Jordan Z, La Radio, Brock, Ian Hixxx
11 PM, free with MCA First Fridays ticket
Clubs that will hold all-ages shows are hard to come by. To sell alcohol at shows with underagers in attendance, a venue needs a “Consumption on Premises–Incidental Activity” license, which requires it to provide some attraction other than alcohol. (In Subterranean’s case this means the kitchen must be open.) And even for clubs that can secure the right license, all-ages shows may not be a viable proposition. Subterranean has had its license since it began operating as a live-music venue in 1995. But you need extra security to keep kids from sneaking drinks, and then every kid not drinking equals lost revenue at the bar. When your club holds fewer than 400 people and regularly hosts shows that won’t draw anywhere near capacity, alcohol sales can save your bottom line.
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Zawideh and Valentino also plan to add live acts to the mix, with an eye toward persuading dance fans to consider going to see a band a viable option for an evening out–the flip side of the trend that has indie rockers clubbing for real instead of just hitting their usual hangouts on the one night a week they host DJs. “Three or four years ago if you said, ‘We’re going to go to the Funky Buddha and listen to these two really cool DJs from Wicker Park,’ people would say, ‘Are you kidding me? A place called Funky Buddha?’” But really, that’s not too much weirder than a bunch of house junkies heading out to a night called New Indie Mafia.
