Burning Love

[February 20th, 2008]

On the east end of the Ross Island Bridge, there’s a half-gravel lot and a new set of pulsing bulbs tracing the silhouette of the Lucky Devil Lounge (633 SE Powell Blvd., 206-7350). Inside, the Lounge—which has been both another gentleman’s club and a gay bar in recent years—is decked out in the exotica-rock style of the managements’ downtown clubs, Dante’s and the recently renovated Tiger Bar: dark-red wallpaper complements black furnishings and plenty of fire. Neighborhood girls with tattoos and lip piercings sway casually to tunes by Joy Division and David Bowie, only occasionally utilizing the club’s three poles and ceiling-mounted monkey bars (though one dancer in particular pulls acrobatics straight out of the Mission: Impossible movies). Tables fit for double dates checker the floor a safe distance from the girlie show unfolding in the club’s mirrored northwest corner (you still gotta tip), and for those who’d rather feast on a burger than eye candy, a set of stiff new black leather couches face off against an artificial flame-in-a-tube. There’s yet another campy fire on the scenic smokers’ deck, which, if you stand on your tippy-toes, overlooks industrial Southeast and the downtown skyline. That’s right, despite all those flames, this Devil is nonsmoking.