Lina LecaroOne of LA's best known 18-and-over dance club venues, The Ruby on Hollywood Blvd. will be no more by the end of March. According to promoter Jason Lavitt, whose long-running Club Bang! has held down Saturdays there, owner Mark Midgely and his partner (whose name is Ruby) were bought out of their lease this week by the building's landlord.
Midgely helmed the space since the late '90s, when hot nights included early rave-scene fave Magic Wednesdays and Bruce Perdew and Michael Stewart's industrial grind Perversion (still there on Thursdays). Before that, the space -under names ranging from Spice in the early '80's to The World (owned by Stray Cats' Slim Jim Phantom pre-Cat Club) in the later '90's – hosted everything from disco to rock n' roll nights.
Perdew started Perversion in '95 and Clockwork Orange soon followed. Lavitt was one of the DJs there before venturing into promoting himself. He says the venue will be missed by many, especially the thousands upon thousands who practically grew up on the dance floor there.
Credit: Clubbang.net
“I've had people meet there at my clubs and then years later come back and ask me to DJ their wedding!” Lavitt says fondly. Nightranger was a regular at the space ourselves, frequenting all of the clubs mentioned above in the '90's and early 2000s. While we felt the space had seen better days our last few visits, it was a sweaty, youthful and exhuberant alternative to the bottle service bonanza of boites down the boulevard.
Though Perdew says he's not sure what he's doing with his two clubs yet, he does say a few venues are being discussed. “We're gonna try to promote the last four weeks of the venue, to get the best out of them before we announce where we are moving to,” he said yesterday.
Credit: Clubbang.net
Lavitt was more forthcoming. He tells us (exclusively) that he's looking at two possibilities for Bang! at the moment: a move to the Echoplex on Friday night (and a possible merging of crowds with Club Underground upstairs at The Echo) or, staying in Hollywood on Saturday with potential venues considered including Level 3 at the Hollywood and Highland complex.
Lavitt already moved Wannabe (the new '90's night that just replaced his 80's party Beat it!) to Boardner's just this past Sunday. Perdew is throwing a special Perversion night at the Dragonfly this Sat. to benefit club friend Dez who is battling cancer. Hex RX, Gentleman Junkie and Mess & Phetamine play and Chris Vrenna (Marilyn Manson, Tweaker, ex-Nine Inch Nails) is DJ headliner.
We'll keep you posted on each promoter's moves and what lies ahead for the Ruby's building.
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