The Theory of Evolution
Scottsdale’s Virtual Chameleon Axis/Radius Freshens Up Once Again  

A serious and long-standing force in the Scottsdale, Ariz., club market, the husband and wife team of Diane and Les Corieri have no intentions of slowing their vibe simply because one of their venues is nearing a decade in age.
    As trends emerge and patrons’ habits morph, it is impossible to secure revenue dollars while maintaining a stagnant philosophy on club operation. Remodeled and reopened just as 2006 drew to a close, Axis/Radius has evolved to become a premium supplier of nightlife for the Scottsdale patron once again. With a $1.2 million dollar overhaul, both adjoining sections are sexier and selling more than ever.

What It Was
    Axis began in 1997 as a cigar bar and Martini lounge –– catering to the crowd who loved a fine stogie alongside their gin and vermouth –– back in the days when Scottsdale was seldom seen in the same sentence as the word “nightlife.” Three years later, the scene was changing, smoking was out, and Scottsdale had a little more competition on the market.
    “We found that as the craze ended,” General Manager Jeff O’Neil says, “our clientele was looking for something more.”
    The Corieri’s responded to the pressure in the form of Radius. Connected by a glass catwalk to a newly remodeled Axis, Radius was high energy –– bouncing off of metal and cold hard steel. The club unit soared to unparalleled numbers in the quiet desert setting, and the ownership added several more venues in the
city, including Suede and Myst, all under the umbrella of Evening Entertainment Group.
    Crowd tendencies being what they will, change was dictated once more for Axis/Radius after only a few years.
“The Axis side was always very warm,” O’Neil says. “It was very video driven with TVs and a lot of wood. Radius was very industrial at the time, and even though it was newer, we found that people tended to gravitate towards Axis because of the warmth.”
    While many club owners, afraid to bend to a fickle and fledgling market, might make minor adjustments and hope for a resurgence of previous trends, the Corieris went the extreme makeover route, establishing themselves not as players in the industry, but cultivators of the actual market itself. Looking at the chameleon nature of Axis/Radius over the last eight years, the sheer repeated rise of revenues with each metamorphosis and the addition of viable clubs feeding off the frenzy the initial concept created in Scottsdale, the Corieris have helped establish the city’s overall nightlife pulse.

What It Is
    Reopened to the public on September 21, Axis still holds the lounge, low-key concept on high, but guests are invited to enjoy the splashes of LED coloring on white walls, modular furniture, an open patio with fauna and fireplaces and a completely new sound system. The UV Room welcomes customers for more private service, but still keeps a place in its heart for everyone’s wild side in the form of a stripper pole in the center.
    The most magnificent transformation can be found in Radius, however.
    “We incorporated a lot of different things,” Owner Les Corieri says of the new high-energy half of the dual club. “We are using LED a little differently. Ours are actually on a black mirror, and it is not as bright. It feels very warm and adds more dimension to the room. When it is on, we can do anything, from computer graphics to low-res video.”
    The remodel included perks such as the first cryogenics in an Arizona nightclub, and the tour-de-force in the form of new skyboxes. At 350 square feet each, the skyboxes are the ultimate luxury in VIP service and a form of advertising for passersby.
    “There is no smoking in Radius now,” says O’Neil. “So, each skybox has its own patio. They also overlook the VIP line waiting to get in.”
The skyboxes rent consistently at a price tag of up to $2,000 depending on the night and number of guests. “In the front of each, Diane Corieri says, “they have their own dance floor and a bar. We have one that is actually 600 square feet. It opens on to Axis and Radius and also has a patio.”

Where It’s Headed
    It is evolution that has kept both Axis and Radius in the print media and among the DJ circuits of top places to play for years. From making the pages of InStyle magazine in 2004 to DJ AM’s show hosted by celebrity Nick Lachey in 2005, the Corieris have refused to let the mega-venue slip into the night unnoticed. This latest remodel is earning new respect and admiration among industry officials as well as repeat business from patrons across the country.
    “In my opinion,” O’Neil says, “your competition decides at what point you need to make a change. We could be hay on the floor and picnic tables –– if our competition was below that. We were nine years old, and the city knew it.”
    So with the newly redone surrounding as a backdrop, it is not unreasonable to assume that the Corieri duo might stare at the view from a skybox patio with more than a little pride in their part in making Scottsdale a premier nightlife city.
    “We have the W Hotel, which is opening next door,” says Les Corieri. “We think this area is going to be huge as an entertainment district. We are a destination area, and we are always looking to develop more in the future.”                            NCB