Although The Independent has closed its doors for good, the show goes on for TKO dance parties, now at Bourbon Street Bar.
TKO hosted its first event of the fall at Bourbon Street Sept. 16 after being housed at The Independent for two years.
"Obviously I was really upset about the change in location, but Bourbon Street stepped up and offered us the opportunity to do it there," said Andy Belsterling, one of the creators of TKO.
TKO, which stands for the boxing term technical knockout, is a party set to high-energy electronic dance music.
A light show and photographers are usually integrated into the event, Belstering said.
The events were building momentum and drawing large crowds at The Independent before the bar closed, said regular attendee of the dance parties Terrance Ferguson.
"I'm disappointed about the number of people that are here," Ferguson said. "It's a lot less than it used to be, but I'm excited for what it will be."
Belstering said he was unsure of the impact of the change in venue.
"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned," Belsterling said. "However, we did host two events (at Bourbon Street) over the summer, both of which did pretty well."
Fans hope TKO will get more exposure and attract new groups of people at the location, Ferguson said.
"You may be a country music fan, and then you walk in there and it's something new for you," Ferguson said. "That would never happen at The Independent."
Bourbon Street offers a larger space than The Independent, with two levels allowing multiple disc jockeys the chance to play simultaneously.
"I think it's good because it's a bigger place, and there seems to be a greater variety in music," Ferguson said.
TKO events are known to attract an eclectic crowd, Belsterling said.
"That's a big part of its appeal. It gives people that may not otherwise go out in downtown Auburn an opportunity to do so," he said.
TKO was established as a way for DJs to travel to different cities and get exposure for their music.
"Over the years it's kind of evolved," Belsterling said. "We've been doing it for about three years. Auburn's TKO has continued to grow where others have fallen behind a little bit."
Through promotion and word of mouth, TKO has gained a strong following in the Auburn area, said Amy Williams, senior in graphic design.
"I'm guessing the same crowd will probably come out because there's definitely a pretty big group of people that just go out to TKO whenever there is one," Williams said.
Although The Independent was a unique venue, fans are hopeful Bourbon Street will still draw a large crowd despite the change in setting.
"The atmosphere and the people and the scene will definitely change," Belsterling said. "But now we've been given the opportunity to grow and reach more folks and be able to do more events."
TKO has numerous dates set at Bourbon Street Bar through December.
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