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The Bear Brew was packed Friday for the opening of the new dance club, Soma 36. The club, located on the final floor, was the second half of renovations which included the third-floor pool room. Complete with its own bar, table and booth seating, a DJ booth and a modest dance floor, the space has been maximized to be as comfortable and functional as possible.
“I like the layout, it makes sense,” said Zachary Marriner, a fourth year business management major. “They’re definitely going to make their money back on it.”
Soma’s vibe is strikingly different from the rest of the Bear Brew. While Bear Brew is known for its laid back feel, the new club looks and feels like a nightclub, offering quite a different vibe. For those who are accustomed to the old Bear Brew it may take a little time to get used to seeing the entrance to Soma 36 in the middle of the second floor.
The club is manned by three bartenders and several waitresses, as well as a bouncer at the door. Working together, they were able to keep the drinks coming, although traffic at the bar did build up after some time.
One of Soma 36′s strongest aspects is its look. From custom-printed drink menus on every table to the backlit liquor cupboard behind the bar, the designers covered all the bases. The bar itself is dressed up with fluorescent lighting and shattered mirrors inlaid in its surface. Even the trays the waitresses carry have blue neon lights around the edge. Also noticeable were the matching shirts for the male employees and halter-tops for the female employees.
“It was quite different from the rest of the Bear Brew,” said fourth year forest ecosystems science major, Seth Rifkin, “but it was pleasant overall.”
Anyone who has spent time drinking on the second or third floor of the Bear Brew can attest that the lack of bathrooms on the upper floors was a problem, but along with Soma 36 comes two brand new bathrooms.
“It’s a good thing that bathrooms are upstairs so when the seal breaks you don’t have to rush down two flights of stairs,” said UMaine graduate student Ryan Logan.
Drink specials were running Friday night with well drinks for $1.50 and Jager bombs for $3. At one point during Friday evening, owner Matt Haskell announced that while the current song was playing, Bud Light and PBR were free. Needless to say, people flocked to the bar to take advantage of his offer. Lightweight drinkers be warned, as drinks in the club are mixed stronger than those in the rest of the Bear Brew.
One drink that seems like it could become a local favorite is the Fish Bowl, a giant bowl of alcohol, which serves at least three and even has Swedish Fish floating at the bottom. For $12, it makes a perfect drink to share with friends or significant other, as long as they don’t have herpes.
“I loved the Fish Bowl, it tasted really good, but it had a lot of alcohol in it,” said Logan.
While Friday night was crammed for the grand opening, Saturday night left a little to be desired as Soma 36 saw a fairly sparse crowd. It may take a few weeks, possibly even months, for Soma 36 to build credibility and draw a larger contingency. While people may be quick to point out the similarities between Soma 36 and Ushuaia, in reality the two clubs are notably different. Each will attract a different patronage and in a college town with so few drinking spots, both will thrive.
Bangor Daily News