Know When to Fold ‘Em

I visited the club at 330pm on a week day. Entrance was $10.00, and the pat down was minimal. As has been noted before the top floor where you enter is dark and unoccupied, so you make your way to the bottom floor via a set of stairs. The room is a rectangle, filled with U-shaped lounge style benches. The back wall TVs were off. At least two sets of benches have been removed since my last visit and replaced with small armchairs. I didn’t do a head count, but I’d estimate something more than twenty-five dancers, primarily a mix of AA and Latina. Dances are $10.00 per song. The bar sits along one of the long walls, I ordered a club soda with lime for $3.00.

The club was fairly lively for this time of day, so I sat at the bar for maybe five minutes before I spotted a Latina sitting by herself on one side of a booth. There was one other customer sitting perpendicular to her with a dancer. I walked over, asked if I could sit, and tried to make small talk. I can’t recall her name, but she was Cuban and spoke very little English. I asked for a dance on the next song. It was not great so I stopped here after one song.

I sat alone for maybe five minutes before I was approached by a Latina who I recognized from Platinum. I’d seen reviews on TUSCL indicting Platinum was closed which is why I came to Vivide on this day. We made small talk and I asked her why she was there. She explained that Platinum was closed because of an issue with a liquor license. She was unsure of when/if they’d re-open. Take that information for whatever it’s worth. She proceeded to dance six songs for me; full contact, and stick shifting.