Bar Guide 2014: The Lovecraft

421 SE Grand Ave., 971-270-7760, thelovecraftbar.com. 8 pm-2 am Sunday-Thursday, 4 pm-2 am Friday-Saturday.

In any meaningful way, the Lovecraft is no more a goth bar than its nearest neighbors East End and My Father's Place are actually a pub and an elder-care center. Ignore the Cthulhu artwork and the occasional stage gig—the children of the night…what awful music they make sometimes—and ignore any worries about the dress code. Lingering genre associations initially attracted a few local tastemaker DJs to fuel dance nights (while the lingering goth stigma prevents douchier elements from overcrowding), but Lovecraft's sorta success boils down to experienced staff, cleverly spaced interiors and the importance of consistent mediocrity within a nightlife realm that ordinarily booms and then busts. Turns out, there's nothing quite so useful as a club that's always undead. 

Happy hour: 8-10 pm Sunday-Thursday, 4-8 pm Friday-Saturday.
Entertainment: Live music, DJ sets, films, tarot readings.

WWeek 2015

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