 years ago
I used to frequent the Louisville club. Although I hadn't been there in years. I always thought the bed dances were a pretty novel idea. I guess the good thing about a chain is it ought to meet a standard expectation, i.e., you always know what you're gonna get.
avatar for lopaw
lopaw
18 years ago
I owe one of my most fondest memories to the Deja Vu in LV. Had my first 2-nekkid-girl bed dance there @ 11:30 on a Sunday morning.
Ahh.....now that's what I call a Sunday brunch!
avatar for DougS
DougS
18 years ago
Lowpaw: Yowza... now THAT is a fond memory that I have, and I wasn't even there! I'd pay all three of you, just to watch! (sorry... but that sounds very nice)
avatar for jimmyblong
jimmyblong
18 years ago
The DV in lake station Indiana used to be one of my favorite places to go. The girls were fun and sexy. The dances weren't that great with a no hands policy. The club slipped a lot in recent years but seems to be making a comeback. Its sister club in Hammond is really lame IMHO. They both have to compete with Industrial Strip which is nearby and a haven for us mongers. A good place to start the night out at but wouldn't be the only place I'd go.
avatar for Book Guy
Book Guy
18 years ago
Well, you don't have to go to the upstairs back rooms at minimum $250 just to see the Little Mermaid wallpaper. There are downstairs lap-dance couches in "the back" for $30 a song. I've noticed that NOLa's lappers have dropped from a high of $40 or even $45 a song about six months ago to a "standardized" $30 almost entirely across the board. Good sign!
avatar for DougS
DougS
18 years ago
David120: What? Shaved girls LESS intriguing? I'm totally opposite... I LOVE shaved, and if not shaved, at least very neatly trimmed. I find the wild bush to be nearly disgusting.

BookGuy: Hmmm... the Barely Legal club sounds like it's right up my alley, though I think the Disney themed decorations is a little on the sick side. Also seems like the REAL Disney people would object to find that usage of their licensed items.
avatar for Book Guy
Book Guy
18 years ago
Yeah, all the Deja-Vu-Hustler clubs on Bourbon Street definitely have the "chain" flavor. There are still genuine girls to meet, of course (as well as totally over-professional jaded hustlers), but mostly you get the McDonald's experience. I went to the local out-of-the-French-Quarter club last night (it's called Visions, and if you're ever in NOLa you should plan one evening to check it out; though it ain't GREAT, it certainly has a nice feel to it) and had a good time, very non-chain, very genuine.
avatar for FONDL
FONDL
18 years ago
I'm not absolutely certain but I don't believe I've ever been in one. I tend to avoid all the chains because I prefer smaller independent places. Chains typically have too many features that I don't like.
avatar for chandler
chandler
18 years ago
...and if Doug doesn't care for the Lansing Deja Vu, he could always go to Omar's, which is pretty comparable to the Hip Hugger IMO. In fact, I would say skip Deja Vu altogether and just go to Omar's, but let's not change the subject.
avatar for Book Guy
Book Guy
18 years ago
New Orleans has a big line-up of clubs that are all part of the Deja Vu / Hustler chain. I didn't even know that those two were related until I started collecting free entry passes along Bourbon Street and found out that they were interchangeable.

We have Larry Flynt's Hustler Club and Deja Vu right across the street from one another. Then, down the street about two blocks, within two doors of one another are Deja Vu Little Darlings and Deja Vu Barely Legal.

The four clubs claim to occupy different niches, and to some extent the decor and music do bring this about. But I do find that a core contingent of girls simply rotate among the four clubs, so it isn't necessarily the case that, on a given night, a given club is true to its purported theme.

Anyway, the supposed themes are:

1. LF's Hustler: traditional current-style strip club. Plays classic rock music; has a party atmosphere; has a continual Mardi Gras style balcony celebration; girls are often along the Playboy style, with blonde hair and large, overly enhanced breasts. Customers, it seems that they would prefer, would be middle-aged business men and patrons familiar with strip clubbing.

2. Deja Vu: down home neighborhood feel. Plays country-western or pop-rock; has a "friendly" feel; girls are generally un-enhanced but "pretty" or "classy" looking; lots of non-strip-club style parties, such as beer buckets and dunk tanks. This place would attract college frat boys, and rednecks from small towns within an hour or two drive of NOLa.

3. Barely Legal: "underage" feel. Though the girls are all of legal age, they have lots of "teen" accoutrements. The private rooms are decorated according to cute Disney themes (Little Mermaid, for example). The music is classic rock, and the girls are definitely young-looking and natural. I've never seen enhanced boobs here, and I find these women the most attractive of all four of the DV clubs.

4. Little Darlings. This is a trampy trashy joint. They have "ethnic" style "ghetto" girls (there are dark-skinned women dancing at all four, but the ones here have that lower-class feel) and they play hip-hop and crunk music. They certainly attract the gang-banger-wanna-be boys cruising Bourbon Street -- young men holding their jeans up with their hands.

Of course, all these themes are just for show. It's supposed "niche marketing", interesting to examine for a night but not really playing out for truth across the whole experience. Drinks, lappers, and cover charges are similarly priced at all four of the clubs.
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
18 years ago
DougS, you are right. Choosing between Kalamazoo and Kokomo is a no-brainer if driving distance is the same. For me, K'zoo is about 30 miles closer, so when I get the urge to get a look under the thong, I'll make the trip to Kalamazoo. (Although now it seems most young girls are totally shaved -- and that makes it less interesting to me.) But when it gets warmer, I would suggest you check out Lansing. Well worth the drive. You'll spend more money than at the Hugger, but some of the girls are very attractive. Talent level at Kalamazoo is far below that at Lansing. Some of the Lansing girls have moved to Kalamazoo since the competition is less. If you know who they are -- they will allow touching in the VIP -- but not the regular K'zoo girls.
avatar for DougS
DougS
18 years ago
I've always been tempted to hit the DJV in Kazoo. They run ads in my local newspaper and it always looks and sounds very inviting. Especially since it's nude, too. But, the distance from me to Kazoo happens to be the same as to Kokomo, and in the past Kokomo always won out, mostly due to my faves that were dancing there. After reading this thread, it sounds like I've made the right decision.
avatar for motorhead
motorhead
18 years ago
I'm glad you asked about this.....I have thought about posting the same topic. However, I am a big fan of the Deja Vu clubs and have wondered why there are so few reviews for the clubs. I have visited the clubs in Vegas, Tampa, Lansing MI, Kalamazoo MI, and Toledo OH. It has been about 8 years since my last visit to the Tampa DJV, since I only have time to hit the Mons when I'm in town. At least then, the contact was as good as the Mons. In fact, at the time, they had private rooms with bed dances --but I've heard they have done away with the beds. Also had a pleasant experience at the Vegas club -- touching was encourged when I was there (except under the G-string.) The Kalamazoo and Toledo clubs do have strict touching rules and I rarely visit them anymore, but I still go to Lansing quite often. Lansing is the most liberal club I have visited. Yes, it is expensive. But since I don't drink, I like the fact it's not a bar and you have free unlimited re-fills on water or soda. Touching isn't supposed to be allowed, but most girls allow it in the VIP rooms. No extras -- the rooms are monitored with a camera. The Lansing club is full of eye candy. Pretty, young girls that get totally naked. The parking lot is well-lit and patrolled by private security so I feel totally safe.

It's a lap dance factory. Not a place to sit and chat with the girls or develop an OTC relationship. But I'm not into than anyway.

Apparently, I am in the minority amount tuscl members, but I have always enjoyed myself.
avatar for chandler
chandler
18 years ago
I've also been to exactly two Deja Vus, both about 12-13 years ago. Here in Michigan, where Deja Vu is based, they are all over, especially near major colleges. I hear some of them have great looking girls. Even though that's important to me, I'm not tempted to go because everything else about the clubs is so intolerable.

I almost went back to a Deja Vu about five years ago on a night when a fave at another club was entering an amateur contest. I got as far as the counter where you pay to get in. The flunky was showing me the two sizes of soda cups I had to choose between, and I could hear the DJ from inside yelling at the customers about some gimmicky activity they were supposed to go along with. I decided I could do without all that bullshit and left.
avatar for ShotDisc
ShotDisc
18 years ago
my one and only DV experience was probably 10-12 yrs ago in Nashville. The place was everything i hate in a club. Had more fun and friction at the old run down Showtime club down the street. As for chains, I try to avoid them at all costs. that much managment and oversignt does nothing but generate too many rules and bad promotional ideas. I guess the only exception would be the Platinum Plus clubs in Memphis, Greenville and Columbia. I also enjoy the local clubs much more.
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