CP NEWS: Bottle Service: Death of Nightlife?

[cpnews]

New article in today's NY Post that chronicles the trend of bottle service.

True, this is about as timely as chronicling the trend of iPods. Or maybe illuminating this "big new thing" called the internet. Or irrigation.

But the piece does a nice job calling out the following:

1) Bottles are big business.

2) Bottles have relaxed the velvet rope standards, letting dorks from Long Island get into the hotspots.

(Want a stronger opinion? Our own editor further opines: "Bottle Service = The reason clubs are full of UGLY PEOPLE and HORRIBLE MUSIC… I say bring back the bouncers that handpick their patrons… you’ll get better party people and a more joyous atmosphere. Trying to pay to be cool lowers the bar for nyc nightlife and makes the whole city UNCOOL.

Because NYC clubs have gotten so commercial, the “cool” factor has now been hijacked by rich-but-slummin 20-yr-old kids who idolize a movement they were too young to witness. Equally lame as bottle-service hags are these folks. The only reason people like Madonna and Debbie Harry go to these events is because these kids worship them. How is playing 80s punk and copycat neo-punk COOL?")

Back to the article. Here's an excerpt:

___________________________________

RICH MAN, POUR MAN

By Brian Niemietz

March 22, 2006 -- HOT club, velvet rope, long line. But of all the hip, beautiful hopefuls, the one group that sails through the door is, naturally ... the pack of brokers. What would have been unheard of 10 years ago has now become commonplace in New York - generic, untucked dress-shirt-wearing, dare-we-call-them schlubs routinely rocking A-list venues. And it's all because of one thing: bottle service.

Bottle service debuted at the Lower East Side club Chaos in 1996 - and nightlife has never been the same. You don't have to be famous or interesting or even cool-looking to get the nod from discerning bouncers. Today, anybody can book a table at clubs like Marquee or Butter for the price of two $350 bottles of Grey Goose.

Patrons are buying "their own slice of heaven," according to former Chaos owner David Sarner, who's just opened his new club, Pink Elephant.

"Bottle service really has changed the industry dramatically for the better, and I am very proud of that," boasts Sarner, who says the innovation has been common in Europe since the 1980s. "It's leveled the playing field. It used to be about how beautiful you were or who you knew."

Read the full article after the jump.

Link To Original Article