The Deep End

Take a look and you'll find it: Fort Lauderdale nightlife is well-established, and the city's got its own real culture. But we're not talking about the overcrowded Himmarshee meat market or its tacky, tourist-baiting neighbor, Las Olas Riverfront. A whole other horde of 20-somethings dictates the local scene, using neighborhood pubs as an outlet for DJ-led revelry. Thanks to folks like Doron Chelminski and AC Cobra's Rus Saunders, several events have sprouted up in the underground, including Sunday Night Boogie and Blacklisted Wednesdays. The objectives are simple: Avoid elitist politics, and opt for a soul-stirring, rock 'n' roll-flavored good time. "Our whole premise is to help develop events in Fort Lauderdale so kids don't have to always go down to Miami," Chelminski explains.

Ten years after moving to Florida, the Toronto native's a veteran behind the decks, having had a long-running WNSU show called Abba to Zappa. But after several years of touting college jams, liability issues forced out nonstudents like Chelminski. The towering DJ kept at it, holding posts with the Winter Music Conference and alliances with folks like Saunders. Such tenacity has led him to parties like Sunday Night Boogie, which mixes standup comedy with DJ sets that run the gamut from '60s rock to hardcore. "The need is to not rely on Revolver all the time," Chelminski says. "It's to help build the Fort Lauderdale scene." Nice one, eh?

Sunday Night Boogie starts at 9 p.m. every Sunday at Maguire's Hill 16, 535 N. Andrews Ave., Fort Lauderdale. For age 21 and over. Cover varies. Call 954-764-4453. Blacklisted starts at 10 p.m. every other Wednesday, starting April 13, at the Poor House, 110 SW Third Ave., Fort Lauderdale. For age 21 and over. Usually no cover. Call 954-522-5145 or 754-422-ROCK.