The Bronze
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The Bronze is a nightclub in Sunnydale. Of 144 episodes of the series, 66 have at least one scene at the Bronze, not including its appearance in the Unaired Buffy pilot."
The shooting location of The Bronze was at the Buffy studio lot in Santa Monica, California.
Food, drink, and entertainment
As the lead characters of Buffy were in high school during the first three seasons, the Bronze was depicted primarily as a coffee bar that hosts live music and serves as a nightclub. By season three, it became clear that the Bronze has a liquor license,[1] although the main characters were still usually seen drinking cappuccinos or hot chocolate.[2]
While the drinking age in California is 21, it is generally ignored in the show other than when it is needed as part of the story. For example:
- In "Doppelgangland" (3.16), Anya asks for beer and the bartender kept insisting she provide proof of age until she gave up and settled for a Coke.
- The fourth-season episode "Something Blue" features Willow (a college freshman) pining after Oz and dancing drunk.
- In "Family", Dawn had to wear a wristband indicating that she was underage, while Buffy (who is only nineteen[3]) and her friends do not. (The birthdates of Willow and Riley are never given in canon, but it can be assumed that Willow who is roughly the same age as Buffy is also underage.)
The Bronze seems to have an unlimited refurbishment and furniture-replacement budget and, throughout all seven seasons of Buffy, serves as the venue for most night-time social settings. It also seems to have self-repairing capabilities (like the school) since major damage is completely repaired by the next episode.
The Bronze also hosted a "Fumigation Party", in which captured and/or killed cockroaches could be exchanged for free drinks.
A major renovation was done after Olaf the Troll destroyed much of it in Triangle.
Behind the scenes
Dingoes Ate My Baby (playing the music of the real-life band Four Star Mary) appears at the Bronze more than any other band. It makes the following appearances there:
| Episode | Songs |
|---|---|
| "Inca Mummy Girl" | "Fate" & "Shadows" |
| "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" | "Pain" |
| "Homecoming" | "She knows" |
| "Band Candy" | "Violent" |
| "Revelations" | "Run" |
| "Doppelgangland" | None, interrupted by Vampire Willow's takeover. |
| "The Harsh Light of Day" | "Dilate" |
| "The Initiative" | "Fate" |
The Bronze also served as a subtle means for the production team to showcase new bands from the Los Angeles area, as well as more well-known artists and bands such as Aimee Mann, Splendid, Cibo Matto, Angie Hart, Michelle Branch and Nerf Herder.
References
- ↑ The Bronze served beer in "Doppelgangland" (3.16).
- ↑ As can be seen from the episode "Beer Bad" (4.05), the program does not encourage drinking. Note that the bar in this episode is not the Bronze itself.
- ↑ Buffy's birthday occurs later that season in "Blood Ties"; her age is not specified, but her previous birthday in "A New Man" was said to be her nineteenth.
