Young new owners refresh Ferndale's Club 9

FERNDALE –
When the giant paneled windows of the old Comerica bank building light up with a rotation of rainbow colors, and the disco-ball-like number 9 in the front spins wildly, it's time to party in downtown Ferndale.
Club 9 attracts one of the most diverse crowds of any gay club in Ferndale, with Monday night football, Hump Night on Wednesdays for the boys, Trend-Sexy Fridays for hip-hop lovers and Sweet Saturdays, when a predominantly female crowd kicks it to the latest top 40 jams.
The club also attracted a pair of young and ambitious women. In October of 2009, Kiana Dennis, who is just 29, and Angela Vincents, who just prefers "thirty-something," purchased the business and expanded it. They added TV's, dance poles, a T-shaped stage for fashion shows and a new sign out front. They painted the walls and made the events calendar more diverse.
"Now there are nights for men and women," Dennis said. "We take pride in that diversity. You can come on any day and it's a different feel. And we've been making the changes that customers have been asking for."
Dennis and Vincents, who met at Western Michigan University, said their emphasis is on promoting the club, not necessarily themselves.
"To be honest, we were kind of leery about Ferndale because we were unsure about how people were going to take it – us being women and being black, and so young, and owning our own business," Dennis said. "But so far it's been great. We've had so much love, and I think people are surprised by us because we give them what they want. We're all about diversity and not just catering to one crowd. We switch things up and keep it interesting – we get bored fast too!"
In addition to the new club nights, Dennis and Vincents added poetry slams, fashion shows, dance-offs and rap battles into the schedule. They also brought in talent from out of town, including the sexy dancers from the 2012 club in Windsor and Spinderella, the turntable genius from the iconic rap group Salt-n-Peppa.
Dennis and Vincents also worked to make Club 9 a part of both the gay community and the Ferndale scene. The club was a gold-level sponsor for Motor City Pride, a participant in the annual Ferndale Pub Crawl, and a club sponsor for Hotter than July, an LGBT celebration organized by the Black Pride Society.
Dennis and Vincents knew since college they wanted to run a club together. Dennis, who has a degree in engineering, always enjoyed event planning and promotions. She also owns her own graphic design agency called Jus' Bein' Kiwy, and is part of the promotions company Group 411.
Vincents is a real estate agent with Worldwide Reality and is also well known in southeast Michigan as DJ Lynda Carter. Dennis pushed Vincents to go public with her talent, and even got Vincents her first gig at Western.
Now, Vincents plays regularly at clubs and events, including at Club 9 and Motor City Pride. Her master's in education from Wayne State University wasn't a complete waste, she said. She'll teach the art of DJing as part of an after-school program next year.
In the meantime, the owners of Club 9 plan to expand their club and create an environment where, Dennis said, anyone can "run away from it all, forget your troubles, and have fun in a place that is safe and welcoming for all."