The Ocean Club (Slogan: “Where the current runs fast”) was at 1885 St. James Place. It represented a particular kind of late-1980s and early-1990s optimism: fake smoke, new wave dance music, tropical colors, a sense of mystery and, if we’re being honest, a non-negligible amount of cocaine. 

When I think of this place I think of Nitzer Ebb, Bronski Beat, A Flock of Seagulls or Yazoo—and endless possibilities for the evening. The Ocean Club was class, and great people watching. Seemed like it was always packed too, even on a Sunday night. They even hosted the occasional live act—some of the biggest names of the day. I think I saw Dead or Alive there one time. Unless I, uh, am not remembering correctly. Which is entirely possible. 

Someone told me that Ocean Club building, back when it was Elan (before The Ocean Club), was where the scene from Urban Cowboy was filmed in which Bud and the high-tone Pam character went dancing. Which sounds way cooler than when I ate rubber chicken there as a business luncheon venue post-Ocean vibes as The Courtyard at St. James Place. 

The Ocean Club was part Houston, part shoulder pads, part Porsche 944, part Long Island Iced Tea and part I Live in River Oaks Where Is My Child. This matchbook captures that vibe perfectly.

The logo is rendered in two-tone bright blue and turquoise script that practically hums with late-1980s and early-1990s energy. It would not look out of place on a nightstand in an episode of Miami Vice. It's clean, stylish and unmistakably of its time. The kind of design that probably appeared on cocktail napkins, menus and advertisements in glossy lifestyle magazines. This one doesn’t have a drunken phone number scrawled on it, but many others did.

Inside, all of the original matches remain, making this a particularly satisfying survivor. Some fading and wear exist on the front row of the matches. Unlike many restaurant matchbooks that were used, discarded or soaked in one of those horrible “Red Z” malt liquor Zima concoctions, this example has somehow managed to make it several decades without fulfilling its original purpose. Much like many of us who partied at The Ocean Club. 

Details

• Original Ocean Club matchbook

• Approximate era: Late 1980s–1990s

• Original matches present

• Good overall condition

• Approximately 1.5" wide × 2" tall × 0.25" deep

• 8 Ball sold from the shotgun seat of an IROC-Z not included 

A matchbook like this is tiny, but it tells a surprisingly large story. Several stories, in fact, packed with sweaty dancers who couldn’t remember where they parked.