Downtown Eugene offers various options for live music, bars, craft breweries and shopping. However, the nightlife scene is lacking. The existing bars and clubs are similar in environment and host similar themed nights. It seems like every bar rotates the same events every week — trivia, karaoke and some form of a drink-wheel.
Co-owner and General Manager Ranger Glenzer said he was inspired to open the club to provide Eugene with a party scene that has a big city feel. Glenzer and Co-owner Amit Singh opened City Nights, Eugene’s newest nightclub, in March 2024 to mix up the bar scene.
“We have a lot of sports bars, but no one fully centered on having a nightclub. VIP has never existed the way we’re doing it,” Glenzer said. “We wanted to create a space where people can learn how to party safely.”
City Nights has multiple practices to keep you safe on a night of dancing and partying. Glenzer says the club puts lids on mixed drinks to keep guests safe from druggings, and they buy rideshare transport for people who are too drunk. The VIP service offers bottle service, private tables for rent and private bartenders for the night.
Glenzer and bartender Amy Reeves have plenty of experience working in nightlife in Eugene. They both graduated from University of Oregon and remember Eugene’s nightlife scene in the early 2010s. “It was definitely a little lawless back then,” Reeves said.
Glenzer said the VIP service offers a unique experience for a group celebrating, whether that be for birthdays or visits. The VIP experience comes with sparklers and light-up signs decorated with whatever the group wants.
Glenzer’s and Singh came up with the establishment’s name after visiting an 18+ bar in California called City Nights. Born and raised in Eugene, Glenzer has tried to bring back elements he used to see in nightlife of years past.
“Back in the day, we had a lot of different spots that we could go to and you could just show up and see everyone you know,” Glenzer said. “I’ve worked at most of the bars in this downtown area, so I have a good idea of what we needed. I wanted to bring back some of that community base, where everybody’s getting along.”
Glenzer said the inspiration behind his work to maximize inclusion at City Nights stems from the divide he sees in Eugene’s nightlife. Some bars are known to be popular with different demographics, and Glenzer said he doesn’t like how there are known college bars, hip-hop bars and LGBTQ bars.
“It’s 2025. We should all be hanging out with each other,” Glenzer said. “Fortunately, partying can help do that with the right mindset.”
Ownership focuses on making the club a space for everyone in Eugene, similar to the diverse scene of a big city on a weekend. When the club opened, Glenzer and Singh took precautionary measures, like having sexual assault support services train all employees on domestic violence prevention.
Glenzer and Reeves have both bartended at a variety of places in Eugene, and they said that power-tripping is what can kill a nightclub’s vibe. While ensuring guests are respectful, Glenzer runs the club like he’s hosting a house party.
“Every night I’m thinking to myself, like, ‘I can’t believe I run this,’” Glenzer said.
Instead of picking a typical male promoter, Glenzer hired a female friend who is the club’s “Hype Queen.”
City Nights has held ladies’ nights, random costume-themed nights and hosted DJs that you may have seen at the bars near campus.
The club is aiming to reach more of the student population, hoping to become an even bigger Eugene melting pot.
