MJQ Concourse opens new location at Underground Atlanta
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MJQ Concourse opened in a new location at Underground Atlanta in space once occupied by Dante's Down the Hatch. Photo: Courtesy of Underground Atlanta
Atlanta's signature nightclub for anyone who wants to spend hours on the dance floor opens Wednesday night at its new home.
Why it matters: MJQ Concourse enters a new era as it puts down roots at Underground Atlanta after operating in its famous basement space on Ponce de Leon Avenue for 30 years.
Driving the news: The grand opening begins at 11pm, which is perfect timing for night owls who want to dance off the midweek work blues (and don't have to get up early the next day).
- The club held a soft opening at the new Underground Atlanta location earlier this month and hosted its last dance session at the Ponce venue over the weekend.
- "The amount of excitement I've heard from people about the new space makes me feel much better and at ease and proud of what we've put together," co-owner Ryan Purcell told Axios.
Catch up quick: MJQ announced in 2022 that it would be closing its 736 Ponce de Leon Avenue spot after Portman Holdings unveiled plans to demolish the club venue and surrounding buildings to build a large mixed-use project.
- In 2023, MJQ said it would be relocating to Underground in space that once housed the famous Dante's Down the Hatch restaurant, which Dante Stephensen opened in 1970 and was shaped like a pirate ship.
Zoom in: Purcell told Axios the new space includes the familiar layout of the Ponce space but also makes use of the floor plan left behind by Dante's.
- There's no storefront indicating you've arrived at MJQ — just a set of stairs that still has the Dante's Down the Hatch sign.
- Once you descend the stairs, you're greeted with a large room on the left and a slightly smaller space to the right.
- The center of the space features a full bar — one of four in the club — that's partially enclosed in glass walls so you can look out onto the dance floor.
- There's also a mezzanine level that circles the venue, allowing people to look down onto the dance floor through a floor-to-ceiling cage, Purcell said.
The intrigue: If you work up an appetite from all that dancing, you'll be able to grab some small snacks and slushies from what Purcell described as a "bodega."
- For those who don't drink, the club is also planning to expand its non-alcoholic beverage options.
The big picture: Part of the lure for MJQ was that it provided an alternative to the clubs that were bumping top 40 hits, said Scott Morris, a local historian.
- Morris, who also DJs part-time, said MJQ was his go-to club to hear music produced by local artists and to see live bands.
- The club plays hip-hop, house, dance and electronic music.
The bottom line: Purcell told Axios that MJQ's popularity will continue in the future because there aren't a lot of "true dance clubs" left in Atlanta.
- MJQ could make money off admission and add other perks like hookah, VIP sections and bottle service, "but that's not what the space is about," Purcell said.
- "It is about coming and enjoying yourself and being who you are," he told Axios.