Pangaea Opens on Colorado
This must be the year for the way-too-cool nightspots in and adjacent to the Warehouse District. First
The Belmont, then Imperia, then Qua (with the sharks et al.) and now Pangaea. The “fickle 500” in Austin must be in a lather at this point as they decide what club to anoint as THE place to see and be seen.
Went to the opening of Pangaea (next to Cuba Libre) last week with my daughter Lauren. We had to work our way past the door guy after it turned out that my name was not on the guest list. But I uttered the magic words: Jill McGuckin (as in McGuckin PR) and all was well. We were whisked upstairs into a realm of pulsating music, jungle chic, very earthy dancers and guys dressed like they were in a Tarzan movie who were actually beating on drums that were strapped to their backs. The waitresses all wore really hot red dresses and the bartenders worked hard at being jejune but involved at the same time.
The owner, Michael Ault, is one of these world-beat kind of guys who has made this concept work in New York, London, and Madrid. And that concept, as in Pure in Las Vegas, is known as Bottle Service. That is, order a bottle of Tito’s and for around $300, they’ll bring it to your table with some glasses and ice. There is no dance floor. The music is nonstop and the party, to paraphrase Robert Earl Keen, never ends.
We had a blast. Couldn’t hear a damned thing anyone was saying, but the beat was infectious and drinks were flowing freely (love those media preview parties). I believe this was the same event that caused one of our local TV anchors to be later detained by the gendarmes. Ah well. Saw uber DJ Brian Beck from KGSR-FM. He is one really nice guy. And I saw AAS humor columnist John Kelso there furiously scribbling notes on a yellow pad. It was comforting to know that someone at the party was older than me.
Will I be a regular at Pangaea? Probably not. I’m a bit out of the target demographic. But I will certainly pop in now and then. The place just oozes cachet.
And, as many people are asking, considering the sizable investment from owner Ault, will this concept work in Austin? Quite frankly, I think it will: as long as the “fickle 500” are enticed to stick around and anoint it with their coveted blessing. I like the idea of dancing wherever the hell you feel like and flouting the so-called rules of night-life convention. Perhaps they should consider adding a hermetically sealed room where you can go when you actually want to hear what someone is saying. (They could double the bottle cost in this room and the cognoscenti would probably pony up.)
