By Nev Wong

Let's face it. There's more to L.A. nightlife than just exposed go-go boys, raunchy leather bars, and Santa Monica Blvd. The proof is in the recent surge of modern day salons and cabaret-style venues that are catering to a growing audience of sexually ambiguous libertines and creative hipsters. Leading the pack is Society, a free monthly event at Hollywood hotspot Republic, put on by TV producer/director Billy Burgess and celebrity wardrobe stylist Corey Deist. The promoters say they drew their inspiration from high profile Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco club successes like Make-Up, Limelight, Sunset, Stompy, Happy Valley Tuesday and Body and Soul.

"Our party is about dressing up," said Burgess, who counts the Dandy Era as one of Society's many muses. From art school kids to drag queens and fops, elegance is key. The promoter notes, "Our flyer always says dapper attire, and every time people outdo each other."

During these soirees, club-goers in ascots and top hats engage in intellectual debates and trade sparkling repartee as they circulate amongst video installations, fashion shows, and couture displays from up and coming designers such as Freddie Rojas.

And then there's the unique live entertainment. Burgess said, "Sometimes we have dancers break out spontaneously. People will ask 'Was that planned or did that just happen?'" On one typical night, scenesters Pehilthy, Marlon and Nina lit up the dance floor by performing air-lifts and twirls in gold outfits as house and new electro serenaded attendees 'til closing time.

The downside? The parties are by invitation only. However, the mandatory RSVP's can be easily submitted via Society's MySpace page. Burgess laughs and then explains, "We're a society. You have to join!"

For the more spontaneous crowd, Fingered might be the best bet. Another monthly shindig, it's hosted by talented choreographer Sir Ryan Heffington. Fingered is located in Downtown L.A. (Ground Zero for hipsters) at Charlie O's.

"It has the energy of being a one-time, posh environment," Heffington said. "We're on the ground floor of the Alexandria Hotel." The resident DJ is Hollywood Insider, although Mount Sims and Jeaneen Lund have also dropped by the turntables.

Like Society, Fingered draws an artistic crowd, mainly from East L.A. The dress code is eclectic and more casual, though. Heffington has seen everything from feather headdresses to jeans and t-shirts.

A professional dancer by trade, the Northern California native often performs with friends from his dance company Hysterica, opting for evocative routines that ingeniously fuse burlesque, contemporary, and punk styles. In February he chose to give a dance lesson instead of a performance, teaching club-goers one minute of choreography to a Stevie Nicks song. Not bad, considering the cover charge is only $10.

In addition to Fingered, Charlie O's is home to the equally popular Mustache Mondays, the brainchild of Nacho Biz. Underneath a ripped out ceiling, DJs Josh Peace, Dino Dinco and Total Freedom blare house and drag-queen anthems into the wee hours. As for the scene, one club-goer offered this observation: "At Mustache there will be groups of bears and vogueing queens co-mingling with straight girls who dragged their boyfriends out to dance and have a drink."

Perhaps the single most important thing that Society, Fingered and Mustache have in common is that their promoters prefer marketing the events to a mixed crowd of both men and women, straight and gay.

"The state of the world is so heavy now. Everybody needs release and it goes beyond freedom of expression," Heffington said of his 50-50 male/female clientele.

Burgess adds, "There's plenty of clubs where half-naked men stand on top of a box dancing... We want group participation in art."

Still, there's occasionally some extra, on-the-side benefits that result from this heady combination of hobnobbing and booze.

One anonymous gay scenester put it this way, "The bottom line is that people are at these events to have fun. If you get laid in the process, that's great."

 

It's the ultimate dining experience. In order to enhance sensations of taste and texture, Opaque serves diners in absolute darkness. Once you are seated in the pitch black dining room, waiters are able to serve you thanks to the creepy infrared goggles they wear. Silence of the Lambs, anyone? This unique dining experience is held periodically at the West Hollywood Hyatt. There's already a dark dining venue in San Diego and one will open soon in San Francisco.

The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books began in 1996 as a way to promote literacy. This year's festival takes place April 26 - 27 at UCLA. Former celebrity attendees who have done readings and signings in the past include Dame Julie Andrews, Annie Proulx, Ray Bradbury, Gore Vidal and John Lithgow.

Each month this book club features a different book by an LGBT author. The website features a forum where readers can post questions and leave comments for featured authors. The questions are then answered by the authors and posted online for everyone to read. To join the fun, just email your name and address to The Centerand get your reading glasses ready.

If Sesame Street had an evil twin, it would be Avenue Q. This hysterical show is still playing in New York and London, as well as touring all over the United States. With songs like Schadenfreude, The Internet Is for Porn, and Everyone's a Little Bit Racist, how can you go wrong? Besides being irreverent, Avenue Q also manages to be oddly touching. If that's not enough for you, there's a scene where the puppets have sex on stage. Armageddon must be near.