If there is one thing I love, it is electronic music. Having been a consultant and traveling all over the country and abroad I've been to a lot of clubs. Bleu may not be the greatest club in the world, but it is still one of my favorites. I've been many times over the past years, and I can say that just about every time has been a blast. If you're into the "club scene" then this place is a really solid choice, no question. But if you're really into the music, then Bleu goes up a few notches from there.
First, the bad. It is slightly pricey, but that should be expected if you're going out to a place like this. I've definitely been to places that aren't as good and cost more though, so I don't count this as a particularly strong negative. Sometimes the lines can be a little ridiculous too. But to be honest, usually the warm-up DJs are pretty solid, so come early and take advantage of some $3 wells while you still have room to sit back on a couch and relax. No problem with the line then.
Now the good. Bleu consistently pulls in big names, both up-and-coming artists from around Detroit as well as big national and global acts like Gabriel & Dresden, Way Out West, Armin Van Buuren, and Detroit's own Kenneth Thomas and Kaskade.
The sound system is also amazingly good. Being someone who deals with audio a lot I can tell that some serious thought and money went into the acoustic design of Bleu's sound system, and the club is definitely way better because of it. Part of this is because of the layout of the club itself, which used to be an old theater. The lighting system is also quite nice as well. Not one of the best I've seen, but it can do some pretty cool things.
Plenty of access to drinks as well, and compared to some clubs the service is really good as well. For example, one time I was standing back along the wall soaking it all in and my friend accidentally knocked my beer off the railing where it was sitting. Not really the greatest place to set my beer, so I figured I'd be out a few bucks to go get a new one. One of the waitresses happened to see this and had me follow her up to the bar where she got me a fresh beer, free of charge. Not bad, huh?
Another little known fact about this place is that below the club in the basement of this old building is a lounge called UnderBleu. A lot of people that come here don't even know it exists, let alone how to get to it. Just look for the stairs down on the left side of the club as you enter. There's no sign or anything really. As such, it's pretty relaxed down there, with a separate bar and DJ who usually mixes something a little less high-energy than what's happening upstairs.
Overall Bleu is one of my favorite clubs around. Sure it's not perfect, but weigh the good against the bad and you'll find that this is a fantastic choice for any night out. read more