Best Nightclub

Mix together a hypnotic five-key piano melody played like an arpeggio, and a growled, perfectly timed chorus. What do you get? YUNG JOC's - IT'S GOIN' DOWN, a brash club anthem that you heard seemingly everywhere. How did this snap music/crunk hybrid become a catchphrase among mallrats and dope boys alike? It’s all in Yung Joc's pronunciation, as he says the title like a country-fried Fonzie: It's goin' dowwwwn.
www.yungjoc.com.

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Atlanta clubs shouldn't strive to be the "best club" just a really good club. In Atlanta, for some strange reason, IF A CLUB GETS NATIONAL ATTENTION, IT CLOSES. Think about this: When Jermaine Dupri showcased our nightlife in “Welcome to Atlanta,” most of the clubs he mentioned closed shortly after. Velvet Room? Closed. Kaya? Closed. Kream? Closed. Shark Bar? Closed. Club 112? Open, but it moved from the original location to Peachtree Street and, frankly, has never been the same. This year's victim? Vision (which sat on the hallowed grounds of Kaya). Dupri didn't shout out Vision, but celebs started flying into town to hold events at the newly renovated mega-club. Alas, Vision's lot will become lofts. Take note, club owners: Be successful, just not too successful. less...

Atlanta's nightlife institutions seem to be vanishing, unless you count the drive-thru Krispy Kreme on Ponce. After the city moved up last call, MR. CHARLIE BROWN could have disappeared. For 14 years, Charlie Brown and his team of female impersonators performed at Backstreet until the 24-hour finally shut down last year. Rather than shed mascara-coated tears, Charlie Brown's Cabaret opened as its own venue in Underground Atlanta, where performers dazzle audiences Thursday-Sunday nights. In addition to the regular lineup of Shawnna Brooks, Lena “HotDamn” Lust, Heather Daniels, Lauren LeMasters and Ashley Kruiz, Charlie hosts the popular “Drag Idol” contest, which brings fresh faces to the stage. And the newbies can learn a thing or two from Mr. Brown, who serves up jokes like Krispy Kreme doughnuts: delicious and hot. "Charlie Brown's Cabaret, Underground Atlanta, 50 Upper Alabama St. 678-904-4811. www.charliebrownscabaret.com." See related: - Poets, Artists & Madmen: Best Drag Queen Charlie Brown (Reader pick)
- Poets, Artists & Madmen: Best Drag Queen Charlie Brown (Critic pick)
- After Dark: Best Legal After-Hours Spot UNDERGROUND ATLANTA (Critic pick)

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OK, so you are a kid in the suburbs who loves loud rock and roll. Where do you go? Get your punk ass to SWAYZE'S, junior. It's everything a club should be. Loud, obnoxious and a helluva lot of fun. Yes, it's named for actor Patrick Swayze, and that's part of the kitschy appeal of the place. Booker Lee Satterfield runs it with the same tongue-in-cheek humor as he employs when he fronts the chaotic band Treephort. The all-ages, all the time place hosts several bands per night, so there is something there to enjoy, just stick around and watch. less...

When VISION originally opened, it was cast almost entirely in white and served as a blank canvas to the fashion-forward who go there. Now, following a $2 million renovation, the palatial crunk compound is so color/pattern-saturated, it's as if Parliament-Funkadelic helmed the interior decoration. Of course, the newly reopened nightlife arena is so popular that party people arriving on a Friday or Saturday night to shake off the workweek will find themselves in another sort of grind. But the long lines outside give you the opportunity to see and be seen for your fabulousness before you get inside and all the attention is grabbed by the club's decor. less...

Keeping it real for the kids is never easy, especially for a music venue. Obeying local liquor laws while staying in touch with the latest punk, post-punk, garage, hipster, emo, new wave, hip-hop, avant-garde folk and electronic music can be a daunting chore. Nevertheless, THE DRUNKEN UNICORN has something for all - all ages, that is. Conveniently located next to, yet unquestionably separate from, MJQ Concourse, the 21-plus crowd can liquor up across the way before immersing themselves in a room that's packed full of youngsters, sans refreshments, but watching a show in good company. "736 Ponce de Leon Ave. 404-870-0575. www.thedrunkenunicorn.net" less...

The club's house lights come on, the hottie next to you still looks good, and you don't want the night to end. When a Waffle House after-party isn't the vibe you seek, head to KARMA. Although the club's crunk levels go in cycles, this downtown dungeon is a safe bet. Most nights they play sultry deep house to enhance their brothel decorations. To get your serious flirt on, escape to the pillow-laden catacombs, complete with privacy curtain. "79A Poplar St. 404-577-6967. www.karmaatlanta.com." less...

Upon entering the imposing stone facade of THE MASQUERADE, you grab the banister of a steep, crusty staircase and ascend toward the throbbing pulse of live music above. Wearing a slight frown designed to mask any nervous excitement, you scratch idly at the sleeve of your new Value Village duds, trying to look bored. It's your first trip to Heaven, the Atlanta music scene's quintessential rite of passage and one of three levels in the cavernous complex that was once a 19th-century mill. Next stop: septum piercing, indigo sleeves and a jumbo Prince A. "695 North Ave. 404-577-8178. www.masq.com." less...

840 McMillan St., Georgia Tech 404-206-0985 http://under-the-couch.gatech.edu To some extent, the "do-it-yourself scene is a creation of underage kids looking to experience live music outside the adult nightclub establishment. Longevity, however, proves tough for many venues located in the living room or basement of residences occupied by migrating college students. Located on the Georgia Tech campus, Under the Couch has become an all-ages institution by offering consistent sound quality, enough room for more than a hundred people and a wide variety of local and national bands. In contrast to large adult discos that allow kids inside once or twice a week, the atmosphere at Under the Couch truly represents what the all-ages format should. People go to hear music rather than tank themselves full of Pabst Blue Ribbon, write phone numbers down on napkins and babble while bands perform. less...

1150-B Peachtree Road 404-874-0428 http://www.eleven50.com Housed in an old theater, eleven50 manages to be both sleekly hip and old-world elegant. Its multi-leveled main lounge has hosted top DJs Sasha and Mark Farina, multimedia shows such as the dazzling Inner Forms and loads of corporate parties. It even has an art gallery. Late at night, it's a dance club with a line of designer-clad Crescent Avenue clubbers waiting behind the velvet rope. But eleven50's crown jewel is its outdoor patio, complete with a reflecting pool, where patrons can sip cocktails, order tapas or just admire themselves. less...