Nightlife

Nightlife > Starry Eyed Nights

Houston’s home may be the Lone Star State, but the vibrant nightlife scene shines brightly enough to attract party people from across the country.

words by > Jeremy Dillahunt

Given Texas’s reputation as the home of everything “big,” it should come as no surprise that Houston’s metropolitan area is larger than the entire state of New Jersey and boasts a bustling nightlife scene to match. Money doesn’t grow on trees here, but it does get sucked out of the ground, so the city’s party scene has evolved to complement the city’s reputation for luxurious living. Globe-trotting DJs and hip-hop stars have recently propelled the locally grown venues to destination status. Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kelly Clarkson and a host of other celebrities have followed suit in taking advantage of Houston’s sophisticated scene.

The Mink

3718 Main St 713-522-9985 www.themink.org “No rap, no hip-hop” seems to be the theme here, if there is one, and it’s the first thing you see on the club’s website. The Mink is proudly the domain of dance music and rock ’n’ roll. The space is comfortably small without being cramped, and on any given night you’re likely to be surrounded by successful professionals and hipsters enjoying their singledom. The Mink Backroom offers the latest, hottest dance music to come out of Europe—bringing a Europhile vibe to a cowboy state.

Red Star

2606 Fannin St 713-655-7827 www.redstarnightclub.com “What’s a Communist-themed club doing in the middle of the red-blooded USA?” is the first question you may ask when entering Red Star, Houston’s quad-level mega club. The first two floors are decorated with busts of Lenin and hammers and sickles and feature a section of the Berlin Wall. Red Star hosts almost exclusively hip-hop and house DJs with the occasional live event. It has two huge roof decks overlooking downtown that are also a big draw. For those looking to mix it up with 1,200 or so other guests, Red Star is the place to go.

The Proletariat

903 Richmond Ave 713-523-1199 www.theproletariathouston.com The Proletariat is a homegrown club with a mission to serve as an arts and music nexus for the bohemian Montrose area. To that end, the club is small and can hold maybe 150 people max, which is great if you’re looking to connect with the locals. The crowd is definitely alt-hipster, and most nights you can expect indie rock, electro, ’80s music and punk funk. Late nights tend to get crazy—the bar staff likes to send out flights of Jell-O shots to see how many people will end up on the floor.