Houston’s Hottest Super Bowl Nightclub Rises on Sawyer Yards: Temporary Spot to Host Taylor Swift, Parties Galore

If Super Bowl preparation was a football game, it’s safe to say Houston’s in the red zone. With just 30 days left until the nation’s biggest sporting event hits town, it’s all hands on deck across the city, especially at the developing Edwards Street construction zone that will soon house Club Nomadic, a traveling night club erecting in the Sawyer Yards nexus.

Amidst the flurry of new and existing venues taking on Super Bowl LI’s prodigious nightlife requirements, Club Nomadic definitely commands attention. Clocking in at nearly 63,000 square-feet, the massive structure’s size is enough to stop pedestrians in their tracks, but it is the building’s temporary lifespan that is one of the project’s most interesting characteristics.

The avant-garde digs will simply vanish following three action-packed days of posh parties and live concerts.

But for now, Club Nomadic’s final days seem light years away — the building still in its infancy; the facade merely a metal shell. It’s hard to believe that the active construction site will soon host EA Sport’s inaugural Sports Bowl and — as revealed in a breaking announcement made today — concerts from music megastars Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars. The press conference also revealed that country singer Sam Hunt and DJ Duo The Chainsmokers will headline Club Nomadic’s Thursday, February 2 debut during Super Bowl week.

The EA-sponsored Thursday night concert — tickets are available through Ticketmaster this Saturday, January 7 — follows the Madden Bowl on February 2. Pepsico presents a unique music and art experience Friday, February 3, which is headlined by Bruno Mars. Taylor Swift takes center stage on Saturday, February 4 for Direct TV Now’s Super Saturday Night event.

“The EA Sports party is always one of the hottest tickets in town during Super Bowl week, and this year is one of our best shows ever,” EA Sports’ senior marketing director Randy Chase says. “This year has an amazing lineup of athletes and musical talent, and Club Nomadic is going to be one of the greatest venues we’ve ever had. We can’t wait to see everyone in Houston.”

While the structure still awaits major finishing touches, Nomadic Entertainment president and touring club mastermind Jack Murphy looks to what the future will yield — a multi-level entertainment complex touting one of the Super Bowl’s best celebrity lineups.

As reporters sit in lacquered, folding chairs amidst scattered construction materials, Murphy optimistically addresses the building’s completion date. “We’re expecting the construction to be completed 10 days before the big day,” he says.

It’s this type of buoyant disposition that fuels a creation of this caliber. There’s admiration for the gumption necessary to build a multi-million dollar monstrosity only to deconstruct its framework merely weeks later. For this industry veteran, it’s all in a days work. As Murphy puts it, the team is “building the plane while it’s in-flight.”

But providing featured markets with a premier entertainment experience is just part of Club Nomadic’s mission. Murphy and his team are emphatic about providing jobs and improved infrastructure via their mega-sized design. In fact, nearly 60 percent of the millions spent went directly back into Houston’s economy according to organizers.

“In regards to the team that [Jack] has been able to compile, there are tons of Houston sub-contractors. It’s good for Houston. It’s good for the economy of Houston. It’s good for jobs in Houston, and as you see all of this construction and watch this structure develop, know that it’s putting Houstonians to work.” Susan Christian, Mayor SylvesterTurner’s chief of staff, says. “That’s a lot of what the Super Bowl brings — business to Houston.

“We should all embrace that because it doesn’t always happen this way. A lot of times events come here, and they come in a box or a number of trucks, and there’s not many job opportunities [for Houstonians.] So I really applaud Jack and his team for providing this opportunity.”

Which brings me back to Club Nomadic’s ultimate demise. As Houston continues to develop, you can’t help but wonder what the future holds for that giant cement slab the transient club currently calls home. We’ll be keeping a watchful eye on 2121 Edwards Street post Super Bowl.