Club Reports: Independent Bar, The Beacham, The Basement, Suite B Lounge

Back to downtown Orlando last night but reversing things by beginning the night at I-Bar instead of ending there.  And you thought I had a routine!

Lighting tech Ernie continues to improve the light options in place at the club; lasers are coming!  And DJ Indie John putting out another great night of early to mid-80's Old Wave!

Sometimes the club is packed; and then sometimes the club is really packed!

Always a fascinating place on Saturday nights!

Anyone into 80's music needs to give this a try!

Moving down the road a few doors to The Beacham, formerly Tabu.

DJ Richie Rich (House of Blues) on the decks mixing Hip Hop, Reggae, Rap and some top 40.

With China (102JAMZ) serving as MC!

While radio station WJHM/102JAMZ moved last year from Urban Contemporary to more of a Rhythmic Top 40 format, Saturdays at The Beacham remain true to the station's prior focus.  And the place definitely JAMZ!

You can never go wrong with Go Go girls!

Like I said.

A visit to new bar/club The Basement, located appropriately enough below The Attic.

DJ Rich Mahogany playing Top 40.

The music is played at a lower volume so it's possible to talk to whoever you're with.

Last stop of the night, Suite B Lounge, for a buttered-popcorn vodka shot!

And DJ Aramix Vega (Senso Supper Club) mixing some Techno and Progressive!

This place was packed too!

Dance floor was full.

While some chilled in VIP.

Spotted: DJ J-13 (Firestone Live, Bikkuri Lounge, Lost In Trancelation) with friend.

The music was all non-vocal but high bpm's!

And a good time was had by all!

PI Update: The Power Grid

It's still here!  Come and see it before it's gone!

Lots of Mannequins discussion since we posted those interior photos earlier this week.  Remember that the dance club was only in that tan-painted section of the building.  The section painted dark brown housed offices and a kitchen.  That section has those exterior stairs.

Shortly after the clubs closed someone very closely related to this building told me that Mannequins can never be torn down because it housed the power grid to the entire Island.  So that was the reason for the Blog's early-position that Mannequins would not be torn down.  The picture above shows some of the electrical equipment that makes up the "power gird" but there's supposedly more to it in the lower level of the dark brown section of the club.  As I've never been in there I don't know more.

I do know this:  The Funmeister is missing along with the fun!

CW Update: Labor Day Tickets Now On Sale

Tickets are now on sale for Universal CityWalk's annual Labor Day Celebration. Taking place on the Sunday night of the upcoming holiday weekend at The Groove, this year they've got DJ M-Squared (Loft55, Vain), DJ ET (102JAMZ) and then headliner DJ Baby Anne (USA)!  Tickets are just $10 at CityWalk Guest Services.  This is a separately ticketed event.

Concert Report: DJ Paul Van Dyk (Firestone Live)

Firestone Live....again?  Yes, third time in three weeks because this is the place for EDM in Orlando!

With opening DJ Robb Blak (Roxy Nightclub, Bikkuri Lounge) spinning Trance to a huge crowd!

He's become the "go to" DJ for openings, having recently done so for Ferry Corsten (NL) & Gareth Emery (GB), among others!

But everyone is here for DJ/Producer and the No. 16 DJ in the world, Paul van Dyk (D), shown here from the tunnel arriving at the club!  Hasn't played Orlando since Electric Daisy Carnival in May, 2011.

Coming in and beginning his 2 hour set at 12:30am!

It can be difficult to differentiate between House and Trance sometimes but as far as I could tell it was an all-Trance set!

First time I've seen a DJ use two laptops!!

The place was packed and the crowd was psyched-up!

Incredible lighting provided by HTG!

He didn't play a Vocal Trance song until nearly a half-hour into the show!

Sorry for the distance of the photos in this article but the place was so packed that I camped out in the lighting booth and stayed there all night!

Working in the Lighting department, GregHTG (The Beacham, The Abbey, Roxy).

The one and only Jeff Kenney (HTG)!

With a little help from Alisa (Mannequins, Atlantic Dance Hall, House of Blues)!

The lighting indeed was most impressive!

A good time was had by all!

PVD signing autographs for ten minutes after his set!

New Party Cruise Option

Genting Group is a Malaysian company that has been trying to gain legislative approval to build a world-class resort and casino complex in downtown Miami, a plan that has yet to find success.  So for now they've built a much smaller casino on Bimini Island in the Bahamas called Resorts World Bimini and have begun ferry service to it from the Port of Miami.  But this is no tiny ferry boat; this is a huge cruise ship sized high speed vessel named Bimini Super Fast.  And they're offering a party cruise experience on weekend nights featuring DJ's from Miami!  For instance, DJ Cardi (Club Space, Pangea) is playing tonight, DJ Irie (Miami Heat, Passion Nightclub, The Groove) is coming soon, etc.

The night cruise departs Miami at 10pm and arrives in Bimini at 1am.  Although it's possible to get off, most partiers will stay on board for the Bimini departure at 3am, arriving back in Miami at 6am.  These weekend cruises are just $79 per person return plus tax, allowing you to party all night. The fare includes dinner and breakfast buffets! Optional cabins start at $50 per cabin with 1-4 berths including an en suite bathroom. Please note that since this is not a closed-loop cruise, a passport is required.  Hope to give this a try sometime!

This Weekend In Techno Town

THURSDAY AUG 8
Paul van Dyk (D) at Firestone Live!
($25)

FRIDAY AUG 9
80's Night Returns to The Abbey featuring live band Switch playing 80's hits with DJ BMF in between sets.  Always crowded, even more so when Switch performs.  Ladies, wear your 80's!
(FREE)

SATURDAY AUG 10
If you missed him in Orlando on Thursday night, the #16 DJ in the world is in Tampa on Saturday night at Amphitheatre.  Resident DJ DOCO opens and DJ Mondo (The Groove) follows!
($20)

EDM with a different perspective.  Tommie Sunshine (USA) at Firestone Live this Saturday night!
($10)

"Stereo Nights" returns to Suite B Lounge with DJ Evo (Firestone Live, Bikkuri Lounge), DJ J-13 (Firestone Live, Bikkuri Lounge) and DJ Aramix Vega (Senso).  House & Trance.
(FREE < 11pm, $5 > 11pm)

Back after a successful visit last April, DJ JessicaWho? brings her Top 40/House mix back to Tier Nightclub!
(FREE - $20)

PI Update: Exclusive 8TRAX Photos

8TRAX began as a 70's Disco club and later evolved into playing both 70's Disco & 80's Classics.  No matter your age, no matter your generation, everyone knew the words to every song!

In November, 2010 we published two articles full of pictures taken inside 8TRAX including this photo above of the main level dance floor.  To orient yourself, those stairs at the rear were the ones that came down from the front entrance on Hill Street.

And in August, 2013, the shocking reality.  8TRAX is about to bite the dust!  More photos from the anonymous reader who provided us the Mannequins photos we posted yesterday.

The latest Downtown Disney Guidemap shows 8TRAX gone while that same map shows Mannequins still standing there, at least for now.  But they really are one and the same building so how do you take down the 8TRAX section without damaging Mannequins?  Our anonymous photographer says that the floor is dug up to get to conduit, apparently to disconnect the two from each other!

I don't recognize this part of 8TRAX; perhaps it's upstairs.

Some of the junk collection that sits inside.  We've heard that 8TRAX at one time was the most profitable dance club in the United States on a per square foot basis.  Sadly, its days are truly numbered. 
Big thanks again to the person providing Save Pleasure Island Blog with these exclusive photos!

PI Update: Exclusive Mannequins Photos!

Mannequins Dance Palace on beautiful Pleasure Island.  Once voted the #1 dance club in America, the lighting and sound systems were years ahead of their time.  Next month it will be 5 years since the club closed and an on-going debate on this Blog has been whether the revolving dance floor is still inside the club and whether mannequins are still hanging inside!

An anonymous reader has emailed Save Pleasure Island Blog with exclusive photographs taken from inside Mannequins a few days ago.  Those questions have now been answered once and for all.  Yes, most certainly, the revolving dance floor is still in there and yes, most certainly, the mannequins are hanging all over the place!

This is what Mannequins looks like in August, 2013.  The club's sound systems, lighting and electronics were stripped after the club closed but interestingly, that light wall is still in place behind the stage and it was as much of a signature of the club as anything else.

This appears to be a view in the direction of the main lower entrance in the far corner.  The main bar, home in later years to bartenders Bobby C and Gordo, is to the far left while the DJ & tech booth is upstairs above it.

Looking down onto the dance floor from the now-stripped DJ booth.

Not positive but I think this might be "my spot" where I used to stand when not on the dance floor itself.  Don't stand in my spot!  In the background you can see the corner mannequins that were partly visible post-closure when peeking in the upstairs smoking area door.

Anyone remember a bartender named Dawn that used to work from over here?

Records used to be played in Mannequins but the players stayed covered during later years when everything was off CD's.  But even just 5 years ago Mannequins was pre-laptop!

Big thanks to the person providing Save Pleasure Island Blog with these exclusive photos!  We also have a few shocking 8TRAX photos to publish tomorrow morning.  As far as I know these are the first photos ever published of the inside of MDP post-closure, other than the 2 we published in January, 2010 taken from outside the garage door.  The sender reports that the A/C is still running and the place is in good condition. Would this not be a huge grand slam home run for Disney if they refurbished and reopened it as a dance club in some form?  Stay tuned as the saga continues!

Breaking News: We've Got Pictures!

The two largest controversies of our time:  Is the revolving dance floor still inside Mannequins?  Are there still mannequins hanging inside Mannequins? 

Well we've got the answers to those longstanding questions and the pictures will amaze you!  Tune in tomorrow morning at 7AM EDT / 1200 GMT+1 here on Save Pleasure Island Blog.