TRACKIN’ THE TRENDS

1. Name that haircut. You might not be able to tell a book
by its cover, but you can often tell a kid’s clubbin’ area by his/her coif.

a. Wispy shags (à la Joan Jett/young Keith Richards): Cahuenga
Boulevard

b. Blond streaked: everywhere else in Hollywood

c. Short/shaved: WeHo

d. Just outta bed: Echo Park and Silver Lake

e. Faux follicles (as in extensions): The Strip

2. From fashionably to freakishly late. 11 to 12 has always
been the ETA for excess, but now it’s all about arriving during the last two
hours and not a minute before, even on weeknights.

3. Bottle-service bigwigs. Now any dork with cash (bottle-service
tables usually range from $100 for well to $400 for champagne) can get strategic
see-and-be-seen tables.

4. Go-go-ing, gone. Why pay for a hot, scantily clad chick
to grind on a platform when your hot, scantily clad customers will do it for
you?

5. Cyber scenes. Friendster and My Space changed the way
promoters and bands spread the word.

6. The late graze. Those hot dogs wrapped with bacon strips
are always inviting after a couple of cocktails, which means the vendors are
staying up late, too.

7. Rock stars turned spin-sters. Wax-attacking musicians
who actually raised the roof: Peaches, Carlos from Interpol, Andy Rourke and
drummer Mike Joyce from the Smiths, Timmy Anderson from Ima Robot, Filip from
Junior Senior.

8. Tuning in. By making it easy for the masses to discover
local and import stuff that discriminating hipsters used to have to seek out
on their own, Indie 103.1 helped revive local rock and dance clubs.

9. TV party tonight. Cali club culture takes over the tube:
E!’s The Hot Spot, a realistic if not exactly riveting behind-the-scenes
look at the remodel of the Roosevelt Hotel; Spike TV’s The Club, a cautionary
reality show about the challenges of running a successful Vegas club (Ice) with
L.A. connections; The O.C. — With a weekly lineup of cool-enough-to-know-better
bands, the show’s fictional venue, the Bait Shop, is the millennial equivalent
of 90210’s Peach Pit After Dark.

MOMENTS AND MILESTONES

1. Dragstrip rides on. Crossdressin’ fave Dragstrip 66’s
move from longtime home Rudolpho’s to the Echo was risky, but it paid off in
queens.

2. The Viper Room gets bitten. After a lot of behind-the-scenes
drama that included the departure of co-owner Johnny Depp and defection of its
popular Metal Skool night to the Roxy, the spot is finding its way back with
new blood and new promotions.

3. A killer party. Halloween offered a fabulous excuse
for the glitter-drenched chaos of Party Monster (a club based on the movie about
murderous club kid Michael Alig).

4. Silver Lake shines. It was already a live music haven,
but when El Cid, Little Temple and Akbar all added DJ nights, the hood grooved
like never before.

5. Main Street gets ‘Mör’ dance action. -Santa Monica
really started to hustle when DJ duo The 2 Man Group opened The Mör, to
go head-to-head with Circle Bar.

6. Bands get the boot at Bigfoot. Apparently Smokey found
the amplified music too much to bear.

7. Clash of the super-clubs. Three spaces around town vied
for electronic event supremacy: Avaland at Avalon (from the people behind Giant),
God’s Kitchen at the Fonda and Circus Saturdays (where Spundae will return next
year). To be continued . . .

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

1. Brent Bolthouse. Celebs, models, popstars and “their
people” swarm to B.B.’s happenings — Saturday at XES, Friday at Avalon
and Monday at Josephs (now at Chi).

2. Jason Lavitt. Whether it be gay (Tigerheat), retro (Beat
It) or indie (Bang!, which he co-promotes), Lavitt’s nights offer an unmatched
exuberance.

3. Stephen Hauptfuhr. It pays to have a lot of friends,
and this party punk proved it with brash bashes (Monday’s at the Argyle, Vice
Parties at the Standard), clubs (Radio at Star Shoes) and ideas (skinny-boy
burlesque!).

4. Shakespeare and Aurelito. Their Chocolate Bar night
has always been a treat, but this pair took their social grooves to new places
with I&I Mobile Sound System, a converted ice cream truck pumpin’ out reggae
and soul.

5. Albert Torres. Salsa’s main man spiced up Studio City,
held an international “congress” event and even took Latin music’s
romancin’ and dancin’ to Alhambra at the Granada.

Other notables: Paul V (MegaMondays, Dragstrip 66, Spit), Scarlett
(Hang the DJs, Razzmatazz), Kajmere (The Rootdown, Descarga, Soundlessons),
Danny B. (Naked, Filthy Fridays), Mac Africa (Fenix Friday, Cinespace Saturday),
Bruce Perdew (Clockwork Orange, Dungeon, Perversion).

NEW, NOVEL OR NOTABLE

Nightly hubs: Prey, Here, Bliss, Tokio, The Golden Gopher,
Casey’s Downtown, Velvet Margarita

Weekly/ monthly clubs: Club Gossip, Ruby Tuesdays, Club
Likwit, Matahari, Club Chub

R.I.P.

Nightly hubs: Blue, Hollywood Athletic Club, Barfly, North,
Belly

Weekly/monthly clubs: Sleazeoid, Couture, Vamp, Thunderpussy,
Slurp, Club Microwave, Synthetic, Club 1990s, Club 90s

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