By Nathelie Taylor, Gleaner WriterA LARGE number of Brian Chung and Chris Cargill's 'best friends' visited 20-22 Trinidad Terrace, New Kingston last Friday night to welcome 'The New Party' - The Quad. The Quad is a multilevel entertainment complex which caters to three different musical tastes - Jazz, Dance and Retro in addition to the exclusive VIP room which is yet to be unveiled.
A long line of eager patrons streamed in, each having come to experience and fully enjoy this bold new step in clubbing. The guest list was liberally sprinkled with top names in the entertainment industry who, along with representatives of The Quad's sponsors, helped with the grand unveiling. Also sharing in the moment were The Hon. Aloun Ndombet Assamba, Minister of Industry and Tourism and Minister of State/Tourism, the Hon. Wykeham McNeill who 'flew the gate' to the Jazz Café and Oxygen Nightclub respectively.
Chung and Cargill, who are also co-owners of the Asylum Nightclub in New Kingston, were repeatedly lauded by various speakers for their vision. Paul Doyle of AudioFon Ltd., the company which provides The Quad with its first class sound system, said "I think that when Brian and Chris embarked on this they were really taking on a very bold venture. All of us need to congratulate them, because they have not only taken it on, but have done very well with it."
The Quad boasts top resident DJs in its two 'dance' clubs. Oxygen, the high energy club, is manned by the FAME twins Alrick and Boyd, who pounded out rich dance music on Friday night. There will also be regularly scheduled international DJs from South Beach to Ibiza.
INTENSE LIGHTING
Oxygen has an intense lighting system, so intense it seemed to have caused a power failure to occur early in the evening. This was quickly dealt with however and guests were treated to an array of colours and shades provided by the state-of-the-art moving head fixtures and strobes. The mood of the club can also be instantly transformed from vibrant red to regal blue to intense green.
The Voodoo Lounge on the third level is the retro club and is controlled by the Merritone boys. It is smaller than Oxygen, but no less magnetic. It has a similar lighting system which brings the room to life, but it's not as intense as Oxygen's. Voodoo is aptly named though as it obviously cast a spell over guests who unabashedly danced to retro grooves like Hot Stuff and Celebrate. This club's most stunning feature is its powerful sound that seems to pour from the mirror-lined walls.
Christopher's - the Jazz Café, gives off a relaxing aura and, unlike the other two clubs, patrons can truly enjoy the physical scenery. A snazzy mural of couples and musicians decorate one side of the café and adds to the overall jazzy atmosphere. Located on the first level, it is a classy and laid-back joint and many eager 'finger-snapping cool cats' made themselves comfortable in the plush chairs while listening to the sweet sounds of jazz from the self-playing Baby Grand piano.
The Quad will be opened on Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays and adequate parking will be provided at the nearby KSAC car park from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. on these nights.
