There aren't a lot of unique music venues in Sacramento. Midtown Barfly has thankfully filled a void, especially for those seeking certain types of music you wouldn't usually find elsewhere. At least now I know where to go when I want to see a Cure and Sisters of Mercy cover band night. Nestled in the back of what used to be the original Bacon & Butter, this is a great club to get your dance on with like-minded folks. I wasn't sure what to expect after literally passing by here hundreds of times, but what I got impressed me. The sound system was on point, the bads (at least on that night) super quality, the audience energetic and the drinks reasonably priced and stiff. Minus the awkward dance moves of the guy beside me most of the night, which is no fault of the establishment, and I can say it was a great evening. Besides maybe the Zebra Club, consider this your best alternative to Ace of Spades or the Golden 1 Center. read more

Midtown Barfly - Dance Clubs Near Me - Sacramento, California

drugged on Sunday bullshit ether the bar tender is drugging spiking or just Plaine evil Sunday nights are a miss completely and utter miss 12 people since goth event has started on Sunday no one has done anything about how mix drinks are destroying people but i gues money is more im port6ant than people's wells beings .3 months of lies bullshit and gaslighting to keep money in there pockets .they do not serve the community only there bullshit agenda vc read more

Came in for Club Necromancy and it has been the most comfortable and enjoyable goth night club experience for a while for me. Everyone seemed to be there to dance and be seen in their outfits. Oh, and drink! Reasonable drinks and bottled/draft beers there. I want to go back! read more

Midtown Barfly - Dance Clubs Near Me - Sacramento, California

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Very racist against black ppl like me. I literally ran out of there. There were a few older black men there who confirmed it but told me to ignore it. But Caucasian women kept sending their men to say racist things to me so I would leave. And I did. read more

Best people watching and dancing I've had in a long time. People came out in full force and costume and "who gives what anyone else thinks?" at last month's new wave party. The two rooms had DJs bringing out some classics as well as songs I've never heard before. The bigger room had more beer options, but neither bar was too crazy busy. I look forward to more fun times here. read more

Midtown Barfly - New Wave party - Dance Clubs Near Me - Sacramento, California

Midtown Barfly Demonstrates Spectacular Event-Music Range! SITREP This venue is a top-notch mid-size venue (capacity 250-300 peeps) and Sacramento is better for having it. It's gone through a recent management change and left it's old name "Club 21". There are MANY events that take place here and go on at this venue of which I am not an expert, so I am restricting my comments solely to: (1) The New Weekly "FACTOR IX" which just had it's grand opening this past Sunday, promoted by DJ Bryan Hawk of ASYLUM fame; (2) The Weekly Tuesday Night "SWING 21" Nights; and, (3) The Monthly Gothic-Industrial-EBM event "REVERENCE" hosted by and put on by DONAVAN and JASMIN and their DJ crews. THE SET-UP I. FACTOR IX. Since Asylum formerly @ The Rage since 1994, and then this past year at The Park Ultra Lounge, has found a new reincarnation as FACTOR IX here at Midtown Barfly, and I think every one is excited about the Sunday night void being filled again. Spinning the best in Gothic-Industrial-EBM, FACTOR IX kicked off into high gear this past Sunday as it had it's FIRST Grand Opening. There is another grand opening promised in the near future when the venue's licensing allows for the 18-20 year old to join in as well. II. SWING 21. JOHNNY and his swing-dance team of instructors are the best in Sacramento, if not Northern California. TINA, HEATHER, BOB, MICHAEL, etc., have all been outstanding instructors in some of the most popular Swing-Dance venues across town. I started taking lessons from JOHNNY and TINA and MICHAEL "back in the day" when they instructed at the old "815 L Street" Club (now closed). They also continue to instruct at other local venues, including the "BALLROOM OF SACRAMENTO" (but that is another review). The Tuesday night crowd is one of the friendliest and most helpful when it comes to learning the basics of East Coast Swing, the Lindy Hop, the Shag, the Carolina Stomp, the Charleston, etc. etc. What is so cool about swing-dancing is that you can learn the basics of everything you need to know in 1 HR, really! III. REVERENCE. This crew of Darkwave 80s, EBM, Gothic-Industrial DJs are some of the most fun you will find anywhere in a hap'nin dance club! Regular DJ hosts DONAVON and JASMIN put on am impressive monthly dance gig that always has an eclectic crowd and brings in so many fun people to dance with (and sometimes gawk at with mile-high mohawks, and Siouxsie and Robert Smith make-up styles). And the rotating door of spectacular GUEST DJs is no less impressive! One of the best DJs ever is visiting DJ SKARKROW from San Jose. I've become wonderful friends with him and his lovely girlfriend JULIE. When they are up at bat, the music takes an inter-dimensional turn into aural-realms that I've never heard of before but love. It's awesome to hear wonderful music selections from the Netherlands, Germany, England, Austria, Mexico, Japan, etc. that never get played in any mainstream club. THE LOWDOWN The Midtown Barfly has a lot to offer on a wide variety of musical fronts! read more

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Bachata! Salsa! Here we go! Okay I like to go out dancing at clubs like the ones in Vegas just like the other kids around town, but Midtown Barfly is a new type of dancing place that I found out about and hope to grow into. I went with a date because he had been a long time competitive dancer in latin dancing-I wouldn't have known about it otherwise. Dancer by nature.. I decided to check it out on a Friday Evening. The doors open around 8pm. They open at 8-9pm because the first part of the night is meant for salsa, bachata dance lessons. There may be more class types that I am not aware of yet. So first timers don't worry, they teach you! Afterwards you get to put your dance moves to the test. At around 9:00pm the floor opens up for regular dance. Similar to other clubs the dance floor begins to get busy from 10-11pm. It's $10 Cash for the entrance fee. You get to choose which part of the club you go to; there are two rooms. It's split based on dance type. The crowd is mixed age-anyone from people in their 20s-50s. The best part is that everyone is there to dance. I especially like seeing mixed aged dancers dancing together. Both moving so gracefully and quickly to each-others steps. Definitely a goal of mine The only reason by I give it 3 stars is because the club itself is a little gritty. It needs a little boost up to be a little bit cleaner. The drink prices are easier on the wallet, but they also reflect that a bit. Overall this a great place if you are going purely to dance and for your passion to dance. The facility and bar could use a little TLC. read more

This is a fun place! And it's a great place to learn to swing dance. Place is clean and very eclectic. There is a live band once a month. Swing lessons every Tuesday night. Salsa lessons every Wednesday night. The people are cool! All levels and skills are welcome. This is a really fun crowd. It gets crowded though. We can be found here most every Tuesday night. Hope to see you there. read more

Midtown Barfly - Dance Clubs Near Me - Sacramento, California

Great place for salsa dancing on Friday nights. Wednesday night they have a lesson and then salsa social dancing. Excellent DJ. The business has two areas, one for salsa dancing and one for bachata dancing during Wednesday and Friday. Drinks are fairly priced too. Cover charge is $10. It is a good place to meet nice people! Hopefully they will reopen soon after this COVID 19. Check them out! read more

Their Sunday nights are pretty good, if you like the goth crowd. They play a variety of industrial, ebm, 80's, and more. Some nights it's not very busy, but if Monday is a holiday expect it to be more full. It's still, in my opinion, the best goth club in Sacramento since Asylum was around. Other nights have other venues. Check their Facebook for more info. read more

I have been attending this venue for quite a few years, first when it was Club 21 and now as the Midtown Barfly. While much of the staff has changed in the transition, the service has not. What has changed is the sound system and it was for the better. I usually attend the weekly Sunday night event Factor IX and the last Saturday of the month event of Reverence. Both clubs fall into the Goth/Industrial/EBM genres and on occassion a little dubstep is thrown into the mix as well. When the venue changed ownership the front bar was closed in lieu of the little one next to the dance floor, but this proved very unpopular with the crowd and management listened to the request to re-open the front bar. Another great feature on Sunday nights, when the weather is warm, the front windows are open so those who are smoking can still hear the great tunes being played by some of the best DJs in the scene. Currently Factor IX is 21 and over while Reverence is 18+, however there is talk of making both nights 18+ in the future. read more

Salsa Wednesdays at Barfly. Lesson at 8:00 with Nicole Lazo. Dancing until 1 am. Great laid back atmosphere on Wednesday night. There use to be salsa at Club 21 on Friday night but now with the new owners it is Wednesday. read more

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Two words: Nicole Lazo. She is the best salsa instructor! So fun and approachable. You can tell she really loves to teach (and dance)! The place does not have a coat check so could lose a star for that but it makes up for it with a clean bathroom, great bartenders and great music. The men are also very nice -- good mix of dance levels. Stop reading this and go dance! read more

Barfly does all sorts of events on different nights for different sub groups. Depending what you enjoy, it can be anything from salsa, goth or EDM music etc. Make sure you check their event page before you go! I always have fun when I go! Main con: The bar is CASH only! But big PRO: Cheap drinks! So not a bad trade off if you ask me! Just remember to bring cash, if not, there is an ATM inside. read more

I wanted to like Barfly but a number of things made it impossible. First off, we came to Friday salsa night about 20 min before dance lesson was supposed to start. There were people inside, people coming in and out but no one bothered to let us in or tell us what time they will be letting people in. Second, the space is... dirty. There are stains, rips, and sticky floors. Thirdly the dancing itself. I've been doing Latin dancing for many years competitively and even I could not follow all of the instructions. Nicole Lazo seemed much more concerned with showing off rather than teaching the steps. My new-to-salsa husband was utterly confused and I couldn't blame him. Lastly we got drinks at the bar. Even though they were cheap they also weren't strong at all. I couldn't taste the alcohol. read more

This club was formerly named "Club 21". Tuesday evenings are still for swing dancing. Cover charge for DJ'd music: $6 Winter hours: 7:30-8:30 free dance lesson. East Coast Swing and Lindy Hop. Open dancing from 8:30 until 11:30PM. Nice, large, wood dance floor for doing your swing outs and Lindy Circles! The friendly bartender on Tuesdays is still Rick, who is always ready to make any refreshing beverage you request. Come out and take a lesson. Stay for the dancing. Swing dancing is great fun and great cardio exercise. read more

Nicole was amazing! I take beginner lessons in Los Angeles but was traveling for work...called Nicole to inquire about keeping my learning momentum going. She called me back and welcomed me to the barfly. She managed to lead a group of approximately 20 plus dancers to learn some fundamentals and a nice combo finish. Music song/selection/tempo served both the newbies and the seasoned dancers. Beautiful ladies and super friendly crowd!!! read more

I hate doing this. I feel bad giving them 2 stars. Every single member of the staff that I dealt with was really cool, from the door guy to the bartenders to security. All top notch. The beers were super cheap and the headliners of the show were awesome. But this place has some of the worst acoustics I've ever experienced. This is the third time I've seen this particular band in the last year. I am very familiar with what the show is like. And I couldn't make out a word they were saying in between songs. That I knew all the lyrics probably glossed over that fact while they were performing, but it was ridiculous. Part of my reasoning for giving them such a low rating is that I hope somebody, anybody from barfly will read this. PUT UP SOME SORT OF SOUND DEADENING MATERIAL. You guys have hard surface floors, flat concrete, metal and mirrors on the wall and plywood ceilings for crying out loud. Put some heavy curtains on the back wall or some foam deadening pads on the ceiling. Carpet boards maybe. But just about anything would be an improvement. I might look into some of he other stuff they seem to offer, but the chances of me going back to watch another live show are probably zero. At least until they put some work into fixing the sound issues. read more

Barfly is a fun venue. In general, it's a much more relaxed atmosphere than the main clubs like faces or the park. I usually go to the Requiem's deep house events (that thing on Friday or the throw down events), but I've also been for a burlesque show as well... Not quite as good as Requiem's stuff, but so so There are two dance floors, a cash only bar (happy hour usually 11-1am), and a kitchen. The main dance floor easily holds 50-100 people, and the second one holds maybe 75 at most. The cash bar is annoying because it's one of the only ones I've found in sacramento -__- The bathrooms... Are really nasty here I don't like to use them. Overall, the venue is fun if you are coming to the right event! read more

Depending on what night you go Barfly has what you want. I usually go for the monthly goth/industrial nights Reverence (4th Saturdays) and the weekly Factor IX (Sundays). I have been to their hip-hop night too and that was off-the-hook! Many of my friends go to Swing Dance night (Tuesdays) and then come to the goth clubs and "goth swing" with me ( I just let them pull me along). I love the inexpensive drinks. But what I really love about this club is the friendly staff. They don't have a constant turnover, they are dedicated. As is the manager. He is there walking around checking on things and saying hello to everyone. The club is set up in a way that there are plenty of seats so, if you wear your six-inch heels out like I do you know you can rest after "clearing the cobwebs." Be sure to check out their Facebook page for current events because I am sure I missed a bunch. read more

I recently promoted a show here in the EDM genre. We brought out German Trance music duo Kyau & Albert. The staff members brian, the sound guy, and manager Susan were great to work with. They are all friendly and work well with promoters. We also have a show coming up at the end of August bringing out Drum & bass legend: Dieselboy - the destroyer. I look forward in working with them on this show and more in the possible future. read more

The crowd was straight out of a David Bowie music video. Female friend and I were quoted $15 cover EACH at 10:30 PM on a Friday night - NOT the $6 mentioned in one of the other reviews. Weird place. Incidentally, if they do grope/pat down men but not women as mentioned in the other reviews, they're violating the Unruh Civil Rights Act, which entitles victims of sex-based discrimination to $4,000 in automatic statutory damages. Super lame. read more

Wednesday nights offer salsa dancing. The venue welcomes an array of talent from novice to experts. However, a lot of good dancers show up making it fun for everyone. The dance floor gets traffic but there is plenty of space to showcase your moves. The bartender is great at having water with ice ready to hand out (and its free). If you prefer to use your card be forewarned the bar only takes cash. However, there is an ATM on the premisses for quick cash. Final Thoughts: I gave Barfly four stars because of the people that make the venue fun on Wednesday nights. read more

This place is awesome, a techno-ish, dance, rave, house music filled with laser and lights. Friendly, goodtime vibe, I just want to drink and dance the night away. Recommend this place if you like those kind of music. I met one of the Host named Eric, he was like a motivational speaker. Definitely coming back here. read more

Midtown Barfly - This was from a video I recorded, it was better in person, you have to experience it yourself to see it more clearly. - Dance Clubs Near Me - Sacramento, California

I was just here just few days ago and it was a pretty decent and inexpensive experience. My friend told me that they have all kinds of events, but we went to Salsa night. I have never done any salsa dancing nor am I any type of a dancer, but the relaxed atmosphere does make you feel at ease. Before you head out to this place make sure to hit the ATM for some cash. This place is inexpensive because the bar only accepts cash. They also have a Facebook Page where they list what even will occur on what date. Before you go make sure to check the event catalogue. P.S They also have an ATM inside. read more

I went to Club 21 for years and I continue to go to its current incarnation of Midtown Barfly. Sure the new venue name doesn't exactly roll off the tongue, but it's the same club I know and love. The staff is usually friendly, you don't have to wait forever to get your drink, and the parking isn't too bad for downtown. If there's one detail I'm not happy with since the changeover, I wish the back bar was still open (maybe it's just not open on Sunday nights when I go?) Plus the TV screens in the back room was nice when they were showing music videos. read more

So this is a place that used to be called Club 21, I think. If I recall, it looks and feels exactly the same...but apparently it has a whole new sound system and some other updates. I happened to go on a Sunday night, which was the Goth-Industrial night called Factor IX. I ordered a double gin-and-tonic, which was only six dollars (good deal!). It was a little strange that I was served this drink in a plastic cup, but ok, I guess I can live with that...it just seemed unusual. There was also a cover- I think it was four dollars, also reasonable. And, honestly, I'm willing to pay more than that just to help keep the goth/industrial night around! The dance-floor is large and there's a whole separate front room that is, more or less, the lounge area. It's nice that the lounge is separated (and that is also where the bar is) because it is not quite as loud there, so you can actually talk to people if you want to in between your bouts of overwhelming boogie fever. If you are a smoker, you have to go out in front of the building- you just show your stamp to go back in. It seems less like a place you'd go to for hanging out on any given night (or even just to get drunk on a Friday) and more of a place where you are in attendance for a particular kind of club night (e.g. goth night). I think they also have swing dancing on Tuesday Nights. Overall, I had a great experience here and will be frequenting Factor IX on Sunday Nights! Good music, good people, inexpensive drinks, the new sound system actually sounds phenomenal, especially with the bass- all reasons to keep going! read more

Review is for Wednesday night's: My favorite salsa club in Sacramento. Perfect combination of music. Nice floor. Nice people. Not too big. Consistently good. It's a fairly mixed crowd of pros, intermediate, and beginners. There's also a basic salsa class for beginners or people who have absolutely no experience. It's free with entry. Just look it up on Facebook for any updated information, under "midtown barfly" Enjoy! read more

Came here when it used to be Club 21/Bojangles, ate here when it was Bacon & Butter and now Salsa dancing at Midtown Barfly! Great dance floor and ambience, music was wonderful, and was packed with people having a blast in the middle of the week. I'm definitely coming back and bringing friends! :-) Tip: bring cash for cover and drinks, it's cash only. read more

Had and great time and the dance instruction was so much fun. I will definitely be going back!

Midtown Barfly, what can I say lol.. they put up with me. :) Drinks are strong and cheap. Sound systems is ok. It is a dive bar and does its job well. Parking can be found across the street and in the rear. They have an ATM machine that works most of the time. The bar is Cash Only so be aware. Coolest thing about this place is that they have different events on different nights, it could be EDM, house, trance, top 40 or burlesque, who knows. It's nice that the events always change. I tend to come a few nights a year on Sundays and for special events. I'd give a higher rating but security staff is on a power trip on club style nights and they have not done much to improve or utilize the full potential of the venue. Its a fine place, go check it out! read more

Had a chance to stop by for salsa and bachata Wednesdays. Friendly crowd with dancers of all levels. The place itself is pretty no frills and the dance floor is decent. Overall I'd recommend it to any salseros looking for a place to dance on a Wednesday night. read more

Review for the Wednesday salsa class: $5 for salsa lesson (cash only) The instructor Nicole was great. However, as a woman, I really did not appreciate some of the nasty, rude men there. I'm kind of anal about hygiene and some of the men had terrible breath and were really sweaty. Sweaty hands, sweaty hair. Just gross. We switched partners every few min so there were a lot of hands and bad breath. I had to hold my breath at times and started losing focus. Worse, some of the men were more advanced dancers whereas I am a beginner. One or two men were really rude and were being forceful with trying to get me to be in the right position. I was this close to telling them off. If they knew any better, in salsa, the men lead. So if I am lost, that means the guy is a terrible leader. I actually had to start the conversation with a few men and tell them "Don't yell at me if I mess up." I have gone to Midtown Barfly once a year hoping to give it another shot but always disappointed. I would recommend the bar keep antibacterial gel available in the main dance room. Nicole is great. Only suggestion I have is for her to remind the men to be gentle because there are women at all different levels and do not use excessive force to get your way. Men, if you are that great at salsa, skip the lesson and just attend the open lounge after the class. read more

My wife and I have only been here once but there was good deals on drinks and the Dj was dope. Good vibes and awesome folks.

Sticky, sweaty, grimey mess: that's what I've experienced after numerous times here! NEED a/c, point blank. Cash only bar with limited drink options, and $1 for a small plastic cup of water. With all the drunk, sweaty people dancing around, I would definitely hope for free unlimited water but hey, we get what we pay for. USUALLY cover is pretty cheap, from $5-$8. The front room is the breakfast and brunch restaurant "Bacon & Butter" in the day time, so with all the lights on the countryside decorations are all around, which is odd but cool. Happy Hour events are crackin', they always have a great show out and the djs are pretty good, as well. I've only been to the EDM/house music events at barfly, so that's all I'm judging off so far. Great lighting, good sound and from my opinion it's the usual EDM/house music scene, but if we're lucky we can catch a trap/twerk/hip hop set either in the front room or during the late night hours. No complaints about the company who throws their events here (s/o requiem events), just wish maybe they'd consider expanding this place, as well as the bar, so that the capacity could fit more since there always seems to be a pretty good crowd here! read more

Last night a group of six of us went to the Bar Fly in Sacramento to enjoy a night of Salsa dancing. We got dolled up looking pretty and were ready to have a great night of dancing. We arrived to not only be disrespected at the door but at the same time told that we weren't welcome at her club. The club was full to capacity, however the nice male security officers related that they would let people in as others left. We were ok with that and patiently waited until suddenly appeared another security guard a thin female with short black hair, which immediately began to mishandle her authority and began treating everyone very disrespectful. Her lack of professionalism was disturbing. She made it a point to let everyone know that things were done her way and that she was the boss. Very rude and discourteous! Not only did she begin to be very selective on who she let in but she was also overheard saying that she'll only let in certain types of people and regulars. At that time a group of 15 people left freeing up space and even though we were the first in line she overlooked us and let some others that had just walked up in. Because of this form of biased behavior we left and will most likely never return again. Unknown if the owner is aware that they have these types of people working for them but if keeping their business is important to them they should probably look at regrouping and obtaining higher quality staff and replacing her immediately. I would not recommend this club at this point to anyone and would rather go to the Grad in Davis any day of the week! #behaviorbadforbusiness read more

came here for edm night, so much fun! can't wait for HAPPY HOUR to come on may 3rd! :) read more

Moved to Sacramento area, looking high and low for a place to go dance salsa! looked on yelp and found this place. the first time I went there I was unimpressed the dancers were so so.maybe it was just me being from the bay area and dancing in San Francisco, maybe I am a little snob ..but went to try it out again and had a great time! What i didn't like was that just about everybody left before midnight! Note to self: arrive early! read more

I came here for a salsa lesson have the time of my life. I am now completely hooked on salsa. It's a great way to get to know people early in the night for the lesson then the fun just keeps on going with the DJ plays. read more

Oh, how I love their SalSa nightsSs! There's always a nice crowd, good music, and tasty mArgaritAs =)