SOUND CHECK
Clubs get their groove on with live jazz, pop rock, swing, R&B — and sometimes a little hip action from The King.

By Paula Felps

Some come seeking an Evening with Elvis. Others prefer a Friday Night With Frank. And then there are those who just want to party like a Parrothead. Regardless, they all have one thing in common: They come for the music, and stay for the fun.

Live music nights are quite the hit at clubs across the country, bringing members together in a festive environment.

“We’ve seen a huge increase in business on music nights,” says Matt Zuckerman, food and beverage director at Shadowridge Country Club in Vista, California. “Our members really enjoy it and just keep asking for more.”

Shadowridge’s most popular entertainer is Joe Rathburn, a one-man mobile band who plays songs from the ’60s and ’70s, accented with plenty of Caribbean rhythms. His music has turned Friday nights into a round-trip visit to Margaritaville for a growing number of regulars. Originally playing twice a month, Rathburn has become such a drawing card that the club also presents live music — a guitar and bongo duo — on the alternating weekends.

“People want to hear tried-and-true favorites,” says Rathburn, a San Diego-based singer/songwriter whose repertoire also includes a wealth of original material. “As time goes on, I can slip in an original here and there, but for the most part, people want to come out and hear songs that they know. So that’s what I give them — but I give each song a different spin.”

Word of the fun-filled nights has spread, and Rathburn says that giving guests a good time is the best advertising there is. Zuckerman concurs, saying that all they have to do at the club to fill the room is put up a flyer indicating when the live music begins. In other words, if you play it, they will come.

“It has been such a great way to build club community,” Zuckerman says. “The nature of the show definitely builds camaraderie. Now we have groups of 30 [people] coming in together to see the show.”

One member consistently in the crowd is Kathy Schwartzberg, a Friday night regular long before the music began.

“It has changed everything,” she says. “There are tons of people who never came in on Friday nights who wouldn’t miss it. You get to see people you haven’t seen in a while, and Joe makes it a lot of fun. People sing along or get up and dance. Everyone has a really good time.”

Illustration by Lisa Ballard.