Guest speedway Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Noticed a post on the music forum that Simon's in Gainesville is celebrating its 15th anniversary...I was fortunate enough to be a part of that club years one-four ('90-'94) which (I think for many of us) really set the tone for a long-term appreciation of dance music for me.I remember in year one, you had to actually be a member with a membership "card" or be a guest of a member to be admitted into the club. A lot of word-of-mouth as to what nights the club was open, etc. In those days, an open bar was often the norm as were extended hours past sunrise. DJ's included Kimball Collins, Andy Hughes and even Sasha occasionally.I'm curious if any of the Miami junkies have been to Simon's, especially back in those days. If so, please post your thoughts/memories.And man, I cannot believe its already been 15 years since that place opened. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PORNSTAR Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 I went to UF and use to go to Simons back in the day 94 - 00. But i was on the tail end of the good times....... i was part of the no glow sticks rule, close by 2 getting and raided every other weeki got to enjoy some fun times but when you were there we had Chili Pepper in Ft LauderdaleAfter 3 let everyone got in and it was crazy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest speedway Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 yea - I recall a serious crackdown on the place right after I left UF...I never kept up with all the politics, but am amazed that it's still up and running today in 2005...never hit the Chili Pepper in FtL, but recall some big nights at the Edge around that time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PORNSTAR Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Yea u r right it was the Edge the Chilli Pepper was after...... yea the edge used to have these crazy nights with back rooms with all types of "stuff" going onCrazy scene back in the day Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
absolut_v Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 ive gone up there from time to time during that periodmost memorable was dj dan 94.. i havethe set on mp3 too tenagliaand cant forget simons tent @ harvest fest with dub tribe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barstar diana Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Noticed a post on the music forum that Simon's in Gainesville is celebrating its 15th anniversary...I was fortunate enough to be a part of that club years one-four ('90-'94) which (I think for many of us) really set the tone for a long-term appreciation of dance music for me.I remember in year one, you had to actually be a member with a membership "card" or be a guest of a member to be admitted into the club. A lot of word-of-mouth as to what nights the club was open, etc. In those days, an open bar was often the norm as were extended hours past sunrise. DJ's included Kimball Collins, Andy Hughes and even Sasha occasionally.I'm curious if any of the Miami junkies have been to Simon's, especially back in those days. If so, please post your thoughts/memories.And man, I cannot believe its already been 15 years since that place opened.i went to UF from 2002-2004and went to simmons ofen, but i mean there are clubs everywhere in gville and the club secen changes every semester..but ya i always had fun there good times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest dgrutman Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 best time of my life was gville 93-96. sean ferguson on the rooftop and kioki was the big dj at the time. i also remember simon renting a bus and going to oz. outstanding. his brother joesph was great as well. looking at a flyer going who is this dj named after a shoe (doc martin). simons was way beyond his time and had the sickest dj's ever play there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest kelly923 Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 hey first post... lol ;Di go to UF and Simon's is actually closing next month... dubtribe will be spinning the last set ever at simons... kinda sad lol; pretty inevitable though... gainesville has no EDM scene whatsoever... i've seen a few good djs at simon's the past 4 years... bukem just last week, zabiela last year, ak1200, a few i can't think of atm... no one supre big but they all rocked... nothing like all the stories i've heard from back in the day lol... i'd say this is official conclusion to gainesville's nightlife (excluding the party aspect) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pod Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Never went there, but it is sad to hear that yet another "institution" in the scene is passing on. 15 years is a record of sorts. I'm curious as to whether it is just the difficulty in keeping a dance music-only venue open in general that is causing the closing, or is it the result of political pressure, or both, or something else? Morbid curiosity since the current power structure in this country makes me suspect the worst. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RzO Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 i just graduated form UF this may and simons had not been a true dance music venue for quite some time...after 99 rave ordinace it was downhill..i mean what dj wants to coem and play when at 150 they r kicking everyone out to be in time for 2 am law...every few months for the past 5 yrs they would get a good act to coem for a short set but the club is being run by peeps now to cater to the college crowd there...hip hop blah blah blah...simon still owns the name but has sold most of the ownership...it is true though it all started in america at simons boith sasha and pvd played their first us gigs at simons...also it was good for its time, too small to hold the crowds we now draw in modern dance music...i was up two weeks ago for the kickoff weekend and got to see ltj bukem/mc conrad there....brought back soem good memories indeedbut to answer ur question pod, yes politics played a great deal in the initial rave ordinacne and has never been the same since then....also couple that with the fact that the typical university of florida student isnt so dance music savvy like us...lol.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pod Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Hmm, didn't know that. What amazed me was that a place that drew Miami/NYC caliber artists was located in a backwards arch-conservative hole like Gainesville...guess that was true until recently like you said? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PORNSTAR Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Simon's was fun... especially when they made the roof top a dance floor. Saw the sun rise several times. But yes after all the bullshit political crap that went on when i was graduating. When they finally passed the law my senior semester they started to kick people out of the club at 1:30. But you know what i made the best of it. I would have a stash of booze at the house (they stop selling alcohol after 1 or something) and just bring back some of the girls and we would have fun in the HOT TUB. Aweee the good old days. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest rhythmburn Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Simon's was great -- but how about the Soulhouse!! ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Philip Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Yea I definitely know that area well. Joseph, Fuad, and Art are still running the place but it obviously lacks the same energy that we used to know there. The one bar downstairs is pretty nice by Gainesville standards (Plasma). Alot of hip-hop. I remember seeing Digweed there a few years back after he put out his last GU (#19). Amazing. The place was so overcrowded it must have been 100 degrees in some areas. Jimmy Van M even opened up for Diggers that night. However someone mentioned Simon's closing? No. This is just the last tour for the Dubtribe - they will be playing there last gig at Simon's 15th anniversary party. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest soozin Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 i spent 98-00 living near whorelando and going up to party @ simons monthly.. moved to gville 00-02 just as the 2am law went into effect. simons was something else for sure, i saw some awesome shows there.. the 2am thing sucked the life right out of the scene. it always seemed crazy to me to have super high caliber Djs in nowheresville, aka gainesville... but they did !!! for a while after the law passed they would do Sundance parties.. go til 2, stop, start back up at like 7am at the soul house and simons both and go all day long. saw tenaglia one of those times. and yeah man, the soul house was the SHIT (sad sad day when they destroyed it to make it a courthouse). but that was unique for sure.. some great memories from there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest ramon Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Hmm, didn't know that. What amazed me was that a place that drew Miami/NYC caliber artists was located in a backwards arch-conservative hole like Gainesville...guess that was true until recently like you said? still does just not as much .. first time i saw stryke it was up there and it was great and i saw digweed up there (blew his miami set out of the water) and yes it was 100 degrees there!!! and zabiela .. that was in the past couple of years .. since 2000. it's a shame it was an awesome place and plasma lounge is probably one of my favorite rooms in the entire state. never got to see its in hayday i guess, but ive definitely enjoyed the times that ive gone up there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest PORNSTAR Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Simon's was great -- but how about the Soulhouse!! ;DI had some great times at Soulhouse. Lotz of woman and memories Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest barstar diana Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 wow sad to see simmons close, but like we said it was bound to happen...there is vitually no EDM scene up there...well when one door closes another opens Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RzO Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Hmm, didn't know that. What amazed me was that a place that drew Miami/NYC caliber artists was located in a backwards arch-conservative hole like Gainesville...guess that was true until recently like you said? yah but at the times when simons was big, those dj's werent who they r now...not getting paid tens of thousands and such, so for them, back then simons was there favorite place to play, due to the crowd that embraced them...the crowd in gainesville then was candy raver for sure and peeps were shit canned coming out of simons at 8.9 10 am...very quckly the town that was home to the best university in the state realized this isnt what they wanted happening and started all the poiltics to get it shut down...sent in undercovers to videotape kids with candy bracelets and such, their eyeballs rolling in the back of their heads, brought it to the commosioners table and that was it....they put an end to it rather quickly...it served its space in edm time though for sure as now these djs are far to big for a venue like simons anyway and have since moved on to bigger and better things...but gainesville was on of the most educated area's in the us and world to the edm culture and their are still alot of those peeps up there that love the music...most of them are still into the breaks and dnb scene less then the burgeoning house seen we embrace down here...either way its cool that the music we r into had its american roots in florida somewhere in some liberal college town called gainesville...oh yah and gooo gators!!!!!! tennesee goes down in the swamp on saturday!!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pod Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 ...either way its cool that the music we r into had its american roots in florida somewhere in some liberal college town called gainesville...!You haven't been to NYC or Chicago apparently (birthplaces of modern dance music...think 1970s...) Interesting tale nonetheless, I remember hearing about this on some spurious messageboards back in the day. Damn shame that the authorities came down in that fashion. Too liberal if you ask me. What you're looking for in an authority is a libertarian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Devilicious Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Ahhh those were the good ol days. Simon's and the Soulhouse were the only things that made Gainesville tolerable. I would head down there in 98, up until the anti-rave act was passed in '99. After that yep, it was definitely not worth it. Can't blame them for trying to shut it down to tell you the truth. That place was 10 times worse than Space. I loved it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest RzO Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 no u r right there i know that house started in ny and chicago, detroit(with techno) but i ment that the first place to bring back some of these artists in america after the explosion occured in europe was there at simons...but i am well aware of the scenes in ny and chitown...its just werid that a town where is was flourishing at one time it si now dead...sux because ny and chicago still have scenes, with ny having a huge one...problem is it got to be alot bigger in recent times therefore gainesville isnt that big of a town to showcase these type of names ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pod Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Well, in general, big cities have real problems like murders, theft, rapes, and arson to worry about. Not to say we're invulnerable, but it is certainly less of a problem in a big urban environment. Occasionally, our government does grandstand on clubs, but fortunately it is just election-year bullshit, and the clubs down here contribute enough to the tax base to avoid crap like that. The lesson here is that political action on issues like this must be taken. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Adam Singer Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 simons/vibe actually had a good scene even in the past 4-5 years...vibe had a sick list of dj's, from Oscar G and Stryke to Danny Howells and James Zabiela...every weekend Dave Preston & Joe C used to bring in amazing names...big respect to them ;D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest mr. wilkins Posted September 14 Report Share Posted September 14 Simons Junkie 1994-1998 (and a few odd times here and thereafter)..but HARD CORE 94-98sean f., ray coker, jask, gressi, chang, grumpy on the roofthree, boyd, joe c, terry francis in the loft (actually was just the main room and roof for years)klye hogan, brent bader... remember those residents... lol"2 families togther" hallucination v. hardkissrabbit in the moon & hawke live on the main floor...Northern Exposure 1 tour w/ Sasha & Johnfirst time Greece 2000 was EVER played in the states was @ Simons by Digweed...man I could go on for hours and days about Simons and Soulhousepure class and defo waaaaaaay ahead of its time... was one hell of a drug whole though... lol.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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