Inside: Hip-hop Saturdays at Sports

Get Loose Saturdays (Credit: Sports)

Bar reviews

Where's good, where's bad, where's so-bad-it's-good

Hip-hop night at Tucson bars seems to be a boom or bust business. With the right combination of music and energy, you can dance the night away until the lights come on at 2. If people are standing around staring into their vodka-crans, it gets awkward, no matter how good the music is. Sports on Congress' Saturday hip-hop night—dubbed Get Loose—is a well-kept dance secret. Although it takes a while to warm up, once the party's started, it's good. And: There's no cover charge.

Sport's is just down the street from more popular dance venues Club Congress and Centro. While Club Congress brings in a hipster crowd with an '80s night and Centro attracts high-class, high-heeled Tucsonans with pounding house music, Sport's has a relaxed, come-as-you-are feel. You on't need to wear 4-inch heels or American Apparel to fit in.

Setup: When you enter the two-room bar, you walk right onto the main dancefloor. A raised stage toward the front of the room allows some of the better dancers—or some of the more inebriated who think they are better dancers—to break it down performance-style. The DJ is on the opposite side of the room and, in between, the dancefloor is swept with multi-colored lights. The second room features a black-and-white checkered bar, and above the liquor bottles are tiny sports figurines, a nice touch. There are just a sprinkling of bar stools, but you're not here to sit, right?

Entertainment: The DJs on Saturdays are Hometown Herb and Bonus. The music is a varied mix of old-school hip-hop and newer hits, but you won't hear "Single Ladies" by Beyoncé—thank god. The beat keeps going, so there's never an awkward transition when the beat gets pulled out from under you and you're just left there, waiting.

The dancefloor really gets going around midnight. Since not too many people seem to know about Sports' hip-hop night, 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturdays, there is space to dance without being crammed up against everyone and having to eek your way out when you want to hit the bar. Instead of the usual hip-hop club grinding, Sports attracts some serious dancers who are there for the music, not the hook-up. If the better dancers are there, you'll see some breaking. The vibe is very open, not at all exclusive.

Libations: Drinks are affordable. On Fridays and Saturdays, well drinks run $2.50, cans of Tecate $2. They offer a decent selection of liquor—you can get Patron in that margarita, if you like—and the six beers on tap include Miller High Life to Anchor Steam.

Service: The bartenders at Sports are the standard friendly. Since there is never too much of a crowd, you get your drinks quick.

Bottom line: On Saturdays, Sport's on Congress' is a great place for dancing off some stress to good hip-hop. Don't be discouraged if the energy is down; if you wait until later in the night, the crowd eventually warms up.

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