During a recent night out at
Diablo’s and the Downtown Lounge, two choices presented themselves the choice to lounge and the choice to dance. Upstairs in the Downtown Lounge, patrons sat on red vinyl couches as the night’s band set up to perform on stage. At the bottom of a few flights of stairs lit by red string lights, music blasted into every corner of the black and white checkered dance floor of Diablo’s nightclub. Lights flashed from the dance area to the red flame-painted walls and clubbers filtered from the floor to the pool table, small stage and seating area.
Owner Troy Slavkovsky opened Diablo’s in 1999 and later developed the Downtown Lounge after taking over the lease of the building’s upstairs area. He said his inspiration for Diablo’s drew from his experiences at nightclubs in some of the bigger cities on the West Coast; he also considered the fact that Eugene lacked theme bars and lounges before he launched Diablo’s and the Downtown Lounge.
“I wanted to give people the opportunity to dress up and get into the other side of their closets,” Slavkovsky said. “Most people go out in T-shirts and jeans.”
A rotating weekly music schedule takes place at the venues. On Monday, Slavkovsky and bartender Jose Morales serve as DJs. Tuesday showcases jazz tunes, Wednesday features hip-hop, and on Thursday, ladies night, audience members can try out their own DJ skills. On weekend nights, expect live bands, hip-hop and house music.
The Downtown Lounge transforms from a laid-back eating and studying place by day to a retro-style entertainment venue by night. Morales said the lounge attracts students looking for a homework spot and children dining with their parents. The full menu contains what Slavkovsky calls “a mix of Americana and comfort food,” and all dishes are available until closing time at 2:30 a.m.
Morales described a few popular specialty cocktails offered at the venues while keeping their recipes a secret. He mentioned the sweet and sour Pimp Juice, Lucifer’s Lemonade and Fresh and Clean, which he said tastes just like it sounds.
Both Slavkovsky and Morales said a low crime rate has given Diablo’s and the Downtown Lounge dignity; they also profiled their customers as a mature crowd.
“The people here are going out to go out, and for entertainment,” Slavkovsky said. “They’re not going out to get drunk.”
Anthropology student Daniel Kline said the venues provide an amicable atmosphere and good choices for music.
“There are good options if you want to go downstairs and listen to pop music or listen to a live band upstairs,” he said. “The bartenders are really friendly, and it’s a good place to take a girl on a date you can take a girl to play pool.
Compared to more mainstream bars like Rennie’s Landing and
Taylor’s Bar & Grill, the venues seem to cater to an alternative crowd. On this particular night, I found a range of clientele from
college students to punk, pierced aging men. While the combination of colors, lighting and decorations is creative, the smell of cigarettes was hard to ignore.
Coming on Nov. 28 is Diablo’s Fetish Nite, an interactive showcase of body modification and spanking.
“It’s discreet and clean,” Morales said of the Fetish Nite. “People can come and experiment a little bit.”

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