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First impressions of Dayton’s newest dance club - Tempest
Tempest Lounge, the new dance club that Mark Fisher introduced on the Taste blog today, has been open since mid-December. So it was long overdue for a Lounge Lizard visit.
I checked out the place on Thursday night, which incidentally was Martini night - sold!
First of all, if you’re planning on making a trip to Tempest you should know it’s easy to miss. The club at 1066 Patterson Road in the Breitenstrater Square Shopping Center is situated in a tiny strip mall and labeled with an unassuming sign. Head for Cold Beer and Cheeseburgers, then go two doors over and you’ll see it.
But don’t let the docile exterior fool you, the club packs a sound and light system that will blast your senses the moment you open the door.
Some immediate positive impressions:
The lights are sweet. I was like a dog going nuts for a laser pointer staring at the various patterns created on the floor.
The place has a very intimate, comfy vibe. There are five or six huge plush couches to sink into if you don’t want to pull up a stool at the bar. But I liked the feel of the bar myself. The music was at a perfect level so you could actually hear the bartenders and have a conversation with someone across the bar. Great for snooping - I mean “people watching”.
The music is of the Top 40 and hip hop variety, but I was pleased to not hear a single over-played radio track. Instead the DJ was cranking out ODB, Eminem and a really sweet mash-up of “Cotton-Eyed Joe” and some dance track I’d never heard before.
Only slightly negative impressions:
The place is small - but again, some will prefer the coziness to the expanses of some warehouse-sized clubs. The dance floor is very small. I don’t foresee any line dancing going on, but since I hate line dancing that’s actually a perk.
Nobody was dancing. I’m chalking this up to it being a Thursday night. The place definitely wasn’t dead, but everyone was chilling at the bar, enjoying the martinis. I’m confident that a Friday or Saturday night visit will include some bodies on the floor.
Speaking of the martinis!
All varieties of “tini” are just $5 on Thursdays, and they didn’t skimp on the alcohol.
The traditional Apple-tini and Chocolate-tinis were there, but the list includes some unique concoctions. The signature Tempest martini was killer - seriously, it’s got 151 in it so be careful. The rasberry/vanilla/orange flavored Mega Martini also got a thumbs up.
NOTE - Tempest is not your “Mad Men” martini bar. They’ll make you any of the classic cocktails, but the emphasis is really on fun drink inventions that don’t take themselves too seriously, and don’t come with fancy, stuffed olives.
Example, the Root Beer Float-tini, aka delicious dessert in a glass for grownups! Whipped vodka is the key.
Jägermeister fans can thank Kenny the DJ for the Kennytini. The Jager and Red Bull drink is so far from being an actual martini that it’s presence on the menu made me laugh. But that appears to be the point and I dig Tempest Lounge for that.
According to Mark, Tempest features a DJ Wednesday through Saturday nights. Wednesday night is Retro Night, Thursday night is Martini night, and Saturday is Top 40 Dance night. The lounge is open seven days a week: weekdays 4 p.m. to 2:30 a.m., Saturday and Sunday 7 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. For more information, call (937) 254-6007.
Have you checked out Tempest Lounge yet? Leave a comment and share your impressions. Any more drink recommendations?
Permalink | Comments (22) | Post your comment | Categories: Reviews
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By jack
January 14, 2011 9:01 PM | Link to this
I went I saw I got the clap….
By db
January 14, 2011 11:06 PM | Link to this
appletini-chocotini, traditional? i think not. how old is this writer? 12?
By null
January 15, 2011 3:25 AM | Link to this
i
By Just a matter of time
January 15, 2011 3:38 AM | Link to this
Wonder how long its gonna take before all the thugs and gangstas take over this place and run it into the ground?
By Fred Astaire
January 15, 2011 5:47 AM | Link to this
I’m no “dancin’ fool”, but Ginger and I drank our a$$e$ off in this place. Who would want to dance when they’re pushing drinks? Well, we ended up on the dance floor…literally. It’s scary being ejected off of our Scooter Store electric wheel chairs in a 1g dance turn. Ginger lost her teeth in that dance move, and I ran over them with my chair. It was then determined that our chairs disrupted the electrics in the music sound system, so we were back at the bar drinking…well…with Ginger it was “gumming”…and we had a pretty good time overall. One sour note: As one commentor stated, it will be infested with gangsters and thugs soon. Too bad.
By fabyoulush
January 15, 2011 8:51 AM | Link to this
I hear that the east dayton/kettering gay crowd are planning on making this their new home. I can’t wait! I love it there!
By jag
January 15, 2011 11:20 AM | Link to this
I HIGHLY doubt you’ll ever have to worry about gangstas and east side thugs in this joint. Refreshingly diverse crowd would be uninviting to those types…
By Pete Morrow
January 15, 2011 11:50 AM | Link to this
All the apartments on Wilmington that are filled full of gangstas, welfare babies, section 8 and WT’s, the Dayton police will use it as it’s next police station.
By cracklefish
January 15, 2011 2:14 PM | Link to this
I remember my first time at the Tempest. I drank every beer they had in a can and then had the world famous tempest tini. The lights and music were radical and I really loved the Lady Gaga vibe. My friend Jag had to give me a lift home that place was so slammin! Thugs beware! I won’t give this place up for just any white trashers with baggy sweatpants and a hardcore tattoo.
By Mayor McHat
January 15, 2011 3:00 PM | Link to this
I’m sorry, you pretty much lost your credibility with ‘…and a really sweet mash-up of “Cotton-Eyed Joe”’.
By TYGO
January 15, 2011 3:33 PM | Link to this
First, a martini is a martini. Stop pandering to these dives that create drinks and call them what they are not. And if this dump is billing itself as a “dance club” and nobody was dancing, what exactly is your reason to even review it? Go pump gas or flip burgers, Katie. Journalism may have been your major, but it’s not your future. This idiotic type of article has no place in the news. May they die a quick death.
By The Sleeve
January 15, 2011 4:09 PM | Link to this
Just FYI…It is an alternate lifestyle bar. It doesnt bother me, but I thought ya’all should know..
By tHE sEIVE
January 15, 2011 8:37 PM | Link to this
finally! a place for the alternative lifestyle in kettering! It’s long overdue and most welcome!
By dude
January 16, 2011 1:36 AM | Link to this
this place is chill.
By Yay!!!
January 17, 2011 9:16 AM | Link to this
Yay for Kettering finally getting a classy bar! And DJ Kenny is the bomb! And yes it is an alternative lifestyle bar so there will be no thugs & gangsters but if you appreciate some really awesome people then this is the place for you! I personally know 2 of the people working there and you couldnt ask for a better staff! Go check it out, dont judge it by a reporters words… you will love it! I guarantee it.
By Mayor McHat
January 17, 2011 10:17 AM | Link to this
Uhh, no it’s not a gaybar.
By Rebecca
January 17, 2011 2:10 PM | Link to this
Man.. TYGO is a mean prick. Maybe some people want to know about new clubs in Dayton and they consider this news. People like you are what is wrong with Dayton. So much hatred over really stupid issues.
By Doodle
February 10, 2011 2:15 PM | Link to this
How old do you have to be to go to Tempest?
By brad
March 5, 2011 6:00 PM | Link to this
shame to lose somewhere lounge but change for the better. just wish they would have left a pool table tucked in the back somewhat
By Security
March 22, 2011 6:39 AM | Link to this
I will not comment on the negative comments because everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But I would like to clarify a few things. The bar will not tolerate any I’ll behavior from ANYONE. No matter who you are. At the same time we will not just kick you out because of whatever outward look you have gay straight white black yellow or green (shoulda been there st pattys day lol) Myself and the rest of the staff have been working very hard to keep it a fun Dramma free atmosphere. I work the door on busy nights and spend a lot of time off the clock behind the bar because I enjoy the place. If you’ve heard a negative comment from someone and havent come to see for your self. We won’t let you down and if you hate it. Well let you b***h about it all night. Come in. Ask for jrod and say you saw this comment and I’ll buy ya a round on us!
By keisha
April 8, 2011 9:00 PM | Link to this
i think its a awesome club i remeber when it was still under work i think it will be the best thing to happen in dayton
By hydrogen generator
May 18, 2011 9:15 PM | Link to this
Thanks for posting this article. I am definitely tired of struggling to find relevant and intelligent commentary on this subject. Everyone nowadays goes to the very far extremes to either drive home their viewpoint of that everybody else in the globe is wrong. Thanks for your consise and relevant insight.