Bakersfield After Hours

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

There is something special about the night. Lights are brighter, music is louder, and laughter is left unchecked.

The confines of the workday fall away to reveal a vibrant, energetic time when a cocktail is not out of the question and a meeting with friends is easy to arrange.

It’s the time in our day when we relax, kick off our shoes, and unknot our ties. We let down our hair and jump at the chance to stop by our favorite watering hole.

You might be the kind of person to plan out your night hour-by-hour; you might be the kind of person that allows your evening to unfold as you go. And there’s something pure about the unfettered after hours—a time that is open to every possibility that the city can throw at you.

As we all know, nights are better when you’ve got something to do and somewhere to be. Nighttime is more than just a marking on the clock—it’s a frame of mind.

The business world might revolve around the progress made during a workday but the social world revolves around that wonderful period between five o’clock and the moment your head hits the pillow; that lively block of hours in which dances are had, music is blasted, and friendships are reinforced over a pitcher of beer and a bowl of guacamole.

Here in Bakersfield, we’ve got our own set of rules for when the sun slips past the horizon and the stars come out. As soon as that timecard is punched, we’re ready to hit the dance floor, sing a song in front of strangers, and be entertained by the countless stage performances that happen all across our city. So if you’ve ever wanted to capitalize on your time outside of the 9-5 grind, you need only look around town. The nights are full of activity. And, no, we’re not talking about vampires.

This is by no means a comprehensive list, nor is it our list of “best” places to be...it’s simply a cursory glance at some of the more interesting things to do in Bakersfield after hours. We’ll leave it to you to do the exploring.

The Hotel Scene

It’s nothing new: high-back chairs, swanky cocktails, business suits. Hotel bars have often been used as an after-hours destination for business, leisure, and pleasure. They are perfect places to sip and unwind with colleagues and friends. But why?

Across the nation (and especially in places like New York, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles), socialites, hipsters, young executives, and party-goers flock to the hot hotel bars for the flashy nightlife...and, let’s be honest here, to be seen. As an example, a 2010 article in New York Magazine explained, “It has been creeping up on us for several years now, but the transformation is complete: Manhattan’s nightlife is practically synonymous with its hotels...hotels have become, for better or worse, a cultural force in the city again. They are at the forefront of interior design, hire the most celebrated chefs, host the most talked-about parties, and generally loom large in the psyches of tourists and locals alike who feel they must get in to see them.”

Here in Bakersfield, our hotel nightlife is a bit more relaxed. But places like The Nines inside the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center and the lounges inside The Padre are still the stomping ground of business mixers, charity events, and the ever-popular “happy hour.”

Being in a hotel bar or lobby makes you feel like you’re going somewhere; you’re on vacation for a night.

“We’ve gotten very creative with speciality drinks to appeal to the crowds we get here during the week,” said Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center General Manager Carlos Navarro.

When Rabobank Arena is hosting a major musical act or event, the Marriott will often create drinks and give them names that correspond with the acts.

Hotel bars and lobbies have become a melting pot, Navarro explained.

“We cater to a different audience. It’s not the rowdy sports bar, though we do have Monday Night Football on the flat screens, and it’s not the dance clubs,” he said. “But it’s very business-centric and laid back.”

For Navarro’s part, he said the reason hotels have become such a successful and busy after-hours hangout is because they offer numerous areas in which to mingle. There’s the lobby, the bar (with an all-day happy hour), the restaurant, the lounge area—on any given night each will have a group of locals and guests.

“People come here because they want that midscale ambiance. Those that come for drinks want to be seen but not in an obvious way. Hotel lobbies and lounges are a happy medium between a club and an upscale restaurant.” You don’t want to be bothered by the loud music of a club, but want a laid back professional experience. “You don’t know who you might be sitting with.”

Navarro also said that within the last three years, the nightlife in Bakersfield has changed—especially when it comes to hotels. “It used to be more about dancing in hotel lobbies and lounges. Here [the Marriott] it’s more about atmosphere and a place for people to network.” Hotels have become a place for people to work, play, and let loose.

That extends to The Padre, as well. With the remodel in 2009, Bakersfieldians saw new lounge areas to dance, drink, and enjoy good company when the sun goes down. And since then, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone who hasn’t visited the hotel to check out Prospect Lounge, Brimstone, or Prairie Fire on the roof. The atmosphere is such that you’ll see folks from around town dressing up in their finest just to spend a few hours in a hotel—they want the classic feel of an upscale hotel lounge in the comfort of their own home.

It’s a mini-vacation in your own city.

Sing The Loudest

Grab a friend and test your pipes on any given night in Bakersfield by attempting the subtle art of karaoke. We say subtle, because there are those people who claim that you shouldn’t be a talented singer if you want to attempt karaoke. The more off-key, the better? Maybe.

There are various places around town that offer karaoke on differing nights, so you could hit up each and every one and sing your heart out. Hopefully, you’re somewhat vocally talented. If you aren’t, maybe just sit back, relax, and watch other folks hop on stage and live out their childhood fantasies of becoming the next big “singer.”

Hit the Bull Shed Bar and Grill for karaoke every Thursday night hosted by Wild West Entertainment. The mike opens up at 8:30 p.m. and you can sing your throat raw until 2:00 a.m. Bull Shed is the kind of bar and grill that relishes in the Western Spirit, so be sure to bring your boots and go eight seconds on Dolly, the mechanical bull. Let ‘er give you a run for your money and your equilibrium. Dolly is one of the only mechanical bulls in Kern County, so jump in that saddle partner!

Laugh the Night Away

It’s not all singing and dancing, though. Bakersfield has a burgeoning comedy circuit that has proven itself to be quite entertaining. While comedy groups are nothing new, the frequent use of social networking has helped some underground shows attain bigger and bigger crowds. For instance, did you know you and your pals can check out hilarious CIA Agents? No, not those kind of CIA Agents. These folks are a part of The Center for Improv Advancement (CIA), a group dedicated to the pursuit of improvisation in all forms—short form, long form, even pranking. “Anything can happen at a CIA show!”

Robert Long, the CIA’s Executive Director encourages everyone to come out and give the group a shot. Every night is different and even the CIA Agents never know what to expect.

“We started in 2008,” Long explained. “The CIA is a comedy club that primarily does improv but we do have local sketch comedy groups come by. And sometimes we have stand-up nights.”

Regular improv nights start at 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturdays, with “mature” improv sketches starting around 10 p.m. Starting in November, Long said he’ll start having a sketch group perform at the 10 p.m. spot.

But why did the CIA come into existence? For starters, there’s always room for comedy in this town. Bakersfieldians love to laugh. For another, Long said that students he taught while in high school wanted an outlet outside of school to perfect the art of improv comedy.

Long also added that the size of the audience is growing, but it’s often dependent on the season. At a show in April, over 70 people turned up to their current venue (The Ice House) that couldn’t handle a crowd of that size.

“People were standing outside open doors and windows watching the show,” Long said with a laugh.

All across town there are venues for comedy nights. You can be entertained by Major League Improv (who perform regularly at The Empty Space), The Gaslight Melodrama, Bakersfield Community Theatre, Stars, Spotlight...the performance art world is your oyster.

Whether it’s catching laughs at open mike nights or enjoying some improv sketches, there’s many a chuckle to be found here.

Take a Guess

Question: Do you know where you can challenge your brain on weekday nights in Bakersfield?

Answer: Trivia Night.

Trivia nights are nothing new, of course.

However, over the last few years, these events have gained in popularity. Why? Maybe it’s because folks in Bakersfield are itching to show off just how much knowledge they have about trivial things like sports, movies, world events, and music. Maybe it’s because these nights give people a natural excuse to sit around a local restaurant and bar, relax with friends, and blow off steam from a workday. Maybe people are just looking for the live version of Trivial Pursuit.

Since September of 2008 fun-loving crowds have been taking a trip down the stairs of Sandrini’s every Tuesday to test their knowledge against host Dave Resac’s random trivia questions. Resac describes the atmosphere as “a very hostile group of friends.” Which, when you think about it, is just the right environment for a competitive night of questions and answers. Of course, it’s all in good fun and the competition is friendly. For people looking to break their after hours routine, it’s a new experience that will have you back for more.

“It’s a great way to make friends,” said Resac.

Make a team or find teammates when you get there. A favorite part for most people is the team name. It’s got to be creative because it can score your team prizes. But some folks say that’s not the best reason to pick a creative name. Think about it, you get to hear the host call out your team name all night long...

So what if you are looking for a fun time but you’re not a trivia wiz? Not a problem! There are plenty of ways to prepare and chances for free questions. Every week features a “this day in history” and Urban Dictionary question. And some teams choose to use the “free question for every alcoholic drink your team buys” policy. Of course, there is a limit on that.

Resac also Tweets two questions on his Twitter account around 6 p.m. on trivia night. He’ll give followers about 30 minutes to guess and then post the correct answers. What does this mean? Follow him for an easy two points.

It’s only $8 for a team to play and every dollar goes back to the teams in the form of prizes. Even the losers come away with a gag gift.

So, why should you check out trivia night at Sandrini’s?

“Because I am fantastically good looking and everyone should meet me seven times,” answered Resac.

Or maybe just because it is a raucous time to test your knowledge, make new friends, and try something new!

And with so many people getting in on the action, it’s a good thing Sandrini’s isn’t the only place in town to offer this activity. The Firehouse on White Lane hosts a trivia night Wednesdays at 7 p.m. and Fishlips hosts them for local nonprofit groups (most often, the Ladies Active 20/30 Club) from time to time—and they’re often themed. One, in particular, was geared toward music buffs as the questions were all about song lyrics. Another was Harry Potter-themed questions.

So start brushing up on your knowledge and head on down to a trivia night near you.

Swing Your Partner

Dancing has long been heralded as a great after-hours activity. First and foremost, it’s a way to blow off steam. It’s also a nice way to work off all those carmel lattes from the day’s coffee runs. Here in Bakersfield, there’s a style of dancing for everyone. Like to two-step? Feel like a little booty-shaking hip-hop dancing? And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention salsa dancing!

Get a little spicy with colleagues and friends by hitting up salsa lessons. The Bakersfield Salseros offer beginning and intermediate classes every Sunday at The Doubletree.

“It’s one of Bakersfield’s best kept little secrets,” said TJ “Salsa Mama” Paca, one of the founders of the dance group.

The Salseros strive to promote true salsa here in Bakersfield and provide a place for people to learn something new and, best of all, dance. These lessons aren’t for your grandmother, though.

“We pattern what we do after the social dancing in L.A. and San Francisco,” explained Paca. So students and dancers can expect something different from the Bakersfield salsa scene.

There is no previous experience needed for the lessons, and no partner necessary: just bring comfortable shoes and an adventurous attitude.

Try out your new skills at Latin Night every Friday at The Doubletree’s Club Odyssey. The Salseros bring in two DJs every week to play real salsa music so folks can dance the night away!

“It’s all about having fun and socializing,” added Paca. She has seen people make new friends and even spark romances at the lessons and social dancing.

If you’re interested in spending your evenings doing something a little spicy, lessons are every Sunday, beginning salsa at 3:00 p.m., intermediate at 4:30 p.m. At 6:00 p.m., it’s easy intermediate salsa patterns. But remember to stay after lessons for social dancing from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Believe it or not, classes are only five dollars!

Across town, get your honky-tonk on at The Crystal Palace with live music and dancing every Tuesday through Thursday from 7:30 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. And The World Famous Buckaroos perform most Friday and Saturday nights between 7:30 and 9:00. After that, Steve Davis and Stampede take the stage from 9:00 to 11:45 p.m.

But you can’t forget Trout’s! The longtime Bakersfield bar and venue has grown substantially in the last few years and the dance floors are accommodating increased interest in this iconic Bakersfield Sound hotspot. There are multiple stages on which artists of blues, honky-tonk, jazz, rock, and pop artists will play and plenty of locals looking to dance and have a good time.

You can also hit up these locations for great dancing: The Nile Nightclub, Hourglass, Replay, and Toniq Ultra Lounge.

Hear it Live

Bakersfield is a great place to be if you’re into music...especially live music. Above, we mentioned quite a few places that cater to live music and dancing. That’s great if you’re looking to do the two-step or shake it with a roomful of people. But what if you just want to sit back, enjoy a beer, and listen to some great local band? These are the bar venues that aren’t set up for dancing so much as they are for rocking. That said, they can always accommodate a crowd looking to get down for a few songs.

For live music every Thursday through Saturday look no further than B Ryders. Off the beaten path, it has been at its White Lane location for the last two years (for the record, it’s been open five).

B Ryders’ relaxed atmosphere and open floor plan allows for people to sit and watch and hang out or dance and get into the show. It is a flexible venue that has something for everyone.

With reggae, latin, nineties, and today’s music, “it’s something different every weekend,” explained manager Shelina Price. With popular touring bands arriving each month, B Ryders packs the house. Over the past year they have seen the turnout grow and, as it has, so have the acts.

Local bands also love to play at B Ryders. You can always catch everyone’s favorite local ‘80s cover-band, Glam Cobra, formerly The AfterParty, and other great local musicians on their stage.

“When people come in, they’re just looking for a good time,” said Price. You can hit the tail end of their daily happy hour (Monday through Friday from 1 p.m to 6 p.m.) if you stop by after work. Or, head out after dark to enjoy one of their daily specials like Mondo Monday or Wing Wednesday.

You can catch a show at Sandrini’s, too. They’re packing the house with local bands Wednesday through Saturday nights at 8 p.m. Even Old Town Kern bars like Narducci’s are home to bands ready and willing to rock your socks off during the week.

Just as impressive are the acts hitting the stage at Trout’s. With multiple stages, there’s always someone to watch. The same can be said for Fishlips. Be there at 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday for live music. And every Tuesday night, Fishlips hosts a Songwriters Night starting at 9 p.m. If you’re itching to perform yourself, be there for sign-ups at 8 p.m.

Even The Padre is in on the musical action. The Prospect Lounge hosts “Sunday Funday.” Every Sunday from 6 p.m. to 9:30 pm, spice it up with live Latin music. On Tuesdays, check out great jazz from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Live music is everywhere!

The New Games

Each generation tends to bring with it a few activities that take awhile to take hold. There are the fads that really don’t need much time to take off, though. One after-hours event that caught on like wildfire is beer pong. And at Que Pasa at The Marketplace, beer pong is the activity. After the Monday Night Football crowds have thinned out, two tables are set up to accommodate this growing “sport.”

“It’s a very relaxed scene for college students—we really appeal to that crowd. We didn’t want to leave them out,” explained manager Alex Castillo. “We started hosting beer pong about five months ago and it’s taken off.”

Monday is often a slow night for bars and restaurants, but Castillo explained that with beer pong, they’ve discovered a fun way to keep people entertained and keep the restaurant full. “We didn’t want to do something that would affect the regular diners, but my employees kept talking about beer pong. I was hesitant at first, but we’ve got a lot of regulars already.”

While the tournaments go on, from 9 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Que Pasa’s bar is pumped full of ‘80s music and Spanish rock. And waitresses don referee costumes to man the tables.

“It’s very fun, but we never have any problems...it’s a safe environment,” Castillo said.

The same can be said for other local bars hosting beer pong nights, including B Ryders, Amestoy’s, and Bull Shed.

But beer pong isn’t the only after-hours activity that seems to have found a new crowd. Bowling has never been considered a young person’s game, but add a few black lights to the mix and suddenly you’re booking lanes left and right. Try Extreme Bowling at AMF Southwest and Westchester bowling alleys on Friday and Saturday nights between 10 p.m and 1 a.m. Over at Regency Bowling Center you’ll be Cosmic Bowling on shiny lanes between 9:30 p.m and 11:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. You can even slip on a few glow stick necklaces on Sunday night between 9 p.m. and 12 a.m.

What’s really clear at this point is that Bakersfield does not shut down after dark. There’s a bustling city full of fun just waiting for you. Whether you are itching to decompress after a long day at work or hit the town with friends, there’s always something to do any night of the week.

So loosen that tie...it’s 5 o’clock somewhere.

photo courtesy robert long/cia/ ranzie raroque, events coordinator-the padre hotel/ j. moncrief/ bakersfield salseros/ don le

Article appeared in our 28-4 Issue - October 2011