Nightlife Skinny

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For those of us that have succumbed to the traditional Monday to Friday 9-to-5 grind, the weekend “ends” early Sunday evening, when our minds are taken over by all the things we told ourselves could wait until Monday.

And on the whole, the Bangor area isn’t known for sporting a slew of after-dark fun on Sunday nights anyway, so it’s not like you’re missing anything. Well, actually you are.

Down the road a ways from BIA, facing the Odlin Road next to Dunkin Donuts, is the unpretentious Pete and Larry’s. In the 6- to 8,000 times I’ve driven out the Odlin Road on my way to Dysart’s, I’ve never noticed the club squeezed in the front corner of the Holiday Inn.

There’s no flashing lights on the outside, no line waiting to get in, just a modest sign and lines of cars that you (read: Tony) could mistake for a hotel parking lot.

I stopped into Pete and Larry’s last Sunday night and from the word “go,” I went slack-jawed from the 200 or so glowing and animated faces spread around the club. You not only heard the music, but you could feel it reverberating in the chairs, the glasses and even the air.

And on a Sunday night no less.

DJ Barry Lord, the Sunday evening backbone at Pete and Larry’s, moves a lively mix of techno, house, hip-hop and rap depending on the crowd. Lord’s been a DJ for a while now, and plays the crowd like a finely tuned mandolin. On the verge of a slowdown in the tunes, Lord threw in “Start the Commotion” by the Wiseguys, the infectious theme to the Mitsubishi ads. Like clockwork, the place got frantic.

Midriffs and open-toed shoes abound on the split tile and carpet dance floor. Although a little snug, the dance floor has ample overflow room into the sit-down section of the main dining room. But under a traditional spinning disco ball, a crowd of all dancing skill levels grooved relentlessly last Sunday night.

It’s worth mentioning that Pete and Larry’s that the dancing is varied in both energy and involvement. At one point, I noticed a foursome, drinks in hand, with only their heads bobbing to a juiced-up mix of Moby’s “Bodyrock.” Six feet to the left was a couple bouncing like slinkies without brakes, like backup dancers for a pop concert.

Needless to say, however you move, it all flies.

“The betties here are so fine, I think they’re ready for my disco dancing” said Jay Kelley, a first-timer at Pete and Larry’s.

Pete and Larry’s sports most favorite domestic and specialty brews along with appetizers and dinners served until the kitchen closes at 10 p.m. Printed drink menus are floating around, should you forget the name of a drink later in the evening.

The only cover is a whopping 3 bucks on Sundays. There’s free live entertainment Fridays and Saturdays and the place is open noon to 1 a.m. all week.

“It’s one of those places where there’s always people – it’s the hotel’s living room,” said Pete and Larry’s manager, Jenny Williams.

So yeah, here’s the deal. If you’ve got one of those jobs where you get the Spanish Inquisition if you’re late the next morning, then don’t press your luck. But if your boss is a little more lenient, Pete and Larry’s is a worthy reason to walk in at a quarter past 10 on a Monday morning.

NEXT WEEK: Orono’s triad of good times – Margarita’s, Pat’s Pizza and the Bear Brew Pub.

5 BIG ONES

With DJ Barry Lord

From Pete and Larry?s

Q: How is it you decided to be a disk jockey?

A: About 23 years ago, I used to run a stereo store and I sold some equipment to a DJ and one day, he asked me to finish a wedding for him so he could go to another wedding. I?ve been doing it ever since.

Q: Where else do you spin music?

A: Pete and Larry?s is the only club I do ? I?ve been there for 13 years. But I also do weddings, dances and private functions.

Q: What is it about being a DJ that you love?

A: You work for yourself and I like that. I also like being off days, I like being out in the sunshine. It doesn?t get any better than that.

Q: What?s the one song that always drives people crazy?

A: Right now, it?s ?Blow Your Mind? by Eve with Gwen Stefani. It?s like the pied piper. The dance floor could be empty and 15 or 20 girls will come running.

Q: Do you imagine there?s a time you won?t want to spin music?

A: As long as the kids like me, I?ll keep doing it. It?s a younger crowd and I enjoy that.

– EXTRA –

What a Deal?..

Isn?t it great how second-run theaters show movies on certain nights that only cost a buck?!?!?!

You might not believe this, but there?s actually a first-run theater that shows movies for a buck ($1) on Tuesday nights.

Don?t look in Bangor, you won?t find it. Instead, drive north on Broadway and it will eventually turn into Route 15. Stay on Route 15 until you hit Dover-Foxcroft and then turn right at the post office and onto Summer Street. There you?ll find Northern Lights Cinema.

Not only does Northern Lights Cinema have ?dollar day? Tuesdays for first-run movies, but the four daily shows are only $3.50.

To recap: First-run movies ? Tuesdays, $1; any other day, $3.50.

As if that wasn?t enough, there?s a full-service lounge where you can order french fries, fried mushrooms, burgers, nachos, chicken tenders and beverages of all sorts. You?ll also find a big-screen television showing baseball games and NASCAR races, depending on the day.

I?m not even done yet. How about bowling? Northern Lights has candlepin bowling at $2 a string for students, and $2.25 a string for adults. Or do your laundry? There are washers available at $1.25 a load and dryers (8 minutes for a quarter.) Want to wash your car? You can do that, too, at the Northern Lights Cinema.

Dover-Foxcroft ? check it out. For the lowdown on showtimes, call Northern Lights Cinemas at 564-0133.

Heads Up?.

Really Chaotic Productions is throwing another action-packed, chem-free shindig Saturday, Aug. 25, at the Knights of Columbus Hall at 95 Court St. in Bangor. Taking the stage will be Kill Your Idols, Death by Stereo, Closer than Kin and Melee. The show starts at 7 p.m. and the cover is $8 with one non-perishable food item. For information, get on the horn to 469-6473.