Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
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THE CLUB & MUSIC SCENE
Even if it were not in the middle of the desert, the Scottsdale club scene would be red-
hot. Packed into a few dozen blocks surrounding Old Town Scottsdale, near the corner
of Camelback and Scottsdale roads, are dozens of trendy dance clubs and chic bars. This
is where visiting celebrities, wealthy fashionistas, and wannabes all come to party. The
crowd is young, affluent, and attractive, and with all the beautiful people cruising around
in Porsches and limousines, it's easy to think you're in L.A. Cruise along
Stetson Drive,
which is divided into two sections (east and west of Scottsdale Rd.), to find the latest hot
spots.
While Scottsdale is the nexus of nightclubbing for the fashion-conscious, the Valley
has plenty of clubs and bars for those who don't wear Prada. Other nightlife districts
include Tempe's Mill Avenue and downtown Phoenix.
Mill Avenue,
in Tempe, is a good
place to wander around in search of your favorite type of music. Because Tempe is a col-
lege town, the crowd tends to be young and rowdy. Downtown Phoenix is home to
Symphony Hall, the Herberger Theater Center, and several sports bars. However, much
of the action revolves around sports events and concerts at US Airways Center and Chase
Field.
Clubs come and go quickly, so to find out what's hot, get a copy of the
New Times.
Bars and clubs are allowed to serve alcohol until 2am.
Country
Buffalo Chip Saloon & Steakhouse
Cave Creek is the Valley's last Wild West
town and is full of cowboy bars. This barnlike place is a local favorite, especially with fans
of the Green Bay Packers. There's live country music Thursday through Saturday nights,
all-you-can-eat fish fries featuring walleye, and s'mores on the dessert menu. Currently,
on the first Sunday of each month, there's cowboy-comedy dinner theater.
6811 E. Cave
Creek Rd., Cave Creek.
&
480/488-9118.
www.buffalochipsaloon.com.
Handlebar-J
This Scottsdale landmark is about as genuine a cowboy bar as you'll find
in Phoenix, and cowpokes often stop by when they come in from the ranch. You'll hear live
git-down two-steppin' music nightly; free dance lessons are given Wednesday, Thursday,
and Sunday at 7pm.
7116 Becker Lane (1 block north of the northwest corner of Scottsdale Rd.
and Shea Blvd.), Scottsdale.
&
480/948-0110.
www.handlebarj.com. Cover free to $5.
Rusty Spur Saloon
A small, rowdy, drinkin'-and-dancin' place frequented by tour-
ists, this bar is the oldest saloon in Scottsdale and is loads of fun, with peanut shells all
over the floor, dollar bills stapled to the walls, and live country-music afternoons and
evenings. If you're a cowboy or cowgirl at heart, this is the place to party when you're in
Scottsdale.
7245 E. Main St., Old Scottsdale.
&
480/425-7787.
www.rustyspursaloon.com.
Dance Clubs & Discos
Axis/Radius
If you're looking to do a bit of celebrity-spotting, Axis is one of the best
places in town to keep your eyes peeled. For many years now, this has been one of Scotts-
dale's hottest dance clubs and liveliest singles scenes. The two-story glass box is a bold
contemporary space with an awesome sound system. These twin clubs are open Thursday
through Saturday.
7340 E. Indian Plaza (2 blocks east of Scottsdale Rd. and 1 block south of
Camelback Rd.), Scottsdale.
&
480/970-1112.
www.axis-radius.com. Cover free to $10.
Barcelona
It's big, it's beautiful, and it's busy. This is Scottsdale's premier supper club,
and after the dinner crowd gives up its tables Thursday through Saturday nights, Barce-
lona becomes one of the city's top dance spots. The well-heeled crowd is primarily in
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