[ Music Index | Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]

Club Life Blush 261 California Dr., Burlingame; 650.347.7710; 415.573.9840 Hours: 6pm-2am nightly. 21 and over. Cover charge varies. Amenities: DJ music, live music, two full bars, VIP room, semiprivate suites By Jim Harrington The bedroom community of Burlingame has never seen anything as wildly urban as this chic dance spot. The 6,000-square-foot club is designed by Charles Doell of Fun Display and Mr. Important—the team responsible for landmarks as Backflip, Red Room, Mercury, Zodiac Club and Sno-Drift. Drawing inspiration from both Britney Spears and Jeff Koons, Doell has transformed the cavernous space into a modern-day boogie wonderland. The plan was to create something both comforting and intriguingly unfamiliar. The result, especially by peninsula standards, is certainly unfamiliar. The first thing one will likely notice is the lighting. A computer-controlled ambient system, which operates both inside and outside the club, creates seemingly random and always-colorful visuals. The Mr. Roboto-style lighting is enhanced by hanging mirror balls, dimmed vintage chandeliers and a diversely appealing interior that includes cement walls, walnut flooring, upholstered furniture and a touch of industrial steel. Blush has two full bars offering a deep wine list and a cool menu of specialty cocktails like the Blush Cosmo, Fallen Angel and Black Dahlia. The downstairs bar is broken up into three parts and provides seating for 50. The upstairs bar is for the high rollers, offering a VIP area and semiprivate suites. Wherever you do your drinking, you'll likely get a kick when it comes time to make room for more cocktails. Blush might just have the best bathrooms on the peninsula. The restrooms' black hexagonal tiling and inlaid flower motifs reflect the club's gothic and psychedelic themes. The women's restroom features modern versions of bevel-carved mirrors and a clear Art Deco vanity atop a skid-proof mirrored floor. The men's room uses filters in the mirrors to reflect multicolored silhouettes of the patrons while they wash their hands and check their hairdos. Local and national DJs mix and match house, hip-hop, old-school funk and urban grooves Tuesdays through Sundays. Friday-night parties are hosted by DJ Rascue. DJ Solomon takes over on Saturdays and a crew of experienced hands (Derrick D. Royce, Rufino, Shortkut and Paulytek) rock dancehall, hip-hop and club beats on Thursdays. On the live music side, Brazilian jazz will be performed early in the evening on Fridays and Saturdays and rockabilly can be found on Sundays. With an entertainment lineup like that, it's enough to make one Blush. Send a letter to the editor about this story to letters@metronews.com. [ Silicon Valley | Metroactive Home | Archives ]