Filmores: A happy place for the Strip Club Virgin

I was a strip club virgin. And I had a range of fears and misgivings about going to a place billing itself as a “gentlemen’s club”, one with a billboard out front saying something about “if your wife calls we’ll tell her you’re not here”. I’m okay with a little seediness, but really did not want any member of our party to be emotionally coerced into expensive flesh-jiggling services we don’t need and can’t afford. So this laudatory review of Filmores (not sure why they use the plural rather than possessive) is partly influenced by the actual quality of the place, and partly by my relief at the fears I’d built up not being realized.

We went with our close friends on a Friday night around 10pm. There was no outside bouncer, just a pair of young men inside who were more of greeters. This contrasts nicely to the unnecessary show of beefy dominance the typical club-land venue projects with their guards. Inside, the feel was very lounge-y, dark and slightly plush with comfortable couches and tables lit by rope lighting only. We chose a pair of 2-person loveseats stage-right, and ordered drinks – two decent beers (Mill Street) and two Smirnoff Ice for $36 – pretty reasonable given that there is no cover charge and all the entertainment is included.

The dancers came onto the stage one at a time, with their own playlist of music – some the typical Bon Jovi/Motley Crue, others with some more obscure choices, which was interesting. There was a range of talent in terms of pole work, but all dancers were very fit and attractive. It reminded me of past years at Wicked, with sexy, friendly, attractive dancers – except at Filmores we weren’t paying $60 to get in. The men in our group were solicited only once – and politely. One did comment that the dancers on stage could have engaged the audience more.

The “Ladies” room was always full with 3-4 dancers chatting and fixing their makeup. However, it was clean and more than serviceable. No up-market fixtures, but very, very passable mid-range restaurant level décor. On the whole I did not feel at all out of place being a female customer in this establishment, despite the image they outwardly project. We stayed for a little over an hour and then moved on, but will remember, and likely return to, Filmores as a very cozy, sexy place to have a couple of drinks and kick off the night.