The route to Club Zu

(Founder Kelsey Farris describes the history behind the all-ages club with the wild boat parties.)

Huh, how did Club Zu begin?

Basically our (Kendall Farris — identical twin) mother died of cancer when we were 17. My father asked me what I planned to do, and I said I wanted to open a club.

Six months later, with money my mother left me and my older brother Rick Brown and my father as silent partners, the club opened on my graduation night from high school.

I threw the hat at San Dieguito and opened my doors in June 1983 at 135 North Highway 101 in Solana Beach.

The name “Club Zu” came from the concept that my guests would be as different as animals in a zoo. Fortunate for me a billboard went up over the club promoting the San Diego Zoo with an aardvark and the caption, “The World’s Greatest Zoo is right under your nose!” Hilarious.

The original cast/crew of Club Zu was Brian Hetherington, Kim Kress, Terry Ogelsby, Julien Ried Godfrey and Theresa Mota.

Kids came from all over San Diego, and some from Los Angeles.

I don’t know who sat behind me in class, but they came outta the woodwork to avoid the $5.00 cover. That always killed me. Who the fuck are you, anyway? Do I get a free soda at your Burger King job or lemonade stand?

My DJ was young too, Theresa Mota, owned a record store in Fallbrook so the music was fresh, and a Los Angeles bootleg DJ pool I was a member of had cool alternative … well, bootleg … mixes that set our scene.

We had different nights: Creepy Ghoulie night, video night, live bands, etc. I remember saying tonight was better than last night! “I love (whatever night it was) the best.”

Hair obsession! Girls (and boys) just wanna have fun

Whenever there was an act we wanted to see, ’cause we were all friends working together, we would hire a ghost crew to work Club Zu so we could go see Fun Boy Three, X, ABC, Culture Club, Iggy Pop, The Cramps. …
Then we met the Thompson Twins at the Palace in Los Angeles (me, Brian and Theresa).

The Twins were playing small venues and skyrocketed in a matter of months, and we were right there for the ride to stadium tours. Front row, back stage, after parties, video shoots — it was overwhelming as a teenager — and I still had a day job (Licorice Pizza) to get out of shifts.

The Thompson Twins video shoot and party at Club Zu was a disaster. My private invitation was thrown out the window when HBO trucks and bright lights lit up the front of the club like the Presidential Christmas tree.
Starstruck club kids took a bit to warm up to the band, making big crop circles on the dance floor.

I apologized to Alannah, I didn’t know what was wrong with everybody, and she said it was fame. The video was to be shot like “A Clockwork Orange,” but the band was going through an eventual breakup and no one was agreeing to anything, or even speaking to each other.

Tom told me later that the footage was horrible — ugh. Joe was bent because we were not “made up” like the fim.

One night after a TT show in downtown San Diego I invited the band to my house for a party; Tom asked if it was OK if the whole band came. Of course, but I’d have to arrange for a van and I would have to wake up my father because he lived closer. We took the fucking tour bus up a cul de sac in a San Diego suburb with fans following, one guy on a scooter!

At the time Simon from The Cure was on their tour, and at one point, Slash. There is a photo of Alannah and me dancing in the dining room and an amazing shot of Tom in the front yard.

Also during these brief years I was a dancer on American Bandstand, you can only imagine the calendar and schedules.

Moving on, the boat parties were insane.

We had our first boat party during the day — what a sight! Those kids out on the water, someone must have the video footage to that action, hilarious, the clothes, hair, music and dancing out on the harbor for hours!

The second boat party was on a three-level Mississippi river boat — a fucking floating hotel, and I carried the $20.00 per person X 200 in cash in a lunch pail.

I had my hair in its typical pompadour but at the last minute buried and packed it with silver glitter to match the silver paisley jacket Tara (Gasparian) got me in London.

The Thompson Twins were scheduled to join us but literally missed the boat and didn’t realize I had a small boat waiting for them in case they were late.

The third boat party was on the Schooner Invader, a pirate ship; someone has posted an invitation to that on Facebook. Not my favorite, as the ship was too narrow.

Good times.

I closed the club, instead of selling the name and concept, after only two years.

I then moved to London with my friend Tara Gasparian.

I did win ‘Best Under 21 Club’ the first year; that was cool even though my friend’s mom permed my hair and it came out like Eraserhead.

— Kelsey Farris