That's Some Self-help

Every Wednesday and Sunday night between the hours of 2 and 6 a.m., Sean Young works it at Club Some. He doesn't work it in the RuPaul way of the go-go dancers and the pacifier-sucking club kids who frequent the dank, dark basement next to Emo's; he works it on lower backs, shoulders, arms and necks. Sean Young, in addition to being Some's smallest and most polite bouncer, is also the club's resident registered massage therapist.

Some's a prime spot for Young to set up his massage chair. In this rave-inspired world of pounding rhythms, seizure-inducing lights and smart drinks, there are plenty of out-of-touch teens in need of touch therapy. "Think about it," he says, likening some of his bitter young clients to angry or restless animals. "The very first and most powerful therapy an infant receives is from the parents. Babies are always being held, touched and nurtured."

Shade White, a go-go dancer with electric blue dreadlocks, likes the love in the room. "Sean is the miracle man," she testifies. "When I get up out of that chair, I feel like a new person ... I feel like I float up."

This softer side of Some is making bouncers and cops happy as well. Steve Newton, a veteran doorman who has relied on Sean's handiwork since a motorcycle accident broke his back in three places, says that people who are angry and stressed-out make security guards nervous, and people have been less angry and stressed-out since Young unsheathed his magic fingers.

Newton thinks the massages might even cut down on drug use. "I think most people who do drugs are self-medicating," he says. "They say it's just for recreation, but it's really a medication for their problems: depression, stress, self-image, whatever. I think the physical therapy aspect of massage can treat a lot of these problems more effectively than drugs."

So don't worry if you hear little Billy crawling out his window around 4 a.m. He's probably just off to Club Some to work through some issues.

-- Vanessa Curto

Club Some, at 2700 Albany, is open Wednesday through Sunday from 1 a.m. to sunrise. Sean Young's massages are $1 per minute. Call (713)529-3956 for more information.