Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
What a shame, that was a nice lil' joint. On 29/12/2006, at 3:52 AM, John Sokolowski wrote: Oslo no more http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006 First the sushi was gone, then the dance club went silent. Now the questions are piling up. Electronic music aficionados and fans of Japanese food (like the News Hits staff) are mourning the closing of Oslo, the downtown sushi bar and techno dance club that is now shuttered, likely forever, according to one of the owners. "It was this unique place, because it seems as if — in a good majority of nightlife options in the dance world in Detroit — the music is more of a wallpaper for the social aspects of what's going on instead of being the main centerpiece," says Rob Theakston, the longtime Detroit electronic musician who had been scheduled to play Oslo's New Year's Eve show. Owner Brook Campbell told News Hits the closure resulted from bias against himself as a gay man, disputes with landlords and threats against his life. "I immediately realized this is not something I wanted to continue to do," he told News Hits last week. But Theakston says rumors of closure were blowing around for a year. "There were a lot of different staff changes over a long period of time," he says. Opened in April 2004, Oslo's menu included the usual sushi bar offerings of rolls, nigiri, edamame and sashimi. Partners Campbell and Sameer Reddy had worked for about four years to put the place together, according to published reports. But the paper trail of trouble began at least a year ago. According to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, at least six checks from Oslo in 2005 were returned for insufficient funds. The club was ordered to pay vendors with certified checks, cashier's checks, money orders or cash, state records show. "I cannot dispute that one, two, three, seven out of a thousand checks written in the past year have come back, but that's not what's at issue here," Campbell says. According to the City of Detroit finance department, the summer tax bill of $3,640 has not been paid. It was due Aug. 15. Campbell says he had no knowledge of the missed payment. The club also has operated with several different business names. According to the Michigan Department of Consumer and Liability Services, Oslo Associates LLC, Oslo Detroit LLC, Oslo LLC, and Oslo Inc. have all used the 1456 Woodward Ave. address. "I think all four are mistaken," Campbell tells News Hits. "The state of Michigan is not known for never making a mistake." According to Matt Abbott, a former manager, the club stopped paying him and at least some other employees several weeks ago. After the sushi chefs quit in protest, the restaurant closed. The club was open a few more weekends, but the party ended on the evening of Friday, Dec. 15, when Oslo didn't open. "No one can get a positive answer on what's happening," Abbott says. And that's left Theakston planning a New Year's Eve home with his pug and reflecting on what Oslo meant to Detroit. "Oslo was this really unique place where music was given an incredible amount of credence and room to experiment," Theakston says. "It was so diverse. One night you would have Kenny Dixon Jr. and Theo Parrish playing classic 'sco and really obscure house; the next night you would have a gay night like Sass, and then the night after that Houseshoes would be playing hip hop down there." Waitress Ash Nowak, who also was the gallery curator for rotating art exhibits at Oslo, says she feels sorry for the customers. "Everyone knew us. Everyone came there, whether it be people that were our loyal dinner crowd or loyal to the music scene. People always showed up," she says. Owed about $510, Nowak, a Wayne State fine arts major, says she is looking for work. "It's been so frustrating. We wanted to help it so much because it's such a great place," she says. News Hits is edited by Curt Guyette. _ Get FREE Web site and company branded e-mail from Microsoft Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
On 12/29/06, [EMAIL PROTECTED] <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: touch is open again in cleveland. they have been having quite a few shows there but they seem to have been poorly promoted. some in the past few months were ryan elliot, geoff white, greg gow. i had heard that they were opening again, but i hadnt seen any concrete info. i just found their website: http://www.touchohiocity.com/ but it doesnt mention anything specific about upcoming special nights. i love that club, i saw jazzanova tear that place up a couple years back. and ive seen 313's own jwan allen kill it as well. tom
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
First- big cheers to Bethany. I always greatly value your input on here. What's happening in Detroit? I feel like the one I grew up with got sucked up and replaced. First, running any small business is HARD. The first five years are the roughest. I was at Oslo once and from what I remember it was a really great venue. A throw back to the dark days... when a venue didn't require a light show, a meat head bouncer and a half dressed bar sl*t. Sure this vauguely describes St.Andrews...but at least it was still a dive in a lot of ways.I hope this is a lesson learned and better luck next time... I think I miss the old Detroit. The one sans the new and shiny stadiums and casinos.The one that has more big, painted dots around and less overpriced lofts. The one that (from what I hear) has the marked up parking lots and the cheezy cheezier night clubs. It's almost like the kid who tries too hard in school and just winds up sitting alone. I'm all for progress but maybe in a _slightly_ different direction.??? just my .10 (always worth slightly more in Canada and even less in the EU) d HAPPY NEW YEAR! __ Do You Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
touch is open again in cleveland. they have been having quite a few shows there but they seem to have been poorly promoted. some in the past few months were ryan elliot, geoff white, greg gow. > ive only been there twice, but it was definitely one of the perfect > dance music spots ive been to alongside the former Touch in cleveland. > great club, i hope someone more reliable opens something up in that > spot. i love basement dancefloors and the walls and atmosphere there > were excellent. > > tom >
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
It's a very sad time for Detroit, it feels like it is totally imploding in on itself. (Feels is putting it lightly...it *is*.) I will miss it as a venue to attend quality events, a restaurant, and a place to bring in world-class artists and not be embarrassed by crap sound, bad architecture, overzealous bouncer-types or throngs of morons who have no clue what their listening to and demand Tiesto mixes every other song. About the food - dluv is full of idiots, 99% of them wouldn't know decent sashimi from grocery store rolls. Oslo's quality went down for a little while, but that was just when Kaku wasn't there. He owned it. He'll certainly have no trouble finding work. -Bethany http://dethlab.net | http://cyberoptix.com | http://toybreaker.net/blog
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
On 12/28/06, kent williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Seriously though, this is a loss. I was only there once, this year during DEMF and was struck by how perfect a venue for dance music it was. ive only been there twice, but it was definitely one of the perfect dance music spots ive been to alongside the former Touch in cleveland. great club, i hope someone more reliable opens something up in that spot. i love basement dancefloors and the walls and atmosphere there were excellent. tom
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
Yeah I was thinking the same thing... bringing out that old defense is pretty tired. From the comments in that article it seemed like he was blaming everyone else other than himself for the closure. Peace, Patrick. On Dec 28, 2006, at 3:10 PM, Martin Dust wrote: Re Metro Article... How does "being a gay man" stop you paying your taxes and bills? m
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
Re Metro Article... How does "being a gay man" stop you paying your taxes and bills? m
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
I'm a bit of a contrarian on this. The booking policy at Oslo was certainly good, but the place was narrow upstairs, cramped downstairs, the sound never seemed quite right, and the cigarette smoke -- well, that's a problem everywhere, but the music room was pretty bad for that. I was only there maybe six times, all during the festival, but it was not a place I really went out of my way to go. The problem was the darn booking policy kept bringing in my friends to play :) fh
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
unless i missed it no one has mentioned how they like the food there. i thought it was ok but i read a lot of people on dluv saying they hated it. - Original Message - From: kent williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Thursday, December 28, 2006 2:30 pm Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes To: list 313 <313@hyperreal.org> > I feel sorry for Theakston's pug. > > Thank you, I'll be here all week. > > Seriously though, this is a loss. I was only there once, this year > during DEMF and was struck by how perfect a venue for dance music it > was. Smallish, very basic decor, dark, fantastic sound. It was the > sort of place that had everything that might distract from the music > removed. It was similar to SubTonic in New York City, except that it > wasn't dirty and beat up. > > I hope someone in Detroit sees the quality of the place as a venue, > and re-opens it. The current owners of Oslo did a lot of work to > build a near-perfect place for dance music -- a new owner could get a > liquor license, open the doors, and have something great on their > hands. > > On 12/28/06, David Powers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl > > that always worked there ;-) > > > > On 12/28/06, John Sokolowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Oslo no more > > > http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006 > > > > > >
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
kenT - Original Message - From: "kent williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "list 313" <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 2:02 PM Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes And her name was El Oh El Ay Lola? On 12/28/06, /0 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: she was a he - Original Message - From: "David Powers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 1:39 PM Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes > I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl > that always worked there ;-) >
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
alright ken, you asked for this: I met her in a club down in old detroit where they drink champagne and it tastes just like cherry cola -Joe - Original Message - From: "kent williams" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "list 313" <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 2:02 PM Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes And her name was El Oh El Ay Lola? On 12/28/06, /0 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: she was a he - Original Message - From: "David Powers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 1:39 PM Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes > I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl > that always worked there ;-) >
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
And her name was El Oh El Ay Lola? On 12/28/06, /0 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: she was a he - Original Message - From: "David Powers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 1:39 PM Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes > I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl > that always worked there ;-) >
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
I feel sorry for Theakston's pug. Thank you, I'll be here all week. Seriously though, this is a loss. I was only there once, this year during DEMF and was struck by how perfect a venue for dance music it was. Smallish, very basic decor, dark, fantastic sound. It was the sort of place that had everything that might distract from the music removed. It was similar to SubTonic in New York City, except that it wasn't dirty and beat up. I hope someone in Detroit sees the quality of the place as a venue, and re-opens it. The current owners of Oslo did a lot of work to build a near-perfect place for dance music -- a new owner could get a liquor license, open the doors, and have something great on their hands. On 12/28/06, David Powers <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl that always worked there ;-) On 12/28/06, John Sokolowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Oslo no more > http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006 >
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
she was a he - Original Message - From: "David Powers" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <313@hyperreal.org> Sent: Thursday, December 28, 2006 1:39 PM Subject: Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl that always worked there ;-) On 12/28/06, John Sokolowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Oslo no more http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
I'm only upset that I won't get another chance to hit on this girl that always worked there ;-) On 12/28/06, John Sokolowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: Oslo no more http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006
Re: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes
thanks for that john... oslo was a cool place and this is sad news... ps ...'sco !? haha i like it -Original Message- >From: John Sokolowski <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >Sent: Dec 28, 2006 11:52 AM >To: 313@hyperreal.org >Subject: (313) Oslo Detroit Closes > >Oslo no more >http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006 > >First the sushi was gone, then the dance club went silent. Now the questions >are piling up. > >Electronic music aficionados and fans of Japanese food (like the News Hits >staff) are mourning the closing of Oslo, the downtown sushi bar and techno >dance club that is now shuttered, likely forever, according to one of the >owners. > >"It was this unique place, because it seems as if in a good majority of >nightlife options in the dance world in Detroit the music is more of a >wallpaper for the social aspects of what's going on instead of being the >main centerpiece," says Rob Theakston, the longtime Detroit electronic >musician who had been scheduled to play Oslo's New Year's Eve show. > >Owner Brook Campbell told News Hits the closure resulted from bias against >himself as a gay man, disputes with landlords and threats against his life. >"I immediately realized this is not something I wanted to continue to do," >he told News Hits last week. > >But Theakston says rumors of closure were blowing around for a year. "There >were a lot of different staff changes over a long period of time," he says. > >Opened in April 2004, Oslo's menu included the usual sushi bar offerings of >rolls, nigiri, edamame and sashimi. Partners Campbell and Sameer Reddy had >worked for about four years to put the place together, according to >published reports. > >But the paper trail of trouble began at least a year ago. According to the >Michigan Liquor Control Commission, at least six checks from Oslo in 2005 >were returned for insufficient funds. The club was ordered to pay vendors >with certified checks, cashier's checks, money orders or cash, state records >show. > >"I cannot dispute that one, two, three, seven out of a thousand checks >written in the past year have come back, but that's not what's at issue >here," Campbell says. > >According to the City of Detroit finance department, the summer tax bill of >$3,640 has not been paid. It was due Aug. 15. Campbell says he had no >knowledge of the missed payment. > >The club also has operated with several different business names. According >to the Michigan Department of Consumer and Liability Services, Oslo >Associates LLC, Oslo Detroit LLC, Oslo LLC, and Oslo Inc. have all used the >1456 Woodward Ave. address. > >"I think all four are mistaken," Campbell tells News Hits. "The state of >Michigan is not known for never making a mistake." > >According to Matt Abbott, a former manager, the club stopped paying him and >at least some other employees several weeks ago. After the sushi chefs quit >in protest, the restaurant closed. The club was open a few more weekends, >but the party ended on the evening of Friday, Dec. 15, when Oslo didn't >open. > >"No one can get a positive answer on what's happening," Abbott says. > >And that's left Theakston planning a New Year's Eve home with his pug and >reflecting on what Oslo meant to Detroit. > >"Oslo was this really unique place where music was given an incredible >amount of credence and room to experiment," Theakston says. "It was so >diverse. One night you would have Kenny Dixon Jr. and Theo Parrish playing >classic 'sco and really obscure house; the next night you would have a gay >night like Sass, and then the night after that Houseshoes would be playing >hip hop down there." > >Waitress Ash Nowak, who also was the gallery curator for rotating art >exhibits at Oslo, says she feels sorry for the customers. > >"Everyone knew us. Everyone came there, whether it be people that were our >loyal dinner crowd or loyal to the music scene. People always showed up," >she says. > >Owed about $510, Nowak, a Wayne State fine arts major, says she is looking >for work. > >"It's been so frustrating. We wanted to help it so much because it's such a >great place," she says. > >News Hits is edited by Curt Guyette. > >_ >Get FREE Web site and company branded e-mail from Microsoft Office Live >http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/ >
(313) Oslo Detroit Closes
Oslo no more http://metrotimes.com/%5Ceditorial%5Cstory.asp?id=10006 First the sushi was gone, then the dance club went silent. Now the questions are piling up. Electronic music aficionados and fans of Japanese food (like the News Hits staff) are mourning the closing of Oslo, the downtown sushi bar and techno dance club that is now shuttered, likely forever, according to one of the owners. "It was this unique place, because it seems as if in a good majority of nightlife options in the dance world in Detroit the music is more of a wallpaper for the social aspects of what's going on instead of being the main centerpiece," says Rob Theakston, the longtime Detroit electronic musician who had been scheduled to play Oslo's New Year's Eve show. Owner Brook Campbell told News Hits the closure resulted from bias against himself as a gay man, disputes with landlords and threats against his life. "I immediately realized this is not something I wanted to continue to do," he told News Hits last week. But Theakston says rumors of closure were blowing around for a year. "There were a lot of different staff changes over a long period of time," he says. Opened in April 2004, Oslo's menu included the usual sushi bar offerings of rolls, nigiri, edamame and sashimi. Partners Campbell and Sameer Reddy had worked for about four years to put the place together, according to published reports. But the paper trail of trouble began at least a year ago. According to the Michigan Liquor Control Commission, at least six checks from Oslo in 2005 were returned for insufficient funds. The club was ordered to pay vendors with certified checks, cashier's checks, money orders or cash, state records show. "I cannot dispute that one, two, three, seven out of a thousand checks written in the past year have come back, but that's not what's at issue here," Campbell says. According to the City of Detroit finance department, the summer tax bill of $3,640 has not been paid. It was due Aug. 15. Campbell says he had no knowledge of the missed payment. The club also has operated with several different business names. According to the Michigan Department of Consumer and Liability Services, Oslo Associates LLC, Oslo Detroit LLC, Oslo LLC, and Oslo Inc. have all used the 1456 Woodward Ave. address. "I think all four are mistaken," Campbell tells News Hits. "The state of Michigan is not known for never making a mistake." According to Matt Abbott, a former manager, the club stopped paying him and at least some other employees several weeks ago. After the sushi chefs quit in protest, the restaurant closed. The club was open a few more weekends, but the party ended on the evening of Friday, Dec. 15, when Oslo didn't open. "No one can get a positive answer on what's happening," Abbott says. And that's left Theakston planning a New Year's Eve home with his pug and reflecting on what Oslo meant to Detroit. "Oslo was this really unique place where music was given an incredible amount of credence and room to experiment," Theakston says. "It was so diverse. One night you would have Kenny Dixon Jr. and Theo Parrish playing classic 'sco and really obscure house; the next night you would have a gay night like Sass, and then the night after that Houseshoes would be playing hip hop down there." Waitress Ash Nowak, who also was the gallery curator for rotating art exhibits at Oslo, says she feels sorry for the customers. "Everyone knew us. Everyone came there, whether it be people that were our loyal dinner crowd or loyal to the music scene. People always showed up," she says. Owed about $510, Nowak, a Wayne State fine arts major, says she is looking for work. "It's been so frustrating. We wanted to help it so much because it's such a great place," she says. News Hits is edited by Curt Guyette. _ Get FREE Web site and company branded e-mail from Microsoft Office Live http://clk.atdmt.com/MRT/go/mcrssaub0050001411mrt/direct/01/
