August is a time for massive humidity, sweltering heat, one last thrill before school, and Lake Michigan actually not giving you frostbite when you step in it. So I decided to hit an established place and the new kid on the block. Don’t try to follow the logic, you’ll only get a headache. Circle A 932 E. Chambers 562-5927 Ambiance: Rock and roll! Most of the decoration comes in the form of 45s and old show posters, mostly classic punk and some local stuff. The lighting is awesome; colored rope lights coil around pipes and there are really cool wooden chandeliers with tinsel and Chuck Taylors hanging over the bar. Crowd: Youngish and really friendly. I was given quarters so that there could be additional input in the jukebox selections. Thanks, man! On Tap: Beamish, Sprecher, and three flavors of Lakefront. Top Shelf: Knob Creek, Vox, Hennessy, Captain Morgan, Cuervo, Beefeater. Juke Box: Very old school (still uses 45s!), with lots of old school garage rock to match. But look closer and you’ll also see Big Black, Ice T, The Dictators, and others. Also a great bang for the buck; a quarter will get you two songs. Men’s Room: Tons of excellent graffiti. Highlights include “Queer Liberation Bicycle Front,” “Desmond Bone has the Cloak of Invisibility,” and a long piece about a band called Tad Renner. Women’s Room: All you ladies will be glad to know that “It’s so cool! The ceiling is the best shade of green ever! And it’s really really clean.” Additional Comments: Lots of weekly features, such as the “Alive at 8” on Fridays and Sundays, plus DJs, Psychedelic Saturdays, etc. Also, the TVs tuned to static rock. Whiskey Waters 630 E. Locust Ambiance: Very homey, very laid back. Brightly lit and done in dark colors, kind of like being in a big living room. A big living room with a biplane made entirely out of beer cans hanging from the ceiling. Crowd: 20s-30s, and one of the most diverse bar populations I’ve seen in these parts. This evening featured a bar-wide discussion about Shrek and Finding Nemo. On Tap: There can be only one, and it is BUD. Top Shelf: SoCo, Jim Beam, Absolut, Stoli, and what had to be a hundred bottles of Jameson lining the back of the bar and a ceiling beam. Juke Box: A little something for everyone: lots of compilations, plus hair metal, hip hop, country, modern rock, classic rock, pop, and rap metal. And whatever you choose, you will hear it. Men’s Room: What you think of when you hear “men’s room in a bar.” Women’s Room: Lovely Assistant says, “Very undistinguished. Nifty tile on the floor. . .but then they’ve got this awesome light fixture that looks like something out of the ’20s. Cinnamon air freshener!” Additional Comments: Plenty of room to maneuver around the pool table. Excellent. There you have it; the old and the new. Join us next month for something borrowed (money for beer) and something blue (Blue beer. You know, for, uh, Smurf Day. Yeah, Smurf Day).