Tirana: Sao Paulo

Late last week I had a chance to check out the two-week-old Tirana, a club in Sao Paulo’s center district. As soon as I entered, I felt an instant wave of nostalgia hit when I reached the second-story venue. It wasn’t just the music (rock, which varies from classic, ’80s and post depending on the night) but the setup of the place itself: dozens of chairs and tables, a separate dance area and two spacious, adjoining rooms that plainly urge you to sit down and relax. This is the type of bar my friends and I like to hang out at when I’m in L.A. Tito Ficarelli, one of the owners, said the goal was to create a space where people could do just that. It’s a different twist on how a lot of clubs are designed here, in which the dance floor takes up the majority of a space. The club and its logo are designed under a mix of communist and homosexual iconography, which co-owner Zoca Moraes explained were chosen in part because they were two social movements that have really upset conservative capitalism. Moraes is a self-proclaimed communist who took part in political movements in the ’70s against the ruling government at the time, so this approach reflects the message Tirana wants to get across: Everyone is welcome. I’ll be back with fellow wallflower friends in tow. Tirana is located on Avenida Sao Joao, 1413, Centro, Sao Paulo.