I See Clubs
People seem to think I’m in the know. I think I’m in the know. Yet every now and then it turns out that everyone thinks I know what’s going on, while in reality I know absolutely nothing. Case in point: Lumina.
Apparently there had been a buzz around it for weeks. The problem is that when you’re me, people buzzing with excitement around you isn’t exactly a reliable indicator that something special is happening. At some point you stop treating every whisper, wink and side glance as something you need to pay attention to. So while everyone else seemed to know something was coming, I continued my life under the impression that I was, as always, perfectly informed. I wasn’t.
It turned out that Serana had been busy. Very busy, as it happens. She had brought Megan on board, there was real estate involved, there was mention of multiple clubs, and along the way an entire city had started taking shape while I was blissfully unaware of any of it. Preview gatherings had already happened where people had toured the city and even some pop-up DJ events had taken place. Plans had been discussed. So yes, excitement had been building. Without me.
The grand opening was now only days away. In fact, by the time you’re reading this, there’s a fair chance it’ll be happening tonight. So when Serana finally reached out and spoke to me with the confidence of someone assuming I already knew everything, I was left with only one option. “Ah yes, of course. I was actually planning to post something about that. Hahaha.” So here we are; welcome to my flawless recovery.
This is me arriving in Mayonaka City.
The opening would take place at Lumina, I was told, and it turned out to be super easy to find. I’m not exactly known for my navigational abilities. Give me a shopping mall and I’ll somehow end up in the stockroom. Maybe with a shop assistant. If I’m lucky.
This time I walked straight into it. I assume I’ve developed some sort of nightclub-specific instinct over the years. A sixth sense, maybe. While migratory birds follow the Earth’s magnetic field and salmon find their way back upstream, I possess the ability to detect clubs from several regions away.
“I see clubs.”
It’s the only explanation that makes sense.
The elevator informed me the club was on the rooftop and, to its credit, it was telling the truth. A beautiful thing.
The place was empty, of course. The grand opening isn’t until later, which meant I had the entire venue to myself. No crowds, no queue at the bar, no one stepping on my feet, and nobody judging me for immediately taking photographs of everything. So if you’re planning to visit, consider this a little preview of where you’ll be spending your evening.
And yes, it looked good. The thing is, a club is never just about the building. A club is about the people who fill it. It’s about the DJ behind the decks, the conversations that start out innocent enough, the dancing, the sweating and finding a nice hidden corner to quickly unbutton whatever needs to come off.
So I didn’t spend too much time examining every corner. I took a look around, satisfied myself that the place had potential, and headed back downstairs. I’d skipped breakfast and was getting hungry, which remains one of the few forces powerful enough to pull me away from nightlife and as it turns out, the place has machines that serve ramen. Dope.
That solved the hunger problem and gave me enough energy to continue exploring. What I discovered is that Mayonaka City isn’t really a place with a couple of clubs attached to it. It’s actually a giant food court and then accidentally they added nightlife around it. Because every time I turned a corner there seemed to be another place to eat, drink, sit down, or otherwise spend money. I grabbed a drink, found a spot to smoke a cigarette, somehow ended up playing a video game for a while, and just when I thought I had finally seen everything, I ran into yet another food stall.
Deciding I should probably walk off some of the calories I’d accumulated, I made my way toward the harbor. There I found a tour boat patiently waiting for something exciting to happen. I joined it for a while, mostly because it seemed like the sort of thing a curious visitor should do. After some time of nothing in particular happening, I abandoned my nautical ambitions and headed back into town which, naturally, led me straight into yet another restaurant.
The food was excellent, but by this point the city’s relentless campaign to feed me was beginning to take its toll. Between the drinks, the snacks, and the meals I hadn’t planned on having, I was starting to feel considerably heavier than when I’d arrived.So I found a place to sit down for a while and contemplate food courts masquerading as nightlife venues.
Then, by accident, I stumbled into another club. This seems like one of those places you’re only supposed to find if somebody tells you where it is first. Hidden away beneath the city was a red velvet nightclub that’s determined to keep a low profile and yet, I walked straight into it. Again; sixth sense.
The place still had that new-club feeling to it. Everything looked fresh, polished, and recently assembled. At the same time, I’m fairly sure I already spotted a few stains that raised questions nobody should ask and nobody should answer. A promising sign for any nightclub. Cute place, though. I spent some time there, had a look around, and eventually decided it was probably time to head home.
Which would have happened much sooner had I not passed yet another store selling food on the way out. The city had spent the entire afternoon trying to feed me and, despite recognizing the trap, I walked right into it. The display was far too tempting to ignore. So naturally I bought some to take home.
If Mayonaka City fails as a nightlife destination, it has a solid future as a great food court.
So Lumina opens this weekend with a marathon event at the brand-new Mayonaka City. What I expected to be “just another club” turned out to be an entire destination, complete with hidden corners, rooftop nightlife, and enough food options to keep you occupied long after the music stops.
The grand opening kicks off at Lumina, the first venue of Midnight Circuit, and features a full evening of music:
Roux starts at 2 PM, followed by Thirteen at 3, Invad3r at 4, Pablo at 5, Crème at 6, Oblivia at 7, and Sparklebottom closing out the evening from 8 PM onward.
If my preview visit was anything to go by, expect impressive visuals, a city worth exploring, and a venue that’s ready to fill up with the people who ultimately make a club what it is. The building is finished. Now it just needs the crowd.
https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Midnight%20Rose/13/177/90This post is not sponsored or paid for in any way. I was also not blackmailed or tortured to write it.
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