The life of the hip, urban party

The sleek Boston Convention and Exhibition Center in South Boston feels more like an airport than a nightclub, a place that could easily be voted ''least likely location for a hot dance party."

But local promotions group Future Classic prides itself on making fresh soirees happen in unlikely places. In early October, it drew more than 500 people to the convention center for Legends of Style III, its biannual celebration of art and urban culture. The crowd -- young and old, black and white -- was encouraged to party down with break dancers, free-flowing booze, vibrant artwork, and DJ Kon's eclectic mix of old school hip-hop, reggae, classic pop, and R&B.

Future Classic, which celebrates its second anniversary with a blowout at the Roxy on Wednesday, has carved a unique niche in the local night-life scene where street cred, hip corporate sponsorship, and great music collide. It has organized promotional events for Diesel Jeans, Puma, and Jet Blue, and run a branding campaign for Axe body spray. The group mashed up music, art, and fashion at a June ''Gallery Sale" in the Fort Point loft that houses its office. And after throwing weekly bashes at Aria and Caprice last year, it briefly held court at the Blue Wave Bar and Grill in Fort Point last summer, hosting special guests like DJ Maceo of De La Sol.

If Future Classic hopscotches from one event and locale to the next, it's in keeping with the way the company developed. Back in 2000, founder Jon Regan and his tattoo artist brother, Andy, planned a few events, nights with names like Future Sound and Future Funk, but the Regans had no clue they might have hit on something larger than cool parties. Later, while Jon Regan was marketing director for local street-wear company Karmaloop, he drew 1,500 people to a fashion/art/music event called ''Bring the Noise" at the BCA in 2002. He began to think bigger, much bigger.

''There was so much interest from the artists, and there was so much interest from the audience," Regan says. ''Really, what it was, was getting everyone together and saying, 'Wow, this is not only a gallery, but it's a party. Let's have a blast.' So yeah, we definitely thought we had something special."

Seeing a need for eclectic parties with an urban edge, Regan quit his job and launched Future Classic from a Chinatown loft with help from his brother and then-girlfriend Naima Workman. ''What we decided to do was put together a company that was based on creative energy, a lot of experience within the entertainment industry, and get people of a like mind in one room," Regan says.

With his tattoos and dark-rimmed glasses, the 34-year-old Regan, who grew up mostly in Milton, comes off as part wise-guy punk, part bright-eyed entrepreneur. He earned his stripes early, bringing hardcore band Eye for an Eye to T.T. the Bear's when he was 17. He began booking legendary punk club the Rat in Kenmore Square when he was still in high school. Several years later, he fell, hard, for hip-hop and booked shows by A Tribe Called Quest and the Pharcyde. In the late '90s, he moved to New York City and Chicago, where he worked at Victory Records, before returning to Boston.

When Regan combined his passions for music and art, and brought these subcultures together at Future Classic's parties, he found a community of people eager to share ideas.

''What we're trying to create here is a lifestyle, a brand within the lifestyle, and at this point we're filling a void in Boston for this kind of individual who can relate to us, because we're your average person that's generation X and Y, or whatever you want to call it -- I hate those words -- but the young adults that have had so much influence culturally from so many angles."

Local night-life players say Future Classic is providing an outlet for arty young city dwellers. DJ Kon has known Regan since his Kenmore Square days and has been a fan of the hip-hop shows and parties his old friend has thown ever since.

''The events like the Legends of Style event, that's a great, great thing," Kon says. ''I don't think anything else like that is going on in Boston. . . . And I think there is a group of people who want what Future Classic is giving people."

To give the company and its events a presence on the street, Future Classic has created T-shirts, a logo, and a website. Some were designed by Andy Regan, who keeps his hand in the business as a part-time designer. Six full-time employees, with backgrounds in advertising, apparel, marketing, and the music industry have joined forces to run the promotions mini-empire that Future Classic has become.

The group has also launched a provocative ad campaign in Vice Magazine that features photos of buxom young women in revealingly cut Future Classic T-shirts. Local PR maven Honah Lee Milne, who styled the ad shoot, credits Jon Regan with having an aesthetic that appeals to young urban males and females. But she attributes his success to his ability to woo a wide variety of people. ''Jon knows how to market himself to multiple crowds," Milne says.

Others agree. Jack Huang, former co-owner of the popular Fugakyu Japanese restaurants, has hired Future Classic to handle graphics and design for the modern Japanese restaurant he is opening in Back Bay in January. He's confident that Regan and his company have the right sensibility to appeal to the kind of diners he wants to attract.

''I would say more urban, young, hip -- that is probably one of his specialties," Huang says. ''He's able to bring that in, and professionals as well. He's got an excellent business sense."

Future Classic is still a work in progress, as suggested by the fact that it abruptly halted what was supposed to be an ongoing relationship with Blue Wave earlier this summer. But its search for new partnerships, offbeat venues, and cutting-edge artists continues. There's always another party on the horizon, another chance to create a fresh scene.

''With these events in particular, it's like, let's bring in new artists, let's bring someone on a different vibe, let's put something together that's not just your average show or party, and that's really our goal," Regan said. ''I've never been one to fully conform, and I guess that can sometimes help, sometimes hurt. But I think it's helping us."

Future Classic celebrates its second anniversary Nov. 9 at the Roxy. Tickets $10 in advance, $12 at the door. Doors at 10:30 p.m. Visit www.futureclassic.net.