Written by Emma Grosskopf
No one can deny that the social scene at RC can sometimes feel like a bubble. Sure, there are frat parties, but if that’s not your preferred social scene on a weekend, there aren’t that many options for you other than staying in. But what if you had a new option on the horizon?
Jonah Cortez, the 19-year-old creator of Revamp, having grown up in the Salem/Roanoke area, was aware of the area’s depressingly limited party scenes.
“Me and my brother took a trip to London back in December, and we saw some of the biggest nightclubs in the country,” Cortez said. “They had lots of live music and people coming together to have a good time. Back here, there’s nothing like that whatsoever.”
While downtown Roanoke provides a slight breath of fresh air from the Salem bar scene and RC frat parties, the social scene there to many lacks excitement and variation.
Cortez’s brain child Revamp (created Dec. 31, 2018) acts as a setting where there is “still a concept of music and having a good time that we can bring together that hasn’t been done in this area yet.”
Revamp is, for all intents and purposes, a sort of “pop-up” nightclub. Revamp’s last event was held at the end of January at The Cave (next to Mill Mountain). Currently, Revamp is free to all who wish to come and enjoy themselves, and Cortez explains that they are working on sponsorships from local eateries such as McDonald’s and Firehouse Subs to provide food for the events, but people interested should know that Revamp is an alcohol-free environment.
Revamp has an age minimum of 17. “We wanted to keep the atmosphere more focused and mature,” Cortez said.
At Revamp’s last event, Cortez said that feedback was very positive. “A lot of the feedback said ‘good atmosphere and good music, but there was also a lot of advice on publicity and how to grow,” Cortez said. “We rely very heavily on social media and Instagram. We’re aiming for compound growth.”
A Revamp event usually lasts four hours, with the first 45 minutes being live music, where an artist might come and play to a crowd, while the next few hours are what Cortez called “dance-club-type” music. As someone who used to DJ weddings, Cortez said that some of that music would get tired.
“After you’re playing Country Roads for the 25 billionth time at 12 a.m., it gets a little old,” Cortez said. “I could never really play ‘turn up’ music. [Revamp] started off as an ability for me to play ‘turn up’ music.
While some people might internally compare the benefits of Revamp to the benefits of a frat party here at RC, Cortez said that he understands the difference in these scenes.
“I think that there’s a big difference in the people that you meet and the expectations that come with an event like this. I think that a lot less people want to down shots and end up vomiting in a trash can at 1 a.m., but it’s all a part of that scene,” Cortez said. “Revamp is an alternative to come out and still have a good time, but just not have all of those things come back and bite you later on.”
While Revamp is certainly on the up-and-up, Cortez said that he wants to engage more of the RC community. For RC students who are interested in partaking in a music-centered, fun environment can follow Revamp on Instagram for updates and information regarding what is going on this month. Be on the lookout for more information about bringing Revamp to RC.
For any ideas about how to bring Cortez’s vision to life, contact the Brackety-Ack staff at bracketyack@gmail.com.
