Tilt Nightclub & Ultralounge, recently voted Best Nightclub and Best Gay Bar in City Newspaper's Best of Rochester 2009 Readers Poll, has glitz, style, and a beat all its own. You can get a better sense of that this weekend, when Tilt throws itself a birthday bash on Saturday, November 21, starting at 10 p.m. Along with music by DJ Jon Herbert you can check out drag performances by Pandora Boxx and DeeDee Dubois, and the club will unveil its new lighting installation (reportedly the biggest in the city.)

Two of the stars responsible for some of Tilt's shimmer are bartenders Louis Russo and Anthony Finelli. You can catch them serving up drinks with a bit of a snappy attitude on Thursday and Saturday nights at Tilt. I sat down with the pair recently to find out what life is like behind the bar at one of the hottest spots in town. The following is an edited transcript of the conversation.

CITY: How long have you been bartending?

Louis Russo: In general, eight years. At Tilt, four years.

Anthony Finelli: I've been bartending for five years, and two years at Tilt.

How long have you known each other?

Louis & Anthony: About nine years.

Where did you work before Tilt?

Louis: Oh! T.G.I. Friday's in Victor. I forgot. I try to block it out.

Anthony: I worked at Mex on Alexander Street. Other odd jobs as well.

How did you end up at Tilt?

Louis: I applied.

Anthony: It's called an "application process."

Louis: The first question on the application was, "Your name?" which I got right. No; we actually knew the folks who were opening it and went through open interviews, just like everyone else.

Anthony: I got mine through wonderful Louis here, who put in a good word for me.

Louis: That's my sister [referring to Anthony].

What's your best drink you make?

Louis: My signature shot is called "Starburst."

What's in it?

Louis: It's a secret!

Anthony: Long Island iced tea. I make a mean Long Island.

Where do you like to hang out?

Louis: We don't mind going to Lux at all.

Anthony: Lola's. We love our bartender there, and Mulconry's in Fairport.

What do you like to drink?

Louis: Shots of Jameson, Jack, or Patron are our favorites. Then we have our little specialty drinks in-between.

Anthony: But it depends on the atmosphere. If we're in a nice restaurant, probably a martini.

So you're not drinking beer?

Louis: On the porch in the summertime, yes.

Anthony: Not while we're out for the evening.

What's the strangest thing you've ever seen happen at Tilt?

Louis: I would have to say naked body painting with latex on the stage.

This was part of a show?

Louis: Yes.

Anthony: How could you forget about the two people in the lounge? The one girl was giving that man "pleasure" in the corner. [NOTE: The language was changed a bit, but you readers get the drift.]

Louis: I didn't know it was happening until someone told me. And I was in the room.

What's the best part of being a bartender?

Louis: Having the ability to help throw a party and make money from it.

You mean private parties?

Anthony: No, our regular nights at Tilt.

What's the most popular drink at Tilt?

Louis & Anthony: Sex on the Beach.

What would you consider a good tip?

Louis: A good tip is $2 a drink.

Anthony: It's outrageous sometimes. One girl left me a $30 tip and her bill was $30!

What's the worst part of the job?

Anthony: The belligerent, messy drunk fools. Especially the girls, they want to throw themselves on the bar at you. Drunk trannies are a mess too. Padding ends up here and there, or their eyelashes end up on their cheeks. Sloppy.

Is any place else you work now?

Louis & Anthony: Starbucks.

Any other jobs?

Louis: We also do hair.

Anthony: Out of the trunk space of our cars, for now. We've been dubbed "We're Hair There," or "Gals on the Go."

So we'll call you "freelance hair stylists"?

Louis & Anthony: There we go. YES!

What's your dream job?

Louis & Anthony: Salon and/or nightclub owners.

Really?

Anthony: We're like two peas in a pod over here. This is why we're sisters.

Just can't live together?

Louis & Anthony: No.

When you're not working what do you like to do?

Louis & Anthony: We love to travel and we love to fish.

Seriously? Fishing?

Louis: And I love to watch mixed martial arts fighting.

Really?

Anthony: I know. It makes me anxious.

Tilt Nightclub and Ultralounge located at 444 Central Avenue and is open Thursday-Saturday 10 p.m.-2:30 a.m. For more information call 232-8440 or visit tiltrochester.com.