25 years ago this used to be the infamous Pussycat Theatre back when Downtown was a porno district. In fact, when the club re-opened as F/X in the early 1990s, they still used the original Pussycat Theatre marquee as a stage backdrop, behind the live bands. The club booked local and national talent, as well as hosting themed dance nights.
Nowadays, the place is called The Usual and continues in the same fashion. National acts as well as local talent play here on a regular basis. The schedule changes all the time, but generally on the weekends they have dance nights that are pretty highly attended and bands play on any given night.
It is a fairly large venue with a huge dance floor and a semi-decent sound system. However, there are so many pockets in the place where the sound is really bad, as the acoustics are god-awful. A decent sized place, large enough for touring acts, but if you’re looking for an intimate place to see local talent, forget it.
UPDATE May 2002: Word on the street has it that the name of this club will change yet again, as they are courting new owners, and, of course, are targeting a more upscale crowd.