New clubs give adults
places to go

The island is seeing
a mini-boom in night spots

By John Berger
Special to the Star-Bulletin

Three new night spots are open. A fourth is on the way. The club scene looks better than anytime since the "Thumbs Up, Hawaii!" recession hit.

First came Ocean Club on Restaurant Row. The next two opened a little over a week ago: The Mixx in Kakaako on May 9; Jerry Breeden's gigantic Studio 1 Hawaii at Aloha Tower Marketplace last weekend.

All three seek an adult crowd intelligent enough to know that fighting is not acceptable. Check out all three. You'll likely find one that suits you best.

The Mixx

The ambience is intimate, the atmosphere intense and cutting-edge. The James Coles/Rick Rock establishment occupies an A-frame landmark at the Ala Moana end of Queen Street.

The music is contemporary urban and hip-hop; imagine I-94 as a nightclub. Coles and Rock share programming duties with celebrity deejays Richie Aqui, K Smooth, Jay P and Doc Rock; a 25,000-watt sound system does the rest.

The dance floor is spacious and a second room contains an assortment of video games, including "antiques" from 15 years ago. An assortment of alcoves provides other spots to talk. The industrial-strength refrigeration system can cool things to the point where jackets are welcome -- this is one dance club that won't become a late night sauna!

Coles and Rock plan to book pop "tracks acts" (one- or two-hit groups that perform to taped music). Steve Crouch and T.D. "Da D.J." Johnson defined the format 10 years ago with acts like Paula Abdul, Stacy Q, Bardeux and Elisa Fiorillo at the Masquerade.

Studio 1 Hawaii

Jerry Breeden has launched a club unlike any other. Honolulu has needed a nightclub/showroom like this for a long time.

Comparisons are easy but all fall short. Yes, Nimitz Hall has a huge dance floor, but Studio 1 is not a warehouse.

Yes, the Masquerade made extensive use of videos, and the Wave Waikiki has been producing in-house videos for years. Breeden shows live action on 85 video screens and plans to produce his own television programming.

Breeden is taking an impressive gamble with live music. Musical Director Jerry Martini had a huge band pumping out classic late-'60s soul last Thursday with three -- count 'em, 3 -- different lead vocalists -- Vene Marie, Nadia and Cheyenne.

Most local theater groups would kill for a stage the size of Breeden's. Backstage includes in-house broadcast and production facilities. Dressing rooms with showers are ready for visiting acts. Jazz, pop and oldies acts will likely be playing Studio 1 soon.

People over 25 have complained for years that there's no place to dress up and go to. Breeden has built it -- will they come? Are there are enough of them with the free time and discretionary income to make Studio 1 fly?

Coming soon

A new club at the site of the Blue Zebra, courtesy of George Kail (of 3-D Ballroom and Pink Cadillac fame). Stay tuned.

New nightclubs

The Mixx, 1210 Queen St.
Hours: 9 p.m. to 4 a.m., Thursday through Sunday
Admission: Varies; generally no cover until 11 p.m. for 21 and older. Ages 18-20 admitted for designated events.
Call: 593-8744
Studio 1 Hawaii, Aloha Tower Marketplace
Hours: 5 p.m. to 2 a.m. daily
Admission: $10 first-time admission includes Preferred Club Card; subsequent admission is $7.50 after 8 p.m. (free for card holders before 8 p.m)
Call: 531-0200