Match-up #1

The upscale lounge: entrenched Modjeska Ultra Lounge vs. upstart Vue

Downtown theater-cum-dance club Modjeska has been spinning hits since 1998 and used to be the only place for partiers “dressed to impress.”

But in 2005 the larger Vue opened in Surrey Plaza near the campus of Augusta State University.

On several recent Friday and Saturday nights, Vue pulled in crowds of 200 to 400 people. Across town, Modjeska - celebrating its tenth year – hosted a decidedly smaller crowd. Just before midnight on a recent Friday, a dozen patrons had the place to themselves. And fewer than 100 people were in the club on a Saturday night.

Customers at both venues said they had seen this trend developing since Vue opened.

“Right now, there’s a thing between Modjeska and the Vue,” said Krischan Martin, a Modjeska regular who studies at ASU and works at The Bees Knees restaurant.

Martin and other customers said they see Modjeska and the Vue as the same club. Both use a dress code to screen for the upscale demographic. Both emphasize hospitality and offer VIP rooms with dedicated cocktail servers.

Both play the same music and serve the same drinks, Martin said.

During one of the nights Lounge went clubbing for this story, DJs did play “Cupid Shuffle” and Kanye’s “Stronger” at both clubs. They also both mixed in resurrected hits from the ’80s and ’90s, such as “Funky Cold Medina” by Tone Loc and “It’s Tricky” by Run DMC.

Martin said he prefers the nostalgic feel of Modjeska’s historic building on Broad Street.

But “whichever place serves the drink special is the one that’s packed,” he said.

In that category, Vue might hold the upper hand with some pretty unconventional drink specials. On Thursday nights, any bottled beer is a nickel, and any liquor drink – including top shelf brands – is 25 cents (after cover charges.)

Modjeska used to be busy on Thursday nights with its own drink specials, according to Martin and another regular customer.

But a month after taking over as general manager in August 2007, Kalyn Estep closed Modjeska on Thursdays so she could overhaul the club.

Renovations, repainting and new promotions are in the works, Estep said. And the lounge will reopen on Thursdays starting in March, possibly with a salsa dancing theme.

Estep and the club’s owner are meeting this week to create new drink specials and a new format for Friday nights.

“A lot of people don’t realize we’re under new management,” she said.

Modjeska’s biggest crowds come out for monthly themed parties where club-goers dress according to the occasion, she said.

“We’ll hit fire code – about close to 300 people,” she said.

It remains to be seen if Modjeska will regain the mantle of "it" spot from Vue.

In the meantime, when making your own clubbing decision, remember that crowds at either venue don’t come out until close to midnight.

Match-up #2

The country bar: revamped Coyotes vs. newcomer The Country Club

Coyotes has been open on Peach Orchard Road six years and “used to be the place to be,” according to owner Viki Tyree.

But in a familiar pattern, The Country Club opened in 2006, and Coyotes changed its format to fight back against the larger venue.

Coyotes now draws customers who come for its music variety – customers such as Rachel Lloyd, who frequents both clubs. She said The Country Club has benefited Augusta by bringing in well-known country bands. However, she dances more at Coyotes, where the DJ splits time between country and Top 40.

Tyree instituted that mix when she took over at Coyotes in August 2007 and got rid of the house band that had been a regular feature.

“People got burnt out on Coyotes,” Tyree said. “We’re trying to bring it back.”

After midnight, the play list broadens to encompass hip-hop and R&B because that’s what younger clubbers want, she said. But Coyotes does bring in country bands on Fridays and Saturdays.

On a recent Saturday night, about 100 to 150 people relaxed in the club’s main room, leaving some of the dance floor and a few tables empty.

“It’s a small town feel,” said Matt Singleton, an Army sergeant from Fort Gordon who has been coming to Coyotes for more than a year. “The Country Club is just too big.”

The Country Club sprawls through a Washington Road strip mall and can accommodate almost 1,000 revelers – plus a mechanical bull arena on special occasions.

Aimee Rhoades, from North Augusta, said she stopped going to Coyotes because The Country Club is bigger, cleaner and more conveniently located.

Lisa Clem, a club regular from Martinez, said The Country Club is better for people who have a passion for country line dancing.

“Here they stick to pretty much a country format,” she said.

Country Club does occasionally stray from the formula, though. On a recent Saturday night about 200 of its roughly 500 patrons took to the floor for hip-hop hit “Cupid Shuffle.” Filled with experienced line dancers, the crowd looked good walkin’ it out.

Match-up #3

The hip-hop joint: Cream vs. Club 3000

Cream on North Leg Road is the heavyweight in Augusta’s hip-hop match-up, with a capacity of almost 800 people. Club 3000 on Gordon Highway is about half that size.

But size isn’t everything. The defining factor mentioned most often among patrons was the age of clientele, which affects the character of the crowd and the music selection at each club.

Patrons at both clubs said venues such as Club 706 and Club Velvet skew too old while Soundtrack Supper Club leans too young.

Cream and 3000 are just right – at least for people in their mid to late twenties and thirties.

“We try to do 'Grown and Sexy,'” said Dwayne Stokes, the owner of Cream.

With a minimum age requirement of 23, Cream draws a more mature crowd than spots like Soundtrack Supper Club and Coconuts, he said.

But Club 3000’s patrons looked a little older than Cream’s on a recent weekend. Many were in their 30s and 40s while faces at Cream looked mostly 20-something.

To better suit the Club 3000 generation, its DJs play old school hits from the ’80s and ‘90s. Rap doesn’t crop up too often.

But Cream plays the latest rap and hip-hop, and that newness is what Tamika Williams from Dallas, Texas, said she prefers about Cream.

“3000 – they don’t usually get crunk ‘til like 12 [o’clock],” Williams said.

Stokes, Cream’s owner, described his crowd as “mostly urban” but said he is trying to increase diversity by starting a new promotion in March that will use guest DJs from Atlanta and Florida to introduce European techno music.

And there's the bell

That wraps our big three match-ups. There's more to Augusta nightlife than just these six clubs, though. Be sure to check out our club guide and add your reviews and ratings to let us know what you think of various venues.