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Grand Opening: FIJI SUSHI BAR & LOUNGE KASHMIR

ANNOUNCING THE GRAND OPENING DATES FOR

FIJI SUSHI BAR & LOUNGE KASHMIR NIGHTCLUB:

Friday, October 9^th and Saturday, October 10^th, 2009

Charlotte, NC– On the weekend of October 9th, West 5^th street in Uptown Charlotte will be transformed into a two day celebrity studded, red carpet event, as Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge and Kashmir Nightclub open its doors to the public for the first time.

The grand opening weekend is slated to be full of surprises, with four secret celebrities and three secret sponsors, this two day blockbuster event will be one weekend that Charlotte will never forget. Major sponsors include Enkamp Promotions, T1 Visions, Elevate Magazine, Jordanos, Foreign Cars Italia, After Dark Disclosure TV, and Velvet Nights.

On Saturday, October 3rd, Fiji Sushi & Bar and Lounge and Kashmir Nightclub will host a private party from 6pm to 9pm for the Charlotte and national media. Representatives of the media industry will be treated to an open bar and samplings from the Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge menu.

Kashmir Nightclub boasts an extensive VIP program. A limited amount of Kashmir VIP gold cards will be distributed prior to the grand opening, where gold card members can enjoy amenities such as premiere entry including three guests (complimentary admission), access to Kashmir’s exclusive Zen Lounge, premier table reservations, complimentary hors d’oeuvres and one complimentary beverage from 5pm to 7pm Wednesday through Friday, private VIP entrance and exit with additional security detail, on site massage therapists, concierge services, complimentary coat check, wifi internet, large LCD monitors with multimedia capabilities, and limousine and town car discounts.

 Coined as the “5^th street corridor”, this area of uptown Charlotte is in for a major revitalization, as Fiji Sushi Bar & Lounge and Kashmir Nightclub bring lasting life back to the well deserved block.

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If you would like more information about this topic or the VIP program, please contact Chandler Alan Beal at 704-241-7464 or email info@barconceptsinc.com

Roberts not happy with Club Suite -

Mecklenburg County Commission Chairman Jennifer Roberts sees no humor in her invitation to an upcoming ‘Pimp & Ho’ -themed ball at Suite, an Epicentre club.

Don’t play it cool, just play?

It was a warm, clear Saturday night in Charlotte, which meant the nightlife scene was poppin’. The club doesn’t usually get jumpin’ until after 11pm, but that was not the case on that particular night. The anti-club event, PlayDate Charlotte, made its debut April 18 at the Big Chill. The doors opened at 9 P.M., and by 9:30, bodies traced the outside wall of the club as the rest of the of the line stretched to the distant gravel parking lot. Latrina Harris, co-owner and operator of PlayDate Charlotte, said over 900 people showed up for the event. It is out of the norm for Charlottians to come out in droves to something other than a concert or a nightclub with a celebrity guest. So what is this event called PlayDate Charlotte all about?

PlayDate is a nightlife event where everyone has game. Attendees play their favorite childhood board games, as well as those familiar recess favorites. The PlayDate concept is the brainchild of Imari Havard, CEO of Timeless Entertainment Concepts. Havard said he noticed that a lot of folks were getting tired of the typical club scene. Back in 2005, he decide to inject an alternative option into Atlanta nightlife. He and about 48 other people meet-up and pulled out old school games like Monopoly, Uno, Sorry, Hungry Hungry Hippo, etc. They had a blast, and by the next PlayDate session even more people showed up. With each new PlayDate session, the number of attendees just kept climbing.

Havard had stumbled upon an unexpected business venture that turned into a 15 city franchise. There are PlayDate affiliates in places like Austin, Seattle, Nashville and now Charlotte. PlayDate proved

Playing Wii

that the familiar Toy ‘R’ Us slogan held true, “I don’t wanna grow up. I’m a Toy ‘R’ Us kid.” People often wish they could go back to a kid mentality of seeing the world as simple and fun. Havard found that adults were willing to pay money for a moment to feel like a kid again. Havard said, “Your inner child never goes away. It just gets buried by all of your [adult] obligations.”

Harris and the rest of the PlayDate Charlotte crew, got that feeling when they attended PlayDate Atlanta a while back. Harris said she thought that Charlotte was ready for something like this. The number of people who came out to play at the Big Chill prove her hypothesis to be true.

Havard says that the signature PlayDate games are what bring people out. Board games can bring out smiles, but recess games bring up a feeling of childhood bliss. PlayDate gives an adult twist to games like: Hula Hoop, Musical Chairs, Simon Says, Red Light/Green Light and Double Dutch. The party would have ended by 10 P. M., if PlayDate Charlotte only relied on the board games to create a fun atmosphere. The signature games made people get into the kid spirit.

Recreating that childhood spirit, also brought back the unwritten rules of grade school socializing: (1) Stick with your clique, (2) Cool boys don’t play with girls, (3) Avoid embarrassment at all cost. Most people only played board games with the friends they came with. Asking to play with four close girlfriends who are battling over the new Uno card color, is not the most welcoming table. And guys did not seem to know how to interact with women in the PlayDate environment. Women trumped the men in the male to female ratio. Havard said, “Guys are afraid to be out numbered. They start to lack confidence.” Confidence breeds fun. When a person stops worrying about embarrassing themselves they really let loose and live in the moment. The signature games are what make PlayDaters live in the moment.

Hula Hoops

Those signature games were not only designed to be fun, they were also designed to train men. Raf Q is a 6 foot 4 inch, slender, brown skin fellow who is a member of the PlayDate Atlanta crew. He explains, “Men gotta stop being so cool. You [men] gotta have fun and relax. This ain’t jail. It’s okay to let loose and have fun.” Havard and PlayDate Charlotte host Boris Rogers, had to get on the mic and damn near threaten guys to come out on the floor and play the signature games with the ladies. At one point, Rogers publicly questions the sexual orientation of all the men at the event. This reverse psychology method of saying straight guys who don’t play with women must not be attracted to women, actually worked.

Once a few men let down their guard, the signature games got underway. The first game was the Hula Hoop Tournament. Rogers coaxed a guy into joining in on the fun. He held his own against all the ladies in the competition. It came down to him and two other ladies. At one point he chased one of the women around the floor while he was still hula hooping. He instantly became the crowd favorite. Next up was the Twister Tournament, and then Musical Chairs.

Musical Chairs

PlayDate Musical Chairs is one of the signature games that Havard uses to train men. Havard said that they have the women become the chairs to teach men to be gentle. “A big guy cannot drop all of his weight on a petite women. They have to sit down easy,” said Havard. The PlayDate Atlanta crew, who attends every PlayDate affiliate launch, had to teach the guys how to play Musical Chairs properly. Havard said, “They [the dj] was playing sexy music and y’all was walking around [these ladies] like you don’t care.” The men of the Atlanta crew gave the ladies seductive lapdances, and sat on the ladies’ laps gently. The Charlotte PlayDaters took note and finish the job.

Red Light/Green Light

Red Light/Green light was another male training game. The tallest guys at the event were recruited to play. They had to give the shortest and most petite women horsey rides. They crawled across the floor as fasted as they could all while listening for the signal “Red Light…Green Light!” The guys unknowingly prioritized keeping the women safe from falling off and hitting the hardwood floor. The womens safety became more important than winning the game. Fantasy Double Dutch and Simon Says finished off the signature game series around 12:30 A.M.

The signature game series was over, but people were still trickling in at 12:40 A.M. PlayDate volunteer Josette Faison, said that the ticket sells did not slow down until around midnight. She said that number of on-the-spot sales ticket sales almost matched the number of advance ticket sales. The $10 price tag and nostalgic atmosphere the event promised created a buzz that brought people out. Harris says, “We are economy friendly and we are getting the parents and older folks to come.” She continues, “We have light security because this type of environment fosters a good feeling…and if you are trying to act a fool take it somewhere else.”

PlayDate Charlotte is the ’somewhere else’ to go if you want to stop putting on the cool, grown and sexy act and just be you. Raf Q said, “The key to having good time at PlayDate is to act like a kid.”

Living the Pop Life

Kia O. Moore

Pop Life is a social networking event that showcases eclectic soul music on a weekly basis. It occurs every Wednesday after 6 P.M. at Apostrophe Lounge, an upscale bar located at 1440 South Tryon. Pop Life is an event that allows people to search for money, sex or that pop to make their lives a little more interesting.

It is the creative spawn of Carlton Hargro and Mike Kitchen. Hargro is the current editor and chief of Creative Loafing Charlotte. Kitchen, better known as Kitch, is the owner of the soul music promotion company Sol Kitchen.

According to Hargro, Pop Life is a classic case of the event theory. Hargro says that every event is really about sex or money. “People come to try to increase their money, or try to find somebody to have sex with. We [Pop Life] do both. And it might be the same person.” Sex and money may be the underline objectives of Pop Life, but the main goal is to provide  a different type of Charlotte nightlife experience.

Back in 2000, Kitch and a partner already had an event like Pop Life going.  “Flirt Wednesdays was an after-work event that played no mainstream music. Just like we do here [at Pop Life].” Kitch and his partner eventually ran into creative differences. Fast forward to May 2007; Kitch found Hargro to be a great partner to bring an event like Flirt Wednesdays back. The two shared the same views when it came to soul music and Charlotte nightlife. Flirt became Pop Life’s blueprint.

The idea of Pop Life emerged during a conversation between Kitch and Hargro.  Hargro expressed his desire to bring something different to Charlotte.  He wanted to create an event that served the public regular helpings of soul music. Hargro was use to hearing good soul music on a dailay basis before moving to Charlotte in 2006. “In Atlanta you could hear soul music every single day. You can go to any little, raggedy establishment and they’re playing incredible music and it has a great mix of people.” A week before Hargro’s moved, he was introduced to Kitch.  Hargro says, “When I came down Mike took me under his wing and showed me all around Charlotte.” Hargro  instantly noticed the lack of soul music nightlife events.

Kitch and Hargro decide that they would be the ones to create an event that regularly exposed Charlotte dwellers to alternative soul music. When creating Pop Life, the two wanted it to have a name that was different. ”The named Pop Life is suppose to be a satire about Charlotte’s nightlife,” Kitch explained. He feels that Charlotte nightlife mainly caters to individuals interested in being part of popular culture. “It [Pop Life] is making fun of popular culture. Everything you see here is not popular culture.”

Hargro gives an additional reason for the events name. Hargro says the song by Prince titled ”Pop Life” inspired the events name too.  He explains, “There was a line in the song that says, ‘Life ain’t very funky unless you got that pop.’”  This line describes people that need that extra something to make their lives more interesting.

Pop Life is an event that changes venues as often as Prince changes his image.  Hargro and Kitch feel each venue shows a different side of Pop Life.  “When it was at PreVue, it had more of a dance feel. When it was at Loft, it was a little more expansive. It was bigger and people could go outside. Now here [at Apostrophe] it’s a little loungier and a little more intimate,” says Hargro.

Jimmy and Myk have attended Pop Life since it began, back in May 2007. Myk feels that Pop Life has transitioned from Charlotte undeground status  to Charlotte pop culture status.  Myk says, “Now it’s changing up. It is growing in a good way and it’s growing in a bad way too. People are not really trying to dance. They’re not trying to have fun, as we [Jimmy and I] would say fun. People are worried about what they look like and not really trying to sweat. I think that kinda is a problem.”

Jimmy agrees. “When it was at PreVue, it was more of a mix of people. You got the urban professional, you know, the grown & sexy people, and at the same time you got the people that were just there to have a good time, like the b-boys [breakdancers].” Jimmy feels that Pop Life no longer has the kaleidoscope of personalities it once did. Jimmy thinks the event is now geared toward “urban professionals.”

Jimmy’s perception of  Pop Life’s “urban professionals” target market is somewhat correct. Kitch, however, uses the term loosely when describing the attendees.  Kitch hates the term urban professional. “If you work and know how to conduct yourself, you’re a professional.” Kitch says that Pop Life’s target market is open minded people, no matter their background.

Hargro says Pop Life is a place to provide all people a “shelter from the mundane BET ‘106 & Park’ bulls**t and MTV crap.” Jimmy’s view of Pop Life’s contradicts the anti-mainstream theme. He describes Pop Life as becoming a more mainstream nightlife event. He says people who attend mainstream events rely on MTV and BET to define their culture. “Pop Life is trying to expose people to another type of culture of: art, music, dress and so forth,” says Kitch.

The question: Is Pop Life mainstream Charlotte nightlife or not?

It is up to those who attend Pop Life to decide.

CLUB 935 -THE RED ROOM

Provided by MetroProponent Newspaper

The minds behind 935- The Red Room have built an empire for Charlotte’s social scene. They have established and led the party scene to new levels of success with the proven ability to convey professionalism with entertainment. 935 is composed of the ultimate business team. Their solid and certified reputation for throwing events across the nation has placed them at the top of the game. With some strategic alliances, 935 is Charlotte’s newest sizzling entertainment scene “where the stars party”. It’s destined to be the finest nightlife spot for all. With a thriving vision, a dedicated crew, impeccable strategy, and the financial backing, 935-The Red Room possesses factors for long term success. The Grand Opening weekend of December 5, 2008 proved that 935 will redefine urban nightlife in Charlotte with creative concepts and memorable events ahead

935 is the new place for all types of social celebrations and entertainment events. Whether it’s a wedding reception to a birthday party, 935 is “THE” venue where service exceeds the competition. With customer service as top priority, all employees take the extra step to enhance customer satisfaction while going above and beyond expectations is the goal. If you are interested in hosting an event visit the website or call. Stop in for a Friday or Saturday with the stars or for a Soul Session Sunday. Come join the excitement, witness the Red Room, and determine for yourself why 935- The Red Room is the best.

Here’s an exclusive interview with a 935 representative (December2008).

Q: What’s up? Thanks for being here. You are in a position everyone in the event promotion field dreams of being, reputable, experienced, and yet still full of energy with so much more to come. I am glad to be here with you to discuss the new spot, Charlotte’s newest and hottest nightlife scene. So let’s get started.

Q: Why the name 935-The Red Room?
A: The address to 935 is 935 Summit Ave

Q: No one can succeed alone. You are no stranger to unbeatable joint ventures. 935 obviously consists of some powerful minds. How would you describe the team involved with 935’s formation?
A: The best of both worlds: Legendary promoters teamed up with experienced club owners teamed up with a dedicated group of go-getters.

Q: Who does 935 cater to?
A: It has a broad genre from ages 21-61. That’s the versatility of the club.

Q: Opening a business is the American dream. What does 935 mean to you?
A: The American Dream

Q: What sets 935-The Red Room apart from any other club in the Charlotte area?
A: The versatility of the venue; Such as the Red Room lounge and the main room. A main focus is dress code. Even though the club is a 21 and up club, if someone 50 comes in he or she shall feel comfortable when they party with the 21 year old. The décor is sleek, fresh and eye-catching not to mention it is a secured safe environment with a spacious well lit parking lot.

Q: What is the “Bottle Service” I hear about?
A: 935 offers VIP cabanas which consist of bottle service with a personal table waitress. This service is also available in the private Red Room VIP.

Q: How does somebody become a member of 935? Is there a cost?
A: You can visit the website www.club935.com and register for membership for $10 dollars.

Q: Can a person have a party at 935? How does that work?
A: Of course, book your party by calling and reserving the date. The entire club or sections of the club are available for parties. 704-334-4935

Q: Who are some of the stars that have already partied at 935?
A: Various hometown favorites, Kid Capri, Nia Long, Vince Carter, Bob Johnson, John Legend, Actor Leon, and the list goes on.

Q: Who are some future celebrity guests to come?
A: Raheem Devaughn, Rakeim, trying to secure Diddy, and the list goes on and on and on.

Q: In three words, describe 935- The Red Room.
A: Beautiful, Sexy, and Cool

Q: What are or will be the key factors to 935’s long-term success?
A: Outstanding customer service, good business ethics, and staying a step ahead of the game.

Q: Your affiliation with 935 proves you are an entrepreneurial success story, what advice would you give to someone just starting or with dreams of succeeding in your line of work?
A: WORK, WORK HARD, and HARD WORK

Provided by MetroProponent Newspaper