I dropped in on Hi Liter...

I dropped in on Hi Liter on a Thursday night (12/16) after seeing their newspaper ad for a "customer appreciation night" featuring "free table dances" all day and all night. I was curious. Of course, this is a gimmick. First, the DJ plays very short songs or cuts off songs before their normal ending. While I suppose on paper you might deny a dancer a tip, in reality the customer will give something if he wants her to stick around. Local contacts told me they've been at these evenings and will typically give the dancer $5/song. Since the normal cost of a dance on the floor is $10, you can't really call this free or even a savings. It might be even more expensive than dances on a normal evening. A redeeming factor is that the Hi Liter dancers typically have "medium" mileage as Phoenix clubs go. There are a couple of other Phoenix area clubs that have $5 dances and normal length songs but the one I've been to had extremely strict no-touching rules. On the other hand, there are clubs in the area offering better mileage for a $10 dance. OK, back to the Hi Liter - I arrived around 10 PM. The cover charge is $10. (check their web site for a free entry coupon) Sitting at the bar, I could see the usual good mix of dancers at the Hi Liter. The place has mostly white dancers, some - well, many with artificial breast but it's not as if you have to look hard for naturals. At one point a dancer arrived for her shift and sat next to me at the bar. She said she hadn't realized it was "customer appreciation night" and immediately remarked about how short the songs were. IMO, this "customer appreciation" gimmick just makes things confusing to the customer. It would have been more friendly to customers if the club waived the evening cover charge. I didn't partake in any dances during this visit. Years ago, this was my primary SC hangout and I might return next month to try the dancers again but there are couple of other clubs in the area with good mileage and a lower proportion of enhanced breasts. Artificial breasts are not attractive to me. Drinks at the Hi Liter are not a bargain. A domestic beer cost me $5. Better drink prices can be found elsewhere. Granted, the Hi Liter has occasional drink specials but they aren't necessarily a bargain at $5 for a "you call it". My recommendation to others is to avoid customer appreciation night and give the Hi Liter a try on a Friday or Saturday night.