So what's the story on the dark blue building on Forsyth with the word "Kartouche" on the front? I tried googling it but no success. All I know is that it used to be a club.
Does anyone know the history of the building? What was the club like? Has it changed names ever and I might be mistaking it for something else that's been mentioned before? Does the building have any promise of being used ever again?
Looks like an interesting building; one of those "if these walls could talk" kind of places.
I remember going to concerts there at the turn of the decade. They were a rock club then, but I can't remember the name of it. The last concert I saw there was Cursive, Poison the Well, and Thursday. It was a pretty good size place and had a U-shaped balcony overlooking the stage and dance floor that allowed you to get close to stage without being down in the chaos.
I think that club was once called the Paradome. It did pretty well for quite a while and then slowly started to crumble. I think it was about the time of the Super Bowl that it changed its name to Kartouche.
Do you think it will ever become a nightclub again? Something else? Or will it be yet another piece of history that gets demolished?...
I remember the Paradome / Milk bar / 618 days... lot's of good times there before Kartouche.
If I remember correctly, their downfall began after they became a hip-hop club and hosted the Cool Runnings shows. There were constant brawls and raids... they were eventually shut down right after someone got shot.
LucasJJ - I was at the Poison the Well show there... saw them at Freebird too. Are those guys still playing?
Paradome> Milkdome>618> DV8>Kartouche. I stopped paying attention to the place after the 618 raver-riffic heydays.
I loved the old school hiphop they'd spend on the back patio back when it was 618. And we're talking old school for the early part of this decade, so 80's and early 90's hiphop mainly. 618 had such a cool urban backdrop around it, there were these old old windowless buildings across the way which had it's walls covered with vines and other vegetation, plus the modern skyscrapers in the distance.
Someone should do something with that place again, it would compliment the sinclair, 331 and the other places down Forsyth nicely. It's set up like a smaller version of Freebird on the inside so it'd make a great live music venue, at the very least.
kartouche was a black, urban, hiphop club at the end.
JTA had plans to demolish it for a bus stop.
Metro Jacksonville crashes the Downtown BRT Party (http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2007-feb-metro-jacksonville-crashes-the-downtown-brt-party)
Quote from: Shwaz on September 08, 2009, 04:22:38 PM
LucasJJ - I was at the Poison the Well show there... saw them at Freebird too. Are those guys still playing?
According to Wikipedia they still are together. They just put out an album this last July. I was there to see Thursday mainly, but Poison the Well would have been promoting their last album before signing with Atlantic and "making it big". Thursday was playing their second album, Full Collapse, so this was all probably sometime during 2002.
good times at that place...it was a gay bar for about 2 weeks before it re-opened as kartouche.
Quote from: Omarvelous09 on September 08, 2009, 06:39:47 PM
good times at that place...it was a gay bar for about 2 weeks before it re-opened as kartouche.
so what is it now?
What was the timeline when it was Paradome? Early nineties? Some friends and I went there around then. I recall that it looked like a dungeon but had a decent vibe to it. Interestingly enough, I work (and have for the last 11 years) near there and have watched it from a distance go from different club to different club to nothing again. I it is a cool location. Hopefully, somebody can make something happen with it. My guess is that there are some code compliance issues that are gonna be pretty costly.
Quote from: fsu813 on September 08, 2009, 04:34:59 PM
kartouche was a black, urban, hiphop club at the end.
Was the place down Jefferson (it would have been around Super Bowl I think) a hip-hop club as well? They renovated what I think was a 40's-50's era service station. I think it was called for a short stint (not making this up) Jaguar Ugly. Now, the building appears to be renovated again to house some form of professional office space.
It was the Paradome from 94 to 98 They changed the name to Club 618 my senior year in H.S. It was Club 618 from 98- til like 2004. I always remember it as a hip hop club. 92.7 the Beat would always broadcast from there live while I was in H.S. I am not sure who Stephan Dare is talking about, I remember the club being ran by this Very fat black guy that drove a Hummer....can't remember his name though. Levi!! His name was Levi, I always thought he owned the building. Whats up with the big yellow building next to it?? i don't remember anything ever being there. It has to huge bay doors in the front facing forsyth...Its right next to Kartouche, west of it. It boarders Forsyth and Jefferson.
QuoteWas the place down Jefferson (it would have been around Super Bowl I think) a hip-hop club as well? They renovated what I think was a 40's-50's era service station. I think it was called for a short stint (not making this up) Jaguar Ugly. Now, the building appears to be renovated again to house some form of professional office space
Not the same building....Lake could tell you more about that place you are talking about it has been featured on the downtown updates a few times.
Funny this came up, I am considering this as a location for our start up brewery and taproom.
I was considering leasing the first floor, which needs a a lot of work. All the electrical and A/C has been removed/destroyed by vandals but the former dance floor/ stage area is great for brewing because a section of the 2nd floor has been removed which makes the ceilings very high.
The outdoor area, with some work, could be a great "beer garden" and there is a kitchen with a hood.
Any thoughts?
Intuition Ale Works
Sounds good. I can picture that location having a similar vibe to Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing Company.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/593550502_oTL9h-M.jpg)
Such a use would be a good boost in an area of downtown with high visibility.
Quote from: thelakelander on September 08, 2009, 10:01:52 PM
Sounds good. I can picture that location having a similar vibe to Cleveland's Great Lakes Brewing Company.
(http://photos.metrojacksonville.com/photos/593550502_oTL9h-M.jpg)
Such a use would be a good boost in an area of downtown with high visibility.
I can envision that at the 618 building.
Quote from: Shwaz on September 08, 2009, 04:22:38 PM
I remember the Paradome / Milk bar / 618 days... lot's of good times there before Kartouche.
If I remember correctly, their downfall began after they became a hip-hop club and hosted the Cool Runnings shows. There were constant brawls and raids... they were eventually shut down right after someone got shot.
I had forgotten about that. Yep, there was a shooting (and death). I think it happened in the Century parking lot across from the venue. I remember the police tape across the street when we all came into work that morning.
Must have been around 97-98 amybe 99?
That would be a cool brewery space inside I'm sure. In my opinion, a much better looking structure than the "Bold City" brewery space. I think the building could look nice if it were sandblasted to reveal the original brick color. Put some nice glass storefront windows in, awnings, trees and hope for the best!
[ Whats up with the big yellow building next to it?? i don't remember anything ever being there. It has to huge bay doors in the front facing forsyth...Its right next to Kartouche, west of it. It boarders Forsyth and Jefferson.[/color]
[/quote]
I think (if I remember correctly) the Davis Furniture building.
I went to Paradome the New Year's (Eve) it was opened and it felt like a party (rave) at a NYC warehouse with bright lights and bad acoustics. Spent quite a bit of time at 618 and then dv8. Loved the music and the scene, but left because the smell of Vicks inhalers and the sight of candy bracelets and glow sticks lost its novelty. Too bad Kartouche's demographic couldn't have been as happy as the 618/dv8 crowd.
Downtown was actually a decent place to go not too long ago.
I was a regular there in the paradome/618 days. I remember what it looks like inside.
That is the absolute ideal place for a brewery in downtown jax.
ahhh. the Paradome and 618, I do remember those days. fun times.
I think it would make a great brewery as every time I went there I drank beer.
Such good times at that place when it was Paradome/618/dv8. Yeah.. I was one of the silly ravers.. yes.. I regret ever mentioning the term "PLUR". And I'm over it. But I do have a lot of good memories.
The building is in horrible disrepair. It was when it was DV8. How it could be restored up to code, I have no idea. But it is a nice location.
They had a chicken wing truck posted up outside Kartouche for a while that I tended to frequent. I agree that redeveloping this as a night spot would be great for the area. With two or three night places already over there, it could create a nice core area after dark. E-Town West??? (Joke)
Yea..we used to find chicken wing bones and blunt wrappers inside the amp racks from those Cool Running slobs.If it ever sounded bad it was them intentionally trying to blow up the Sound system..nice folks.Liquor funded by Lawyer Yokan.(that bottle of hennesy made them $150 profit!) Anyone know whats upstairs? Apts? mattresses on the floor? office space? private VIP rooms?
Quote from: Ernest Street on September 09, 2009, 10:49:06 AM
Yea..we used to find chicken wing bones and blunt wrappers inside the amp racks from those Cool Running slobs.If it ever sounded bad it was them intentionally trying to blow up the Sound system..nice folks.Liquor funded by Lawyer Yokan.(that bottle of hennesy made them $150 profit!) Anyone know whats upstairs? Apts? mattresses on the floor? office space? private VIP rooms?
The second and third floor are vacant/empty and need work like the first floor. The owner thinks the upper floors have value but without A/C and no easy access to the third floor it would be a challenge to do much with it.
I personally think a jiu jitsu/mma school in the second or third story would be cool as A/C is not needed. After workouts they can come downstairs and grab a beer at my place!
Intuition Ale Works
www.intuitionaleworks.com
As a club it was always...well, not the sort of place I would go, as a brewery/tap room that was done well (something like a local version of the Gordon Biersch in Midtown Atlanta) it would be amazing, and hopefully tie in well with the plans for hotels in that end of downtown and create a happening pocket of activity in downtown.
Quote from: Shwaz on September 08, 2009, 04:22:38 PMLucasJJ - I was at the Poison the Well show there... saw them at Freebird too. Are those guys still playing?
Haha, I was there for that show too! :)
Yeah, they actually just put out a new album call "The Tropic Rot" ... its pretty good.... its not the opposite of december, but still.
many good times at 618, dv8, etc, now i have to go to miami, detroit to get my electronic music kicks. Used to love the outside, with Darrel Duke and Michael K playing, I saw Run DMC, Juan Atkins and Sasha and a host of others there. Those were the days.
Reverand Horton Heat..Hank Williams III...Voodoo Glow Skulls.Some good music till Cool Runnings got there and blew most of our speakers.
thirdeye:
I don't know if you're aware, but we (The Jacksonville Landing) had a very successful brewery for many years. I'd love to speak with you further about that story and show you a space I have in mind that may be of interest. It never hurts to look, right?
Call me at The Landing office 353-1188!
Quote from: Lunican on September 08, 2009, 04:35:15 PM
JTA had plans to demolish it for a bus stop.
Metro Jacksonville crashes the Downtown BRT Party (http://www.metrojacksonville.com/article/2007-feb-metro-jacksonville-crashes-the-downtown-brt-party)
Well, we know this didn't happen. Still would like to see this building come back to life, if possible.
^Yes, the plans for BRT have dramatically changed since the early days of this site.
Work is about to get started to bring this venue back to life as Club Roman
Glad to see it being used for something. It's one of those unprotected buildings that could easily disappear without much debate, the longer it sits empty.
bring. it. back. Plz.