For any teen event or club, the curse of uncool could be only a chaperone or two away. Some event organizers have found success in enlisting the help of teens themselves. The teens appreciate the choice of popular local bands, and the youth outreach program benefits from the easy opportunity to distribute AIDS prevention information, said Jan Matthews, a youth outreach coordinator. A recent concert at the City Opera House, where one of the bands that performed designed the posters for the event, was a sell-out. Good promotion and good entertainment were key, Matthews said.
Some supervision is inevitable.
But an overbearing staff could torpedo the best of intentions. At Solid Rock Cafe, a Christian teen club that opened in Traverse City just over a year ago, owner Michael Parrish largely leaves teens to their own accord, whether they're playing pool, video games, surfing the Internet or listening to bands on Saturdays. We just let them do what they're going to do. We've had zero trouble. Of course, lasting success for his restaurant may hinge as much on burgers and fries and quarter slots in the pool table as management style.