Tag Archives: dive

Bill’s Bar Hits a Home Run for Rowdy Red Sox Fans

Lansdowne Street is filled with bars and clubs, which become crazy busy after a Red Sox game. If you are looking for a place to listen to some good old rock ‘n roll then head on over to the popular Bill’s Bar. This intimate bar is long and narrow, so be sure to get here way before a Red Sox home game lets out or you won’t be able to get in.

The walls here are lined with pictures of Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon and Janis Joplin. Drinks are some of the cheapest in the city and depending on which night you come, you can catch a live band or listen to a DJ spin some tunes. It does get exceedingly loud in here at times, so be prepared for a lively atmosphere. Don’t miss the uniquely designed bathrooms – the men’s room is done in honor of Elvis and the ladies room has dozens of pictures of Marilyn Monroe.

PBR Debauchery at The Barbary

If you need to forget about your work week and that creep ex-boy/girlfriend that won’t stop calling you, The Barbary is your place for all night dancing, drinking and debauchery. The Barbary has some of the cheapest drinks in town ($2 PBRs are the Philly Special) and 6-nights a week it hosts some of the craziest dance parties you have ever experienced.

Monthly calendars are released on its MySpace page with events happening every night of the week. Sundays are Karaoke nights, Wednesdays are the Bouffant Bangouts featuring 50s and 60s music, and Mondays are the Indie Dance parties. The rest of the month is filled in with a satisfying variety of top-notch dance music. If you’re lucky to be in town, the DJ DeeJay “Madonna Michael Price” shows are a must.

And if you just can’t get in the mood without the disco ball, they have that covered, too.

My Brother’s Bar Belongs to Everyone

From the late great Terminal Bar (immortalized in song by Tom Waits) to the Satire Lounge (where the Smothers Brothers got their start), Denver’s a treasure trove of storied dives. Among its most colorful gems is My Brother’s Bar, a scuffed and stained Depression-era time capsule revered by generations of fans of Jack Kerouac—who famously whiled away the hours here with fellow Beat hero Neal Cassady.

Yet this is no mere hipster hang. Another quirk of the Mile High City’s more historic haunts is their diversity, frequented by grizzled guzzlers and families alike; here, young and old, stoned and stone-cold gather ’round as much for the signature JCBs (jalapeno cream cheese burgers) as the booze.

Tracy Hutson Dive-ing Into Grapevine

On the surface a dive bar may seem an unusual nightlife favorite for television star and stylist/designer Tracy Hutson, but then you wouldn’t understand the charm of neighborhood hotspot Grapevine.

Sure, Grapevine has a killer rooftop with views of the Dallas skyline, but then everything gets curiously odd from there. For starters, it has a basketball court. The clientele is everyone from yuppie lawyers to the local gay and lesbian crowd. It has mismatched glassware that is purchased bi-weekly from the local Goodwill.

And without any mass advertising, except word-of-mouth through the grapevine, this place is packed to the brim every night.

Grapevine says, “Our customers are like our glasses; they’re all different!” And that’s exactly why Tracy Hutson, and nightlife critics from AOL to Dallas.com, loves this bar. Tracy Hutson has a lot in common with Grapevine. She blends her philanthropic nature with eclectic design from her ABC’s “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” job to her Dallas nightlife spot. And she always has fun doing both!

**Tracy Hutson is a native Texan and style consultant on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, author of Feathering the Nest: Tracy Hutson’s Eco-friendly Guide to Decorating Your Baby’s Room, and founder of Tracy Hutson Designs.