Image Credit: FACEBOOK/Cactus Jacks Nightclub
August 13, 2018 - 5:00 PM
KAMLOOPS - A former Kamloops Blazer has taken the reigns of an old staple of the city — Cactus Jack's nightclub.
Jordan Landry took ownership of the nightclub after it closed down, and it just opened its doors again at the beginning of the month, but this isn't Landry's first time running a nightclub.
After he was done his career as a professional hockey player, Landry ran a nightclub in Fresno, Calif. for five years. He moved back to Kamloops in 2012 and thought Cactus Jack's was the perfect establishment to purchase.
"I would say it’s the largest dance floor in Kamloops, so that’s why it would be attractive to someone that’s interested in buying a nightclub," Landry says, adding that he wanted to bring his previous experience to the night life scene in the city.
At just 14 years old, Landry says he was drafted by the Blazers and made it on the team when he was 16. He played with big-name hockey stars including Jarome Iginla and Ryan Rishaug.
"So I always felt like Kamloops was a little bit of a home for me after playing for the Blazers," he says.
He says he'll be applying the same business model to the newly revamped Cactus Jack's but will specifically gear it toward the demographic of 19- to 24-year-olds.
"That is where the money is at for this industry. That’s where my attention is going to be focused," Landry says. "At the same time, I'm not particular to a genre of music, I don’t have a favourite that I'm going to play. I'm going to play whatever the people who spend money want to come in and enjoy dancing to."
Landry says the previous owner of Cactus Jack's felt there was an interest there for country music and he agrees, so Landry says he's pushing resources toward Wednesday nights dedicated to country music.
Because of the younger demographic, Landry says there will also be college night every Thursday, with a DJ who came recommended by the Thompson Rivers University cheerleading squad.
"That’s what I've brought on to cater to a younger crowd," he says. "As a business man, you want to maximize your efforts so I basically want to continue to refine every night, to try to maximize every night."
Landry knows there are plenty of other music genres with a dedicated fan base, so he's been asking local promoters that are interested in putting a show or an act together. He says if 550 tickets can be sold for that act, he's interested in hearing about it.
"I would like to say that the entertainment district in Kamloops is downtown, and I encourage everyone in Kamloops and the surrounding area to come downtown," Landry says.
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