Lina LecaroThe hedonistic mystique of '90's New York club kid culture has been slowly bubbling beneath the surface in Los Angeles for a couple years now, and after last night, it's fair to say it's officially exploded into a full blown resurgence. Influential dance diva of the era, Lady Miss Kier of Deee-Lite, made a triumphant appearance behind the decks at Mustache Mondays, a party that consistently hosts one of the most lively, creative and diverse crowds in clubland.
Buzz for Kier's set had been building via social networking for some time, with excited clubbers reposting news of the LA appearance and debating their outfits on Facebook for weeks. Though we didn't see her signature Pucci printed ctasuits or Fluevog platforms, there were quite a few outrageous fashions (on guys and girls), all with a modern twist. And that's what is ultimately refreshing about the new wave of club “kid” we're seeing out and about these days; it's not about recycled looks or retro sounds. It's a very modern take on the past, fueled by unity of gay and straight, futurism and statement-making excess. It's what made Lady Gaga (whom we've noted before, owes both Madonna and Kier for inspiration) a pop phenom:
Deee-vine getups.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Surrounded by her worshipers (including RuPaul's Drag Race fave Sutan Amrall aka Raja, who gave a heartfelt intro) Kier definitely lived up to the hype, decked out a sparkling disco ball-esque ensemble (with an actual ball on her head) designed by party promoter/stylist Ernie Omega. She's older and fuller than she was when “Groove is in the Heart” was a smash (that was 21 year ago!) but she was looking good. “Her boobs look incredible!” one femme boy was heard saying as Kier bounced behind the turntables, a glass of white wine in one hand, and headphones in the other.
All eyes on the stage.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Her music selections were a fusion of sexy house rhythms, retro-feeling synth sounds and nouveau Euro-disco, including what appeared to be some of her own material (she was singing along on the mic). Though that stuff didn't quite have the pop appeal of Deee-Lite hits, it fit in perfectly at Mustache and the sweaty crowd was pumping and posing on the floor non-stop. For sample of her mix sensibility click here.
Getting physical to Kier's sounds.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
For many, including yours truly, this was the first time checking out Mustache's new home at the Belasco theatre, an ornate, gorgeously restored space down the street from its previous location. The main dance room has a great set-up: nice sized floor with booths surrounding (one complaint: really hot in there!). Then there's the main theatre room with rows of seating looking down on another, bigger stage (MM's Nacho Nava tells us he's got some big plans, including more live music, for that room) and spacious outdoor smoking area overlooking downtown's historic skyline.
Clearly, Mustache is looking to make a bigger and bolder impact on the LA nightlife, transcending its underground gay niche and bringing it to the scenester masses. Indeed, this flamboyant world is a clique, but all are welcome to join.
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More pics from the deee-vine eve in our Nightranger slideshow later this week.
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