I've got a fever, and the only prescription is ... less Fever?
I know that you Fever-ites are probably incredulous right now. Your beloved "Feve," your thirsty-thirsty haven of screaming conversations and long entrance lines, lambasted here in public. How dare I? Well, let me just say that it's not personal.
I understand that Club Fever (or Feva-Feve, or Club Fiebre - what have you) tries hard. OK, they try really hard. For starters, Thursday night is student night. That means that after a 30-minute wait in the outside alley, the friendly bouncing staff will let you in for only $4. Once inside, pay just $5 for a drink and spend the rest of the night getting sweat on by a semi-conscious 23-year old. All the while, DJ CK-1 spins the hottest dance tracks this side of Mishawaka. Party on! Oh, but the fun doesn't end there.
This place is huge. Beyond huge. We're talking 16,000 square feet of sweat-soaked, dance-crazed college students huge. I like what the basement tries to do. This area has a large bar and pool tables - never mind there are only a handful of tables for the masses. But unfortunately, the basement pretty much clears out while the night is still young.
Just as Fever was winning me over, they start to lose me again.
For a change of pace, head upstairs. Here we are - our own little slice of Euro-club bliss in South Bend, Ind. If you haven't been there, think remix heaven, club beats and lots of perspiring dancers. Throw in a few dance cages and you might as well be in Prague.
The good news about the Feve is you will almost definitely see someone you know. On a Thursday, this place packs them in like South Dining Hall on chicken fingers night. Everywhere you go, you'll see a familiar face. The problem is that standing and having a conversation is next to impossible. In addition to the fact you'll be screaming trying to hear each other, every third word will get interrupted by a drunken clubber trucking you like Mike Alstott. If you thought that 5'2", 107-pound girl in your Gender Studies class couldn't pack a punch, just wait until she hits you like a freight train. Fun!
But it gets better. Club Fiebre is located right in the heart of downtown. When the club closes at 3 a.m., the drunken masses pour out the doors to wander aimlessly around the streets of South Bend. Fortunately, the area is very safe, and only three of my friends have gotten mugged this semester. Of course, this is hardly the Feve's fault, but simply adds to the overall "allure" of the place.
Dozens of my friends love Fever, but truth be told, it's just not my scene. But as far as Thursday nights go, there's not much else to be had for a night on the town. I'm sure I've offended some of the Fever aficionados, so if you take exception to this article, feel free to contact me - my office hours are Thursdays, the basement of Club Fever, from 12 - 3 a.m.
