I decided to check out Center...

I decided to check out Center Stage in downtown Springfield after a lackluster visit to nearby Mardi Gras. I had been to CS years ago and knew it had a ghetto vibe. But back then it had a few lookers and I was hoping that was still true. Besides it was early, I already paid for parking and it's only a block and a half away from the Gras. You can even see the Gras off in the distance across the very large deserted parking lot that separates the two clubs. The area on the other side of Worthington Street where CS is located has a deserted very sketchy feel with homeless and shady-looking dudes hanging around. The club has its own little parking lot but it looked full. After entering I went through a metal detector and got an airport style pat down. Then had to show ID and paid a $5 cover. From the entrance you go up a few steps and then there's a very large rectangular stage in the center of the club (guess that's where the name cums from!) The stage is high and you sit on stools. Overall the club is on the smaller side (at least compared to the Gras) The bar is off to the left and the restrooms are on the right side of the club. Lap dances are done on long upholstered bench-like seats with high backs in an area separated from the stage by a high half wall over on the right side of the club. The set-up looked slightly more private than the Gras's wide open LD room, but not by much. Unfortunately I didn't get any lappers as there just weren't any ladies that fit my tastes. There were about a dozen dancers. About an even mix of black, white and Latina. Generally on the younger side, BUT... too many were either out-of-shape pudgy or heroin-addict looking skinny. A lot of stretch mark, stretched-out pussys, saggy titties and fugly cellulite asses. Almost all were covered with big ugly or freaky tats (like their pimp daddy's name branded on them) This club has the same owner as Mardi Gras and it felt like all the rejects from there got dumped at Center Stage. There was a moderate size crowd but you could still get a seat stageside. The patrons were on the younger side and mostly non-white. Looked like aspiring rappers along with the city's drug dealers and a couple of dudes that looked like Eastern European mobsters. Both the cops and the bouncers looked on edge like they thought something could happen at any moment. Bottom line, this is a low-end urban dive where most of the clientele seem to be regulars from the neighborhood. I was really disappointed but maybe my expectations (based on the past) were just too high!