San Diego Is In FLUXX

(Photo from FluxxSD/Facebook)

Tonight is the grand opening of San Diego's newest nightclub, FLUXX. While it's not generally something I'd cover here...the downtown nightclub scene is for the most part foreign to me...I had the opportunity to tour the club by day as well as experience a beverage or two on Wednesday night when they invited investors, friends, and everyone who worked on the project over the past year. The owner, Jeff Fink, took over the property that was once home to Aubergine over a year ago and completely gutted and meticulously designed the spacious club that is said to have a capacity of about 900.

I didn't take any photos of the spot as it's definitely a spectacle to behold in person. There are probably 50 different materials used throughout the space that give an earthy feel on one hand- like the foam "moss rocks" that adorn the top of the main bar, or the dark wood natural cut bar that acts as the counter of one of the two rear bars- to the almost Alice In Wonderland feel on the other hand, with pink and magenta broken glass behind the main bar, cloth flowers affixed in framed sections of the walls, and the giant light orbs that encase the DJ booth and infinity mirrors.

We kept hearing that the bar will rival anything in New York, Paris, London or Las Vegas, but the question will be if San Diegans are really looking for another high end nightclub with bottle service (in acrylic glassware). The sound system is incredible (and from what we were told, incredibly expensive) and really every detail of the club is well thought out...from the rising vantage points throughout the bar to the sound dampening ceiling, to the placement of speakers and subwoofers so that the sound is consistent no matter where you're standing in the room. The dancefloor in front of the DJ doubles as a stage area for live music acts, which in time might make it a dual purpose club.

Personally, I was just stunned by the materials. Everywhere you look there's something different...a wood shingle wall by the rear bar, bubblegum colored lamps behind the same bar, brick wall around the open circle dancefloor, white vinyl seating that can store the cushions if people choose to dance on the seats, and the giant seaworthy ropes that tie the whole thing together. Pyles kept saying it was like Disneyland for adults, and while visually and thematically that might be true, a club is only as good as its patrons. Will they come? I guess we'll find out.