Skip the Ordinary Office Party and Come to the Regular One!

by Jay Kerner, Source Publications

Holy crap, you’re reading our paper! I have to tell you, I’m a little shocked. When we came up with the idea to put out this rag, it occurred to us that anybody can print something and set it out there. Just look at the various free publications jamming the racks in grocery and convenience stores. Apartment guides, auto finders, shoppers of all sorts, all jockeying for position.

As I distribute each issue, we learn a little more about which locations are the best, and how to put more copies in reader’s hands. Unlike our predecessor and most of our competition, we actually pick up our old copies and take them to the recycling center. From issue 1 to issue 4, the number of unclaimed has gotten smaller and smaller. We’ve found that if The Regular Joe is displayed where it can be clearly seen, people will grab it. If it’s shoved on a lower shelf or covered up with other papers, then I’ll have a lot to pick up next time.

One solution starts this week, as we distribute our new display racks. We could have gone with the basic, cheap, wire frames, like everybody else, but no. That’s not how we roll. We contracted with local artist John Wiggington at Degginger’s Foundry, who created what we think are some very cool display stands. Look for them in better restaurants and watering holes all over town. Ask for it in your favorite haunts, and if you don’t see it, call or email to let us know.

That brings us to the meat of this story. Now that people are reading the Regular Joe, we want to see if we can motivate you to do something. You see, we want you to come to a party.

In fact it’s our first ever Regular Joe, No-Office, Office Party!

We’ve heard that a lot of businesses are cutting back on the traditional holiday parties, whether to save money, reduce liability or whatever. So we say the hell with the corporate Scrooge, come downtown and party with Joe!

Friday December 14th is the date, and Downtown Joetown is the place. Anytime after work, bring your friends and co-workers for a night of club-hopping, pub crawling fun, and benefit the Second Harvest Food Bank at the same time. Here’s how it works:

Start by bringing 2 cans of food (or $2) per person, to any of our participating locations. You’ll get your hand stamped, which will also gain you entry to all of the other spots.Go to your favorite first, because the individual clubs are competing to see which one raises the most cans and cash. The winner gets a free ad in the next Joe.

Each location will feature a different music genre, as well as games and drink specials. Somebody said it’s not a party without a theme, so we’ve got a doozy.

Who hasn’t seen the movie Office Space, the 2003 cult favorite that pokes fun at everything in the workplace? We’re stealing, (borrowing?), various ideas and images from the film, to make it even more fun. (Go ahead 20th Century Fox; send us your Cease and Desist Letter). For instance, we expect to see a lot of post-it-note outfits wandering around. The various participating bars will each be handing out “flair” buttons and pins, proudly displayed to show your enthusiasm for your job. Collect flair from each location and you are eligible for nice prizes. B.J. Scott from K-Jo 105.5 will be on hand to award prizes for the games and contests.

This is just the first in what we hope will be a regular series of events. The Regular Joe is committed to promoting our downtown entertainment district as a destination. Getting the venue owners to co-operate in a joint effort like this is the first step. Getting the public to change their entertainment habits is the next.

As you’ve read before in these pages, we want to “build a scene”. A new “place to be”. We want to see people in the streets popping in this club for a while and then stopping to meet friends in another.

We need your help. We need brave, urban pioneers, willing to buck the nightlife trends and be part of a movement. Maybe we need a cool nickname. New York has SoHo. Denver has LoDo. Oh wait, how about JoDo? Get it? St. Joe, Downtown! Whadaya think?

“What are you doing tonight? Let’s go down to JoDo!” Not bad, remember you heard it here first.

Now hang on a minute, we’re not suggesting you turn your backs on your favorite places on the Belt, up and down Frederick, or anywhere else. We think nightlife and entertainment options are one of the key ingredients that make St. Joe as cool as it is. We support and promote live music venues all over town. Check our calendar of events. All we’re saying is why not add Downtown to your list?

Friday, December 14th would be a great time to start. Bring a few cans. Bring a few friends. Make a few new ones. The Regular Joe will be there with bells on…and a good deal of flair. Also some strategically positioned post-it-notes. Come join us!