Bar Scene: Blur

Photos:

The scene: Blur is the perfect name for this dance club and bar, where the lines between gay, straight and transvestite truly are blurred. Although the venue advertises itself as gay and lesbian friendly, there are definitely straight people in the crowd. Heterosexual women will absolutely feel comfortable, and heterosexual men…well, they should be secure in their masculinity before trying a place like this out. (Although, most of the gay club-goers will tell you that they can spot a straight person coming a mile away.) But gay or straight, transvestite or bisexual, the DJ will absolutely keep you dancing all night.   

The drag show: The self-proclaimed finest female impersonators perform two shows every Friday night. Although the entertainment is supposed to start at 10:30 and midnight, as one of the bouncers put it, “The drags are never on time. They’re such queens.” So you can expect the first show to start closer to 11pm. If you’ve ever seen a drag show, it is certainly an experience. Admittedly, the use of the word “show” at Blur is debatable. The first drag queen opens with a lip-synched song and dance, and then makes a few jokes and messes with the audience a little. She’s quite entertaining. The second and third performers, though, are a little less interesting. They walk around the dance floor lip-synching, showing off their flamboyant outfits and collecting dollar bills from people in the crowd. If you pay enough or go up enough times, most of the drags are happy to give you hugs or goof off with you for a minute. The whole thing seems a bit like a strip tease…without the stripping. But it is still entertaining and highly enjoyable.     

The décor: Blur mixes sexy with casual in a very interesting way. The interior is split into two: the dance floor and the sitting area. There is a long, comfy bench running the length of one wall. Get there early to grab this prime real estate for the drag show. There are also some high-top tables, and plenty of standing room if you’re a late comer. The wall in front of the dance floor is a mirror, which is perfect – the more people drink, the more they tend to want to watch themselves while they think about what an “awesome” dancer they are. Outside, Blur feels more like a regular bar. There are wooden tables and chairs and a pool table. The patio area also connects to Blur’s neighbor and owner, Kelly’s Chic-a-Boom room, which serves food and drinks.

The damage: The cover on Thursday, Friday and Saturday is a measly $5. Wednesday is $10 sink-or-swim, and there’s no cover on Tuesday night for drag queen Bingo. Drinks are about $9 for martinis, $3 - $5 for beer, and $5.50 and up for liquor. The bartenders make the drinks nice and strong, so you get a lot of bang for your buck.

The bottom line: Blur is easily one of the most fun casual dance clubs in Pinellas County. With an energetic crowd, a great mix of music, a different theme every night and a cheap cover, anyone bar-hopping in downtown Dunedin should definitely put Blur on their list.

Blur

325 Main St.

Dunedin, FL 34698

727-210-2743

http://www.myspace.com/blurdunedin

Add a comment