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Hodi's Half Note: Juking the Jinx |
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Written by Erin Frustaci
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Thursday, 25 January 2007 |
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Heidi Muller| for NEXTnc
Jason Culotta stands on a ladder to work on a light fixture at Hodi’s Half Note as Damon Sharp looks on from below. Hodi’s is undergoing a remodel before its planned opening on Feb. 7.
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Curious onlookers stopped and, with hands forming binoculars around their eyes, peered in through the window.
One guy paused to ask, “Hey, do you know when they’re opening?”
The sign above Fort Collins’ infamous Starlight theater reads, “Coming soon Hodi’s Half Note.”
After sitting empty for months, the Starlight has new owners, a new name and hope for a new future.
“The spirit of this place is what’s important, and there’s a lot here,” Nick Kirkes, general manager and co-owner of Hodi’s Half Note, said. “The team built around us and community support is what is really going to make this place a success and a part of the downtown culture.”
Kirkes, 29, of Fort Collins and a silent partner, a Loveland business owner, officially bought the business Jan. 12 from Lucky Kerig and Joe Vader, who also own Lucky Joe’s Sidewalk Saloon and Zydeco’s in Old Town Fort Collins. Kirkes would not release the final sale price, but the establishment was listed at $199,000.
Inside, people put sweat into remodeling, managers sift through applications and hopeful bartenders fill out applications. If all goes as planned, the stage will light up, beer will flow and music will fill the venue on Feb. 7.
“We want to brighten this place up and make it feel more comfortable,” Kirkes said. “We want a warmer atmosphere that is more inviting.”
With a little paint, wood paneling, new floors and bathrooms and upgraded sound equipment, the concert venue will have a fresh start.
“We are doing most of it ourselves,” Kirkes said. “Over 200 volunteer hours have gone into this at this point. Only a few projects right now are going to be done by contractors. The outreach response has been remarkable.”
There have been mornings when Kirkes has come in to find someone new he doesn’t know lending a hand. Such support is refreshing, given the risks involved with opening a bar.
Kirkes and his partner had several other investment options on the table, but saw a need for a smaller concert venue in downtown Fort Collins.
“Bars come and go,” Kirkes said. “Strictly in a bar sense, at least half fail every year. We could get into real estate and do better, but the bottom line for us is being able to be a part of the community. It has a satisfaction other investment options wouldn’t have had.”
For local bands like Motorhome, Hodi’s could be a springboard into the music business. Motorhome used to play at the Starlight when it was still in business.
“Not all bands can just start by playing at the Aggie or they will be playing in a huge empty room,” said Matt Thornton, guitarist of Motorhome. “That sucks. It’s a stepping stone. You have to play at smaller places and, as more people come, you can go to a bigger place.”
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Heidi Muller|
Judd Hoelzel, left, sweeps the floor behind one of the bars at Hodi’s Half Note. Hodi’s is undergoing a remodel before its planned opening on Feb. 7. The floor plan of the new club, below, features two bars and a portable second stage for more intimate shows.
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Motorhome doesn’t have any shows booked at Hodi’s yet because the band wants to see how it goes first. Still, Thornton said he is excited that Fort Collins will have another venue where people can hear music.
“It’s going to be good,” Thornton said.
The building itself has had a troubling past in ownership. Eric Rabinowitz, a former owner, was sentenced to four years in prison in June 2005 for assaulting and raping an ex-girlfriend, who later committed suicide.
Then, four months after Melissa Laugen bought the property, her husband, James Sargent, allegedly overdosed on heroin inside the venue. In December 2004, Kerig and Vader purchased the Starlight in hopes of turning it around. It closed again last August. Kirkes said the reputation is a hurdle, but one that can be overcome.
“It’s not our past,” he said. “It’s not our history. The building is the only link here.
Nothing I can say can make people believe we are different. It’s just going to be a matter of time and examples that will wash it away. We are putting a lot of love into this place.”
Hodi’s Half Note got the name after Kirkes’ beloved great aunt Hodi. Hodi lived with Kirkes’ family for two years, when Kirkes was about 10, as she battled stomach cancer.
“Her personality epitomized what we want this place to be,” Kirkes said. “She had an overriding sense of loyalty, was fun-loving and had a free spirit. All her friends were family and she was musical by nature.”
Kirkes has experience booking and promoting concerts in California as well as a background in computers. He plays a few instruments but doesn’t consider himself a musician. He does appreciate all types of music and hopes to draw bands of all sizes to Hodi’s.
When Kirkes is asked about any competition with the Aggie Theatre, he said the two are completely different venues with different goals. Hodi’s will have a capacity of about 300 people, which is about half the size of The Aggie Theatre.
“The only similarity is they both have a stage,” he said.
 Scoo Leary, owner of the Aggie, also once owned the Starlight, then known as Mountain Tap. Leary didn’t have much to say about the new business.
Hodi’s will feature a second portable stage in a lounge setting, for more intimate performances. Tickets will be sold on the Web site and possibly at other locations. Kirkes hinted at a friendly neighbor.
Walt Werren, owner of ABCD’s which is next door to Hodi’s, is looking forward to the new venue.
“It was getting kind of lonely with next door sitting empty,” Werren said. “Fort Collins is shaping up on the music scene again. It’s good to see another venue going again.” | Only registered users can write comments.
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