Velvet Lives!
April 8, 2010 in Music, Scene STL News by SceneSTL
It was billed as “The Epicenter of St. Louis Club Culture” and for nearly a decade (1996 – 2005) it lived up to that slogan. Velvet was one of the few long term success stories on Washington Avenue out living all but Rue 13 (it’s sister establishment). In fact I will go as far as to say that Washington Ave has never been quite the same since Velvet closed it’s doors in 2005. It seems a less exciting place to go on a weekend, more pedestrian and suburban than urban. Gone are some of the wildness that used to happen in and around the clubs of the late 90′s. That’s not all bad because there were a few clubs of that era that had earn (deservedly) a terrible reputation.
I remember Velvet fondly as I went there so many weekend nights dancing, drinking, and having a great time. Velvet wasn’t actually one big club but it became two distinct areas for entertainment. The front room was initially a big sort of pass through area that initially made you feel kind of like waiting in line for a roller coaster at Six Flags. It wasn’t too long before the owners/managers decided to make it it’s own space that would often have a very different vibe. Now the Main Room… That’s where all the magic happened. There was a huge dance floor with lots of lights and boxes for people to dance on. The sound was also amazing with a LOT of bass especially when it was pushed. There were other areas of the club too like VIP and the “back” darkly lit area but i can’t discuss the shenanigans that happened in those areas 
Although the club has been surpassed by newer and sometimes larger venues there will always be something special about Velvet. I am obviously no alone because the reunion party this weekend is set to be packed! If you went to the club back in the day be sure not to miss this event! For more information click HERE! Be sure to say hi to the Dirty Bus!
Images courtesy the Velvet Faceook Fan Page
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