Rock N' Roll All Night
By Reyan Ali |
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On any given weekend night, dozens of spots in Columbus are filled with dancers moving long into morning's earliest hours. More often than not, you'll find soundtracks that consist of some combination of hip-hop, Top 40 pop, and electronica. However, on the second Saturday of every month, one anomaly of an event goes down in an unlikely place.
Sometime past 11 p.m. or midnight, hundreds shuffle into the Ravari Room, a grungy Clintonville bar whose stage is typically occupied by confrontational metal and obscure experimental rock. Its patrons are here to party, yes, but it's to an unusual indie and rock 'n' roll-heavy playlist. Powered by names like Modest Mouse, David Bowie, The Strokes, and the Rolling Stones, the odd dance mix found here is exactly what makes The Clampdown so attractive.
Sharing its moniker with a Clash track from playlist favorite London Calling, The Clampdown is a creation of veteran DJ Charles Erickson, 31. After noticing similarly themed indie/Brit pop-friendly dance events elsewhere, Erickson couldn't locate one in Columbus. Eager to make an equivalent of his own, a fortuitous link led him to then-in-construction Ravari in 2003. He discussed his ideas with the venue's owner and was soon laying the groundwork for the event's inauguration. By the success of the first party in October 2004, the concept had cracked an opening into the city's club scene.
Aside from the esoteric soundtrack, a few other key traits separate The Clampdown from other dance events.
Mainly, the Ravari Room's comparatively low capacity for a club (250 to 300, although more have packed in) allows for a more intimate atmosphere. Here, the place's pit turns into a dance floor and the snaking cozy areas past the wide bar evolve into a lounge. Erickson asserts that the locale's size is ideal, considering The Clampdown's focus.
"Any niche market is going to have a hard time being in a bigger place," he said. Even though the event has stopped by the much-larger Newport before, Erickson has no current plans to move it away from its present home. The space isn't the only perk: the Ravari's unrefined vibe imbues the rock 'n' roll grooves with a sense of credibility.
Since its inception, The Clampdown has always been free. In addition to the lack of a cover, a cool perk that Erickson says will never change, every party also has a sponsored giveaway. While the affair once offered opportunities to win stuff like concert tickets and clothing, Erickson has culled down the prizes to one killer gift: a new guitar from Guitar Center. With one instrument handed off per event, Erickson mentions that the novelty of the guitar raffle occasionally incites the attendance of people who ordinarily might not come by.
The Clampdown's crowd also sets it apart.
"I run into a lot of friends [here] that I only get to see once a month because of conflicting schedules," says Rieta Penzone, a twenty-something from Grandview who has been attending the event since it began. "It's such a great place for us to unwind from our grueling workweek by dancing to some good music and having a few drinks."
Marcus Matthews, 33, is a Clampdown veteran who enjoys the atmosphere: "You don't have the stuffy environment. You don't have a strict dress code. You come to have some fun and dance to music that you wish you'd hear at clubs."
"Another difference from other dance parties is that [The Clampdown] has almost a concert feel," adds Erickson's co-DJ Lance Keeney, 35. "People are always clapping after the songs as if we just performed [them]."
Erickson believes the nights are still young for the event, and time hasn't slowed the party. "It's been going on five years now," he notes. "We still pack the place every time."
The Clampdown
Saturday, May 9th
10:00 p.m.
Ravari Room
2657 N High St.
(614) 263-4058
www.myspace.com/clampdown
Originally Published: May 1, 2009
