Friday, June 29, 2012

Remembering Clubs Matrix & Metropolis

 
Does anyone remember clubs Metropolis and Matrix?  Located at Pointe Orlando, they were venues at their peak in the early 2000's but gone by 2005.

Metropolis was the larger venue with plush decor set in Moulin Rouge red velvet. There was a dance floor to one side with a DJ booth behind glass overlooking it. There was a 13ft video wall at one end of the dance floor. The music was mostly Hip Hop during a period when Hip Hop was beginning to soar and Techno was fading. Pool tables were available too in what may have been Orlando's first "ultra lounge".

Matrix was directly opposite and paid admission to one club typically got you into the other club and you could go back and forth. Matrix was the high-tech, high-energy Techno club with sophisticated light and sound systems. The oddly shaped dance floor, poorly located pillars and a DJ booth that was removed from patrons limited its popularity.  The then-fading House scene didn't help matters either.  To me they played great Dance music like you'd hear on 95.3Party.  Disney couple Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake were known to visit here. I really liked the place; other than Mannequins it was hard finding EDM venues in Orlando during those years.

The spaces remained empty for years following their 2005 closure but most-recently have found new residents. The space that was formerly Metropolis (above) is now the home of The Pointe Performing Arts Center while the space that was formerly Matrix (left) is now the Improv Comedy Club & Dinner Theater.

5 comments:

  1. Back in 2001 when Mannequins was closed for three months for renovations, we went to these clubs a lot but they were a poor replacement. I remember they had these tough guys walking around the club barking orders about policy and one night it was directed at us...you see we all took our our little blinking club lights and they told us that that was not permitted. Huh? Anyway, we left.......

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  2. I remember that also!!

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  3. Both clubs had kind of a "cold" atmosphere to them. I don't think they were well-advertised either.

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  4. oh man this takes me back to my college days...around 2003.. We got there super early to get in free lol...great memories

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  5. I saw AJ from Backstreet Boys here once.

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