Karamba

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1724 E. McDowell Road Phoenix, AZ 85006

602-254-0231

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Best Gay Latin Dance Night
Award Winner 2010

Features: Patio/Sidewalk Dining

Description

The expansive dance floor at this gay Latin dance club is almost always packed with bodies, whether it's boys dancing with boys, gals getting down with other gals, and various other combinations. Although the crowd here is Latino-heavy, it gets downright ethnically diverse during frenzied weekend events, when folks of every race and sexual orientation dance until dawn.

Karamba

Daily
Tejano Thursdays

9:00 p.m. every Thu.

Polka, Selena, and vaqueros. One of these three words probably flashes through the brainpans of most folks whenever they happen to hear a two-secon...

2010 | Best Gay Latin Dance Night

Think the Valley's dance music scene is outta step with the rest of the world Not this time: The embryonic Latin genre moombahtón has blown up quite big in recent months in dance clubs across the country. And, thanks to Phoenix's DJ Melo, it's snuck into our city via his Kaliente Saturdays night. He figured the bass-heavy spin-off of reggaeton would complement his already electric mixes of cumbias, merengue, and Top 40 during the event, which is Karamba's biggest of the weekend. The... More »
2009 | Best Gay Latin Dance Night

It's been three years or so since the proprietors of Karamba broke many a scenester's heart by pulling the plug on the infamously wicked Hot Pink! electro/glam night. But the hipster community's loss has proved to be the gay scene's gain, as the notorious night was replaced with Vertigo Fridays, which has become a big hit with the Latin LGBT crowd since launching back in 2006. The club becomes a virtual "body shop" during the evening as a bounty of booful barrio boys come out to show off... More »
2008 | Best Gay Latin Dance Night

Karamba Nightclub is the overachieving bar that could. While they rack up international accolades as one of the planet's best gay bars, they're still workin' on workin' it out on the dance floor for all their fans. Like the unmatched Vaquero Thursdays. This night brings the best beats from DJ Miguel, who we think is just about the best DJ in the 'Nix, spinning pop en español, cumbia, norteño, and banda. Wear your boots that are made for dancin' and join a merry mix of cowboys,... More »
2006 | BEST GAY LATIN DANCE NIGHT

No doubt about it now -- Karamba is purely a gay Latin club, even if it's best known for having hosted the hugely popular '80s/electro/glam night "Hot Pink!" on Fridays. Club owners recently replaced "Hot Pink!" with "Vertigo Fridays," a reggaeton and Latin dance night, complete with lithe, gyrating go-go boys. The rest of the week is filled with Latino/Latina drag shows and more dancing. So really, any night of the week here is a great gay Latin dance night. But "Kaliente Saturdays," now th... More »
2005 | BEST SPIN

Electroclash had already peaked by the time this Friday-night dance fest got started, but that didn't stop Phoenix's young and trendy from coming out en masse to freak dance to Fischerspooner. Wisely, though, founder DJ Nimh (who stays involved but has since moved to New York City) established a weekly mix that went beyond the now oh-so-over music genre; now glam, dance-punk, and New Wave faves are Hot Pink! staples. These days, Sleazy Sean and Colt host the night, and sometimes lure... More »
2005 | BEST GAY LATIN DANCE NIGHT

Club Karamba steams up its own windows every weekend with Kaliente Saturdays, a party packed wall-to-wall with queer Latin lovers dancing to the beat of DJs Tranz and Melo. The jockeys throw salsa, merengue, cumbia, rock and pop en español into the mix while Latin music videos project onto an enormous screen. It's a sexy backdrop for a high-energy crowd that's there to party 'til 4 a.m. And if you get there before 10 p.m., it's all free, mica! More »
2004 | BEST PLACE TO FIND A ONE-NIGHT STAND

There's just something about Hot Pink that makes people horny. Maybe it's the pounding music or the lyrics dripping with innuendo, but our guess is that the extreme inebriation brought on by $2 drinks is what really turns people on. The club is a sexual free-for-all -- if you want something sleazy with no strings attached, this is your place. Look around the dance floor at midnight on a Friday and most everyone is making out. Check out the dark corners of the bar and you'll find people... More »

Seven Nights of DJs & Dancing

By | Thu, April 08, 2010

THURSDAY 8 27th Avenue Bar: Ladies Night with DJ Moy, & DJ Jared Paul (Top 40, hip-hop, Latin) Afterlife: Filthy Thursdays (dubstep, breakbeats) AZ88: Mr. P-Body & Friends (classic and old-school grooves) Bikini Lounge: DJ Shane Kennedy (jazz,... More »

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phoenixnewtimesbestof | Phoenix, AZ | 315 Reviews

| Wed, May 6, 2009

Karamba Nightclub is the overachieving bar that could. While they rack up international accolades as one of the planet's best gay bars, they're still workin' on workin' it out on the dance floor for all their fans. Like the unmatched Vaquero Thursdays. This night brings the best beats from DJ Miguel, who we think is just about the best DJ in the 'Nix, spinning pop en espa�ol, cumbia, norte�o, and banda. Wear your boots that are made for dancin' and join a merry mix of cowboys, clubbers, and cuties on the dance floor, while a world-class sound system blasts the bomb beats. Sure, if you need a break, there are $3 pitchers of beer. Who's paying attention to that while The Susana Show, hosted by the lovely reina Susana, delivers delicious impersonations of Gloria Trevi, Thalia, and our hero � Shakira? Her hips don't lie! Forget about staying en su casa; Thursday nights are all about Karamba's Vaquero Thursdays.