Big Al's has moved from their...

Big Al's has moved from their long-time location on Main Street to 400 SW Jefferson Street in Peoria. That move made some unfortunate changes to the club. The old location was a combination of a couple of older buildings that gave the place some atmosphere, various types of intimate interior rooms, and a variety of stages that could be active depending on how busy the place was. It was torn down to make room for a new Marriott Hotel.

The new big Al's is a sterile, glorified warehouse that is like walking into a Sam's Club having a catered party. The is one huge stage at the front of the building with large projection capabilities behind it. The entertainers now have what seems like a forty-foot long stage area to dance. There are the obligatory lights flashing all over the place as well as a sound system that is too loud and distorted at best. The large cavern of a building produces the not unexpected difficulties in understanding the DJ when he yammers from his perch.

The wait staff is very friendly and attentive, but that positive characteristic stops there. The attractive dancers are aloof and ignore those that do not motivate them, missing out on a surprising number of opportunities to make money, based on my chats with other guests I noticed were also ignored. There was a very attractive, elegantly-dressed woman, who appeared to be a ranking member of the management team roaming about with a clipboard and a fistful of keys. Surprisingly, she never smiled or said hello to guests; rather, she gracefully moved from place to place with a most disagreeable scowl on what is likely a face that houses a grand smile at other times. Not exactly a welcoming representative of Big Al's.