Last night (this is a generic “last night” of course), after leaving a local bar with friends, one of them handed me a flier and lightly suggested that we check out this new club, AA. At first I thought she was doing some type of alcoholic intervention since she’s a bit of purist in some ways, but the flier said, “A Free Beer until Midnite” so I said, “What the hell, lets go.”

You can tell from outside what you’re getting into but I didn’t believe that first impression. I hadn’t seen anything like place this since the mid 80s in San Francisco’s SOMA. I don’t want to date myself here or appear too limited in social experience, but it was like slipping back 30-40 years into a black hole. Maybe there are lots of clubs like this in Vallarta and maybe I just don’t get out enough.

The place is rough. Black everywhere with strobes and pulsating colored lights and techno, heart-driving music. There are large candles on the walls in case of mood changes, I suppose. The seating is unpadded cement so I guess that’s not the intent. The flier says, “Progressive Dance Music, House Techno, Electronica… with DJ CHILL (from Vancouver, BC) and DJ GRAPENUTS (from Seattle).” Behind the bar is Vincent, an amiable fellow.

There’s a shower stage in the middle of this relatively small club and an iron DJ cage and speakers big enough to raise the dead. AA is just off of Olas Altas, around the corner from Apaches at 157 Francisca Rodriguez.

The back emergency exit is one place you definitely wouldn’t want to take your mother, with the architecture and decor out of the old SF days (I apologize again if my references are dated and provincial).

AA is open Wednesday, Friday and Saturday nights now from 7 pm until 4 am, but it was dead at 11pm, as all good after-hours clubs should be. It’s set up for high activity. Looks like it’s only a beer bar with Corona and Modelo Negra on tap. TEL: 322 147 6496. No Cover.