Simons is the newest, sexiest, most no-bullshit, you-get-what-you-pay-for, high-end nightlife experience in Gainesville. I've been around for 5 years now and have seen it all, and this place has something special. The staff is professional, the sound is incredible, and the lighting is spot-on, the decor is stimulating yet sheik, and everything comes together so perfectly, ensuring patrons have the quality experience they came for. Pricey? Yes. Worth it? Definitely. Five minutes in Simons and you'll forget that you're in Gainesville, FL. read more

Simons is awesome. Love the bartenders, management, the prices, and the vibe :) I can't wait to go back! read more

Legendary nightclub. If these walls could talk....amazing memories. Hats down to Simon

You just had to be there... We were,,, and it pretty much helped to define what/who we are today. Would not be able to describe it to you even if I wanted to. All of our lives during that time pretty much revolved around the club. The day began at 3am and continued well into the next day or two. We were slaves to the groove running wild in the night with no care in the world shunning the inevitable fact that the party had to end sometime. There has never been and never will be a club like Simon's. read more

I remember my first trip to Simons. I was just a mere 16 years old, brought there by a man that was trying to seduce me. It was a tiny whole in the wall, one room bar that just served out of the keg. No mixed drinks even. It was underground, it was elitist (you actually had to have a membership card to get in). It was like an old speakeasy. I was hooked and spent many a nights there after, holed up until sunrise, dancing to the beat of some traveling DJ, messed up on god knows what. I'm not afraid to admit it...I was a draggy, club kid...purple hair, lunchbox purse, pacifier, platforms and all. And Simon's was my mothership. read more

Once were Simons card carrying trance zombies! The old era Simons of 94-97 is legendary in this town and I was lucky enough to be BOOM,smack in the middle of it! Once you had that much sought after Simons card...you were IN,baby!! I can't express in words what an innovative club this was.It housed all the best people in Gainesville under one roof.Everyone groovin to the residents like Chris Harshman and Shumie. Thrice a week we would don our gear,slam some beers and pass through the dark narrow portal (anticipation building,head bumping) to trance heaven.Music like Sasha & Digweed and Gus Gus would assault you from every direction as you made your way to either the TV room to chill,bar to drink free, or upstairs to make out. Could anything be better than partying with Darren Partington from 808State@ Simons? I did,and it was a great time! Haven't been there since '97,I'd be an old fart there now! Prolly still,if Simon is still managing it,breaking new ground that the rest of us won't hear about for another few years. Cheers to all my old friends at SIMONS! Truly great times! *I couldn't agree more with the review below. read more

Simon... this one's for you... when I was a little naive girl roaming the streets of downtown gainesville, a pass by this dark alley and all i could hear was the thumping bass kicking... basslines dropping and before you know it.. i was inside a dark abyss hearing the sounds of sasha and digweed before mainstream knew they existed. Without Simon's the world of electronic music and it's infiltration into mainstream america would never have happened.. i would have never seen keoki drop on the decks and heard ltj bukem at 6am.. Thanks for giving us a place to "feel" the music. Don't ever change You'll forever be in my heart.. I shall love you till the day i die.. say hi to the speaker hoes.... read more

amazing lineups performances bassbreaks the elites of 2turntables blow the scene with bass highs n killer mixes

I WAS THERE . . 93-96, yes . . that was the time . . mere words are not enough to express fully how i feel thinking back to those days . . . there are a couple of key nights that will forever stand out in my memory, where i had a truly ecstatic experience - one of them was with dj pierre, in the main room, and an old friend of mine, sean, spinning chill on the roof - my man chang sorted me out bigtime - THANK YOU, CHANG / SEAN !!! - i danced for 8 hours nonstop . . anyway, the bottom line is - SIMONS WAS, AT ONE TIME, THE GREATEST UNDERGROUND DANCE CLUB IN NORTH AMERICA, PERIOD. read more

Just witnessed a fight between A patron and the security Staff... I don't know all the events that happened prior to me showing up, but the patron's face was covered in blood. After getting past this scene where the drunk patron was still upset with someone, at least 5 of the security from simon came out to deal with the patron. My issue here is not that the security staff were removing this patron, but how. The patron had given up, raised his hands in defeat and asking not to get hurt anymore by the security guards (I missed a lot of this, so don't know what started this) but during this one of the security guys ran up from behind the patron and sucker punched him in the back of the head. No bar should be actively trying to put a patron in the hospital or a coffin. This is unacceptable and disgusting. read more

Let me start by saying that i made a yelp account just so that i could review this place. Never have I EVER received such shitty service as I did at Simons last night. my friends and I came to a show with VIP tickets and were not even allowed in the VIP section. There were probably 10 people at the bar at the peak of the night. the 4 bar tenders could not distract themselves enough from talking amongst themselves to notice the two people at the bar that were trying to order their over-priced drinks...the list goes on and on (bathrooms not working, drinks having hair in them, completely disrespectful door managers...) when i say that i will literally celebrate the day that this place closes down, i am not exaggerating. I hope this review will spare one soul from attending this place because it is by far the worst place to go in (i was about to say Gainesville, but then i stopped to think for a second) the WORLD. ... like the actual literal entire world.. as in if you had to pick between being in an ISIS torture chamber or being at simons...you would probably be better off in the ISIS torture chamber read more

Got a practically a whole bottle of some cheap champagne sprayed all over me and a couple of my friends. A sticky and unwanted experience. Look out coming here! Wear a raincoat!! read more

Ah, Simon's..those were the days. An amazing club to head to if you had any interest in electro music, particularly in the mid-90s when my generation was about everything rave. Simon's was able to bring in the baddest and best of techno, hardcore, ambient, progressive, drum and bass....well I may have been getting my formal education down the road at UF, but I was getting my electronic education right here. If you weren't there for the outside talent he brought in (one of the best Sasha&Digweed sets was had here) you were dancin' like your life depended on it with one of the amazing residents. Somehow Simon knew what was hot before everyone else and somehow he managed to get that to Gainesville. I never did get to meet the man behind the club but if I did I would love to shake his hand and say thank you for some of my most memorable college experiences and for introducing me to new and different music. If you were ever so lucky as to head down the unmarked alley way that led down to one of the best electro-clubs in the country you know exactly what I am talking about... All the music-philes now that wax intellectual on electronic music just makes a smile come to my face...yes kids, been there, done that--thanks to Simon's. read more

"San Francisco in the middle sixties was a very special time and place to be a part of. Maybe it meant something. Maybe not, in the long run . . . but no explanation, no mix of words or music or memories can touch that sense of knowing that you were there and alive in that corner of time and the world. Whatever it meant. . . . " -Hunter S. Thompson I feel the same way about Simons in the 90s. read more

Vip is a joke. The "bottle girls" don't know how to even open a bottle. The girl designated to my party asked a man in my party to open the champagne bottle for him. We got placed in the back of VIP then were told we had to be moved because it was the dancers area. We got moved to a place and someone took our spot later on and had no where to sit. No bouncers or "managers" could help us and then ended up kicking us out for no reason. We gladly left, had no problem leaving and a bouncer though he had the right to punch a member of my party for no reason. This person was bleeding everywhere and was on the pavement outside of the club. This mind as well be vault nightclub. No class whatsoever. I will report this establishment. read more

My self, and three other girls were thrown to the ground after getting caught in the backlash of a fight between a bouncer and a patron in the middle of the packed crowd inside the club. The bouncer threw the guy he was fighting to the ground, and residually me and three other girls with him. I pleaded with the "security" staff to just address the issue and talk to the bouncer who was putting people's safety at risk, but I was yelled at, told to shut up, and mocked :/ Will never forget this experience and will never go back. Bouncers are not held accountable and that is a very scary thing! read more

I am lucky to have been a part of Simons from '93-'95...great music, great people, great memories.... How many different women did Simon bring in every weekend?? Keoki?? Hello!!! read more

Service was horrible. Took 20 mins to get a shot and the bar wasn't even busy. They held the line out side to look busier than they actually were. read more

I was one of the fledglings of Simons! I was dancing my face off every weekend from '91-'94!!! What an epic journey of sights and sounds!! Dj 3, Harshman, Rabbit in the Moon, Keoki, Sasha and Digweed....local or global ..Simon always had the best!!! His venue was very special to me and the loss of it is a loss for the youth who were just a bit too late to experience it!!! I hope he can recreate this institution wherever he lands!! Thanks buddy! !!! Miss you!! read more

This place has cool decorations and is pretty much the only modern club in Gainesville. The staff is stuck up and will be blatantly rude to your face. I guess that's what you get in a college town where it doesn't matter what kind of service you give, people will still buy drinks. I had one person who was working the coat check call me a dumb ass because he shoved me out of the way and I said something to him about it. What kind of employee puts their hands on a customer and then calls them a dumb ass? I asked to speak with a manager and they all laughed at me and said they don't have time for that. So I went to the bar and asked to talk to a manager. A manager actually did come to talk to me and heard me out. I really got the vibe that nothing was going to be done, so I guess I should just know Simons will be a place to expect no customer service. I thought the bar tenders were also treating people unfairly. We were skipped multiple times so some guy could be served (who was clearly providing drinks for underage girls). Is this the clientele they would like to best serve? I enjoy Simons for hosting artists and DJs coming through town, but I would never go there on any other night. Not worth it. read more

the simons / firestone keoki era was amazing and something i will never forget.it was the time of my life, altho it would not be the same now. its was amazing. it was another world and somewhat cult like. i was a simons resident and knew people from orlando/jax and tampa. i love breakbeats.ocala had an elite underground and you knew who you are. florida had one of the biggest rave scenes ever and made you feel like a supastar.my fav rave was usuaya as i walked into the warehouse i was already blowing up and this guy sitting at the door zapped me with a bug messager and said "SIMONS GIRL" awesome. i will say i was know in the scene. i broke up with a boyfriend and started dating an ex dealer and 1/2 a goldenflake is all she took. pills will never be the same. doves/smurf caps. it was like a secret life that i will never forget. i met one of madonna dancers there and it was kool that the stars/ dj's would walk around and you could talk to them like real people. 90's underground music is timeless. they always played ready or knot by the fugees when we always first got in with that big fan. layla/ dana/ krazy kristi we were the shit! i know why people wore sunglasses and i will never forget my beautiful man fabio from portugal...if you are out there facebook me layla read more