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Child’s
play pays for nightclubs
by
Joshua Covington
For Virginia Business
February 2004
Walk
into a nightclub or trendy pub and chances are you’ll
see a fashionably dressed patron sitting at the bar,
swigging from a bottle. Arlington’s Iota Club
and Café is no exception, although you may find
yourself doing a double take when you see some of the
customers. Most clubs these days host all-ages shows
for musical entertainment, but the Iota has taken the
concept one step farther with an afternoon concert series
for children. As a result, some patrons sport the latest
leak-proof Huggies, and the bottle they tip from is
filled with orange juice.
The Iota Club, which typically hosts local musical talent,
poetry readings and an open mic night, started the kiddie
concerts about two years ago after a children’s
performer proposed the idea to the club’s owners.
Held several times a month, the children’s shows
have featured some of the biggest names in the genre
such as Ralph Covert of Ralph’s World, Last Train
Home and Dan Zanes. The shows, which run about $12 per
adult and $6 for kids, are aimed toward preschool children
and have steadily gotten more popular — probably
because the parents enjoy it almost as much as their
children. After all, they get to go to a venue more
mature than the neighborhood Chuck E. Cheese, and listen
to music that, while lyrically aimed at kids, still
has plenty of rockin’ riffs.
The kiddie concert craze has taken off nationwide. Indeed,
while a 4-year-old in a club atmosphere may seem bizarre,
it has not deterred many parents from bringing their
children to the Iota to enjoy the fun. No-smoking signs
are posted throughout and a conscious effort is made
to give the club a family friendly atmosphere. According
to co-owner Jane Negrey Inge, the parents often appreciate
the entertainment as much as their youngsters do. Since
the idea’s conception, children’s acts have
clamored to get in Iota’s door and the concert
series has steadily gained an enthusiastic audience.
“People come to the shows and know all the words
to the songs,” says Inge. Plus, it’s great
for the club, which gets to book shows during the day,
bringing in extra revenue usually reserved for nighttime
gigs.
Despite the afternoon concerts’ surge in popularity,
no other Virginia clubs seem to be hopping aboard, leaving
the Iota Club and Café with a full share of the
kiddie market, so don’t look for your favorite
hangout to turn into a haven for tykes any time soon.
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