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INCOGNITO - Where amazing cutting edge dance music happens
DRENCHED - Daytime pool parties
MOONLIGHT - Evening open air parties
ARTWALK AFTERHOURS - One offs
TEKNOLOGIK - One offs
Dec-19-2012 22:21
72hrpartyanimal
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Jan 2007
Location: West LA, California (where retired party people live)
quote:
Originally posted by alan
King King!
i was really diggin that spot that old pool hall on the end of Hollywood Blvd. That was a cool little spot.
___________________
Jaded, old fart is me.
Dec-19-2012 22:49
DaveT
NEED PERSONAL COPY-EDITOR
Registered: Jul 2002
Location: San Francisco
quote:
Originally posted by 72hrpartyanimal
agreed. The bookings became more difficult to handle. Trying to complete with Avalon and the newly renovated Vanguard after Giant had just moved there made it tough.
I do hope that some day, Spundae moves back to Circus AFTER some tweaks to the venue (sound, lighting, etc...)
edit* what also helped to pack the venue was all the support from local DJ's/Crews.
Some good mutha fucking times yo!! I was younger and much skinnier
It wasn't even the other clubs wanting the DJs, the DJs themselves wanted to play at a more modern venue -- I would get in convos with DJs back then and it was brought up more than a few times by various DJs. There was a time when having a dirty look was a big thing for club-goers. Times changed, though, and some clubs didn't do anything to keep up. The DJs left and so did the crowds. IMO, Circus would be in MUCH better position as a EDM club if they just shut down and did a big re-haul of the place. It's what Palace did and became Avalon. It's what Q-Topia did and became Vanguard (which got old fast, it seems, though).
Ten15 up here in SF had a very similar issue. It just didn't do anything to upgrade for quite some time and the promoters and crowds disappeared. It eventually did, although more could have been done with the main room IMO. Anyhow, the slow response and then it taking awhile to do the makeover kinda killed the place for a long, long time. This said, I believe Ten15 is doing much better these days as it focuses on a different type of crowd (though it is EDM). Last time I was there (March maybe) was for a private party with one of the members of A&B, and I believe they put new lighting in the main room that made it look pretty bad ass. I was impressed with the lighting that night.
I will always love Ten15...wish we could see more EDM acts (that I like) there, but it probably won't be happen anytime soon.
Last edited by DaveT on Dec-19-2012 at 23:33
Dec-19-2012 23:19
in2muzikk
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Berlin, Germany
Wondering what Circus could do to remodel without spending millions? I remember that Factory spent like $2M remodeling once, and in less than a year everyone seemed to think it was "old," so I doubt it paid off. Same with Vanguard, for that matter.
Maybe Circus could make some improvements that wouldn't break the bank, but would revitalize it and make it more inviting? I just hate losing that club, especially since the bigger clubs seem to be going down one by one to build condos (where are all those people in the condos going to go at night for entertainment if the clubs are all gone?)
One allure of the Palladium, IMO, is that it's not a weekly venue, at least not for EDM. Going there is a special night and there's usually a very good crowd (like at TATW350 and Eric Prydz, but Cosmic Gate seemed mostly under 21 with kids dressed for the gym, so not totally consistent...varies with the DJ's and nightly competition...)
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Last edited by in2muzikk on Dec-20-2012 at 04:49
Dec-20-2012 00:14
Quazar
still likes trance
Registered: Jun 2010
Location: Los Angeles, USA
Circus holds a very desirable late-night permit, though, which works in its favor if they decide to remodel. Of course, there are probably plenty of club owners around LA who just want Circus to be sold so that permit can be auctioned off.
Originally posted by Sushipunk
At least last time you Brits got pissed off, we got punk music out of it. This time, it'll probably just end up being embers breaks
Dec-20-2012 02:51
trance_seeker
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Feb 2002
Location: Redondo Beach, USA
My favorite venues are Circus for events that draw big crowds and King King for smaller events.
Circus is really the only place big enough for DJ's that could make Avalon reach dance floor capacity before 11PM. The Palladium is nice but it doesn't have the other 2 rooms, huge outdoor patio and FOOD. It's really a shame DJs and/or their booking agents do not want to play there. If Armin played at Circus, I don't think any of his fans would not go just because of the sound and lighting at Circus.
Spundae was still there when they took the wall down and it was still a great time (@53s I start panning so you can see the whole place was full of people, the pole is next to where the wall was next to the staircase to the 2nd floor) ->
Registered: Jan 2007
Location: West LA, California (where retired party people live)
quote:
Originally posted by in2muzikk
Wondering what Circus could do to remodel without spending millions? I remember that Factory spent like $2M remodeling once, and in less than a year everyone seemed to think it was "old," so I doubt it paid off. Same with Vangusrd, for that matter.
Maybe Circus could make some improvements that wouldn't break the bank, but would revitalize it and make it more inviting? I just hate losing that club, especially since the bigger clubs seem to be going down one by one to build condos (where are all those people in the condos going to go at night for entertainment if the clubs are all gone?)
One allure of the Palladium, IMO, is that it's not a weekly venue, at least not for EDM. Going there is a special night and there's usually a very good crowd (like at TATW350 and Eric Prydz, but Cosmic Gate seemed mostly under 21 with kids dressed for the gym, so not totally consistent...varies with the DJ's...)
the whole sound system could be tweaked. I believe (and I'm no audio expert) the current sound system is pretty good but it's just the layout. The speakers in the corners fo the room don't cut it. Plus the wood/concrete floors causes a lot echoing or some shit like that. Take a look at avalon and paladium. i think the carpeting really helps a lot. Now i'm not saying for Circus to install carpeting but just something to tweak. hire a sound expert and spend a couple of weeks trying things out.
lighting and visuals would come next...
you take care of that and you're pretty good imo
___________________
Jaded, old fart is me.
Dec-20-2012 04:42
in2muzikk
Supreme tranceaddict
Registered: Jul 2005
Location: Berlin, Germany
quote:
Originally posted by trance_seeker
My favorite venues are Circus for events that draw big crowds and King King for smaller events.
Circus is really the only place big enough for DJ's that could make Avalon reach dance floor capacity before 11PM. The Palladium is nice but it doesn't have the other 2 rooms, huge outdoor patio and FOOD. It's really a shame DJs and/or their booking agents do not want to play there. If Armin played at Circus, I don't think any of his fans would not go just because of the sound and lighting at Circus.
Spundae was still there when they took the wall down and it was still a great time (@53s I start panning so you can see the whole place was full of people, the pole is next to where the wall was next to the staircase to the 2nd floor) ->
IMO, the two main issues with Circus are:
1) iClub
2) Image
i = Insomniac. DJ's booked at EDC, Nocturnal, White, and Whatever supposedly sign contracts to become part of the iClub. So you spin at the big iFestivals and iClubs, or miss out on all of that. What popular DJ in their right mind would turn down such huge festivals to just play at small venues (non iClubs)?
Image: People's image of Circus is usually from the last time they were there. This applies to DJ's too, I heard rumor that after Armin played there last time he nearly got raped by the crowd and needed a stage style setup to get some distance from those few too eager fans who would shove all of your equipment to the ground to get an autograph or blow a kiss... So Circus changed the stage setup and provided that environment, but was too late since Armin moved elsewhere.
Circus added the huge LED wall, lighting, and lasers. I heard that they also did something with the sound (not sure what), so much of this has already been done.
But going back to "image," if you were last there with the DJ up on the main stage with the room 1/3 full, that by itself is a rather empty experience. If that time was before the lighting and sound was upgraded, then that's what sticks.
Anyway, it gets into a vicious cycle, since they cannot compete with the iClubs, the DJ's and artists are locked elsewhere. If a DJ hasn't yet achieved iClub status, they would kill to play in LA at Circus, but without a following will probably never come back there. If they get a good following, they become part of the iClub.
Palladium pulls it off since their EDM events are promoted by Insomniac. I guess Insomniac would have to promote Circus, or some really huge promoter that has the balls to go head on with Insomniac would need to do it.
Then again, this doesn't explain Avalon. If Markus or Digweed show up there the place is packed, and that size crowd would fill Circus pretty well. Markus also plays at iFestivals, so perhaps iClub exclusivity is not as iron clad as it appears? Or maybe you just need to be big enuff to say FU, I'll go where I damn please, but then Armin could easily do that.
ok, after all this, I have no idea.
Edit: Maybe a new promoter, iClub (i=Apple) More cash laying around than the federal government, they'd have a shot...
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My favorite song is the one that hasn't yet been written._____|_____fb_____|_____ myspace
Last edited by in2muzikk on Dec-20-2012 at 06:38
Dec-20-2012 05:14
alan
is INCOGNITO
Registered: Sep 2007
Location: Woodland Hills, CA
let me rephrase myself, my fave are undergrounds =)
___________________
www.iluvincognito.com
INCOGNITO - Where amazing cutting edge dance music happens
DRENCHED - Daytime pool parties
MOONLIGHT - Evening open air parties
ARTWALK AFTERHOURS - One offs
TEKNOLOGIK - One offs
Dec-20-2012 06:16
DaveT
NEED PERSONAL COPY-EDITOR
Registered: Jul 2002
Location: San Francisco
I was there when Armin got mobbed. It wasn't _that_ bad, he just needed some help getting through the crowd.
The "stage" stuff Circus tried to do later was way too little, way too late. And I kind of remember it feeling like it was going to fall apart.
Again, throwing up a LED wall isn't the answer. It needs a makeover. Ten15 tried doing things with some of its rooms and none of it worked -- then they just said fuck it and invested in the place, completely redoing the front room, basement, and I believe upstairs. The added a balcony to the main room, too. Used as a VIP area. That said, the core of the main room didn't have much done to it overall which was a bummer. The big makeover was moving the bar and adding a stone waterfall which I think worked for like a month :-p
Did Circus add woofers? Long after the primetime there, they still only had one real set of woofers I think.. I mean, if you weren't right in front of them it would sound like ass. And if you were back from them, you'd only hear bass from one side of the room. The acoustics were just BAD. They were never great, but opening up that wall made it so much worse.
Maybe they have changed it in the past couple of years. But that's still years too late.