November 2000
Clubsandwich
The man layers of Munich nightlife
Munich is considered one of the most beautiful cities in Germany, but also one of the most boring. Contrary to popular opinion, however, this city offers dance clubs, bars and live music venues that set trends across the nation. Nightclubbing in Munich is like ordering sushi à la carte — there is something for everyone. If you’re not out there partying it up, then you know where to point the finger.
When looking over the current club scene, be sure to note the “parties” thrown by freelance DJs and their financial backers at various established discos. In other words, you may plan a visit to club “X,” but it could very well be that the location has become micro-club “Y” for the night. Over the past decade, international DJ culture has become essential to nighttime entertainment. Even the smallest bars have discovered they cannot do without a vinyl spinner to set the mood, revving up guests with creative musical choices. The Ksar-Club (Müllerstr. 31/
www.ksar.de) was one of the first bars to integrate a DJ into its program. Though this spot is always crowded, ample seating and standing space is always available. As the hours go by at the Ksar-Club, you’ll witness the slow transformation from a subdued cocktail bar to a rocking house.
Just around the corner is Basis. Located at Baaderstr. 68, the trendy nightspot boasts an unusual range of music. With changing mottos such as “Herrn Krausens lala” or “Electric soul,” Basis DJs liven up the small bar with newly discovered offbeat sounds — a far cry from worn out pop or experimental noise. Sundays the crew from
Zündfunk, a popular two-hour daily radio show on Bayern 2 (16:30-18:00), takes to the turntables. The huge video screen behind the bar is perpetually dominated by an Atari tennis game — an attraction for the electronically nostalgic.
Further down the Reichenbachstrasse toward Isartor is Ododo at Buttermelcherstr. 6. When this bar opened its doors a few years ago, it was an immediate hit —something seldom experienced in Munich. Throngs of hip
Münchner streamed to the bar seven days a week, decked in Ododo
t-shirts. While still a hotspot, it is now possible to appreciate Ododo’s bright, classy interior unencumbered while discovering the dishes hiding behind the hip eatery’s eccentric entrée names. Main courses such as “sesisesi” usually turn out to be innovative fondue creations — somewhat expensive, but tasty. If you’re not up for culinary adventures, stick to the “classics” on the cocktail menu. According to the staff, the name Ododo is not an African word — it’s jibberish. The Glockenbach quarter, in which these bars are located, houses a greater variety of delightfully quirky bars than any other area in Munich. Nonetheless, you should not neglect what the city’s other neighborhoods have to offer.
When the Egon Bar closed its doors for good, many feared the hole in Munich’s nightlife would never be filled. Following a long hiatus, the Scalar Lounge opened at Egon’s location, Seitzstr. 12 (U4 Lehel). The tiny space is now one of the most stylish addresses in town. Dark wood panels with large phosphorescent decorative elements recall the New York or London club scene of the 1960s. The centerpiece of this one-room operation is a dance floor lined with comfortable seating. But Scalar’s claim to fame is its display of magnificent aquariums. A large tank filled with exotic fish and seaweed separates the dance floor from the bar. Eight small windows reveal another aquarium located in a cozy corner adjacent to the bar. Easy listening, mellow house and jazz tunes guarantee a pleasant and relaxing evening. Scalar Lounge is
seldom overrun with boisterous crowds.
Many local professionals would rather dance into the wee hours than make it an early evening chatting over a glass of Chablis. But an early wake up call after partying all night — complete with black circles under the eyes — is not particularly conducive to good working habits. Last year, clubs began offering after-work discos. Enticing the working stiff with mottos such as “disco after 6” or “work’s out,” a handful of clubs now open their doors at 18:00. Some might find it a bit disorienting to experience the charms of midnight — music, dancing and drinking — at such an early hour. But the popularity of the practice proves that time of day is not important for the funk hungry.
On Mondays, Nachtwerkclub (Landsbergerstr. 185/
www.nachtwerk.de) provides its early visitors with an after-work disco. On Tuesdays, the Wunderbar (Hochbrückenstr.3/
www.wunderbar.de) offers an all-you-can-eat noodle bar dubbed the “After Business Pasta Party.” Midweek it’s BÜSCO (acronym for “straight from the office straight to the disco”) time at Soul City (Maximiliansplatz), a former gay club now serving a mixed business crowd. On Thursdays, you can either sink into the smooth dark red leather sofas at the Regency Club (Arnulfstr. 24) or shake your body to house music, funk and nostalgic classics (Doris Day!) courtesy of DJ Mr. Hippy Shake at the Nitro Club (Leopoldstr. 194 / next to the Holiday Inn). To check out the
Regency Club playlist in advance, tune in to Radio 2 Day (89.0 FM) at 21:00. On Friday, the Nitro Club parties on with “After Work Hype.”
Münchner Hallenkultur means the mass nighttime events in Kunstpark Ost or its counterpart on the Domagkstrasse. These low-brow affairs feature bad smash hits played at deafening volumes. Cheap drinks at DM 1 each are the only good reason to attend them.
One hall right in the city center deserves mention. The Muffathalle (Zellstr. 4), built in 1894 in Art Nouveau style, served as Munich’s first steam heating plant and was later briefly used as a tennis court. Since the city renovated the entire area, the large hall became host to a great variety of events. With its diverse alternative culture programs, ranging from experimental theater evenings to large-screen live broadcasts of major football games and hip hop jams (for more details see
www.muffathalle.de), the Muffathalle attracts people of all ages. The venue has earned multicultural flair with four weekly club nights at the Muffatcafé. Tuesday is Kingston Club night, a playground for rastafaris and anyone else who worships Jamaica. A variety of DJs and MCs make it possible to ragga and reggae until 4:00. Thursday night belongs to gangstas and jammers. Even if you have outgrown the oversize clothes fad, you will appreciate the great mix of hip hop. Friday is the most outrageous and best-known night at Muffatcafé, when the Into Somethin’-Crew packs the club as it has for more than nine years. DJs Theo Thönessen, Florian Keller and Michael Reinboth never fail to create the ultimate dancing atmosphere. The trio developed mixes with acid jazz and 1960s grooves long before the sound caught on internationally. Sample a selection of their grooves on M94.5 every Wednesday from 22:00–midnight during the Into Somethin’ Radioshow (
www.intosomethin.com). “Big Up!” on Saturday nights pays tribute to the irresistible rhythms of the drum&bass genre.
Hidden behind the Muffathalle — over the Kabelsteg/Mariannenbrücke on the Praterinsel — lies a former liqueur factory that makes an interesting contribution to Munich’s nightlife. Aktionsforum Praterinsel serves as a party hall for hire where fashion shows, art installations and gay pride dances are held (for a list of upcoming programs see
www.praterinsel.de). This is where Munich’s chic society shakes it. Nowhere else in Munich can one admire so much designer street wear as on this island in the Isar. Its opposite, Kafe Kult at the Oberföhringer Bürgerpark, caters to the “flea market crowd.” Here, Munich’s up-and-coming bands and party organizers cultivate a non-commercial platform (current events are listed at
www.kafekult.de) in a relaxed atmosphere decorated with deer antlers, antique postcards and Barbie dolls. The Atomic Café (Neuturmstr. 5 /
www.atomic.de) is a compromise between these two extremes. Voted several times, by leading lifestyle magazines, as one of Germany’s best clubs, Atomic has proven it can attract both the hipster and the underground crowd. The club night program, ranging from Britpop to drum&bass and easy listening, ensures that most musical tastes are satisfied. The music isn’t the only element that makes the Atomic Café such a popular place. Upon entering through the silver metal door, a world of orange and baby blue walls with painted graphic elements, comfortable leather sofas and bubble lamps may make you feel as though you have gone through a time machine and been sent back to the 1960s or have entered the set of an
Austin Powers movie.
Nightlife in Munich cannot be discussed without mentioning the overwhelming line-up of over-thirty clubs at the Kunstpark Ost (Grafingerstr. 6). Real clubbers often shun this “party ghetto” that attracts crowds from beyond Munich’s city limits. A few exceptions, however, enjoy a special status in Munich party circles. The MilchBar, for example, has gained mythical status, offering a very hip alternative experience. The club is known for having the brashest bouncers in town. In fact, from 23:00 to 6:00 you may have to wait in line for an hour before gaining passage to this wild favorite. A mod interior, shrill dance music and a mass of people bathed in orange light have made MilchBar an unsurpassed success. It is one of the few after-hours clubs that rocks tirelessly until 10:00 in the morning. Raum 8 is one of the “portable party” clubs mentioned above. Wednesday to Saturday, the dance venue hosts 4 micro-clubs. When the organizers of Friday’s “Sweet” were the first in Germany to present the newest musical import from England called 2 Step, they never imagined the hype that would follow. Saturday’s “Club Deluxe” becomes so lively that girls dance on speakers and guys yell roof-raising shout-outs. Every Thursday, “pulsar” DJs Benjamin Fröhlich & Thilo Schenck attract huge disparate audiences by mixing broken beats, Brazil, funky electronics and other styles in unusual combinations.
These are but a few of the city’s nightspots. So what’s that you said? Nightclubbing in Munich is boring? Not! <<<
