Danse Macabre

Photo Credit: Candace Shane

Leland’s City Club has been a not-so-secret Detroit haunt for 30+ years (it originally opened in 1983 under the name Lidernacht). It’s as famous for its people watching as it is for its seemingly chameleon like way of staying relevant to its outcast patrons. A magnet for goths, ravers, punks, and the fetishists next door, weekends at City Club provide a much-needed antidote for the daily grind.

Located in the historic Leland, City Club offers an unpretentious spot to catch a show, get your dance on, or grab a drink. The entryway and bar area cultivate a clichéd gothic ambiance. Televisions screen cult classics from walls illustrated with Tim Burton-esque creatures, tags, and swirls. Small candlelit tables provide the perfect setting to test out your latest spells, and pick up lines. Ironically, its over the top décor manages to be both self-deprecating and friendly.

Conversely, the main dance area will have you feeling like you are hunting the villain in a neo-noir film. Voyeurs line the dark walls and stage, watching dancers move to industrial, gothic, dark wave, and aggrotech music. The darkness is only occasionally punctuated by dancers’ light up accessories and security flashlights. Speaking of accessories, it’s not uncommon for electrical tape and fishnet to be the only things standing between you and other club goers’ nipples. If you have any kind of issue with implied and/or explicit nudity, then City Club is not the place for you. However, if you’re looking for a place to grab a Red Bull and vodka, surround yourself with latex-clad androgyny, and let out your inner David Lynch, then see the details below.

The details: City Club is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 p.m. to 4:30 a.m. Drinks are not served after 2 a.m. Cover is $4, parking is $3 in the adjacent lot, and the bar is cash only. 18 and over are welcome. Located at 400 Bagley Street in Detroit, access is through the side door.

~KT