Seattle’s club scene is one that’s seen itself blow up in just the last two years. We’ve all become familiar with spots like Foundation and Q Nightclub, both of which are fixtures with their amazing club nights throughout the week. But in the background, one club has quietly been drawing crowds on a regular basis. It’s only lately though that the city has begun to stand up and take notice. On the strength of a couple massive bookings in Andrew Rayel and Joel Fletcher over recent months, Aston Manor has shown that they’re ready to step into the spotlight as the next major player.
[pullquote]”The more I learn about the place, the more excited I get. People come here and feel like they belong here.” –Shahin Sean Mafi[/pullquote]
Enter Shahin Sean Mafi, the Aston Manor’s newest VIP manager. Mafi is a man who’s new to the club, but certainly not new to Seattle nightlife, having helped run Q’s VIP for two years. After an amicable departure, he’s arrived at Aston as a new face with big ideas, ready to help take them to the next level. Head down to Aston on any normal Friday night, and the place will be packed. Selling out their 17 VIP tables is a regular occurrence, and that’s without the regular bookings that competitors like Foundation and Q pull in.
Rather than building on big-name artists, Aston’s instead opted to go from the ground up. They’ll still haul in a name like Rayel, but the average weekend at the 1920s Prohibition-themed spot is about more than the person behind the decks. As Mafi says, “it’s 100% experience.” The decor is reminiscent of a bygone age of partiers; even the DJ booth is constructed from almost 90 year-old pieces pulled from a house in Capitol Hill. A night out at Aston Manor comes with one goal for its staff: To make sure everyone goes home happy. This is reflected no better than in Mafi, a man who cheerfully admits, “I just like taking care of people.”
Admittedly, the dancefloor can get pretty crowded, but there are ways we’ve found that make this more than easy to deal with. Before walking in, it’s important to understand one thing: Aston feels like more than your average club. More than that, “it’s a destination club,” located down in Sodo away from the average weekend foot traffic. It’s an upscale venue where a suit and tie or cocktail dress are far from out of place. If you’re looking to avoid the crowds down on the main dancefloor, the bar area behind the DJ booth is a perfect place to cool down, offering plenty of seating, as well as a spacious area to actually carry on a conversation (something all too rare in nightlife). Other options include the upstairs balcony area overlooking the floor, or of course one of their many incredibly well-tended VIP tables.
There are big things on the horizon for Aston Manor too. While we can’t divulge what exactly they are quite yet, we can promise that it’ll be worth your time and effort to get familiar with the venue. In the meantime the city’s eyes will be fixed on Sodo, directly at a club that’s already set to enter the ring with Seattle’s heavyweights as the weekend destination.
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