Club promoters Marcus Lalario and Zac Johnson

The dynamic duo: Marcus Lalario, 27, and Zac Johnson, 26, crossed paths a few years ago with competing independent record labels: Under The Needle Recordings and Stuck Records, respectively. Given their social circles and even artists in common, "it made more sense to work together," said Johnson, of Seattle. The result: Stuck Under The Needle (www.stuckundertheneedle.com), a Capitol Hill-based company that serves as a parent group to both record labels, as well as a promotions arm.

Maybe you've heard of them: Lalario and Johnson are behind two of Seattle's most respected — and long-lasting — club nights: Chop Suey's "Yo, Son!" hip-hop on Sundays and the Baltic Room's "Drum and Bass" night Tuesdays. They also have a stake in the new Belltown lounge — "a drinking hole," Lalario calls it — Viceroy.

"We wanted to break music. We wanted to bring drum and bass to Seattle," said Lalario, who started Drum and Bass night about five years ago at Baltic Room, which at the time was a jazz club. "It gave the kids in the hoodies a nice spot to go to, rather than a dingy warehouse."

"Yo, Son!" was an idea Lalario had been kicking around for a year or so until the opportunity came up last year at Chop Suey, a Capitol Hill venue known for drawing diverse talent and crowds.

"My focus was to have skaters, snowboarders, gays and punks in a rock club playing hip-hop," Lalario said. "If you go to Yo, Son!, you'll hear the Steve Miller Band mixed with 50 Cent mixed with disco."

The partners hope to apply a similar formula to a weekly Thursday hip-hop night at Belltown's Bada Lounge, which is in the works for early next year.

"Our position is, we like to bring everybody together," Johnson said. "It's a direct reflection of who we are."

The secret of their success: Club nights come and go, often burn strong and quickly flare out. What's behind Stuck Under The Needle's staying power? Consistency, they say — so patrons know what they're going to get.

"It's just an understanding — knowing the music, being part of the culture," Johnson said.

That said, "There's not one thing that makes it crack. It's fliers, it's DJs, it's timing, atmosphere, drink specials." Another important element in making a club night work is having a supportive relationship with the bar's staff, Johnson said.

Unlike some of their peers, Johnson and Lalario say they're not in it just to make money. Drum and Bass nights started with a $3 cover and is now $5-$7; the new Thursday nights at Bada Lounge will be free admission, at least to start.

"We're down for what we do. It's music we believe in," Lalario said. "On hip-hop nights, we play classic joints. You're not gonna hear Nelly and (stuff) like that."

What's next: Stuck Under The Needle will host a holiday party this Saturday at the Showbox in Seattle, featuring a "B-Boy Battle of the Century" — complete with a boxing ring in the center of the floor — with local breakdance crews Massive Monkees and Circle of Fire. Local deejays DV One, DJ Scene and DJ Soul One will perform afterward.

"It's going to be two of the most renowned b-boy crews in an exhibition battle, which is something that probably has never happened before," Johnson said. "And then the DJs will be doing everything from hip-hop to '80s dance to rock. It's just going to be a good, fun time, plus it's for a good cause."

The event is a benefit for local charities Toys For Tots and Northwest Harvest; tickets are $10, with $2 off admission with a donation of a new toy or two cans of food. Advance tickets are available at Sonic Boom locations in Fremont, Ballard and Capitol Hill (cash only) and at Ticketswest (www.ticketswest.com).

Pamela Sitt: 206-464-2376 or psitt@seattletimes.com