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| Meet the hardest-working promoters in the Valley club scene | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| By Kelly Wilson, Get Out | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| November 29, 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
He has 2,000-plus MySpace friends. For the Valley promoter, who hosts successful weekly nights at Tempe’s Zuma Grill and Scottsdale nightclub Six — and one in the works at the soon-to-open Cadillac Ranch at Tempe Marketplace — his job is all about networking. “It takes a lot of work,” says Durkee, 27, of Scottsdale, sipping from his second Red Bull (minus the vodka) at Mill Avenue lounge Zuma Grill on a recent Monday night. “It takes a lot of hours. It takes years of networking and friendships. It takes a lot of creative ideas and tools. Primarily the nights are so successful is due to the large network I’ve been able to build and the relationships I’ve been able to establish.” Durkee says he utilizes his ever-growing network by posting MySpace bulletins and comments and sending text messages to remind his friends and acquaintances of his events. “It works,” he says. “There’s some people that come to all of my nights.” Durkee, who also runs a wireless photo machine business, fell into the line of work three years ago when the owners of downtown Scottsdale dance club e4 approached him to help build their Friday nights. At the time he was bartending at Tempe’s The Library Bar & Grill where he created a reputation. “They heard through employees and people around the Valley that I had a strong network and a strong following,” he says of his gig at the Library. “And they wanted me to turn their Friday nights around.” DJ/promoter William Reed of Phoenix also helps rule the Valley club scene. Reed hosts packed nights at Scottsdale’s Dirty Pretty Rockbar, south Scottsdale’s The Rogue and Phoenix’s Homme Lounge. He jump-started his career in promoting in the late ’90s when he was holding rave nights in warehouses and in the desert. He went on to manage Mesa’s now-defunct Nile Theatre where he helped promote shows before he started working independently. While Durkee, who is tall with gel-sculpted hair, is known for providing more of a club feel with his nights, Reed, who looks like a musician in an indie-rock band with his shaggy hair and skinny jeans, brings more of a hipster vibe to the table with his dance/rock nights. “I want to give people a laid-back environment so they can let their hair down and let loose and be themselves and have fun and get a taste of something that should be commonplace in Phoenix,” says Reed, 29. “I want people to get the same experience here that they get when they go to bigger markets like San Francisco or New York.” Reed also works with the Phoenix Arts Museum and Scottsdale Museum of the Contemporary Arts for what he refers to as on-off events. “Fashion shows, boutique openings — I do a lot of stuff like that in between as well,” he says. Reed, who also hosts an electronic radio show from 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays on Energy (92.7/101.1 FM), spins at all of his events and will hire guest DJs from bands such as She Wants Revenge, The Smiths and The Ramones to help drive people to his events. He also uses fliers and MySpace to publicize his nights. “It’s every avenue that’s allotted,” he says. “Ads in magazines where appropriate. It is fliering all the time. It is sending out press releases, sending out e-mails. MySpace is big time. I do a lot of e-mail lists and message boards. I send text messages out every night I have an event to 100 to 200 people in my phone. I’ll do posters around stores in the Valley.” Both promoters say that their jobs are full time and include smaller details. “If the flier says 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., I’ll usually show up at a quarter till unless it’s a really big event like the New Year’s party (at The Rogue) that we’re planning or the three-year anniversary that we’re planning (for Shake! at The Rogue),” says Reed. “If it’s something like that I could be there at 5 o’clock in the afternoon inflating balloons and making sure decorations and stuff like that are taken care of.” Durkee says he’s there before his events start to after closing time. He makes sure the bar staff is ready to go, table reservations with bottle service are in place and checks with his guests to be sure they’re having a good time. This often includes buying cocktails and shots for patrons. “I make sure that every person that comes to the event leaves with a smile on their face.” Durkee says. “That’s what this business is all about.” BRIAN DURKEE’S CLUB NIGHTS Toxic Mondays When: 10 p.m. Monday Where: 605 S. Mill Ave., Tempe Cost: Free Info: (480) 829-6775 or zumagrill.com La Femme When: 10 p.m. Wednesday Where: Six, 7310 E. Stetson Drive, Scottsdale Cost: Free Info: (480) 663-6620 or 6az.com WILLIAM REED’S CLUB NIGHTS Club Trash When: 10 p.m. Wednesday Where: 7443 E. Sixth Ave., Scottsdale Cost: Free Info: (480) 970-1222 or dirtyprettyaz.com French Kiss When: 9 p.m. Friday Where: Homme Lounge, 138 W. Camelback Road, Phoenix, (602) 234-3023 Cost: $5 Info: (602) 234-3023 or hommelounge.com Shake! When: 10 p.m. Saturday Where: The Rogue, 423 N. Scottsdale Road, Scottsdale Cost: $6 Info: (480) 947-3580 or roguebar.com Contact Kelly Wilson by email, or phone (480) 898-5691 |
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