Club Whispers pleasantly mixes past and present
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Some things don't change, and then, some change a lot. Years ago, when I was a wee lass, all I cared about when going to teen night at a club called JJ Whispers was that they played "Tainted Love."
That's when JJ Whispers was located in a strip mall on Lee Road in Orlando, and the DJ dominated the night with predominantly '80s music. I grew up and so did JJ Whispers, apparently -- after it closed on Lee Road many, many moons ago. it reopened a few years back, again in a strip mall but this time on South Kirkman Road.
Well, not necessarily reopened -- new owners opened it with the same name but with more of an urban vibe. I never went but heard good things; soon another name change took place and Club Whispers was born. Recently the club has undergone a face-lift, but they're still playing the R&B and hip-hop that has become the club's signature sound through the years. I was happy to hear a bit of the past was still sneaking through when I stopped by last Saturday night.
Salt-N-Pepa's "Push It" was thumping through the speakers as I tried to order a drink at the first bar in the club. Ah, I guess the '80s aren't totally gone. Either I was too busy looking around or I wasn't pushing it enough because it was almost impossible to get a bartender to look in my direction. The place was packed, but I was standing front-and-center for more than five minutes. Moving on to the next bar, my hands still empty, I had a bartender in seconds. Not a minute later, I was shaking it back and forth to "It Takes Two," happily with drink in hand.
The hip-hop of my youth continued for another hour, mixed in with more recent artists, but for the most part I felt like I was 14 again, except with a buzz. And the crowd was impressive, given that I showed up about 10:30 p.m. (still a dead time for most clubs). This place was a sea of heads.
Once I got a better look at those heads, I saw they topped some well-dressed bodies. Slacks, sport jackets, dresses and heels seemed to be the norm, and my jeans weren't cutting it, although my low-cut blouse seemed to pass the "turn-the-head" test.
Because of the fun music and packed house, there was no lack of movement on the dance floor, which takes over the whole center of this large club, or anywhere else in the space. My friend made it through the crowd to the opposite side of the club, where a spacious VIP section is located looking over the dance floor, and even there people were dancing more than sipping and talking. A refreshing change from most places, where VIPs drink from their bottle and whine to their friends -- here people were actually dancing at a club. What a concept!
One downside is, you're putting out a good amount of scratch to even enter the front door -- it was $10 each for my friends and me, although the $30 they asked for VIP was more than reasonable. We all went the liquor route at the bar which averaged $5-$6 a person; if it weren't for the cover at the door I probably would have stayed for more than two drinks because the music had me moving the entire time I was there.
In the end, if a club can keep 90 percent of its patrons dancing and drinking, that's a success right there, a feat few clubs in town have mastered. I have a feeling Club Whispers may be sticking around for a little while longer this time.
Club Whispers is at 4732 S. Kirkman Road in Orlando, call 407-290-9896.