THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 24, 1995 TAG: 9503240060
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Column
SOURCE: Alicia Luma
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
FOR THOSE OF YOU who fancy yourselves sharpshooters but have found that paintball really hurts, the newest place to painlessly attack other people is Ultrazone.
Ultrazone, the local laser tag headquarters in Virginia Beach, has been open since November. It is part of a 2-year-old national chain. Ultrazone has tagged itself ``the ultimate laser adventure.''
Here's what laser tag is: If you want to play, you must wear a big vest with little lights and a gun attached to it. Then you have to walk (no running) around this huge maze, looking for the opposite team's bases to annihilate. You must protect your own base, all while trying to deactivate as many players as you can.
Forget step aerobics classes - this is the exercise of choice. There is no doubt as to why the place smells like an old sock. You will sweat profusely after the first three minutes if you are any kind of player.
And they play decent music. (I noticed some tunes by Green Day and Nirvana. I think they were playing 93.7-FM.)
Now, I really hope you are excited enough about Ultrazone to handle the rest of the information. The game is kind of expensive.
The pricing is fair I guess, because the equipment is sophisticated. Check this: One vest, which does absolutely nothing without all the other stuff, costs a few thousand dollars.
To play one 15-minute game that feels like it lasts an hour, costs from $5 (for members who pay $10 yearly for membership) to $7 during prime hours.
The hours are Monday through Thursday 2 p.m. to midnight, Friday and Saturday noon to 1 a.m. and Sunday noon to 11 p.m. For more info, call 463-6300.
If this sounds too active, here are some alternatives.
If you live in Virginia Beach, there is no longer a need to drive great distances to find a cool coffeehouse. On the corner of 25th Street and Pacific Avenue, inconspicuously sits Cuppa Jo's.
Cuppa Jo's is a real retro kinda '60s style coffeehouse, with the exception of the smoke because, yes, there is no smoking here. As for coffeehouse art, Cuppa Jo's hosts a local artist for about three weeks before rotating to someone else. The current artist is Todd Owens. Todd's work is really bright with lots of metal and glass. Go see his stuff - it's really good. It will be exhibited until April 6.
The fare has a little less flair than other coffeehouses. A cup of coffee and one refill is $1, and they brew many different kinds of coffee. A bagel and cream cheese will set you back about $2.
Cuppa Jo's doesn't have a music schedule, but they're working on it. Hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. weekdays and 10 a.m. to midnight on weekends. The phone number is 437-4436.
As for music news, it seems the recent closing of the Nsect club and the Peppermint Beach Club has prompted the King's Head Inn to finally realize it can pack the house with all-ages shows. Finally. But you never know with these things, so enjoy it while it lasts. The next show is tonight with Sanction, Hate Parade and a band called Dead Family (eeewwww!) from New York.
The King's Head is located on Hampton Boulevard in Norfolk across from ODU. The show starts at 9 p.m., and the cost is $5. The phone number is 489-3224. MEMO: Read Alica Luma's column every other week in Teenology. If you'd like to
tip her off to what's up, call INFOLINE at 640-5555 and enter category
8989. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Paul Aiken, Staff
Jeremy Butler has played 124 games since December
by CNB