Visited the Vu on the evening...

Visited the Vu on the evening of Saturday, 8/4 around 9 pm. The place was pretty empty. A girl was dancing on stage for two songs around every 5-10 min. There is just a main stage and there is a white line around the stage about 4 feet back that you are not supposed to cross except briefly in order to drop the dancer a tip on the stage. I'd say the girls were mostly 5's and 6's with a few 8's mixed in. There was a good mix of ethnic diversity as well. Some of the dancers were considerably overweight, but most of the girls were fit. A cute brunette came up to me right as I sat down and asked if I wanted a dance. She didn't seem very happy to be there and was very mechanical in the way that she asked. I asked her to come try me again later since I had just sat down. No one else approached me while I was there. On top of the $6 cover, you have to pay $10 upon entry for a bottomless cup and they only serve soft beverages. Also, every time the waitress gets you a drink she expects at least a dollar tip.

The dances on the main (and only) stage are, for the most part, topless and bottomless. Most of the dancers were enthusiastic and put on quite a good show. The DJ wasn't too annoying with trying to get the crowd excited and tipping, but you know how it goes. The club was dark and the stage was poorly lit (although it was a few feet off of the ground, which helped visibility. About an hour in, the place got full and, surprisingly, it was a fairly friendly atmosphere. Since the dancers are so far away and don't hassle the visitors much, people started talking with each other. It felt more like a local bar than a strip club. About another hour passed and then the girl who asked me to dance in the beginning got on stage. She did a great job so I tipped her a good amount to show my appreciation (and to imply that I wanted a private dance). She came by afterwards and asked if I wanted to dance and I agreed. All dances at the Vu are $20 and, unfortunately, the girls are extremely restricted in how they can dance. First, the "private" dance areas are couches along the far wall of the club, no real privacy there. Also, I am new to Nashville so I was unaware of the rule that you can't touch the dancers, but that they can touch you. Once she started dancing, I started gently running my fingers across her back. She told me that they had cameras in the club and that I would get kicked out if I continued to touch her. So, I apologized, explained that I was new in town, and put my hands down on the couch. The dance continues. At this point I should tell you, at no point in the private dance does the dancer take off any of her clothes. No topless, not even her shorts to go down to her g-string, nothing. Also, she seemed to hover a few inches above me the entire time. By the end of the song I was feeling fairly frustrated, but I thought that maybe if I got a second dance the next time around would be better. It wasn't. It was exactly the same. She asked if I wanted a third. I politely refused, paid her for her time, and then left the bar. It's safe to say that I won't be returning to the Vu. Unfortunately, from what people tell me, Nashville in general is a pretty crappy town for strip clubs. Best of luck everyone.