After Aubergine Café and Aubergine After Dark were closed for nearly a year, the music venue has relaunched under a new name: 755 After Dark.
Aubergine Café and Vintage Emporium, located off Highway 116 in Sebastopol, is a vintage clothing store and café by day and a bar and nightclub… after dark.
Previous patrons may be surprised to see that the venue has changed drastically between its closure Sept. 2013 and reopening this July.
Bands once squeezed onto a two-tiered stage that resembled an old dinghy with brass portholes and stained wood. It was difficult to fit all of the bands’ equipment, much less the members themselves.
“Our band played at Aubergine about a year ago,” said Will Reyes, guitarist of local band Waxwyng. “The stage was small for a five person group, but we made it work. It’s definitely smaller so the crowd you can have is limited, but overall it was a positive experience for all involved and a fun time.”
The new stage, much more spacious and replete with metal frames and a suspended array of light fixtures, is just one improvement from the reopening.
“We expanded the bar, the venue is almost twice as big as it was, and we added a bathroom and upgraded the kitchen,” said owner Todd Mezzulo in a phone interview. “New sound system, new lights, new stage.”
Mezzulo said the venue’s vision is to appeal to a wider audience across the county. With these new provisions, 755 has the potential to bring in a much larger crowd than ever before, and its new name could help separate it from its previous reputation.
Promoter Jake Ward has stepped in to book shows for the new 755 After Dark. “My understanding is that it basically shut down because it was losing money,” he said. “They went through a few promoters and the restaurant was overly ambitious.”
Now that one of the previous owners has left, and the restaurant has gone through reform, new co-owner Phill Dorsett has come onboard to help run it.
“I’m the catalyst that reopened the venue,” Dorsett said. “I have put a lot of time and thought into creating what we consider to be Northern California’s true music and entertainment venue.”
After a reopening party, the venue is now in a soft opening phase. They are investing in a lot of improvements, Ward said.
“Now that the capacity is 300 and there have been improvements to the sound and infrastructure, the plan is definitely to push it to be more of a destination for touring bands,” Ward said.
While Aubergine was predominantly geared toward the over-21 crowd, 755 shows are mostly all-ages. The more inclusive venue now attracts a wider audience and allows more people to see the touring acts.
“The previous bookers did more of one type of show, but now we have heavy metal, hip-hop and punk: a lot of genres that most clubs don’t really cater to.” Genres range from hip-hop to what is known as “intergalactic afro-cowboy world beat.”
Local groups are now only part of the plan for the venue. Ward has reached other groups that are experienced with nationally touring punk bands to set up shows, such as the Nor Bay Pyrate Punx with Angry Samoans and Green Jellÿ.
Ward said even though 755 welcomes young audiences, adults can still have fun, too. Patrons with ID can access the full bar, a rarity in most venues. “It’s really important to serve alcohol to make profit and hit profit margins and have a successful show,” he said.
755 After Dark hosts events almost every night of the week. It’s closed on Mondays, but every other day it’s open at 4 p.m. with happy hour running through 7 p.m. Every Wednesday is open mic night. Tuesdays and Thursdays usually feature local bands. Fridays and Saturdays tend to have shows bigger than other events.
In addition to live music, 755 offers a variety of events each month. Two examples in September are a free “afterburn” Burning Man decompression party and the monthly Beaucup de Bellies bellydance showcase.
755 After Dark is a work in progress, but this is in no way the end of the story. The relaunch has just begun, Ward said. “It’s sort of just coming together, little by little.”
UPCOMING 755 EVENTS:
Electro-pop/rock artist Supertaster debuts his new album “Life With Oxygen” with a release party 8 p.m.-midnight Sept. 11. Cover is a $5-10 sliding scale.
Reggae group Sol Horizon performs with guests Dysphunctional Species 8:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m. Sept. 12. The cover is $10.
There is a hip-hop show with SCARUB of Living Legends and a Pure Powers CD release part Sept. 13. The cover is $5-10 sliding scale.
Free Peoples, a self-proclaimed “intergalatc afro-cowboy world beat” band, performs 9 p.m.-1 a.m. Sept. 18. The cover is $10.
The Nevada-based psychedelic gypsy art rock band, Samvega, performs on tour 9 p.m.-2 a.m. Sept. 19. The cover is $8.
Propensity and Boilermaker perform as part of a mixed-genre showcase of young local musicians 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Sept. 25. The cover is $5.
Classic punk/comedy band Green Jellÿ performs on tour with Verbal Abuse and features members of the band GWAR 7:30 p.m.-1 a.m. Local bands include Slandyr, Prison Scare, Bloodshot an Dilated and Skeptic Feast. Sept. 26. The cover is $10 advance and $13 door.
Local funk/blues/rock band Uncle Wiggly performs 8 p.m.-1 a.m. Sept. 27. The cover is $8.
