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That's okay, because it's actually possible to go out and have fun under the age of 21 By Matt Beat, Jayplay writer
It's Friday night and you head downtown to see your favorite band, the Ice Picks. Because the Ice Picks are from Russia, the band rarely makes it to Lawrence, so you've been waiting for this night for years. You walk in the door of the venue, and a big fellow who smells like Pabst Blue Ribbon abruptly pushes you back and asks, "can I see your I.D.?" You slowly hand over your driver's license. He examines the license for what seems like ten minutes, then looks up. "Sorry, this show is 21-to-enter," he says. "I can't let you in."
is 21-to-enter, no help.
Few choices are available for students born after November 4th, 1983, who want to hit the local nightlife scene. This forces students like Ojas Sampat, Philadelphia sophomore, to search for alternatives. On the weekends he'll typically see movies, go bowling or just hang out with friends. And there's always house parties. "At
Hampshire St., and the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts St., consistently host musicians and allow music fans under 21 to enter.
them." Sampati says.
One KU student, who prefers to be named "Jessica," has been getting into shows at 21-and-over bars for more than a year, and she's only 20. Jessica has a fake I.D., but only so she can see her favorite bands. Bars such as the Jackpot Saloon, 943 Massachusetts St., or the Replay Lounge, 946 Massachusetts St., are always 21-and-over bars, even though they mostly host musicians. However, bars such as the Bottleneck, 737 New
least in Lawrence there's a large number of people in the same boat as me who are under 21," Sampat says. About 14,000 University of Kansas students have not yet reached the 21-year milestone. Many of these students have friends who are 21 and older, however. "It does get annoying when you're around friends who are 21 and want to go out and you can't join them," Sampat says.
to enter.
"Many students under 21 just want to dance. For them, clubs are hard to find. There's Neon, the '80s dance party at the Bottleneck every Thursday night, but it's the only 18-to-enter night at the bar. Last Call, 729 New Hampshire St., and Coyote's, 1003 E. 23rd St., are both 18-to-enter every night both are in business. Students can also head to Olathe where they'll find Durango's (formerly Orlando's), the only club in the Kansas City metro area that has 18-to-enter nights. Owner Wendy Orlando is shocked to hear there are few clubs for students under 21 to visit in Lawrence. "You'd think in a college town there'd be more to choose from," Orlando says. She says just two years ago bars like the Granada, 1020 Massachusetts, Abe and Jake's, 8 E. 6th, and The Hawk, 1340 Ohio St., regularly had 18-to-enter nights. The Hawk used to be known as one of the few bars in Lawrence to let people under 21 through the door every Thursday night. Not anymore. Owner Jon Heleniak says it simply didn't have enough doormen to catch all of the underage patrons sneaking
drinks. He didn't want to risk someone from the Alcoholic Beverage Control Bureau catching an underage drinker and slapping him with a fine.
Durango's used to be 18-to-enter every night it was open. Now it is just three nights a week. Orlando says there are two reasons for the change. One is she was constantly being hassled by the city. Being the only dance club in town to let people under 21 in gets notice from lawmakers. "I was tired of dealing with them and tired of fighting," Orlando says. The other reason was the migration of older patrons to other bars. Orlando
says as people get older, they begin to get annoyed with all the younger customers coming in, so they head to where they can find more people their age. Orlando thinks business will improve with the change. "Now 18-year-olds will be forced to come in on certain nights, and other nights the older crowd will come back to us," Orlando says.
Orlando says.
Patrons under 21 have to pay a high price if they do want to join the older crowd. Jack Flanigan's, the other club in Lawrence that has 18-to-enter nights, charges customers under 21 $8 to enter on Saturday nights, while customers older than 21 enter free. Most bar owners will charge more to make up for the money they lose from the customers not buying alcohol.
alcohol Bar owners who have 18-to-enter nights have more to worry about than losing
money from the lack of alcohol purchases. Sometimes they could lose their license. "The police won't leave you alone," Toni Cloud, co-owner of the Vinewood Roadhouse, 2848 29th St. in Topeka, says. Cloud says many bar owners are tired of dealing with the Alcoholic Beverage Control Bureau, but says she can deal with them coming in. "You have to take the good with the bad." Cloud says.
good with the bad, Cloud says.
"But these kids need a place to go, and honestly I think they're safer here than anywhere else in Topeka," Cloud says. The Vinewood Roadhouse, the only bar in Topeka that allows 18-year-olds to enter, started allowing them Aug. 1 to help change the image of the bar. The bar usually tends to have an older crowd, and Cloud is trying to get more college students to come." I never agreed with the drinking age anyways," Cloud says. "If you're old enough to fight for your country, you're old enough to drink, and I think many 18-year-olds are just as responsible as 21-year-olds."
Though hard to find, clubs and bars are out there to cater to underage students' needs. Still, students like Michael Nelson, Topea sophomore, say there's plenty to do other than go clubbing. Nelson enjoys going to coffee shops, art exhibits, parties and just to other friends' houses to hang out. The one time he did go to The Hawk, he says there were so many restrictions it took the fun out of being there. "You don't have to drink to have a good time," Nelson says, "but basically people go to bars to drink—that's why they're in business."
Where to go if you're under 21
In Lawrence:
In Lawrence:
Jack Flanigan's, 806 W.24th
Wednesdays: Alternative Lifestyles Night, $8, doors open at 8 p.m.
Thursdays: Ladies Night,$ 8, doors open at 8 p.m.
Saturdays: Saturday Night Dance Party,
$8, doors open at 8 p.m.
Coyote's, 1003 E.23rd
Wednesdays: Ladies Night, no cover,
doors open at 7 p.m.
Thursday-Saturday: No cover, doors
open at 7 p.m.
...
The Bottleneck, 737 New Hampshire Thursdays: Neon ('80s Dance Party), $5, doors open at 10 p.m.
Last Call, 729 New Hampshire
Wednesday-Friday: $1-$ 5 cover, doors open at 9 p.m.
Saturdays: All-Night Hip Hop Dance Party,$1-$ 5, 9 p.m.-3 a.m.
In Topeka:
In Topeka:
The Vinewood Roadhouse, 2848 SE 29th Wednesday-Saturday: no cover, doors open at 6 p.m.
In Olathe:
In Oathe:
Durango's, 126 Clairborne Rd.
Mondays and Thursdays*=Dance Night,
featuring hip-hop, dance, and
rock music
*starting December 2nd
11.4.04 Jayplay
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