Lina LecaroAttention Silver Lake scenesters and Echo Park dance heads: there's a new club venue in town. Except, it's not really new, it's actually very old.
Despite its vibrant, multicolored sign, you may have driven past Los Globos countless times without noticing it on your way to the Satellite or The Echo, or even parked in front of it when hitting Silver Lake Lounge or Thirsty Crow. The spot has been a Latin music-only club since the 1930s, but a plan to make it a trendy new dance club has been in the works since seasoned club impresario Steve Edelson bought it this past June. He's putting in new sound systems, new Nicaraguan tiling throughout, and soon, “new epicurial delights and signature cocktails.”
But before Eastside naysayers start spewing anti-swankification rants (as were directed towards Stinkers and, more recently, Mohawk Bend up the street) a few things should be noted. Edelson is not getting rid of the Latin music there. Globos has hosted Spanish music three nights a week upstairs and these will remain. Most of the new events — which will be booked by Echo Park Records — will happen in the spacious downstairs part of the venue, which the previous owners, shockingly, never used. He's also keeping the name (which means “the balloons” in Spanish) and has maintained all the original staff, many of whom have worked there for decades.
The building is actually the site of L.A.'s first American Legion Hall, and hence has one of the old “fully unrestricted dance and liquor licenses,” which gives it the same after hours operating privileges as Avalon. In the club's long history it never took a single credit card, and there is also an unusual pricing system. “Everything, whether it be soda or a margarita with Patron, costs $7,” he says. (Note: he bought the venue from three men in their 70s.)
Credit: Lina Lecaro
He plans to keep the prices (for the upstairs Latin nights only) and the place's basic look the same. The line-ups, however are about to get an injection of cool. We got a sneak preview Saturday night, when Scarlett Casanova hosted her 8 year anniversary party for Hang The DJs, which featured a surprise performance by Rapture tourmates Poolside and a set by DJ Paparazzi. The crowd saw HTDJ's cute, hip twentysomethings swarm the place, white and Latin, gay and straight.
Poolside; Credit: Lina Lecaro
This Thursday, DJ Adam 12 (She Wants Revenge) moves his popular old school hip-hop night AFEX to the venue, signaling a return to what he calls the “original spirit of the party” that was lost when he moved it to the bottle-service driven SBE Hollywood property Colony on Cahuenga. Though it drew some major artists — KRS-One came by last month — he admits it lost some of its magic, and is excited about a new chapter at Globos. A similar crowd should flock to a big Mad Decent event slated for this Saturday, Sept. 24.
Hang The DJs; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Perhaps Globos' most exciting new event will be on Oct. 8, when the always poppin' polysexual party known as A Club Called Rhonda marks the official grand opening there, taking place on both floors (all the renovations will be revealed including a new patio). Formerly held at Edelson's other venue El Cid, Rhonda was always too much for the smallish spot. Like AFEX, Rhonda's move will be a return to its roots; the party began at Latin club Guatalinda on Hollywood Blvd., and often saw cowboy hat-wearing Ranchero fans and gay gringos in glitter dancing in separate parts of the building and sometimes even meshing together.
Rhonda's Alexis Rivera (who heads Echo Park Records, which some may remember brought new life to downtown's Little Pedro's before it was Bordello) says the blending of both worlds is what he's aiming for.
“It was great to see people from Hang the DJs go upstairs and dance to the salsa band, and have regulars go downstairs and dance to disco by Salon Acapulco (DJs from Guadalajara),” says Rivera. “We want Globos to be the place where locals go dancing, and where they know they're going to have fun and where the crowd and the music will be a mix. We want Globos to reflect the city.”
Rivera and booker Travis Holcombe (a KCRW DJ and EPR staffer) will utilize their copious music connections and credibility with both Latin and indie music followings at the venue, so if anybody can help Edelson realize his mission of “opening up the space to everyone who lives in the neighborhood, while maintaining its authenticity,” he's the guy.
Globos is about to blow up, no doubt. But will it deflate like Hollywood clubs so often do, or stay buoyant and give the area's other venues a run for their dinero? Stay tuned.
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