Sapphire Supper Club: Shaping Orlando's music scene
54 N. Orange Ave. – a sexy venue called The Social – is homebase for up-and-coming musical acts making their way through Orlando. Curated by Director of Live Music Kate Clodfelter, upcoming shows include Pineo and Loeb, Delta Sleep, The Mountain Goats and a treasure from the past, G-Love and Special Sauce.
The Social’s tendency to honor diverse musical tastes echoes its origins as Sapphire Supper Club, a music venue established in the 90s by Shayni Rae, who at the time was a recent transplant from Cleveland.
Rae’s journey began in a household immersed in jazz. Her parents instilled in her a profound appreciation for live music's unifying power.
Recalling her childhood, she said, "I grew up in Cleveland going to jazz clubs. My mom was a dancer in front of big bands my dad was a jazz musician. I spent a lot of time in that environment."
Upon arriving in Orlando in the late 80s, she was drawn to the emerging downtown scene. Her early experiences working at the Beacham Theater, then a jazz and blues club, shaped her practical approach to event production and artist relations. Those skills would come in handy.
Rae longed for a space that could seamlessly integrate the elegance of a supper club with the raw energy of alternative acts. This desire resonated with Jim Faherty, a fellow music aficionado, who would later become her business partner. They established the Sapphire Supper Club on Orange Ave. in 1994. The club quickly became known for its eclectic music programming, blending alternative rock with touches of jazz, blues, and industrial, all served alongside a menu boasting 22 martinis.
“I wanted to present things that were fun and interesting for everybody,” she said.
Rae aspired to craft a sense of community where artists and patrons alike felt appreciated and respected. This ethos permeated every aspect of the club, she says, from the meticulous selection of music played between live sets to the emphasis on top-notch customer service that extended to taking her staff on field trips to upscale establishments to observe and learn.
Rae understood that creating a welcoming atmosphere was crucial. She emphasized the importance of "making sure that the artists and the people behind the scenes are just as excited as the audience."
This meticulous attention to detail included carefully chosen playlists on the club's six-CD changer and ensuring that the bar staff was knowledgeable about the artists performing, fostering a sense of shared enthusiasm and engagement.
In the pre-social media age, promoting shows and building an audience required a resourceful and hands-on approach. Word-of-mouth was critical, along with eye-catching flyers and posters by designers such as Klaus Heesch and Thomas Scott.
Rae was determined to ensure that every aspect of a band's experience in Orlando was positive, from the sound quality to the catering, encouraging them to spread the word and return for future performances.
She explained her motivation: "I wanted a good experience for the audience. So when they come in there, they're like, 'That was the best show I've seen. This was incredible.”
This was long before businesses used data to measure customer satisfaction, before “CX specialist” existed as a job title.
Rae's influence went beyond the walls of the Sapphire Supper Club. Her success inspired other entrepreneurs, like William Waldron, to open their own ventures. His Wall Street clubs, Yab Yum, KitKat Club and Go Lounge, were an essential part of the downtown circuit.
Looking ahead, Rae believes that the intertwined relationship between art and commerce is crucial for Orlando's continued growth. Her prime example of world-class programming – productions at Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts – show how she’s evolved through the decades, how quality at a micro level is a mindset that can grow into macro influence.
She also mentioned SNAP! Orlando – a gallery with a mission to bring innovative and thought-provoking art to the city – as aligning with her vision for a culturally vibrant Orlando. She views the growing support from older generations who came of age during Orlando's alternative rock scene as a promising sign that the next generation of artists and music enthusiasts have the backing they need to create something great.
For more content on local Orlando, sign up for our newsletter
