Britney Spears thought she was edgy in that goth-dominatrix-cab driver get-up at the MTV Video Music Awards, but toss her into a room with the kids at Nocturne and she might snap her spike heels from her knees knocking so hard. Don't let appearances fool you, Brit. Underneath the lace-up vinyl corset-tops, hearts of gold beat. The staff of Shampoo describe Nocturne's Wednesday night crowd as well-mannered, without the rudeness or brawls customary to the mainstream clientele. Ask Patrick Rodgers, organizer of Nocturne: "If you want to start fights, harass girls or sell drugs, don't bother to come. It's all about a laid-back attitude."
The main dance floor is an even bigger shock than Patrick's inch-long vampire fangs, because, amidst the fog and flashing lights, everyone is keeping their crotches to themselves. Sound boring? Try standing still while the sounds of goth, synthpop and industrial/metal crossover send everyone around you into epileptic fits. "It's a unique feeling; there's no wrong way to dance here," describes Penn student Delia Gable, a regular at Nocturne. If this room is too hard for you, just adjacent is a separate dance floor playing the sweeter sounding hits of the '80s to a slightly less scary looking crowd.
Once you've finished dancing with muscles you didn't even know you had, make your way to the bars on the lower floor. The Red Death and the Vampire are the mixed drinks of choice. "[The Red Death] is soco, amaretto, gin, vodka, triplesec, sour and cranberry. It's the gothic long island iced tea," one bartender explained. If that's not your style, Nocturne has some very talented bartenders. They can whip up a pussy Cosmopolitan -- if that's what you really want.
Then lounge in the bar's red crushed velvet sitting area, dimly illuminated by chandeliers. Red drapery covers the walls, giving you the feeling that behind them is a vampiric orgy. (But don't bother looking; it's just a concrete wall with ABC gum all over it.) The bar is the perfect place to really take in the people. You're surrounded by werewolf masks, cat suits, fishnet stockings, black wings, lace-up boots and a lot of black make-up. If you can imagine it, it's here. Come with an open mind, and those black leather chaps you bought... uh... as a joke, and you might have a freakier, sexier time than anything you've experienced at Zeta Psi.
