Active Night Life :: Huntsville, AL, United States

Huntsville, AL

Huntsville is a city in Madison and Limestone counties in the U.S. state of Alabama, and the county seat of Madison County.[2] It is the fourth largest city in Alabama. Originally settled by John Hunt in 1805, the city was incorporated six years later as Twickenham.[citation needed] However, it was renamed "Huntsville" during the War of 1812 and it has grown across nearby hills and along the Tennessee River, adding textile mills, then munitions factories, to become a major city, including NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center and the United States Army Aviation and Missile Command nearby at the Redstone Arsenal.

The 2000 census estimated the population of Huntsville at 158,216. In 2008, the estimated population was 176,645 residents and the population of Huntsville Metropolitan Area was measured to be 395,645.[1] Huntsville is the largest city in the four-county Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area, which in 2008 had a total population of 545,770.

Huntsville is named after Revolutionary War veteran John Hunt, the first settler of the land around the Big Spring. However, Hunt did not properly register his claim, and the area was purchased by Leroy Pope, who imposed the name Twickenham on the area to honor the home village of his distant kinsman Alexander Pope.

Twickenham was carefully planned, with streets laid out on the northeast to southwest direction based on the Big Spring (see images below). However, due to anti-English sentiment during the War of 1812, the name was changed to Huntsville to honor John Hunt, who had been forced to move to other land south of the new city.

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1811, Huntsville became the first incorporated town in Alabama. However, the recognized "birth" year of the city is 1805, the year of John Hunt's arrival. The city's sesquicentennial anniversary was held in 1955 and the bicentennial was celebrated in 2005.

Huntsville's quick growth was from wealth generated by the cotton and railroad industries. Many wealthy planters moved into the area from Virginia, Georgia, and the Carolinas. In 1819, Huntsville hosted a constitutional convention in Walker Allen's large cabinetmaking shop. The forty-four delegates meeting there wrote a constitution for the new state of Alabama. In accordance with the new state constitution, Huntsville became Alabama's first capital when the state was admitted to the Union. This was a temporary designation for one legislative session only, and the capital was then moved to another temporary location, Cahawba, until the legislature selected a permanent capital. (Today, the capital is Montgomery.)

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Huntsville initially opposed secession from the Union in 1861, but provided many men for the state's defense. The 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, led by Col. Egbert J. Jones of Huntsville, distinguished itself at the Battle of Manassas/Bull Run, the first major encounter of the American Civil War. The Fourth Alabama Infantry, which contained two Huntsville companies, were the first Alabama troops to fight in the war and were present when Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox in April 1865. Eight generals of the war were born in or near Huntsville, evenly split with four on each side.

On the morning of April 11, 1862, Union troops led by General Ormsby M. Mitchel seized Huntsville to sever the Confederacy's rail communications. The Union troops were forced to retreat some months later, but returned to Huntsville in the fall of 1863 and thereafter used the city as a base of operations for the remainder of the war. While many homes and villages in the surrounding countryside were burned in retaliation for the active guerrilla warfare in the area, Huntsville itself was spared because it housed elements of the Union Army.

After the Civil War, Huntsville became a center for cotton textile mills, such as Lincoln, Dallas and Merrimack. Each mill had its own housing community that included everything the mill workers needed (schools, churches, grocery stores, theatres, and hardware stores, all within walking distance of the mill).

During the 1930s, industry declined in Huntsville due to the Great Depression. Huntsville became known as the Watercress Capital of the World[4] because of its abundant harvest in the area. Madison County led Alabama in cotton production during this time.[4]

By 1940, Huntsville was still a small quiet town with a population of only 13,150 inhabitants. This quickly changed at the onset of World War II, when Huntsville was chosen as the location of Redstone Arsenal, with its numerous munitions manufacturing plants. The Arsenal was almost closed in 1949 when it was no longer needed, but it saw new life when Major General Holger Toftoy with support from Senator John Sparkman convinced the U. S. Army to choose Huntsville as the location for its missile research program. In 1950, General Toftoy brought German rocket scientist Wernher von Braun and his colleagues to Redstone Arsenal to develop what would eventually become the United States' space program.

On September 8, 1960, U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower formally dedicated the Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. (NASA had already activated this facility, which is located on Redstone Arsenal, on July 1 of that year.)

The city is nicknamed "The Rocket City" for its close history with U.S. space missions. Huntsville has been important in developing space technology since the 1950s, when the German scientists headed by Dr. Wernher von Braun, brought to the United States at the end of World War II through Operation Paperclip, arrived to develop rocketry for the U.S. Army. Their work included designing the Redstone ballistic missile, a variant of which, the Juno I, carried the first U.S. satellite and astronauts into space.

The Saturn V, used by the Apollo program manned Moon missions, was developed at Redstone Arsenal. Huntsville continues to play an important role in the United States' Space Shuttle and International Space Station programs. It is estimated that 1 in 13 of Huntsville's population are employed in some engineering field of work.[citation needed]

Huntsville's economy was nearly crippled and growth came to a near standstill in the 1970s following the closure of the Apollo program, but the emergence of the Space Shuttle and the ever-expanding field of missile defense in the 1980s helped give Huntsville a resurgence that continues to this day. The city remains to the center of rocket-propulsion research in the United States, and is home to large branches of many defense contractors. Huntsville is also the location of the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command (AMCOM).

Huntsville is located at 34Â°42â€²N 86Â°35â€²Wï»¿ / ï»¿34.7Â°N 86.583Â°Wï»¿ / 34.7; -86.583 (34.7, -86.6)[5]. As of April 2008,[6] the city now has a total area of 202Â square miles (520Â km2). Recent annexations have pushed the city limits to a total of 9 miles inside Limestone County, bordering Athens and Decatur.[citation needed]

Huntsville is located in the Tennessee River valley. Several plateaus and large hills partially surround the city. These plateaus are associated with the Cumberland Plateau, and are locally called "mountains". Monte Sano Mountain (Italian for "Healthy Mount") is the most notable, and is east of the city along with Round Top (Burritt), Chapman, Huntsville, and Green Mountains. Others are Wade Mountain to the north, Rainbow Mountain to the west, and Weeden and Madkin Mountains on Redstone Arsenal in the south. Brindlee Mountain is visible in the south across the Tennessee River.

As with other areas along the Cumberland Plateau, the land around Huntsville is karst in nature. The city was founded around the Big Spring, which is a typical karst spring, and many caves perforate the limestone bedrock underneath the surface, as is common in karst areas. The headquarters of the National Speleological Society are located in Huntsville.

Huntsville has a humid subtropical climate (KÃ¶ppen climate classification Cfa). It experiences hot, humid summers and generally mild winters, with average high temperatures ranging from 89.0Â Â°F (31.7Â Â°C) in the summer to 49.0Â Â°F (9.4Â Â°C) during winter. Some years, Huntsville experiences tornadoes during the spring and fall. Significant tornado events include the Super Outbreak in 1974, the November 1989 Tornado Outbreak that killed 21 and injured almost 500, and the Anderson Hills Tornado that killed one and caused extensive damage in 1995. Since Huntsville is nearly 300Â miles (480Â km) inland, hurricanes are rarely experienced with their full force; however, many weakened tropical storms cross the area after a U.S. Gulf Coast landfall. While most winters have some measurable snow, significant snow is rare in Huntsville; but there have been some anomalies, like the 1963 New Years Day snowstorm, when 17Â inches (43Â cm) fell within 24 hours. Likewise, the Blizzard of 1993 and a Groundhog Day snowstorm in 1996 were substantial winter events for Huntsville. However, as of the winter of 2008-09, Huntsville has gone 13 years without any significant snowfall (>4 inches).

As of the census[8] of 2000, there were 158,216 people, 66,742 households, and 41,713 families residing in the city. The population density was 909.0 people per square mile (351.0/kmÂ²). There were 73,670 housing units at an average density of 423.3/sqÂ mi (163.4/kmÂ²). The racial makeup of the city was 64.47% White, 30.21% Black or African American, 0.54% Native American, 2.22% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.66% from other races, and 1.84% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.04% of the population.

There were 66,742 households out of which 27.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 45.5% were married couples living together, 13.7% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.5% were non-families. 32.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.29 and the average family size was 2.91. Same-sex couple households comprised 0.5Â % of all househoulds.[9]

The current mayor of Huntsville is Tommy Battle, who was elected in 2008. The Deputy Mayor/City Administrator is Rex Reynolds, who also serves as the city's Public Safety Director. The city has a five-member/district City Council. The current members are:

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

In July 2007 then Senator Barack Obama held the first fund raiser in Alabama for his Presidential campaign in Huntsville. Obama ended up winning the Alabama Democratic Primary and Madison County by large margins in 2008.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

In 2007, Mayor Loretta Spencer combined the police, fire, and animal services departments to create the Department of Public Safety. The former chief of police, Rex Reynolds, was appointed as its director. The new department has nearly 900 employees and an annual budget of $63 million.

The Huntsville Fire Department has 19 engine companies, 4 ladder/rescue companies, and 2 hazardous materials companies located in 17 stations throughout the city of Huntsville. Many Huntsville firefighters are also members of the regional Hazardous Materials and Heavy Rescue response teams. The day-to-day operations of the department are currently carried out by the department's two Deputy Chiefs, while the city looks for a new Fire Chief to replace the recently retired Danny Loggins.

The Huntsville Police Department has 3 precincts and 1 downtown HQ, 360 sworn officers, 150 civilian personnel, and patrols an area of 194.7+ square miles (this number has grown due to recent annexations). The current chief is Henry Reyes.

The Huntsville Police Academy is one of the oldest police academies in the United States. To date the Academy has completed 49 basic academies, and 47 Lateral classes. On May 8, 2006 the Huntsville Police Academy began the 47th Basic Session. Until the 47th Lateral Session, academies were held at the Old Huntsville Airport on Airport Rd. After the graduation of the 46th Session, the academy moved to the Public Safety Training Complex on Sparkman Drive, which is also home to the Huntsville Fire Academy.

Huntsville's main economic influence is derived from aerospace and military technology. Redstone Arsenal, Cummings Research Park (CRP), and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center comprise the main hubs for the area's technology-driven economy. CRP is the second largest research park in the United States and the fourth largest in the world, and is over 38 years old. Huntsville is also home for commercial technology companies such as the network access company ADTRAN, computer graphics company Intergraph and design and manufacturer of IT infrastructure Avocent. Telecommunications provider Deltacom, Inc. and copper tube manufacturer and distributor Wolverine Tube are also based in Huntsville. Cinram manufactures and distributes 20th Century Fox DVDs and Blu-ray Discs out of their Huntsville plant. Sanmina-SCI also has a large presence in the area. Forty-two Fortune 500 companies have operations in Huntsville.

In 2005, Forbes Magazine named the Huntsville-Decatur Combined Statistical Area as 6th best place in the nation for doing business, and number one in terms of the number of engineers per total employment. In 2006, Huntsville dropped to 14th; the prevalence of engineers was not considered in the 2006 ranking.

Huntsville is fast becoming a regional retail center. There are many strip malls and "power centers" throughout the city. Huntsville has two mallsâ€”Madison Square Mall, built in 1984, and Parkway Place, built in 2002 on the site of the former Parkway City Mall. The city also has a lifestyle center called Bridge Street Town Centre, built in 2007, in Cummings Research Park. Another "live, work, and play" center is being constructed on the former site of the Heart of Huntsville Mall. It is to be called Constellation with ground breaking in Fall 2007 and scheduled completion by 2010.[10]

Electricity, water, and natural gas are all provided in Huntsville by Huntsville Utilities (HU). HU purchases and resells power from the Tennessee Valley Authority. TVA has two plants that provide electricity to the Huntsville area- Browns Ferry Nuclear Power Plant in Limestone County and Guntersville Dam in Marshall County. A third, Bellefonte Nuclear Power Plant in Jackson County, was built in the 1980s but was never activated. Due to the rapid growth of the region, TVA has plans to eventually activate the plant.[11]

Telephone service in Huntsville is provided by AT&T, Knology and Comcast . Huntsville has 2 cable providers in the city limits: Comcast and Knology (Mediacom in rural outlying areas). Parts of Madison and Huntsville are long distance to themselves (in Limestone county areas) as AT&T has not kept pace with growth in the region.[12][verification needed] The US Postal service also has not kept up with growth as parts of Huntsville city limits has customers with Owens Cross Roads, Madison on Athens, AL addresses.[clarification needed][citation needed]

Huntsville is served by several U.S. Highways, including 72, 231, 431 and an Interstate highway spur, I-565, that links the two cities of Huntsville and Decatur to I-65. Alabama Highway 53 also connects the city with I-65 in Ardmore, Tennessee.

Public transit in Huntsville is run by the city's Department of Parking and Public Transit. The Huntsville Shuttle runs 11 fixed routes throughout the city, mainly around downtown and major shopping areas like Memorial Parkway and University Drive and has recently expanded some of the buses to include bike racks on the front for a trial program. There is also a Tourist Trolley that makes stops at tourist attractions and shopping centers. The city also runs HandiRide, a demand-response transit system for the handicapped, and RideShare, a county-wide carpooling program.

Huntsville has two active commercial rail lines. The mainline is run by Norfolk Southern, which runs from Memphis, TN to Chattanooga. The original depot for this rail line, the Huntsville Depot still exists, though it no longer offers passenger service.

Another rail line, formerly part of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, successor to the Nashville, Chattanooga and Saint Louis Railroad, is being operated by HMCRA (Huntsville-Madison County Railroad Authority). The line connects to the Norfolk Southern line downtown and runs 13Â miles (21Â km) South, passing near Ditto Landing on the Tennessee River, and terminating at Norton Switch, near Hobbs Island. This service, in continuous operation since 1894, presently hauls freight and provides transloading facilities at its downtown depot location. Until the mid-fifties, L & N provided freight and passenger service to Guntersville and points South. The rail cars were loaded onto barges at Hobbs Island. The barge tows were taken through the Guntersville Dam & Locks and discharged at Port Guntersville. Remnants of the track supporting piers still remain in the river just upstream from Hobbs Island. The service ran twice daily. L & N abandoned the line in 1984 at which time it was acquired by the newly-created HMCRA, a State Agency.

The North Alabama Railroad Museum in Chase maintains a line once owned by the Louisville and Nashville Railroad (L&N). The museum runs weekend tourist rides along a short track in Northeast Madison County. The origin of these rides was once the smallest Union Station in the United States when it served the predecessor to L&N and the predecessor to the Norfolk and Western Railroad.[citation needed]

The inland Port of Huntsville combines the Huntsville International Airport, International Intermodal Center, and Jetplex Industrial Park. The intermodal terminal transfers truck and train cargo. The port has on-site U.S. Customs and USDA inspectors and is Foreign Trade Zone No. 83.

Huntsville International Airport is served by several regional and national carriers (including Delta, Northwest, US Airways, Continental, United, and American) and offers non-stop flights to many airports across the Eastern U.S. However, Huntsville International gets its name because of its reputation as a cargo transport hub. Many delivery companies have hubs in Huntsville, making delivery flights to Europe, Asia, and Mexico.[1]

The Huntsville Times has been Huntsville's only daily newspaper since 1996, when the Huntsville News closed. Before then, the News was the morning paper, and the Times was the afternoon paper until 2004. The Huntsville Times has a weekday circulation of 60,000, which rises to 80,000 on Sundays.

A few alternative newspapers are available in Huntsville. The Valley Planet covers arts and entertainment in the Tennessee Valley area. The Redstone Rocket is a newspaper distributed throughout Redstone Arsenal's housing area covering activities on Redstone. Speakin' Out News is a weekly newspaper focused on African Americans. El Reportero is a Spanish-language newspaper for North Alabama.

Huntsville is the 113th largest radio market in the United States.[13] Huntsville's National Weather Service forecast and warning station broadcasts as KIH20. Huntsville also receives several radio stations from Birmingham and Nashville.

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

A few feature films have been shot in Huntsville, including 20 years After[14] (2008 originally named Like Moles, Like Rats in 2006),[15]Air Band (2005),[16] and Constellation (2005).[17] Portions of the film SpaceCamp (1986) were filmed at Huntsville's U.S. Space and Rocket Center at the eponymous facility. The U.S. Space and Rocket Center stood in for NASA in the 1989 movie Beyond the Stars starring Martin Sheen, Christian Slater, and Sharon Stone. Parts of Tom and Huck (1995) were filmed in Cathedral Caverns, located on the outskirts of Huntsville. Following in the motif of the "Rocket City," Columbia Pictures filmed Ravagers (1979) in The Land Trust's Historic Three Caves Quarry, at the U.S. Space and Rocket Center, and on location at an antebellum home located next door to Lee High School. This cult classic starred Richard Harris, Ernest Borgnine, Ann Turkel, Art Carney and Cecily Hovanes.

Huntsville's legacy in the space program continues to draw film producers looking for background material for space-themed films. During the pre-production of the film Apollo 13 (1995), the cast and crew spent time at Space Camp and Marshall Space Flight Center preparing for their roles. Space Camp also garnered a mention in the film Stranger than Fiction and was featured in a 2008 episode of Penn & Teller: Bullshit! on NASA.

The majority of K-12 students in Huntsville attend Huntsville City Schools[18]. Nearly 25,000 students attend Huntsville City Schools[citation needed]. There are 29 elementary schools, 12 middle schools, and 7 high schools including 2 magnet elementary schools (The Academy for Academics and Arts and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language), 3 magnet middle schools (Williams Technology, The Academy for Academics and Arts, and the Academy for Science and Foreign Language), and 2 magnet high schools (New Century Technology High School and Lee High School). About 21 private, parochial, and religious schools also serve students ages pre-K-12. Several accredited private Christian schools serve Huntsville, AL and Madison County, AL. They include Faith Christian Academy [2], Westminster Christian Academy, Madison Academy, and several others.

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

The University of Alabama in Huntsville is the largest university serving the greater Huntsville area. The research-intensive university has more than 7,400 students. Approximately half of the universityâ€™s graduates earn a degree in engineering or science, making the university one of the largest producers of engineers and physical scientists in Alabama.

Oakwood University, founded in 1896, is a Seventh-day Adventist university and a member institution of the United Negro College Fund. It is one of the nation's leading producers of successful Black applicants to medical schools. Also, the school is home to the USCAA National Basketball Champions (2008) and the winning team of the 19th Annual Honda Campus All-Star Challenge National Championship Tournament (2008).

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Both John Hunt and Leroy Pope were Freemasons and charter members of Helion Lodge #1.[3]

In 1855, the Memphis and Charleston Railroad was constructed through Huntsville, becoming the first railway to link the Atlantic seacoast with the lower Mississippi River.

Council elections are "staggered", meaning that Districts 2, 3, and 4 will have elections in August 2010, while Districts 1 and 5 will have elections simultaneously with mayoral elections in 2012.

There are also many boards and commissions run by the city, controlling everything from schools and planning to museums and downtown development.

See also: List of mayors of Huntsville, Alabama

The Huntsville DMA serves 15 counties in North Alabama and 6 counties in Southern Middle Tennessee.

TV Stations:

There are 6 movie theaters located in Huntsville. They are:

Huntsville's higher education institutions include:

Numerous colleges and universities have satellite locations or extensions in Huntsville:

Huntsville's sister cities include:

Active Night Life

Active Night Life is a non censored service allowing anyone within the nightlife industry to participate and share information, including adult services and businesses. We are dedicated to providing the best information for and about everyone to insure that people can better succeed in their field as well as to have the best night of their lives.
Dedicated to the nightlife industry, Active Night Life is a social network and informational web service to hudreds of thousands in the United States working the nightlife industry. Active Night Life also gives information to millions of party goers that are looking for the best place to hangout and party. The built relationship between businesses, services, emploees, and patrons is unique and devoted as everyone shares the crucial information to better succeed in the their desires.

Active Nightlife

Active Night Life is a non censored service allowing anyone within the nightlife industry to participate and share information, including adult services and businesses. We are dedicated to providing the best information for and about everyone to insure that people can better succeed in their field as well as to have the best night of their lives.
Dedicated to the nightlife industry, Active Night Life is a social network and informational web service to hudreds of thousands in the United States working the nightlife industry. Active Night Life also gives information to millions of party goers that are looking for the best place to hangout and party. The built relationship between businesses, services, emploees, and patrons is unique and devoted as everyone shares the crucial information to better succeed in the their desires.

ActiveNightLife

Active Night Life is a non censored service allowing anyone within the nightlife industry to participate and share information, including adult services and businesses. We are dedicated to providing the best information for and about everyone to insure that people can better succeed in their field as well as to have the best night of their lives.
Dedicated to the nightlife industry, Active Night Life is a social network and informational web service to hudreds of thousands in the United States working the nightlife industry. Active Night Life also gives information to millions of party goers that are looking for the best place to hangout and party. The built relationship between businesses, services, emploees, and patrons is unique and devoted as everyone shares the crucial information to better succeed in the their desires.

nightlife

The nightlife industry is popular throughout the world, but most people are stuck going to the same places, not daring to try new businesses and services due to not meeting their standards. As activenightlife.com is dedicated in helping everyone get the best information directly from visitors, employees, and owners, we help take out the chance in having a good time. The information that we provide also is designed for the people that work within the industry, not only can you promote yourself and where you work, but you can also find out more information about prospective employers and contracts. The nightlife industry is robust no matter how the economy is, but it is crucial to make sure that you promote yourself and your business no matter what.
Nightlife is the collective term for any entertainment that is available and more popular from the late evening into the early hours of the morning. It includes the pubs, nightclubs, bars, live music, concert, cabaret, small theatres, small cinemas, shows, and sometimes restaurants a specific area may have. Nightlife encompasses entertainment from the fairly tame to the risque to the seedy. Nightlife entertainment is inherently edgier than daytime amusements, and usually more oriented to young adults. Under some rubrics, Nightlife also encompasses such "adult entertainment" as a red-light district. In New York City, legislation was enacted in 2006, affecting many areas of nightlife. This legislation was in response to a number of murders which occurred in the New York City area, some involving nightclubs and bouncers. [edit] Background 2006 had started with the murder of a young child, Nixzmary Brown. While this murder case didn't initially start Nightlife Legislation, it had occurred within a short time of another murder of a young criminology student. The recollection of Brown's murder, still fresh in the public's mind, was then refocused in February with another murder brought to the New York City public's attention. This one was the brutal torture, rape and strangulation murder of Imette St. Guillen, a John Jay College Graduate Student, which killing and lurid details later captured the nation's attention.[1] St. Guillen's murder, related to a bar and a bouncer with a criminal record, would strongly bring the public focus on New York City's nightlife. There were protests against The Falls bar for the bar owner's lying to police[2] followed by initial discussion of nightlife. Later, a shooting incident involving a bouncer named Stephen Sakai,[3][4] who used a gun to kill some club patrons at Opus 22, further brought the public's focus on nightlife and bouncers. The June 18 murder of a 16-year old named Chanel Petro-Nixon, and then the July 25 rape-murder of another student, Jennifer Moore alarmed the public and an article series started appearing regularly in the New York Post.[5] Another Post columnist, Andrea Peyser, saw a pattern to the three murders and had written the following, linking St. Guillen, Moore and Petro-Nixon together:[6] "It's open season on young girls. An 18-year-old was found murdered this week in Jersey, allegedly by a man who took her from Manhattan after a night of underage clubbing. In February, graduate student Imette St. Guillen was taken from a SoHo bar and killed, allegedly by the bouncer.[6] But the case of Chanel Petro-Nixon stands out for three reasons: She went missing in broad daylight, blocks from her house -- not at night, coming out of a bar."[6] The murder case of Petro-Nixon has yet to be solved and thus far no new stories on her case have been forthcoming. [edit] Gun shootings, bouncers, fake I.D's, Sean Bell Some of the articles mentioned accounts of gun-shooting violence. Incidents involving bouncers such as Stephen Sakei[3] [4] who shot bar patrons with a gun at Opus 22. Sakai was later convicted and sentenced to 90 years in prison.[7] Articles appeared, discussing fake I.D. use, alcoholic drinking among underage teenagers, and discussion of New York City nightlife in general. In November 2006 the Sean Bell shooting case involving undercover police officers occurred. These and other incidents were reported as occurring in bars and nightclubs[8] and continued during 2007. A 17-year old honor student named Nyasia Pryear-Yard was shot to death while attending a Teen Party at a Brooklyn nightclub named Elks Plaza Club.[9] A suspected gang member which investigators believe may belong to either the Bloods or the Crips, had brought a weapon past security.[9] The family called for stricter safeguards for late-night parties which in this case was geared for teenagers.[9] [edit] Legislations and legal actions Legislative actions were initiated mostly by New York City Council, and measures were discussed and taken on the following issues. [edit] Initial 3-point plan One of the first measures to come was a 3-Point plan proposed by New York City Council Speaker Christine Quinn in her August 8, 2006 memorandum.[10] She later followed up with another memorandum calling for additional safety and mention of an upcoming Summit Meeting. [11] The points mentioned included: * 1. Curbing underage drinking[11] * 2. Improving club safety[11] * 3. Increasing street and transportation safety[11] [edit] Nightlife Summit and other hearings In a Post article, mention was made of Senator Nicholas Spano scheduling a hearing for September 7 of 2006 to discuss existing liquor laws and how they were being enforced. Mention was made of St. Guillen and Moore in the short article.[12] In another article, which was part of the continuing Post series "Wasteland", it was reported that a "Nightlife Summit" was held in St. Guillen's alma mater, John Jay College of Criminal Justice. Attendees included City Council Speaker Christine Quinn who had organized the summit; Police Commissioner Ray Kelly; John Feinblatt, Mayor Bloomberg's criminal-justice coordinator; David Rabin, president of the New York Nightlife Association and co-owner of Lotus; Nightlife Association founder, Andrew Raseij; and various club owners among others. The following points were made:[13] * The participants agreed that the police must help nightclub owners keep the peace * Better regulation is needed of the $10 billion-a-year industry. * A new city office dedicated to the regulation might be created. * Club owners desired the police to provide a "paid-detail"--hire off-duty cops to patrol the area outside of their bars.[13] [edit] Ray Kelly against the idea Police Commissioner Ray Kelly was against the idea of using off-duty police because, as he had said, it was illegal and would breed corruption between cops and bar owners. Another opponent to this recommendation, John Feinblatt, Mayor Bloomberg's criminal-justice coordinator said that "It violates the law". David Rabin, president of the New York Nightlife Association indicated that it "doesn't have to be paid detail. Call it what you want. Cooperative policing. It doesn't matter. We need to be able to call the police without fear that it will result (in) a disorderly-premise ticket." Rabin had said.[13] Club owners also wanted Bloomberg to create an "Office of Nightclub Affairs," similar to the Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting, that would operate as a liaison between the industry and government. "The nightlife industry brings in about $10 billion a year, twice that of the film industry." said Andrew Raseij. It was mentioned that approximately 65 million people visit New York City bars and clubs each year, and that it is one of the most important facets to New York City life.[13] Both sides of the discussions agreed that more action was needed to curb underage drinking, including the elimination of fake ID's, and possibly raising the age limit of young people allowed to enter a bar or club from 16 to 18 or 21.[13] [edit] 'Silent' campaign and smoking There was a discussion about creating a campaign to remind clubgoers to keep quiet when leaving bars and to call the police if there is a safety issue. Some bar owners also complained that the smoking ban made it more difficult to keep the streets quiet at night. While no decisions were made at the summit, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said she was encouraged, and made these various remarks: "I know that we can make nightlife safer in the city of New York. We are not interested in putting the nightlife industry out of business in the city. In fact, when I met with Imette St. Guillen's mother, she made a point of the fact that that is not what she wants."[13] [edit] New York City Council legislation On Wednesday, the council introduced four pieces of legislation to help combat these problems which included the requiring of ID scanners, security cameras and independent monitors to oversee problem establishments. The council had passed "Imette's Law," which required stronger background checks for bouncers. List point captions in the above article were as follows: * Create a city Office of Nightlife Affairs. * Find ways to get more cops to patrol outside clubs and bars. * Combat underage drinking and the use of fake IDs. * Foster better relationship among club owners, the NYPD and the New York State Liquor Authority * Raise age limit for admittance into a club or bar from 16 to 18 or 21. * Develop a public-awareness campaign urging patrons to be safe at night. * Examine zoning laws to help neighborhoods that are flooded with clubs and bars. [edit] Post-Nightlife Summit: underage drinking - an 'unrelated' legacy While St. Guillen's murder initially brought nightlife to the public's attention, the further-related murder of a younger student, 19-year-old Jennifer Moore, presented with even more focus the problems of New York City's nightlife. Issues brought to the forefront of public thinking in that case were underage drinking and fake identification cards being obtained by teenagers illegally to obtain access to bars. The following was reported in a small article in the Friday, December 29, 2006 edition of the New York Daily News titled "Close clubs to under-18s, sez Quinn": "Night clubs should crack down on underage drinkers and creeps who prey on clubgoers by barring anyone under 18 from entering their doors and using cameras to beef up security, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn said yesterday. Quinn stopped short of saying that teen clubgoers caught using fake IDs should be stripped of their driving privileges. She said: "It's an idea. I'm sure that will get fleshed out. Today I'm supporting the recommendations that are in this report, and that is not in this report." Quinn further said that Council members wanted legislation to target sellers of fake IDs. The summit between police, Council members and club owners was called after several young people were murdered after spending time in a club. A lawyer representing the family of Imette St. Guillen, a young woman kidnapped, raped and murdered after drinking in the early-morning hours at a SoHo bar, said they were encouraged by the recommendations. Rosemary Arnold said that the St. Guillen family understood what makes New York City unique: a fantastic nightlife. Robert Bookman, a lawyer for the nightlife association, said his group didn't agree with parts of the report but was glad club owners were meeting with lawmakers and police officials." [edit] Imette's Law On March 14, 2007, Boston Mayor Thomas Menino had signed “'Imette’s Law'” - a legislation named after St. Guillen that would make it mandatory for nightclub and bar owners to conduct criminal background checks on bouncers and to set up security video cameras outside the establishment. This law was proposed by Boston City Councilar Michael Flaherty and was passed unanimously.[14] [edit] New guideline book including a 58-point security plan A new guideline booklet "NYPD and Nightlife Association Announce “Best Practices”" [15] was unveiled on Thursday, October 18, 2007. This voluntary rule book included a 58-point security plan drafted in part by the New York Nightlife Association, was further recommended by Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn. Security measures included cameras outside of nightclub bathrooms, a trained security guard for every 75 patrons and weapons searches for everyone, including celebrities entering the clubs. Mention was made in the news reports of St. Guillen and Moore.[16] [17] [18] Daily News columnist David Rubin wrote: "It used to be that if five huge, drunk guys were denied entry to your club, and we called police, the cops would clean up the situation, but the club would still get a ticket for disorderly presence"... A supervisor will now decide whether to issue such a summons, and a single incident won't result in a ticket, Kelly said. Disorderly summonses can cost a club its state liquor license or its city cabaret license. "Now, there is no penalty for calling the police," said Rubin. On November 14, 2007, it was reported that "Local bar staff are re-evaluating their operating procedure..." in regards to City Council and Police recommendations.[19] [edit] NYPD Club Enforcement Initiative and other police investigations The Club Enforcement Initiative was created by the NYPD in response to what it referred to as "a series of high-profile and violent crimes against people who visited city nightclubs this year", mentioning the July 27 rape and murder of Jennifer Moore. One article discussed the dangers of police work and undercover investigations.[20] Bloomberg had met with Commissioner Kelly and community leaders to discuss how undercover police had shot Sean Bell and two of his friends as they had celebrated his last night as a bachelor outside of the Kalua Cabaret strip club in Queens, N.Y.[21] Bell, who was unarmed, was set to marry his high-school sweetheart and the mother of his two young daughters later that day.[21] The Club Enforcement Initiative was later mentioned in an article discussing the impact and changes in nightlife, and discussed the death of Bell, along with mention of St. Guillen and Moore.[22] It was reported that Chelsea residents were grateful for the increased police presence.[23] The Club Enforcement Unit also tried to close another club named Stereo, after a patron was shot; and mention was made that "Police alleged that (clubs) Stereo, Crobar, Home and Sol were serving alcohol to minors and failing to prevent drug abuse and fights".[24] [edit] ID scanners In August 2006, the New York City Council started initiatives to correct the problems highlighted by the deaths of Moore and St. Guillen.[25][26] There was also discussions about electronic I.D. scanners, where Quinn was quoted as saying "If you don't have these machines, you're not getting a (liquor) license. If you have a license and you don't have the machines, we're going to take your license away."[27] [edit] Chelsea Nightclubs - New York City [edit] Teenagers attending nightclubs, liquor licensing and drunkenness New York Post articles had focused on 16-year-olds attending nightclubs, specifically in the Chelsea District.[28] The articles discussed how easy it was for them to obtain fake I.D. cards.[28] There were discussions with some bar owners on the problems of verifying the legitimacy of the I.D. card as, the cards were very convincing in appearance, and the problem of underage drinking. ID Scanners were also considered in another newspaper's article.[28] Chelsea Nightclub articles first appeared with a New York Times article, citing it as a "playground" but one with dangers such as drunk young women leaving clubs at early hours in the morning[29] Senator Nicholas Spano had scheduled a hearing on September 7, 2006 to discuss the existing liquor laws and how these laws were being enforced.[30] Mention in the article was made of both Moore and St. Guillen.[30] Spano discussed the Chelsea nightlife areas and liquor laws, focusing on underage drinkers.[30] In September 2006, the Nightlife Summit was discussed on one website catering to nightlife,[31] and the City Council's own website.[26] [edit] Teenage/underage drinking The New York Post started a series of continuing articles with the title: "Wasteland".[5] The newspaper's front page featured two photographs: one of Jennifer Moore, and another photograph showing a young teenage girl lying drunk on the sidewalk, with discussion on how common this occurrence was.[5] The front page mentioned that one city block in particular had 5,000 young people attending it every weekend night.[5] Councilwoman Melinda Katz discussed the issue of underage drinking in a Post article where she was seeking to change the minimum age for entry into bars from 16 to 18-years-old.[32] Ron Bookman, who represented the New York Nightlife Association, accused Katz of 'grandstanding' and predicted that her legislation would never get beyond the draft stage.[32] Bookman wanted all the legislators to attend the upcoming summit hearing in September, 2006.[32] He disagreed with the report's recommendations and felt that officials would use the recommendations to unfairly target bars.[33] A further article also discussed underage drinking, mentioning murder victim Jennifer Moore.[34] [edit] Prostitution and stabbing It was reported that Scores West nightclub, located on West 28th Street, had their liquor license suspended by the SLA for allowing prostitution on their premises.[35] Undercover policemen discovered women selling sex in the various club premises.[35] Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Walter Tolub granted a stay of the State Liquor Authority order pulling the license of the club.[36] Pending an appeal by the SLA, the club can continue to serve alcohol.[36] A man was stabbed repeatedly by several women during a violent confrontation near the Vesta Nightclub on Friday, March 21, 2008.[37] The club is located on 29th Street and Eighth Avenue, and it was reported that possibly 30 people were involved.[37] The victim was sent to St. Vincent's Hospital and was reported to be in critical condition.[37] [edit] A missing 25-year-old young woman feared dead Police are currently searching for the whereabouts of Laura Garza, a 25 year-old who has been missing since Wednesday, December 3, 2008. She was reportedly last seen leaving the a nightclub named club Marquee at approximately 4:00 a.m. with a man named Michael Mele. Mele is said to be a 23-year-old registered sex offender, accordingly to a law enforcement source.[38] Garza was compared in the article to Jennifer Moore, and in the print edition also to Imette St. Guillen.[38] [edit] Fake I.D. card abuse reported in the media Fake I.D. cards had been discussed in connection with Moore and her access to clubs even before her death.[39] After Moore's death, The New York Post started a series of continuing articles titled 'Wasteland' beginning with the Sunday, July 3, 2006 edition.[39] That initial article commented on Moore's death having little effect on teenager's behavior, the view of teenagers seeing the clubs as "cool", provocative clothing being worn by young women and how that enhances a club's reputation, possible employment in a club and the attraction of the Chelsea nightlife in general.[39] In 2007, The Post, continuing its series of Wasteland articles, reported that NYPD were focusing on fake ID use, arresting teenagers in the Chelsea district and had padlocked Club Crobar, Pink Elephant and Club Sol for numerous drug violations.[40] Columnist Jeffrey Page in The Bergen Record, which is published in Moore's 'hometown' state, had the following to say about teenagers getting fake ID's: "It's not that kids have never before tried to finesse their way past the bouncers at New York's downtown clubs for a night of fun and drink. It's been done a million times and all it took was borrowed credentials -- or a forged license -- in the wink-and-nod nighttown of Chelsea, the West Village and Tribeca."[41] He then mentioned Jennifer Moore later on in the same article.[41] In 2007, the NYPD was backing laws proposed by the City Council, regarding expanded powers. The NYPD wanted the City Council to give them expanded powers under the Nuisance Abatement Law which would enable them to close businesses where violent crimes had been committed, as well as businesses that sell fake ID's.[42] [edit] Alcohol consumption As of October 15, 2007, City Council Speaker Christine Quinn was backing a state lawmaker's proposal to "yank alcohol and lottery licenses from stores and bars that let kids with fake IDs buy booze".[43] In March 2007, more legislation to enforce security, and prevent the misuse of I.D. cards was being considered, and Mayor Bloomberg indicated that he would sign these bills.[44] [edit] DMV and fake IDs Continuing its Wasteland series, The New York Post further discussed fake IDs and the ease of obtaining them from the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles.[5] The article documented the ease in obtaining such ID's, and how Long Island state Senator Charles Fuschillo Jr., an anti-ID-theft crusader was caught unaware of this fact.[5] The Senator had stated, concerning the DMV website, that 'If it's that easy to get someone's identification', (the site) 'should be shut down'.[5] A DMV spokesman said there was no plan to stop the program or to make it more secure.[5] The spokesman, Ken Brown, further stated, 'We have to provide the ability to get a duplicate license to the motoring public' and that 'It's illegal to have more than one driver's license'."[5] [edit] Required buying of liquor Democratic Queens Councilwoman, Melinda Katz, started drafting legislation on drinking, outlawing the practice of nightclubs that required patrons to purchase bottles of alcohol to guarantee seating. Eight out of 12 clubs in and around Chelsea surveyed by Katz's staff imposed the "bottle service" requirement. One of those was the club where Jennifer Moore had last been seen.[45] [edit] Bouncers The issue of bouncers was discussed in the Tuesday, August 8, 2006 edition of the Bergen Record by Jeffrey Page, who wrote how Jennifer Moore had been 'failed' by many people, and he then mentioned bouncers, bartenders and cab drivers.[46] Further discussed was the potentially-abusive power that bouncers can wield in a bar establishment. This was highlighted by St. Guillen's murder. Another discussion centered on bouncer Stephen Sakai, who was allegedly using a firearm to shoot people.[47] Sakai, as was previously mentioned, was sentenced.[7] On November 14, 2007 it was reported that "Local bar staff are re-evaluating their operating procedure..." in regards to City Council and Police recommendations.[19] [edit] A College bar scene - Columbia University The online edition of the Columbia Spectator had an article mentioning two bars: Radio Perfecto, and Village Pourhouse.[48] The article mentioned the continuously changing Columbia bar scene, with the former-mentioned bar closing while the latter bar opened.[48] Mention was made of I.D inspection, security being tightened by bouncers going through a certification process, and the almost 3-year murder of Imette St. Guillen.[48] Mention was made of trying to balance students and the local crowds of people, as well as neighborhood residents.[48] [edit] California: San Francisco The Entertainment Commission had a hearing on January 15, 2008 at City Hall and their discussion and findings are at this reference:[49] [edit] Louisiana: A "58-point program of best practices" The city of Shreveport, Louisiana is also considering the 58-point plan. Mention was again made of St. Guillen and Moore.[50] [edit] Ohio Nightlife: 'Kid Clubs' and 'Church Clubs' An Ohio newspaper 'picked-up' on the Post's 'wasteland' title and discussed Baltimore's teen nightlife.[51] Language comments such as "There's nothing to do" and "We're just hanging out" were given by a number of teens quoted in the article.[51] In one teen-hangout named "Generation Xtremes", the article mentioned that anyone entering had to be under 21 for access.[51] The article further discussed one program for teenagers, started by "local child-advocacy organizations" and "members of Mission Baltimore" called a "Kidz Nite Inn".[51] [edit] Oklahoma, Tulsa Oklahoma City councilman Skip Kelly, seeking to curb club violence, wants the city of Tulsa to pass an abatement law letting police focus more on nightclubs with various violations.[52] This move was after the shooting of 19-year-old Kascey McClelland at Club Zax.[52] It was reported that police have little clues in the shooting.[52] McClelland died within a week of the six bullet shooting, which occurred in the club's parking lot.[53] It was also reported that in 2006 that police investigated six shootings, and in 2008 responded to about 700 calls at six of the city's nightclubs.[52] The article stated that "Law enforcement officers blame the violence on youthful immaturity, alcohol, a growing gang problem or on the number of guns on the street."[52] Kelly indiated that the city's nuisance and abatement ordinance, which was originally designed to control drug use and prostitution will be revised to include violence, loitering and underage drinking.[54] He said: "We are looking at some language that would give full notice to these club owners, and give police and council stronger laws that they can act on; We are looking at something that would withstand any constitutional challenges.”[54] In discussing the violence in these clubs, Kelly said: "We are talking about saving children's lives along with the adults. If the owners say it's a problem in the parking lot we need to hold someone accountable. ... We want accountability for these proprietors. We will withdraw their application or revoke their license.”[54] There was discussion of existing fire codes, overcrowding in the clubs and past murders.[54] [edit] Virginia A judge in Richmond, Judge Melvin R. Hughes Jr., refused to halt liquor sales in Cotton Club nightclub, a club that had been allegedly linked to gun shootings and violence.[55] It was indicated by the judge's ruling, however, that the city failed to prove a link to the violence and the business.[55] The police indicated that seven people had either been shot, stabbed or beaten in the vicinity of the club, although no one had been killed.[55] It was reported that part of the Cotton Club would be closed but the restaurant and lounge portion that was downstairs would remain open.[55] Fourth Precinct Commander, John Hall said he was disappointed with the judge's decision and said that the department wanted improvements.[55] Officer schedules would be changed for additional support on weekend nights.[55] It was also reported that neighbors and the Downtown Neighborhood Association were also concerned.

nightclub

Night clubs, clubs, clubbing, and discos are all designed to provide specific entertainment needs. With the Active Nightlife directory services and search features, you can find very detailed information about the nightclub industry as well as to share your experiences. When is a good time to go? Any discounts? Do they host parties? What kind of music do they play? What is the average age there? Is there VIP Services? Is there a cover charge? Is there a dress code? What is the men to women ratio? Is there an age limit? All of these questions and more can be answered on Active Nightlife.
A nightclub (or night club or club) is a drinking, dancing and entertainment venue which does its primary business after dark. People who frequent nightclubs are known as clubbers. A nightclub is usually distinguished from bars, pubs or taverns by the inclusion of a dance floor and a DJ booth, where a DJ plays recorded dance and pop music. The music in nightclubs is either live bands or, more commonly a mix of songs played by a DJ through a powerful PA system. Most clubs or club nights cater to certain music genres, such as techno, house music, heavy metal, garage, hip hop, salsa, dancehall, or soca music. Contents [hide] * 1 Types * 2 History o 2.1 Early history o 2.2 1970s: Disco o 2.3 1980s New York, London & Europe o 2.4 1990s and 2000s * 3 Accidents * 4 References [edit] Types Major cities in the United Kingdom and the United States often have a variety of nightclubs, and some small towns and cities also have nightclubs. Nightclubs often feature lighting and other effects, to enhance the dancing experience. Lighting and effects include flashing colored lights, moving light beams, laser light shows, strobe lights, mirror-covered disco balls, or foam, and smoke machines. Dancing in a gay nightclub. Nightclub hours vary widely across the world; in areas with strict liquor regulations in place, nightclubs may have a legal requirement to close at a certain hour. These cities sometimes have illegal "after hours" clubs that stay open and serve alcohol after this legal closing time. In non-regulated areas, nightclubs stay open all night and into early daylight hours. Entertainment is the main attraction at some types of nightclubs. One type of club is a concert club, which specializes in hosting performances of live music. In contrast to regular night clubs, concert clubs are usually only open when a performance is scheduled. Other types of clubs include "all-ages" clubs, which allow non-drinking age attendees. Dancers move to the beat of a DJ's dance music at a nightclub Nightclubs can be built in former warehouses and cinemas, deconsecrated churches, underground buildings, and custom-built buildings, and generally have thick insulated walls and few or no windows, so that the neighboring buildings will not be disturbed by the powerful beat of the dance music, the flashing lights and crowd noise generated throughout the night. This style of construction also keeps light and noise from the street from entering the club. This allows the nightclub to turn the dance floor into an alternate, illusory realm of timelessness. Even if an all-night rave at a nightclub lasts until 6 a.m., when it is light outside, to the clubgoers, it is still dark inside the club, and the partying and dancing continue. In most cases, entering a night club requires a flat fee called a cover charge. Early arriveers and women often have cover waived (in the United Kingdom, this latter option is illegal under the Sex Discrimination Act 1975). Friends of the doorman or the club owner may gain free entrance. Sometimes, especially at larger clubs, one only gets a pay card at the entrance, on which all money spent in the discothèque (often including the entrance fee) is marked. Sometimes, entrance fee and wardrobe costs are paid by cash and only the drinks in the club are paid using a pay card. [edit] History [edit] Early history Clubgoers dancing at an upscale nightclub During US Prohibition, nightclubs went underground as illegal speakeasy bars. With the repeal of Prohibition in February 1933 nightclubs were revived, such as New York's Stork Club, El Morocco and the Copacabana. In Harlem, the Cotton Club and Connie's Inn were popular venues for white audiences. Before 1953 and even some years thereafter, most bars and nightclubs used a jukebox or mostly live bands. In Paris, at a club named Whisky à Gogo, Régine laid down a dance-floor, suspended coloured lights and replaced the juke-box with two turntables which she operated herself so there would be no breaks between the music. The Whisky à Gogo set into place the standard elements of the modern discothèque-style nightclub. In the early 1960s, Mark Birley opened a members-only discothèque nightclub, Annabel's, in Berkeley Square, London. However, the first rock and roll generation preferred rough and tumble bars and taverns to nightclubs, and the nightclub did not attain mainstream popularity until the 1970s disco era. [edit] 1970s: Disco By the late 1970s many major US cities had thriving disco club scenes which were centered around discothèques, nightclubs, and private loft parties where DJs would play disco hits through powerful PA systems for the dancers. The DJs played "... a smooth mix of long single records to keep people 'dancing all night long'"[1] Some of the most prestigious clubs had elaborate lighting systems that throbbed to the beat of the music. The largest UK cities like Liverpool, Manchester, London and several key European places like Paris, Berlin, Ibiza, Rimini also played a significant role in the evolution of clubbing, DJ culture and nightlife. Some cities had disco dance instructors or dance schools which taught people how to do popular disco dances such as "touch dancing", the "hustle" and the "cha cha". There were also disco fashions that discothèque-goers wore for nights out at their local disco, such as sheer, flowing Halston dresses for women and shiny polyester Qiana shirts for men. Disco clubs and "...hedonistic loft parties" had a club culture which had many African American, gay[2] and Hispanic people. In addition to the dance and fashion aspects of the disco club scene, there was also a thriving drug subculture, particularly for recreational drugs that would enhance the experience of dancing to the loud music and the flashing lights, such as cocaine[3] (nicknamed "blow"), amyl nitrite "poppers" [4], and the "...other quintessential 1970s club drug Quaalude, which suspended motor coordination and turned one's arms and legs to Jell-O".[5] The "massive quantities of drugs ingested in discothèques by newly liberated gay men produced the next cultural phenomenon of the disco era: rampant promiscuity and public sex. While the dance floor was the central arena of seduction, actual sex usually took place in the nether regions of the disco: bathroom stalls, exit stairwells, and so on. In other cases the disco became a kind of "main course" in a hedonist's menu for a night out."[5] Famous 1970s discothèques included "...cocaine-filled celeb hangouts such as Manhattan's Studio 54 ", which was operated by Steve Rubell and Ian Schrager. Studio 54 was notorious for the hedonism that went on within; the balconies were known for sexual encounters, and drug use was rampant. Its dance floor was decorated with an image of the "Man in the Moon" that included an animated cocaine spoon. Other famous discothèques included The Loft, the Paradise Garage, and Aux Puces, one of the first gay disco bars. By the early 1980s, the term "disco" had largely fallen out of favor in North America. Clubs Classified as Meat Markets included names such as Peppermint Tiger, Toy Tiger, 2001, Dixie Electric, The Dungeon and Picadilly operated by Alex Findlay. These clubs were wildly popular, built in huge department stores accommodating as many 12,000 people. The clubs were saddled with nick names as Pick a Dick and Pick a Filly and came under fire from many religious communities, but they filled a need which was evident by the shoulder to shoulder crowds. When asked how to design a successful Club Findlay responded " Simply stack in the people in as many different varieties as possible, offer discount store pricing with the class of a Kroger super store, music to motivate stimulate or relax and enough eyes in the sky backed up by highly trained security. People come to shop for partners so make sure they have a good experience and find what they are looking for. Simply put make sure the customer is satisfied by providing unique settings to satisfy all 5 physiological profiles. Never ever think of a Focus Study as a waste of money. It is one of the most prudent investments and provides a hidden view that is not always easily recognized. Findlay went on to say never run out of people and never feel bad about criticism because many critics pass judgment simply because their baptist preacher tells them to do so, however I do not recommend asking for problems because the pastors congregation are much more likely to vote than any Night Club Patron and is wise not to become a vote gathering machine at election issue. [edit] 1980s New York, London & Europe During the 1980s, during the New Romantic movement, London had a vibrant nightclub scene, which included clubs like The Blitz, the Batcave, the Camden Palace and Club for Heroes. Both music and fashion embraced the aesthetics of the movement. Bands included Depeche Mode, The Human League, Duran Duran, Blondie, Eurythmics and Ultravox. Reggae-influenced bands included Boy George and Culture Club, and electronic vibe bands included Visage. At London nightclubs, young men would often wear make-up and young women would wear mens' suits. The largest UK cities like Liverpool, Quadrant Park and 051, Swansea, Manchester (The Haçienda) and several key European places like Paris (Les Bains Douches), Berlin, Ibiza (Pacha), Rimini etc also played a significant role in the evolution of clubbing, DJ culture and nightlife. Significant New York nightclubs of the period were Area, Danceteria, and The Limelight.[6] [edit] 1990s and 2000s In Europe and North America, nightclubs play disco-influenced dance music such as house music, techno, and other dance music styles such as Electronica and Trance. Most nightclubs in the U.S. major cities play hip hop, house and trance music. These clubs are generally the largest and most frequented of all of the different types of clubs. The emergence of the Superclub created a global phenomenon, with Ministry of Sound (London), Idols (Swansea) Cream (nightclub) (Liverpool) and Pacha (Ibiza). In most other languages, nightclubs are referred to as "discos" or "discothèques" (French: discothèque; Italian and Spanish: discoteca, antro (Common in Mexico only), and "boliche" (Common in Argentina only), "discos" is commonly used in all others in Latinamerica; German: Disko or Diskothek). In Japanese ????, disuko refers to an older, smaller, less fashionable venue; while ???, kurabu refers to a more recent, larger, more popular venue. The term night is used to refer to an evening focusing on a specific genre, such as "retro music night" or a "singles night." After the fall of communism in the Czech Republic, "nightclub" or "night club" became a common euphemism for a brothel. Therefore this word is not used in its original meaning. A recent trend in the North American nightclub industry is the usage of video. Instead of audio-only, DJ's are now using video and "mixing" music videos and related songs together in an audio/visual presentation. This harks back to the stage shows of 1970s rock tours and also incorporates influences from video art. In contrast, a new trend, developed recently in South Wales, is the use of string to create unusual aesthetically pleasing movements. [edit] Accidents Accidents at nightclubs can occur for many reasons. The most disastrous accidents were fires at well-visited nightclubs, so fire safety prevention has to be taken with great care. * 23 April 1940 - Rhythm Night Club Fire, 209 killed at nightclub fire at Natchez, Mississippi, USA; * 28 November 1942 - Cocoanut Grove fire, 492 killed in a nightclub fire at Boston, Massachusetts, USA; * 8 March 1973 - Whiskey Au Go Go fire, 15 killed after firebombing at Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Australia; * 2 August 1973 - Summerland disaster, 51 killed at fire at Summerland leisure centre at Douglas, Isle of Man; * 28 May 1977 - Beverly Hills Supper Club fire, 165 killed and 200 injured in fire; * 14 February 1981 - Stardust fire disaster, 48 killed and 214 injured at nightclub fire at Dublin, Republic of Ireland; * 5 April 1986 - Bomb attack on La Belle discothèque, Berlin, Germany, 3 killed, 230 injured; * February 1990 - Stage collapse at a discothèque at Bilbao, Spain, 13 injured; * 25 March 1990 - Happy Land Fire, 87 killed in a nightclub fire at Happy Land, New York City; * 20 December 1993 - Kheyvis Fire, 17 killed in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina; * 18 March 1996 - Ozone Disco Club fire, 162 dead and 92 injured at a nightclub in Quezon City, Philippines; * 30 October 1998 - Gothenburg nightclub fire, 63 people killed, 200 injured in a nightclub fire at Gothenburg, Sweden; * 13 October 2001 - Stage toggled at Zapata discothèque Stuttgart, Germany, several people hurt; * 21 December 2001 - At Club "Indigo", Sofia, Bulgaria, in an early party for minors, the huge crowd pushing their way to get in collapses down the frosty stairs and crushes 7 children (ages between 10 and 14) to death; * 2002 - several people climb in a nightclub at Oberhausen, Germany, on a 120kg heavy loudspeaker box and fell down with the box, 4 killed; * 12 October 2002 - 2002 Bali bombings, 202 killed by large bombs; * 7 December 2002 - Cowgate fire, Edinburgh, Scotland; * 17 February 2003 - 2003 E2 nightclub stampede, Chicago, Illinois, 21 killed and over 50 injured; * 20 February 2003 - The Station nightclub fire, 100 killed at nightclub fire at Warwick, Rhode Island; * 8 December 2004 - A shooter in Columbus, Ohio shot and killed guitarist "Dimebag" Darrel Abbott and two other people, also wounding band manager and a fan in the audience; * 30 December 2004 - República Cromagnon nightclub fire, 194 killed and 714 injured in a nightclub fire at Buenos Aires, Argentina; * 31 December 2005 - a circular crossbar fell down from the roof of a nightclub at Ibbenbüren, Germany, 4 people hurt; * 18 June 2007 - Gatecrasher One Fire, Sheffield, England; * 1 January 2009 - 2009 Bangkok nightclub fire in Santika Club in Watthana, Bangkok, Thailand, 61 killed and at least 212 injured * 24 July 2009 - a man bled to death at a pool party in Perkins Park nightclub, Stuttgart, Germany after he made a head dive into a swimming pool in which there were fragments of glass

stripclub

It is hard to budget and find the right place to go for nice looking women or men dancers. Active Nightlife dedicates itself to help you make the right choice, how to plan out events, and allow you to see the women ahead of time and know when they work. Learn about the costs, budget yourself well, and take a look at the tips and tricks that the employees give you to have a better time.
A strip club is a nightclub or bar where striptease is regularly performed, and possibly other related acts such as lap dancing. While usually considered much less objectionable than more explicit adult entertainment such as sex shows, they are often the focus of morality campaigns and restrictive legislation. High-end establishments tend to be known as "Gentlemen's Clubs". More down-market competitors may be referred to as titty/tittie bars, nipple derbies, skin bars, girly bars, nudie bars, or go-go bars. Sometimes, they are referred to as men's clubs (not to be confused with working men's clubs). In a bikini bar, dancers typically do not disrobe completely. Contents [hide] * 1 Clubs o 1.1 Specific clubs o 1.2 Top clubs o 1.3 Champagne room * 2 Performers * 3 Legal issues * 4 See also * 5 References [edit] Clubs Men are the primary consumers of this form of entertainment,[citation needed] at straight clubs and gay clubs, but at least one chain, Chippendales, caters mainly to straight women. Since the main attraction of a strip club is the stage show, almost all clubs have a cover charge. Gentlemen's and strip clubs are a $5-billion industry in the US, and generate approximately 22% of the gross revenue in US adult entertainment.[citation needed] In the U.S. more money is spent in strip clubs than is spent on theatre, opera, ballet, jazz and classical music concerts combined.[1] Some clubs have hundreds of entertainers appear on stage within a single year.[2] [edit] Specific clubs Sapphire Gentlemen's Club in Las Vegas has been billed as the world's largest strip club; in 2006 it was sold at auction for $80 million. Tampa, Florida is well known for its strip clubs including the famous Mons Venus. Howard Stern, a radio host and television personality, makes frequent mention of 'Rick's Cabaret' which operates in several cities. Bangkok and Pattaya are world famous for their go go bars offering a variety of extra services (but no legal strip-tease). Amsterdam is famous for its live sex shows in De Wallen. There is also a club on Route 17 in Lodi, New Jersey made famous by the television show The Sopranos. The club is actually a go go bar and does not offer nudity, but serves alcohol and not an actual strip club. It is also called "Satin Dolls" in real life, but is known more universally around the world and in the show as "The Bada Bing". The Gold Club was an Atlanta adult entertainment club receiving national attention for the indictment of several of its owners, managers, and employees. The Gold Club trial also received significant attention because numerous significant professional athletes were called to testify.[3]. The club was closed after the convictions of its owner, managers, and employees. [edit] Top clubs Based on a 2008 article by the AskMen.com portal, the top 10 strip clubs in the world [4] are: 1. Hot Lap Dance Club, New York City 2. Night Flight (night club), Moscow, Russia 3. Larry Flynt's Hustler Club, New York, New York 4. 4 Play Gentlemen's Club, Los Angeles, California 5. Spearmint Rhino, Las Vegas, Nevada 6. Le Crazy Horse (cabaret), Paris, France 7. Seventh Heaven, Tokyo, Japan 8. Mons Venus, Tampa, Florida 9. Wanda's, Montreal Quebec 10. K5 Relax, Prague, Czech Republic [edit] Champagne room A champagne room (also called a champagne lounge, or champagne court) is a specialized service offered by gentleman's clubs where a customer can purchase time (usually in half-hour increments) with an exotic dancer in a private room on the premises. Depending on the quality of the club, the room, which is away from the hustle and bustle of the main club, is well decorated and usually has its own bar. Clubs sell champagne by the glass or by the bottle for both the dancer and the customer. Some clubs also offer a food and/or cigar service. Comedian Chris Rock pokes fun at the champagne room in his hit single, "No Sex (In the Champagne Room)." Wyclef Jean later noted Rock's comment in his own reflection on exotic dancers, Perfect Gentleman. [edit] Performers Strippers at the door of the Pussycat Cabaret in Minnesota. Performers are called strippers, exotic dancers or just dancers, or entertainers. House dancers work for a particular club or franchise. Feature dancers tend to have their own celebrity, touring a club circuit making appearances. Porn stars will often become feature dancers to earn extra income and build their fan base. Dancers collect tips from customers either while on stage or after the dancer has finished a stage show and is mingling with the audience. A typical tip is a dollar bill folded lengthwise and placed in the dancer's garter. Where legal (or legal restrictions are ignored), dancers may offer additional services such as lap dances or a trip to the champagne room, for a set fee rather than a tip. This fee will typically include a set fee for the room, for a set amount of time. [edit] Legal issues Main article: Legal status of strip clubs in the United States In several regions of the US, primarily due to the local legal restrictions, strip clubs often fall into one of two categories: topless and all/fully nude. Dancers in topless clubs are allowed to expose their breasts, but they are prohibited from exposing their genitals. Topless dancers typically perform in a G-string and, depending on local laws, may be required to wear pasties covering their nipples.

restaraunt

Active Nightlife is proud of their ever growing national directory fo restaruants and food services. You can see what they offer, how much the cost, their hours of opperation, if they have a bar, any dress codes, and any specialties. Take a look and see if the restaraunt that you enjoy is rated, has any comments, add your own, and make sure you get any discounts and coupons that they may offer.
restaurant prepares and serves food and drink to customers. Meals are generally served and eaten on premises, but many restaurants also offer take-out and food delivery services. Restaurants vary greatly in appearance and offerings, including a wide variety of cuisines and service models. A restaurant owner is called a restaurateur; both words derive from the French verb restaurer, meaning "to restore". Professional artisans of cooking are called chefs, while prep staff and line cooks prepare food items in a more systematic and less artistic fashion. Contents [hide] * 1 History o 1.1 Roman world o 1.2 Islamic world o 1.3 China o 1.4 Western world * 2 Types of restaurants * 3 Restaurant regulations * 4 Restaurant guides * 5 Economics * 6 See also * 7 References o 7.1 Notes o 7.2 Bibliography * 8 External links [edit] History [edit] Roman world Alfred Edersheim in his Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah (1883) mentions, without giving specific references, the existence of restaurants in Alexandria and Jerusalem.[1] [edit] Islamic world Restaurants came into existence throughout the medieval Islamic world before doing so in China. The Islamic world had "restaurants where one could purchase all sorts of prepared dishes." These restaurants were mentioned by Al-Muqaddasi (born 945) in the late 10th century.[2] Restaurants in medieval Islamic Spain served three-course meals, which was earlier introduced in the 9th century by Ziryab, who insisted that meals should be served in three separate courses consisting of soup, the main course, and dessert.[3] The concept of the take-away restaurant was later developed by the Bengali Muslim entrepreneur Sake Dean Mahomed (1759–1851). After migrating to England, he founded the Hindoostanee Coffee House in 1810. It was an Indian curry house that operated on George Street, Central London.[4] [edit] China Further information: Culture of the Song Dynasty#Food and cuisine A Song Dynasty teahouse from the painting Along the River During Qingming Festival, by artist Zhang Zeduan (1085–1145) Food catering establishments which may be described as restaurants were known since the 11th century in Kaifeng, China's northern capital during the first half of the Song Dynasty (960–1279). With a population of over 1 million people, a culture of hospitality and a paper currency, Kaifeng was ripe for the development of restaurants. Probably growing out of the tea houses and taverns that catered to travellers, Kaifeng's restaurants blossomed into an industry catering to locals as well as people from other regions of China.[5] Stephen H. West argues that there was a direct correlation between the growth of restaurant businesses and institutions of theatrical stage drama, gambling, and prostitution which served the burgeoning merchant middle class during the Song.[6] Restaurants catered to different styles of cuisine, price brackets, and religious requirements. Even within a single restaurant much choice was available, and people ordered the entree they wanted from written menus.[5] An account from 1275 writes of Hangzhou, the capital city for the last half of the dynasty: "The people of Hangzhou are very difficult to please. Hundreds of orders are given on all sides: this person wants something hot, another something cold, a third something tepid, a fourth something chilled; one wants cooked food, another raw, another chooses roast, another grill".[7] The restaurants in Hangzhou also catered to many northern Chinese who had fled south from Kaifeng during the Jurchen invasion of the 1120s, while it is also known that many restaurants were run by families formerly from Kaifeng.[8] Ma Yu Ching's Bucket Chicken House was established in Kaifeng in 1153 AD during the Jurchen-controlled Jin Dynasty (though documentation does not exist to prove continuous service) and is still serving meals today. [edit] Western world Restaurant in Bath, Somerset. In the West, while inns and taverns were known from antiquity, these were establishments aimed at travellers, and in general locals would rarely eat there. Restaurants, as businesses dedicated to the serving of food, and where specific dishes are ordered by the guest and generally prepared according to this order, emerged only in the 18th century. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the Sobrino de Botin in Madrid, Spain, is the oldest restaurant in existence today. It opened in 1725. There is, however, evidence that Henry III of France ate at the still-extant Tour d'Argent on March 4, 1582.[1][2] Another claim to be the world's oldest restaurant is made by Stiftskeller St. Peter in Salzburg, which has been in existence since 803 AD, since the time of emperor Charlemagne.[9] The term restaurant (from the French restaurer, to restore) first appeared in the 16th century, meaning "a food which restores", and referred specifically to a rich, highly flavoured soup. It was first applied to an eating establishment in around 1765 founded by a Parisian soup-seller named Boulanger. The first restaurant in the form that became standard (customers sitting down with individual portions at individual tables, selecting food from menus, during fixed opening hours) was the Grand Taverne de Londres (the "Great Tavern of London"), founded in Paris in 1782 by a man named Antoine Beauvilliers, a leading culinary writer and gastronomic authority[10] who achieved a reputation as a successful restaurateur. He later wrote what became a standard cookbook, L'Art du cuisinier (1814). Restaurants became commonplace in France after the French Revolution broke up catering guilds and forced the aristocracy to flee, leaving a retinue of servants with the skills to cook excellent food; whilst at the same time numerous provincials arrived in Paris with no family to cook for them. Restaurants were the means by which these two could be brought together — and the French tradition of dining out was born. A leading restaurant of the Napoleonic era was the Véry, which was lavishly decorated and boasted a menu with extensive choices of soups, fish and meat dishes, and scores of side dishes. Balzac often dined there.[11] Although absorbed by a neighboring business in 1869, the resulting establishment Le Grand Véfour is still in business. The restaurant described by Britannica as the most illustrious of all those in Paris in the 19th century was the Café Anglais (the "English coffee-shop") on the Boulevard des Italiens, showing for a second time the high regard that Parisians evidently had for London, England, and the English — at least when it came to naming their restaurants. Boris Kustodiev: Restaurant in Moscow (1916) Restaurants then spread rapidly across the world, with the first in the United States (Jullien's Restarator) opening in Boston in 1794. The oldest restaurant with contiguous operation in the United States, Union Oyster House is also in Boston and has been open since 1826.[12] Most restaurants continued on the standard approach of providing a shared meal on the table to which customers would then help themselves (Service à la française, commonly called "family style" restaurants), something which encouraged them to eat rather quickly. Another formal style of dining, where waiters carry platters of food around the table and diners serve themselves, is known as Service à la russe, as it is said to have been introduced to France by the Russian Prince Kurakin in the 1810s, from where it spread rapidly to England and beyond. [edit] Types of restaurants Main article: Types of restaurants Restaurants in Greek islands are often situated right on the beach. This is an example from Astipalea. The Piz Gloria in the Swiss Alps, a revolving restaurant offering panoramic views. Restaurants range from unpretentious lunching or dining places catering to people working nearby, with simple food served in simple settings at low prices, to expensive establishments serving refined food and wines in a formal setting. In the former case, customers usually wear casual clothing. In the latter case, depending on culture and local traditions, customers might wear semi-casual, semi-formal, or even in rare cases formal wear. Typically, customers sit at tables, their orders are taken by a waiter, who brings the food when it is ready, and the customers pay the bill before leaving. In finer restaurants there will be a host or hostess or even a maître d'hôtel to welcome customers and to seat them. Other staff waiting on customers include busboys and sommeliers. Restaurants often specialize in certain types of food or present a certain unifying, and often entertaining, theme. For example, there are seafood restaurants, vegetarian restaurants or ethnic restaurants. Generally speaking, restaurants selling food characteristic of the local culture are simply called restaurants, while restaurants selling food of foreign cultural origin are called accordingly, for example, a Chinese restaurant and a French restaurant. [edit] Restaurant regulations See also: Food safety Depending on local customs and the establishment, restaurants may or may not serve alcohol. Restaurants are often prohibited from selling alcohol without a meal by alcohol sale laws; such sale is considered to be activity for bars, which are meant to have more severe restrictions. Some restaurants are licensed to serve alcohol ("fully licensed"), and/or permit customers to "bring your own" alcohol (BYO / BYOB). In some places restaurant licenses may restrict service to beer, or wine and beer. [edit] Restaurant guides Main article: Restaurant rating Restaurants offering ethnic food have spread all over North America and Australia in the past few decades. One of many Italian restaurants in the Heights commercial district of North Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada Restaurant guides review restaurants, often ranking them or providing information for consumer decisions (type of food, handicap accessibility, facilities, etc). In 12th century Hanzhou (mentioned above as the location of the first restaurant,) signs could often be found posted in the city square listing the restaurants in the area and local customer's opinions of the quality of their food. This was an occasion for bribery and even violence.[citation needed] Today, restaurant review is carried out in a more civilized manner. One of the most famous contemporary guides, in Western Europe, is the Michelin series of guides which accord from 1 to 3 stars to restaurants they perceive to be of high culinary merit. Restaurants with stars in the Michelin guide are formal, expensive establishments; in general the more stars awarded, the higher the prices. The main competitor to the Michelin guide in Europe is the guidebook series published by Gault Millau. Unlike the Michelin guide which takes the restaurant décor and service into consideration with its rating, Gault Millau only judges the quality of the food. Its ratings are on a scale of 1 to 20, with 20 being the highest. In the United States, the Mobil Travel Guides and the AAA rate restaurants on a similar 1 to 5 star (Mobil) or diamond (AAA) scale. Three, four, and five star/diamond ratings are roughly equivalent to the Michelin one, two, and three star ratings while one and two star ratings typically indicate more casual places to eat. In 2005, Michelin released a New York City guide, its first for the United States. The popular Zagat Survey compiles individuals' comments about restaurants but does not pass an "official" critical assessment. In the United States Gault Millau is published as the Gayot guide, after founder Andre Gayot. Its restaurant ratings use the same 20 point system, and are all published online. The Good Food Guide, published by the Fairfax Newspaper Group in Australia, is the Australian guide listing the best places to eat. Chefs Hats are awarded for outstanding restaurants and range from one hat through three hats. The Good Food Guide also incorporates guides to bars, cafes and providers. The Good Restaurant Guide is another Australian restaurant guide that has reviews on the restaurants as experienced by the public and provides information on locations and contact details. Any member of the public can submit a review. Nearly all major American newspapers employ restaurant critics and publish online dining guides for the cities they serve. A few papers maintain a reputation for thorough and thoughtful review of restaurants to the standard of the good published guides, but others provide more of a listings service. More recently Internet sites have started up that publish both food critic reviews and popular reviews by the general public. This is a growing area and the market is still immature with no sites yet gaining dominant public or critical support. Several are gaining traction including Zagat.com, chowhound.com, and Fodors.com. Their major competition comes from bloggers and search engines since search engines often favor active bloggers over large somewhat static websites. [edit] Economics Ambox globe content.svg The examples and perspective in this section may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. Please improve this article and discuss the issue on the talk page. (November 2008) Lunch at a restaurant on Queen Street in Toronto, Canada As of 2006, there are approximately 215,000 full-service restaurants in the United States, accounting for $298 billion, and approximately 250,000 limited-service (fast food) restaurants, accounting for $260 billion.[13] There are 86,915 commercial foodservice units in Canada, or 26.4 units per 10,000 Canadians. By segment, there are:[14] * 38,797 full-service restaurants * 34,629 limited-service restaurants * 741 contract and social caterers * 6,749 drinking places Fully 63% of restaurants in Canada are independent brands. Chain restaurants account for the remaining 37%, and many of these are locally owned and operated franchises.[15] One study of new restaurants in Cleveland, Ohio found that 1 in 4 changed ownership or went out of business after one year, and 6 out of 10 did so after three years. (Not all changes in ownership are indicative of financial failure.)[16] The three-year failure rate for franchises was nearly the same

bar

Bars, Pubs, Tavern are normally the local hot spot to either gatehr up and start your night, hangout with friends, or just to meet women and men. There are so many things hapoening at your local bar, besides just finding the right hangout spot for you, make sure you checkout the local events and happy hours. Your right local bar is a tough decission and you should find the right one that suits your personality. Let Active Nightlife help you with our large national database, comments, list of people that go there, event calendar, pricing, and location. There is so much to learn and experience, and we are here to help you.
A bar (also called a pub, tavern, saloon, or taproom) is an establishment that serves drinks, especially alcoholic beverages such as beer, liquor, and cocktails, for consumption on the premises.[1] Bars provide stools or chairs for their patrons along tables or raised counters. Some bars have entertainment on a stage, such as a live band, comedians, go-go dancers, a floor show or strippers (see strip club). Bars that are part of hotels are sometimes called long bars or hotel lounges. The term "bar" is derived from the specialized counter on which drinks are served and is a synecdoche applied to the whole of the drinking establishment. The "back bar" or "gantry" is a set of shelves of glasses and bottles behind that counter. In some bars, the gantry is elaborately decorated with woodwork, etched glass, mirrors, and lights. When food is served elsewhere in the establishment, it may also be ordered and eaten at the bar. Contents [hide] * 1 Types o 1.1 Wine bars * 2 Venues o 2.1 Australia o 2.2 Canada o 2.3 India o 2.4 Italy o 2.5 Spain o 2.6 United Kingdom o 2.7 United States o 2.8 Elsewhere * 3 See also * 4 References * 5 External links [edit] Types A Depression-era bar in Melrose, Louisiana. There are many types of bars, which can be categorized according to the types of entertainment provided at the bar and by their clientèle. Bars categorized by the type of entertainment or activities offered at the bar include: Topless bars, where topless female employees serve drinks or dance; sports bars, where sports fans watch games on large-screen televisions; salsa bars, where patrons dance to Latin salsa music; and dance bars, which have a modest-sized dance floor where patrons dance to recorded music. However, if a dance bar has a large dance floor and hires well-known professional DJs, it is considered to be nightclub or discothèque. Bars categorized by the clientele who come to the bar include: biker bars, which are bars frequented by motorcycle enthusiasts, and in some regions, motorcycle gang members; gay bars, where gay men or women dance and socialize; cop bars, where off-duty law enforcement agents gather; and singles bars where (mostly) unmarried people of both genders can socialize and meet. A bar's owners and managers typically choose establishment names, decor, drink menus, lighting and other elements they can control so as to attract a certain clientele. However, bar operators have only limited influence over who patronizes their establishments and a bar envisioned for one demographic can become popular with another. For example, a gay bar with a dance floor might attract an increasingly-straight clientele over time and vice versa. As well, a blues club may become a de facto "biker bar" if its main clients are biker gang members. There are also retro bars and lounge bars. [edit] Wine bars Although the trend of wine bars in the United States was not well-received in the 1980s, they began to gain popularity in the 90s. By early 2000, wine bars became very popular and started popping up in many metropolitan neighborhoods across the country.[2] Wine bars now rival the local hangouts such as coffee shops and local bars.[3] The wine bar phenomenon offers the taste before you buy philosophy.[4] Wine bars put a new spin on wine tasting. They seek to remove the association of wine with upscale clientèle and overwhelming wine lists and replace it with a more casual and relaxing atmosphere. Many of these bars are furnished with nooks and booths encased in rich colors and plush surroundings in hopes their guests will linger.[5] Wine bars look to embrace the intellectual stimulation linked to wine and offer an alternative to the bar scene. The laid-back environment lends itself to a good socializing setting with a less crowded feel and more intimate appeal.[6] Modern wine bars have begun to incorporate a larger variety of food choices. Traditionally associated with cheeses and desserts, wine bars are looking to combine wine with appetizer-sized gourmet selections to enhance the palate. The concept brings the tastes of fancy restaurants to a dressed-down setting.[7] Restaurant owners and chefs take the opposite approach and use wine bars as an opportunity for expansion.[8] [edit] Venues Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (July 2009) [edit] Australia In Australia the major form of licenced commercial alcohol outlet from the colonial period to the present was the pub, a local variant of the English original. Until the 1970s, Australian pubs were traditionally organised into gender-segregated drinking areas -- the "public bar" was only open to men, while the 'lounge bar' or 'saloon bar' served both men and women (i.e. mixed drinking). This distinction was gradually eliminated as anti-discrimination legislation and women's rights activism broke down the concept of a public drinking area accessible to only men. Where two bars still exist in the one establishment, one (that derived from the 'public bar') will be more downmarket while the other (deriving from the 'lounge bar') will be more upmarket. Over time, with the introduction of gaming machines into hotels, many 'lounge bars' have or are being converted into gaming rooms. Beginning in the mid-1950s, the formerly strict state liquor licencing laws were progressively relaxed and reformed, with the result that pub trading hours were extended. This was in part to eliminate the social problems associated with early closing times -- notably the infamous "Six O'Clock Swill" -- and the thriving trade in "sly grog" (illicit alcohol sales). More licenced liquor outlets began to appear, including retail "bottle shops" (over-the-counter bottle sales were previously only available at pubs and were strictly controlled). Particularly in Sydney, a new class of licenced premises, the wine bar, appeared; there alcohol could be served on the proviso that it was provided in tandem with a meal. These venues became very popular in the late 1960s and early 1970s and many offered free entertainment, becoming an important facet of the Sydney music scene in that period. In the major Australian cities today there is a large and diverse bar scene with a range of ambiences, modes and styles catering for every echelon of cosmopolitan society. [edit] Canada Canada has absorbed many of the public house traditions common in the UK, such as the drinking of dark ales and stouts. Canada adopted the UK-style tavern (also adopted by the U.S), which was the most popular type of bar throughout the 1960s and 1970s, especially for working class people. Canadian taverns, which can still be found in remote regions of Northern Canada, have long tables with benches lining the sides. Patrons in these taverns often order beer in large quart bottles and drink inexpensive "bar brand" Canadian rye whisky. In some provinces, taverns used to have separate entrances for men and women. Canada has adopted many of the newer U.S. bar traditions (such as the "biker bar", and the "sports bar") of the last decades. As a result the term "bar" has often come to be differentiated with the term "pub", in that bars are usually 'themed' and often have a dance floor (such as a dance bar), as opposed to establishments which call themselves pubs, which are often much more similar to a British tavern in style. Before the mid 1980's most "bar" like establishments that sold alcohol were simply referred to as taverns, regardless of what they looked like or what they sold. As with any major lifestyle trend that occurs in the U.S. the "bar" trend promptly spread to Canada. Canadian sports bars are usually decorated with merchandise and paraphernalia featuring the local hockey team, and patrons watch the games on large-screen televisions. Starting in the mid 1990's taverns started to take on the look, feel and even the names of the U.K type pubs. A simple example would be the name "The Fox and Fiddle" as a pub name, where's as names like these rarely existed before. There is huge proportion of bars compared to pubs. Legal restrictions on bars are set by the Canadian provinces and territories, which has led to a great deal of variety. While some provinces have been very restrictive with their bar regulation, setting strict closing times and banning the removal of alcohol from the premises, other provinces have been more liberal. In Alberta, for example, patrons can order beer for "take-out" at the end of the night, a practice which is illegal in provinces such as Ontario. Closing times generally run from 2:00 to 4:00 a.m. In Nova Scotia, particularly in Halifax, there was, until the 1980s, a very distinct system of gender-based laws were in effect for decades. Taverns, bars, halls, and other classifications differentiated whether it was exclusively for men or women, men with invited women, vice-versa, or mixed. After this fell to the wayside, the issue of water closets led many powder rooms in taverns being either constructed later, or in kitchens or upstairs halls where plumbing allowed, and the same in former sitting rooms for men's facilities. [edit] India Bars in India are mainly clustered in metro cities, like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, etc. The rest of the country has very few bar formats. Mostly, drinks are served in establishments such as restaurants. Many consumers prefer to purchase liquor at "wine shops" (locally known as Thekas—shops that, until recently, stocked only beer and liquor) and consume it at home. More recently, bars are showing up in smaller cities; but, these establishments cater to a mostly male clientèle and are unlike the social hubs of the west. Since last few years, many international brand have entered the market, like 'Hard Rock Cafe', 'TGI Friday's', Ruby Tuesday's', Pop Tate's, 'Ministry of Sound(MOS)', etc. Similar chains of bars are now starting to emerge from within the country. Shalom, Laidbackwaters, Geoffrey's Dhadkkan at Solan Himachal Pradesh and All Sports Bar are among the few popular ones. [edit] Italy In Italy, a "bar" is a place more similar to a café, where people go during the morning or the afternoon, usually to take a coffee, a cappuccino, a hot chocolate and eat some kind of snack like pastries and sandwiches (panini or tramezzini). However, any kind of alcoholic beverages are served. Opening hours vary: some establishments are open very early in the morning and close relatively early in the evening; others, especially if next to a theater or a cinema, may be open until late at night. In larger cities like Milan, Rome, Turin or Genoa, many larger bars are also restaurants and disco clubs. Many Italian bars have introduced a so-called "aperitivo" time in the evening, in which everyone who purchases an alcoholic drink then has free access to a usually abundant buffet of cold dishes like pasta salads, vegetables and various types of appetizers. [edit] Spain Bars in Spain are very common and form an important part in Spanish culture. In Spain it is common for a town to have many bars and even to have several lined up in the same street. Most bars have a section of the street or plaza outside with tables and chairs with parasols if the weather allows it. Spanish bars are also known for serving a wide range of sandwiches (bocadillos), as well as snacks called tapas or pinchos. Normally, most bars in Spain offer tapas, but some of them are served on a complementary basis when a drink is ordered, and others have to be ordered and paid. Normally, bars in Southern Spain offer free-tapas with the drinks while in North Spain bars tend to charge for them. Due to a recent law, some bars ban smoking though their number is comparatively small with the bars that allow it. Bigger bars must have always a smoke-free zone. Spain is the country with the highest ratio of bars/population with almost 6 bars per thousand inhabitants, that's 3 times UK's ratio and 4 times Germany's, and it alone has double the number of bars than the oldest of the 15-members of the European Union [1]. The meaning of the word 'bar' in Spain, however, does not have the negative connotation inherent in the same word in many other languages. For Spanish people a bar is essentially a meeting place, and not necessarily a place to engage in the consumption of alcoholic beverages. As a result, children are normally allowed into bars, and it's common to see families in bars during week-ends of the end of the day. In small towns, the 'bar' may constitute the very center of social life, and it's customary that, after social events, such as the Sunday catholic mass, people go to bars, including seniors and children alike. [edit] United Kingdom In the UK bars are either areas that serve alcoholic drinks within establishments such as hotels, restaurants, universities, or are a particular type of establishment which serves alcoholic drinks such as wine bars, "style bars", private membership only bars. However the main type of establishment selling alcohol for consumption on the premises is the public house or pub. Some bars are similar to nightclubs in that they feature loud music, subdued lighting, or operate a dress code and admissions policy, with inner city bars generally having door staff at the entrance. 'Bar' also designates a separate drinking area within a pub. Until recent years most pubs had two or more bars - very often the Public bar, and the Saloon Bar, where the decor was better and prices were sometimes higher. The designations of the bars varied regionally. In the last two decades many pub interiors have been opened up into single spaces, which some people regret as it loses the flexibility, intimacy and traditional feel of a multi-roomed public house. One of the last 'Dive Bars' in London was underneath the Kings Head pub in Gerrard Street, Soho. [edit] United States A bar called “Bar” in New Haven, Connecticut. In the United States of America, legal distinctions often exist between restaurants, bars, and even types of bars. These distinctions vary from state to state, and even among municipalities. Beer bars (sometimes called taverns or pubs) may be legally restricted to only selling beer or possibly wine, cider and other low-proof beverages. Liquor bars sell everything from beer to hard liquor. Bars are sometimes exempt from smoking bans that restaurants are subject to, even if those restaurants have liquor licenses. The distinction between a restaurant that serves liquor and a bar is usually made by the percentage of revenue earned from selling liquor, although increasingly, smoking bans include bars too. In most places, bars are prohibited from selling alcoholic beverages to go and this makes them clearly different from liquor stores. Some brewpubs and wineries can serve alcohol to go, but under the rules applied to a liquor store. In some areas, such as New Orleans and parts of Las Vegas, open containers of alcohol may be prepared to go. This kind of restriction is usually dependent on an open container law. In Pennsylvania and Ohio, bars may sell six packs of beer "to-go" in original (sealed) containers by obtaining a take-out license. New Jersey permits all forms of packaged goods to be sold at bars, and permits packaged beer and wine to be sold at any time on-premises sales of alcoholic beverages are allowed. Historically, the western United States featured saloons. Many saloons survive in the western United States, though their services and features have changed with the times. Newer establishments have been built in the saloon style to duplicate the feeling of the older establishments. Many Irish or British-themed "pubs" exist throughout United States and Canada and in some continental European countries. La Crosse, Wisconsin, has the most bars per capita with 362 bars and only 51,034 people living in the city limits. [edit] Elsewhere Tourists sit outside a bar in Chiang Mai, Thailand. Bars range from down-and-dirty "dives" which are little more than a dark room with a counter and some bottles of liquor, to elegant places of entertainment for the elite. Many bars set a happy hour to encourage off-peak patronage. Contrastingly, bars that fill to capacity typically implement a cover charge, often similar in price to one or two cocktails, during their peak hours. Such bars often feature entertainment, which may be a live band, or a popular D.J..

bouncer

You want to know what really is going on? Make sure you talk to the floormen, they know the inside scoop on eaverything. Active Nightlife promotes the best in information as well as the inside scoop from some of the most informed people within the industry.
A bouncer or doorman is an informal term for a security guard employed at venues such as bars, nightclubs or concerts to provide security, check legal age, and refuse entry to a venue based on criteria such as intoxication, aggressive behaviour, or other standards. Bouncers are often required where crowd size, clientèle or alcohol consumption may make arguments or fights commonplace.[1] In the United States, civil liability and court costs related to the use of force by bouncers are "the highest preventable loss found within the [bar] industry..." and other countries have found similar issues related to the excessive use of force. Studies suggest that one of the reasons that some bouncers emphasise physical force is their self image as a strongly masculine group, which requires them to respond to aggression in violent ways. In many countries, federal or state governments have taken steps to professionalise the industry by requiring bouncers to have training, licensing, and/or a criminal records background check. Contents [hide] * 1 Functions o 1.1 Bouncer o 1.2 Supervisor * 2 History o 2.1 Ancient times o 2.2 Modern times * 3 Research and sociology o 3.1 Outside studies o 3.2 Inside studies * 4 Personality and behaviour o 4.1 Character o 4.2 Use of force + 4.2.1 Excessive force + 4.2.2 Alternatives * 5 Regulation and training o 5.1 Canada o 5.2 New Zealand o 5.3 Singapore o 5.4 United Kingdom o 5.5 Republic of Ireland o 5.6 United States * 6 Notable names * 7 Other meanings o 7.1 In fauna o 7.2 In social control * 8 See also * 9 References * 10 Further reading * 11 External links [edit] Functions [edit] Bouncer A bouncer's primary task is to keep underage, intoxicated, aggressive, and/or otherwise disqualified individuals from entering an establishment. Some clubs also require their bouncers to screen clients based on race or cultural group[2], which may contravene anti-discrimination laws in many Western countries. In some clubs, bouncers use metal detectors and frisking to prevent patrons from bringing potentially dangerous and illegal items, such as drugs and weapons, into the venue.[3] A secondary role often includes the monitoring of behaviour of patrons to ensure that the establishment's rules and alcohol regulations are adhered to.[1] Bouncers also ensure that patrons do not damage the bar or venue's property and furnishings.[4] Also, bouncers must generally resolve conflict within the establishment, which may involve verbal warnings to rule-breakers, physically separating individuals and groups, or ensuring that troublemakers (i.e., those who become too disorderly, intoxicated, or argumentative) leave the venue.[5] Bouncers can also be responsible for collecting an entry fee, or "cover", and checking for identification (especially in regard to the legal age of customers for entry and alcohol consumption). In some venues, bouncers may have the subjective task of "separating the 'in-crowd' from the 'out-crowd'"[6] based on the patrons' style of dress and grooming, a practice popularised by Studio 54, a 1970s discotheque. Such screening, often at the full discretion of the bouncer, remains standard worldwide.[7] Bouncers may also escort employees (particularly female staff) to and from the venue, and in rare cases may act as bodyguards for VIPs, celebrities, or management within the venue. The increasing availability of affordable and reliable security and safety devices has engendered some changes in the occupation over the decades. Bouncers have made increasing use of "...technology such as walkie-talkies and security cameras".[8] Some venues equip their staff with in-ear walkie-talkies to stay in contact. A small number of bars also use digital cameras connected to biometric devices such as facial recognition software to alert staff to the presence of known troublemakers and individuals that have been barred from the venue, or possibly even from other venues.[9] Other terms used may be 'door staff', 'floor staff', and 'door supervisor' (in the United Kingdom).[10] Such terms are more precise than generic terms like 'security guard' or 'security officer' insofar as they describe the main location of duty. In the Australian security industry, the official term for such an individual is 'crowd controller'.[11] [edit] Supervisor A security supervisor (also called a "head bouncer" or "cooler")[8] is an employee who oversees the security for a venue and supervises bouncers and other security staff. Security supervisors are usually security staff members with many years of experience and good conflict resolution skills. A security supervisor's primary function is to organize and support security personnel and ensure the maximum level of safety for his/her staff and customers.[12] Security supervisors will often patrol all sections of a venue, resolving potential problems and closely monitoring customer behaviour such as speech, level of alcohol consumption and body language in an attempt to pinpoint potentially dangerous individuals or groups. He/she may also handle customer complaints, improper conduct of staff (especially those in security, but potentially also those with access to money) as well as supervise training of new bouncers and security staff. Both bouncers and supervisors will often act as intermediaries between venue management and law-enforcement or emergency services personnel. [edit] History In the 1990s and 2000s, increased awareness of the risks of lawsuits and criminal charges (particularly in the United States and industrialised world) have led many bars and venues to train their bouncers to use communication and conflict resolution skills rather than brute force against troublemakers. However, the earlier history of the occupation suggests that the stereotype of bouncers as rough, tough, physical enforcers has indeed been the case in many countries and cultures throughout history. Historical references also suggest that the 'doorman' function of guarding a place and selecting who can have entry to it (the stereotypical task of the modern bouncer) could at times be a honorific and evolve into a relatively important position. [edit] Ancient times The significance of the doorman as the person allowing (or barring) entry is found in a number of Mesopotamian myths (and later in Greek myths descended from them), including that of Nergal overcoming the seven doormen guarding the gates to the Underworld.[13][14] In 1 Chronicles 26 of the Old Testament, the Levitical Temple is described as having a number of 'gatekeepers' - amongst their duties are "protect[ing] the temple from theft", from "illegal entry into sacred areas" and "maintain[ing] order", all functions they share with the modern concept of the bouncer, though the described temple servants also serve as holy persons and administrators themselves[15] (it is noted that some administrative function is still present in today's bouncing in the higher position of the supervisor). The Romans had a position known as the 'Ostiarius' (doorkeeper), initially a slave or other such inferior personage, who guarded the door, and sometimes ejected unwanted people from the house whose gate he guarded. The term later become a low-ranking clergy title.[16] Plautus, in his play Bacchides (written approximately 194-184 BC) mentions a "large and powerful" doorman / bouncer as a threat to get an unwelcome visitor to leave.[17] Tertullian, an early Christian author living mainly in the 1st century AD, while reporting on the casual oppression of Christians in Carthage, noted that bouncers were counted as part of a semi-legal underworld, amongst other 'shady' characters such as gamblers and pimps.[18] [edit] Modern times During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, US saloon-keepers and brothel madams hired bouncers to remove troublesome, violent, or dead-drunk patrons, and protect the saloon girls and prostitutes. The word "bouncer" was first used in the saloon sense in an 1883 newspaper article which stated that "'The Bouncer' is merely the English 'chucker out'. When liberty verges on license and gaiety on wanton delirium, the Bouncer selects the gayest of the gay, and - bounces him!"[19] 19th century An Arizona saloon in 1885, from the era when bouncers earned their rough and tumble reputation by forcibly ejecting brawlers In US Western towns in the 1870s, high-class brothels known as "good houses" or “parlour houses” hired bouncers for security and to prevent patrons from evading payment. “Good house”-style brothels “...considered themselves the cream of the crop, and [the prostitutes working there] scorned those who worked in (or out of) saloons, dance halls, and theatres.” The best bordellos looked like respectable mansions, with attractively-decorated parlours, a game room and a dance hall. For security, “somewhere in every parlor house there was always a bouncer, a giant of a man who stayed sober to handle any customer who got too rough with one of the girls or didn't want to pay his bill.” The “protective presence” of bouncers in high-class brothels was “...one of the reasons the girls considered themselves superior to [lower-class] free-lancers, who lacked any such shepherds.”[20] In Wisconsin's lumberjack days, bouncers would physically remove drinkers who were too drunk to keep buying drinks, and thus free up space in the bar for new patrons. The slang term 'snake-room' was used to describe a "...room off a saloon, usually two or three steps down, into which a bar-keeper or the bouncer could slide drunk lumber-jacks head first through swinging doors from the bar-room."[21] In the late 19th century, until Prohibition, bouncers also had the unusual role of protecting the saloon's buffet. To attract business, "...many saloons lured customers with offers of a "free lunch"—usually well salted to inspire drinking, and the saloon "bouncer" was generally on hand to discourage [those with too] hearty appetites".[22] In the late 19th century, bouncers at small town dances and bars physically resolved disputes and removed troublemakers, without worrying about lawsuits. In the main bar in one Iowa town, "...there were many quarrels, many fights, but all were settled on the spot. There were no court costs [for the bouncers or the bar]; only some aches and pains [for the troublemakers]."[23] In the 1880s and 1890s, bouncers were used to maintain order in the "The Gut", the roughest part of New York's Coney Island, which was filled with "ramshackle groups of wooden shanties", bars, cabarets, fleabag hotels and brothels. Huge bouncers patrolled these venues of vice and "roughly ejected anyone who violated the loose rules of decorum" by engaging in pick-pocketing, jewellry thieving, or bloody fights.[24] During the 1890s, San Diego had a similarly rough waterfront area and redlight district called the 'Stingaree', where bouncers worked the door at brothels. Prostitutes worked at the area's 120 bawdy houses in small rooms, paying a fee to the procurer who usually was the bouncer or 'protector' of the brothel. The more expensive, higher-class brothels were called “parlour houses”, and they were "run most decorously", and the "best of food and drink was served." To maintain the high-class atmosphere at these establishments, male patrons were expected to act like gentlemen; "...if any customer did or said anything out of line, he was asked to leave. A bouncer made sure he did".[25] 20th century Bouncers in pre-World War I United States were also sometimes used as the guardians of morality. As ballroom dancing was often considered as an activity which could lead to immoral conduct if the dancers got too close, some of the more reputable venues had bouncers to remind patrons not to dance closer than nine inches to their partners. The bouncers' warnings tended to consist of light taps on the shoulder at first, and then progressed to sterner remonstrations.[26] In the 1930s, bars in the bawdiest parts of Baltimore, Maryland docks hired bouncers to maintain order and eject aggressive patrons. The Oasis club, operated by Max Cohen, hired "...a lady bouncer by the name of Mickey Steele, a six-foot acrobat from the Pennsylvania coal fields. Mickey was always considerate of the people she bounced; first asking them where they lived and then throwing them in that general direction. She was succeeded by a character known as 'Machine-Gun Butch' who was a long-time bouncer at the club".[27] In the Weimar Republic in the Germany of the 1920s and early 1930s, doormen protected venues from the fights caused by Nazis and other potentially violent groups (such as Communists). Such scenes were fictionalised in the movie Cabaret. Hitler surrounded himself with a number of former bouncers such as Christian Weber[28]; the SS originated as a group designated to protect party meetings.[29] In early Nazi Germany, some bouncers in underground jazz clubs were also hired to screen for Nazi spies, because jazz was considered a "degenerate" form of music by the Nazi party.[30] Later during the Nazi regime, bouncers also increasingly barred non-German people (such as foreign workers) from public functions, such as 'German' dances at dance halls.[31] The doorman from the Ohio-Bar in Berlin in 1948 Bouncers also often come into conflict with football hooligans, due to the tendency of groups of hooligans to congregate at pubs and bars before and after games. In the United Kingdom for example, long-running series of feuds between fan groups like The Blades and groups of bouncers in the 1990s were described by researchers.[32] Bouncers have also been known to be associated with criminal gangs, especially in places like Russia, Hong Kong or Japan, where bouncers may often belong to these groups or have to pay the crime syndicates to be able to operate.[33] In Hong Kong, triad-connected reprisal or intimidation attacks against bouncers have been known to occur.[34] Hong Kong also features a somewhat unusual situation where some bouncers are known to work for prostitutes, instead of being their pimps. Hong Kong police have noted that due to the letter of the law, they sometimes had to charge the bouncer for illegally extorting the women when the usually expected dominance situation between the sex worker and her 'protector' was in fact reversed.[35] In the 1990s and 2000s, a number of bouncers have written "tell-all" books about their experiences on the door. They indicate that male bouncers are respected by some club-goers as the ultimate 'hard men', while at the same time, these bouncers can also be lightning rods for aggression and macho posturing on the part of obnoxious male customers wanting to prove themselves.[36] Bouncing has also started to attract some academic interest as part of ethnographic studies into violent subcultures. Bouncers were selected as one of the groups studied by several English researchers in the 1990s because their culture was seen as 'grounded in violence', as well as because the group had increasingly been 'demonised', especially in common liberal discourse (see Research section of this article).[37] [edit] Research and sociology [edit] Outside studies In the early 1990s, an Australian government study on violence stated that violent incidents in public drinking locations are caused by the interaction of five factors: aggressive and unreasonable bouncers, groups of male strangers, low comfort (e.g., unventilated, hot clubs), high boredom, and high drunkenness. The research indicated that bouncers did not play as large a role "... as expected in the creation of an aggressive or violence prone atmosphere [in bars]." However, the study did show that "...edgy and aggressive bouncers, especially when they are arbitrary or petty in their manner, do have an adverse effect." The study stated that bouncers: "...have been observed to initiate fights or further encourage them on several occasions. Many seem poorly trained, obsessed with their own machismo, and relate badly to groups of male strangers. Some of them appear to regard their employment as giving them a licence to assault people. This may be encouraged by management adherence to a repressive model of supervision of patrons ("if they play up, thump 'em"), which in fact does not reduce trouble, and exacerbates an already hostile and aggressive situation. In practice many bouncers are not well managed in their work, and appear to be given a job autonomy and discretion that they cannot handle well."[38] A 1998 article "Responses by Security Staff to Aggressive Incidents in Public Settings" in the Journal of Drug Issues examined 182 violent incidents involving crowd controllers (bouncers) that occurred in bars in Toronto, Canada. The study indicated that in 12% of the incidents the bouncers had good responses, in 20% of the incidents, the bouncers had a neutral response; and in 36% of the incidents, the bouncers "... responses were rated as bad—that is, the crowd controllers enhanced the likelihood of violence but were themselves not violent." Finally, "... in almost one-third of incidents, 31 per cent, the crowd controllers' responses were rated as ugly. The controllers' actions involved gratuitous aggression, harassment of patrons and provocative behaviour."[39] [edit] Inside studies At least one major ethnographic study also observed bouncing from within, as part of a British project to study violent subcultures. Beyond studying the bouncer culture from the outside, the group selected a suitable candidate for covert, long-term research. The man had previously worked as a bouncer before becoming an academic, and while conversant with the milieu, it required some time for him to re-enter bouncing work in a new locality.[40] The study has, however, attracted some criticism due to the fact that the researcher, while fulfilling his duties as a bouncer and being required to set aside his academic distance, would have been at risk of losing objectivity - though it was accepted that this quandary might be difficult to resolve.[41] One of the main ethical issues of the research was the participation of the researcher in violence, and to what degree he would be allowed to participate. The group could not fully resolve this issue, as the undercover researcher would not have been able to gain the trust of his peers while shying away from the use of force. As part of the study it eventually became clear that bouncers themselves were similarly and constantly weighing up the limits and uses of their participation in violence. The research however found that instead of being a part of the occupation, violence itself was the defining characteristic, a "culture created around violence and violent expectation".[37] The bouncing culture's insular attitudes also extended to the recruitment process, which was mainly by word of mouth as opposed to typical job recruitment, and also depended heavily on previous familiarity with violence. This does not extend to the prospective bouncer himself having to have a reputation for violence - rather a perception was needed that he could deal with it if required. Various other elements, such as body language or physical looks (muscles, shaved heads) were also described as often expected for entry into bouncing - being part of the symbolic 'narratives of intimidation' that set bouncers apart in their work environment.[37] Training on the job was described as very limited, with the new bouncers being 'thrown into the deep end' - the fact that they had been accepted for the job in the first place including the assessment that they should know what they are doing (though informal observation of a beginner's behaviour was commonplace). In the case of the British research project, the legally required licensing as a bouncer was also found to be expected by employers before applicants started the job (and as licensing generally excluded people with criminal convictions, this kept out some of the more unstable violent personalities).[37] [edit] Personality and behaviour [edit] Character A bouncer at the door of a Norwegian club checking customer identification for proof of age. Although a common stereotype of bouncers is that of the thuggish brute, a good club security staff member requires more than just physical qualities such as strength and size: "The best bouncers don’t "bounce" anyone... they talk to people" (and remind them of the venue rules).[1][42] An ability to judge and communicate well with people will reduce the need for physical intervention, while a steady personality will prevent the bouncer from being easily provoked by customers. Bouncers also profit from good written communication skills, because they are often required to document assaults in an incident log or using an incident form. Well-kept incident logs can "cover the employee's back" if criminal charges or a lawsuit later arise from an incident.[43] However, British research from the 1990s also indicates that a major part of both the group identity and the job satisfaction of bouncers is related to their self image as a strongly masculine person who is capable of dealing with – and dealing out – violence; their employment income plays a lesser role in their job satisfaction. Bouncer subculture is strongly influenced by perceptions of honour and shame, a typical characteristic of groups that are constantly in the public eye.[44] Factors in enjoying work as a bouncer were also found in the general prestige and respect that was accorded to bouncers, sometimes bordering on hero worship. The camaraderie between bouncers (even of different clubs), as well as the ability to work "in the moment" and outside of the drudgery of typical jobs were also often cited.[45] The same research has also indicated that the decisions made by bouncers, while seeming haphazard to an outsider, often have a basis in rational logic. The decision to turn certain customers away at the door because of too casual clothing is for example often based on the perception that the person will be more willing to fight (compared to someone dressed in expensive attire). Many similar decisions taken by a bouncer during the course of a night are also being described as based on experience rather than just personality.[46] [edit] Use of force [edit] Excessive force Movies often depict bouncers physically throwing patrons out of clubs and restraining drunk customers with headlocks, which has led to a popular misconception that bouncers have (or reserve) the right to use physical force freely. However, in many countries bouncers have no legal authority to use physical force more freely than any other civilian - meaning they are restricted to reasonable levels of force used in self defence, to eject drunk or aggressive patrons refusing to leave a venue, or when restraining a patron who has committed an offence until police arrive.[43][47] Lawsuits are possible if injuries occur, even if the patron was drunk or using aggressive language.[43] With civil liability and court costs related to the use of force as "the highest preventable loss found within the industry..." (US)[43] and bars being "sued more often for using unnecessary or excessive force than for any other reason" (Canada),[48] substantial costs may be incurred by indiscriminate violence against patrons - though this depends heavily on the laws and customs of the country. In Australia, the number of complaints and lawsuits against venues due to the behaviour of their bouncers has been credited with turning many establishments to using former police officers to head their in-house security, instead of hiring private firms.[49] According to statistical research in Canada, bouncers are as likely to face physical violence in their work as urban-area police officers. The research also found that the likelihood of such encounters increased (with statistical significance) with the number of years the bouncer had worked in his occupation.[2] Despite popular misconceptions, bouncers in Western countries are normally unarmed.[50][51] Some bouncers may carry weapons such as expandable batons for personal protection,[52] but they may not have a legal right to carry a weapon even if they would prefer to do so. [edit] Alternatives Use of force training programs teach bouncers ways to avoid using force and explain what types of force are considered allowable by the courts.[43] Some bars have gone so far as to institute barring physical contact, where bouncers are instructed to ask a drunk or disorderly patron to leave - if the patron refuses, the bouncers call police. However, if the police are called too frequently, it can reflect badly on the venue upon renewal of its liquor licence.[53] Another strategy used in some bars is to hire smaller, less threatening or female bouncers, because they may be better able to defuse conflicts than large, intimidating bouncers. The more 'impressive' bouncers, in the often tense environments they are supposed to supervise, are also often challenged by aggressive males wanting to prove their machismo.[36] Large and intimidating bouncers, whilst providing an appearance of strong security, may also drive customers away in cases where a more relaxed environment is desired.[42] In addition, female security staff, apart from having fewer problems searching female patrons for drugs or weapons, and being able to enter women's wash rooms to check for illegal activities, are also considered as better able to deal with drunk or aggressive women.[54] In Australia, for example, women comprise almost 20% of the security industry and increasingly work the door as well, using "a smile, chat and a friendly but firm demeanor" to resolve tense situations.[55] Nearly one in nine of Britain's nightclub bouncers are also women, with the UK's 2003 Licensing Act giving the authorities "discretionary power to withhold a venue's licence if it does not employ female door staff." This is credited with having "opened the door for women to enter the profession.".[54] However, female bouncers are still a rarity in many countries, such as in India, where two women who became media celebrities in 2008 for being "Punjabs first female bouncers" were soon sacked again after accusations of unbecoming behaviour.[56][57] [edit] Regulation and training In many countries, a bouncer must be licensed and lacking a criminal record to gain employment within the security/crowd control sector. In some countries or regions, bouncers may be required to have extra skills or special licenses and certification for first aid, alcohol distribution, crowd control, or fire safety. [edit] Canada In Canada, bouncers have the right to use reasonable force to expel intoxicated or aggressive patrons. First, the patron must be asked to leave the premises. If the patron refuses to leave, the bouncer can use reasonable force to expel the patron. This has been upheld in a number of court cases.[47] Under the definition of 'reasonable force', "it is perfectly acceptable [for the bouncer] to grab a patron’s arm to remove the patron from the premises." However, "Only in situations where employees reasonably believe that the conduct of the patron puts them in danger can they inflict harm on a patron and then only to the extent that such force is necessary for self defence."[47] In Alberta, bar and nightclub security staff will have to take a new, government-run training course on correct bouncer behaviour and skills before the end of 2008. The six-hour 'ProTect' course will, among other subjects, teach staff to identify conflicts before they become violent, and how to defuse situations without resorting to force.[58] In Ontario, courts have ruled that "a tavern owes a twofold duty of care to its patrons. It must ensure that it does not serve alcohol which would apparently intoxicate or increase the patron's intoxication. As well, it must take positive steps to protect patrons and others from the dangers of intoxication." Regarding the second requirement of protecting patrons, the law holds that "customers cannot be ejected from your premises if doing so would put them in danger [e.g., due to the patron's intoxication]. Bars can be held liable for ejecting a customer who they know, or should know, is at risk of injury by being ejected."[48] In Ontario, bartenders and servers have to have completed the Smart Serve Training Program, which teaches them to recognise the signs of intoxication. The Smart Serve program is also recommended for other staff in bars who have contact with potentially intoxicated patrons, such as bouncers, coat check staff, and valets. The Smart Serve certification program encourages bars to keep Incident Reporting Logs, to use as evidence if an incident gets to court.[48] With the August 2007 Private Security and Investigative Services Act, Ontario law also requires security industry workers, including bouncers to be licensed.[59] [edit] New Zealand In New Zealand, there is no national-level regulation of bouncers as of 2006. The New Zealand Security Association supports the Hospitality Association of New Zealand's efforts to introduce certification for bouncers, doormen and other people responsible for security at bars and sporting events. The association argues that security officers should be "...properly trained professionals, not just a 'big thug' to stand at the door.", decrying the practice of using "unlicensed, untrained security staff". The organisation has been lobbying the New Zealand government to introduce legislation on training requirements for bar security staff.[60] [edit] Singapore Singapore requires all bouncers to undergo a background check and attend a 5-day 'National Skills Recognition System' course for security staff. However, many of the more professional security companies (and larger venues with their own dedicated security staff) have noted that the course is insufficient for the specific requirements of a bouncer and provide their own additional training.[61] [edit] United Kingdom In the UK, bouncers (called 'door supervisors') must hold a license from the Security Industry Authority. The training for a door supervisor licence takes 30 hours, and includes issues such as behaviour, conflict management, civil and criminal law, searching and arrest procedures, drug awareness, recording of incidents and crime scene preservation, licensing law, equal opportunities and discrimination, health and safety at work, and emergency procedures.[10] One current provider of training is the British Institute of Innkeeping Awarding Body. [edit] Republic of Ireland In Ireland the PSA (Private Security authority) regulates all security staff and companies. [edit] United States A bouncer with a bar's hired stiltwalker in the East Village. Requirements for bouncers vary from state to state, with some examples being: California: In California, Senate Bill 194 requires any bouncer or security guard to be registered with the State of California Department of Consumer Affairs Bureau of Security and Investigative Services. These guards must also complete a criminal background check, including submitting their fingerprints to the California Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Californians must undertake the "Skills Training Course for Security Guards" before receiving a security licence. Further courses allow for qualified security personnel to carry batons upon completion of training.[62] New York: In New York State, it is illegal for a bar owner to knowingly hire a felon for a bouncer position; however, the law has a limited value, because bar owners are not required to do background checks on their bouncers.

escort

Escorts are legal services in most communities around the nation, but make sure that you get the right service. Sex for money is illegal without a license which is issued in very few locations. Take the time and browse through the klisted services either trough a service, agency, or individual. Make sure that you know the legalality of escort services in your community before you use the service.
Escort agencies are companies that book and dispatch escorts to a customer's house, hotel room, or requested location. Some agencies also provide escorts for longer durations, who may stay with the client or travel along on a holiday or business trip.[1] While the escort agency is paid a fee for this booking and dispatch service, the customer must usually negotiate an additional fee for any sex work services. Contents [hide] * 1 Structure o 1.1 Business model o 1.2 Income and commission o 1.3 Escort agency scams * 2 Statistics * 3 See also * 4 References [edit] Structure [edit] Business model From a legal perspective, escort agencies claim that they are dispatching these individuals to provide a social or conversational service, since prostitution laws often forbid taking payment for sex or communicating for the purpose of arranging a contract for sexual services. Advertisements for escort agencies often carefully skirt the legal line, and avoid specifically offering prostitution or sexual services. This fact in turn is well-known to police and the political powers, who, where prostitution is illegal, usually prefer to act against more visible and problematic street prostitution. This has been criticized as hypocrisy, especially where governments license and tax the escort agencies. There are however, agencies that do go by these laws and do not facilitate prostitution. [2] Some countries have used a two-pronged attempt of criminalizing street prostitution but permitting or licensing prostitution in brothels or via escort agencies.[3] Escort agencies often recruit individuals to work as escorts by placing employment advertisements in a magazine or newspaper. Escort agencies typically maintain a list of escorts of different ages and appearances to cater to the varying interests of clients. Some agencies may specifically deal in a certain type of escort. There are male-for-male, female-for-male, and female-for-female escort agencies, as well as a few male-for-female agencies. Agencies commonly specialize in only one sex. Transsexuals are available from some escort agencies. It is very common to find that escorts enter the business through referrals from friends that have been in the business. The effectiveness of ads in weeklies or specialized sites has been questioned by some operators as there are so many that they are diluted. Typically, an escort will interview with an agency. Once an agency decides to hire a model, she or he will provide photographs or pose for a photographer. These pictures will be posted on their site or circulated among clients to drum up business. Escort agencies typically advertise in regional publications and telephone listings such as the Yellow Pages. Some larger escort agencies maintain websites with photo galleries of their escorts. Clients contact agencies by telephone and offer a description of what kind of escorts are sought. The agency will then suggest an escort who might fit that client's need. The agency collects the client's contact information and calls the escort. Usually, to protect the identity of the escort and ensure effective communication with the client, the agency arranges the appointment. Sometimes it may be up to the escort to contact the client directly to make arrangements for location and time of an appointment. Generally the escort is also expected to call the agency upon arrival at the location and upon leaving, which ensures the safety of the escort. The arm's length relationship between the escort and the escort agency is designed to protect the escort agency (to some degree) from prosecution for breaking laws against prostitution. If the employee is solely responsible for arranging any illegal prostitution-oriented activities, the agency can maintain plausible deniability should an arrest be made. Escort services aim to provide an experience that allows the operators to claim that whatever happens between the escort and the client is consensual. Operators tend to avoid discussing specifics over the telephone or via emails to avoid complications with the law. Some escort services offer a buyout provision if a customer wishes to date an escort privately. [edit] Income and commission The amount of money that is made by an escort varies with many factors, such as sexual attractiveness, competition from legal and illegal sources, and the commissions to be paid to the agency. Typically, an agency will charge their escorts either a flat fee for each client connection or a percentage of the pre-arranged rate. According to police in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, the high fees charged by escort agencies may make escorting less lucrative than street prostitution, especially as agencies often also deduct the license fees directly from the earnings.[4] Independent escorts may have differing fees depending on the season, or whether the client is a regular or semi-regular customer. Independent escorts may tend to see clients for extended meetings involving dinner or social activities whereas escorts who work through agencies generally provide only sexual services. In New York City, escort services charge anywhere from $200 to $1500 or more per hour. The level of rates is usually determined by the attractiveness of the escort and her or his popularity with clients. However, it is not the case that the best looking women or men always command the highest rates. In many cases, the level and intimacy of the service can justify higher rates.[citation needed] An 80-20 split between the escort and the agency is typical. Given the level of business can vary week to week, it is not uncommon for escorts to be featured by more than one agency. In some cases, different agencies may be operated by the same ownership group, but in many others, escorts work for several agencies to maximize business opportunities. Interestingly, one agency may charge a different rate than another one for the same woman or man. [edit] Escort agency scams As well as the numerous escort agencies offering a real service to escorts and clients, unfortunately there are many fake escort agencies that make their money by charging registration fees, to naive individuals looking to enter the industry, without actually providing any work in return. The fake agencies are relatively easy to spot if one uses common sense but unfortunately they are also very good at exploiting the greed, desperation and naivety of newcomers to the industry. A combination of characteristics separates the genuine agencies from the fake ones and by looking out for the following tell tale signs the distinction can be made fairly easily. Genuine agencies will normally conduct a face to face interview and check the details of the potential escort but fake agencies don’t do this because they operate from unknown locations and reveal as little information as possible about themselves. They will however request that the wannabe escort puts between £200 and £400 (or equivalent) into their bank account to register with them in return for the promise of work. Shortly after the first contact they will claim that they already have a client for the escort but they need the registration fee to be paid first. The income from this (imaginary) client will cover the registration fee and leave the wannabe escort with a healthy profit. If the escort requests that the registration fee be taken from this client’s payment the fake agency will insist that the fee must be paid in advance to cover “professional insurance” or offer another similar excuse. Once the registration fee has been paid the booking will be cancelled and no other bookings will be forthcoming. The agency that was constantly in touch in order to persuade the potential escort to “register” may then suddenly become very difficult to contact. Genuine agencies are selective about who they take on because their escorts are a reflection of their brand image and if they can’t get bookings for the escort then they don’t make any money so it’s a waste of everyone’s time. Fake agencies are exactly the opposite and will take anybody because it makes no difference whose money they fraudulently acquire. In fact those people that would be turned away by a genuine agency are more likely to end up getting ripped off by a fake agency because they have fewer genuine options to enter the industry and are therefore more desperate and vulnerable. Fake escort agencies will tell you that you can choose to provide “extras” when in fact the vast majority of escort work is “full service” (otherwise referred to as prostitution), both the client and the escort know and accept this in advance. Fake agencies are just as happy to take guys as well as girls although in reality the market for straight male escorts is tiny compared to that for female escorts. In any case, these are two entirely different markets and it’s very unlikely that a genuine escort agency would cater to both. They also don’t care about age, size or looks because they just want the wannabe escort’s money and are not concerned with finding them any clients. The websites of fake agencies often require the client to register and login before they can view the profiles of escorts while genuine agencies will not place such barriers in the way of potential clients, any registration process will be voluntary and probably offer additional benefits such as exclusive content, discounts and newsletters. Fake agencies also use non-geographic numbers such as 0870/0871 in the UK because this makes more money for them and gives them flexibility to change numbers quickly if required while remaining anonymous. A more detailed discussion of the above and a list of fake agencies operating in the UK can be found at the Escort Agency Jobs website. Further information can also be found at the SAAFE (Support and Advice for Escorts) website. By taking the common sense step of not paying any money to people that the potential escort has never met and knows next to nothing about, despite any fake promises, he or she can avoid getting caught out by this scam. The tell-tale signs given above can allow those wanting to enter the industry to distinguish between genuine and fake agencies and find work provided that they are actually suitable. [edit] Statistics A 2005 government survey in New Zealand (where prostitution was regulated and for most part legalized in 2003), estimated that of the 6,000 prostitutes surveyed, around 20% worked for escort agencies, while 70% were in massage parlours (Brothels) and 10% worked privately.[5] The study apparently did not cover street prostitution. A 2007 EscortPages.Net UK directory survey revealed some figures in regards to escorts in Great Britain: out of 8000 escorts 84% belonged to escort agencies, and only 16% worked independently[6]. A 2009 Mumbai Escorts Agency survey in India found that models or actresses become escorts to earn money as they struggle to earn money in the beginning of their careers.[7] A 2009 Global Escorts Directory, surveyed & estimated that more than 4000 escort girls are presently available in London. 70% worked for escort agencies, 20% worked independently & 10 % worked in massage parlours. A call girl or escort[1][2] is a sex worker, who, (unlike a street walker), is not visible to the general public. Nor does she usually belong to an institution like a brothel, although she may be employed by an escort agency. The client must make an appointment, usually by calling a telephone number — hence the term "call girl". Not all escorts are call girls. There are some legal escort services out there that are visual entertainment only. Call girls often advertise their services in small ads in magazines and via the Internet, although an intermediary advertiser, such as an escort agency, may be involved in promoting more upmarket escorts. The less upmarket side of escorts may be handled by a pimp.[3] Call girls may work either incall, where the client comes to them, or outcall, where they go to the client. Escort services have made it a common practice to screen call girls to eliminate women with obvious drug problems (such as needle marks from injecting drugs) or those who have arrests for street prostitution or other types of crimes (using criminal background checks). They also attempt to employ women with pleasant personalities and those who are more skilled, attractive, educated, well-groomed and youthful. Contents [hide] * 1 Non-sex work o 1.1 Companionship o 1.2 Social settings * 2 TV appearances * 3 Call girls, celebrities and the very wealthy * 4 City tours * 5 Internet o 5.1 Call girl internet slang + 5.1.1 Oral activity codes + 5.1.2 "Girlfriend vs Porn Star experience" * 6 See also * 7 References * 8 External links [edit] Non-sex work While sexual contact usually plays a prominent role in a call girl's work, not all clients hire call girls exclusively for sex, or in some case for any sex at all. Some simply do so either for social reasons (e.g. attending a party) or for companionship (e.g. someone who feels lonely may hire a girl to provide companionship missing in his or her life). Other call girls may specialize in domination, or other fetishes which do not require intimate sexual activity.[4] [edit] Companionship Elderly and/or widowed men sometimes hire call girls for companionship, simply to enjoy the company of an attractive or intelligent woman. Escort agencies try to determine if this is what a client wants and if it is, the agency will try to send their most educated and polite women to the man or woman. It is not unusual for these "chat" call girls to receive big tips or even bequests from clients.[5][6] In the movie Klute, Bree Daniels performs this service for an elderly garment manufacturer. [edit] Social settings Instead of sex, the client may simply desire to impress his or her peers by having an attractive woman as his or her date, or even pretend girlfriend or wife. The client may, for example, be attending a high school or college class reunion or an office social event. Clients seeking this service will tell the escort service what their intention is. They may specify what kind of woman they seek to play this role. The client may meet with the woman beforehand to evaluate her level of intelligence, education, manners, speech, and ability to execute the pretense, as well as to judge her appearance. They would go over his or her past, her (pretend) past and their feigned relationship, in order to successfully carry out the pretense.[7] [edit] TV appearances Secret Diary of a Call Girl is broadcast in the UK on ITV1 after 11pm and on Showtime in the US.[8] It is about a well educated, upper-market call girl who is part of an agency. [edit] Call girls, celebrities and the very wealthy Ambox style.png This article may require cleanup to meet Wikipedia's quality standards. Please improve this article if you can. (June 2009) Celebrities and very wealthy men sometimes hire call girls for sex to avoid the problem of unreasonable infatuation, where their partner is unreasonably attracted to them (and won't let go of the relationship or accept refusal) because of their status. It also avoids the problem of "kiss and tell" stories, where the girl would sell the story to the press. Both parties understand their respective positions and do not go beyond them. Some of these people are even open about what their date is to those they're partying with, though call girls request they not be. These "dates" can include flying by private jet to Las Vegas, staying in a luxury hotel suite, dining at the finest restaurants, dancing at the hottest nightclubs, and gambling at the casinos. Usually, the man or woman will first hire the woman for a short date to determine if he or she wants to do longer ones (such as the one just mentioned) with her. Here again, the woman's appearance, intelligence, manners, sociability and education also come into consideration. For some wealthy clients, these dates evolve into long standing arrangements that more closely resemble that of a kept woman or a mistress.[9] Some opt for this profession because it is a way of making money while enjoying the pleasure of sex with different partners. Recently men have also jumped into these businesses, and provide sexual services to women. Some higher class women who live far away from their husbands or who like to have sex but don't have partners hire men for sex.[10][11][12][13] [edit] City tours Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2008) In Europe, the system of City Tours is becoming more and more popular in cities such as Paris, Rome, Amsterdam, or Zurich. Eastern European call girls, from countries such as Russia, Hungary, Romania, or Ukraine, are brought by agencies for short stays not exceeding two weeks. The agencies book a room in a business hotel for them, where they receive customers all day long.[citation needed] This system takes its toll on the call girls, who are relentlessly exploited during their short stay in Western Europe. Whether or not these escorts are citizens of the European Union may also be a factor in recruitment. For the clientele, or punters, this provides a revolving door policy with the benefit of newly employed escorts providing a continual service. [edit] Internet Question book-new.svg This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (November 2008) Most call girl agencies and independent call girls are now online, and the internet has become the main venue for a customer to find his or her match. Generally, a picture of the girl is provided, and sometimes, the type of sexual services she is willing to offer. Some agencies also propose a higher fee for people of special interest, such as twins, former porn stars, B-List models, prodommes or even submissives. The Internet includes many directories or listings of call girls or escorts. These may cover a specific area or a wider region (even worldwide). Usually the call girl or the agency is responsible for submitting their information to the appropriate directory. Websites are also used by clients/hobbyists to provide a review of the call girls they have met and rate them, on their aesthetics, behavior or sexual performances. For the readers of evaluation web sites the rating of the call girls is often a determining factor in their selection. Many are thought to be not trafficked.[14] [edit] Call girl internet slang Because offering sexual services in exchange for money is illegal in many areas, certain code words in the subculture of sex work have emerged to communicate in lieu of description of explicit acts. For instance, the words incall and outcall describe the location of the encounter. Incall means that the session takes place at the call girl's location (her apartment or hotel room in the case of a city tour). Outcall means that the session is at a place selected by the customer, personal home, or hotel room.[2] [edit] Oral activity codes Sex workers vary greatly in their willingness to kiss or engage in oral sex. Terms such as DFK (Deep French Kissing - i.e. open mouth kissing with tongues) and LFK (Light French Kissing - open mouth but without tongue) are commonly used to describe kissing activities. Providing oral sex can be described as BBBJ (Bare Back Blow Job - no condom) or OWO (Oral Without Condom) and CIM (Cum In Mouth), while DATY (Dining At The Y) or RO (Reverse Oral) indicates a provider is willing to allow a client to perform oral sex on her. Some sex workers will charge extra for receiving oral, but this is normally a massage parlour or brothel practice, as Independent or Agency workers will provide services inclusive of the hourly rate.[2] [edit] "Girlfriend vs Porn Star experience" Another familiar word in call girl slang is girlfriend experience, abbreviated GFE, that normally implies an escort will have a warm personality, be generally affectionate and be willing to kiss the client. This contrasts with a PSE (Porn Star Experience) which implies an encounter that is more lascivious and adventurous than affectionate and will typically include activities common to pornography such as anal sex.

brothel

Most brothels are illegal in the United States. Use Active Nightlife to find legal brothels that specialize in taking care of your needs.
A brothel, also known as a bordello, cathouse, whorehouse, sporting house and various other euphemisms, is an establishment specifically dedicated to prostitution, providing the prostitutes a place to meet and to have sexual intercourse with clients. In some places, brothels are legal, and in many countries, places such as massage parlors are allowed to function as brothels, with varying degrees of regulation and repression. Depending on zoning, brothels may be confined to special red-light districts or tolerance zones. Brothels were very common in the past, but are prohibited today in most European countries. There are however exceptions, for example Netherlands or Germany (see Prostitution in Europe). In most countries from Europe, brothels were made illegal after World War II. During the first half of the 20th century, France and Italy were famous for their brothels. France outlawed all brothels in 1946 and Italy made them illegal in 1959. Today Amsterdam is well known for its red-light district and it is a destination for sex tourism. Contents [hide] * 1 Business models * 2 Military brothels * 3 Nevada brothels * 4 Regulation * 5 See also * 6 References * 7 Further reading * 8 External links [edit] Business models Brothels use a variety of business models: * In some, the prostitutes are held in involuntary servitude without the option to leave,[1] receiving only a small portion (or none) of the money paid by the patron. This is typical where human trafficking procures a large percentage of prostitutes, and is common in (though not limited to) countries where prostitution is forbidden or repressed. In some cases, prostitutes are bought and sold by their keepers, reducing them to a state of chattel slavery. All of these are illegal in most jurisdictions. * In others the prostitutes are employees, receiving a small fixed salary and a portion of the money spent by the customer. (Maison close French for "closed house") The brothel owner receives the rest of the payment for services. * In the regulated brothels in Nevada, the prostitutes are contract workers who split their earnings with the house and are often expected to "tip" support staff (cleaners, limo drivers, etc.); they receive no benefits, such as health insurance, and no withholding for Social Security taxes. * In still others, the prostitutes pay a fee for use of the facilities, with the brothel owner not being involved in the financial transaction between prostitute and client (maison de passe, French for "trick house"). In those countries which restrict or forbid prostitution, the latter provides some level of plausible denial to the facility owner, who often (thinly) disguises the brothel as a massage parlor, bar, strip club or similar [edit] Military brothels Further information: Comfort women, Bordel militaire de campagne, and Forced prostitution in German armed forces Until recently, in several armies around the world, a mobile brothel service was attached to the army as an auxiliary unit, especially attached to combat units on long-term deployments abroad. It is estimated that a minimum of 34,140 women from occupied states, particularly in Poland, were forced to work as involuntary prostitutes for the Nazis during WW2.[2] While, during French and Japanese colonial campaigns of the 20th century, such employees were mainly recruited among the local populace of Northeast Asia and Africa; often, some of the women were underage.[citation needed] Because it is a touchy subject, military brothels were often designated with creative euphemisms. Notable examples of such jargon are la boîte à bonbons (English: "the candy box"), replacing the term "bordel militaire de campagne". Women forced into prostitution by the Japanese occupation armies throughout East Asia were known as "comfort battalions". The prostitutes were individually referred to as "military comfort women" or j?gun-ianfu. [edit] Nevada brothels In the United States, the only state where brothels are legal is Nevada (see List of brothels in Nevada and Prostitution in Nevada). Prostitution outside the licensed brothels is illegal throughout Nevada. Brothels are allowed only in counties with populations of fewer than 400,000 inhabitants, and not all qualifying counties have allowed them. County governments license and regulate brothels within their boundaries. The brothels and their employees must register with the county sheriff and receive regular medical checkups. Brothels have existed in Nevada since the old mining days of the 1800s and were first licensed in 1971. As of June/July 2008, 28 brothels existed in Nevada.[3][4][5] The legendary Mustang Ranch operated from 1971 through 1999, when it was forfeited to the federal government following a series of convictions for tax fraud, racketeering, and other crimes. Currently eight out of Nevada's 16 counties have active brothels (these are all rural counties). All forms of prostitution are illegal in Las Vegas (and Clark County which contains its metropolitan area), Reno (and Washoe County), Carson City, and a few other places. [edit] Regulation Various countries have fully legalized prostitution (as opposed to only tolerating it) in the last decades, including countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, New Zealand and Australia among others. Most of these countries favor brothels, at least in theory, as they are considered to be less problematic than street prostitution. Laws regarding the operation of the brothels often include strict regulations, for example specifying that they may not be situated in certain zones (such as in residential areas or near schools) and usually prescribing various regular health inspections for prostitutes. However, the degree of regulation varies by country, for example, in Netherlands prostitutes are not required to undergo mandatory health checks. The laws regarding regulation vary widely.

dating

Dating is very important to enjoying your nightlife, either to find a new person to enjoy your time with, or to date ones that you have experience with, it is crucial to find the right spots, planned activities and to budget yourself. Active Nightlife has a full section dedicated just to dating. Find people that share your same interests. Look local or when you travel for a perfect date, as all our memebers can build free dating profiles and communicate with eachother. Please be caustious and understand the risks associated with internet dating and meet in a public place to get to know eachother further.
Dating is a form of courtship, and may include any social activity undertaken by, typically, two people with the aim of each assessing the other's suitability as their partner in an intimate relationship or as a spouse. The word refers to the act of meeting and engaging in some mutually agreed upon social activity. Traditional dating activities include entertainment or a meal. In many cultural traditions, a date may be arranged by a third party, who may be a family member, acquaintance, or professional matchmaker. Recently internet dating has become popular. Although dating etiquette has become more relaxed during the twentieth century, there are considerable differences between social and personal values. For example, when an activity costs money (for example, a meal), traditionally the man was expected to pay; but in recent times the practice of "going Dutch" (splitting the expenses) has become more common and more acceptable. The average duration of courtship before proceeding to engagement or marriage varies considerably throughout the world. See Courtship#Duration. Online dating or Internet dating is a dating system which allows individuals, couples and groups to make contact and communicate with each other over the Internet, usually with the objective of developing a personal romantic or sexual relationship. Online dating services usually provide unmoderated matchmaking over the Internet, through the use of personal computers or cell phones. Online dating services generally require a prospective member to provide personal information, before they can search the service provider's database for other individuals using criteria they set, such as age range, gender and location. Most sites allow members to upload photos of themselves and browse the photos of others. Sites may offer additional services, such as webcasts, online chat, telephone chat (VOIP), and message boards. Some sites provide free registration, but may offer services which require a monthly fee. Other sites depend on advertising for their revenue. Many sites are broad-based, with members coming from a variety of backgrounds looking for different types of relationships. Other sites are more specific, based on the type of members, interests, location, or relationship desired. Contents [hide] * 1 Trends * 2 Virtual dating * 3 Social networking * 4 Problems with Online Dating Services o 4.1 Discrimination * 5 Government regulation * 6 Online Introduction Services * 7 Pop culture * 8 See also * 9 References [edit] Trends United States residents spent $469.5 million[citation needed] on online dating and personals in 2004, and over $500 million in 2005, the largest segment of “paid content” on the web other than pornography, according to a study conducted by the Online Publishers Association (OPA) and comScore Networks. The U.S. online dating market is expected to increase spending to $932 million in 2011. [1] At the end of November 2004, there were 844 lifestyle and dating sites, a 38 percent increase since the start of the year, according to Hitwise Inc. However, market share was increasingly being dominated by several large commercial services, including AOL Personals, Yahoo! Personals, Match.com, and eHarmony. By 2007, many prominent studies show that Baby Boomer interest in online dating had soared. [2] In 2002, a Wired magazine article forecast that, "Twenty years from now, the idea that someone looking for love without looking for it online will be silly, akin to skipping the card catalog to instead wander the stacks because 'the right books are found only by accident.' Serendipity is the hallmark of inefficient markets, and the marketplace of love, like it or not, is becoming more efficient."[3] Most recently, it has become common for online dating websites to provide webcam chats between members. In addition, as the online dating population becomes larger, sites with specific demographics are becoming more popular as a way to narrow the pool of potential matches.[4] According to online personals expert Mark Brooks from onlinepersonalswatch.com, online dating sites are adding features including handwriting analysis to match like-minded mates.[5] The most successful niche sites pair people by race, sexual orientation or religion.[6] The 20 most popular dating sites this year as ranked by Hitwise include JDate (for Jewish singles), Christian Mingle,Christian Cafe and JCMATCH, Manhunt (for gay men), Love From India, Black Christian People Meet, Amigos (for Latino singles), Asian People Meet, and Shaadi (for Indian singles). [6] In March 2008, the top 5 overall sites held 7% less market share than they did one year ago while the top sites from the top five major niche dating categories made considerable gains. [7] One of the "hottest trends in online dating" is the babyboomers on the top dating sites. Around 30% of America's 80 million babyboomers are single.[8] Since 2003, several free dating sites, operating on ad based-revenue rather than monthly subscriptions, have appeared and become increasingly popular.[9] Especially popular in Eastern Europe, some sites offer full access to messaging and profiles, but provide additional services for pay, such as bumping profiles up to the top of the list, removing advertisements, making paying users' profiles appear several times in different places in the search results, and giving paying users a more advanced search engine to work with (in one real example, free users may only search for persons of specified age, gender, orientation, and city, while subscribers may search for any and all parameters listed in profiles, such as height, weight, interests, etc.). Also, this model generally allows users to switch between free and paying status at will and without having to do anything, simply providing advanced features for a set period of time whenever the according payment is received. Ease of payment is also generally higher, with such sites accepting a variety of online currencies, letting users charge the payment to their cellular phones, etc. Such sites earn revenue from a mix of advertising and sale of additional options. [edit] Virtual dating Virtual dating combines online dating with online gaming. It is distinguished from online dating by the absence of an intention of the people to personally meet. Virtual dating involves the use of avatars for people to interact in a virtual venue that resembles a real life dating environment. For example, individuals can meet and chat in a romantic virtual cafe in Paris or on a Caribbean resort. According to Scientific American, virtual dating is "the next step in online dating" (Feb/March 2007, p.35) [10]. A Time Magazine article entitled "Internet Dating 2.0" was published on January 19, 2007 citing current and upcoming technologies and explains how people can now connect in a virtual dating environment. Time describes how websites are allowing people to meet for an avatar based, graphically enabled virtual date without leaving their homes. [11] Researchers at MIT and Harvard have found that "people who had had a chance to interact with each other (by computer only) on a virtual tour of a museum subsequently had more successful face-to-face meetings than people who had viewed only profiles." [10] [edit] Social networking The role of social networking services in online dating has been explored in a book dedicated to the subject [12]. The findings of the study reveal that the online dating services driven by subscriptions offer the least amount of social networking opportunities, as they often only utilize the personal homepage genre of online community, which only makes them effective for the bonding and encoding stage of the relationship. The dating services modeled on the free-at-the-point-of-use model scored much higher as many of them utilized the Circle of Friends social networking method and a wider number of online community genres. The highest scoring dating service was Facebook, which uses the personal homepage genre, the message board genre, the weblog and directory genre, as well as utilizing the Circle of Friends. The second highest scoring, Second Life utilizes virtual worlds, message boards, chat groups and profile pages to allow people to contact in a three-dimensional environment. [edit] Problems with Online Dating Services Ambox content.png This article may contain original research or unverified claims. Please improve the article by adding references. See the talk page for details. (September 2007) There can be a variety of problems when utilizing online dating sites. * Some sites expect members to subscribe "blind," meaning that users have little or no ability to search or preview the available profiles before they pay the subscription fee. eHarmony is one example of this kind of site. * A majority of dating sites keep profiles online for months or even years since the last time the person has logged in, thereby making it seem as though there are more available members than there actually are. * For paying members, it is often unclear whether a potential contact has a full subscription and whether he or she will be able to reply. Some sites prevent a potential contact from even reading a paying member's messages unless the contact has also paid to subscribe. There are still, however, a few established free dating sites that allow non-paid-up users to reply to messages. * Some sites require that both the sender and recipient of messages be subscribers before any off-site communication or contact can be arranged, and will filter messages to remove email addresses, telephone numbers, web addresses and surnames. Subscribers who attempt to circumvent this restriction may lose their membership and be removed from the site. * Some profiles may not represent actual daters, but are "bait profiles" that have been placed there by the site owners to attract new paying members. Both Yahoo Personals and Match.com have received several complaints about this tactic. Some users spam sites with "fake" profiles that are in reality advertisements to other services, such as prostitution, multi-level marketing, or other personals websites. * Even when members' profiles are "real", there is still an inherent lack of trust with other members. Married people seeking affairs will often pose as singles. In addition, many members misrepresent themselves by telling flattering 'white lies' about their height, weight and age, or by using old and misleading photos. Members can, of course, ask for an up-to-date photograph before arranging a meeting, but disappointments are common. Matrimonials Sites are a variant of online dating sites, and these are geared towards meeting people for the purpose of getting married. Gross misrepresentation is less likely on these sites than on 'casual dating' sites. Casual dating sites are often geared more towards short term (potentially sexual) relationships. * Online predators find online dating sites especially attractive, because such sites give them an unending supply of new targets of opportunity for Internet fraud. A recent study, led by Dr. Paige Padgett from the University of Texas Health Science Center, found that there was a false degree of safety assumed by women looking for love on the internet, exposing them to stalking, fraud, and sexual violence.[13] Some online dating sites conduct background checks on their members in an attempt to avoid problems of this nature. * Most members are enticed to join dating websites with free or low-priced "trial" memberships advertised on many other websites. On sites which require credit card information to join at all, these trial memberships may automatically become full memberships at the end of the trial period and charge the full monthly fee, without any additional action from the member, regardless of whether the member has actually used the services or not. * Some members have expressed complaints about the billing practices of certain dating sites. In some cases, trial memberships that were canceled within the trial period were automatically re-billed even after canceling. To avoid these potential problems, some users have advised using a virtual credit card number which is offered by several credit card companies. * On any given dating site, the sex ratio is commonly unbalanced. For example, eHarmony's membership is about 58% female and 42% male, whereas the ratio at Match.com is about the reverse of that. When you get into the specialty niche websites where the primary demographic is male, you typically get a very unbalanced ratio of male to female or female to male.[14] Niche sites cater to people with special interests, such as sports fans, racing and automotive fans, medical or other professionals, people with political or religious preferences (e.g. Jewish), people with medical conditions (e.g. HIV+, obese), or those living in rural farm communities. * Disreputable sites such as Quechup may harvest users' personal information and contacts for use in e-mail spam.[15] * Consolidation within the online dating industry has led to different newspapers and magazines now advertising the same website data base under different names. In the UK, for example, Time Out ('London Dating'), The Times ('Encounters'), The Daily Telegraph ('Kindred Spirits'), all offer differently named portals to the same service -- meaning that a person who subscribes through more than one publication has unwittingly paid more than once for access to just one site. [edit] Discrimination Gay rights groups have complained that certain websites that restrict their dating services to heterosexual couples are discriminating against homosexuals. This has taken place mostly among Christian dating sites, but major dating sites are generally heterosexual oriented. In addition, many sites require members to specify what sex they are looking for without having the option "both", which complicates things for bisexuals. eHarmony was sued in 2007 by a lesbian claiming that, "Such outright discrimination is hurtful and disappointing for a business open to the public in this day and age," [16] Many sites require members specify themselves as "male" or "female", complicating matters for transgender individuals. There are sites that have been created due to this discrimination and to accommodate these types of individuals. International and non-American dating sites are often much more liberal, openly catering to all orientations, including transgendered and cross-dressing individuals. [edit] Government regulation US government regulation of dating services began with the International Marriage Broker Regulation Act (IMBRA) [17] which took effect in March 2007 after a federal judge in Georgia upheld a challenge from the dating site European Connections. The law requires internationally oriented dating services to conduct, among other procedures, sex offender checks on US customers before communication can occur with a foreigner. Only 4 percent of Singaporeans having ever used an online dating service, Internet dating is not that popular despite the country’s high rate of internet penetration. This could be attributed to the government's traditional role of matching up singles in the past decades.[18] New Jersey became the first state to enact a law requiring the sites to disclose whether they perform background checks.[19] [edit] Online Introduction Services As of 2008 a new variant of the online dating model has emerged in the form of introduction sites, attracting a large number of users and significant investor interest [20]. As opposed to the traditional online dating model where members have to search and contact other members, introduction sites introduce members to other members whom they deem compatible, thus claiming to eliminate much of the mayhem of traditional online dating. Although the two introduction services operate vastly different from each other and offer different features, both claim to be more effective than traditional online personals. Most free dating websites are dependent on advertising revenue, using tools such as Google Adsense, affiliate marketing. Since advertising revenues are modest compared to membership fees, free dating sites require a large number of page views to achieve profitability. From a marketing standpoint, free dating sites have a lower advertising budget, and therefore rely almost entirely on word of mouth. This is something not easily attained since members of dating sites in general consider it their private matter, thus hindering free dating sites from becoming viral as compared to social networking sites. There are some online dating services that claim to offer free registrations and search, but which are not truly free online dating service if they charge users to communicate. True free online dating services also offer free communication and generate revenue solely from advertising.

dancer

Dancing, dancers, and moving to the music, no matter professioanly or just for fun is important. Make sure that you find the right place to either work or play. Search Active Nightlife and learn what is done in each location, where you can find a book your favorites dancers, and to learn more about the art of dance with shared information and services.
Dance (from French danser, perhaps from Frankish) is a sport and art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music,[1] used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting. Dance may also to regarded as a form of nonverbal communication between humans, and is also performed by other animals (bee dance, patterns of behaviour such as a mating dance). Gymnastics, figure skating and synchronized swimming are sports dance disciplines, while martial arts kata are often compared to dances. Motion in inanimate objects may also be described as dances (the leaves danced in the wind), and certain musical forms or genres. Definitions of what constitutes dance are dependent on social, cultural, aesthetic, artistic and moral constraints and range from functional movement (such as folk dance) to virtuoso techniques such as ballet. Dance can be participatory, social or performed for an audience. It can also be ceremonial, competitive or erotic. Dance movements may be without significance in themselves, such as in ballet or European folk dance, or have a gestural vocabulary/symbolic system as in many Asian dances. Dance can embody or express ideas, emotions or tell a story. Dancing has evolved many styles. Breakdancing and Krumping are related to the hip hop culture. African dance is interpretive. Ballet, Ballroom, Waltz, and Tango are classical styles of dance while Square and the Electric Slide are forms of step dances. Every dance, no matter what style, has something in common. It not only involves flexibility and body movement, but also physics. If the proper physics is not taken into consideration, injuries may occur. Choreography is the art of creating dances. The person who creates (i.e., choreographs) a dance is known as the choreographer. Contents [hide] * 1 Origins and history of dance * 2 Dance classification and genres o 2.1 Dancing and music * 3 Dance studies and techniques * 4 Dance competitions * 5 Dance occupations * 6 Dance by ethnicity or region o 6.1 Dance in South Asia + 6.1.1 India + 6.1.2 Bhangra in the Punjab + 6.1.3 Dances of Sri Lanka o 6.2 In Europe and North America + 6.2.1 Concert (or performance) dance # 6.2.1.1 Ballet # 6.2.1.2 20th century concert dance + 6.2.2 The influence of African American dance * 7 See also * 8 Further reading * 9 References * 10 External links Origins and history of dance Main article: History of dance Eighteenth century social dance. Translated caption: A cheerful dance awakens love and feeds hope with lively joy, (Florence, 1790). Dance does not leave behind clearly identifiable physical artifacts such as stone tools, hunting implements or cave paintings. It is not possible to say when dance became part of human culture. Dance has certainly been an important part of ceremony, rituals, celebrations and entertainment since before the birth of the earliest human civilizations. Archeology delivers traces of dance from prehistoric times such as the 9,000 year old Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka paintings in India and Egyptian tomb paintings depicting dancing figures from circa 3300 BC. One of the earliest structured uses of dances may have been in the performance and in the telling of myths. It was also sometimes used to show feelings for one of the opposite gender. It is also linked to the origin of "love making." Before the production of written languages, dance was one of the methods of passing these stories down from generation to generation. [2] Another early use of dance may have been as a precursor to ecstatic trance states in healing rituals. Dance is still used for this purpose by many cultures from the Brazilian rainforest to the Kalahari Desert.[3] Sri Lankan dances goes back to the mythological times of aboriginal yingyang twins and "yakkas" (devils). According to a Sinhalese legend, Kandyan dances originate, 250 years ago, from a magic ritual that broke the spell on a bewitched king. Many contemporary dance forms can be traced back to historical, traditional, ceremonial, and ethnic dance. Dance classification and genres Dancing Partner dance. Main articles: List of basic dance topics and List of dances Dance categories by number of interacting dancers are mainly solo dance, partner dance and group dance. Dance is performed for various purposes like ceremonial dance, erotic dance, performance dance, social dance etc. Dancing and music See also: Category:Music genres Many early forms of music and dance were created and performed together. This paired development has continued through the ages with dance/music forms such as: jig, waltz, tango, disco, salsa, electronica and hip-hop. Some musical genres also have a parallel dance form such as baroque music and baroque dance whereas others developed separately: classical music and classical ballet. Although dance is often accompanied by music, it can also be presented independently or provide its own accompaniment (tap dance). Dance presented with music may or may not be performed in time to the music depending on the style of dance. Dance performed without music is said to be danced to its own rhythm. Ballroom dancing is an art although it may incorporates many fitness components using an artistic state of mind. Dance studies and techniques See also: Dance theory, Choreography, and Dance moves In the early 1920s, dance studies (dance practice, critical theory, Musical analysis and history) began to be considered an academic discipline. Today these studies are an integral part of many universities' arts and humanities programs. By the late 20th century the recognition of practical knowledge as equal to academic knowledge lead to the emergence of practice research and practice as research. A large range of dance courses are available including: * Professional practice: performance and technical skills * Practice research: choreography and performance * Ethnochoreology, encompassing the dance-related aspects of anthropology, cultural studies, gender studies, area studies, postcolonial theory, ethnography, etc. * Dance therapy or dance-movement therapy. * Dance and technology: new media and performance technologies. * Laban Movement Analysis and somatic studies Academic degrees are available from BA (Hons) to PhD and other postdoctoral fellowships, with some dance scholars taking up their studies as mature students after a professional dance career. Dance competitions An amateur dancesport competition at MIT. A dance competition is an organized event in which contestants perform dances before a judge or judges for awards and, in some cases, monetary prizes. There are several major types of dance competitions, distinguished primarily by the style or styles of dances performed. Major types of dance competitions include: * Competitive dance, in which a variety of theater dance styles—such as acro, ballet, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and tap—are permitted. * Open competitions, which permit a wide variety of dance styles. A popular example of this is the TV program So You Think You Can Dance. * Dancesport, which is focused exclusively on ballroom and latin dance. Popular examples of this are TV programs Dancing with the Stars and Strictly Come Dancing. * Single-style competitions, such as highland dance, dance team, and Irish dance, which only permit a single dance style. Today, there are various dances and dance show competitions on Television and the Internet. Dance occupations There are different careers connected with dancing: Dancer, dance teacher, dance sport coach, dance therapist and choreographer. Dancer Dance training differs depending on the dance form. There are university programs and schools associated with professional dance companies for specialised training in classical dance (e.g. Ballet) and modern dance. There are also smaller, privately owned dance studios where students may train in a variety of dance forms including competitive dance forms (e.g. Latin dance, ballroom dance, etc.) as well as ethnic/traditional dance forms. Professional dancers at the Tropicana Club, Havana, Cuba, in 2008 Professional dancers are usually employed on contract or for particular performances/productions. The professional life of a dancer is generally one of constantly changing work situations, strong competition pressure and low pay. Professional dancers often need to supplement their income, either in dance related roles (e.g., dance teaching, dance sport coaches, yoga) or Pilates instruction to achieve financial stability. In the U.S. many professional dancers are members of unions such as the American Guild of Musical Artists, the Screen Actors Guild and Actors' Equity Association. The unions help determine working conditions and minimum salaries for their members. See also: Health risks of professional dance Dance teachers Dance teacher and operators of dance schools rely on reputation and marketing. For dance forms without an association structure such as Salsa or Tango Argentino they may not have formal training. Most dance teachers are self employed. Dancesport coaches Dancesport coaches are tournament dancers or former dancesports people, and may be recognised by a dance sport federation. Choreographer Choreographers are generally university trained and are typically employed for particular projects or, more rarely may work on contract as the resident choreographer for a specific dance company. A choreographic work is protected intellectual property. Dancers may undertake their own choreography. Dance by ethnicity or region Main article: List of ethnic, regional, and folk dances sorted by origin Dance in South Asia India Main article: Dance in India South indian traditional Dance like a horse known as Poi Kal Kudirai During the first millennium BCE in India, many texts were composed which attempted to codify aspects of daily life. In the matter of dance, Bharata Muni's Natyashastra (literally "the text of dramaturgy") is the one of the earlier texts. Though the main theme of Natyashastra deals with drama, dance is also widely featured, and indeed the two concepts have ever since been linked in Indian culture. The text elaborates various hand-gestures or mudras and classifies movements of the various limbs of the body, gait, and so on. The Natyashastra categorised dance into four groups and into four regional varieties, naming the groups: secular, ritual, abstract, and, interpretive. However, concepts of regional geography has altered and so have regional varieties of Indian dances. Dances like "Odra Magadhi", which after decades long debate, has been traced to present day Mithila-Orissa region's dance form of Odissi, indicate influence of dances in cultural interactions between different regions.[4] From these beginnings rose the various classical styles which are recognised today. Therefore, all Indian classical dances are to varying degrees rooted in the Natyashastra and therefore share common features: for example, the mudras, some body positions, and the inclusion of dramatic or expressive acting or abhinaya. The Indian classical music tradition provides the accompaniment for the dance, and as percussion is such an integral part of the tradition, the dancers of nearly all the styles wear bells around their ankles to counterpoint and complement the percussion. Bhangra in the Punjab Main article: Bhangra The Punjab area overlapping India and Pakistan is the place of origin of Bhangra. It is widely known both as a style of music and a dance. It is mostly related to ancient harvest celebrations, love, patriotism or social issues. Its music is coordinated by a musical instrument called the 'Dhol'. Bhangra is not just music but a dance, a celebration of the harvest where people beat the dhol (drum), sing Boliyaan (lyrics) and dance.It developed further with the Vaisakhi festival of the Sikhs. Morris dancing in the grounds of Wells Cathedral, Wells, England Dances of Sri Lanka Main article: Dances of Sri Lanka The devil dances of Sri Lanka or "yakun natima" are a carefully crafted ritual with a history reaching far back into Sri Lanka's pre-Buddhist past. It combines ancient "Ayurvedic" concepts of disease causation with psychological manipulation. The dance combines many aspects including Sinhalese cosmology, the dances also has an impact on the classical dances of Sri Lanka.[5] In Europe and North America Concert (or performance) dance Main article: Concert dance Ballet Harlequin and Columbine from the mime theater at Tivoli , Denmark. Main article: Ballet Ballet developed first in Italy and then in France from lavish court spectacles that combined music, drama, poetry, song, costumes and dance. Members of the court nobility took part as performers. During the reign of Louis XIV, himself a dancer, dance became more codified. Professional dancers began to take the place of court amateurs, and ballet masters were licensed by the French government. The first ballet dance academy was the Académie Royale de Danse (Royal Dance Academy), opened in Paris in 1661. Shortly thereafter, the first institutionalized ballet troupe, associated with the Academy, was formed; this troupe began as an all-male ensemble but by 1681 opened to include women as well.[2] 20th century concert dance Main article: 20th century concert dance At the beginning of the 20th century, there was an explosion of innovation in dance style characterized by an exploration of freer technique. Early pioneers of what became known as modern dance include Loie Fuller, Isadora Duncan, Mary Wigman and Ruth St. Denis. The relationship of music to dance serves as the basis for Eurhythmics, devised by Emile Jaques-Dalcroze, which was influential to the development of Modern dance and modern ballet through artists such as Marie Rambert. Eurythmy, developed by Rudolf Steiner and Marie Steiner-von Sivers, combines formal elements reminiscent of traditional dance with the new freer style, and introduced a complex new vocabulary to dance. In the 1920s, important founders of the new style such as Martha Graham and Doris Humphrey began their work. Since this time, a wide variety of dance styles have been developed; see Modern dance. The influence of African American dance Main article: African American dance African American dances are those dances which have developed within African American communities in everyday spaces, rather than in dance studios, schools or companies and its derivatives, tap dance, disco, jazz dance, swing dance, hip hop dance and breakdance. Other dances, such as the lindy hop with its relationship to rock and roll music and rock and roll dance have also had a global influence.

bartender

Bartenders are important to the nightlife industry, most people that play at night have a favorite or a few favorite bartenders for certain reasons. Make sure that you note and track your favorite bartenders through our network. Bartenders need to build up a client list in order to promote themselves and make sure that their people show up at big events. Get the latest information and best job opening through Active Nightlife.
A bartender (flairbrasil, barman, bartender, barkeeper, barmaid, mixologist or tapster, among other names) serves beverages behind a bar in a bar, pub, tavern or similar establishment. This usually includes alcoholic beverages of some kind, such as beer, both draft and bottled, wine and/or cocktails, as well as soft drinks or other non-alcoholic beverages. He/She "tends the bar". A bartender may own the bar they tend or be simply an employee. Barkeeper carries a stronger connotation of being the purveyor, i.e. owner.[1] In addition to their core beverage-serving responsibility, bartenders also: * take payment from customers (and sometimes the waiters or waitresses) * maintain the liquor, cocktail garnishes, glassware and other supplies or inventory for the bar (though some establishments have barbacks who help with these duties) In establishments where cocktails are served, bartenders are expected to be able to properly mix hundreds to thousands of different drinks. Bartenders also usually serve as the public image of the bar they tend, contributing to as well as reflecting the atmosphere of the bar. In some establishments focused strictly on the food, this can mean the bartender is all but invisible. On the other extreme, some establishments make the bartender part of the entertainment, expected perhaps to engage in flair bartending or other forms of entertainment, such as those exemplified in the films Cocktail and Coyote Ugly. Some bars might be known for bartenders who serve the drinks and otherwise leave a patron alone, while others want their bartenders to be good listeners and offer counseling (or a "shoulder to cry on") as required. Good bartenders help provide a steady clientele by remembering the favored drinks of regulars, having recommendations on hand for local nightlife beyond the bar, or other unofficial duties. They are sometimes called upon for answers to a wide variety of questions on topics such as sports trivia, directions, or the marital status of other patrons. In regions where tipping is the norm, bartenders depend on tips for most of their income. Bartenders are also usually responsible for confirming that customers are of the legal drinking age before serving them alcohol. [edit] United States In some states, bartenders are required to obtain certification as a condition of employment. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) provides extensive detail on the typical job requirements faced by bartenders in the United States, as well as employments and earning statistics by those so employed. For example, a November 2004 BLS study determined that Montana is the only U.S. state where over 1% of the state's workforce is employed as a bartender.[2] The following is the job description for bartenders used by the BLS: Bartenders fill drink orders either taken directly from patrons at the bar or through waiters and waitresses who place drink orders for dining room customers. Bartenders check identification of customers seated at the bar, to ensure they meet the minimum age requirement for the purchase of alcohol and tobacco products. They prepare mixed drinks, serve bottled or draught beer, and pour wine or other beverages. Bartenders must know a wide range of drink recipes and be able to mix drinks accurately, quickly, and without waste. Besides mixing and serving drinks, bartenders stock and prepare garnishes for drinks; maintain an adequate supply of ice, glasses, and other bar supplies; and keep the bar area clean for customers. They also may collect payment, operate the cash register, wash glassware and utensils, and serve food to customers seated at the bar. Bartenders usually are responsible for ordering and maintaining an inventory of liquor, mixes, and other bar supplies. Bartenders have the right to "card" or see if you have ID. The majority of bartenders directly serve and interact with patrons. Bartenders should be friendly and enjoy talking with customers. Bartenders at service bars, on the other hand, have less contact with customers. They work in small bars often located off the kitchen in restaurants, hotels, and clubs where only waiters and waitresses place drink orders. Some establishments, especially larger, higher volume ones, use equipment that automatically measures, pours and mixes drinks at the push of a button. Bartenders who use this equipment, however, still must work quickly to handle a large volume of drink orders and be familiar with the ingredients for special drink requests. Much of a bartender's work still must be done by hand to fill each individual order.

DJ's are crucial in many clubs to get the party really moving. Track your favorite DJs and their events throughout the nation right here on Active Nightlife. DJs can really promote themselves and keep track of their fans with the tools the Active Nightlife sets up for them. Easy to use, and a great way of promoting your services directly to the public, or to potential employers and contractors.
A disc jockey (also known as disk jockey, DJ or deejay) is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, disk referred to phonograph records, while disc referred to the Compact Disc, and has become the more common spelling. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the source. There are several types of disc jockeys. Radio DJs introduce and play music that is broadcast on AM, FM, shortwave, digital, or internet radio stations. Club DJs select and play music in bars, nightclubs, discothèques, at raves, or even in a stadium. Hip hop disc jockeys select and play music using multiple turntables, often to back up one or more MCs, and they may also do turntable scratching to create percussive sounds. In reggae, the disc jockey (deejay) is a vocalist who raps, "toasts", or chats over pre-recorded rhythm tracks while the individual choosing and playing them is referred to as a selector.[1] Mobile disc jockeys travel with portable sound systems and play recorded music at a variety of events. Contents [hide] * 1 Equipment and techniques * 2 Types o 2.1 Radio o 2.2 Reggae o 2.3 Clubs o 2.4 Hip-hop o 2.5 Mobile disc jockeys * 3 History o 3.1 19th century to 1920s o 3.2 1930s–1950s o 3.3 1960s and 1970s o 3.4 1980s o 3.5 1990s o 3.6 2000s * 4 Bibliography * 5 See also * 6 References * 7 External links [edit] Equipment and techniques A 2000s-era DJ set-up, including a computer, a mixer, and Pioneer CDJs and M-Audio Torq DJ equipment. DJ equipment may consist of: * Sound recordings in a DJ's preferred medium (e.g., vinyl records, Compact Discs, computer media files, etc.); * A combination of two devices (or only one, if playback is digital) to play sound recordings, for alternating back and forth to create a continuous playback of music (e.g., record players, Compact Disc players, computer media players such as an MP3 player, etc.); * A sound system for amplification or broadcasting of the recordings (e.g., portable audio system, PA system) or a radio broadcasting system; * A DJ mixer, which is an electronic (usually 2- or 4-channel) audio mixer usually equipped with a crossfader used to smoothly go from one song to another, using two or more playback devices; * Headphones, used to listen to one recording while the other recording is being played to the audience; and * Optionally, a microphone, so that the DJ can introduce songs and speak to the audience. Other equipment could or can be added to the basic DJ setup (above), providing unique sound manipulations. Such devices include, but are not limited to: * Electronic effects units (delay, reverb, octave, equalizer, chorus, etc.). Some club DJs use a sub-harmonic synthesizer effect which either doubles low frequencies with energy added an octave lower or synthesizes harmonics such that the impression of a very low bass sound is added to the mix. * A computerised performance system, which can be used with vinyl emulation software to manipulate digital files on the computer in real time. * Multi-stylus headshells, which allow a DJ to play different grooves of the same record at the same time. * Special DJ digital controller hardware can manipulate digital files on a PC or laptop; * Samplers, sequencers, electronic musical keyboards (synthesizers), or drum machines. Several techniques are used by DJs as a means to better mix and blend recorded music. These techniques primarily include the cuing, equalization, and audio mixing of two or more sound sources. The complexity and frequency of special techniques depends largely on the setting in which a DJ is working. Radio DJs are less likely to focus on music-mixing procedures than club DJs, who rely on a smooth transition between songs using a range of techniques. Club DJ turntable techniques include beatmatching, phrasing, and slip-cueing to preserve energy on a dancefloor. Turntablism embodies the art of cutting, beat juggling, scratching, needle drops, phase shifting, back spinning, and more to perform the transitions and overdubs of samples in a more creative manner (although turntablism is often considered a use of the turntable as a musical instrument rather than a tool for blending recorded music). Professional DJs may use harmonic mixing to choose songs that are in compatible musical keys. [edit] Types The role of selecting and playing recorded music for an intended audience is the same for every disc jockey. The selected music, the audience, the setting, the preferred medium, and the level of sophistication of sound manipulation are factors that differentiate the various DJ types. [edit] Radio Armed Forces Vietnam Network disc jockey SP4 Tim Abney broadcasts for The Big Red One at radio KLIK in Lai Khe, 1967.[2] Main article: Radio personality A radio disc jockey plays music that is broadcast across radio waves—AM and FM bands, or worldwide on shortwave radio stations. Radio DJs are often known for their personalities. Famous American radio disc jockeys such as Alan Freed, Scott Muni, Casey Kasem, Dick Biondi, Wolfman Jack, and Dr. Demento built their audiences using a combination of the nature of the songs they selected and strong on-air personalities. A modern-day commercial radio disc jockey will typically rely on his or her on-air character alone, as the station's playlist has been predetermined by a program director or music director. Radio disc jockeys appear in a wide array of broadcast formats, from top 40 or contemporary hit radio (CHR) to oldies and other formats that are defined by the type of songs played. Formats are defined by the type of originating station, with public radio, college radio, and pirate radio as examples. Some national governments operate official radio stations for a global audience, such as Voice of America (hosted by the United States) and Voice of Russia (organized by the Russian government). These stations may include programs by disc jockeys; The Clash frontman Joe Strummer played selections from his musical library for the UK's BBC World Service in the 1990s. Large military units sometimes broadcast their own radio programs to their troops, inserting news, weather reports, and advice between popular songs. The film Good Morning, Vietnam portrays an American military disc jockey. [edit] Reggae In Jamaican reggae music, the Disc Jockey, called the "Selector", controls the tone, vibe, and energy of a dance or gathering. As Norman Stolzoff notes in "Wake the Town And Tell the People", The crowd's reception of the selector ultimately "determined the success or failure of a sound system's performance". A careful combination of songs in a playlist were often used to tell stories, set moods for the party goers, or to convey a particular theme. A selector had to know how to adapt the tempo, musical key, and tone of the songs he or she selected. Selectors would often tease the crowd with small snippets from individual songs throughout an entire dance only to play the full song near the end of the dance. Another technique known as the "haul and pull up" called for the selector to interrupt a classic by restarting the song in the middle of playing by literally lifting up the needle and returning the beginning of the record. These skills are in addition to the precise timing required of a selector in switching records between songs or when the crowd disapproved of a particular song by verbally expressing their frustration. The selector also interacted with and pleasing the crowd throughout the entire dance by any means necessary. Over time, specific styles emerged amongst selectors that used witty voice overs and "toasts" to complement their performance. Count Matchukie( Winston Cooper), one of Jamaica's most famed selectors, would do dancing and talking over records with humor and wit. "Cliff" of Duke Reid's sound system focused so intensely on his task that he would turn his back to the crowd and would never speak at all as he played. Adding an even greater degree of complexity to the job of a selector, "toasting" required wit, humor, and a specific usage of rhyme, timing, and rhythm. Nonetheless, in both the eras of sound system dances and in dancehall, the selector was often the greatest selling point of a specific dance, party or system. [edit] Clubs Darude performing at The Docks, Toronto, 2007. A club disc jockey selects and plays music using several turntables, CD players, or a hard-drive source, mixing the songs with a mixer and modifying the tone or sound of the recordings with equalizers and other effects. The setting can range anywhere from a neighborhood party at a private home or a small nightclub to a discothèque, a rave, or even a stadium. The size of the sound system varies according to the venue, and can range from a 500 watt PA system with two small speakers at a house party to a 50,000 watt sound reinforcement system with a number of speakers and multiple 15" subwoofers at a major dance club. The main focus of club DJs is on the music they play and how they mix tracks in and out, sometimes just to add a bit of energy to a track. They build their sets by choosing "tracks" (songs) to control the energy level of the crowd and use beatmixing and beatmatching techniques to make seamless transitions between tracks. Some DJs may interweave a number of different songs or samples into each track that they play. For more information on notable club DJs, see List of club DJs. A DJ nicknamed "3-mor" cues up a track with his headphones. [edit] Hip-hop See also: Turntablism A hip-hop disc jockey is a DJ that selects and plays music as a hip-hop artist and/or performer, often backing up one or more MCs. [edit] Mobile disc jockeys Main article: Mobile disc jockey A mobile DJ. Mobile disc jockeys are an extension of the original radio disc jockeys. They travel with or go on tour with mobile sound systems and play from an extensive collection of recorded content for a specific audience. Today, mobile DJs need a large selection of music, professional-grade equipment, good organizational skills, vocal talent as an MC, mixing skills, quality lighting, insurance for liability, and on-site backup equipment.[3] In the 2000s, the role of the mobile DJ has expanded. Many mobile DJs have assumed additional responsibilities to ensure an event's success. These responsibilities include the roles of MC, event organizer and coordinator, lighting director, and/or sound engineer.[4] In the past, Mobile DJs utilized vinyl records or cassettes. During the disco era of the 1970s, demand for mobile DJs (called "mobile discos" in the UK) soared, and top disc jockeys travelled with hundreds of vinyl records and cassette tapes.[3] In the 1990s, Compact Discs became the standard. Mobile disc jockey trade publications such as DJ Times magazine and Mobile Beat were founded in this era.[4] Mobile DJs have formed professional associations such as the Canadian Disc Jockey Association (CDJA), the Canadian Online Disc Jockey Association (CODJA), the American Disc Jockey Association (ADJA), and the National Association of Mobile Entertainers.[4] In the UK, associations include the National Association of Disc Jockeys (NADJ), the South Eastern Discothèque Association (SEDA), the Mobile DJ Network [1] (MDJN) and the Wedding DJ Network [2] (WDJN)and for France Finalmix [3]. In the 2000s, many mobile DJs rely heavily on laptop computers and MP3s for sequencing and mixing.[5] This technology allows DJs to do mixing prior to an event and also lightens the load by reducing the number of CDs that a DJ must carry to an event. [edit] History [edit] 19th century to 1920s In 1857, Leon Scott invented the phonoautograph in France, the first device to record sound. In 1877, Charles Cros invented the phonograph in France (it was patented before Edison's invention but never built) and Thomas Alva Edison invented the phonograph cylinder, the first device to play back recorded sound, in the United States. In 1892, Emile Berliner began commercial production of his gramophone records, the first disc records to be offered to the public. In 1906, Reginald Fessenden transmitted the first audio radio broadcast in history also playing the first record, that of a contralto singing Handel's Largo from Xerxes.[6] The world's first radio disc jockey was Ray Newby, of Stockton, California. In 1909, at 16 years of age, Newby began regularly playing records on a small spark transmitter while a student at Herrold College of Engineering and Wireless, located in San Jose, California, under the authority of radio pioneer Charles "Doc" Herrold.[7][8] We used popular records at that time, mainly Caruso records, because they were very good and loud; we needed a boost… we started on an experimental basis and then, because this is novel, we stayed on schedule continually without leaving the air at any time from that time on except for a very short time during World War I, when the government required us to remove the antenna… Most of our programming was records, I'll admit, but of course we gave out news as we could obtain it…[7] —Ray Newby, I've Got a Secret (1965) By 1910, regular radio broadcasting had started to use "live" as well as prerecorded sound. In the early radio age, content typically included comedy, drama, news, music, and sports reporting. The on-air announcers and programmers would later be known as disc jockeys. In the 1920s, juke joints became popular as places for dancing and drinking to recorded jukebox music. In 1927, Christopher Stone became the first radio announcer and programmer in the United Kingdom, on the BBC radio station. In 1929, Thomas Edison ceased phonograph cylinder manufacture, ending the disc and cylinder rivalry. [edit] 1930s–1950s In 1935, American commentator Walter Winchell coined the term "disc jockey" (the combination of "disc" (referring to the disc records) and "jockey" (which is an operator of a machine) as a description of radio announcer Martin Block, the first announcer to become a star. While his audience was awaiting developments in the Lindbergh kidnapping, Block played records and created the illusion that he was broadcasting from a ballroom, with the nation’s top dance bands performing live. The show, which he called Make Believe Ballroom, was an instant hit. The term "disc jockey" appeared in print in Variety in 1941.[9] In 1943, Jimmy Savile launched the world's first DJ dance party by playing jazz records in the upstairs function room of the Loyal Order of Ancient Shepherds in Otley, England. In 1947, he became the first DJ to use twin turntables for continuous play. Also in 1947, the Whiskey à Go-Go nightclub opened in Paris, France, considered to be the world's first discothèque, or disco (deriving its name from the French word meaning a nightclub where the featured entertainment is recorded music rather than an on-stage band). Discos began appearing across Europe and the United States. From the late 1940s to early 1950s, the introduction of television eroded the popularity of radio's early format, causing it to take on the general form it has today, with a strong focus on music, news, and sports. In the 1950s, American radio DJs would appear live at "sock hops" and "platter parties" and assume the role of a human jukebox. They would usually play 45-rpm records, featuring hit singles on one turntable while talking between songs. In some cases, a live drummer was hired to play beats between songs to maintain the dance floor. In 1955, Bob Casey, a well-known "sock hop" DJ, introduced the first two-turntable system for alternating back and forth between records, creating a continuous playback of music. Throughout the 1950s, payola payments by record companies to DJs in return for airplay were an ongoing problem. Part of the fallout from the payola scandal was tighter control of the music by station management. The Top 40 format emerged, where popular songs are played repeatedly. In the late 1950s, sound systems, a new form of public entertainment, were developed in the ghettos of Kingston, Jamaica. Promoters, who called themselves DJs, would throw large parties in the streets that centered on the disc jockey, called the "selector," who played dance music from large, loud PA systems and bantered over the music with a boastful, rhythmic chanting style called "toasting." These parties quickly became profitable for the promoters, who would sell admission, food, and alcohol, leading to fierce competition between DJs for the biggest sound systems and newest records. [edit] 1960s and 1970s A DJ nicknamed "Captain PJ" performing at the Spectra club in 1977. In the mid-1960s, nightclubs and discothèques continued to grow in Europe and the United States. Specialized DJ equipment, such as Rudy Bozak's classic CMA-10-2DL mixer, began to appear on the market. In 1969, American club DJ Francis Grasso popularized beatmatching at New York's Sanctuary nightclub. Beatmatching is the technique of creating seamless transitions between records with matching beats, or tempos. Grasso also developed slip-cuing, the technique of holding a record still while the turntable is revolving underneath, releasing it at the desired moment to create a sudden transition from the previous record. By 1968, the number of dance clubs started to decline; most American clubs either closed or were transformed into clubs featuring live bands. Neighborhood block parties that were modelled after Jamaican sound systems gained popularity in Europe and in the boroughs of New York City. In 1973, Jamaican-born DJ Kool Herc, widely regarded as the "godfather of hip-hop culture," performed at block parties in his Bronx neighborhood and developed a technique of mixing back and forth between two identical records to extend the rhythmic instrumental segment, or break. Turntablism, the art of using turntables not only to play music but to manipulate sound and create original music, began to develop. In 1974, Technics released the first SL-1200 turntable, which evolved into the SL-1200 MK2 in 1979—which, as of the mid-2000s, remains the industry standard for deejaying. In 1974, German electronic music band Kraftwerk released the 22-minute song "Autobahn," which takes up the entire first side of that LP. Years later, Kraftwerk would become a significant influence on hip-hop artists such as Afrika Bambaataa and house music pioneer Frankie Knuckles. During the mid-1970s, Hip-hop music and culture began to emerge, originating among urban African Americans and Latinos in New York City. The four main elements of hip-hop culture were MCing (rapping), DJing, graffiti, and breakdancing. In the mid-1970s, the soul-funk blend of dance pop known as disco took off in the mainstream pop charts in the United States and Europe, causing discothèques to experience a rebirth. Unlike many late-1960s clubs, which featured live bands, discothèques used the DJ's selection and mixing of records as the entertainment. In 1975, record pools began, providing disc jockeys access to newer music from the industry in an efficient method. In 1975,[10] hip-hop DJ Grand Wizard Theodore invented the scratching technique by accident. In 1976, American DJ, editor, and producer Walter Gibbons remixed "Ten Percent" by Double Exposure, one of the earliest commercially released 12? singles (aka "maxi-single"). In 1979, the Sugar Hill Gang released "Rapper's Delight," the first hip-hop record to become a hit. It was also the first real breakthrough for sampling, as the bassline of Chic's "Good Times" laid the foundation for the song. In 1977, Saratoga Springs, NY disc jockey Tom L. Lewis introduced the Disco Bible (later renamed Disco Beats), which published hit disco songs listed by beats per minute (tempo), as well as by either artist or song title. Billboard ran an article on the new publication, and it went national relatively quickly. The list made it easier for beginning DJs to learn how to create seamless transitions between songs without dancers having to change their rhythm on the dance floor. Today, DJs can find the beats per minute of songs in the BPM List. [edit] 1980s In 1981, the cable television network MTV was launched, originally devoted to music videos, especially popular rock music. The term "video jockey," or VJ, was used to describe the fresh-faced youth who introduced the music videos. In 1982, the demise of disco in the mainstream by the summer of 1982 forced many nightclubs to either close or change entertainment styles, such as by providing MTV-style video dancing or live bands. Released in 1982, the song "Planet Rock" by DJ Afrika Bambaataa was the first hip-hop song to feature synthesizers. The song melded electronic hip-hop beats with the melody from Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express." In 1982, the Compact Disc reached the public market in Asia, and early the following year in other markets. This event is often seen as the "Big Bang" of the digital audio revolution. In the early 1980s, NYC disco DJ Larry Levan, known for his eclectic mixes, gained a cult following, and the Paradise Garage, the nightclub at which he spun, became the prototype for the modern dance club where the music and the DJ were showcased. Around the same time, the disco-influenced electronic style of dance music called house music emerged in Chicago. The name was derived from the Warehouse Club in Chicago, where resident DJ Frankie Knuckles mixed old disco classics and Eurosynth pop. House music is essentially disco music with electronic drum machine beats. The common element of most house music is a 4/4 beat generated by a drum machine or other electronic means (such as a sampler), together with a solid (usually also electronically generated) synth bassline. In 1983, Jesse Saunders released what some consider the first house music track, "On & On." The mid-1980s also saw the emergence of New York Garage, a house music hybrid that was inspired by Levan's style and sometimes eschewed the accentuated high-hats of the Chicago house sound. During the mid-1980s, techno music emerged from the Detroit club scene. Being geographically located between Chicago and New York, Detroit techno artists combined elements of Chicago house and New York garage along with European imports. Techno distanced itself from disco's roots by becoming almost purely electronic with synthesized beats. In 1985, the Winter Music Conference started in Fort Lauderdale Florida and became the premier electronic music conference for dance music disc jockeys. In 1985, TRAX Dance Music Guide was launched by American Record Pool in Beverly Hills. It was the first national DJ-published music magazine, created on the Macintosh computer using extensive music market research and early desktop publishing tools. In 1986, "Walk This Way," a rap/rock collaboration by Run DMC and Aerosmith, became the first hip-hop song to reach the Top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100. This song was the first exposure of hip-hop music, as well as the concept of the disc jockey as band member and artist, to many mainstream audiences. In 1988, DJ Times magazine was first published. It was the first US-based magazine specifically geared toward the professional mobile and club DJ. Starting in the mid-1980s, the wedding and banquet business changed dramatically with the introduction of DJ music, replacing the bands that had been the norm. Bandleaders, like Jerry Perell and others, started DJ companies, such as NY Rhythm DJ Entertainers. Using their knowledge of audience participation, MC charisma, and "crowd-pleasing" repertory selection, the wedding music industry became almost all DJ while combining the class and elegance of the traditional band presentation. New DJs as well as bandleaders with years of experience and professionalism transformed the entire industry. [edit] 1990s Jason Jollins performing at Pacha, Buenos Aires. During the early 1990s, the rave scene built on the acid house scene. The rave scene changed dance music, the image of DJs, and the nature of promoting. The innovative marketing surrounding the rave scene created the first superstar DJs who established marketable "brands" around their names and sound. Some of these celebrity DJs toured around the world and were able to branch out into other music-related activities. During the early 1990s, the Compact Disc surpassed the gramophone record in popularity, but gramophone records continued to be made (although in very limited quantities) into the 21st century—particularly for club DJs and for local acts recording on small regional labels. During the mid-1990s, trance music, having run rampant in the German underground for several years, emerged as a major force in dance music throughout Europe and the UK. It became one of the world's most dominant forms dance music by the end of the 1990s, thanks to a trend away from its repetitive, hypnotic roots, and towards commercialized song structure. In 1991, Mobile Beat magazine, geared specifically toward mobile DJs, began publishing. In 1992, MPEG which stands for the Moving Picture Experts Group, released The MPEG-1 standard, designed to produce reasonable sound at low bit rates. The lossy compression scheme MPEG-1 Layer-3, popularly known as MP3, later revolutionized the digital music domain. In 1993, the first internet "radio station", Internet Talk Radio, was developed by Carl Malamud. Because the audio was relayed over the internet, it was possible to access internet radio stations from anywhere in the world. This made it a popular service for both amateur and professional disc jockeys operating from a personal computer. In 1995, the first full-time, internet-only radio station, Radio HK, began broadcasting the music of independent bands. In 1996, Mobile Beat had its first national mobile DJ convention in Las Vegas. During the late 1990s, nu metal bands, such as Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park, reached the height of their popularity. This new subgenre of alternative rock bore some influence from hip-hop because rhythmic innovation and syncopation are primary, often featuring DJs as band members. As well, during the late 1990s, various DJ and VJ software programs were developed, allowing personal computer users to deejay or veejay using his or her personal music or video files. In 1998, the first MP3 digital audio player was released, the Eiger Labs MPMan F10. Final Scratch debuted at the BE Developer Conference, marking the first digital DJ system to allow DJs control of MP3 files through special time coded vinyl records or CDs. While it would take sometime for this novel concept to catch on with the "die hard Vinyl DJs", This would soon become the first step in the new Digital DJ revolution. Manufacturers joined with computer DJing pioneers to offer professional endorsements, the first being Professor Jam, who went on to develop the industry's first dedicated computer DJ convention and learning program, the "CPS (Computerized Performance System) DJ Summit", to help spread the word about the advantages of this emerging technology. In 1999, Shawn Fanning released Napster, the first of the massively popular peer-to-peer file sharing systems. During this period, the AVLA (Audio Video Licensing Agency) of Canada announced an MP3 DJing license, administered by the Canadian Recording Industry Association. This meant that DJs could apply for a license giving them the right to perform publicly using music stored on a hard drive, instead of having to cart their whole CD collections around to their gigs. [edit] 2000s By the 2000s, new technologies such as voice tracking, allowed single DJs to send announcements across many stations.[11] Commercial radio DJs were increasingly limited in their freedom to select which songs to play. Some music aficionados sought freeform stations that put the DJs back in control, or chose instead to listen to satellite radio services or portable music players. College radio stations and other public radio outlets continued to be the most common places for freeform play lists in the U.S. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the convenience and popularity of the MP3 and the increasing power of laptops spawned a new type of DJ, the "MP3J". In 2004 Serato introduced its own version of the digital vinyl DJ system Serato Scratch Live making improvements in overall system stability and more closely emulating the feel of true vinyl. Rane has since licensed the software as well as collaborated with Serato to bring out a hardware mixer version in 2006.[12] Soon afterward, many nightclub deejays that had remained true vinyl record aficionados began the transition to becoming digital vinyl users. Serato Scratch Live has since become the most popular MP3 manipulation software/hardware, and can be found pre-installed in famous clubs around the world. In 2006, the concept of DJ had its 100-year anniversary. In January 2008, Serato introduced Video-SL, which is a plug-in for the popular Serato Scratch Live software. This plug-in gives DJs the ability to manipulate music videos in the same way they have been manipulating music, spawning a new generation of "VJs" (Video Jockeys). [13] In the late 2000s, topless female DJs have appeared in special nightclubs, primarily in Finland and Russia.

music bands

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A musical ensemble is a group of two or more musicians who perform instrumental or vocal music. In each musical style different norms have developed for the sizes and composition of different ensembles, and for the repertoire of songs or musical works that these ensembles perform. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of instrument families (e.g., piano, strings, and winds) or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles. In jazz ensembles, the instruments typically include wind instruments (one or more saxophones, trumpets, etc.) one or two chordal "comping" instruments (electric guitar, piano, or organ), a bass instrument (electric bass guitar or double bass), and a drummer or percussionist. In rock ensembles, usually called rock bands, there are usually guitars and keyboards (Piano, Electric Piano, Hammond Organ and Synthesizers) and a Rhythm Section made up of a Bass guitar and Drum kit. Contents [hide] * 1 Classical chamber music o 1.1 Five parts o 1.2 Six or more instruments * 2 Jazz ensembles o 2.1 Three parts o 2.2 Four parts o 2.3 Larger ensembles * 3 Rock and pop bands o 3.1 Two parts + 3.1.1 Example line-up o 3.2 Three parts + 3.2.1 Example line-up o 3.3 Four parts + 3.3.1 Example line-up o 3.4 Five parts + 3.4.1 Line-up o 3.5 Larger rock ensembles + 3.5.1 Example line-up * 4 Musical drama * 5 Other western musical ensembles * 6 See also * 7 References [edit] Classical chamber music In Western Art music, commonly referred to as classical music, smaller ensembles are called chamber music ensembles. The terms duet, trio, quartet, quintet, sextet, septet, octet, and nonet are used to describe groups of two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, and nine musicians, respectively. [edit] Five parts Main article: quintet The string quintet is a common type of group. It is similar to the string quartet, but with two violas, two violoncellos, or more rarely, the addition of a double bass. Terms such as "piano quintet" or "clarinet quintet" frequently refer to a string quartet plus a fifth instrument. Thus, a piano quintet is usually a string quartet plus a piano. A Mozart's Clarinet Quintet is similarly a piece written for an ensemble consisting of 2 violins, a viola, a cello and a clarinet, the last being the exceptional addition to a "normal" string quartet. Another common grouping in classical music is the wind quintet, usually consisting of flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon and horn. [edit] Six or more instruments Main article: Orchestra Classical chamber ensembles for more than six musicians are occasionally used, such as septets (seven musicians), octets (eight musicians), or nonets (nine musicians). However, in many cases a larger classical group is referred to as an orchestra of some type. A small orchestra with fifteen to thirty members (violins, violas, cellos, double basses, and several woodwind or brass instruments) is called a chamber orchestra In the American education system, sitting groups are known as wind ensembles or concert bands (to differentiate from marching bands. Music is similar to that of a pops orchestra, orchestrated for woodwinds, brass, and percussion. A sinfonietta usually denotes a somewhat smaller orchestra (though still not a chamber orchestra). Larger orchestras are called symphony orchestras or philharmonic orchestras.[1] A pops orchestra is an orchestra that mainly performs light classical music (often in abbreviated, simplified arrangements) and orchestral arrangements and medleys of popular jazz, music theater, or pop music songs. A string orchestra has only strings, i.e., violins, violas, violoncellos and basses. A symphony orchestra is an ensemble usually comprising at least thirty musicians; the number of players is typically between seventy and ninety-five and may exceed one hundred. A symphony orchestra is divided into families of instruments. In the string family, there are sections of violins (I and II), violas, violoncellos, and basses. The winds consist of the woodwind family of instruments (flutes and piccolo, oboes and English horn, clarinets [made up of the Eb Clarinet, Clarinet, and Bass Clarinet], and bassoons [often including contrabassoon]) and the brass family (horns, trumpets, trombones, and tuba). The percussion family includes the timpani, bass drum, snare drum, and any other percussion instruments called for in a score (e.g., triangle, glockenspiel, chimes, cymbals, wood blocks). When orchestras are performing baroque music (from the 1600s and early 1700s), they may also use a harpsichord or pipe organ. When orchestras are performing Romantic-era music (from the 1800s), they may also use harps or unusual instruments such as the wind machine. When orchestras are performing music from the 20th century or the 21st century, occasionally instruments such as electric guitar, theremin, or even an electronic synthesizer may be used. See also: String trio, String sextet, string. [edit] Jazz ensembles [edit] Three parts In jazz, there are several types of trios. One type of jazz trio is formed with a piano player, a bass player and a drummer. Another type of jazz trio that became popular in the 1950s and 1960s is the organ trio, which is composed of a Hammond organ player, a drummer, and a third instrumentalist (either a saxophone player or an electric jazz guitarist). In organ trios, the Hammond organ player performs the bass line on the organ bass pedals while simultaneously playing chords or lead lines on the keyboard manuals. Other types of trios include the "drummer-less" trio, which consists of a piano player, a double bassist, and a horn player (saxophone or trumpet); and the jazz trio with a horn player (saxophone or trumpet), double bass player, and a drummer. In the latter type of trio, the lack of a chordal instrument means that the horn player and the bassist have to imply the changing harmonies with their improvised lines. [edit] Four parts Jazz quartets typically add a horn (the generic jazz name for saxophones, trombones, trumpets, or any other wind instrument commonly associated with jazz) to one of the jazz trios described above. Slightly larger jazz ensembles, such as quintets (five instruments) or sextets (six instruments) typically add other soloing instruments to the basic quartet formation, such as different types of saxophones (e.g., alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, etc.) or an additional chordal instrument. [edit] Larger ensembles The lineup of larger jazz ensembles can vary considerably, depending on the style of jazz being performed. In a 1920s-style dixieland jazz band, a larger ensemble would be formed by adding a banjo player, woodwind instruments, as with the clarinet, or additional horns (saxophones, trumpets, trombones) to one of the smaller groups. In a 1940s-style Swing big band, a larger ensemble is formed by adding "sections" of like instruments, such as a saxophone section and a trumpet section, which perform arranged "horn lines" to accompany the ensemble. In a 1970s-style jazz fusion ensemble, a larger ensemble is often formed by adding additional percussionists or soloing instruments. [edit] Rock and pop bands "Rock band" redirects here. For the video game series, see Rock Band. For the first game in the Rock Band series, see Rock Band (video game). [edit] Two parts The Black Keys are a two-part band consisting of a vocalist/guitarist and a drummer lineup. Two-member rock and pop bands are relatively rare, because of the difficulty in providing all of the musical elements which are part of the rock or pop sound (vocals, chords, bass lines, and percussion or drumming) with trios or quartets. Two-member rock and pop bands typically omit one of these musical elements. In many cases, two-member bands will omit a drummer, since guitars, bass guitars, and keyboards can all be used to provide a rhythmic pulse. Examples of two-member bands are Death From Above 1979, The White Stripes, The Ting Tings, Two Gallants, The Black Keys, Pet Shop Boys, Savage Garden, Tenacious D, and I Set My Friends on Fire. When electronic sequencers became widely available in the 1980s, this made it easier for two-member bands to add in musical elements that the two band members were not able to perform. Sequencers allowed bands to pre-program some elements of their performance, such as an electronic drum part and a synth-bass line. Two-member pop music bands such as Soft Cell used pre-programmed sequencers. Other pop bands from the 1980s which were ostensibly fronted by two performers, such as Wham! and Tears for Fears, were not actually two-piece ensembles, because other instrumental musicians were used "behind the scenes" to fill out the sound. Two-piece bands in rock music are rare. However, starting in the 2000s, blues-influenced rock bands such as The White Stripes and The Black Keys utilized a guitar and drums scheme. Death From Above 1979 featured a drummer and bass guitarist. Tenacious D is a two-guitar band; One Day as a Lion and The Dresden Dolls both feature a keyboardist and a drummer. The band Welk consists of a two-man psychedelic flute band, with the occasional synthesizer. Two-person bands have grown in popularity in experimental rock music. Providence-based Lightning Bolt is a two-member band. Bassist Brian Gibson augments his playing with delay pedals, pitch shifters, looping devices and other pedals, occasionally creating harmony. Local H, No Age, Warship, and Growing are other prominent two-person experimental rock bands. [edit] Example line-up * Lead vocals, lead guitar * Drums [edit] Three parts Motorhead is a power trio band with a vocalist/bassist, lead guitarist, and drummer lineup. Further information: Power trio The smallest ensemble that is commonly used in rock music is the trio format. In a hard rock or blues-rock band, or heavy metal rock group, a "power trio" format is often used, which consists of an electric guitar player, an electric bass guitar player and a drummer, and typically one or more of these musicians also sing (sometimes all three members will sing, e.g. Bee Gees or Alkaline Trio). Some well-known power trios with the guitarist on lead vocals are: The Jimi Hendrix Experience, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble, Nirvana, Green Day, Vardis, The Jam, and Muse, and with the bassist on vocals Primus, Motörhead, The Police, Rush, and Cream. An alternative to the power trio are organ trios formed with an electric guitarist, a drummer and a keyboardist. Although organ trios are most commonly associated with 1950s and 1960s jazz organ trio groups such as those led by organist Jimmy Smith, there are also organ trios in rock-oriented styles, such as jazz-rock fusion and Grateful Dead-influenced jam bands such as Medeski Martin & Wood. In organ trios, the keyboard player typically plays a Hammond organ or similar instrument, which permits the keyboard player to perform bass lines, chords, and lead lines. A variant of the organ trio are trios formed with an electric bassist, a drummer and an electronic keyboardist (playing synthesizers) such as the progressive rock band Emerson, Lake & Palmer. [edit] Example line-up * Lead vocals, Lead guitar * Bass guitar, Keyboards * Drums, Percussion or * Lead vocals, Bass guitar * Lead guitar, Backing vocals * Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals or * Backing vocals, Bass guitar * Lead guitar, Backing vocals * Drums,Percussion,Lead vocals [edit] Four parts Red Hot Chili Peppers is a four part band with a lead vocalist, guitarist, bassist, and drummer lineup. The four-piece band is the most common configuration in rock and pop music. Before the development of the electronic keyboard, the configuration was typically two guitarists (one lead guitarist and one rhythm guitarist, with the latter on vocals), a bass player (typically the electric bass guitar) and a drummer (e.g.,Against Me!, McFly, KISS (band), Foo Fighters, Weezer, Metallica, The Clash, The Beatles, Creedence Clearwater Revival, The Kinks, The Fray, The Killers, The All-American Rejects, and The Smashing Pumpkins). Another common formation was a vocalist, electric guitarist, electric bassist and a drummer (e.g.The Who, Led Zeppelin, The Ramones, The Rasmus, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Queen, Rage Against the Machine, Black Sabbath, Pantera, No Doubt, Cheap Trick, Van Halen, U2, Coldplay, Jane's Addiction, The Offspring, Motley Crue, Blur and Creed). Instrumentally, these bands can be considered as trios. In some early rock bands, keyboardists were used, performing on piano (e.g., The Rolling Stones initially used Ian Stewart on piano), The Doors with a guitarist, singer, drummer and keyboardist. Electric pianos (such as the Fender Rhodes), or organ (such as the Hammond organ) (e.g., Pink Floyd). Some bands will have the bassist on lead vocals, such as Thin Lizzy Pink Floyd, NOFX, +44, or even the lead guitarist, such as Dire Straits. Some bands, such as The Beatles, have a lead guitarist, a rhythm guitarist and a bassist that all sing lead and backing vocals regularly and play keyboards also regularly, as well as a drummer. Also bands like Sum 41 have the Rhythm Guitarist on Lead vocals, and Piano as well as the Lead guitarist on Lead guitar, Piano/Keyboards, and backing vocals, as well as the bassist on backing vocals also the drummer. [edit] Example line-up * Lead vocals * Lead guitar, Backing vocals * Bass guitar, Backing vocals * Drums, Percussion * Lead vocals, Rhythm guitar * Lead guitar, Backing vocals * Bass guitar, Backing vocals * Drums, Percussion * Lead guitar, Backing vocals * Keyboards * Bass guitar, Lead vocals * Drums, Percussion * Lead vocals,piano,Rhythm guitar * Lead guitar,backing vocals * Bass guitar,Backing vocals * Drums,Backing vocals * Lead vocals,Bass guitar * Lead guitar * Rhythm guitar,Backing vocals * Drums,Percussion. * Lead vocals,Rhythm guitar,Piano * Lead guitar,Piano,Keyboards,Backing vocals * Bass guitar,Backing vocals * Drums,Percussion,Backing vocals [edit] Five parts The Strokes are a five-part band with a lead vocalist, two guitarists, bassist, and drummer lineup. Five-part bands have existed in rock music since early times. The Beach Boys, The Rolling Stones, Aerosmith, Def Leppard, AC/DC, Oasis, Pearl Jam, Guns N' Roses, Radiohead, Steely Dan,The Strokes, STYX, The Yardbirds,and My Chemical Romance are examples of the common vocalist, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, bass, and drums lineup. An alternative to the five-member lineup replaces the rhythm guitarist with a keyboard–synthesizer player (examples being the bands Bon Jovi, Yes, Dream Theater, Fleetwood Mac, Marilyn Manson and Deep Purple, all of which consist of a vocalist, guitarist, bassist, keyboardist, and a drummer) or with a turntablist such as Incubus or Limp Bizkit. Other times, the vocalist will provide another musical voice to the table, most commonly a harmonica (Mick Jagger for example, played harmonica and percussion instruments like Maracas or Tamborine. Ozzy Osbourne was also known to play the harmonica on some occasions (i.e. “The Wizard” by Black Sabbath}. Also bands who have the Lead Vocalist on Piano or Guitar would be, Relient K, and Brown Brigade. There are some indications that the lead singer could also do Rhythm guitar (i.e. Bon Jovi, Radiohead and Pearl Jam). [edit] Line-up * Lead vocals * Lead guitar, backing vocals * Rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Bass guitar, backing vocals * Drums, percussion or * Lead vocals * Lead guitar, backing vocals * Keyboards * Bass guitar, backing vocals * Drums, or * Lead vocals, keyboards, piano * Lead guitar, backing vocals * Bass guitar, backing vocals * Rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Drums,Percussion or even * Lead vocals, rhythm guitar * Lead guitar, backing vocals * Bass guitar, backing vocals * Keyboards, synthesizers * Drums, Percussion [edit] Larger rock ensembles Iron Maiden is a six part band with a lead vocalist, three guitarists, a bassist, and drummer lineup. (Not shown in this image are Bruce Dickinson and Nicko McBrain. Larger bands have long been a part of rock and pop music, in part due to the influence of the "singer accompanied with orchestra" model inherited from popular big-band jazz and swing and popularized by Frank Sinatra and Ella Fitzgerald.To create larger ensembles, rock bands often add an additional guitarist (as in Iron Maiden); an additional keyboardist (as in Procol Harum); additional percussionists (as in Latin-rock bands, e.g. Santana); or second drummer (as in The Grateful Dead and The Allman Brothers Band), and even a flutist (Catharsis). Stevie Nicks has an extra guitarist, sometimes drummer and three backup singers in her band. Nu metal band Linkin Park fits the rap rock genre with the inclusion of their turntablist & their emcee, who also plays rhythm guitar & keyboards. Slipknot has nine members, including a turntablist and two percussionists who match the drum beat. In other rock bands, particularly those influenced by other genres such as folk, classical, or country, the additional instrumentalists might include a mandolin player, a banjo player, a sitar player, a fiddler/acoustic violinist, an electric violinist, a timpanist, or a pedal steel guitarist. In some of these larger groups (such as The Band), instrumentalists could play multiple instruments, which enabled the ensemble to create a wider variety of instrument combinations. More rarely, rock or pop groups will be accompanied in concerts by a full or partial symphony orchestra, where lush string-orchestra arrangements are used to flesh out the sound of slow ballads. Third-Wave Ska bands may have six to eight pieces including vocals, guitarist(s), a bassist, a drummer, a trumpet, saxophone, and trombone. Other situations occur depending on the genre the band prefers. For instance, the band Incubus has five members, one of them being a DJ. Also, the band Dare to Dream has five members, including Steven M. Cooper. Huey Lewis and the News also had a large rock ensemble, including the members of the News and the separate jazz band Tower of Power on many of their early hits. Another interesting example is Bang Camaro, who have three guitarists, one keyboardist, one bassist, one drummer, and ten to fifteen singers who sing simultaneously. Bluegrass and other music has roots in Irish folk, and some Irish punk bands such as Flogging Molly have multiple members, some of which play the fiddle, banjo, and the accordion. On the extreme, symphonic metal group Haggard at one time had 21 members, being numerous different types of instrumentalists and vocalists, approaching something more reminiscent of a small chamber orchestra, and the extreme gothic metal band Theatres des Vampires (usually with eight members: three vocalists, two guitarists, a drummer, a bassist and a keyboardist) reached 12 members in 2004, with Nightbreed of Macabria (Four vocalists, two guitarists, a drummer, a bassist, a keyboardist, a violinist, a violist, a cellist, an hornist and a flautist). Roger Waters during his The Dark Side of the Moon Live tour was observed with two drummers, three background singers (think great gig in the sky, a lead, rhythm and alternating(lead, rhythm and bass) guitarist, sax player, keys/moog/synth/effects man and himself playing bass. [edit] Example line-up * Lead vocals * Lead guitar * Rhythm guitar, backing vocals * Bass guitar, backing vocals * Drums, percussion * Keyboards * Lead singing vocals * Lead guitar, backing vocals * Rhythm guitar, acoustic guitar, backing vocals * Bass guitar, screaming vocals * Drums, percussion * DJ, sampler, synthesizers * Keyboards, piano * Lead vocals * Lead guitar, backing vocals * Bass guitar, screaming vocals * Drums, percussion * Keyboards, piano * Rhythm guitar, backing vocals * DJ, emcee, drum machine, Sampler, synthesizers * Custom percussion [edit] Musical drama Sung dramas such as operas and musicals usually have numbers where several of the principals are singing together, either on their own or with the chorus. Such numbers (duets, trios, etc) are also referred to as 'ensembles'. [edit] Other western musical ensembles In the 1900s, the Wind Symphony or Wind Ensemble became popular, especially in academic circles. A wind ensemble consists entirely of wind instruments and percussion instruments, but may also include a double bass. Schools from elementary level onward often have a school band program which is usually centered around its wind ensemble, often known as a concert band. A choir is a group of voices. By analogy, sometimes a group of similar instruments in a symphony orchestra are referred to as a choir. For example, the woodwind instruments of a symphony orchestra could be called the woodwind choir. A group that plays popular music or military music is usually called a band. A group that plays while marching on a football field, without being a marching band, is called a drum and bugle corps. These bands perform a wide range of music, ranging from arrangements of jazz orchestral, or popular music to military-style marches. Drum corps perform on brass and percussion instruments only. Some corps perform on bugles in the key of G, while others perform on brass instruments in multiple keys, depending on the group. Drum and Bugle Corps incorporate costumes, hats, and pageantry in their performances. Other band types include: * Jug bands * Mexican Mariachi groups typically consist of at least two violins, two trumpets, one Spanish guitar, one vihuela (a high-pitched, five-string guitar), and one Guitarrón (a Mexican acoustic bass that is roughly guitar-shaped), and one or more singers.

entertainers

Entertainers in any field will find that Active Nightlife will network them to the right people and help get teh word out to their fans. Great entertainment is hard to find, and Active Nightlife wants to insure that to best can be found anywhere and at anytime. Search entertainment by comon categories, list your talents and promotoe yourself with comments, ratings, calendar events, and so much more.
An entertainment is any activity which provides a diversion or permits people to amuse themselves in their leisure time. Entertainment is typically passive - as in watching opera or a movie. Activities which involve participating in games or sportsare more often considered to be recreation.[1] Activities such as personal reading or practising a musical instruments are considered as hobbies. The industry that provides entertainment is called the entertainment industry. There are many forms of entertainment, which cater for particular tastes. For example, there is cinema, theatre, sports, games, social dance which cater for different groups of people. These may also be grouped on the age of persons interested, such as child entertainment or adult entertainment. For example, puppets, clowns, pantomimes and cartoons tend to appeal to children, though adults may also find them enjoyable. Contents [hide] * 1 Forms of entertainment o 1.1 Animation o 1.2 Cinema and theatre o 1.3 Comedy o 1.4 Comics o 1.5 Dance and music o 1.6 Reading o 1.7 Games o 1.8 Other forms of entertainment * 2 See also * 3 Footnotes * 4 External links [edit] Forms of entertainment There are many activities which people find entertaining, though the activities which one person may find entertaining may not be so to another person. The types of things which some people find entertaining would include the following. [edit] Animation An animated cartoon horse Some people find animation to be entertaining. Similarly, some people find cartoons to be entertaining. [2] [edit] Cinema and theatre Circus act - fire breather Many people find cinema and/or theatre and other live performance such as circus, plays, musicals, farces, monologues and pantomimes to be entertaining. [edit] Comedy Comedy provides laughter and amusement. The audience is taken by surprise, by the parody or satire of an unexpected effect or an opposite expectations of their cultural beliefs. Slapstick film, one-liner joke, observational humor are forms of comedy which have developed since the early days of jesters and traveling minstrels.[3] [edit] Comics Felix the Cat Comic Strip Comics comprise of text and drawings which convey an entertaining narrative.[4] Several famous comics revolve around super heroes such as Superman, Batman. Marvel Comics and DC Comics are two publishers of comic books. Manga is the Japanese word for comic and print cartoons. Caricature is a graphical entertainment. The purpose may vary from merely putting smile on the viewers face, to raising social awareness, to highlighting the moral vices of a person being caricaturised. [edit] Dance and music Dancing Many people also find social dance to be entertaining, in addition to it being a popular forum for social interaction. Alternatively, some people enjoy merely listening or watching musical entertainment of various forms, in private or public environments. [edit] Reading Many people also find reading to be entertaining and a fascinating pastime, though different people choose different genres of books, magazines, etc. Some enjoy TV and magazine celebrity gossip, for example. [edit] Games Playing Bingo Games provide relaxation and diversion. Games may be played by one person for their own entertainment, or by a group of people. Games may be played for achievement or money such as gambling or bingo. Racing, chess or checkers may develop physical or mental prowess. Games may be geared for children, or may be played outdoors such as lawn bowling. Equipment may be necessary to play the game such as a deck of cards for card games, or a board and markers for board games such as Monopoly, or backgammon.[5] A few may be ball games, Blind man's bluff, board games, card games, children's games, croquet, frisbee, hide and seek, number games, paintball, and video games to name a few. [edit] Other forms of entertainment A juggler entertains outdoors in Devizes, Wiltshire, England * Concert * Lecture * Magic * Sports * Mass media * Revue * Television * Radio * Storytelling

Limo Services

Want to ride in style, make an impression, or just need affordable transportation to take you around while you and your friends have a great time? The service listing allows you to find the best services including limo services in your community. Find the right company, driver, and get the right pricing at anytime, day or night.
A chauffeur is an individual who operates any self-propelled vehicle (automobile) for a profession. While the term may refer to anybody who drives for a living, it usually implies a driver of an elegant passenger vehicle such as a horse-drawn carriage, luxury sedan, motor coach, or especially a limousine; those who operate non-passenger vehicles are generally referred to as "drivers" (as in bus drivers and truck drivers). In some countries, particularly developing nations where a ready supply of labor ensures that even the middle classes can afford domestic staff and among the wealthy,[1] the chauffeur may simply be called the "driver." "Chauffeur" is the modern French masculine term (noun/verb) derived from the meaning "he who heats". The earliest automobiles, like their railroad and sea vessel counterparts, were steam-powered and required the driver to pre-heat the engine to produce energy, thus, the French term for stoker was adapted.[citation needed] People currently sometimes employ chauffeurs full-time to drive themselves in their own personal vehicles, yet there are also professional services offering limousines or rental cars[2] driven by chauffeurs. This is very similar to but more luxurious than taking a taxicab. A variety of benefits are cited for using chauffeurs, including convenience, productivity and time savings,[3] and driving safety for businesspeople[4] and seniors.[5] Indeed, insurance costs for luxury vehicles are often lower if the designated driver is a chauffeur. The requirements to be a chauffeur vary in geography and vehicle size or type, with many of these requirements established at the state or municipal level in the US. In addition to a standard driver's license, some areas require a chauffeur to obtain an additional professional license, which frequently sets certain numerous minimum standards for age, driving experience and record, local geographic knowledge, and indigenous security and operational procedures. Some limousine companies in the United States and the EU require their chauffeurs to undergo specific training courses.[citation needed] These courses involve evasive or defensive driving techniques, and also teach the proper methods to ensure safety in the most extreme conditions such as inclement weather, flat tire at high speeds, or other exterior influences for loss of vehicular control, etc. Most companies will also have their own courses as to what they expect from their chauffeurs. Chauffeurs may be taught proper etiquette for use when they are in presence of their clientele. Almost all companies and local licensing agencies currently require random drug screening to maintain only the utmost professionals to represent the profession.[citation needed] This came as a result of professional ice hockey player Vladimir Konstantinov's career-ending injuries when his recently-hired chauffeur, Richard Gnida, already serving a license suspension for drunken driving, lost control of their limousine and crashed, seriously injuring Konstantinov and his other passengers.[6][not in citation given] In many places (or at times in the past), proper physical presence is presented by the chauffeur at all times. This usually includes a well-groomed individual, conservatively dressed in a clean and crisply pressed black or dark suit or tuxedo, dress shirt, and appropriately matching tie, with black leather gloves and freshly-polished matching footwear. Some companies have complete uniforms for their chauffeurs, and some require that hats be worn as part of the uniform. Some companies do not keep strictly to this standard, and there is wide variation globally throughout the transportation industry

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