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CD players. rebuilt DJbooth,whichwillsooninclude Technics’ new there.” The digitalrevolution hasalsocometoAvalon’s so richthatpeopledon’tevennoticeifthelaserisn’t all ourparcansandjustusetheLEDs. The washes are but it’s never beenusedonthedancefloor. We of gotrid messages. Warboys said, “LED iseverywhere now, right neon onthetrusses,andamatrixbuiltforscrolling LEDoutfit.spheric The ColorKineticssystemincludes whole new system,anew truss laser, andanatmo- January, willbeabrand new system.” Included isa tions as “major, in-houseimprovements that,by Designer Richard Warboys the2003renova- described dominance inBoston’s bustling collegeclubscene. massive mainroomlightingsystem,meanttoextendits busy thisyear withahardcoreoverhaul oftheclub’s year’s winnerinthiscategory, have beenespecially The in-housetechsatBoston’s Avalon, original last AVALON, . . . . .

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BEST . . . . . –DC makes itarival fortherestofnation. ’s anything inSanDiego, audio/visualsystem surpasses and 52 colors, alldesigned andinstalledby localoutfit The DJ Store, On laser shooter, themainroomintoarainbow andlightsthatcanturn of bubble andconfettimachines,DVD capabilities,satellite-fedmusic,a ’80s. Andwithmorethan100speakers, two70-inchvideomonitors, chill intheswankUltraLoungeand goretrowithhitsfromthe’70sand venture downstairstomovethelatestdesignerhip-hopandR&B, or roof: Patronscandanceupstairstohardandprogressivehouse, watt soundsystem,OnBroadway offers threemusic underone formats America.North Completewithacomputerized lightshow and90,000- , andoneofthemostconsistentlypackedlargerooms in SanDiegotransforms intothecity’s mosthappening On weekends,the25,000square-footBroadwayEventCenter in ON BROADWAY, SAN DIEGO LEVEL, will alsoheedthisadvice. worked for Level. Hopefully, thenext occupantsofthismagicalspace theirguests,”entertaining Kelly opines. That simpledirective certainly success? “Ithinkthatanybodywhoownsanightclub…shouldbe people thatyou would never expect.” The secretofLevel’s long-term Kelly, “from Faye Dunaway toBarbaraStreisandJack Nicholson, faces. comethroughthedoor,”“I hadabout298celebrities remembers jet-setting partypeople,andabewilderingassortmentoffamous exotic mixtureofSoBeclubkids,performanceartists,runwaymodels, 44,000 squarefootspacewassoonpackedfivenightsaweek,withan had adifferent theme, andeachroom haditsown uniquevibe. The multiple environmentstoprovidesomethingforeveryone.Eachnight mammoth nightclubflourished. Kelly tookadvantage oftheclub’s Kelly, Gerry andhautecouturier the guidanceofimpresario the came togetherattherighttimeandplace,Levelwasborn.Under Passion, Paragon, andGlamSlam. Finally, in1999,therightpeople Eventually, itbecameClubZ,andthen1235,Deco’s, Club and nightclub. Afew years later, itwas converted intoamovie house. many things.Itoriginallyopeneditsdoorsin1934asaFrenchcasino The building at1235 Washington Avenue inMiamiBeachhasbeen –JL –LG SOUND FACTORY, NEW YORK If you want drama you’ve come to the right place, because Sound Factory is going to give it to you. Whether it’s via elaborate theme nights with costumed performers and club-wide decorations, or high-profile resident DJ oustings, or the aggressive presence of super- powered sound in every nook and cranny (we’re talking major fill speakers here), the Factory is the ultimate to-the-hilt underground experience for clubbers both straight and . The institution’s rich history began with its first life at 230 West 27th Street (first SF, then , now Spirit) and Junior Vasquez’s musically explosive residency there. The club moved to its current 46th Street home on December 31, 1996, but this year attempted a return to the after-hours glory of its original incarnation by replacing seven-year resident Jonathan Peters (who himself fashioned a so loyally attended that it made it onto MTV’s radar) with Vasquez on nights. But even without a high-profile jock, the Factory is impressive: You won’t find a more dominating sound system in NY (Crown power and custom GSA boxes), or a more loaded light rig (Clay Paky Stage Colors to Elation Color Spots to an old Coemar Venus). All that stretched over four

levels full of secluded couches and secret corners? That’s New York clubber paradise. –KLM

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CLUB SYSTEMS INTERNA SYSTEMS CLUB TIONAL

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