Former e4 and Myst open to 18-year-olds
Scottsdale is welcoming 18- to 20-year-olds to party in Old Town tonight, as two giant clubs open their doors.
Capitalizing on the under-21 crowd's enthusiasm for house music, Myst is changing its door policy and inviting them to the mega-club's House 7340 dance night. And the space formerly known as e4 is reopening as Afterlife, an alcohol-free, after-hours destination for those 18 and older.
Myst has run an 18-and-older night on Thursdays for three months, and club owner Les Corieri says that based on the success, he's confident the younger crowd will show up on Fridays, too.
He said he's responding to the number of those younger than 21 who regularly buy tickets online to see the big-name DJs Myst brings in as part of the Friday House 7340 promotion. (Tonight's features Robbie Rivera of Juicy Music, with an opening set by Myst house DJ MCB.)
“All these 18-, 19- or 20-year-olds would buy their tickets online and they'd show up at the door, and we'd have to refund them right there,” he said. “It was a real hassle, and we hated to disappoint them.”
Targeting the under-21 crowd is becoming a common way for club owners and promoters to fill dance floors and bar stools. But typically, these promotions are run on off-nights, such as Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Corieri, who runs the nearby nightclubs Axis/Radius and Suede with his wife, Diane, has added seven security guards on Friday nights to manage the separation of the drinkers and those still too young. Those 21 and older will receive wristbands and can buy drinks on the patio, in the upstairs lounge and in the two downstairs lounges, Powder and Eden. Those aged 18 to 20 will be restricted to the main dance floor area and the adjacent club, Ball Room, which specializes in Top 40 and hip-hop.
Over at Afterlife, located in a building that unceremoniously shuttered Dec. 26, doors will open at 11 p.m. tonight, an hour earlier than usual, for a set by DJ Sean Tyas.
Aron Mezo, Afterlife's operating partner, helped launch e4 in 2005 as a Dr. Sussian nightlife wonderland with four dancing and mingling areas designed around the four elements. At the time, the club was one of the Valley's most ambitious.
Now, it's a massive building without a liquor license, surrounded by other nightclubs in strip mall. And although the space hasn't been buzzworthy for years, Mezo says he's sure it will be successful because the club crowd craves late-night food and a cool place to sober up.
“There is a void for after hours,” he said. “You've got 15,000 people being dumped out on the streets (at closing time) with nowhere to go, or certainly nowhere upscale to go.”
Operations manager Jason Rosendahl said he's excited to offer clubgoers a responsible place to party after hours, one that isn't focused on drinking.
“In this market, you've got to look at any positive factors that you can, and the Scottsdale nightlife has been lacking a true after-hours destination for a long time,” he said. “The area already has every other kind of club or bar you could want.”
Mezo is turning the downstairs earth lounge into a funky eatery with offerings from chef Joseph Gutierrez, owner of neighboring Cin-Cin Bistro. He'll serve paninis, chicken skewers, mini pizzas and other small plates, and a buffet is being discussed. But, with an espresso bar, it also will be a destination for various hangover remedies, including coffee, herbal teas and energy drinks.
The patio will become a Las Vegas-casino-style smokers' lounge, complete with novelty gaming, hookah stations and specialty cigarette and cigar areas.
The upstairs' former fire-themed space will become a rock and mash-up bar with go-go dancers, pool tables, air hockey tables and a dance floor.
And in the all-blue Aqua room, the high-energy dance beats will keep the party vibe strong. But if thumping bass and seizure-inducing lights aren't enough to keep people on their feet, the bar will serve energy drinks, energy shots and oxygen shots.
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