October 2, 2008

Dance, dance not-quite revolution
Where to go to get down
By Dana Unger dunger@hippopress.com

On a Saturday night in downtown Manchester you can turn down any given street and hear the thudding bass of muffled dance music coming from clubs and bars. Groups of young people mill around outside, checking their cellphones and catching a quick smoke in between forays back into the action on the dance floor.

On a recent night at Wally and Bernie’s, candy-colored lights sweep the the club, bartenders tear up and down the counter, slinging drinks at marathon paces, and the DJ stands behind his booth, creating the late night soundtrack for the dancers who pack the floor.

Two young women run over to a nearby table from the dance area and take long draws from the straws in their beverages as they fan themselves.

The two panted slightly as they surveyed the crowd they left behind, still going strong to the beat of Young MC’s “Bust a Move.”

“Want to go back?” asked the tall blond one.

Her friend paused a moment before answering.

“Yeah,” she replied. “Just give me a minute to catch my breath.”

New Hampshire is eager to get its groove on, and fortunately for many, there are a number of dance clubs available to them. Places like Wally and Bernie’s, Club Liquid, and Club 313 in Manchester as well as Nashua’s The Amber Room are some of the obvious ones that spring to mind, but look harder and you can find places like The Club 550 in North Conway and Railroad Tavern in Keene that offer big-city club experience in small towns.

Though the options are there, the last two years have seen a change in the nightlife landscape, particularly in Manchester. Bars are giving these clubs and lounges a run for their money by offering patrons more bang for their entertainment buck, incorporating not only DJs and dancing on some nights, but also live music, game nights, pool tables and video games in an effort to draw more customers and keep them there.

The straight-up dance club seems to be on they way out for several reasons: tough liquor laws, hard economic realities, and a negative reputation

The spectre of past problems

For Manchester in particular, the city’s past problems with dance clubs have cast a pall over the nightlife scene. In October 2005, the now-defunct Omega and Envy nightclubs both had violent occurrences outside their businesses, one involving a triple stabbing and the other involving a shooting. The problems seemed to mount and the city decided to crack down.

In February 2006, state liquor commissioners denied Manchester’s Omega nightclub the renewal of its liquor license, due to continuing public safety problems with the club, and denied Envy Restaurant renewal of its license, due in part to the fact that the establishment got 130 service calls between February 2005 and September 2005.

Though managers at Envy had said that they put safety measures in place, including more than a dozen security personnel on duty, a ban on drugs, weapons or alcohol, dress code, security cameras, and safety checkpoints, the state denied the club’s renewal. In an interview with the Union Leader in December 2006, the liquor commission’s Bureau of Enforcement Chief, Eddie Edwards, said it was those actions alone that proved Envy attracted undesirable elements.

So, what were the mistakes Envy and Omega made?

“18 plus,” said Mike Brown, co-owner of Club Liquid. “That was the core of it. Lack of responsibility. We’re not the prettiest place and we’ve had our problems, but we’re obviously doing something right if we’re still here.”

Recently, Portsmouth police and several downtown bar owners have banded together in an effort to curb unruly customers, beginning a program that could see patrons banned from 15 bars for up to one year if they are kicked out of just one. The program arose out of continuing problems with drinkers who get kicked out of one bar and go to another.

“We have a similar policy here,” said Shawn Deterson, general manager of Wally and Bernie’s. “We’re always willing to give someone the benefit of the doubt but when it happens more than once, you’re outta here.”

“I bought this place three years ago and since then I have had zero problems with the policy for a few very important reasons,” said Tim Kierstead, owner of Element Lounge. “We don’t overserve and we make sure that we’ve got good security so that our customers are safe and the city is safe.”

Kierstead said he has a hard time masking his feelings about businesses that he sees as perpetual offenders.

“A big problem in a lot of places here is that bars are overserving people. I’ve seen people who come out of bars already drunk and then head into another bar where they will still get served,” he said. “For those places, it’s all about getting their money, never mind if they could be endangering either that person or possibly anyone else.”

That sentiment was echoed by Tom Spangler, owner of The Flambeaux in Manchester.

“It’s hard telling someone who’s in a bar that they can’t be served, because they’ll just go out, find another place and get served there,” he said. “And there are some places that are making money off of those people and don’t care.”

In addition to strict overserving policies, most dance clubs have a strong security presence to address public safety.

The Amber Room’s owner, Rick Naples, credits his club’s positive partnership with the state liquor commission and local police for his success, in addition to a security staff with policing experience.

“We also have Nashua police detail here — not because we’re required to, but because we’re just more comfortable having them here.”

Brown also said that he makes sure to take proper steps to limit public safety issues.

“There’s a lot of things we do to try and keep down problems,” he said. “We have cop detail outside every night, we have the liquor enforcement here twice a week. Also, all of our bartenders here are quite knowledgeable and have worked here for years. I keep a good system of staff around me and do all the training for them. There’s a minimal amount of issues here.”

Brown believes it’s because of those lack of problems that he’s been able to stay in business for so long.

“We’re one of the last three clubs in this city to stay open — we’ve had a lot that have closed,” he said. “But I have a pretty good reputation with the police department and always feel free to call town hall if I have any questions. I have a lot of assets that I can call upon and a good foundation as a business that works.”

To dress up or not to dress up

One way clubs try to avoid potential problems is with the enforcement of a dress code. At the Electra Lounge in West Lebanon, as with Wally and Bernie’s, most of the dress code rules apply primarily to men — no tank tops, and shirts must have a collar. Other standard rules include bans on ripped or torn clothing, baseball hats and bandanas. The Amber Room in Nashua requires “proper/trendy dress,” leaving entry rights to their doorman’s discretion, prohibiting athletic wear, white sneakers, boots, hooded sweatshirts and open-toe sandals, but allowing “stylish” jeans.  RJ’s Bar and Grill in Dover prohibits dark sunglasses and muscle shirts, and requires that “ball caps ... only be worn facing forward or backwards.” The Gas Light Co. in Portsmouth has a mandatory coat check from Columbus Day through Memorial Day, in order to, according to the restaurant’s Web site, “secure a safe environment.”

Several of these club owners disagree, though, on how effective these kinds of dress codes are for creating a safer environment.

“I think having a dress code is a mistake, because the places that seem to have a dress code are the places that are always having problems,” Spangler said. “I think it’s because of the type of crowd they draw. The people that want to dress up are sometimes a worse crowd to get.”

“Having a dress code works for us,” Deterson said.

“Our dress code is casual, we pretty much just say that there are no tanks, shirts have to have sleeves — I mean, you’re not out jogging,” Brown said. “If you’ve made no effort in your dress to go out tonight, then we’re not going to let you in.”

At least one club goer doesn’t seem to mind the dress code rules at some places. Jessica, a patron at The Amber Room on a recent Friday night, actually cited that as one the reasons she goes to places that have dress policies.

“I teach second grade,” she said. “So it’s nice to be able to put on the nice dress and high heels and go dancing. I feel like I can leave my work life behind me for the night.”

What makes a good club?

For the hundreds of club goers who head out every weekend in the Granite State, the best clubs are all about good atmosphere, great music and cheap drinks.

“People want to go out and cut loose on the weekends,” Jessica said. “Have a couple of drinks and dance with their friends, and they want places where it’s easy for them to go do it and also not feel like they’re going to get shot or something.”

The club owners recognize that as well.

“Manchester is a blue-collar type of town; most are 9-to-5 kind of people and don’t want places where they feel like they have to pass some sort of test to get in,” Spangler said. “They just want to be able to go out, have fun, and not feel intimidated to do it.”

“I’d say we’re the blue collar brother to WB’s,” Brown said. “In my opinion, I think we have more real people over here than they do there. It’s not the kind of place where you can go in, smile at the bartender, know the bartender, and feel like you can just have fun and be casual.”

A significant contributor to bringing in customers to the clubs is the DJ. There are hundreds of DJs in the state of New Hampshire alone, and all the dance clubs in the state have at least two spinning on various nights. Even live music venues like The Flambeaux have DJs coming in at least once a week to bring in young crowds.

“We primarily try and do live music — the theme is trying to be as inclusive as possible,” Spangler said. “If we have a DJ in, that tends to attract a slightly younger crowd, and our DJ plays mostly top 40 and classic rock stuff — no ‘gangsta’ music.”

“I think one of the biggest reasons people come here is for the DJs we have,” Deterson said. “They count a lot.”

“Nobody will go to a club where they don’t like what the DJ plays,” said Lisa, a patron at WB’s on a recent night (in the spirit of putting their cares behind them and relaxing for the evening, the club-goers declined to give their last names). “They are going to go to the place where they know they’re going to hear music that pumps them up.”

“We get really good crowds on the dance floor on Friday and Saturday nights with our DJ,” Keirstead said. “A good DJ is key.”

Certain clubs also put the burden of crowd attendance on the DJs themselves.

“All the DJs here are responsible for bringing in their own business,” Brown said. “That’s what I pay them for. They all get out and promote their appearances here, and all have MySpace pages, so they send out blast announcements of when they’ll be playing. They’re all over it.”

Ask club goers about the best places to go dancing in the state and it sometimes seems to be a choice of the lesser evil.

“There really aren’t a ton of places to go,” Lisa said. “So if the scene just isn’t happening here, than we’ll sometimes go to WB’s, and if nothing’s happening there, we’ll come here.”

Sarah, a Manchester native, said that a lot of clubs attract certain crowds that she’d rather avoid.

“You go to a place like WB’s and it’s definitely more upscale and expensive — then you have a place … that can be a little sketchy, to the point where you don’t really feel safe going in there a lot of the time,” she said. “They’re OK if you are looking for a certain night out — really for dancing. Most of the time, me and my friends will hang out at the Brimmer or Strange Brew because you can actually talk to each other and chill. It’s less of a hassle.”

Then there are the club-goers who are surprised to learn that Manchester even has clubs.

Bostonians Mike and Carlee were in the Queen City for a friend’s party at WB’s and were taken aback that clubs like WB’s existed in the city.

“We really didn’t know that Manchester had much of a nightlife,” Carlee said. “It’s not one of the first things people from Boston think of when they think of Manchester.”

What do they think of when they think of Manchester?

“The airport,” they both replied.

“It’s really the only reason we come here,” Mike said.

Both were impressed with what they discovered here.

“We’ll go out once a week in Boston usually,” Carlee said. “Actually, WB’s is pretty similar to some of the ones there. We really liked it.”

Earlier in the evening, the couple said they had been over to The Black Brimmer as well.

“It was cool,” Mike said. “Nice crowd there — definitely a good place to start before heading to a club.”

 Diversifying business

The basic dance club/bar/restaurant formula seems to be dying out, as most of these places find that specializing in only one or two entertainment options is no longer economically feasible. For all of these clubs, the key to staying in business is bringing in big crowds and keeping them there.

Brown says that people want more options and owners need to give it to them.

“I have people coming in at eight or nine at night, sit down with their beer and just kind of look around,” he said. “It’s tough because things really don’t start kicking until 11.”

In an effort to revamp Club Liquid, Brown is expanding his operation to include pool tables, a new elevated dance floor and an overhaul of the food service, following the example of many club owners who want the public to stay and spend.

Spangler says he’s already adding diverse elements to The Flambeaux.

“We have live bands, game nights, and a rock star video game that’s a big hit,” he said. “People will come and jump in and out on the drums or guitar — it’s fun for them because it’s like having a real concert going on. Sometimes when we have live music you’ll see some of the band members jumping in on it and practicing.”

The plan seems to be working for Spangler.

“I’ve had people coming in and saying that they’ve never stayed at one bar all night,” he said.

Clubs are also adding special nights and events to their weekly and monthly lineups to keep things fresh for their customers. Along with live DJs three nights a week, the Railroad Tavern in Keene holds Guitar Hero nights, as well as foam parties. WB’s Deterson says that the club hosted a popular Ducati motorcycle event and is planning a special wine tasting event that will feature a new menu for the lounge.

“I think keeping things fresh is key,” Deterson said.

That’s a notion Spangler agrees with.

“I think what makes a place like mine work is that it doesn’t have just one solid theme,” he said. “In my mind, people aren’t going to some of those other places because its so limited — there’s only one thing to do. You don’t want to go out and have the same old thing every night — you want to try different stuff.”

The Amber Room’s general manager, Rick Naples, says that bringing in other entertainment options works better for some businesses than others.

“Good for them if that helps bring in more customers,” he said. “But it’s not something you’ll see us do. We’re not a sports bar, we don’t have pool tables — we are a straight-up dance club and that works for us. I think we’ve been able to carve out a really successful niche for ourselves.”

Naples believes that the demand for more clubs like his is there.

“Southern New Hampshire in particular needs a place like this,” he said. “You look at people from Burlington down to Lowell — they used to have to drive into Boston, pay $20 for parking, another $20 for cover charge, whereas here they can drive 25 minutes and come to a club that’s just as good if not better than the ones there.”

Many clubs, particularly in Manchester, are trying to avoid some of the pitfalls of their predecessors and still bring in the crowds — a difficult prospect for most. There are roadblocks to success, according to Brown.

“I can’t speak for the state on the lack of nightclubs in New Hampshire, but I can speak for Manchester,” he said. “A reason why you’re not seeing new clubs coming up is because the city has made it nearly impossible to start a place like this up.”

Brown feels lucky that his is one of the few clubs that are still around in the city.

“One of the reasons why we’re still here is because we already existed before the crackdown...,” he said. “There are definitely a lot more hoops a new place has to jump through now.”

With those tighter regulations has come, for good or bad, a noticeable erasing of the state’s nightlife that leaves many longing for the days before many of the problems began.

“Not to sound negative on the town, but Manchester seems like the kind of city that just doesn’t want to have these places,” Brown said. “It’s changed a lot. I remember back on Wednesday, Thursday night around nine at night it would be like a switch going on, and it’s not like that anymore. No one’s really going out. The whole atmosphere of the town has changed.”

That might be true, but people still want to go out and dance, and at WB’s, the dance floor is jammed, the music is pulsating, and the two girls at the next table have cooled down and recharged their dance batteries. The tall blond sets down her drink and grabs her friend by the hand.

“Alright — let’s go back in.”