To introduce SoCo, Christou is promoting a four-day launch with what's billed as the "the biggest DJ lineup in the United States" from Thursday, October 27, through Sunday, October 30. It will include Deep Dish at the Church on Thursday (with an after-party at 2 a.m.); Paul Oakenfold and Richie Hawtin at Vinyl Friday and Saturday, respectively; and Ben A, Steve O and Wyatt Earp at the Funky Buddha both Friday and Saturday. And that's just for starters. In November, paying just one cover charge (for the costliest club, naturally) will get you into all of Christou's SoCo clubs on Friday or Saturday night; for details, go to www.coclubs.com.
Of course, there are more clubs in the Golden Triangle area south of downtown (which we like to think of as SoDo). There's La Rumba, at 99 West Ninth Avenue, and Dazzle, at 930 Lincoln. And on Thursday, October 27, Grenade is set to open with a bang just up the street from its sibling Donkey Den, at 1109 Lincoln Street. Take cover!
But all the action isn't in SoCo/SoDo this weekend. Remember LoDo? Remember when the word "alternative" meant just that? When KTCL broadcast its subversive, free-form format from a tower in Fort Collins? Before the Hot Topic clones could buy prefab punk gear at the mall? Dave Clammage does. And this Friday, October 28, Clammage, who owns Rock Island (1614 15th Street), Denver's longest-running club, will mark his nineteenth year in business by bringing together the original crew behind Pogos and Ground Zero -- a pair of defunct, envelope-pushing institutions in the People's Republic during the late '80s and early '90s that occupied the space at 1360 College Avenue in Boulder -- to help him celebrate. Among those slated to make it down to the Rock are former members of the Warlock Pinchers, DJs Reverend Pete, Ix, Wanda E, Crash and a cast of assorted other luminaries from that era. Oh, and since it's Halloween weekend, feel free to get decked out in your best trick-or-treat gear for the club's costume contest. Rock, rock till you drop, kids.