6 MONTEREY COUNTY WEEKLY SEPTEMBER 12-18, 2024 www.montereycountynow.com 831 The largest city in Monterey County may be a humble agricultural community by day, but by night, people dress up and come out to play, especially on Saturdays. This playground is rooted in its history, both recorded and oral. A line has already formed at 201 Main—a two-story nightclub located at 201 Main St.—by 10pm. Security is tight with guards wearing bulletproof vests who pat down entrants before allowing them to enter. They are firm but polite, and reiterate that they’re there to make the club safe. Visitors entering the club say $25 to enter is a fair cover charge. “Saturday is the premiere night,” says Noel Saucedo, co-owner of 201 Main, which boasts several rooms with dancing and clubbing options, plus a courtyard for lounging. The bar down below offers a calmer atmosphere, but above are two rooms, one playing hip-hop and reggaeton music, while the other has a live band playing banda with dancers joining in the revelry. “We try to give [visitors] a ‘junior Vegas,’” Saucedo says. “We’re 45 minutes away from San Jose so we try to be part of ‘the list’ of where to go.” 201 Main portrays itself as the premiere club in Salinas and has the clientele to show for it. It also pays homage to late actor James Dean, who died in a car crash on his way to Salinas on Highway 46—the club licensed his name for its downstairs bar two years ago. “We like to say that he finally made it to Salinas,” Saucedo adds. By 11pm the line to get into 201 Main is stretched beyond the end of the block, with music that can be heard from the sidewalk across Main Street. Luckily, for those who don’t want to wait, this isn’t downtown’s only option for nightlife. Nearby at 131 Main St., Mamichelas Sushi Grill Seafood is packed. Attendees are enjoying dinner and a live band, with musicians singing in Spanish and roaming throughout the restaurant. “This is the best place to have dinner and hear music,” says Edgar León, who is wearing rodeo-like attire for the night out; his friend is similarly clad. The festive atmosphere erupts like a volcano when someone jumps out in a lucha-libre mask to share a libation with anyone willing to tilt their head back and accept a shot, poured straight into their mouth. The music speeds up and everyone else joins in with cheers, laughter and boisterous shouting. The scene outside the restaurant does indeed resemble a scaled-down Las Vegas strip. People are walking the streets looking for the next place to party, and they are dressed in ties, cowboy hats and black dresses. Nearly every bar has a line. Security guards remain present at each venue and police are driving up and down Main Street, scanning vigilantly. For someone looking for a quieter nightcap, this is not the place to be. But just around the corner on Alisal Street, The King’s Den boasts a moderately lively atmosphere. An older crowd sips simpler cocktails and beers. “This is the oldest bar in Salinas,” says Shelley Ness, who is sitting with her friend Brian Courrejou at a table along a wall decorated with nude paintings. “It’s probably the most chill bar in Oldtown now,” Courrejou adds. Courrejou and Ness recall coming to downtown Salinas in their 20s—they’ve lived in the city their entire lives. Now middle-aged, they admit that they don’t make it out very often, having walked into the humble dive bar after a concert at the Fox Theatre. But they recall a time when they say just three bars existed in Salinas, signifying a growth in options for younger people today. The King’s Den, however, is still a mainstay for an older crowd, which is why they keep coming back. “It’s the regulars,” Ness says. Downtown Salinas has added more nightlife over the past couple of years. Newer venues such as microbrewery Brew-N-Krew and Heirloom Pizza’s second location, Live@Heirloom Pizza, have popped up on Main Street, offering more hip and family-style events like live music, trivia and karaoke. Altura Lounge offers upscale cocktails earlier in the evening. Establishments such as these represent a city that is growing up, but that is holding onto its fun side, cultivating a downtown identity. Noches Calientes Salinas’ nightlife scene invites people to have fun while also celebrating the city’s historic downtown. By Sloan Campi Revelers hit the dance floor at 201 Main in Salinas on a Saturday night. The nightlife options in downtown Salinas have grown in the past year. “We try to give [visitors] a ‘junior Vegas.’” TALES FROM THE AREA CODE DANIEL DREIFUSS
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjAzNjQ1NQ==