"Man! Let's go to fuckin' Rodeo!" a masculine co-ed exclaimed to his buddies near the entrance to Taboo at 23 W. 6th Thursday night. The $12 all-you-can-drink-til-midnight special on Thursday is a draw and an outrage to some students.
Sex-funky, sweaty hedonistic air fills the sprawling space which has experienced some serious remodeling since its days as The Jungle. The most striking and appreciated disappearance from The Jungle's aesthetic is the mess of camo, fake trees and cages that cluttered the dance floor.
Even though Taboo's been remodeled the space seemed lacking in some respects: two new back bars flank the entrance to the main room but remained unused and deserted. The dance floor was mostly empty all night but light wild action surrounded the bar; girls looking warm and windy-haired ground on larger men, both with drinks in their hands.
A January 20 Register-Guard article reported that since May 2001 the clubs name has changed 4 times. Most recently it was called Belly Up before the change to Taboo. Biagio's, Olympus, The Annex and The Jungle didnt seem to work as names for this nightspot but maybe Taboo will.
This place is really just perfect for some and not at all for others. Its fratty vibe, compounded by open-bar madness on Thursday night, could be frightening to the untrained eye.
A very crowded bar was manned by two bartenders and a bar back. For the number of people they'd let in and for the price they were charging, some were crying bloody rip-off.
"$12 for this crappy music!?" Brian Henderson, 21, exclaimed. " No more Bon Jovi! A little more hip hop please," he added. It's true: Joan Jett, Def Leppard and other various butt-rock bands peppered the 11-11:30 time frame.
Then equally offensive cliche hip hop songs battered the patrons for the next hour or so including 112 ("Peaches and Cream" was a big hit for this crowd), Bow Wow imitators, and Sean Paul. So you can't say that Taboo plays just hip hop; they're equal opportunity with what cheesy loud party music they'll play.
One of the shiny new aspects of Taboo is Barb's Southern Cooking, opening at 7:30PM until 2AM. Barb is a boisterous and enterprising woman serving ribs, catfish, southern fried chicken, collard greens, mac n cheese bakes as well as a Barb's Cafe menu of $4.50 to $7 smaller dishes like burgers and fries.
Brian Robe, a second-year at the University, sang the praises of Barb's cooking and said it's what has kept him coming back to Taboo. "Her food is honestly the best food I've ever had," he reported. "I've had the catfish, the burgers, the ribs and it's always fantastic," he shouted over the loud music with a bowl of fries in his hand.
If nothing else there's some good people-watching to be had. The dance floor being so empty, those brave enough to venture out there are sort of on display. An awkward white boy in a polo followed his girlfriend around the floor and one girl used the barrier between the bar and the dance floor to let loose some mimicked stripper moves.
Space is not a concern. There's no sliding through a crowd, no bumping into random people and no spilled drinks on your feet. There are a couple pool tables, ample tables and chairs and an outdoor smoking space. This is a place to get down and dirty and maybe bring home a lucky lady or gentlemen that you'll probably never talk to again. Otherwise, try 80s night at John Henry's, Neighbors on Friday nights or Indigo District to get your groove on.
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