Young adults looking for a night of fun in an alcohol-free setting have a place in Clarkston they can turn to.
Club 5529, a dance club and venue offering music, dancing and fun, is open each Friday from 8:30 p.m.-2 a.m. The club is located at the Clarkston Christian Association building on 5529 Sashabaw in Clarkston.
The club was started more than two years ago, according to Rich Nowik, director of the club. Since then, the club has grown to the point where the Friday night concerts draw a substantial audience.
“Really, it grew out of a need to provide an alternative place for young adults to go to,” he said. “We get about 125 people on average each week. Some weeks we spike to 350, others we may slide to 80-90.”
The club features a coffee bar, “blue room lounge,” billiards room and a dance floor. Matthew Perry, 21, of Lincoln Park (no relation to the actor of the same name) enjoys playing the various games at the club.
“I really like playing pool here,” he said. “You pay $5 and you get to play pool and ping-pong.”
Beth Carter, 23, of Clarkston has been attending the club’s events for almost two years, and is very happy there is an alternative to the bar scene in Clarkston. “There’s no alcohol involved,” she said. “It’s good, clean fun.”
She said her favorite parts of the club are playing Euchre and meeting new people.
Another Clarkston resident, Nicole Hard, 24, comes to the club about once a month. “I usually come to support the different bands that they have,” she said. “My favorite one is Huddle, out of Sterling Heights.”
Hard is also happy there is a local place young adults can go to without feeling pressured to drink. “I like the mission this club stands for,” she said. “It’s a hip and happening place.”
The musical performances typically get underway about 9 p.m. Admission is $7. Patrons can expect a variety of musical acts each week, according to Nowik.
“It’s really open to a lot of musical tastes,” he said. “We’ll have a jazz night in March and an acoustic night in February. We have a lot of alternative rock, mixed with punk. We’ve been having more rock bands and hip-hop shows in recent months.”
On Valentine’s Day, the club will be all decked out in the appropriate decor, and it will host a Rochester-based band, Statis, which features lead singer Ryan Zachos.
“He has an amazing vocal range,” Nowik said of Zachos. “Whether it’s a cover song or original material, it’s just done so well. For that night, they’re doing two 45-minute sets. They will do some love songs, mixed with their alternative rock style.”
For more information on Club 5529, call 248-620-4900 or visit their Web site at www.5529music.com.