Q Nightclub, known to locals as the “Q”, sits right between Pike Street and and Broadway Boulevard in the infamous neighborhood of Capitol Hill.
What was once an old auto garage is now a state-of-the-art, 12,500 square foot multilevel nightclub and lounge. Despite the ample floor space, its size is by no means matched by the visual impression it leaves on first-time visitors.
And it’s no wonder; the building was designed by the renowned architecture firm Bohlin Cywinski Jackson, whose other works include the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in New York and the Liberty Bell Center in Philadelphia.
The nightclub is open four days out of the week, serving as both a lounge on weekdays and as a nightclub on the weekends, and it boasts a bleeding-edge array of audio-visuals, with a Funkion 1 sound system imported from England and lighting design from the mind of Steve Liberman, a lighting designer whose visions have come to life at Lollapalooza, EDC, Ultra Miami, and more.
The Q even has its very own signature line of infused and flavored vodka. But don’t let the luxury appeal give you the wrong impression. This is a place that loves to party.
Photos from @DJJohnDigweed at @QStudio44 on 12.08 are now posted: https://t.co/d7fPljWNFq pic.twitter.com/XIkJFruBtk
— Q Nightclub (@qnightclub) December 12, 2016
Sean Majors, the Creative Director of Q Nightclub, spoke with Four Over Four to shed some light on the unique history on the space and its mission to both grow and raise the bar of nightlife in Seattle.
When booking talent, what is your mission? How is talent selected?
We try to book talent that’s both exciting and evolves the music conversation in the NW. Some of the bookings are globally recognized stars like John Digweed and Snoop Dogg, some of them are emerging underground artists like Murlo and Justin Hartinger, but either way, we want a certain level of quality combined with entertainment achieved.
What role does the venue play in the overall city music scene?
We occupy an interesting place to in the regional culture in that we are mostly electronic, but not entirely. We spend a lot of time working with artists at the top of their field, but artists on the horizon are also critically important to our story. We try to be on the front edge of what’s defining art in music culture, but still accessible enough to make an almost 700 person venue in the NW work.
From a production standpoint, our focus is on providing a unique, artistic nightclub experience that is both sonically and visually stimulating, but doing it in ways that no one else in the NW delivers. Not only do we bring in world-renowned DJs, but we have the ability to project images 270-degrees on the walls surrounding the dance floor. The sound system is acclaimed by national publications, but we think that dress codes are decidedly anti-Seattle. We also take pride in making ourselves a club that is fun for anyone and everyone with safety and inclusion as critical tenets of our philosophy.
Finish the sentence. “A patron attending their first show at the space should expect ______.”
A high-energy atmosphere that is multi-sensory and at the front edge of what’s going on in nightlife worldwide. Every night has a different style of music featured, but hopefully the attention to both quality and production come through.
What is your team most excited about for the upcoming year?
Studio 4/4 on Thursday nights continues to be one our favorite House/Techno nights on the west coast. With artists such as Duke Dumont, Kerri Chandler, and Sasha scheduled in the upcoming weeks, it’s already off to a strong start to 2017. Our Wednesday nights have recently rebranded as FORMS. It’s aimed at bridging the gap between the boundary-pushing beat smiths of today and the influences that paved the way for their sounds to flourish. Artists like Hudson Mohawke to Mr. Oizo are included in that story.
Weekends continue to be a diverse palatte of sounds and performance, featuring most styles and tempos, but concentrated on maintaining the standard we’ve set. We’re very excited to continue to be part of the larger nightlife narrative in this corner of the country, as we think the next year is going to be a really evolutionary one for music.So whether you’re looking to have a relaxing night out on the town or looking for a fun night of dancing and quality music – the Q is the place to go.
Check out their upcoming events.
