'An everybody place:' What to know about Atomic, Louisville's new sound club and game yard

After at least a six-year wait, a new fun-filled cycle has started at what’s shaping up to be a huge Highlands entertainment hub.

On the site of a former laundromat, Atomic Sound Club & Gameyard opened in early July, bringing about 10,000 square feet of options to 1125 Bardstown Road.

It’d be hard to miss the sight of Atomic. As its name suggests, the place is broken up into two main areas: A one-story structure to the left referred to as the sound club, and a game yard to the right.

The open-air game yard’s entrance is marked with brightly-painted shipping containers stacked on each other, which as entertainment director Ryan Cox recently told the Courier Journal, were “an eyesore when they first got here.”

“Versatility was a big aspect for us,” Cox said. “This is an everybody place. We want to have a little something for everyone.”

Thanks to a mural-style paint job from Slugger City Signs, they now draw looks from passersby. The containers, which serve as an outdoor bar and snack area, are just part of the multi-concept Atomic with a capacity for 288 people inside and more than 300 people outside.

That includes ample patio space in the front, which Cox calls a “socialization area” as well as a courtyard for casual seating. In between the sound club and the gameyard is an area for lines of people to form on busy nights. Atomic is open to those ages 21 and up.

Behind the shipping containers, you’ll find an artificial grass lot with plenty of games to choose from, including cornhole, Jenga, and oversized beer pong. You’ll also see an under-construction structure that will soon be an eight-unit boutique hotel, also part of Atomic’s complex.

There’s even more to see inside the 4,600-square-foot sound club. With the original facade from the laundromat, the bar and club were renovated almost like a long shotgun-style house.

Walking in, you’ll see an open and narrow space with a more than 25-foot bar serving mostly “high volume” drinks and a few draft beers.

Behind the bar, a large LED screen showcases vibrant geometric backdrops and artsy animations. As the screen shifts, some of the patterns feature the establishment’s name. LED lighting continues throughout the space and turns up as the night goes on.

“At night, this place lights up like a spaceship,” Cox said.

Indoor seating is meant for interaction with the space and the people around them, Cox said. That includes a navy and lime green “banquett,” basically a 360-degree cushioned bench, and several half-dome booths that Cox refers to as “nooks.”

To the right of the main dance floor is an elevated VIP area called the “green room.”

In the very back of the room is a state-of-the-art DJ booth, where live entertainment will be held several days a week.

Cox, who has 20 years of experience with DJing and entertainment, said “sound club” is a nod to dance culture in Europe.

“The sound club moniker gives us unique placement in the market,” Cox said. “There’s nightclubs, there’s dance clubs, but there’s no sound club here.”

Atomic is owned by Dustin Hensley, who bought the property on Bardstown Road more than six years ago. The concept was initially going to be a five-story hotel but was downsized after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and inflation, according to Cox.

“We’ve known this place in all these different phases,” he said. “So to see it open and see people interacting with it and see our master plan come to life, it’s been really gratifying.”

Reach food reporter Amanda Hancock at ahancock@courier-journal.com .

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 'An everybody place:' What to know about Atomic, Louisville's new sound club and game yard