Oakland's Oasis Nightclub Reopens

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They'rre Ba-ack: the Oasis Crew

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Summer reggae lovers were bummed, to say the least, when Oakland's Oasis Nightclub--home of the popular Wednesday night weekly "Lion Rock"--shuttered its doors a while back. Apparently, the City of Oakland noted numerous code violations. The owners scrambled to bring the venue up to the city's standards with an extensive remodeling effort. After a "soft" reopen three weeks ago, the club was again dark the following Wednesday, which, inside sources say, was the result of confusion within Oakland's Byzantine bureaucratic system. After several meetings with city officials and representatives from various departments, however, the club received the necessary permits and was greenlighted for business, although some work remains to be done, most notably the back room, where the main stage and dancefloor are.

Last night, "Lion Rock" was back, and so were the faithful reggae crowds. Though the party was confined to the front room, where the bar is, the dancefloor was packed, and the crowd did the dutty wine and more to the selections of DJs Jah Yzer and Common Sensi. Early on, the women outnumbered the men--always a good sign. In addition to "Lion Rock," Friday's "The People" party is also good to go, and plans are to add more musical nights and more cultural events, once the final renovations are completed. In the meantime, it's once again cool to get your reggae on in Oakland while sipping a Red Stripe or Guinness.