It’s always a toss-up to say what the best part of an evening out is. Pregame and preparation are always fun, but last call is just a crucial part of a night out, especially when you’re going to school in the Midwest and the town closes down at about 2 AM.

You can really get a sense of the type of establishment you’ve been frequenting by learning what it closes with each night. In New York, sometimes a sick sense of accomplishment coincides with every last call you actually make it to. 4 AM is much easier said than done when you’ve been trained to turn in after 2. Sometimes, though, regardless of the time, you’re going to get the same gratification.

What’s sad is that no one actually NEEDS that final drink at last call, but everyone panics all the same, as though they haven’t been drinking all night anyway.

By far, on my undergrad campus, the favorite establishments were moderately-to-very dirtball bars filled with a slightly frat-tastic crowd of kids, and sometimes bartenders in basketball shorts. Some of said frat boys were known to wear sweatpants on the rare occasion. But the best part of these bars was the unquestionable fact that come 2 AM, the lights would flicker on and the speakers would be blasting either Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” or “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, depending on which venue you had chosen for the night. Read More »