Small but Happenin’

Ventura County may not have the reputation of L.A., Seattle, Austin or wherever this week’s happening music scene may be, but there’s no shortage of good bands in these parts. There always seems to be, on the other hand, a shortage of venues for bands to play. While plenty has been written about the bands, less has been written about the clubs. This column attempts to set the scene for all that great music with capsule summaries of the happening venues in the county.

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While the famous big-time rock stars play the Ventura Theatre, the small-label or no-label, still-interesting, still-trying, on-the-rise bands, plus all the best local bands, can be found at Nicholby’s in Ventura, arguably making this the premier venue to see live music in Ventura County.

Not only is the music good, but the staff is equally so. While an average nightclub employee’s longevity can be measured in days, most of the help at Nicholby’s has been there for years, which speaks well for the management. Even the bouncers are nice. Owner Nick Taylor thinks he knows why this is so.

“Everyone that works here cares about this place. They feel like they own it, and they all pull together,” Taylor says. “We want to have a fun, happening place with a bunch of people who treat the customer with respect.”

The building, located at Ash and Main streets, used to be a Woolworth’s. Taylor has been in the antique business downtown for 15 years, nine years on the ground floor of the current location. The upstairs has a checkered past, including housing a string of failed dance clubs such as Mogz and Xenon West.

When Nicholby’s opened in late 1994, Ventura was on an upswing as far as live music was concerned, and competition was intense. Charlie’s had just closed, but the Bermuda Triangle, the Ventura Theatre, the Midnight Hour, Garfields, Bombay and Metro all had live music.

“What you heard then about the bar business was that Charlie’s was a really cool place on the beach that got closed down for too many fights, or whatever,” says Taylor. “I also heard that all the places that did live bands had the same bands week after week because Venturans liked the bands they were used to. It’s always been a struggle to get people here to come out to see quality bands that they’ve never heard of, but I wanted to do different bands as often as possible.”

Taylor, through a lot of phone work, reading trade publications and experimentation, eventually brought a substantial number of great, unknown bands to Ventura, such as the Uninvited, Swamp Boogie Queen, Kathleen Wilhoite, the Ziggens, the Rugburns, Buddah Heads, Tito & Tarantula, and, most recently, Eve 6.

Locals such as Raging Arb & the Redheads, Papa-Nata, Spencer the Gardener and Bloody Mary Morning are all regular attractions. Big Bad Voodoo Daddy used to pack the place but has outgrown the venue. The band may return in the fall for a fifth anniversary party.

These bands have one thing in common: People dance when they play.

Which brings us to the Atomic Dogs, appearing every Saturday night until further notice, yet another band in the Boogie Knights’ stable bringing back those dumb ol’ days of the ‘70s. It works if you like to dance, but maybe not if you’re in a band that plays original music.

“It’s pure fun, and that’s all it is--dancin’ all night long--sort of like Metro without the edge,” Taylor says.

Not only is the music happening at Nicholby’s, the sound system is too. The dance floor is large and the air-conditioning system works, even though there’s a separate smokers’ room. Nicholby’s has a full bar with a zillion kinds of beer, including Bass Ale and Newcastle Brown Ale.

The 300-person-capacity venue also has nine full-size pool tables. There’s different stuff going on every night, from the Monsters of Swing weekend to free pool night to a private party for the Hells Angels.

BE THERE

Nicholby’s, 404 E. Main St., Ventura, 653-2320. This week’s schedule: Sunday and Tuesday: quiet pool nights. Monday (until football starts again) and Wednesday: swing dance lessons. Thursday: reggae night, usually with Urban Dread. Friday: Gene Loves Jezebel and Frosted. Saturday: the Atomic Dogs. Cover, usually $6, on Friday and Saturday nights.