wordplay: Orangepeelmoses.com
images: Sean Hartgrove
Going green is white hot. The dance music industry has long been a disposable culture in many ways, from mountains of plastic cups to music with limited shelf life to nightclub turnover rates. The times they are a changin’. When Richie Hawtin, a techno Godfather (and still one of its most conspicuous role models), joined the Green party (Hawtin promised last year to offset emissions and implement greener manufacturing processes) legions were bound to follow. The more the merrier. Mother Earth has no friendship ceiling. Thus when promoter Brad Roulier, former SoCo Nightlife Entertainment Director and founding partner in Beatport.com (Denver-based domain that Hawtin’s a shareholder for), Michael Goldberg (of Aspen’s Belly Up Tavern) and unnamed silent partners finally acquired a nightclub of their very own in Denver’s Rise, environmentally-friendly design options were explored in earnest. Aera Studios, Estes Park Interiors’ Suzy Foy, Katie Krause and Melissa Huff, and Berkus Designs were assigned to the task. Just over three months later, acoustic paneling made from recycled blue jeans, an ambitious recycling program (replete with scrolling LED signage), energy efficient light fixtures, high water efficiency plumbing, post-consumer recycled materials and more are all incorporated into a club that’s promoted with flyers printed on recycled paper (with biodegradable, vegetable-based inks no less). Its peers are guaranteed to be green with envy…
“We plan to reduce, reuse, reclaim, recycle and use sustainable materials throughout,” promises the above-mentioned brochure.
It’s no secret Roulier had been in the market for some time. Former Rise owner Michael Payne apparently made him the proverbial offer he couldn’t refuse. New Year’s Eve was Roulier’s last hurrah with Vinyl and The Church. After that, blueprints were written, blue collars were subcontracted, and construction commenced. Although key changes were made in the interest of fluid patron flow, the remodel consisted mainly of “hair and makeup.” Painter Jay Paul Apodaca was commissioned to provide several large-scale pieces. Rumors abounded as to the location’s new name. Crobar was a popular hypothesis (many believed the Chicago-based nightclub chain had partnered on the venue venture), as was Beatport Lounge (the actual moniker of the second floor “Green Room”). Word eventually leaked that Roulier and entourage had decided on Beta Nightclub, Beta being an anagram of the word “beat” and a not-so-subtle allusion to the site upgrade testing practiced nearly annually by Beatport. Genius in its simplicity. The physical club would mimic that now commonplace cyber-paradigm by opening in stages as well. First came the soft opening on March 7th with Sharam (of Deep Dish). Z-Trip was on the 1’s and 2’s for the Sesame Street…I mean VIP opening March 19th (featuring artwork by our own Sean Hartgrove, among others). March 22nd saw Steve Bug and much buzzed about Modeselektor (making their Mile High Club debut, with a live set to boot) launch the club’s intimate centerpiece: Beatport Lounge. And Garden parties on the patio are appropriately slated for Memorial Day weekend in May. Bad Boy Bill, James Zabiela, house legend Danny Tenaglia (another MHC debut) and Denver’s Hottest Models (voted by ImageMag.com readers) will be on hand, among others.
“We want to roll sections of Beta out properly in phases, to always give something new to our club-goers, always expand on their experience. We want to engage them in the process of unveiling something new.” explains Catherine Nguyen, Roulier’s assistant.
Although giving Mother Earth some love was one of the most significant factors in the interior design, it certainly wasn’t the only one. Beta Nightclub aims to be the best nightclub in North America, and a global competitor as well (for evidence, keep your eyes peeled for the “Clock Wall”, featuring the times of their all-time favorite clubs). Sound might’ve been the highest priority of all. To that end, they ponied up serious dough to outfit Beta Nightclub with not one, but two Funktion-One Sound Systems, one on the main floor and another in the Beatport Lounge. The main room is apparently the first room in North America to house the Funktion-One Dance Array 4 Speaker Stack System. Then they bankrolled an acoustic engineer to analyze the space. In addition to the acoustic paneling made from used denim, Beta also features special drapes cut from acoustic fabric and even acoustic paint. And then there’s the planned rubber dance floor. That’s right, rubber, for maximum absorption. The results, even with the master fader at far less than half mast, are literally eardrum-boggling. Eardrum-boggling, mind you, but not earsplitting. Earsplitting was never the goal, pristine audio was. Even despite the sheer volume, it’s still possible to communicate with your neighbor in a reasonable speaking voice. Hard to believe, maybe, but entirely true.
Feng Shui, the Chinese study of relationships between humans and their environment, was the final design principle taken into account. The DJ booth’s re-location and enlargement, the entire interior color scheme, the ladies’ room expansions (lounges were added) and the designation of a special VIP entrance were all most likely influenced by Feng Shui. Also, the ginormous HD-quality video screen (with multiple, simultaneous inputs) above the booth inevitably compels the focus on the music geek in charge. Resident jocks include Dragon, Trajikk, Kostas & The Klutch Beat Bootique (Triad Dragons’ NRG Thursdays), Brian Howe & DVDJ Unique (Sweet Fridays), Beatport CEO Jonas Tempel (Saturdays) and Beatport worker bees Wyatt Earp, Terry Church, Clark Warner and Scott Paradis (Beatport Lounge). Japanese VJ KSKA is their resident DJ cheerleader, and Lighting Tech Justin Ryan is responsible for Beta’s ambiance. They have access to a full color laser, courtesy of Creative Consultants, through the summer as well.
Given the decade plus of night school under Roulier’s belt, he had a handful of decent ideas on how to run the joint too. Hello? Understatement of the year? For one, former Rise regulars will quickly notice how limited seating is the new incarnation. La-Z-Boys are made for sitting; dance clubs are not. Mile High Clubbers might take a minute to get used to this concept, though. Also, Beta Nightclub certainly isn’t the first club to enforce some sort of dress code, but its “Fashion Forward” policy could be the most difficult to define. Fortunately, we here at Image hope to provide some guidance at our fifth annual fashion extravaganza, In Bloom V, April 25th, featuring Cool Waves, Square1 and Swank (model calls April 4th & 11th). This year marks our second collaboration with Roulier; last year’s circus-themed bash was more fun than a barrel of bicycle-riding spider monkeys.
Finally, the most radical rule of all: polite closing time. At nearly every other bar on the planet, the lights come on around 1:42 (if not earlier) and security guards verbally traumatize patrons until they’re herded out the exits like cattle (and away from the front doors, in extreme cases). No matter how phenomenal your night was, it often puts a slight damper on the overall experience. Roulier ain’t yellow-bellied. He intends to do things differently, and he brown-nosed the liquor board for a green light. First of all, DJ booking fees aren’t exactly chump change. Top tier jocks command multiple G’s these days, if not five figures. Shouldn’t a club be allowed to get its money’s worth? Beta Nightclub refuses to cut the music until 1:55. As long as there’s no one left drinking, what’s the fuckin’ problem? And if you need a few extra minutes to sober up first, be their guest. Roulier despises drunk driving. He’s also working with cab companies to ensure cars are lined up along the curb at let out.
If only Mother Earth was a club kid…
In Bloom Model Calls April 4th & 11th
IMAGE PRESENTS In Bloom V w/ Manufactured Superstars APRIL 25th @ Beta
Denver’s Hottest Models Memorial Day Weekend
1909 Blake St.
BetaNightclub.com
