By definition, a “voyeur” is someone who views others without their knowledge, often to derive sexual pleasure. And then there’s Voyeur, a new Gaslamp Quarter nightclub that lives up to its name.
There’s so much to see in this two-floored, goth-like space (which used to be Ole Madrid). There’s been a lot of buzz about the dance floor. Pull open the garage-like doors and take a peek at the DJ booth, a stage for go-go-dancers and a humongous LED wall that blinks wildly and can display messages.
During my recent visit, the wall was blinking the words “Guru” and “Tattoo”—which happened to be the name of the company showing off framed, six-foot-tall paintings of Asian-themed, tattooed body suits by Aaron Della Vedova and other artists.
The paintings were a temporary display. But the gold skulls that line the wall on the first floor are permanent. So are the video feeds behind the bar shooting from hidden cameras throughout the place; the lamps in the AK-47 Room that are shaped like machine guns; and the all-black Rubber Room—a bottle service area that overlooks the dance floor and is upholstered floor-to-ceiling like some sort of evil sanitarium.
But back to the essence of the club’s name. The ceiling above the ground-floor bar has panels of see-through glass. Ladies who wear skirts—you are forewarned. Guys and voyeurs—heads up.
Ron Donoho is a regular contributor to NBCSandiego.com, editorial director of “Pacific SD” magazine and a contributing editor to sandiego.com. His Web site (sandiegoDTOWN.com) is dedicated to news, sports, culture, happy hours and all things downtown.
