What: Cloud 9

Where: 16-18 Park St., Lewiston

When: 8 p.m. to 1 a.m., Wednesday through Saturday

Phone: 783-9999

A little bit of Heaven?
A new club caters to local people who have a thirst for fun.

LEWISTON – Marcus Verrill likes to shake things up.

Sort of like the bartenders he trains to mix drinks in their pants, or the dancers who shimmy behind an illuminated screen.

They’re all part of the entertainment that awaits patrons at Verrill’s latest venture, Cloud 9. The night club opened a week ago on Park Street in space that has been home to at least five other clubs. But Verrill is sure he has got the formula to make Cloud 9 a success.

“It’s the entertainment, that’s what’s going to get them back,” he said.

To that end, he trained all 15 bartenders to think of mixing drinks as performance art. They juggle bottles and work in a synchronicity. Occasionally they’ll wave picket signs and threaten to go on strike if the tips don’t pick up.

Wait staff dressed as angels or cowgirls circulate among the customers offering shots of liquor mixed with Jell-O, or served in test tubes or chased with a squirt of whipped cream. DJs spin dance tunes from the ’70s and ’80s, as well a today’s Top 40, while shadow dancers keep the joint swaying. There’s even an occasional cartoon theme song thrown in for fun.

The Mod decor reflects the anything-goes theme of the two-story club. Fur-topped stools line walls on the second floor, where patrons can watch the dance floor below. Nearby couches, chaises and egg-shaped chairs are clustered for people to chat. Special lights create the image of cascading water on the walls, and the mandatory disco ball spins overhead.

“We tried to bring a little bit of Boston to the L-A area,” said Verrill.

A former co-owner of the 351 martini club and the Gallery theater bar, Verrill said he wanted to make Cloud 9 different from those clubs. He’s hoping to capture a different market – people ages 25 and up looking for a more upscale experience.

Besides the entertainment, Verrill is offering a wide variety of wines and top-end spirits to appeal to that clientele. During the club’s first two nights, he said he went through 12 bottles of $35 Effen vodka. Crowds ranged in age from mid 20s to late 40s.

“I think there are plenty of people out there to support many bars,” said Verrill.

He figures he and his business partner, Erika Grenier, need to take in between $6,000 and $7,000 a week to make a go of their new enterprise. They’ve already invested in renovating the interior of the club and hope to find someone willing to run a third-floor sandwich deli to offer patrons a bite to eat.

Verrill said they are also mindful of neighbors, especially with the Oak Street elderly housing complex next door. If patrons are too noisy as they leave at night, he’ll offer valet parking so people won’t be going by the housing complex to retrieve their cars from the nearby garage. Bouncers dressed in suits and outfitted with head sets will make sure no one gets out of hand.

Right now, Verrill plans to open the club Wednesday through Saturday nights from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m. But he’s working on lining up comics from Boston for a Monday night comedy club.

“We need stuff like that. … Everyone travels to Portland or elsewhere for that kind of entertainment,” he said. “Why not keep it in our town?”