So what do you do when your band just finished a concert at Centennial Olympic Park and you’re looking to wind down after the gig? If you’re Mumford & Sons you head to the renowned Clermont Lounge strip club for some karaoke and apparent rabble rousing! Georgia musician JuBee (aka Uncle Pizza and front man of JuBee and The Morning After) was also at the Clermont, and he announced the news that M&S were in attendance on Facebook by writing, “Mumford and Sons is at the Clermont Lounge with us. Lulz”
But, as is almost always the case whenever you’re at the Clermont, things got really interesting really quick. JuBee tells us “The fiddle player got into a verbal confrontation with the night’s host after he was interrupted mid-karaoke performance. He then got into a fist fight with security and was put on the ground. After that the whole band got promptly removed,” JuBee says, then adds, “I was standing right next to everything.”
UPDATE – We spoke with a representative from the Clermont Lounge who said, “To our knowledge, there was no fight. One of their guys swung wildly but our guys kept their cool and removed them all without further altercation.”
UPDATE (9/12) – TMZ obtained some cell phone video footage of the aftermath outside the club and reveal that the reason the host interrupted Ben Lovett during his performance was because his bandmates were taking photos — a big no-no in any strip club, even the Clermont. Here’s the clip:
Now, before you get the wrong impression, this isn’t your usual “alternative rock band gets bounced from a strip club after a scuffle with security” story because the Clermont Lounge isn’t exactly your “usual” strip club. The Clermont boasts being the oldest strip club in Atlanta and they take great pride in their complete unconcern for “upscale” accommodations or fake looking dancers. (You might have seen footage from the Clermont on Comedy Central’s Insomniac with Dave Attell or even The Real Housewives of Atlanta among many others.)
In other words, The Clermont Lounge is damn hip, and there probably isn’t a cooler thing to add to your Atlanta resume than getting tossed from the Clermont after a karaoke-fueled altercation. That’s what’s known in the ATL as “doing the Clermont the right way.”
The status quo sentiment seemed to be echoed by the Clermont Lounge, who posted on their Facebook wall this morning, “A special thanks to Mumford & Sons for stopping by the Clermont Lounge last night! We all had a blast!”
As you might have guessed, police were not involved in the altercation, and tonight’s Mumford & Sons concert at the Charter Amphitheatre in South Carolina should go on as scheduled.
On a side note, if you’re ever in Atlanta and like PBR, dancers with maybe a couple of scars, and celebrity pop-ins, then make sure to add the Clermont Lounge to your list of “must dos.” And don’t worry, it’s gal-friendly, class friendly, sexual orientation-friendly… friendly to just about anyone looking to have a few drinks and have a good time. The Clermont Lounge is located in the basement of the Clermont Motor Hotel on Ponce De Leon. Here’s a bit about the landmark attraction from ClermontLounge.net:
The world famous Clermont Lounge® is the Greatest Show on Earth! A can’t miss Atlanta attraction, the Clermont is Atlanta’s oldest strip club and consistently ranked as one of the coolest dive bars in the world!
The Clermont Lounge is a place where you can get cheap drinks and truly be yourself, whatever that may be. We are a strip club that sprinkles in karaoke, live music and a DJ spinning 70’s funk on various nights (see shows and weekly events).
Most come to see what the buzz is about, but keep coming because it turned out to be the best time of their life.
Here’s a video clip of Anthony Bourdain and Alton Brown talking with long-time dancer Blondie from Travel Channel’s Layover:
Also, if the name JuBee and the Morning After sounds familiar, it may be because you caught them on Jimmy Kimmel a little while back:
Yeah, JuBee just happened to be hanging out at the Clermont Lounge at the same time as Mumford and Sons. Did I mention it’s a hip place?
