"This town just won't support EDM six, seven nights a week," says General Manager Jon Gordon, who used to spin at Metropolis and Spy. "You've got to throw in some stuff people know."
On non-techno nights, Gordon hopes to attract more of a mixed crowd to the snug vault, which fits a dark dance floor between a giant video-projection wall and a brightly glowing bar. Thursdays, DJ Jazzy Jim hosts college night, spinning popular tracks and standards ranging from Dem Franchize Boyz to Paula Abdul. Other nights, clubgoers will hear recognizable dance music that isn't too alternative, but isn't straight from the radio either.
"We'll play a lot of remixes," says Gordon. "People don't want to hear all five tech-house DJs all night. With remixes, older people know the songs, and young people like the beat. And when we have DJs, there's a lot of variety."
The club shares ownership of the space with the neighboring Lucic's. The two venues will sponsor some overlapping events, including European nights and popular international DJs. Sundays, the clubs will host a 25-and-over party, with live music by neo-soul trio the Leela Band as well as spun R&B and hip-hop.
Weekends, the club opens early and closes late, featuring all-night dance bashes and after-hours tag-team DJ battles, with the bar reopening at 5:30 a.m.
"We'll see if techno works in the Flats," says Gordon. "If this doesn't do it, nothing will."
· Retro-metaler Mob Scene is on hiatus, and guitarist Jozey Zeitler is concentrating on his new female-fronted power-metal band, CellBound. The group recorded its debut EP at Chillicothe's Recording Workshop Studios, and the disc is slated for Zeitler's Detained label. The band will unveil the disc Saturday, October 21, at its show with Tim "Ripper" Owens' Beyond Fear at Crossroads (153 East Cuyahoga Falls Avenue, Cuyahoga Falls).
· VH-1 Classic will honor the Pretenders and Chrissie Hynde, Northeast Ohio's favorite daughter, Friday, October 20, at 8 p.m. An all-star tribute concert will see the band perform classics, joined by Shirley Manson, Incubus, and Iggy Pop.
· Amps II Eleven guitarist Aaron Dowell has joined former Pride of Ohio bandmate Nick Wolff in his new band, Nick Wolff & the Homosexual Mannerismz. Catch the shticky punks with Schnauzer and Abdullah Saturday, October 1, at the Jigsaw (5324 State Road). The show is free, as part of the venue's first-anniversary weekend.
· Clash guitarist Mick Jones will be at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum for a members-only reception 6:30 Friday, October 20. His visit kicks off the new exhibit Revolution Rock: The Story of the Clash. The Rock Hall's Warren Zanes will interview Jones at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, October 21, in the museum's theater. Tickets are $10, available through Ticketmaster. The exhibit runs through April, when the Rock Hall board will decide whether it should stay or go.
· Readers who visit Scene's new C-Notes blog (www.clevescene.com/ blogs) have received free tickets to an exclusive Roots show, seen exclusive online Mushroomhead updates, and found links to new music and videos. Check it out.
