I got tricked into it by rumors - they circulated the clubbing circuit for months and months while a building, formerly known as Polly Esther's, lived out its heyday as a gathering place of ravers and junglists under the code name, Club Sky. Even then it was excruciatingly fun - if somewhat disheveled and looking like an air raid victim.
So when Element finally opened, then opened again with furniture in it, and then opened the doors of its super-swank luxury VIP Heaven Ultra Lounge - with a cameo appearance of none other than Carmen Electra - I had to go.
It swept me off my feet. First of all, let me dispel a rumor - while they do enforce dress code, you do not have to dress your Sunday best. While I barged in looking like a SoHo Christmas tree (black, sparkly, and strangely designed), this place is definitely friendly to jeans. A special door enforcement representative, whom I imagined to be checking labels on the undersides of patrons' shirts, turned out to be a figment of my imagination.
The ambiance of quiet splendor is, first and foremost, created by two factors: lighting, furniture, and accessories. The lighting is flattering and soft - it brings out the best in the ladies, while allowing gentlemen to do unabashed gawking without being too obvious. The décor is fantastic. Minimalist furniture, black and white single-line drawings on the walls, accessories, floor tiles, and overall ambiance exhibit the call of the world-class.
Refreshing variety in music genres is another aspect here. Two rooms permit switching from electronic to hip-hop for dancers who need a change in rhythms and atmosphere. The main room, featuring the best in DJ talent from around the world, still has that super-fabulous lit floor a la Saturday Night Fever - a memento of days bygone, when the club went through its previous incarnations. The neighboring room, while a bit smaller has more available options for seating, and another dance floor. This room also opens up to a blue sky, so uncharacteristic for Seattle for better part of the year, as it is painted on the domed ceiling. Carmen Electra herself was fond of the venue, expressing her admiration as she was grooving at the opening shenanigans for Heaven.
The drinks are second to the music. This is the place to go if you consider yourself a serious drink connoisseur. Dom Perignon, Belvedere, Cuban rum, private label liquor, mojitos, cosmos, rusty nails, and kamikazes - everything liquid is top shelf quality and flows freely. Pricey, you say? This definitely ain't K-Mart. You don't get a Friday-Sunday super-saving-sale, but you do get a happy hour (Wed-Sunday, 4pm-9pm).
Service in this place is above par. Bartenders do not just fill your glass up with "pshhhhhhhh" and toss some Monarch in it with a passive sneer. They are courteous, prompt, and professional.
And then there's music.
If this is Friday night, and you're sitting in a café, sipping your triple-this, double-that, whatnot-on-top latte - please drop everything, run home, don on your nicest jeans, grab the attitude and run to Element. The talent brought there is simply unbelievable.
The Crystal Method, Josh Wink, Scott Bond and Dave Lee, Donald Glaude, Hyper and Kaskade, DJ Mea, Sandra Collins, D:Fuse, Gabriel and Drezden, James Zabiela - all this staggering talent has already played within 2 months since the opening of the club. That goes without saying - don't forget the local talent: DJ's Eva, Flave, and Austin Payne finally have a setting they can truly sparkle in.
While a majority of the crowd - comprised of Beautiful People Weekly hopefuls - may not be aware of the beauty and talent being laid before them, the club is a wonderful venue where music enthusiasts will hear solid beats dropped by world-class DJ's. Seattle, don your raincoats, put your best smile on, raid the bar, and hit that dance floor. If the music in this temple of sound does not move you, I would strongly suggest investing in a hearing aid. Not only are the music and aesthetics great, but Element boasts one of the best sound systems in Seattle.
