Cover Story: Underground Atlanta Sees Semi-Revival

It's become a new pastime among the intown cultural elite: waiting for Underground Atlanta's new lineup of bars and nightclubs to crash and burn.

C'mon, admit it. You know who you are, you haters.

But the schadenfreude patrol may have to wait a while longer. Reports of Underground's death so far are greatly exaggerated.

Mardi Gras weekend saw a crowd of 5,000 cram into Kenny's Alley for the 99X-sponsored "Sinner's Ball." In March, Underground stole the annual St. Patrick's Day parade from Buckhead, bringing more than 100,000 free-spending revelers with it. And Underground recently inked a deal with 99X to host a concert series over six Saturdays beginning in July.

But what of the Underground's grand nightclub experiment, which kicked off this past New Year's Eve? Six new clubs and restaurants set up shop in the open-air alley, drawn by the lure of an extra 90 minutes of nightly alcohol sales and a permissive open-container policy.

So far, the gamble has produced at least one breakout star. Latin Sol, a salsa dance club with an impressively energetic house band, has quickly vaulted onto the short list of the city's hottest nightclubs, packing in a diverse crowd - black, white and, of course, Latino - of expert dancers and those who are gamely willing to give it a try.

Designed by the same team that came up with Vision's pre-renovation look, Latin Sol is sophisticated and upscale, a starkly beautiful space that shows you can work magic armed with a good eye and a few hundred yards of sheer, white nylon.

Results have been mixed at some of the other venues. The full-time drag show in the cozy Charlie Brown's Cabaret is a direct import from the late Backstreet and seems a crowd-pleaser for gay and straight audiences alike, with every seat filled on a recent Saturday night.

But next door, goth club the Future has yet to hit its stride. While the music, lights and fishnet-clad clientele are lifted straight from the now-deceased Chamber, the dancefloor has been a bit sparsely populated on recent weekends. But it's succeeded in drawing the children of the night from their respective lairs on Saturday nights, which at least makes for good people-watching.

Says Victoria, a mainstay on the goth scene who CL spotted recently as she lurked in the corner, "There's nowhere else left."

Dean Riopelle, who owns chunks of all three clubs, says he's so pleased with the turnout that he's considering moving his best-known club, Masquerade, to Underground. Previously, he'd planned to relocate it to the 'burbs after it closes later this year.

Already, Underground partner Dan O'Leary is in talks with prospective tenants about more clubs, including a Top-40 dance club, a jazz bar, and a concert venue. He says he's even talked to Chris Tucker about a comedy club.

O'Leary still bristles at criticism that Underground hasn't done enough to attract a black audience by bringing in a hip-hop club.

"We're not anti-hip-hop," he says. "But when we do a hip-hop club, we want to do it with the right operator."

O'Leary predicts that business only will pick up when warmer weather arrives and after the Georgia Aquarium opens a few blocks away.

"Come back in July and this place is going to be off the hook," he says.??