by Jeff J. on In the dead of winter, they didn't have a coat check! WTF? I had to stand through the entire show with my coat in my hand. Also, the bartender misheard my order and wouldn't pour the right one. He argued that I said "black" and ginger instead of "jack" and ginger. I had to purchase a replacement drink. Unacceptable.
by Kiwi H. on One of the best clubs in Boston (in my humble opinion), I love the fact that every time I go here I can't walk 10 steps without running into someone I know. I love clubbing, but I'm really specific about it.. I have to be in the mood, I have to have friends with me, and the music is oh-so-important. I love the music here, they always play the latest house and other hits. If you're looking for VIP table/bottle service, Rumor and Venu are some of the best places to go in Boston for it (same management). Having said that, I do wish there were a greater variety of clubs like this in Boston. I think part of the reason why I end up at Rumor so often is that there is a serious lack of similar venues in the city, with such an international crowd. I actually really like the decor (and even more so after they remodelled it in 2007), and I love that there are two rooms and different sections within them. Yes, the dancefloor can get kind of packed, but there's also plenty of room to hang out by the bar if you don't have a table. Still, the Rumor that I'm reviewing here is only for very specific nights of the week.. I guess everyone has a different hotspot/favourite for different nights of the week, and it's nowhere near as much fun when my friends aren't going. About the cover charge - it's usually $15 instead of $20 if you get there early enough (which also helps you avoid the crazy lines and possibility of not being able to get in - as with any popular place, it gets harder after it gets late...), and if you know someone who's promoting you can usually get put on a list which gets you in for less. I always have a good time here, and more often than not I end up at Rumor (sometimes followed by Rise) for nights of good fun clubbing. Update 04/08: I'd like to add some random points to this review: - People know it's a pricey upscale-style club. It they, in general, don't believe in paying that much for drinks or entrance or don't like the scene, then I don't understand why they choose to go in the first place when they already know this?! - Thursday and Saturday nights are the better nights to go, if you're into house and a better crowd. - Yeah, there's a strong international presence (and I love that: sure there are some snobs but as I said in my Venu review, not all of them are snobs and you'll find snobs in every group in society, it's just what theyre snobby about! And I'm an 'international person' and I'm not a snob. Newsflash.) Plus, labeling all international kids as Eurotrash is just dumb - not all of them are European, there are other parts of the world that make up 'international' (and might I add, international can include the US since that is a part of the world. it's just a mentality mostly). I'm really getting fed up of how some people call ALL international kids stupid/spoilt/whatever. Yes, some are, it's true, but there are people like that from every freaking country. Not everyone is like that, even if you like the scene. Agh. Ok, rant over. - The staff are pretty good about lost/stolen items. My bf once had his credit card lost at the bar here, two days before we were travelling to Costa Rica no less, so we panicked. He called to check and the staff member met up with him the next afternoon to return it. And I know friends who've lost then found other things like gloves. Definitely appreciated.
by Curt Yungbluth on DEFINITELY the liveliest 6 A.M. bar crowd I've ever seen... For ages, I'd driven by Clooney's on the way to work, always wondering what manner of mankind inhabited the place at the crack of dawn. To find out, I set the alarm clock for way-too-early and went here on a lark one Wednesday morning to see just what went on in this place at 6 A.M. I'd expected to see dreary old men plying their sorrows with liquor...but instead found an odd combination of a coffee-shop-like crowd mixed with a beer-after-work scene and a bunch of lively Irish students thrown in on the side. Who would have known? I got there at 10 minutes before the hour, and 8 people were waiting for Clooney's to open. Not long after the stroke of six, the locks clicked, the doors opened, and the mild scent of janitorial chemicals remaining from last nights cleaning spilled out onto the sidewalk. I talked to the owner about opening for first call, asking him if he ever spent lonely mornings here after showing up at six in the morning. "No", he replied without an inkling of hesitation. "There are *ALWAYS* people here waiting to get in when I open." It wasn't always that way, as Clooney's didn't start "opening early" till long after the owner set up shop. "I used to open at 8:00, and people were always waiting for me when I showed up", he explained. "I always was a morning person, and it didn't take me long to figure out that I was missing out on two hours of business every day". Several of the crowd were older men who just liked getting up early...and having a drink instead of a cup of coffee. There was a younger bunch of Irish students decked out in nightlife garb that were taking last nights party into the not-so-wee-hours. There was also a smattering of graveyard shift people who considered this to be their "after work crowd". But the biggest surprise of all? Contrary to common perception, none of the people I chatted with that early Wednesday morning appeared to be alcoholics...and none appeared overly intoxicated. When the morning crowd fizzes out, a collection of less-than-lively day patrons move in. Come nightfall, Clooney's hosts a rough-around-the-edges crowd. They look tough, but good souls hide behind the stoic faces for the most part. And although the regulars rarely look for trouble, anybody seeking it at Clooney's won't have to look too hard...and will find himself soon obliged. Large groups spontaneously take the place over from time to time, and it's also a popular spot for post-service wakes that spill over from the funeral home down the street. All in all, it's a classic neighborhood bar, and one who's culture has remained fairly unchanged over time. It's far enough off the ever-so-trendy Valencia Street nightclub scene to be free from it's influence....but not so deep in the Mission as to put it off the beaten path. Morning jitters? Can't sleep? Clooney's opens early, and Muddy Waters isn't far down Valencia if you change your mind... Update: I got an article on my experience at Clooney's published in a local paper. Read about it at: http://www.noevalleyvo...
