By Andrew Gilhooley / 411
Imagine a night club that stays open until 4am, long after the others have closed. Imagine a club that is dedicated to playing the finest house music and features performances by some of the country’s top DJs. Now imagine that club right here in our local area. You are imagining “Mint,” the latest club night at Club Octane in Downtown Monterey.
“Mint” has its inaugural night on Friday, and was devised by local DJ Jesse Gonzalez, one of Club Octane’s resident DJs. The idea for the club came because of the lack of a dedicated house music club in the local area. “There was no real outlet for house music on the central coast,” explained Gonzalez. “To hear that kind of music you really have to drive up to San Francisco, and a lot of people do that on a regular basis.” Bemoaning the lack of a local house scene with some other DJs, they realized a solution. “We were like, ‘I’m tired of driving, you’re tired of driving, so let’s do it here.’”
The next step came when they began looking for a venue and were approached by the owner of Club Octane, who suggested that they “take it to a global level and become a world-class club.” The result is “Mint,” a twice-monthly club night from 9pm – 4am, featuring sets from Gonzalez and the club’s other resident DJs, I:van, Peter Be! And Fred Porra, plus special featured guests. This Friday’s “Mint” features a 3-hour set from world-renowned DJ Doc Martin.
Originally from Los Angeles, Doc Martin (real name Martin Mendoza) has been DJ-ing since the mid-1980s. He developed a love of house music while playing in San Francisco’s club scene, and is renowned for his ability to match the mood of the music to the mood of the crowd. He is the first West Coast DJ to have held multiple residencies in both London’s and New York City’s clubs. Martin’s schedule of constant touring takes him all over the US and the world, including regular performances in the UK and New Zealand, which makes his Monterey date a real coup for the club.
Future “Mint” nights will feature the Lawnchair Generals, Charles Feelgood and others, all world-class house DJs. Jesse Gonzalez and Club Octane are hopeful that “Mint” will become one of the Central Coast’s top club attractions. “We want to make it something different, something fresh, something people will look forward to,” says Gonzalez. Check out “Mint” for yourself this Friday; it might just be the start of something big.
First published in "411", The Salinas Californian, August 12, 2004