Downtown Update: Remembering Antigua

As I was wandering down Church Street last weekend, looking at ghosts of nightclubs past, I came across the former home of Antigua.

The club actually carried a Caribbean island theme as the name would suggest. When the place was empty, which wasn't often, one could see the island village decor towards the rear.

With this large fish tank flanking the main dance floor and stage.

DJ Nova (USA) was one of the residents there; he's now headlining clubs in Las Vegas!

On Friday & Saturday nights, the place was packed as seen in these 2009 photos!

Hip Hop & Top 40 were big here, something I wasn't too thrilled with but this was just prior to the explosion in EDM.

Considering its popularity, I have no idea why they closed Antigua.  After a renovation, it reopened as Don Jefe's Tequila Parlour.  Too large, it was split down the middle with Don Jefe's on one side and The Dubliner Irish Social House on the other side.  Playing mostly Hip Hop, neither would last very long.

The place would do well again if they resurrected it!

At Antigua, you could never go wrong with Go Go girls!

A good time was had by all!

The lights still shine at night, but they've been closed for more than a year now and are part of the bleakness that is much of Church Street.

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY MAR 31
Free for UCF students, DJ duo Chainsmokers (USA) plays CFE Arena on the UCF campus tomorrow night! DJ Daya (B) opens. EDM

FRIDAY APR 1
What better way to begin April than with a night of House music from the likes of DJ's X-Andy & Rob Prynge at Peek Downtown! House/Deep House

SATURDAY APR 2
Encore means electronic music at Gilt Nightclub and the series continues this Saturday night with Ghastly (USA) in the booth! Dubstep/Bass

It's been awhile since we've seen veteran DJ Chris Hand dba DJ Knightlife (USA) play and this one looks to be a good one. Peek Downtown Saturday night.  Classic Trance 

Meanwhile over in Tampa, DJ Laidback Luke (NL) will be playing above the revolving dance floor at Amphitheatre in Ybor City.  House/Electrohouse

PI Update: DJ STK

Columnist Dewayne Bevil of the Orlando Sentinel published an article in yesterday's edition of the paper about the upcoming STK steakhouse, opening later this spring in Disney Springs.  And there is quite a bit of chatter in the article confirming that STK will be offering DJ entertainment, something the Blog has been telling you for at least two years now!  I'm excited about the food but I'm really excited about the entertainment.  Quoted in the article is STK CEO Jonathan Segal who says, "A DJ just reads the room. And he'll play the genre, the beat, the rhythm, the style of music that engages the guests."  So we need to get the EDM crowd out there when they open and show them that House music draws!  We'll keep you updated.  STK is located facing West End Plaza on the Pleasure Island section of Disney Springs, where Comedy Warehouse once stood.  Read the entire article here.

PI Update: Remembering The Bypass

Most of the early construction in converting Downtown Disney into Disney Springs took place on Pleasure Island.  They were able to demolish Comedy Warehouse, Laffers Cantina, Curl and the front of 8TRAX without interfering with pedestrian traffic flow but there came a time in late-2013 when it was necessary to route guests around the demolition zone.  In order to do that, a pedestrian bypass causeway was built over the waters of Village Lake.  Heading east, it began here near Characters In Flight and looped around BET Soundstage Club.

It was a lonely expanse but only took a few minutes to traverse.

For a time, the Pleasure Island stop of the Downtown Disney water taxi service was connected to the bypass.

Today, with the main pathway reopened, it's the bypass that is closed to the public.  The easternmost section of the path was demolished to make way for the brand new Pleasure Island water taxi stop between Paradiso 37 & The Hangar.  The westernmost section still goes as far as here, connecting back to land between the Adventurers Club skeleton and Paradiso 37.  It's used only to service the latter. Presumably this remaining section too will get demolished when The Edison & Walt's Place get ready to open. 

Concert Report: DJ Jordan Suckley (Bikkuri Lounge)

They want you to think that this is just a sushi & noodle bar.  And indeed, if you were just driving by, that's what it would seem to be. But that's just a front. Because in the back alley, there's an unmarked entrance to a place called Bikkuri Lounge!

And once per month it's home to "Lost In Trancelation", Orlando's home of Trance!

Resident DJ Suzy Solar (USA) was in the booth when I arrived around midnight!

Dance floor was just filling up but those on it were going crazy!

And within fifteen more minutes it got like this!

Showing off her wristband collection, Suzy's monthly shows in Orlando usually take place on the last weekend of each month!

"Next DJ ready to take over, but first, let me take a selfie!"

Taking control at 12:30AM, DJ Jordan Suckley (GB).

And he turned it up a notch with a faster-paced Trance set!

And he whipped the crowd into a frenzy!

Dancing in all the corners!

It was so uplifting, I finally had to ask Suzy Solar if this faster, louder type of Trance had it's own genre name. She referenced Armin van Buuren's "Who's Afraid of 138?" label. I never knew!

Club stayed jammed!

Spotted doing purple: Harley Hawtsauce & Sage Sappho

Spotted on the deck: Opening DJ Robb Blak

Song selections were a mix of vocal and non-vocal, all at fast bpm's!

That look of Trance!

Jordan Suckley's U.S. tour takes him to El Paso & Dallas next weekend followed by Scottsdale and Los Angeles!

DJ Adam Ellis (GB) plays here at Bikkuri for "Lost In Trancelation" on Friday, April 29th! Don't miss it!  Details here.

A good time was had by all!

Club Reports: The Abbey, Eve Nightclub

Always try to hit up 80's Night at The Abbey whenever they have it which seems to run once every month or two!

Last night live band Rockit Fly was alternating with a DJ for 80's music!

You never know what kind of 80's you're gonna get here.  Would it be 80's New Wave like at I-Bar?  Would it be 80's Kitsch like at BackBooth?  No, last night it was 80's Hair Bands like Bon Jovi!

No shortage of rocker chicks!

Dance floor was packed!

DJ Chris delivered more popular 80's hits between band sets.

Dance floor stayed no less populated!

Soul Train style line!

80's Night at The Abbey begins early at 8PM and runs to a little after midnight!

Now over to Blog-favorite Eve Nightclub!

New Friday night House night hosted by DJ Carlos Mendoza (USA)!

Dance floor was jammed early!

Last night's guest DJ, from Club Space in Miami, DJ PatrickM (USA).

Looks like this new night is going to be a big success!

House music all night long!

You can never go wrong with Go Go acrobat girls!

I see them everywhere!!

PatrickM mixing pure House with some songs I actually recognize from Electric Area on satellite radio!

Spotted backstage: DJ duo Elias R & Carlos Mendoza

Bar areas stayed packed too!

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A good time was had by all!