Inside: Sharks

(Credit: Kyle Dehn/Special to Metromix)

Bar reviews

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

The dusty streets of downtown often seem short on occupied storefronts and, after midnight, short on people. There are a few spots, though, where people line up, overflow or otherwise make a scene on the sidewalk in front of. Sharks Nightclub is one of them.

Tucson isn’t known for hip-hop. Nor is it known as a hot spot for Latin rock. That said, Sharks knows their niche. The plain-walled, bare-bones club does strictly hip-hop and Latin music, and consistently hits capacity for their nights devoted to each.

Shine those boots or squeeze into that tiny black skirt; the music is for dancing and the party is dress to impress.

Entertainment and libations: Hip-hop three nights per week, Latin karaoke three more nights, and one night of live Latin rock—with drink specials nearly every night. Mondays, hip-hop DJs entertain on ladies night and the bartenders serve $1 vodka and cranberrys. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Sundays, get your mariachi (or tejano, or rock en espanol, etc.) on with Latin karaoke and sip on $3 bottles of Mexican beer. Wednesdays, it's live hip-hop accompanied by $2 well drinks and draft beers. Fridays, Latin rock is the special; drinks are regular price. Saturdays, hip-hop with HOT 98 (98.3-FM) and $1.50 Budweiser family bottles.

The cover charge on Friday and Saturday nights is $5, and week nights are free.

Setup: The bar offers almost nothing in terms of aesthetic inspiration—unless we’re talking about the customers. A few Corona and Patrón posters hang on the dark walls, but the real visuals are in the light system, which includes multiple strobe and colored lights scanning the dance floor. The sound system is also impressive; you can hear it well, even from the back of the line outside on a Saturday night.

The smooth concrete floor was meant for dancing and the small stage takes up as little space as possible.  Lifted above and tucked near the stage, the DJ booth peers over the expansive dance floor and j-shaped bar. Toward the back of the large room are two pool tables and a section of tables and chairs, and outside of the bar is a small smoking patio with a few tables. Access to the V.I.P. loft ($25 on Fridays and Saturdays) offers a private bar as well as fine views of the dancefloor and the line for the ladies bathroom.

Scene: Latin clubbers, dancefloor rock stars and fans of live hip-hop pile into the club on weekends, but don’t be intimidated if you don’t own any Sean John and your Spanish is a little rusty: This downtown club is friendly, if a little rough around the edges, and the language of music, mixers and motion is universal.

Bottom line: If you want a nice decor, Sharks isn’t your spot. If you want a space to dance with pretty people and drink until the crowd spills onto the sidewalk, sweating and weaving, Sharks is for you with decent drink prices, live hip-hop, Latin rock and karaoke, plus a big dance floor.

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