The new Thorns, since its re-opening has undergone something of a shift in its appearance.  While it still tries to be the corner club that does most of its business through a devout coven of long-time customers and devoted followers, it's also updated itself to draw in some new clientele.

The club is located in the basement of some old factory.  The rather nondescrïpt door is painted black with "Thorns" written in a twisting, bramble-covered scrïpt.  A neon sign with the logo hangs over the door.

From the concrete stairs, the goth and industrial music echoes up from the main hall of the club.  The structure of the place itself is fairly simple:  concrete floor, and a few support pillars.  The place is suitably lit with dim lighting, thanks to wrought-iron lamps circling the walls, fashioned in the shape of roses, with the flickering faux-candle bulbs casting shadows about the club.

To the right of the door is the bar, a long weathered wooden counter which has clearly taken some hits.  There are deep pits and gouges in the surface, which have mostly been sanded down but which still remain as ancient battle scars.  Behind the counter are the shelves of liquor and cases of beer.  In the center of the row of taps are two exquisitely carved onyx taps in the shape or roses.  Also behind the counter are a few framed vintage posters of old punk and goth acts like the Sex Pistols, the Clash, Siouxsie Sioux, and Joy Division.  For the most part, one can find the club's owner, manager, and barkeep Harry Morris serving up drinks with the typical cheery, father affect one might expect from the small-town corner bar, not some big-city goth-punk club.

Tables cluster around the bar and the front part of the club, near the stairs and along the sides.  In the center is the dance floor fronting the stage.  Recently the lighting has been replaced with a more updated strobe and laser system.  The stage itself is rather small.  This isn't a big club by any means, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in a rather intimate atmosphere.  

The ceiling of the club sports a mural:  the entire ceiling painted over like a thicket of brambles, dark green in color with a black background, several of the thorns tipped in blood.  The wall across from the bar, to the left of the door, is an "open wall:"  The wall has been left mostly bare for the patrons of the club to place their own artwork, signatures, and the like.  This is their club, and they will become a part of its decor.  The center of the wall is taken up by another mural:  a large intricate Celtic knot, apparently made of more blood-tipped thorns and brambles.  Upon further look at the knotwork mural, one will see that the coils actually form the image of a giant rose bloom.  A small signature beneath it reads "Deirdre McNevan."  Already a few patrons have painted their own signatures on the wall nearby.

The club is open Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights.  It features local DJs spinning goth, industrial, punk, EBM, and the whole slew of related genres and sub-genres.  It also features local bands, and has become known for being one of the leading places for up-and-coming artists to gain an audience.  

--Last edited by Tara532 on 2008-12-21 00:57:35 --