Youths get new pursuit

      Underage clubs in the Las Vegas Valley have traditionally been as successful as smoke-free casinos and Susan B. Anthony dollar-operated slot machines. But a group of local entrepreneurs think they've opened a venue which can shake that history.
      The Dec. 26 opening of The Ozone, 722 Sunset Road, marked the newest pursuit to appeal to the under-18 masses, while still providing an environment for the over-21 crowd to enjoy live music.
      "There's always been a lack of venues for our size shows," said co-owner Tom Anderson. "It's always been hit or miss."
      Actually, when it comes to the local music scene, it's been mostly -- if not always -- miss. But the owners of The Ozone think they have found the solution to the puzzle: strength in numbers. Once direct competitors, the five partners have banded together, each with their own personal strength, to create -- what they hope -- is a successful combination.
      Brothers Chris and Jim Bartoli, who have promoted numerous shows in both Las Vegas and Los Angeles as Bartoli Brothers Entertainment, banded with Anderson, who promoted many successful shows last summer at the Triple J Casino in Henderson and also promotes kick boxing, after Anderson had a falling out with the Triple J's owners. The three teamed with Mila Ortiz, president of Princess Promotions, and Kirk Moll, publisher and editor of Picks & Sticks Magazine (which focuses on the local rock scene) and owner of The Alamo Rehearsal Studios, to create a club where they could pool their resources.
      "I thought, `Hey, there's money to be made and there's a definite need for a venue,' " Anderson said. "And that's when we started talking. These guys basically had the same ideas."
      "The only negative is we all want to do everything," Chris Bartoli said. "But we're doing pretty good. You just have to shut the ego down once in a while."
      First a site needed to be found for their club. Over five months, the partners looked at about 30 different spots before settling on the Henderson location.
      "What really sold me on it was in November when I read in the paper Henderson is the fastest growing community in the United States," Jim Bartoli said. "And then you look around and there's nothing for the kids there."
      However, the owners know the club will not survive without valleywide support. But through their unification and years of expertise, the owners believe they know what concertgoers want to see -- regardless of age.
      "We want to create a concert atmosphere here that doesn't exist at other local clubs," Moll said. "This is a concert club. This is not a lounge like the rest of the places bands usually play at. Our demographics on that is, whoever wants to see a band in a concert atmosphere is going to come to this club.
      "It's geared to teen-agers, but it's open to everybody."
      The owners said one of the main problems they faced promoting shows at other clubs was the large amount of underage people they would have to turn away at the door. With the opening of The Ozone, they think they have solved the dilemma.
      The Ozone features music ranging from metal to punk to ska, and will also house raves and other dance-related events. However, club owners said they are shying away from rap acts because of the increased likelihood of gang activity taking place at the club.
      The owners have gone to great lengths to ensure safety inside and outside The Ozone. Before opening, they met with Henderson Police Chief Tommy Burns in an attempt to coordinate efforts to keep potential trouble to a minimum. The owners said patrons will not be allowed to go in and out of the club, thus eliminating the possibility of kids going outside to drink alcohol or take drugs. The restrictions and cooperation with local authorities are the primary reasons the owners think the community will be supportive of The Ozone.
      "These kids have been doing these shows in warehouses, the desert and other places their parents would deem unsafe, at the very least," Anderson said. "This is a safe haven for them to come É and their parents know where they are."
      The owners extended an open invitation to any parent who wishes to check out the club's environment. But while the owners want to label the club "parent-friendly," they know such a tag could potentially keep some kids away. Yet, it is those kids which will dictate the future of the club.
      "The kids need to come out and support us if they want it," Chris Bartoli said. "Because they're going to make or break us."
      "The youth out there have grown in great numbers, and they don't have a place to go," Moll said. "I think they're going to turn out for music if they have a chance."
      With most shows priced at $7, the owners compared the price of seeing live music acts to the cost of going to a movie. The 5,500-square-foot club, which has an occupancy of about 400, features an 18-by-32-foot stage complete with sound and lights to accommodate both local and national acts. There is also a small arcade inside the club, as well as a concessions area with soft drinks and snacks. An area for local performers to sell merchandise is planned for the near future, as is a limited-service kitchen, which will probably debut in February.
      While currently unable to sell alcohol, club owners said they eventually would like to be licensed to sell beer and well drinks. However, they said such sales would be limited to concerts featuring nationally known acts.
      The Ozone's owners said they have received great response from local and national promoters since the club opened. While plans for the club include smaller national acts, the owners want to establish The Ozone as the place for local bands to rise to greater prominence.
      "We want to be like Los Angeles," Moll said. "Picture the Roxy and the Whiskey A Go Go down there. That's how we want to be."
      For roster and booking information for The Ozone, call 564-6303. All shows start at 8 p.m. and doors open at 6 p.m.