A new concept in Anchorage nighttime entertainment awaits you at The Wave, which features garish decorations, high-tech sound and video, and a fat dance floor. Tentatively set to open April 21st, the club will occupy the old Underground (not to be mistaken for the old, old Underground) building at 3103 Spenard, where dozens of bars have blinked in and out of existence since the 1970s.The facility is still under construction - some funky paint and architecture accents the construction site, complete with power tools, boards, paint, and workers giving back massages with an electric sander. Trina Johnson, who recently bought the place, explains that the decorations will be monumental - something no bar in Anchorage has ever offered.
The Wave is not just a name, it's an all-out theme, governing every aspect of the club's design. Robert Hancock, partner and general manager, describes it as, "Rave/alternative meets the tropics." Bright purples, oranges, greens, and blues abound. Life-sized fake palm trees, funky decorations on the walls, and classy, custom-designed furniture guarantee a totally psychedelic atmosphere. And various interpretation of "wave" abound, including waves painted on the walls, and waterless wave items, like images of wavy hair and representations of microwaves. An upstairs coffee house (also available for professional conferences) offers something for those who just want to kick back with a good book.
- "We plan to drug test all our employees."
But dancing is the emphasis at The Wave, and while the decorations are cool, the dancing accessories are first-rate. "We've got the largest, most high-tech video wall in town," says Hancock. The wall will occupy the middle of the stage area, and will feature in-house graphics, surfing/ocean videos, and other random images designed to stupefy and amaze the attendees.
"I try not to talk too much about what I plan to do," says Johnson, "because every time something gets out, somebody does it within a week." One plan that leaked in such a manner is pointing TV cameras at the dance floor, and hanging display screens that feed the info back to the crowd.
The stage is three-part, with a large center section and two smaller sections on the side. It can accommodate any type of band, but is designed mainly for mellow, acoustic, solo work. Most of the Wave's program involves dancing-type activities.
"We're going to be playing mostly top-40 dance music," says Johnson, who has been a professional DJ for a number of years. The Wave's weekly lineup is planned to include a night of "trash disco," one theme night, a night of country, and a couple nights of general dance music. A wood floor guarantees true dancing comfort, and a volleyball court, complete with sound system, will grace the outside of the building. The outdoor area will also feature patio dining and another dance floor to take full advantage of the summer sunlight.
Both Johnson and Hancock expressed reservations about telling the community their bar is "mixed," which means that gay, in addition to straight, couples are welcome. They used the word for lack of a better term, clearly searching for better words to define their concept, yet failing. "[It would be a mistake] to call it a gay bar," said Johnson
- "Life-sized fake palm trees, funky decorations on the walls, and classy, custom-designed furniture guarantee a totally psychedelic atmosphere."
Whatever you want to call the bar, the management hopes it will be a valuable resource for the gay community - providing a fun, clean atmosphere where couples of all types can display affection freely without fear of persecution. Johnson feels the clientele will be "predominantly gay. We don't want the alternative grunge crowd - we're catering to the gay community, who really doesn't have any place to go right now."
According to legend, the building has been home to prostitutes, drugs, violence - and been turned into every kind of bar/music/late-night entertainment place imaginable. Most recently, it was "City Lights," a problem-plagued teen dance club. Many have said the building is cursed, but the new owners think they can pull it off, without falling victim to the same forces that drove past residents out of business. "This place will be exceptionally clean, and totally drug-free," says Johnson. "We plan to drug test all our employees."
Hancock is heterosexual, Christian, and very excited about working at The Wave. According to many people I spoke with, he has a reputation around town of having the Midas touch in the bar business. After bringing success to Hellfighters, he moved on to manage Pierce Street Annex, propelling them to greatness while Hellfighters sputtered and died. He's since left Pierce Street to become partner and General Manager of The Wave.
"I'm a straight guy, and I think this is a great place," says Hancock. It's got great dance music, great dancing - the feeling of a place you'd like to be, but aren't right now." When I suggested that The Wave would be "the most intensely decorated place in town," Hancock replied, "That's an understatement! But you should've seen the designer's original sketches. We've actually toned it down quite a bit."