“Scorpio” Charlotte, North Carolina

Cover: $12 (Cash Only) Music: Rap/Hip-Hop Ratchet Level: Medium Whew chileeee! I finally made it here after a failed trip to Charlotte where I ended up falling in the hotel after a day in the amusement park! Irreverent now, lets break down the club. I arrived around 1am. The line wasn’t long and progressed fast. I am going to fail security. We were patted down before entering. I was wearing a lot of garments and a jacket with something in just about every pocket to include a flask. I was able to bring everything in without my pockets being checked. Honestly after the horrific events in Orlando, FL I challenge venues to step up security for events. After you enter you must sign in on a tablet. It is a local law that requires memberships to enter facilities serving alcohol with no food after a specific time frame. I was education on this topic earlier in the day. The cover charge was cash only with ATMs available. Afterwards there are three doors. The door on your left is the main room. The door forward is a stairwell that leads upstairs to the balcony overseeing the main room and a small bar. The door on the right leads to an outside smoking area with a bar. This venue is a nice size. The DJ was playing all the ratchet hits. The crowd was loving it. There was a good male to female ratio with a diversity in age with everyone for the most part being African-American with a mix of Latino and white. Everyone was vibing. The music was great. Money guns were shooting at the crowd. The hosting was walking around with a mic. I had two drinks at the bar. They were good. The restroom seemed clean. The venue was well kept. I was getting Marquette (ATL) vibes but bigger and better. I danced a lot. No drama. No issues. This was an authentic good time. The people I interacted with were very nice and social. I did feel safe and inclusive. Everyone just wanted to enjoy a night out. This was black gay culture at its best honestly. From the music, drinks, and dancing this is where you want to be. There was seating against the wall with trade posted up on the left, a stage to the front, and VIP section to the side with a dance floor in the middle. If you’re in Charlotte this the the only club you want to hit. I do have to shoutout Argon though (a white gay bar on the other side of town). I went there for a drink before making my way to Scorpio. The staff was very nice with history and rules and spoke highly of Scorpio for a young African-American gay like myself. I hope everyone shares the same, if not better experiences I had. Your favorite critic Shamel Jones. Trust me I’ll be back!