Tony's Week Two: Fraternizing With The Enemy

This week's Do Something Awesome (technically last week, as I am a little late in posting this) was part of what I expect to be an ongoing effort to enjoy what Tennessee has to offer before I leave for New York. This week's broadening of my horizons focused on Knoxville's night life scene. After having experienced a genuine cowboy bar last month (my last Do Something Awesome of 2008), I wanted to see what other places I have missed out on because of fear from straying too far from my comfort bars.

As it turns out I have been missing out on the most unique nightlife spot I have ever been to - Sassy Ann's. Located in an old residential neighborhood of downtown Knoxville, and built out of a three-story Victorian house, Sassy Ann's is a completely alternative bar with 80's night, hipster decor, and the most mixed crowd of age, style, and sexuality I've seen at one bar. There were even two separate bar fights! (for some reason having two people struggle their way onto your table over whether it was appropriate for the bar to be playing Scissor Sisters only added to the awesomeness of the occasion.) The whole club sang in unison on several occassions, no cover, cheap drinks, and every song played was one that I liked or grew to like.

Also, Sassy Ann's, as it turns out, is a popular location for the law school kids. I had apparently shown up on one of their rump court nights (their cute name for drinking together socially). As I had never participated in a rump court, I got to see the law school kids in a different setting, letting me bond stronger with several of my peers more effectively than over two years of classes with them. Also, it never gets old yelling "Objection" across the room at each other. How Awesome.