Around the 209, March 4-7

Posted March 4 at 01:15 PM

About 4,000 students attend classes at University of the Pacific in Stockton. Together, they're a sleeping giant in the city's entertainment scene. If a good promoter could wake them up and get them off campus more to attend and spend money at local shows and events, they could provide a huge economic boost to the city's efforts to become a nightlife destination.

It's happened at least once before, in 2006, when students made up a large portion of the sold-out crowd for the Common concert at the Bob Hope Theatre. They brought incredible energy to the venue that night and helped make it one of the best concerts Stockton has hosted in recent years.

Now Cali Junkiez is reaching out to students at Pacific and other local colleges with its I Love College Thursdays party at Taste in Stockton. Admission is free with college ID to the weekly series of parties, which kicks off tonight and offers $2 well drinks and $2 kamakazis, among other drink specials. Whether or not you're a student, it's a good deal. It remains to be seen if the event and similar parties can draw students south of Harding Avenue. Click the flier for more info.

On Saturday the party for Stockton hip-hop fans will be at the Brickhouse, which hosts J-Stalin and The Black Party. J-Stalin is a relentless hustler of his music online; if he brings the same energy to the stage it should be a great show. The bill also includes Shady Nate, L-Capone, Knowledge Bone and L'Jay, who's been working hard to get the Brickhouse established as a reliable Stockton nightspot. Click the flier for more details.

The Modesto party scene also will be busy this weekend, as it is every weekend. It kicks off Friday with the "Alice in Wonderland" premiere party at Clayton's. Rick Preston of Kolony is the headlining DJ, and party-goers will get in free if they come dressed in "Alice in Wonderland"-themed attire. Ladies, get those skimpy blue-and-white dresses ready.

The weekend's biggest party goes down Saturday, when Rock-It! Scientists will be on the turntables at Aqua. The Bay Area collective mash up techno and hip-hop into a sound that just had me shaking it like a fool in my cubicle. (Club Ian! From 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. daily in the Record newsroom.) It should be one of those events you never want to end.

And the party doesn't have to stop when Aqua closes its doors early Sunday morning and the bouncers kick you to the street. You can head to Clayton's at 10:30 a.m. for one of my favorite 209 party events: Club Brunch. God bless promoter Darrel Wilkins for bringing together DJs, dance music and the greatness of country-fried potatoes. DJ Greg Yuen will hold court this Sunday at the event, which also offers a variety of brunch entrees and bottomless Mimosas with a $10 food purchase.

Click the fliers for more information; for a full list of upcoming concerts and parties in the 209, check out Recordnet.com's LENS blog later today.