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CLUB SCENE : Place to Be for Happy Hour, Happy Feet

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Every night from happy hour to the wee hours, Bobby McGee’s in Burbank plays a wide variety of music--from rock to retro--and has a state-of-the-art lighting system and a huge dance floor to move the crowd.

SCENE: By 9:30 p.m. on a recent Friday, the place was jumping. During popular songs, the dance floor turned into one big moving mass of people. A Laker game drew a small crowd of men around television monitors in the bar area, but thinned as quickly as the Orlando Magic’s winning margin grew. Tables and booths around the dance floor were filled, making seating areas on the patio a haven for the weary. Lights and lasers flickered and flashed on the dance floor to the bumping beats of the club’s recently improved sound system.

CROWD: The men significantly outnumbered the women in this crowd, ranging from age 21 to 40. By 10 p.m., the club easily reached its capacity of 380. There were a large number of men in business suits and women in conservative attire who must have came directly from work for happy hour, which begins at 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Still, they were outnumbered by the jeans, tank dresses, bustiers and dress shirts of the non-happy-hour crowd. According to Rick Luna, 32, of Van Nuys, who has been coming here for more than two years, “No one’s stuck-up here. And I like the fact that there’s a mixture of races--black, Hispanic, Asian, white, everybody.”

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MUSIC: The music takes wide swings from rock, to rap, to funk, to retro. This is welcomed by some, frustrating to others. “There’s a little bit of everything so you won’t get tired of just one type of music,” said Raymond Luna, 30, of North Hills. But Lucy Garcia, 32, of Burbank said, “The club needs more soul, more music with rhythm.”

GOOD: The club’s friendly and efficient staff of bar-tenders, bouncers and waitresses get high marks from the regulars. Shellee Bailey of Arleta, here to celebrate her 26th birthday, said, “I’ve been coming here for over two years because of the friendly atmosphere and the music.”

BAD: “We need more women and less guys,” noted Mike Urias, 29, of North Hills.

WORD: “I’m checking IDs of everyone who looks under 90,” said the club’s bouncer to a group of thirtysomethings who seemed insulted at the idea of being carded.

Bobby McGee’s, 107 S . First St., Burbank. Happy hour is from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday to Friday. Music for dancing runs from happy hour to 2 a.m. Monday to Friday; 8 p.m. to 2 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. Monday Night Football is offered with a free buffet. Information: (818) 841-1935.

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