In Da Club

Hip-hop clubs get a bad rap: Controversy and police scrutiny seem to cling to them. But Soul has a different destination in mind. Dropping into Sanctuary/Butterfly’s old digs at 2040 Larimer Street, Soul has revamped its belly into two distinctive rooms, with swanky VIP quarters wedged in between. One side is a candlelit, tan-and-chocolate-colored cabana of carved wood furniture, plastic palm trees and fabric-swathed light fixtures, where slow jams and smooth funk flow and resident catering company Up in Smoke offers up savory BBQ. On the south side, Soul dishes out something a little crunchier, with resident mixmaster DJ Style N Fashion putting the funk in effect. The dance floor is anchored by a long metallic bar, where the ‘tenders lob “Hypnotic Cherry Bombs” filled with enough secret top-shelf hypnotizers to justify their eight-dollar price tag. Open on Fridays and Saturdays, Soul is a no-bullshit club that leans more toward R& B roots than the bling-bling mainstream. It has an edge raw enough to merit the methodical security at the front door, but it transcends the stereotypical thug-and-hater hangout by putting out a multicultural welcome mat. No dress codes are written, but Styles says the rule is dress to impress. “All we ask is that people look fly; if you can’t look fly, then we have a problem.” Word.