Local clubs on the Web

Sometimes, when you’re curious as to what’s going on around town, you turn to the Internet. And even though the novelty has worn off, and there’s little reason in 2003 for Joe’s Dry Cleaners to maintain a Web site, such a site can make perfect sense for the ambitious nightclub.

A number of local venues maintain Web sites, if you define the word “maintain” rather liberally. Such sites provide a definite resource—not only for curious club-goers, but for those of us who need to look up a concert listing on deadline to find the starting time and cover price.

Therein lies my pet peeve: Some of these sites aren’t maintained very well. If a club goes to the trouble of getting a Web site, and it has a calendar feature, then the club should make it a point to update the site, at least once a month.

For example, let’s take the Blue Lamp, whose site, at www.bluelamplounge.com, I tried to access to get some info that a band’s manager couldn’t get out of the club’s booker. It’s a nice-looking page, but when you click on the calendar link, a blank page comes up.

The Capitol Garage site (www.capitolgarage.com) does feature a calendar, but when you click on the dates to get more specific information, the page is blank. The same goes for Old Ironsides (www.theoldironsides.com). And go to Luna’s Café (www.lunascafe.com), and all the information is there—for October. Click on November, however, and you get the following message: “Coming Soon!!” Sorry, but if it’s mid-month, that isn’t good enough. Harlow’s site (www.harlows.com) also features a calendar, but you have to click on the “buy tickets” button to get more information. (That page currently has “Jonathon Richmond” listed as playing on December 3. Hmm, have to check him out—I hear tell that Richmond feller is pretty good.) The True Love Coffeehouse (www.truelovesacto.com) used to be pretty good, but it’s currently “under construction.”

Now for the good: Orangevale’s venerable Boardwalk (www.boardwalkrocks.com) not only lists show times and ticket prices but also tells you what time the doors open, links to the bands’ Web sites and even shows band logos. That, ahem, rocks. Another club that you can tell “rocks” from its URL is The Roadhouse in Robla (www.roadhouserocks.com), which offers a less-elegant version of the Boardwalk’s site. Still, show times and ticket prices are there. Constable Jack’s in Newcastle (www.constablejacks.com) may rock less emphatically, but its site shows ticket prices, though no show times. Conversely, the Web site of the PowerHouse Pub in Folsom (www.powerhousepub.com) gives show times but not ticket prices.

Still, if you want to see how it should be done, go to the Web site maintained by The Palms in Winters (www.palmsplayhouse.com), which will give you everything you want to know and more. It’s a fine Web site for a truly fine venue.