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Boston's Best Bars And Nightclubs With Retro Nights

Everything old is new again, and Boston area bars have plenty of themed retro nights that cater to those club goers seeking to revisit the past with a pair of rose-colored, nostalgic (drinking) glasses. Whether it's the big hair and spandex of the 1980s, '50s doo-wop culture, the psychedelic '60s or the disco-funkified 1970s, there is a veritable of palette of options out there for followers of Boston's ever-evolving nightlife scene. These are Boston's best retro nights.
6b Lounge
(Photo Credit: 6B Lounge)

6B Lounge
6 Beacon St
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 742-0306
www.6blounge.com

This lounge presents plenty of surprises with its '80s- and '90s-themed nights. The latter features DJ TRex spinning '90s dance jams, gangsta rap and pop, while 6B's '80s night prides itself on being a people-watching extravaganza, filled with loud clothes and wild hair. 6B is popular with locals and a recommended stop for tourists and visitors.

See also: Pick-a-Side: Who is Your Favorite Latin Artist?

TT The Bears
(Photo Credit: TT The Bears/Facebook)

Heroes @ TT the Bear's Place
10 Brookline St.
Cambridge, MA 02238
(617) 492-0082

www.ttthebears.com

TT the Bear's has been one of the city's go-to venues when it comes to catching live music on a nightly basis. This long-standing Boston nightclub also provides a popular '80s-themed night, titled Heroes, a night in which DJ Chris Ewen spins an interesting and eclectic mixture of classic goth, electro and new wave. This mash-up of music fits in perfectly with the diverse clientele that frequents Heroes, a mix that includes the city's straight and gay goth/industrial culture contingent. Heroes is a place where '80s Bowie stands shoulder to shoulder with Dave Gahan and Michael Hutchence for a groovy and grand old time.

phoenix landing
(Photo Credit: Phoenix Landing)

Phoenix Landing
512 Massachusetts Ave.
Cambridge, MA 02139
(617) 576-6260

www.phoenixlandingbar.com

During the day, Phoenix Landing exists as an average, everyday Irish pub. Unassuming to the max, it isn't until the pub's '80s-themed nights that Phoenix Landing really lets loose as a place for the cool and crazy. Dive in the best possible way, Phoenix Landing's '80s night is the dive-bar equivalent of the Righteous Brothers singalong scene of "You've Lost that Loving Feeling" from "Top Gun": a brash and bawdy evening in which boys and girls behave very, very badly. DJs and dancing quickly devolve into the hottest, sweatiest kind of mess imaginable, guaranteeing a great time for those who are brave enough to attend.

See also: Boston's Best Quick Lunches

paddyos
(Photo Credit: Paddy O's)

Paddy O's
33 Union St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 263-7771

www.somerspubs.com

Paddy O's is another Irish bar with an '80s-themed night, however this particular night out comes with the promise of some harder-rockin' tunes. Customers who arrive at Paddy O's '80s night seeking to relive the hair metal and punk rock days of their youth will be rewarded by loud guitars, pounding drums and a clientele that fancies its fair share of funky retro apparel and spiked-up, multicolored hair-dos. A blacked out and blind night of '80s metal madness awaits those with the guts to embrace Paddy O's '80s-night madness.

emmets
(Photo Credit: Emmets)

Emmet's Irish Pub and Restaurant
6B Beacon St.
Boston, MA 02108
(617) 742-8565
www.emmetsirishpubandrestaurant.com

Emmet's offers up both '80s- and '90s-themed nights on Friday and Saturday, respectively, with the main focus placed primarily on the music selection rather than fashion or appearance. Average, greasy stick-to-your-ribs pub food is the order of the day at Emmet's, although some fusion flair is also present on such menu items as the Asian chicken salad. This Irish Pub and Restaurant is a basic, bare-bones affair, but one that satisfies a solid night out on the weekends.

George Pacheco has been writing professionally about arts and entertainment for over a decade. A graduate of the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, George currently resides in a humble New England home with his wife, cat and massive music and film collection. His work can be found at Examiner.com.

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