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Hero For Christ

BoMA



The Bar of Modern Art

BoMA: The Bar of Modern Art
583 E Broad St
Columbus, OH 43215
(614) 233-3000
After a year of hype, the main question about BoMA, Columbus' new gallery/high-concept bar, is whether it could live up to expectations or not. For this reviewer, at least, the answer is a resounding yes.

BoMA is located in the former First Baptist church, a venerable building at the edge of downtown. For some, particularly those who knew the building as a religious institution, the transformation of church into nightclub may seem sad or blasphemous. From the standpoint of pure aesthetics, however, the match is perfect. Untold sums of money have clearly been poured into remodeling the inside into spacious lounges, galleries and dance floors.

A brief I stumbled on inside the upstairs lounge makes it clear that BoMA's owners wish to present it primarily as a gallery that just happens to sell alcohol and play dance music. Whether or not this portrayal can be believed, the art is clearly of central importance. Several of the rooms are set up as galleries, boasting an impressive range of artists with reputations from local to international.

My favorite of the rooms at BoMA was the sophisticated upper lounge, with its white leather seats, high vaulted golden ceiling and a magnificent stained-glass window retained from the church. I also found the music to be far better here than the tepid techno played elsewhere in the building, with a mix ranging from Beck and the Beatles to world music.

Also worth a visit was the downstairs bar in retro-futuristic Lucite, which featured a sub-woofer so powerful that every bass note puffed out a gust of wind. Also worth a look was the "grafiti room" where the walls themselves were works of art. Unfortunately this comfy hangout featured an unpleasant mildewy odor --a jarring anomoly in the otherwise impeccable surroundings.

The cover was a surprisingly affordable five dollars, which was also the average price of a drink. The high tech cash-registers allowed a person to start a tab which would follow them anywhere in the building. A small army of helpful staff circulated continuously. While they seemed present in almost excessive numbers early in the evening, they were all more-than-busy by the time crowded midnight rolled around.

The crowd was largely young, white and sharply-dressed in shades of black, at least early in the evening. As the night rolled on, the few older couples scattered throughout the building disappeared, and the place became a little more racially diverse as black bourgeoisie and stylish Asians added themselves to the mix. However, I failed completely to see anyone I knew (or anyone who even looked like someone I might know!) a rarity in the small world of Columbus. Clearly these were the semi-mythical young-professionals-with-money that the city is so concerned with keeping.

As my wife and I left, we agreed that the place was a trifle too upscale to become a regular destination for us, given our more "boho" tastes. However, it's definitely tops on my list as the number-one place to take out-of-town vistors I want to impress --a "destination" nightspot to rival (or excel) any I've seen in New York City or elsewhere.

I hope it does well, and if the crowds packing the place as we left are any indication, it will.

Comments below:

Comments from Readers:

Boma is unpredictable. Off an on. Sometimes it has a good crowd and other times barely anyone on a beautiful Friday or Saturday night. I have been there many times. The drinks are very expensive, so you may want to drink before you get there. I bought two drinks on Saturday and paid $26.00!!! A little outrageous since the cover is already $5.00 then $10.00 after 12am and that is if nothing spectacular is going on.
  • A, Columbus
    5/21/07
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