Saturday starts slow, works its way to.....well, whatever

Among the many characteristics of the bigger Baltimore clubs on Saturday nights is that before 9:15 pm or so, they are dead as doornails. I conveniently forgot about that in making my first visit to Penthouse (ex-Scores) around 8 pm on a beautiful summer Saturday in late June. In the case of this club, it doesn't even open until 7 pm on Saturdays. The parking lot was virtually empty across the street - though they charged $10 in anticipation of the flurry of activity that eventually came several hours later just as I was leaving. They ID'd me but no cover was charged. Possibly because initially there was no action. It reminded me of my one visit to Larry Flynt's Hustler Club on the Block one Saturday afternoon a couple years ago - a big elaborate expensive-looking club with nothing happening.

The first hour or so was basically sitting at the bar watching the 4-5 other PLs staring into space as well as the very pretty bartenders and waitresses socializing with management / staring into their iPhones. One guy with a long white beard was ruminating at the end of the bar next to the empty stage. I did order dinner from the bartender (slightly overcooked chicken tenders) and she did pour $13 Rum and cokes that seemed somewhat watered down.

Finally at 9:15, a dancer made it down the stairs to start her 2 song set (1st topless, 2nd nude). Cute blonde with big glasses. Followed by a few brunettes, several with enormous tattoos. For some reason, I thought Penthouse frowned on the whole tat thing (at least the other locations in the US - this being Baltimore, maybe you get what you can get). The girls each march across the bar to collect their dirhams. Some interaction but generally not much touching. Once the dancing started, the long white-bearded guy at the end of the bar quit ruminating, came alive and produced lollipops for dancers coming off the stage and was fanning his favorites, so that was both cute and weird to see. I guess if "PL" appeared in the dictionary, a picture of that guy would be there.