In line last month at the Monday Social we wondered aloud why the night was so packed lately. A woman responded that people were there to see Australian DJ Dirty South. He was unannounced, however — a “surprise” guest — and we expressed our doubts. Half the people there didn't have a clue who Dirty South is.

Indeed, as Hollywood hot spots have traded in hip-hop for house music (much like Kanye West, the Black Eyed Peas and P. Diddy), Monday Social has benefited from the trend, becoming a crossroads of core, e-music spotters and Patron-swigging characters straight out of The Hills.

Since the 14-year-old night made a move from Nacional to Playhouse last summer, it's been off-the-hook, with regular lines and the kind of hip-to-hip ebb and flow on the dance floor normally reserved for Saturday-night raves. Indeed, it can be a little disorienting diving into the bacchanalian vibe of the Social and losing track of the fact that you have to get up early the next morning. People dress up. The alcohol flows. The VIP tables are booked. What night is it again?

Longtime promoters Mick Cole and Freddy Be keep it real, though, with a passionate booking policy that's sometimes more savvy than even the Saturday night churches of DJ culture. (Cedric Gervais, Sandra Collins and Doc Martin have been recent guests). And the U.K.-built Funktion One sound system is as tight as they come.

The scene is certainly a far cry from the Social's origins at the late Louis XIV restaurant on La Brea Avenue, where Euro-partiers would drink wine and smoke weed on the open-air patio; down-tempo music was as often heard as house. It has moved to a succession of larger venues since.

Funny: The promoters last summer were worried about filling its largest home to date — Playhouse — on such an off night, in this economy. They could actually use more dance floor and more bartenders. Think of it as nightlife's version of a furlough day. Mind as well let loose.

Tonight Monday Social presents Dave (ex-“The Wave”) Dresden at the Playhouse, 6506 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. 21+. Info: budbrothers.com.

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