Drink Here

If you ever finish watching a Sox game downtown and suddenly have the dire urge to "drop it like it's hot," The Modern is the place to go to quench your thirst for techno-soaked bump and grind.

Beers cost $5 a pop, although most of the clientele prefer martinis or the club's weekly drink special (this week it's Alizé with vodka and cranberry for $4). There's usually a cover charge between $5 and $10, especially if you arrive later than 11 p.m. Since it's still a relatively new club on Landsdowne, it is only open on weekends and after home games.

The inside of the club is smaller than its neighbors, yet the atmosphere is considerably brighter. It's nice to see a new club on Landsdowne that doesn't have that weird 2001: A Space Odyssey theme going on. The Modern is straightforward swank (if you're into that sort of thing). The barstools are sleek with little colorful lights on the ceiling and there is a comfortable seating section underneath a projection TV. Additionally, the vodka bottles are all lined up and ready behind the bar. The place is frequented by cutting edge yuppies and the like, and various DJ's keep them "jumpin' jumpin'" on the dance floor all night.

Fortunately, The Modern lives up to its name in the sense that it's not always a sweaty club that plays house music. On Saturday nights, for a $15 cover (which is reduced to only $5 before 10 p.m.), you can groove to some upbeat jazz. A Berklee grad, who used to bartend at the jazz club Wally's, has started up "Revive da Live," which plays danceable (and not to mention live) jazz, sometimes coupled with hip hop. So come on down and soak up some funky, jazzy beats, if for no other reason than the name of the band that normally opens - Jazz Fo' Dat Azz. B-

The Modern 36 Landsdowne St Boston, Mass. 617) 351 2581