Mark Your Calendar for the Cloud 9 and Studio K Reunion Party on April 1

Back in the day in Buena Park, it was all about Cloud 9 and Studio K. The clubs inside the Knott's Berry Farm amusement theme park were the place to be for many young people out dancing and hooking up–or whatever they called it back then–on a weekend night in OC.

Now, after 20 years, both Cloud 9 and Studio K are returning for a one-night-only reunion party set to take place on April 1 from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. Two full bars, original DJs from the clubs, the hosting services of ex-KROQ personality Richard Blade, and access to the theme park's rides and attractions are the draw for reasonably priced tickets and hotel packages for the event. As the date draws nearer, so does the excitement for late 30somethings/early 40somethings who remember a social staple of their teenage years.

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“The first time I went to Studio K, I was, like, 13 years old. It
seemed like a fantastic place where everyone was having fun, getting
along and enjoying themselves,” 
recalls Anaheim resident Sal Surra. “The music was great, and just about everyone was dancing. The
best dancers would go onstage, where they had huge mirrors, to
watch themselves and allow others to see them dance.”

The spirited exhibitions soon evolved, further cementing the spot's
reputation. “After a few times going with friends, we started our own
dance crew and began to compete against other crews,” Surra says.

“This was the beginning of the true Studio K experience. Weekly visits
and competitions continued for the next couple of years while Studio K
was around, making it the must-be spot during the late '80s,” adds the
former reveler who was a regular from 1987 to 1990.

“In addition to the music
and dancing, there was never a shortage of dates for both girls and
boys. It would be pretty common place to see someone you are attracted
to there and ask them to dance,” he says, noting that he owed his
first teenage girlfriends to the social atmosphere Studio K provided.

Over time, Studio K's popularity became too large for its own good,
attracting the usual buzz killers that ultimately led to its closure.
“Everyone wanted to be there, including the gangs, criminals and other
types who would eventually ruin it. After years of great times, the
place started to turn into a haven for fights, stabbings and other
problems that made it almost impossible to go and enjoy the place,” Surra
recalls. “Studio K had to put in metal detectors, armed guards and
other security measures just to keep it going, but after short time,
they had to close it because there was no way to control the activity.”

Now, 20 years after being shut down, the good times are being
revived again
for the special reunion party. Television commercials are
hitting the airwaves and the Internet–the first of which is posted
above–and the word is getting out. As in the old days, Studio K will be
spinning Top 40 hits from the '80s, while Cloud 9 will delve into bands such as The Cure, Oingo Boingo and Depeche Mode.

“I personally will never forget my experiences at Studio K and still
talk about them to this day in a very positive and upbeat manner because
those were my wonder years and memories, and I'm forever grateful in
having them,” Surra nostalgically reminisces as he hopes to be able to secure some of the remaining limited tickets and attend the reunion.

Best of all, it will be a night of '80s music that has nothing to do with the Spazzmatics cover band! In the words of “Dead Man's Party” by Oingo Boingo, “Who could ask for more?”

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