THE NIGHT STUFF
Blue Tropix a no-frills club that focuses on dancing

By Derek Paiva
Advertiser Staff Writer

Blue Tropix "XXX Saturdays" doesn't live up to the racy name, but the club does have the feel of a spot people go to when they are serious about dancing. The club has a separate 21-and-older lounge. Jeff Widener • The Honolulu Advertiser

Still, our recent 20-minute wait to get into the club (we were in the 21-and-over line, which moved a bit faster than the 18-20 one) wasn't an unpleasant experience. Blue Tropix security staff patrolled both queues regularly, guiding those in the wrong line to the correct one to avoid more wasted time. Their diligence also kept the potentially unruly on their best behavior — not a bad thing when waiting streetside at midnight on Kapi'olani Boulevard.

And there was a lot going on outside Blue Tropix to keep one's eyes busy — from the acrylic heels of the woman in front of us (which danced with multi-colored lights) to the three guys in a drop-axled, regurgitated-pea-soup-green Corolla who whistled at her while a burly Blue Tropix bouncer glared at them. We were already having fun before we got in.

Once inside, it was pretty obvious Blue Tropix was a night spot for folks who still go to clubs to actually dance. While there was nothing even remotely racy going on to back the evening's salacious "Triple X" moniker, the packed first-floor dance pit was an energetic sea of bouncing heads and undulating bodies radiating its own intense and sweaty heat.

With a bare minimum of lighting effects, and — by our count, at least — just a handful of bass-heavy speakers pumping out a continuous flow of the latest hip-hop and R&B hits, the scene was most impressive for its lack of any semblance of pretentiousness.

Cavorting in a glass-enclosed, air-conditioned and soundproofed space behind the first floor's Monkey Bar, the lounge area's namesake quartet of squirrel monkeys was its usual fascinating, if somewhat disturbing, sight. Swinging from a few scattered branches and chasing each other about the faux rocks of their fluorescent-lit environs, their activities easily absorbed a full 15 minutes of our attention.

Blue Tropix' second-floor "21 and over" lounge was little more than a game room (darts, pool tables, foosball) with a bartender. Still, its spacious sports bar-like environs offered a less populated and less humid refuge for imbibing and actually comprehending our chatter before again seeking timeshare on the downstairs dance floor.

The nightclub's low-key interior was devoid of the funky furnishings and arty eye candy that clubgoers seeking to recline and revel in their own coolness typically single out as part of a night spot's appeal these days. Which, of course, seemed to be a big draw for Blue Tropix' dance-crazy clientele. Well, that and the music.

Got a night spot or regular club event you'd like us to check out? Reach Derek Paiva at 525-8005 or dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.

What: "XXX Saturdays"

Where: Blue Tropix, 1700 Kapi'olani Blvd., 944-0001

When: 9 p.m.-3 a.m. Saturdays

Cover: $5 for 21 and older; $10 for 18-20

Under 21 OK?: Yes

Age of crowd: 18 to mid-twenties

The dress: Casual, but no slippers; dress to dance and sweat.

Attire we saw: On the guys: T-shirts, loose-fitting solid or aloha button-down shirts, jeans and baggy pants; heavy on branding such as Local Motion and Büti Groove. On the women: halter tops, camisoles; no dresses in sight; anything sleeveless is good

Our arrival/departure: Midnight/1:30 a.m.

What we drank: Bombay Sapphire Martini, $6; Chocolate Martini, $6.50

How crowded was it?: A couple hundred, with more waiting to get in

QUEUE?: Two of them. One for patrons 18-20, the other for patrons 21 and up; expect to wait.

Sample music: "Pass The Courvoisier Part II" (Busta Rhymes), "Hot In Herre" (Nelly), "Still D.R.E." (Dr. Dre)

Dancing?: Yes ... lots of it

Interior in a nutshell: A dark, cavernous, frill-free den of dance

You gotta see this: While old news to regulars and local PETA activists, the downstairs Monkey Bar's four resident squirrel monkeys are still fascinating time-wasters.

Overheard line of the night: "So what, girl, you think we can get in the VIP entrance?"