New downtown dance club has 'atmosphere'

By James Restivo

For the Daily

Where antique lamps and pottery once were sold now appear window dancers as an aggressive advertising technique to lure students to downtown Ann Arbor's new Millennium Club.

While most clubs have flyers and inserts, the new nightclub has "tasteful" window dancers for appeal, said Nick Easton, owner and manager of the new club.

"We do have dancers in the windows - pretty girls in their 20s that allure people to the club," Easton said. "It's a lot of fun, but it is tasteful."

The new window dancers are now inviting students and city residents alike into the new club spawned by the owner of the already-established Cavern Club, located in the same building.

Ann Arbor resident Cicily McClintic auditioned to dance at the new Millennium Club but was not picked.

"All the girls they picked were very similar to each other, in a Britney Spears kind of way. They need to rethink the audience they are appealing to," McClintic said.

The club, which is an extension of the Cavern Club, has been very popular since it opened in late August. The two clubs combined hold up to 600 people and Easton says they have been filled the last few weekends.

Originally, Easton had constructed an antique shop in the space that is now the Millennium Club. But the liquor license from the Cavern Club applied to the entire building, so he decided to convert the extra space.

He said the facilities are perfect for a club. "Atmosphere is important, and I believe this place has a lot of atmosphere," Easton said.

Customers pay one cover charge for both of the connected clubs, varying from $3 to $7. As with the old Cavern Club, both are reserved only for patrons 21 and older.

Once inside, the club boasts a size of 6,000 square feet and full bars and dance floors.

The Millennium Club, located at 210 South First Avenue, has more open space for dancing than the Cavern Club, which is composed of tunnels and smaller rooms. Music varies from night to night, with modern techno on Fridays and top 40 on Saturdays.

Easton said it is quality music that will attract the clientele. "Music determines the type of people this club will attract," he said. "We have good quality musicians and excellent DJs."

The club boasts three DJs and several local bands operating on a rotating circuit. If someone does not like modern and pop music, a trip upstairs reveals the rhythm and blues styling of the Cavern Club. The two clubs in conjunction bring ages ranging from 21 to 40s, Easton said.

With such a varied crowd of people, safety is an issue that Easton would like to impress upon clients. Police have been spotted at the club the past few weeks, but Easton said they do not signify problems.

"We have a wholesome, clean club," he said. "The police are always welcome and violence and safety have not been issues. We have been very successful."

While success may be good news for the Millennium Club, it is located within two blocks of the Blind Pig and Eight Ball, two other well-known Ann Arbor night spots.

Blind Pig bartender Jeremy Steinke said he is not nervous about the competition.

"We play two totally different genres of music," Steinke said. "Our clients come for live rock and roll music. Nobody's worried."

The Blind Pig also allows students who are 19 and over.

"There are many types of people in this town," Easton said. "With the right advertising this town is big enough for the amount of clubs it has."

JOYCE LEE/Daily

The Millennium Club, a new downtown dance club on First Avenue, offers window dancers to lure students inside.