This live jazz joint draws in local and international performers. The decor is red and smooth, just like the wines on the bar list.
By day, The Night Cat sleeps. Its windows are blackened by heavy, thick drapes and passers-by will notice nothing but stillness within. But by nightfall there's no stopping the Cat. Its live music schedule often includes performances by a twelve-piece band that plays energetic salsa, or something just as infectious.
The music here is usually so loud that you have to order your drink via hand signals (here's a tip: the two-fingered peace sign has come to mean 'VB', but if you use it again it means 'two').
There are few chairs in the venue because even the most reluctant dancers find the boisterous tunes hard to resist. So even though the dance space is enormous, there's often little room to move among the throng of groovers cutting loose to the Latin rhythms.
Don't be too quick to define the Cat, for it by no means limits itself to sultry South American beats. Sometimes house music is given full reign, so it's best to call ahead and find out exactly what's on after dark. However, there are some steadfast certainties you can count on. The Cat is always dark, its music is loud, the dance floor is hot and the drinks are cold. Who are you to resist?
Erin O'Brien
