Club Underground Surfaces
Daniel Seifert mines Underground and strikes gold records
Upon entering Underground the air-conditioned grotto takes me back to my university days in the UK. The first notes of ´99 Luftballons´ blasts over the speakers and after hearing the same five songs at every club in South America, I nearly break down into tears of joy. With cheap beer and pizza in hand I realize, tonight, yeah tonight is gonna be a good night.
Like many of the clubs in Mendoza located outside the city, Underground´s main area is an alfresco garden, so that people can mingle and drink in the cool night air. A tunnel-like entrance leads to the dance floor, grotto and indoor bar. The deceptively high ceilings, pipes and stone walls clearly provided the inspiration for the underground theme. It´s reminiscent of the London subway system if the bums were replaced with fog machines and instead of putrid smells there were techni-colored lights. However one thing is clear, this is one train you don´t want to miss.
The owners of Underground are very gringo-friendly, so it´s no surprise that the club is too. “Foreigners are fun, they´re always on holiday,” grins Gonzalo Rodriguez. “When they come here they bring a good atmosphere,” he says, gesturing to the dance floor behind him. I take a glance and can´t disagree. Dozens of tourists are belting the words to Bohemian Rhapsody and dancing like Lady Gaga. The recently opened club (boliche) came from the collaboration of three successful nightlife institutions in town: Por Aca, Believe Irish Pub and Casa 3. As such Underground is a well-run, ambitious spot that aims to be a main player in Mendoza’s nightlife.
A central idea of the club, Gonzalo says, is to play music that tourists enjoy. He knows that the songs locals like aren´t necessarily what will get a traveler´s heart pumping. “So we have two different dance floors. One plays rock and britpop. The other is reggaeton, local stuff.” By answering the not-so-simple question, what should we play, Underground seems to have cornered the market. “When tourists come to Mendoza they like to hear their own music – so why not play both local and international tunes?” reason Gonzalo but Kelly, Gonzalo´s wife and part-owner, assures me that finding the right balance was not easy. “You would be amazed at how many bad DJs there are. We went though three just to find someone who would play the songs we wanted. Now we have it down. The vibe is good. The music is right and everyone is having a brilliant time.”
Each night has a distinct theme. Friday caters more to rockers, and Saturdays pump out electronica and laser light shows. The result is a club that is rammed every weekend with fun-loving partiers from all over the world.
Additional information
Address Rotonda del El Challao
Minibuses for foreigners run from Believe Irish Pub (Ask for Kelly or call 429 5567) from 1:30am and costs $5 per person. Alternatively a taxi from downtown Mendoza costs roughly $20.
Hours 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
The entrance policy is over 21 for chicas and over 23 for chicos.
$20 and $30 pesos respectively with a drink. Prices Smirnoff & Speed (2 drinks) $25, 750cc bottle of Budwiser $15, Campari and Speed $15. Every week there is a special promotion, for example; 2 for 1 Campari & Orange before 3am. A
Bottle of Novecento with 2 Speed energy drinks $48
Dress code: None, but don’t overdo it and come in a swimsuit...or do?
Daniel Seifert mines Underground and strikes gold records
Upon entering Underground the air-conditioned grotto takes me back to my university days in the UK. The first notes of ´99 Luftballons´ blasts over the speakers and after hearing the same five songs at every club in South America, I nearly break down into tears of joy. With cheap beer and pizza in hand I realize, tonight, yeah tonight is gonna be a good night.
Like many of the clubs in Mendoza located outside the city, Underground´s main area is an alfresco garden, so that people can mingle and drink in the cool night air. A tunnel-like entrance leads to the dance floor, grotto and indoor bar.
The deceptively high ceilings, pipes and stone walls clearly provided the inspiration for the underground theme. It´s reminiscent of the London subway system if the bums were replaced with fog machines and instead of putrid smells there were techni-colored lights. However one thing is clear, this is one train you don´t want to miss.
The owners of Underground are very gringo-friendly, so it´s no surprise that the club is too. “Foreigners are fun, they´re always on holiday,” grins Gonzalo Rodriguez. “When they come here they bring a good atmosphere,” he says, gesturing to the dance floor behind him. I take a glance and can´t disagree. Dozens of tourists are belting the words to Bohemian Rhapsody and dancing like Lady Gaga. The recently opened club (boliche) came from the collaboration of three successful nightlife institutions in town: Por Aca, Believe Irish Pub and Casa 3. As such Underground is a well-run, ambitious spot that aims to be a main player in Mendoza’s nightlife.
A central idea of the club, Gonzalo says, is to play music that tourists enjoy. He knows that the songs locals like aren´t necessarily what will get a traveler´s heart pumping. “So we have two different dance floors. One plays rock and britpop. The other is reggaeton, local stuff.” By answering the not-so-simple question, what should we play, Underground seems to have cornered the market. “When tourists come to Mendoza they like to hear their own music – so why not play both local and international tunes?” reason Gonzalo but Kelly, Gonzalo´s wife and part-owner, assures me that finding the right balance was not easy. “You would be amazed at how many bad DJs there are. We went though three just to find someone who would play the songs we wanted. Now we have it down. The vibe is good. The music is right and everyone is having a brilliant time.”
Each night has a distinct theme. Friday caters more to rockers, and Saturdays pump out electronica and laser light shows. The result is a club that is rammed every weekend with fun-loving partiers from all over the world.
Additional information:
Address Rotonda del El ChallaoMinibuses for foreigners run from Believe Irish Pub (Ask for Kelly or call 429 5567) from 1:30am and costs $5 per person. Alternatively a taxi from downtown Mendoza costs roughly $20.Hours 11:30 p.m. to 5:30 a.m.
The entrance policy is over 21 for chicas and over 23 for chicos.
$20 and $30 pesos respectively with a drink. Prices Smirnoff & Speed (2 drinks) $25, 750cc bottle of Budwiser $15, Campari and Speed $15. Every week there is a special promotion, for example; 2 for 1 Campari & Orange before 3am. A Bottle of Novecento with 2 Speed energy drinks $48
Dress code: None, but don’t overdo it and come in a swimsuit...or do?
