Still the Same

So it has easily been 30 years since last time I was in the Clermont Lounge, and it doesn’t seem to have changed at all. There appear to be big changes going on outside—a construction fence is up around the Clermont Hotel and the back parking area was inaccessible. However, there was pathway down to the Clermont Lounge, which is in the basement under the hotel.

The doorman announced a $5 cover, but then immediately said to just give him a tip because it was a slow. Inside, the Clermont looked exactly like I (somewhat hazily) remembered it. There is a small circular bar immediately inside and slightly to the right, and the stage is inside the bar. The bartenders work in the space between the stage and the bar. Liquor bottles are lined up along the edge of the stage. The bar has a cushioned edge, but the upholstery wore away long ago. Now it consists entirely of duct tape patchwork. There is a low ceiling, and the whole place looks worn out and dingy. I believe a previous review said something about it being closed for renovations recently. If so, I don’t know what they did because I couldn’t see any evidence of a recent renovation. The Clermont Lounge has always had the reputation of being the diveiest (is that a word?) bar in Atlanta, and it still is.

Unbelievably, not only does the place look the same, but Blondie still works here, just as she did last time I visited. She was known back then for crushing empty Pabst cans between her ample boobs. She’s gained a few pounds over the years, but otherwise looks pretty much the same. She didn’t crush any beer cans this evening. Next up was white dancer, overweight and in her late fifties, maybe even sixties.. The final dancer of the evening actually had a fairly nice body, but she too was way past her prime as a dancer, and it showed in her face. But yes, this is what the Clermont is famous for. I rated the dancers a 7 on the "Vampiness" scale for this review, not because they are a 7 on the traditional scale, or even my scale (definitely not), but because the Clermont is unique. It doesn't try to compete with other strip clubs, and the dancers that work here fit in perfectly for what the Clermont is. I probably should have given them a 10 on that basis, but that would be going a bit too far.