At the Copa

According to its owners -- and as seems to be the consensus around town -- Copa Palm Springs is a venue like no other in the Coachella Valley area.

"It's several places in one," says Owner Rob Kuenzi, "It's a sexy lounge, an intimate bar and an exciting high-energy dance club." Copa also offers live-music entertainment, cabaret shows and comedians throughout the week. "We wanted to create something new and fulfill a need that didn't exist in the desert," Kuenzi told The Rage Monthly.

Along with partners, Ranz Wienert and Tony Delimbo, Kuenzi has created an experience that starts when you first see Copa's neon sign "standing out against the mountains and the cobalt sky." He continues, "As you enter through the front door you're drawn in by the soft dim lighting, glass block walls and the tufted leather columns.

"After walking down the polished black floor entry, it quickly opens up into something very special with its huge U-shaped bar, multiple seating areas, including a huge leather sofa, high-top tables and private high-backed booths for bottle service."

In fact, says Kuenzi, Copa feels like a '70s Miami Cuban underground nightclub, with its crimson walls and ceiling, accents of gold and back-lit black, leather panels.

But how will Copa stand out with so much lounge competition two hours west in Los Angeles - the purported capital of the lounge revival? Kuenzi is resolute. "It seems in recent years there's a certain brand of lounges that look very similar," he said. "We wanted to break away from that trend and offer something you wouldn't normally experience at a typical L.A. lounge."

Kuenzi says the name choice of "Copa" was inspired by the infamous Las Vegas hip and swanky lounge in the Historic Sands Hotel where the Rat Pack hung out and played in their down time. "We have a variety of headliners from comedians and vocal artists to musical groups which... bring a broad range of personalities through the door on a given night," Kuenzi says.

To wit, Emmy Award-winning actor-comedian Leslie Jordan just finished three sold-out shows at Copa. "Besides stand up comedians we are offering everything from jazz to contemporary music and variety acts," Kuenzi says.

But make no mistake, Copa is also an all-out disco and full-on dance club. "We wanted something that didn't exist in Palm Springs," Kuenzi explains. "We took care of that by investing in state-of-the-art sound, lighting and the overall dance experience. Our house DJ is Aaron C who is very progressive and we also bring in other DJs for flavor depending on the night."

These days, however, you've got to have a lot more than great sound and lights to make a club work. That's a fact not lost on Kuenzi and company. "Besides the bars unique physical presence, we offer an extensive high-end sustainable wine list, several micro brews on draft and in the bottle and our signature cocktail menu, where we incorporate as many organic herbs, peppers, citrus and tropical fruits," he said. "From our Pomegranate Goji Berry Martini and Strawberry Chi Chi Colada to our Ginger Cucumber Gin Collins, our drinks are unique."

Says Kuenzi, Copa's Serrano Pineapple Margarita is a popular crowd-pleaser. "It's made with Cazadores Blanco Tequila muddled with limes, lemons, oranges, Serrano peppers and fresh pineapple," he said. "We also offer 49 different agave tequilas by the shot or incorporated into any tequila cocktail."

Kuenzi points out that, for hungry nightlifers, "just steps away from Copa is our fabulous flagship restaurant The Tropicale, offering world cuisine with a tropical twist."

Then there are all the special events at Copa. Upcoming acts include, Well Strung, Levi Kreis and Spencer Day.

To find out what the upcoming performances are all about, or to learn more about other events at the venue go to coparoomps.com