A new downtown bar with two very different vibes is expected to open early next month. Splash Bar will be part beach party, part Vegas nightclub when the doors open as soon as the first week of December. Once a week, the bar will even offer live country music and line dancing. Ai "Al" Pham, who co-owns Azukar, and partners are opening the new bar to replace Avalon at the corner of 15th and H streets. Originally a veterans hall, the address has become a troubled spot that spelled the end for two nightclubs. The main room – a 5,000-square-foot dance hall – will be a slick and sophisticated white room featuring live music twice a week. A smaller side room and patio will use tiki huts and s

Nightclub safety will be discussed at upcoming workshops offered by local business organizations. The Downtown Sacramento Partnership, Midtown Business Association and Old Sacramento Business Association are hosting two sessions this month.They are part of a series aimed at educating bar and restaurant owners and staff about their responsibilities, as well as state laws and city regulations. The free workshops are open to businesses, DJs and club promoters in Old Sacramento, downtown and Midtown. Rapper B-Smoove and other experts in Sacramento's hip hop scene recently agreed to lead a panel on managing hip hop nights so that they stay free from the violence that shut down clubs like Ele

It's hard to describe the sensory overload: Cologne, body odor, marijuana. Flashing lights, minor skirmishes barely contained by dozens of bouncers. Not unsafe, but too much "swagger" and body heat. Why would Grammy-nominated rapper Fabolous want to perform at a nightclub instead of a larger venue for his first visit to Sacramento? Why would hundreds hang out in a less-than-savory atmosphere until after midnight to welcome Fabolous? It's hard to recall why much of Thursday night, or early Friday was unique, but it's clear that when Brooklyn rapper Fabolous talks, it makes you want to party. "F-a-b-o-l-o-u-s," as he refers to himself, rocked a mostly-drunk dance party at Azukar, performin