Decoding the clubs

Photograph: Jaecyne Howell/moonrisingnyc.com

Simply Salsa at Taj
Simply Salsa is a good way for determined nondancers to loosen up after work on Monday. With upscale Indian decor and Latin sounds from DJ Henry Knowles, this is a departure from the electronic and house scenes. And while there are definitely some expert dancers here, the joint holds salsa lessons every evening at 6:30pm to ease you into the sabor.

Libation at Sullivan Room
This party rules. The drum-heavy music is so loud that you vibrate, and the dancing is frenetic and effusive without being silly. One girl, apparently for want of adequate people to dance with, even used a ceiling support as a partner.

Body Music at Bembe
Live drums and bass guitar nicely complement the jazz-infused deejayed music (which also suits the tequila shot with a lime dunked in espresso grounds). The place gets a little claustrophobic, but this slice of the Caribbean—which is hipsterish, but not to the point of offense—has a chance to replace The Two Coreys as my regular Sunday-night thing.

The Hump at the Blue Owl
The music—which purportedly revisits the funky, halcyon days of ’88 to ’98—is not what you’d expect from a fancy East Village lounge, but it works. Space for dancing is limited (I didn’t really see anyone doing it), as the Blue Owl is more speakeasy than sprawling superclub.

Deep Space at Cielo
It’s sort of how nonclubgoers always picture a club: a line, a list and a velvety-looking rope. The cast of revelers covers a wide age range (including cougars on the prowl!) and dancing ability—even co-alums from my own Stiff White Guy school. About half the crowd sits along the dimly lit perimeter and just listens to the intergalactic beats.

Soulgasm at Sin Sin
People are actually going through limbering-up exercises before getting down. It can be daunting; in addition to the stretching, there were sleeveless tees. DJ Brian Coxx’s music didn’t sound much like soul, let alone soulgasm: It involved dudes repeating a few words ad nauseam, but judging from the dance circle that formed, that’s popular.

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