White Beirut Opening Review

Despite all odds, White Beirut is open for business and doing a tremendous job at it. Apart from the immaculate build-up to the opening (with this video), White’s choice of date for the official opening was also perfect. It coincided on a night when two big acts were in town, which meant the eager swarms of clubbers who hadn’t secured an invite or reservation but were hoping to get in at the door were too busy to try to crash the party.

Now, onto the description of the club itself. The rectangular, elongated shape we’re all used to from the old White location has fondly remained in the new one, only much larger. On one side is the entrance, above which lies an elevated section that runs along three of the four sides of the club. To the right of the main area is the elevated section where the large, lounge-like tables are located.

On the far side of the entrance, lies a massive steel frame from which rows of speakers and subwoofers descend, and of course the beautiful large LED screen you see above. In front of the screen is the DJ booth, which is also flanked by LED screens. Dotted around the DJ booth are the hottest tables in the club, which are in plain sight of everyone else and taking center-stage position.

The main area of the club is divided by a large bar surrounded by smaller, more casual tables and bar stools. There are two other bars in the club, one near the entrance with no seats, for the drinker who cannot be bothered to wait and squirm through seated clubbers for a cocktail, and another on the upper level for easier access to the clubbers upstairs. It’s important to note that directly adjacent to that bar, is a sizable VJ booth that handles the elaborate visuals that make White’s audiovisual experience complete. It’s nice to see a club emphasizing on the visuals, instead of just relying on automated sequences for the lights and screens!

The music started off loungy, with a strong bass line every now and then. Classics like Robert Miles’ Children and Enjoy the Silence were some of the tracks that put me in a great mood prior to the heavy clubbing experience. At around 1:00 AM, the lights went off for a few moments and the party was jolted to a start with DJ Bob’s main set and the lights system coming alive beautifully: White Beirut was officially open!

The music was diverse, ranging from Bang Bang to Armin’s This Light Between Us to LMFAO’s Party Rock
Anthem, all beautifully remixed beyond recognition. In other words, all the lyrics we love, but like nothing we can hear off our radios. So, a true crowd-pleasing set with hit songs and their non-mainstream remixes making everyone sing and dance along.

At around 2:00 AM, the music shifted from mainly electronic tracks to RnB hits like Pitbull’s Give Me Everything. Dancers graced the bar with their provocative dance moves and choreography as an MC fired up Beirut’s clubbers in the brand new White Beirut.

The staff and management were extremely courteous and kind, with competent bartenders and accommodating hosts and hostesses making sure no one stumbles on their first steps into Beirut’s new superclub.

You also got your photograph taken and printed, on the spot, onto a magnet! How awesome is that? (yes, it’s the little things that get to me =P) It also fits with the video’s theme “This is Beirut”

Again, I’d like to mention that this is just the Opening’s review. Prices and all the details you guys want to know (like the proposed different sections, etc.) will have to wait for my next visit, for last night White Beirut had invited everyone to free drinks and sushi along with the magnificent entertainment.

At the bottom of the page, there is a slideshow widget. There are over 50 photos of last night. You can go forward, backward and pause it! Much faster and easier to view images this way. Hope you like it!

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