ALEX VELIGOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITER
As I walked into the lounge I
was hit by a wall of scent – Chanel
Crystal to be precise. This scent
was a precursor of what was to come
when a visitor walks into Bubba’s.
It suggests sweet sensuality, with
overtones of excitement and
sexuality released like a caged
woman. The scent also tells me
there is an element of the Bohemian
woven into the mix.
I arrived at Bubba’s Sulky
Lounge at 10:30 p.m. sharp for a
night of enjoyment at their regular
Zodiac party. If you can prove
your birthday matches up with the
current sign of the zodiac, then you
get in for free. Tonight is Libra’s but
fortunately my Capricorn birthday
is allowed in without paying.
Crossing the threshold of
Bubba’s also introduces me to the
headliner of the night, D.J. Nicotine
and his unorthodox style of mixing
bongos with his beats. The man
can make a train wreck occur while
fooling people into thinking the two
locomotives had passed each other
in the fog without a clue. The beats
themselves are normal fare, perhaps
a little lighter on the speed of beat
than a regular D.J. But then again
I’ve never really encountered a
normal D.J.
The strong beat makes up for
the expense of the darker beers, and
I discover my best bet is to invest
in the mixed drinks which the bar
manager, Cece, creates with a vigor
which leaves little room for soda
and a lot of room for rum. The
dance floor of Bubba’s is artistic in
its design. Complete with a vintage
seventies feel of a floor which lights
up when stomped upon, and more
dark corners with enough chairs for
a football team. The entire effect is
finished with a glittering disco ball
which does not blind your eyes but
simply entrances them.
When I grew tired of the noise
and confusion of a packed dance
floor, I discovered the next attraction
of Bubba’s: a back bar as well
as a front. The front is decorated
with old technology, manual cash
registers and jukeboxes that I swear
have little hamsters inside to power
them. The back bar is dressed as
different from the front as the sun is
to the moon. The back has the d?cor
of a Hunter Thompson nightmare,
insane asylum meets hunting lodge
without the blood. Although the
decorations are crazy this is a good
stop if you’re trying to escape the
noise.
One of the attractions of
Bubba’s is being able to talk to the
employees without trouble. There
is none of that snobbery that I’ve
encountered at other places. Even
the bouncer was approachable with
his extremely intimidating five foot
six height and the demeanor of a
mouse. I do believe this is an act
that he puts on so that when there is
trouble, he unleashes fists and feet
of fury, but that could just be my
imagination.
I’ve chalked the night off as a
success. Even the almost bare felt
pool tables with the tip-missing
cue don’t throw me off. I’ve spent
eighteen dollars and seventy-five
cents on drinks, pool and tips. I
head out safe in the knowledge of
Bubba’s last great selling point
which is that I live three blocks
from the bar.
Alex Veligor
can be contacted at
freepress@usm.maine.edu
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