Seattle has long been a city friendly to the 18+ clubbing community. But lately, this has come under fire from city officials in the wake of negative stigma surrounding dance music, the club scene, and a number of other factors. Perhaps the most well-known and frequented 18+ club in the city has been Volume Nightclub, having played host in the past to artists like Krewella, Deorro, Zomboy, and plenty more. Soon though, the Seattle fixture will be holding their last ever 18 and over event, converting into a full on 21+ venue. Sadly, efforts to petition the city to allow their younger patrons continued access have fallen on deaf ears.
“This decision was not made by choice, we are just as disappointed as many of our patrons and supporters are. The City of Seattle and Seattle Police Department simply do not approve of 18+ parties, and this is something we have had to deal with from the very start when we first started hosting 18+ nights. Every club and promoter group hosting 18+ events in the city has been receiving pressure.” –Volume Nightclub
With Volume’s liquor license set to expire at the end of March, the city has used this as leverage to make ending 18+ nights a requirement for renewal. It’s certainly an unfortunate scenario, but it does afford Volume an opportunity to ensure that underage drinking no longer has even a small chance of occurring on their watch. Kids will be kids, and more often than not someone else’s poor decisions get placed squarely on the shoulders of venues.
This represents a tectonic change in our local nightlife that no longer has many places for the 18+ crowd. Pressure from the city and Liquor Control Board has upped the age of entry into a vibrant scene, making it so venues like the Showbox, WaMu, the Neptune, and the Crocodile are acting as the last bastions for younger show-goers. That said, it also represents the next step for Volume, a club that has seen a resurgence in recent months. Converting to 21+ nights could very well end up working in their favor moving forward, especially in terms of continuing to gather a more mature and informed weekend clientele.
Volume’s final 18+ nights will take place between March 25-April 1, kicking off with Darren Styles this Thursday night. Locals like Johnny Monsoon, YUP, Myk Zilla, and more will also be gracing the decks in the ensuing days, before the final 18+ event on April 1st featuring Valentino Khan. See below for the official statement from Volume, including a heartfelt show of gratitude for our local scene.
[divider]A Farewell to 18+ From Volume Nightclub[/divider]
“Volume would like to thank everyone that has supported our weekly 18+ parties. We love the Seattle electronic music community and take pride in our eye for spotting rising talent. Volume has introduced the Seattle scene to artists such as Deorro, Krewella, Zomboy, GTA, Luminox, Etc!Etc!, and many more. In addition, a majority of the top Seattle locals were given their first chance at the club gig via Volume, it has been amazing to see so many locals grow as artists. We’ve had a lot of unforgettable moments over the past few years. Whether you are a current or past Volume patron, we hope that your parties and memories with us have been fun!”
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