The Rikshaw Stop
by j.charles @ textproductions
A foot long red and yellow light flashes in the window box. Age, ultraviolet rays and uninterrupted use have made its output less than vivid, but its still more of a sign than most other clubs. Bills for future shows fill up the remainder of the foreground in the window, as flyers should. Ambient streetlight and a porch bulb illuminate the paint work on the entrance to The Rikshaw Stop, which is clearly provided by spray paint.
TheRikshaw has a full bar with Big Daddy and Lagunitas on tap, and occasionally they open their doors to those over eighteen. A quick check of your i.d. and a minimal fee allows you the luxury of entrance. That’s right; you too can have a stamp on the bottom of your wrist. You know, the one that sweats off after fifteen minutes. In an effort to separate the drinkers from the liabilities you also get a lovely wrist band which compliments any outfit; the ladies really seemed to love them.
Its unassuming street presence gives way nicely the minute you get past the door. A short corridor dumps you out into a larger more open space. The second floor is (obviously) above you for the entire length of the bar. Both stop conveniently where the dance floor starts. You’re never more than a few steps from your next drink. Or, if water is your bag, a few steps from a giant cooler of self serve h20. Complete with a never ending supply of Dixie cups. A conveniently placed sign reminds patrons it’s generally a bad idea to set drinks on the sound board, located next to the liquid dispenser.
As crowded as it gets its still fairly easy to maneuver around the onlookers, which is good because there’s a lot to see inside of The Stop. The facility used to be a TV. studio, which explains why there’s a sound sterile room at the top of the stairs with nothing in it; and the clanking of shoes on the steel staircase just adds character. Couches and a few well placed coffee tables take up little space in the loft. Convenient they are, but I know I don’t come to a club to sit and talk. Enjoy a game of foosball with your beer? Sold. But the rails are kinda sticky. The only drawback to upstairs is that you are directly in the line sound from the speakers. If it’s never really loud enough for you, go up there.
Four strands of light protrude from each corner of the main room, meeting below a chandelier in the center of the ceiling above the spacious cement dance floor. Dim is standard for most showcases, but here it’s done fairly well.
Rikshaws pepper the whole interior, one separating the deejay booth from the sound board, a few hanging from the ceiling. They’re almost as prevalent as those damned couches. All in all The Rikshaw Stop is just a damned fine example of what you need to draw a crowd in; space and seating to do your own thing, a relaxed crowd and an expedient bar. Oh, and a very decent sound system backing the talent for the evening. Leave you sweater in the car, plan on wanting to drink to the music, and have an open mind. There’s a lot to be seen here.