Nightlife
You’ll find a lot happening here: great music, from classical to folk to rock and, of course, country, along with dance clubs, cafes and pubs, and outdoor movies. Tucson has it all!
If nightlife to you means live music, you’ll find a full slate in town, including rock, country, jazz, alternative, dance, blues, and acoustic performances. The major live music clubs are clustered along 4th Avenue and Congress Avenue, but other venues can be found in all parts of town. You’ll also find plenty of cafes, pubs, and bars that offer open mics and live music. Many restaurants offer jazz, piano, acoustic guitar, and strolling mariachis on select nights and weekends. Tucson Weekly publishes a full listing every Thursday.
The downtown is undergoing a renaissance with hip clubs, hot restaurants, and lots of special events that keep things hopping. 2nd Saturdays Downtown (www.2ndsaturdaysdowntown.com) brings a lively urban street fest to Congress Avenue, with live music, street vendors, special events, and discounts at select restaurants. This free event takes place the second Saturday of every month.
Club Crawl (http://clubcrawl.ning.com) takes you all over 4th Avenue and downtown with more than 80 bands and musical acts performing on 25 outdoor stages and inside select clubs You can access all the fun with a low-cost wristband available in advance or at the door.
For the cinema crowd, in addition to the handful of “regular” movie houses, you’ll find the Loft, which shows artsy foreign films, and the Screening Room, specializing in independent productions and the works of local producers. Free outdoor movies are shown weekly from May to October at Plaza Placita (www.cinemaplacita.com).
Other nightlife options include numerous theatrical productions, ballets, operas, symphonic music presentations, and poetry readings at various venues, from coffeehouses to bookstores.
1. The Arizona Inn
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 325-1541
Address: 2200 E. Elm St.
Description: One of the city’s most elegant and historic spots, the Arizona Inn’s classy Audubon Lounge offers overstuffed chairs and sofas where you can listen to a pianist play. (For more information on the Arizona Inn, check the Accommodations chapter.)
2. Loews Ventana Canyon Resort
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 299-2020
Address: 7000 N. Resort Dr.
Description: The comfortable Cascade Lounge with big picture windows overlooking the pool area and a huge fireplace offers live music (duos, trios, big bands, and easy listening) on Fri until 8 p.m. and Sat until 11 p.m. Settle into one of the comfy couches or chairs, nurse a drink (their prickly pear margarita and homemade lemonade are fantastic), and enjoy the sweet sounds in grand style.
3. Mcmahon’S Prime Steakhouse
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 327-2333
Address: 2959 N. Swan Rd.
Description: This popular, upscale steak house has live music nightly in the piano lounge. You’ll find a pianist performing a wide repertoire of jazz, show tunes, oldies, and standards from 6 to 9 p.m. daily. Full bar service and restaurant menu are available in the lounge.
4. Epic Cafe
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 624-6844
Address: 745 N. 4th Ave.
Description: This casual, funky cafe offers live music and a variety of open-mic nights. A great place to hang out, with high ceilings, great acoustics, and an eclectic crowd, you also get a great view of the Old Pueblo Trolley at night. Performances are spotty, so call first to see who’s on the bill. There’s free Wi-Fi, too! Open daily.
5. The Glass Onion
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 293-6050
Address: 1990 W. River Rd.
Description: Small and cozy, this Beatles-themed cafe on the northwest side of town hosts local singers and songwriters Thursday, Friday, and select Saturday nights. Stop by to hear some of Tucson’s own and grab a bite while you’re there. All the menu items here are named after Beatles songs.
6. Club Congress
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 622-8848
Address: 311 E. Congress St.
Description: This eclectic club, in the historic Congress Hotel, has risen to the forefront of the downtown night scene. And although it’s a favorite of the younger, not-so-tragically hip crowd, older folks can kick up their heels on the dance floor without sticking out like sore thumbs. Club Congress claims to have been “inventing Tucson nightlife since 1985.” You’ll find lots of live music (local and national) and special events in this funky downtown setting. Weekly events include a ’80s dance night. You’ll also find considerably calmer live music in the lobby/bar on select weeknights.
7. Dv8
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 885-3030
Address: 5851 E. Speedway
Description: DV8 is one of Tucson’s hippest clubs. Get ready for hip-hop, R&B, ’80s, ’90s, and today’s music. The bartenders are friendly and the drinks cheap. Foosball and billiards will keep nondancers busy. Open Tues through Sat.
8. Level Bar And Lounge
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 615-3835
Address: 4280 N. Campbell Ave.
Description: A hot spot for the upscale, well-dressed, and well-heeled, Level is a small but hip spot for seeing and being seen. A cozy dance floor, flat-screen televisions, curtained VIP room, sleek wooden bar, and outdoor patio with a fire pit brings them in all night long. Dress codes are strictly enforced—you won’t find shorts or work boots on this well-turned-out crowd. Open Wed through Sat until 2 a.m.
9. Monsoon At Desert Diamond Casino
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 294-7777
Description: The classy Monsoon Nightclub offers a huge dance floor and all types of music. Call or check their website to see what’s coming up.
10. Sapphire Lounge
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 624-9100
Address: 61 E. Congress St.
Insider Pick:
Description: The it place to be on Congress, this 3-story club has 2 hardwood dance floors, cool blue lighting, sexy waitresses, and a very hip vibe. The upper-level outdoor patio and lounge has fab views of the downtown skyline, a bar, and flaming torches. Friday nights local DJs broadcast live from the rooftop during happy hour from 5 to 9 p.m.
11. The Shelter
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 326-1345
Address: 4155 E. Grant Rd.
Description: Open since 1994, Shelter bills itself as a go-go boot–wearing, martini-drinking, swanky, groovy lounge. The crowd is very eclectic. They sip drinks at the bar or in booths while a strange collection of tunes plays on the stereo, and the television runs classic flicks such as ’60s James Bond movies. There are DJs on the first Sunday of every month and pool tables, but the draw here is the ambience and the cocktails. Drinks are serious business here: Bartenders only offer top-of-the-line libations and never use prefab mixes or disperse alcohol from a gun. Open daily 3 p.m. to midnight.
12. Vaudeville
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 622-3535
Address: 110 E. Congress St.
Description: Velvet curtains screen the view from the street, but don’t be intimidated—go on in. With great lighting and sound, you’ll find all sorts of gigs from local musicians to touring acts on the stage at this downtown spot. Open daily until 2 a.m.
13. The Wildcat House
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 622-1302
Address: 1801 N. Stone Ave.
Description: Named for the Arizona Wildcats, this cavernous, low-lit club packs ’em in for all sorts of dance nights, including R&B, hip-hop, and Tejano. Peopled mostly by a younger crowd, the 3 bars keep the drinks coming, and the large-screen TVs are usually on the sports channel. Happy hour is Mon, Tues, Wed, and Fri from 4 to 8 p.m. If you get hungry from all that dancing, they have an extensive menu of bar food, steaks, salads, sandwiches, and excellent burgers. It’s located at the northwest corner of Stone and Lester. There is a cover charge on weekends for live music. Open Mon through Sat.
14. Zen Rock
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 306-8116
Address: 121 E. Congress St.
Description: Don’t let the husky bouncer at the door intimidate you! DJs are spinning cool tunes on the inside and it’s worth a visit. You’ll find high ceilings, low lighting, and sleek furnishings here along with 2 levels for dancing, VIP concierge service, and private VIP seating areas. The club attracts an edgy, urban crowd that dances to Top 40 tunes.
15. The Buffet Bar And Crock Pot
City: Tucson, AZ
Category: Nightlife
Telephone: (520) 623-6811
Address: 538 E. 9th St.
Description: The oldest bar in Tucson, this spot should not be missed on your nightlife prowls of the downtown. Look for the neon sign on 9th Street off of 4th Avenue. Mentioned in Playboy and Esquire and given the dubious distinction of Tucson’s Best Dive bar by Tucson Weekly, the Buffet offers cheap brews, drunken hot dogs (they’re boiled in beer), and the oldest barmaid in Tucson (rumor has it she’s over 80, but don’t ask—real ladies don’t tell). Opens at 6 a.m. daily!