Last night, MJQ Concourse had its last hoorah on Ponce de Leon Avenue with a closing party.
Instead of Champagne toasts and falling balloons, it was an evening of good music across genres and people socializing from different walks of life.
Ryan Purcell, MJQ’s co-owner, said he wanted the final event to feel like a regular night. “We want to hit it as close to home as we could. We’re going into the next evolution, so all we can do is keep the same energy we’ve always had,” Purcell said.
The long, curving line outside was already flowing down the sidewalk before doors opened. Some waiting to be admitted pleaded, and in some cases pushed, to get in before the event ended.
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Electronic dance music mashups and Southern hip-hop classics blared from the blue room, mixing with a familiar scent of Pabst Blue Ribbon and Black and Mild cigars. Groups of friends drank shots of alcohol at the bar, filling up and dancing in each booth.
The neighboring red room was equally congested with bystanders leaning against walls, standing on furniture and dancing to The Police’s “Roxanne,” Bell Biv DeVoe’s “Poison” and “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa and the Soulsonic Force.
Inside, partygoers’ appearances ranged from muted to as loud and eclectic as the sounds pumping from the loudspeakers.
Some faces were natural; others were tattooed and pierced. Hairstyles covered the gamut from conservatively coiffed to impossibly moussed. A quick visual scan of the room could capture clubbers in oversized throwback jerseys, flannel shirts and fishnet stockings, while not far away fancier folks rocked three-piece pinstripe suits and cashmere peacoats.
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Ellenwood resident Gyasi Warner said he appreciated MJQ’s diverse crowd. “It’s pretty lit. It’s a good experience because everybody gets along and comes to have fun,” Warner said between pulls from the plastic tip of his cigar.
“If you have stress after a hard week, you can just come here, ball out and have fun. You can be yourself without anybody judging you.”
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Snellville native Ruben Rivas said he regularly visited MJQ on Ponce, and specifically enjoyed spending time on the patio with selfless, unpretentious people. “No one is trying to start beef. Everybody’s usually here for a good time and to enjoy each other’s company,” Rivas said.
“Even if we don’t know each other, we’re homies out there. You can meet new people, and it’s almost like you’ve known them forever.”
When the deejay randomly threw on The Isley Brothers’ slow jam “Between the Sheets” later, everybody in the tight room was singing along to the chorus as the lights in the brick red room dimmed.
“Turn that up. You all already know what that is,” a random woman yelled out from the dance floor.
Others retreated outside on the patio to get some fresh air and share tobacco products with their friends and strangers. Food trucks and vendors set up outside near the dive spot.
Credit: Christopher Daniel
Credit: Christopher Daniel
MJQ Concourse existed on Ponce de Leon Avenue since 1997. It relocated from its original location at the bottom of the Ponce de Leon Hotel, where it opened three years earlier.
Regularly scheduling performers and deejays, it became popular for MJQ Wednesdays, a free weekly dance party, and Sloppy Seconds, which was held every second Saturday of the month.
Purcell said he hopes keeping MJQ in an underground space will inspire past attendees to expect the same ambience as the previous venues.
“I’m trying to bring that same vibe from there to here. It’s a collective effort from the people that already come to MJQ,” Purcell said.
“We all have memories there, and we want to keep making them.”
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