A Gainesville bar is officially closing Sunday, and with it goes the Le Neon Liger X Dance Party.
A slow decline at The Motor Room — where Neon Liger took place every Saturday — over the past 18 months has led co-owners Vijay Seixas and Jimbo Rountree to close shop and move on. Seixas said Neon Liger was the only event keeping the bar afloat.
“This wasn’t something that came out of nowhere,” Seixas said of the closing.
Seixas and Rountree are now pursuing other careers.
“Most of me is sad, but a part of me is relieved that I can take what I learned and apply it to future endeavors outside of Gainesville,” Seixas said.
Seixas, who often worked as a DJ during Neon Liger, accepted a job at Grooveshark.
He said owning The Motor Room was a natural, yet unplanned progression to him pursuing his passion for electronic music.
Seixas met Danny Robinson, owner of 2nd Street Speakeasy, after starting the Neon Liger in 2008 with his friends.
Seixas bought out Robinson’s old partner in 2011 with his long-time friend, Rountree. The two changed that bar’s name from Spannk to The Motor Room in 2014.
Seixas said he enjoyed planning the Neon Liger parties more than the management aspect. For him, it became more of a necessity when Robinson approached him and emphasized the importance of his event in keeping The Motor Room open.
“If it was up to me, I would have had nothing to do with it all,” Seixas said about owning the bar.
Rachel Huber, a 29-year-old bartender for The University Club, said her workplace competed with The Motor Room on Tuesday karaoke nights. The Motor Room’s free admission initially drew some customers away before UC reduced its cover charge
Nadia Durrani, a 22-year-old UF public relations senior, said The Motor Room had a different vibe from other Gainesville bars.
“I think the thing that made Motor Room stand out from other places in Gainesville is that it just has such a tight-knit community,” Durrani said. “When you walk in there, whether it’s on a Friday or Saturday, you are just immediately surrounded by familiar faces that are there every weekend supporting the local talent.”
On Saturday, the bar’s last event Neon Liger the End Part 2 will feature DJ Sketch. There will also be free entry. Seixas DJ’d the night of his farewell, Neon Liger The End Part 1 on Saturday.
“This was never my club. It belonged to all of us,” Seixas said. “I am forever grateful to every single performer that graced our iconic plymouth DJ booth. They made it what it is. I cherish every moment.”
[A version of this story ran on page 5 on 3/27/2015 under the headline “Bar known for Neon Liger dance party closing after 7 years”]
