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There's plenty of good hip-hop at darkroom, but you might want to arrive fashionably late.

Monday Sep 18, 2006.     By Ben Rubenstein

Music Feed

I used to go to this hot underground club in my hometown. Polyesta's was so exclusive that only the coolest 15 year-olds with $10 in their hands were allowed entrance. By 9 p.m., the dance floor was full of tentatively grinding bodies and shoddily-made Shirley Temples. But if your parents dropped you off a little early so they could get back to their mahjongg games, the enormous space felt sadly empty. Even though the DJ was still blasting the latest hits, and the lights still flashed in rhythm, it seemed like a completely different place.

I thought of this almost immediately upon entering darkroom last Wednesday for The Breakdown DJ night. When my friend Dave and I walked in at 10:26 p.m. (you don't forget the time when it's digitally projected onto the wall), the place was essentially a ghost town, with only a few guys hashing out differences over a game of pool and what looked to be a hot date in one of the plush booths that line the wall.

Resident DJ Intel was spinning records intently, seemingly oblivious to the crowd, or lack thereof. We both knew this was not really the authentic darkroom experience; that wouldn't happen for another couple of hours at least.

That's not to say it wasn't immediately enjoyable; if you're any kind of hip-hop fan, you'll have no problems with the music no matter what time you show up. Though the black and red color scheme reminded both Dave and I of a karaoke lounge we'd visited in Chinatown, the soundtrack was much better. Within minutes of sitting down at the illuminated center bar, we heard Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Lyrics Born, Rhymefest and Madlib. More than once, I had the urge to invite Intel to man the tables at my next party. (I could definitely promise this many spectators and free PBR, but somehow I didn't think he'd accept.)

The music was played at a perfect volume; it definitely didn't fade into the background, but we also never had a problem having a conversation. The nice thing about showing up early for an event like this is you have plenty of time to talk and look around. Shockingly, the place is not at all well-lit; the only light comes from the photographs and artwork displayed on the bar and walls. A particularly sinister piece caught my eye; it looked something like the cover of Tool's Undertow album, and it might have intimidated me had Dave not just pointed out that the bartender had just blown an enormous bubble with her gum.

Shortly before Intel turned the tables over to Milwaukee's Why B and Kid Cut Up (No Requests, read the banner hanging over the booth), a small crowd began to gather. Mostly hooded friends of the DJ at first, but around midnight a few more people wandered in for drinks.

This new crowd didn't seem to particularly notice the Mos Def, Snoop Dogg and Biggie blasting from the speakers, but this mix was as proficient as the last, sure to provide a few more hours of audio enjoyment. As we loitered around, finishing the dregs of our beers, darkroom was beginning to come to life around us. And there we were, leaving just as it was getting good, like so many nights at Polyesta's. At least this time, I didn't have to leave right in the middle of "No Diggity" to make it home by curfew.

Darkroom hosts The Breakdown on the 2nd Wednesday of every month, beginning at 10 p.m. For more information, visit http://www.darkroombar.com.