yeah ok, this is a bar. I don't live in Athens, so I have been here only twice, but both times have been very memorable:
Visit #1: I'm a high school senior (don't ask how I got into this place), ready to get drunk as a skunk. The downstairs area is crowded and sweaty. I was obviously an inexperienced partier - the specially made beer pong tables made me go, Whoa, that's cool! I remember downing a bunch of screwdrivers. After that, singing obnoxiously, do a funky dance, and repeat....
Visit #2: It's the summer, so this place is really empty especially considering that it was a Saturday night. This left us enough room to to a drunken sort of quasi-line dance in the basement, while downing Mich Ultras. While upstairs, my girl and I meet this random gay guy we have never met before:
Guy: Omg! I just broke up with my boyfriend. I'm so upset, blahblahblah
Us: Oh, we're so sorry!
Guy: Omg, are you two together? Cause you both look so cute. Can I add you on Facebook? I'm all about bringing the gay community together.
Us: [typed our names into his phone]
Yeah, like Kyle S. says below, this place can get a bit ridic!
I couldn't pass up being the first.
Firehouse isn't everyone's kind of place. But hey--in a lot of ways it's my kind of place. I came to this realization once my buddies and I (like 3 of us) were being remembered oh so long ago by the staff for being the ones ordering like 16 $1 well drinks before 10pm every Thursday. And Friday. And Saturday. All summer. All fall semester.
Don't get me wrong. Firehouse does get ridiculous. Yeah--fun ridiculous a lot of the time, but sketch ridiculous others. Especially around midnight.
But turn it into a learning experience. Daze and be amazed, as people who really shouldnt be as comfortable as they are in public for their apperance, embarass themselves and others. Don't be mad--it's more amusing than anything. Enjoy yourself. It's loud, but you can't beat the specials. Especially when they're pouring well drinks into pint glasses.