Go through the dark, narrow doorway next to the Gob Shoppe on the 22nd Avenue block of Ballard's Market Street, and at the bottom of a narrow flight of stairs you'll find Lila's, Seattle's newest all-ages club. The 1,900-square-foot room has a dozen or so small, round tables with chairs, a humble selection of drinks (Snapple, Red Bull, the usual array of sodas), and weekly DJs, making it the only all-ages dance club in the city.

Besides their '80s-, industrial-, and punk-themed nights, though, Lila's has also started hosting live music every Wednesday with local bands like the HollowPoints, Most, and the Histrionics. That night belongs to booker Jordan B., a local music fan with little industry experience (he's booked 21+ events at the Mercury for the past year), and a whole lot of enthusiasm.

"For me it's not a job--I already have a crappy day job that pays the bills," says Jordan. "This is my hobby, really. I love seeing live bands. I love watching people enjoy the bands I've booked. It's a freakin' kick having people see the same things in bands that I do."

Wednesdays currently draw a modest crowd, but as Lila's gains its footing, Jordan and club owner Rebecca Colin hope it will earn more notoriety in the community as a place for up-and-coming local bands to get the chance to perform. And it never hurts to have one more all-ages club, after all.

"I grew up in the rural Midwest where we were lucky to have two shows a month, and then we'd have to drive a half hour to get there," explains Jordan as to why he wanted to start working on all-ages events. "All the shows [at Lila's] were all-ages--it only seems right that the option [for live music] should be there now."

Besides working for Lila's, Jordan, who has a 9-year-old son who loves attending rock shows with his dad, has also begun booking all-ages nights at Capitol Hill's the Mercury (the first one is Sunday, July 25, with the Gallows, Wade Amongst the Dead, the Lowlifes, and Something More Than Nothing).

"I like having a show with a garage band, a street punk band, a psychobilly band..." says Jordan. "If I go to a show and all the bands are on the same shtick, I can get antsy and distracted. Obviously there are some bands that I love and I think deserve a lot of attention, but at the same time I love giving new bands a shot."

Lila's next live show is Wednesday, July 14, with the Bismarck, the Histrionics, Wednesday Night Heroes, the Escaped, and DJ Panix (Jordan). And like all of Lila's events, it's only five bucks. For a complete schedule and more information about the dance nights, visit the club's website at www.clublilas.com. And if you're in a local band wanting to play an all-ages show at Lila's or the Mercury, Jordan would love to hear from you--e-mail him at mercurybooking@yahoo.com.

megan@thestranger.com