Champaign/Urbana night life (Springfield, Bradley: buy, school, university)

[Talentscout217]

HELLO! I wanted to ask some Champagne party veterans some advice about the night life. My friends birthday is this Saturday (September 22) and we are going to the Illini football game, and going to do some bar hopping shortly thereafter. We are coming from UIS.

First, about the game. There are going to be around eight of us and I want us to sit together. I found that number of tickets for around $14 each on ticketnetwork.com. I see that you can buy nosebleeds for around $4 a ticket, is there a lot of ticket scalping around the stadium? In other words, has anyone had any luck scoring cheap tickets at the stadium??

After the game we would like to hit a nice round of bars or clubs. My girlfriend likes to dance, so a dance spot would be nice. I am guessing that on a Saturday night most places will have a cover?? Anybody have a favorite they like to go to on saturdays or any places with drink specials?

Lastly, any live bands or dj's that we shouldn't miss this Saturday? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and hey If you want to come out and party with us thats more than alright too haha thanks peeps.

[madpaddy]

Since this is a game against a relatively unknown "minor conference" opponent I think your chances of scoring cheap ticketson site is good. That said, chances of finding 8 together is low. Might as well buy ahead so you know you'll all be together.

I'm too old to give you any advice on good dance clubs.

[Aerio]

Originally Posted by Talentscout217

HELLO! I wanted to ask some Champagne party veterans some advice about the night life. My friends birthday is this Saturday (September 22) and we are going to the Illini football game, and going to do some bar hopping shortly thereafter. We are coming from UIS.

First, about the game. There are going to be around eight of us and I want us to sit together. I found that number of tickets for around $14 each on ticketnetwork.com. I see that you can buy nosebleeds for around $4 a ticket, is there a lot of ticket scalping around the stadium? In other words, has anyone had any luck scoring cheap tickets at the stadium??

After the game we would like to hit a nice round of bars or clubs. My girlfriend likes to dance, so a dance spot would be nice. I am guessing that on a Saturday night most places will have a cover?? Anybody have a favorite they like to go to on saturdays or any places with drink specials?

Lastly, any live bands or dj's that we shouldn't miss this Saturday? Any advice would be greatly appreciated, and hey If you want to come out and party with us thats more than alright too haha thanks peeps.

the217.com <-- town events
http://www.theblacksheeponline.com/b...ty-of-illinois <-- drink specials

Cover may depend if you are 21+ or not. You can enter at age 19.

Dance bars:

• SOMA -- downtown Champaign, dressier place, medium dance floor, probably a cover
• C-Street -- near downtown Champaign, medium dance floor, gay bar, outside area, cover (had a lot of fun there)
• Joe's -- campustown, undergraduate bar mostly, dance floor with poles, cover
• Clybourne -- campustown, smallish dance floor with poles, multiple levels, cover I think
• Silver Bullet -- strip club in Urbana where women dance, cover (depends)
• Radio Maria -- downtown Champaign, sometimes a dance bar, sometimes not -- depends on the night, dressy-ish, usually met more foreigners there for some reason, no cover I think
• Highdive -- downtown Champaign, never been before, I think it's dancy on certain nights, don't know about cover

Bars in downtown Champaign:

• Esquire -- peanuts on floor, lively place, no cover
• Boltini -- dressy, loud music but elegant, gay-ish, no cover
• Memphis on Main -- more chill I felt, drinks in a mason jar, lively, no cover
• Blind Pig Brewery -- beer place, popular, no cover (met some good people there)
• Blind Pig Co.-- associated with the Brewery, smaller, beer garden, no cover (I may get brewery and Co. mixed up though, either way it's a small downtown)
• Cowboy Monkey -- large beer garden, not bad, fairly small I think inside, no cover
• Seven Saints -- smallish place, clean, good whiskey I think, no cover
• Jupiter's -- pool tables, pizza, large, no cover
• Mike n Molly's -- place you go after all the bars close, no cover, outside area
• Brass Rail -- smallish corner bar, never been
• Phoenix -- outskirts of downtown, never been
• Guido's -- large, popular, outside area, no cover
• Emerald City -- outskirts of downtown, gay bar, elegant, outside area, no cover
• Tumble Inn -- outskirts of downtown, been there once but forgot what it was like, no cover
• Bradley's -- deep in Champaign not downtown, never been, friend said it was ghetto

Bars in Campustown

• Murphy's -- Irish-like bar, beer, crowded, lots of wooden furniture, outside area, no cover
• White Horse -- outskirts, chill, outdoor area, no cover
• Brother's -- sports bar, long staircase to the top, TV's no cover
• Kam's -- undergraduate bar, sticky floor that got replaced, cover I think
• CO's -- or is THIS the sticky floor that got replaced?, cover I think
• Red Lion -- frat/sorority bar, concrete floor, no cover I think, urinals are in the turret-part of the building
• Geovanti's -- downstairs bar, smallish, no cover, restaurant upstairs
• Firehaus -- like (and next to) Clybourne but no dancing, outside area, multiple levels

Bars in Urbana downtown

• Canopy Club (on Urbana campus) -- live music certain nights and those nights good to visit, you'd have to check, no cover I think
• Crane Alley -- pool tables, clean, beer garden
• Rose Bowl -- never been
• Red Star -- never been

Most people that bar crawl go to Champaign downtown or campustown, Urbana has nothing to crawl toward if you're looking to dance and drink.
Most people that bar crawl in campustown are students or student-aged, just fyi. I'm sure I forgot some bars or things. You can buy booze at a store till 2 am in Urbana, 1 am in Champaign (but 2 am at bar)
Most convenient 24 hr. eatery = Merry Ann's, McDonald's, can't remember the rest but eatcu.com and grubhub.com will help.
I hope that helps, have a good time.

[Talentscout217]

Thanks fellas! Great info! Now theres been a few new developments in the plan. We need to know of any sports bars that are going to show UFC 152 Jon Jones v Vitor Belfort. Any bars stand out as great places to catch the fight? I know if they are anything like Buffalo Wild Wings here in Springfield we are gonna have to be there an hour early to get a table.

And finally, what is the 411 on any strip clubs? Google maps pulls up "Discreet Encounters". Whats this place like? Can you get a decent lap dance at the establishment?? Thank you in advance!

[Talentscout217]

Aerio, Your links have proven to be extremely helpful, thank you! I don't think I could have asked for a more thorough post.

[Aerio]

Originally Posted by Talentscout217

Thanks fellas! Great info! Now theres been a few new developments in the plan. We need to know of any sports bars that are going to show UFC 152 Jon Jones v Vitor Belfort. Any bars stand out as great places to catch the fight? I know if they are anything like Buffalo Wild Wings here in Springfield we are gonna have to be there an hour early to get a table.

And finally, what is the 411 on any strip clubs? Google maps pulls up "Discreet Encounters". Whats this place like? Can you get a decent lap dance at the establishment?? Thank you in advance!

I've never seen or heard of Discreet Encounters. I only know of Silver Bullet, and it's a teal building located near low-rise projects next door. I went there and paid cover, girls got in free. My friend had her "friend" get "something" in back (not sure what, a lap dance?). Seems there's also a bar and grill next to it, something I passed 100x but never went in to. There's also a porn shop called Illini Arcade on Springfield Ave if you're interested. They sell poppers there too, I think.

You could try Pia's for sport's bar. Champaign area has two BWW's. I could imagine Brother's has it too. Can't say much beyond that besides actually calling the place, but I doubt they will give you a definite, clear answer unless they're DVR'ing it the day of!!! I hope someone else can provide you with the answers you seek. When I typed in "sport's bar" I found several places on Google Maps, most of which I mentioned earlier and were bars -- Hooter's, Guido's, Pia's, Joe's, Firehaus, Fat City Bar and Grill, etc. Good luck.

[Talentscout217]

Thanks bro, after a google search it seems "Discreet Encounters" is an escort service. 24/7 and accepts visa.

[transitfan]

Originally Posted by madpaddy

Since this is a game against a relatively unknown "minor conference" opponent I think your chances of scoring cheap ticketson site is good. That said, chances of finding 8 together is low. Might as well buy ahead so you know you'll all be together.

I'm too old to give you any advice on good dance clubs.

Yikes! That "minor conference opponent" took it to the Illini! And a school (Louisiana Tech) that heretofore was best known for championship women's basketball teams.

Not a good sign as they begin Big Ten play.

[madpaddy]

Originally Posted by transitfan

Yikes! That "minor conference opponent" took it to the Illini! And a school (Louisiana Tech) that heretofore was best known for championship women's basketball teams.

Not a good sign as they begin Big Ten play.

I knew we'd have our hands full. But its still not a match-up that puts butts in the seats. If you're going to go to Memorial stadium to watch the Illini get clobbered, you at least want to see it happen against a marquee school like OSU, Wisconsin, Michigan, Nebraska, etc.


Wish the OP would re-visit this thread and tell us about his weekend; where he went and how he liked it.