Teen nightclub is reborn with Energy
Quad-City teenagers have a place to call their own, and hundreds have already taken advantage of it.
In its first two weekends at its second Moline location, the teen nightclub Energy has brought in nearly 1,600 guests.
“It’s pretty awesome,” said Bobby Dettbarn, a 16-year-old student at North Cedar High School in Stanwood, Iowa. “Just the way that it’s for teens. You don’t have to be an adult to go.”
Dettbarn was at Energy’s opening night with friends Steven Careona, a 17-year-old student at North Cedar, and Justin Crossen, a 14-year-old student at North Cedar Middle School in Clarence, Iowa.
The boys said they came for the video game room and the dancing. They met a few girls on the dance floor and agreed it would be a good place to bring a girlfriend. They plan on returning often.
Energy co-owner Mike Reddish said he has been very pleased with the turnout, especially since the second weekend was better attended than the first, with 500 kids on that Saturday, the same night as some Quad-City region proms.
“We were surprised because we thought maybe being prom season and with stuff going on for prom that we would be slower on Saturdays,” he said. “They are having a great time with it. ... We expect to be very busy coming up.”
Reddish spoke with about 40 parents who attended an open house before Energy’s opening, and he continues to give parents tours before the club opens each weekend. Reddish said he has not received any negative reaction from parents thus far.
“We’ve not had one single issue inside of the building during open hours,” he added. “There’s been not so much as a shove.”
The only complaint Reddish has received came from teens complaining about the club getting too hot, so he is looking into replacing the air-conditioning system.
Energy features a large dance floor, lounges, a game room, a VIP area and a mezzanine where teens can dance, talk and have a bird’s-eye view of the dance floor. Energy looks and sounds like a nightclub in every way — except for its absence of alcohol.
“It’s just a place where they can go where they can actually let loose and socialize,” Reddish said. “I mean you can go to the movies and you can’t be loud, you can’t talk to your friends. So you can come here and you can actually kind of socialize and hang out and let loose with your buddies.”
Rock Island High School students Shauna Hicks, 15, Jazmine Williams, 15, Jessica Pearson, 16, and Taylor Camp, 16, were dancing on the mezzanine during opening night.
The girls have been to Night Club Now events at the RiverCenter in Davenport and are glad to have a place for teens that is open every weekend.
“It gives us something to do,” said Pearson, who added that she plans to head to Energy each weekend to dance, assuming her parents keep giving her $10 to pay the cover charge.
Stephanie De Pasquale can be contacted at (563) 333-2693 or sdepasquale@qctimes.com. Comment on this story at qctimes.com.
If you go
What: Energy, a nightclub for 14- to 19-year olds
When: 7-11:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; college night for those 18 years and older from 9 p.m. Sunday to 1 a.m. Monday
Where: 1405 5th Ave., Moline
How much: $10 cover charge
On the Web: myspace.com/ qcenergy
Energy’s dress code: Hats, baggy clothing, sweatsuits, profane or inappropriate attire, chains and excessive jewelry will not be allowed.