Lina LecaroDoes Cahuenga Blvd seem to look different nearly every time you roll past it? Well it is. Alongside staples like Burgundy Room, The Spotlight (still open!) and Beauty Bar, newbies pop up every few months here lately. It's gotten to the point where we don't even bother with certain new dens of decadence, because, let's face it, they go as swiftly as they come (anybody remember Goa?). But last night we attended a new destination that will definitely be an exception. In the prime locale on the corner of Cahuenga and Selma now stands the new sister spot to West Hollywood's St. Felix, a gorgeous lounge that's out to bring a little sophisticated cool to Cahuenga.
Our take on the new hotspot, plus a report from our other pitstop, RadioShack/HTC's party for its new 3D cell phone in West Hollywood and a review of LMFAO (members of which played the second bash) and their new disc Sorry For Party Rocking, out this week:
Citizen Smith, which was previously in the space where Felix now stands, was admittedly an atmospheric room. Owner John Arakaki (who also helms The WeHo bar and one of L.A.'s best, most bodacious gay grottos, FuBar) has kept some of Smith's aesthetic but taken it to a sumptuous new level with new booths, mosaic walls and wood floors. It's luxurious but not pretentious. Whimsical and sexy, for sure. We'll be back, especially when the rear patio becomes as bustling as the street itself: When Felix's construction outside is ready, its neighbors Kitchen 24 and Velvet Margarita will utilize their adjacent back patios as well, making for a trendy trifecta of outdoor dining.
BBU includes Sky Blu, singer Chelsea Korka and some blond boy band types.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Speaking of trendy, when did Radioshack get so hip? We always think of it as the place we bought our first Walkman (knock-off) but the truth is, they're still up on the tech stuff. Their new HTC EVO 3D phone is pretty trippy and we got to play with it last night at the launch bash. LMFAO were billed to perform, but it was actually half of the colorful duo, Sky Blu (aka Skyler Gordy) and his crew BBU (Big Bad University) not to be confused with the Chicago hip-hop crew BBU (Black, Brown and Ugly). Seriously don't confuse them. Waaay different.
L.A.'s hardest party rockers.; Credit: Lina Lecaro
Sky, seen here with cousin Paris Hilton(in the house after a shoot with EDC act MF Supastars for the fittingly titled track, “Drunk Text” at Playhouse… it was on the marquee last night) served up a lot of new material from LMFAO's latest. It's very coincidental actually, because our review of Sorry For Party Rocking can be summed up quite simply: DON'T LISTEN SOBER! Despite the clownish garb, we've never hated on Red Foo and Sky (some of their beats are actually pretty infectious). Yes, a lot of it comes off silly, annoying even, minus flashing lights, disco balls, and gyrating babes in Lyrca. “I'm In Miami, Bitch” (or trick … ick) falls flat as a theme song for the Kardashian sisters' spin-off TV show, but it can be downright inspiring at a party, especially when your city is substituted and your judgement is impaired. So here's the deal: Blast these new hedonistic anthems when you're drunk, faded, smashed, bombed, blasted, buzzed in da club and let go. It's dumb and it's fun. No need to say sorry.
Photos from both parties in Nightranger slideshow.
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