Teens Like to Have Fun

[Ash_Fox]

The other day, a friend and I were talking about what there was to do here in the Oklahoma City area. We didn't really think of much. What we really like to do is dance, listen to music and have fun. We couldn't really think of a place that incorporated all of this.

We then thought of an idea. Someone needs to get a warehouse or something and make it a place where people of all ages can go. Somewhere non alcoholic that had concerts going on during the week and on Friday and Saturday nights was a place for people to dance and have fun. You'd obviously have to charge admission and what have you to pay for it, but that's the idea we came up with.

My question to you is is this a good idea? Does this seem like a reasonable thing or something that can be played with or whatever?

[Karried]

I think it's a reasonable idea.. the only problem is that 0an owner can't make the money they need to make without food or alcohol sales.

I remember quite a few 18 under clubs and they were fun, but very short lived. The admittance fee can't pay the rent usually.

[Midtowner]

1) Insurance -- it'd cost a lot. Teens are dumbasses and inevitably, there'd be fights or shootings at such a venue, and ultimately, the host would be held liable.

2) Profit -- establishments which serve alcohol make a ridiculous amount of money per patron. Take that away and you're really not doing a lot.

[krisb]

Just go to a Wednesday night service at one of many OKC megachurches.

[Architect2010]

This is what me and all my friends do at Southeast do. We all pick a weekend and we gather about thirty or so of our friends. Theres a gay club on N.W. 36th and Penn called Wreck Room and we all head over there and overrun the club with just dancing teens not looking for gay men. Its really the only option we have, besides Pachanga...but unless you'd like to dance to Fiesta music, then all you have is The Wreck Room. A lot of straight teenagers go there together to just club and it works well. We always have a blast.

Don't let the "gay" part run you away. If you're uncomfortable with that, then bring a whole lotta friends like we do. But we could really care less. Theres are so many lesbians and gays at Southeast its unreal. But I love it. Ha

[John]

Isn't the Conservatory still all ages?

[kevinpate]

There used to be a place in bricktown, but it closed a few years back (green door perhaps)
Then there was the one in north okc, don't recall the name, something like Club 141 or similar. Turned out it was just a large rented storeroom belonging to one of the bands, whole new spin on garage band I suppose.

[bishop186]

The Wreck Room isn't an exclusively gay club. They do have drag shows but it's in the gay district and does cater to a gay clientele a bit because of it. A night at the Wreck Room can be a pretty good time regardless of whether you're straight or gay.

The Conservatory is all ages but it's not really a dance club as much as a music club - they do have live bands almost every night but you're not going to see much dancing there. The Green Door was just like The Conservatory only I liked it better.

[metro]

Isn't the Conservatory still all ages?

Yes, I believe the Conservatory would cater to the crowd this person is looking for.

[Ash_Fox]

I've been to the Conservatory and, while it is a good venue, the layout limits the space people have in reference to the stage. There's straight back for a bit and then room to the side of the stage in front of where the alcohol is sold and a support beam gets in the way of some of those to the side. Again, good venue, just not all that happy with the layout.

I have been giving a lot of thought to the alcohol sales and what that would brings towards profits. Also, yes, teens can be dumbasses, I am surrounded by teens everyday, but you run the risk of fights at venues anyway. As for shootings, there are measures places can take to prevent that.

[kmf563]

Have you been to the conservatory since it was remodeled? There is a lot more room in front of the stage now.
There is also Convergence, Bricktown Live, the Opolis in Norman, The Factory, and the Warehouse in Edmond. Between all of those places, there is always somebody with a good live band to dance to. If you are wanting dj style dance music, I too would go to the wreckroom.

[jbrown84]

The other day, a friend and I were talking about what there was to do here in the Oklahoma City area. We didn't really think of much.

If you're bored in Oklahoma City, it's not our fault.

[Ash_Fox]

Have you been to the conservatory since it was remodeled? There is a lot more room in front of the stage now.

I was at the Conservatory in July. Haven't been since.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

[edcrunk]

The Wreck Room isn't an exclusively gay club. They do have drag shows but it's in the gay district and does cater to a gay clientele a bit because of it. A night at the Wreck Room can be a pretty good time regardless of whether you're straight or gay.

the wreck room was opened in 1984 to serve as a place where gays who weren't old enough to get into ANGLES could "come out" and congregate. it eventually became a haven for goths, punks and skinheads during the years that steve morton was the dj... 1990-1993.

the wreck room is currently back to being the gayest and the lamest it's ever been (IMHO).... i took that club from being an industrial and goth club to house and techno when i started playing there in 1993 (which allowed the rave scene to gain a foothold in okc). we use to pack in 500-600 people back then and would stay open til around 6 AM. however, the owners disliked the fact that there were too few gays and started having drag shows... to gay it back up, so i quit and opened my own clubs (which as others pointed out... don't make money if you don't sell alcohol).

anyways... the best place (16 & up) to go dance is thursdays in norman @ "OPOLIS PARTY PARTY"... nothing else in the metro compares (except for our "over 21" ROBOTIC WEDNESDAYS at Electro Lounge). it is the closest thing to the spirit of what the wreck room used to be and in the tradition of underground dance clubs like KINETIX, CLUB E.B.M. or STARSEVEN DISKOTEK.

btw, it is brought to you by our dj crew DANCE ROBOTS, DANCE!

www.dancerobotsdance.com

[BG918]

I was also going to mention Opolis, located on Crawford just north of Main in downtown Norman.

[LIL_WAYNE_4_PREZIDENT08]

its always poppin on the south west

[edcrunk]

its always poppin on the south west

they offer really great prices on flights as well!

[mmonroe]

This is funny, I've missed running a venue and being 21, I still have friends who are under the legal drinking age. We were thinking of opening a club, but more of a dance club/ music venue. We figured between cover charges on band nights, and snack bar items consumed on dance nights, we could just cover enough to make the rent and cover insurance while still having normal part time jobs. It's worth continuing, but we need to find where the money's at.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

[okyeah]

This is funny, I've missed running a venue and being 21, I still have friends who are under the legal drinking age. We were thinking of opening a club, but more of a dance club/ music venue. We figured between cover charges on band nights, and snack bar items consumed on dance nights, we could just cover enough to make the rent and cover insurance while still having normal part time jobs. It's worth continuing, but we need to find where the money's at.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

most clubs make money from alcohol sales...and from your description it seems like you want something for the UNDER 21 crowd. I doubt you'll be making much (if any at all) from cover and snacks.

[kmf563]

You can make money opening up an all ages bar if you know what you are doing.
Some suggestions I have to help -
1. Have a group of teens from different areas on discussion panels to find out what's working and what's not. They are the ones coming, let them be a part of the process. Or some kind of monthly meetings open to teens.
2. Set up a permanent members only group with 1 or 2 kids from each school district who is willing to help promote, spread the word, put up flyers, etc. and let them have free entry.
3. Have a pizza/snack bar.
4. Spend the money to bring in the better bands and djs. Kids will pay the cover to see someone better rather than spending the $3 to see someone they don't care about just to have a place to hang.

Also it's interesting to see other people's point of view on the music scene and their opinion of the wreck room and what it is and was.

Raves actually didn't come from that area at all. The very first rave in Oklahoma was in a hanger in Norman. In 1992.

[nik4411]

I think it's a good idea but it simply takes money to do that and someone willing to do it. I feel theres a mutual problem with sports facilities. A renovated warehouse would be perfect for a huge gym full of basketball courts that hosted different leagues etc and open gyms for people to just come and play

[edcrunk]

You can make money opening up an all ages bar if you know what you are doing.

Raves actually didn't come from that area at all. The very first rave in Oklahoma was in a hanger in Norman. In 1992.

those are great suggestions.... we did all those and, yes we stayed open for four years, but make money, no. we had street teams, kids flyer the hell out of their schools, we were at the pulse of what was working and what wasn't.... we brought in the hugest dj's and rave-type acts.... jeremy dawson and i threw the largest raves and had the biggest underground clubs in the city, but didn't make squat.

anyways, i don't believe i was suggesting that the first rave was at the wreck room... but that the rave scene prospered there and was a catalyst for it to explode into what it became. the rave scene was barely alive after ultra hype and cybertribe battled it out for dominance of the scene in 1993.
btw, the first raves were in bricktown... east california... tony aco's "batcave" in 1988. i did play at some of dj love's "raves" in norman, but they were not the first.

[OKCTalker]

This is funny, I've missed running a venue and being 21, I still have friends who are under the legal drinking age. We were thinking of opening a club, but more of a dance club/ music venue. We figured between cover charges on band nights, and snack bar items consumed on dance nights, we could just cover enough to make the rent and cover insurance while still having normal part time jobs. It's worth continuing, but we need to find where the money's at.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

It sounds like a lot of downside financial risk with no upside potential, and you'd be committed to running it indefinitely, or until you found a buyer. As you can see from this thread, people aren't standing in line to open an under-21 club. If you have an interest in providing safe, alcohol-free entertainment for the younger set, have you thought of going through a school or church, both of which would welcome your involvement, have an existing facility, and might even pay you a little for your efforts?

[kmf563]

those are great suggestions.... we did all those and, yes we stayed open for four years, but make money, no. we had street teams, kids flyer the hell out of their schools, we were at the pulse of what was working and what wasn't.... we brought in the hugest dj's and rave-type acts.... jeremy dawson and i threw the largest raves and had the biggest underground clubs in the city, but didn't make squat.

anyways, i don't believe i was suggesting that the first rave was at the wreck room... but that the rave scene prospered there and was a catalyst for it to explode into what it became. the rave scene was barely alive after ultra hype and cybertribe battled it out for dominance of the scene in 1993.
btw, the first raves were in bricktown... east california... tony aco's "batcave" in 1988. i did play at some of dj love's "raves" in norman, but they were not the first.

Yeah, yours did well enough for mix dj type clubs only. But if you throw in a little variety and open it up to live music and other ideas I think it would do better. Have a variety of different styles of music for the different types of teens. Also, I don't mean this in a bad way to you at all - but you didn't have the best location and there were a lot of outside problems with your club. Not anything you could control.

I did misread your last post, sorry. lol. I wasn't talking about Love though. I was talking about the one by Doerr, and Peter. You are right though, Aco did the West Coast style raves and this was the first East Coast style. NY dj's were there. Side note...did you know Aco used to be my lawn boy?? hahaha.

[mmonroe]

It's more of a place for the kids than to make money. I can't have full control over a school or church, so that idea is gone. Street teams are a must. It's the only way to do it. Paying for advertising... who does that anymore, just kidding.

And alcohol sales.. i know how clubs and bars make their money, i've been in the scene for three years. Mind you, two of those years I was probably illegally working, but that doesn't matter now.