This is the date you've been waiting for, isn't it?

If you're a fan of the Cape Girardeau nightlife scene, or someone who's not a fan because there's nothing that suits your taste, the answer is probably yes. After months of waiting, ladies and gents, Club Moxy is finally set to open tonight.

Of course, there will be all the opening night pageantry -- probably a few free drinks that lead to people getting way, way too drunk -- but there's also music by one of the best-loved bar bands around, The Intention.

Those who have been following the adventures of Club Moxy know this day has been a long time coming -- back in March the owners told our former intrepid business reporter Tim Krakowiak the place would open June 1. Needless to say, owners Will Otto and Josh Penfield ran into some setbacks.

"When you're retrofitting a building built in 1925, you run into things you didn't expect," Penfield told me Thursday when I called him while he was putting the finishing touches on Moxy.

Now those unexpected things are taken care of and Moxy's ready to go.

But let's be sure to dispel some misconceptions about the club, via Penfield.

I used the word "swanky" to describe the place in my conversation with Penfield, but he was quick to point out this isn't some high-brow, black-tie place. While they do expect people to dress up a bit, dressing like you've stepped out of 1925 isn't a requirement to get into Moxy.

Also, much of the Moxy talk has centered on it being a place to dance, something that's largely lacking in Cape Girar­deau. There will be a dance floor, using the second floor of the old Hecht's building for that purpose. On the first floor the set-up is more bar-like (pool, casual drinking, etc).

The key to a vibrant nightlife is a variety of options that cater to the variety of tastes in a community. People get their kicks in different ways: some like to rock out, some like to groove to the blues, some like to dance, dance, dance. Seems like Club Moxy might be a place to accommodate them all.

msanders@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 182