
Scottsdale punk-rock dive bar has own sense of style, eclectic crowd By KELLY WILSON
Get Out
It's Saturday night, and a friend and I just set foot inside the Rogue — a South Scottsdale punk-rock dive bar — and already some strange guy is rubbing up against us.
Before we even have a chance to order a drink, the guy and his friends surround us.
“You girls have hot bodies,’’ the clearly intoxicated one mumbles while looking us up and down.
A compliment? We think not. Especially since he looks like he could fall over at any moment.
We make our way to the bar and order drinks from a male bartender who is wearing a red T-shirt with the words ‘‘(Expletive) Off.’’ A young man nearby comments that we must be sophisticated drinkers, noting that we're holding a Bud Light and Fat Tire. (Almost everyone else in the bar is drinking Pabst Blue Ribbon.)
A band stands in the corner of the small bar trying to sell their merchandise, which is strewn across one of the three pool tables, while another group loads its gear on stage. ‘‘The Addams Family’’ movie is playing on a TV, which provides some entertainment until the band starts.
Aside from a few obnoxious guys — who don't seem to get we're not interested in them — we dig the Rogue. The bar attracts an eclectic crowd, made up of pierced and/or tattooed people in their 20s and 30s. Sean Hillard, 35, of Tempe, says the Rogue appeals to people because it's out of the ordinary.
“It's a vintage punk-rock joint,’’ he says. “There's really nothing like this.’’
Unlike most Scottsdale bars, you won't find big attitudes or a dress code at the Rogue. The people seem to have their own sense of style: Guys are attired in Dickies, suspenders, funky jackets (one guy rocks an old-school plaid coat) and studded belts.
There is an abundance of spiky hair, as well as sideburns and colored hair (yellow and purple).
The girls wear gingham dresses and capri pants. We see a lot of two-toned highlights and pencil-thin eyebrows among the ladies. As the Curse of the Pink Hearse — a Valley "psychobilly" band — begin to perform, the drunk guy from earlier in the evening approaches us again.
“Hey, do you want to go dance by the stage?’’ he asks.
As tempting as it is, we politely decline and contemplate a getaway. We plan to return to the Rogue in the future, but we're crossing our fingers we can make it through the night without getting rubbed against.
The Rogue Bar
Where: 423 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale
When: 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. Sunday and 6 a.m. to 1 a.m. Monday through Saturday
How much: Free to $10 (depending on event)
Drink specials: PBR 50-cent cans Monday; $1 cans all other days
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