THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 2, 1995 TAG: 9506300081
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E10 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: SOUNDCHECK
SOURCE: SUE SMALLWOOD
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
AT THE OCEANFRONT, Rogue's and Peabody's stand empty, the Peppermint Beach Club's now a parking lot. Norfolk's Jewish Mother is history. Ditto Hampton's Nsect Club. And a whole slew of new nightclubs have surfaced right behind them. It's enough to make a club-hopper's head swim.
So here's a little help, a guide to the brightest new entries to the area's ever-shifting nightlife landscape. VIRGINIA BEACH
As Virginia Beach continues to hone its image as a wholesome, family-oriented tourist destination, the party's moved from the Atlantic Avenue strip - where cruising and most everything else are strictly prohibited - westward.
Joining the popular New Orleans-flavored Bayou and industrial-esque Abyss on 19th St. is H20. Housed in the former after-hours drinkery Pavilion Athletic Club, the place boasts slick new appointments like glass brick and tall glass pillars filled with bubbling H2O. A patio is out front and a stage inside where local and regional bands will perform in the coming months.
H20, 1069 19th St., 425-5684.
Comedy's found a new home on Laskin Road at Toons. Located in the old Round Room, the club features popular regional yuksters like the Madhatter and on Sundays comics seen on HBO and Showtime. Comedians do two shows Thursday through Saturday evenings and a single performance every Wednesday and Sunday. Call for schedule.
Toons Bar & Grille, 1284 Laskin Road, 425-0498.
Farther west and closer to the Bay, Kokoamo's now dominates the Marina Shores complex off Great Neck Road. The place does not lack for space, with seating upstairs in the comfortable Yacht Club, downstairs in the casual (and very pink) Island Bar and outside on an expansive waterfront deck. An ambitious entertainment schedule includes two to three Top 40 and rock bands almost nightly, plus steel drum bands Saturday and Sunday afternoons from 4 to 8 p.m.
Kokoamo's Island Bar, Grill & Yacht Club, Great Neck Road and Shore Drive, 481-3781. NORFOLK
The Bait Shack has joined thumping dance club Legends at Waterside Live, the entertainment wing of the Elizabeth River-side shopping emporium. A sort of upscale version of the Boathouse, the Bait Shack's rugged picnic tables, wooden booths and fishing net decor don't detract from the glorious riverfront view. The place hosts local and regional Top 40 and rock acts on its fairly roomy stage.
Bait Shack, Waterside, 625-5483.
Over on Colley Avenue, the Big Easy has moved into the Jewish Mother's old digs. Other than a slight change of decor and a new menu - New Orleans is also the motif here - the restaurant and bar have remained pretty much the same. Top 40 and acoustic acts take the stage weekends.
Big Easy, 5215 Colley Ave., 423-1100. NEWPORT NEWS
Heartbreak Alley isn't exactly new, but Mango Tango's is the most recent addition to the nightclub complex, which also includes the Top 40-oriented Heartbreak Cafe and country-styled Rhinestone Cowboy. The island-inspired Mango Tango's, with its tropical decor, brings modern rock to the Alley, with live bands Tuesday through Saturday evenings and ``The Furnace,'' a throbbing techno dance party open to 16 and up every Tuesday night.
Mango Tango's, inside Heartbreak Alley, 100 Newmarket Square W., 245-3313. by CNB