By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- The new Second Street Dance Club is touting itself as a big city club with a small town feel.
The club, which officially opened two and half months ago, is located in the old Aladdin's Dance Club building, at 405 Second St. in downtown Niles.
By attracting national and local bands and providing both a nightly DJ and karaoke, new club manager M.J. West is trying to give local residents an entertainment opportunity not found anywhere else in the area.
The building is still owned by Dean King, who shut down the club three years ago for personal reasons.
West, who has worked in the country music business for the last 10 years, recently moved to Niles from Tennessee and was looking for an entertainment related job.
He and his friend Ed Alcala, of Edge Entertainment, one of the largest karaoke companies in the area, called around to local clubs to see if anyone was interested in providing a karaoke service.
Under the impression that Aladdin's was still a functioning nightclub, West contacted King to offer his services.
When he found out that Aladdin's had been closed for years, West pitched his idea about reopening a new and different kind of club.
And what he wanted to do was offer a club that could be enjoyed by a variety of customers.
The 7,000 square-foot building includes a sports bar/karaoke area when you walk through the front door and a large stage area in the back called "The Oasis."
The bar area features a small dance floor, pool table, darts, TVs and the "largest collection of karaoke you will find anywhere in the area."
The Second Street Dance Club is also currently sponsoring the Remuda Records Talent Search and Jam Session, which will award the winner with a guaranteed record deal from the independent recording label.
The competition is open to all styles of music and will begin on June 9 and take place every other Wednesday after that.
West is working to schedule frequent live music and has two acts confirmed for the coming weeks. Michael Harding, a nationally known country music singer, will perform at the club on May 28 and 29.
Local hip-hop artists Thad, Sweet-P and Million are scheduled to perform on June 4 and 5.
The club is open Wednesday through Sunday from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. For more information, call (269)683-8297.