In the beginning

The Hollywood nightlife scene used to be...pretty fuckin DOPE!

Brent Bolthouse, his assistant Deb, Jen, Alison, Sasha, Sarah Pantera, and a few others hosted hot spots: Joseph's, Concord, the Lounge, and LAX on Wednesdays. Whereby, the barrier to entry used to be that you had to be: fresh, fly, fabulous or just a friend.

Vinnie and Chuck used to throw amazing weekly parties at: Shelter and Prey; and the line to get inside was insanely long.

Amanda Demme used to have Teddy's and the Tropicana Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel locked down. I mean, she would not let in heads of movie studios, as well as some famous actors/actresses. What can you say...she ran a tight door.

You used to have to really know someone or have off the charts style and swagger, that as soon as you walked up (even if you had a crew of 12 dudes) you were instantly let inside. No questions asked.

This was all before..."BOTTLE SERVICE" hit the scene; and I mean, it hit the scene like crack in the 80's.

--------------------------------------------------------------
Now a days, any Joe Blow with a credit card and an ID, can walk right up & pay $400 per bottle (which only cost the venue $25 each btw) to get inside. So now, you have Mohammad and his 12 buddies getting loud and crazy, making it rain with one dollar bills in the air, partying right next to one of the cast members from the reality show "The Hills".

Every person now with a myspace page, or over 500+ friends on facebook is a promoter in Hollywood..... claiming they have a table, placing you on their VIP list, wearing Ed Hardy/Affliction (or some other jeweled shirt with crosses or skulls) and sending you endless amounts of facebook invites and spammy text messages, so that you can party like a rockstar with myspace and craigslist randoms?

FUCK THAT!!!!!!!!!!


No more shaking people down for bottle service, no more Saudi randoms, no more wack promoters with no cred in the night life game.

Time to bring things back to square one....good people and good music with a tight door policy. The people want it...and the scene needs it.

Re: The Battle of Los Angeles (nightlife)



After visiting both establishments (The Alliance's: Tuesday night @ MyStudio; and Brent Bolthouse's Tuesday night @ Trousdale) last night, both places were packed and had great looking people all over the place.

However, let's look at the star power for both places last night; because that is how both of these titans have built their names and reps on over the years.

MyStudio celeb list last night:
-Paris Hilton
-Doug Reinhardt (Paris' ex-boyfriend)
-Baron Davis (NBA basketball player)
-David Spade (short actor funny man)
-Evan Ross (Diana Ross' son/actor)


Trousdale celeb list last night:
-Paris Hilton (I'm guessing she was party hopping)
-Leonardo Dicaprio (actor)
-Jared Leto (actor/musician, lead singer of 30 Seconds to Mars)
-Rose McGowen (actress)
-Chris Pine (actor)
-Jessica Alba (actress)
-Jermain Dupri (hip hop rapper & producer)
-T.I (rapper & producer)
-Chris Rock (comedian/actor)
-Pau Gasol (LA Lakers)

Now with all things being equal, meaning that both places were packed and every table being completely sold out....who do you think did better?

*Side note: The old Mood, aka the new MyStudio review:
MyStudio looks great. They added more booths and tables and placed the DJ right in the middle of the place. If you remember when the place was called Mood, the layout is still somewhat the same, except where that huge bar was to the left when you walked in, is now gone replaced by new leather booths. They created a small bar behind the DJ booth as well. Over all the place looked as though it can hold 500 - 600 people easy.

The Battle of Los Angeles (nightlife)



Sometimes, if you are around long enough, you get a chance to see things come full circle.

In sports, some of the best games are between the biggest rivals (i.e, Michigan v Ohio State, Lakers v Celtics, Yankees v Red Sox, Duke v Tar Heels, etc.).

Well, here is a true Hollywood classic rivalry taking place tomorrow night.

Back in the day, before there were 25 - 35 different nightclubs, there were really only a small few. There was Concord, The Loft, Deep, Spider, Prey, Shelter, LAX, as well as a few others.

The two biggest forces in the Hollywood nightlife scene at the time were: Brent Bolthouse & The Alliance.

Both were capable of having the hottest and biggest Hollywood stars at there establishments, on their nights regularly.

The best battle I have ever witnessed was: Brent Bolthouse and his team at LAX on Wednesday nights, against The Alliance at Mood on the same night. Both venues were just a few feet away from each other and it was one of the best times in Hollywood.

Now, with Brent Bolthouse leaving SBE and opening his own venue (Trousdale), and with David Judakken re-opening and re-designing Mood into his new venue(MyStudio); it should be quite the Tuesday night battle.

Brent Bolthouse has personally made it a point to stamp Tuesday nights at Trousdale his personal pet project. Needless to say that The Alliance are trying to make their personal mission to plant their flag down on Tuesday nights.

We shall see who will be victorious on Tuesday nights in Hollywood.

Which venue on Tuesday night will generate the biggest "star power"?

Which Tuesday night will last the longest?

These questions will be answered shortly.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Bigger & Bigger



They just don't understand.

Bigger is not always better.

New venues in Hollywood just keep popping up. That isn't a bad thing (by the way).

The problem is that these new venues, just keep getting bigger and bigger.

For instance, Rolling Stone Magazine is currently building a brand new venue at the Highland & Hollywood complex.

The new Rolling Stone venue will be (get ready for this one) 10,000 sq st, multi level night club and restaurant.

The Rolling Stone venue in Hollywood will operate on two tiers, On the top level, which opens into the mall, will be a restaurant and bar intended to appeal to the estimated 15 million tourists a year who come to the Hollywood intersection near Grauman's Chinese Theatre. The owners also hope to pull in local residents who may come to watch sports or have a drink.

At street level, on Highland Avenue, will be a more up-market lounge "which will be harder to get into," the owners said. Like other late-night Hollywood lounges, it will include "bottle service," where patrons buy their spirits such as vodka by the bottle -- starting at $1,500 a table.

Downtown, the new Ritz-Carlton Hotel is getting into the act as well.

The Ritz-Carlton is opening a 5500 sq ft club/lounge on the 23rd floor. Which will include bottle service in the nightclub/lounge, and a rooftop pool and terrace.

Wait! Doesn't Drai's in Hollywood at the W Hotel have a rooftop pool and terrace selling bottle service as well????

Oh, I just wasn't sure if the Ritz-Carlton would be the only people doing it...(because it's such an original idea).

Oh well, this places will be hosting big grand openings, as well as a huge grand closings in record time. Next up for them will be for Z-List promoters to come in and begin posting..."grand opening of __________ (fill in which ever day of the week you want here)." Only to be closed within a two month time span.

This will be my last post until my next post.

The Five Families



These are the people who quietly run the Hollywood nightlife scene.

These are the people who time and time again, buy up venues, run them into the ground and could personally careless if you have a good time or not.

They all use the same formula, the same cookie-cutter venue design, the same method of operation....which produces the same god damn thing..."open for six months, and shut down for a remodel/renaming after every promoter in town has squeezed the place dry, with wack-ass promotions and lame-ass events".

Here they are (in no real order):

SBE: - (owners of the following venues & restaurants)
Hyde Lounge(Sunset & Staple Center), SLS Hotel, MI-6, XIV, Industry, Katsuya, Colony (opening soon), Nacional (soon to re-named and reopened). SBE, they like to buy their way into everything. They really don't create anything cool, so they find people who are cool (sorta) and throw a bunch of money at them to try and make themselves cool by association. In the long term, they end up doing more harm than good. As a result, the nightlife scene gets fucked up as a result.

The Dolce Group - (owners of the following venues & restaurants)
Wonderland, Les Deux, Bella restaurant (now being turned into a bar called "Angels & Kings" which is a rip-off of the one in NYC), Geisha House, Beso/Kiss Lounge, and Ketchup. These guys are a real work of art. While getting young celebs to partner up with them, and buy into a little night club venture called "Les Deux" many years back, created something that WILL NOT HAPPEN AGAIN in Hollywood History, which is an incredible four - five year run. While they have opened a few other establishments none of them have even come close to the success of Les Deux. So now they are in the same boat as all the others...building lame ass venues, while supplying young girls a place to come and get drunk, do drugs, and get raped in the asshole (allegedly of course).

Syndicate Hospitality Group: - (owners of the following venues & restaurants)
MyHouse, Opera, Crimson, East, MyStudio (opening tomorrow, I think). David Judaken is a man that spends a lot of money on the details. What I mean by that is that he travels the world to find candles, furs, and light fixtures that are extremely rare and unique, just to have them in his venues (which is a cool and rare thing). However, where he fails is that he runs his places in the same vain as all the other owners (i.e., line'em up and buy a table, or have the black promoters there on Sundays and the Asian people there on Thursdays (or whatever the Asian night is). In the long run, they never seem to last long.

Adolfo Suaya - (owner of the following venues & restaurants)
The man owns everything! He's smart. He never really sells anything. After anyone of his venues dies out, he lets nature take its course and keeps the property, while letting some other sucker come in and lease it out and collect the rent. While in a down economy, most people are looking to sell, Adolfo keeps buying and leasing. I posted what venues he owns and leases (and those are simply the ones I know about, I'm sure that there are others). But in the end, he's not a visionary, he's a capitalist. In it for the money, could careless about quality, but rather a ton of quantity.

Chris Breed: - (owner of the following venues & restaurants)
Green Door, Cabana Club, Ritual/Halo (sold it to SBE), Bardot, Avalon, La Vida.
This brit owns a bunch of bullshit spots, however people still go to them all for some reason. I cannot lie to you (personally I still like the Cabana Club as a venue), but you would never catch me walking into that place ever. I haven't walked in there since 2005. But, Chris Breed and some others have opened up "La Vida" on the east end of Hollywood. Its a restaurant/night club...so far I've already heard its dog shit...but that's just what I've heard. Never the less, Chris Breed is still a powerful man in town (to bad his venues suck balls).

So now you know who to blame for the lameness in Hollywood.

Now, I know what many of you are thinking...but what about _____________________ (fill in the blank with some other venue or owners).

Well, I thought about those who own at least five or more establishments in the Hollywood/West Hollywood area. So, if you only own two or three venues then you didn't make the list. However those whom I did mention, are running shit, and will continue to run shit in Hollywood (in terms of most of your Hollywood nightlife destinations).

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Jump on the Bandwagon



Are you going to Coachella? Are you going to Coachella? Are you going to Coachella? Are you going to Coachella? Are you going to Coachella? Are you going to Coachella?

Follow the rest of LA out to the desert this weekend, are you?

Well, it seems like everyone is heading out to Coachella.

For those of you that aren't in the loop, Coachella is a big music festival which has been going on for quite some time now.

Usually, its a bunch of emo bands, and electro DJs out in Indio California, hanging out at pool parties during the day, and performing by night....with a bunch of drugs and after-parties happening until the early morning.

Personally, I'm not a fan, so I don't want to shit on those of you who are.

Having said that, there are more bandwagoners (don't even know if that's a real word but fuck it) who are only going because everyone else is going (how cool is that?).

Some people have been a part of the Coachella movement for sometime now, while many others read about it, hear about it, and follow the masses.

That's just straight-up corny.

If your favorite band or group is there then by all means, go see them.....however, if you see everyone else going and you know nothing about it, then stop being a poser and be your own person.

That last statement is truly at the core of my belief system....be your own person and stop jumping on the bandwagon.

Once the masses see things as being cool or hip....its pretty much over and done with.

Now I'm going to start seeing endless amounts of Facebook updates about "Coachella"...oh please...next!!!!

Sometimes when you start to see everyone you know go left, that's exactly the time you should be heading right! Think about it.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Wait a minute



I have been reading your email and comments.

I understand that the reason why most of you surf through this blog is to be entertained.

Many of you enjoy my thoughts and insight into the Hollywood night life scene, however on the flip side, many of you cannot stand me and whatever it is that I have to say. Then there are those of you who could careless, one way or the other.

Either way, I just wanted to say that I took this weekend to go over every email that I didn't get a chance to read yet and read through every last email that was sent to me.

What I learned was, many of you are entertained by what I blog about, while many others of you need to go back to school and enroll in some classes (hint: there is a big difference between "There", "Their" and "They're", btw).

The fact of the matter is this in regards to a few recent blog postings.

I honestly have not been going out as much in Hollywood lately.

As a result, I haven't really been inspired enough to post anything interesting or exciting, quite honestly.

So what I've decided to do from time to time is try to be more informative. Instead of being funny and entertaining, I try and give you insight as to what's new coming down the Hollywood nightlife pipeline (in terms of venues, restaurants or people within the industry).

What I am trying to say is that, sometimes I am not always going to be funny.

I'm not always going to be entertaining.

I'm not always going to be right, and I'm not always going to be wrong.

I am however going to continue to call things how I see them. So if your venue is a complete dumpster fire, and you run it like shit, I'm going to have to call you out on it.

Sometimes I just don't write a blog post everyday (I mean I could, but why write a bunch of average shit just for the sake of doing it?) it just doesn't make sense to me.

So in the meantime sit tight and wait.

I'd rather post something good once a week, rather than something average everyday.

****If you would like to stay updated/informed with these blog post (as soon as I post them) then over on right hand side of this blog, there is a sectioned labeled: "Follow" sign up and get instantly updated.****

This will be my last post, until my next post!

Fuck you, Pay me



I'm not talking about the pimp you hear about in rap songs, aka "pimpin on wax".

I'm talking about a man that is really making all the dough.

The man I'm referring to is: Adolfo Suaya, aka the man who really does own Hollywood.

You see Adolfo is a man that owns, and because he owns, he makes others rent (from him of course).

Let me give you a brief history lesson:

Adolfo Suaya owns or is part owner of the following places:

The Lodge (now closed)
Memphis (now Jane's House)
Charcoal (now BoHo)
Goa (now closed)
Gaucho Grill food chain (most them are closed)
Bar Deluxe (he still owns it, but the current guys are leasing it)
Osaka (coming soon)
The Surly Goat (a WeHo bar)
La Cantina (now being called "Te'killa Bar")


As well as, owning many other places and collecting the rent from the others.

Honestly, what I love about it is how he is able to make everyone pay him.

The two co-owners of Jane's House are paying Adolfo monthly rent, along with many others in Hollywood.

The same holds true for the Central location, which is now being called Premiere.

Instead of selling the property, he just keeps it and lets some other sucker(s) act as if they are owners and force them to pay him monthly rent. This way, he never looses in the end.

Smart guy.

So there you have it, Adolfo Suaya....a real Hollywood pimp.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Drai Day



Did Cy Waits (one of the partners of Drai's) just email me?

Whoa!!!

Power to the people.

I can't believe that some of these owners and partners actually take time out of their day to send me an email, about what I have to say about their venues.

Well, Victor, Cy & Jesse...this is why I have said what I've been saying about your property; simply put...it's just average. I'm sorry but it is.

There was a ton of hype, and a ton of buzz about the venue, but Drai's is best suited for Vegas.

So what is the biggest draw about the place?

Is it because it is located in Hollywood (if so, join the countless others).

Is it because Drai's is located on the rooftop of the W Hotel (well, Kress is another property with a rooftop party in Hollywood - and look how well that's turning out)?

Is it the Victor and the crew are spending a ton of money for it in Hollywood and hoping that this will land people to your properties in Vegas? And vice-versa?

All I can tell you is that once the six week love affair ends, then lets see what your venue is made up of. I have listened to the people and heard their concerns, and the feedback is not the greatest.

By summertime you will be lining everyone up and charging girls $20, and guys $30 to get inside (because that's what you do in Vegas).

Overall, when you have a space that holds over 1,000+ people and you are open 4 nights a week.....I'm here to tell you that you will not last very long in this town.

I'm actually debating posting your email address so that the people can tell you how they feel, so that you just aren't hearing my voice and my words.

For most people who don't really know the scene then your establishment is the time of their lives, however for those who are in the loop, they know that your time is running out.

LA ain't Vegas homie.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

All hail the king



Bow down to the new king of Hollywood.

Yeah, he represents all the things that are wrong in the Hollywood night life scene.

Yeah, if you found him with his pants down, laying on top of your sister or aunt, you may just loose it.

Yeah, he reminds you of Vegas, Jersey Shore and parts unknown.

Yeah, his swagger is on 12, and his looks are a minus 12, but so what.

Yeah, he drives around in a 1992 Range Rover, but he flosses so hard that he even thinks that its a 2092 Range Rover.

Yeah, he looks like he has "the virus"...but so what, we've all went up in someone raw a few times.

Yeah, he hangs out at the playboy mansion and picks up on the 45 year old Real House Wives of Riverside (but who doesn't after a few cocktails past 1:30am).

Yeah, he hands out his BBM pin to any and everyone with a BlackBerry, but he's just trying to keep you all informed yo! It's not like he's asking you to "GET INVOLVED" is he? Boom!!!!

Yeah, he picks up on the 18 year olds at the high schools and community colleges, why? Because his motto is "old enough to pee, good enough for me".

Yes, he maybe all of the above, but what he also is.....he is the winner and KING OF THE DOUCHEBAGS!

Congrats sir!

The people voted, and you were chosen.

"All Hail the King"

"All Hail the King"

"All Hail the King"

Now let the party begin at: Drai's, Kress, Les Deux, Wonderland and Empire!

This will be my last post, until my next post of course!

Blahhhhh



This is the current state of the scene.

Is anyone out there in the Hollywood nightlife scene doing thought provoking nights?

Is there anyone out there willing to shake things up a bit?

Who is out there taking risks?

Sadly, no one really is, therefore things are kinda BLAH.

So there is a new venue called___________________. What does it matter, in a few days random promoters will feel like they are special and host a night, whereby you will be receiving endless texts, BBMs and Facebook spam until you no longer want to hear the name_______________ again. (I'll let you fill in the blanks).

I cannot tell a lie, the new Drai's in Hollywood is a shit-show, aka a straight-up dumpster fire.

So if you speak Farsi, Armenian, Korean, Ebonics or Spanish.....don't worry, there are others there that do, so you will be in great company.

The point I'm trying to make here is that there are seriously very few places that cater to unique, trendsetters and taste-makers.

There are a limited few who are shaking things up, whereby if they invite you to something you already know, without a doubt that this is where you'll be spending your entire night at this spot.

Many venue owners and so-called promoters read this blog regularly, so I'm hoping the thoughts that I am expressing slowly start sinking into their thick skulls create a new energy and vision, rather than the current one that seems to be running wild in LA.

I just read a super long email from someone who wrote me, inquiring about places for "the elite in Hollywood"; well this blog post is my response.

This will be my last post until my next post.

SLS Hotel?



Sammy "The Bull" Nazarian can't buy his way out of this one.

Last year, reporters were asking questions about the financial health of Sam Nazarian's SLS Hotel at Beverly Hills, and wondering how the nightlife and hotel operator would pay off the debt on the Philippe Starck-designed project.

Today, the Wall Street Journal reports he has restructured the debt on the hotel, news which was put out in a press release by Nazarian himself.

Via the WSJ: "The hotel's $70 million mortgage came due last November, and the hotel fell short of certain financial thresholds needed to qualify for an automatic extension. The SLS carries a total of $139 million in debt, including a mezzanine loan held by Washington Holdings and preferred equity held by Lowe Enterprises.

Mr. Nazarian recently resolved the impasse when his family's Nazarian Enterprises agreed to pay $13.5 million of the mortgage's balance and contribute another $5 million to fees and costs related to the loan, he said in an interview.

In return, the special servicer overseeing the mortgage, Orix Capital Markets, agreed to extend the loan's due date to 2013, leaving its interest rate unchanged, according to credit-rating company Realpoint LLC."

Now do you guys honestly believe that you are gonna get that "$1,000" for coming up with a new name for his new venue?

He may just pay the winners of the contest off in pennies, and hope that they can't count pass 350 (which would equal $3.50). Quite a savings for him.

Oh well.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Have you been going to Wonderland?



I guess not....because managing partner of the Dolce Group (Lonnie Moore) is now selling his Studio City home, valued at over $2.749 million dollars.

Please support his lifestyle by spending all your money, popping bottles at the following establishments:

Les Deux
Wonderland
Geisha House
Ketchup
Bella (ooops....Bella has been closed for a while now).

Your money will be put to good use.

Perhaps another appearance on Bravo TV's Millionaire Matchmaker should help pay for the down payment on a townhouse in Burbank or Sun Valley?

Oh well, I'm sure Wonderland will be remodeled and turned into a new venue called "Cockroach" in no time, whereby you (the consumer) will be more than happy to pay $425 per bottle of CVS vodka...I mean, Grey Goose.

BTW, if you didn't already know, Lonnie likes to break the girls off a little somethin, somethin in their assholes (allegedly, of course).

Click on the above photo to read more (again, these aren't my words folks).

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Nightlife Report Card



Which nightlife spots have made the grade?

Many of you have been emailing me asking, "So where are all the good spots in Hollywood and West Hollywood to go out?".

Well, I have made a list of the various venues on the various nights of the week, which have the proper mix of great music, atmosphere and of course attractive people.

Mondays:

Industry: Last week was the first Monday night they had opened to the public and the turn out was amazing. The crowd was laid back, attractive, the music was good, and the drinks were a little pricey (what can you say, its West Hollywood...and SBE has to cover their overhead). Overall, a solid choice for a Monday night, although it appears to be a later crowd (most people didn't really start showing up until midnight).

Tuesdays:

Trousdale: When Lady Gaga comes on the opening night and starts dancing on tables, and every DJ in Hollywood from DJ Vice, Marshall Barnes, StoneRok, DJ Homicide, DJ Mr Best, Rick Rude, and many more are all spinning on the same night...each DJ waiting to get their turn to spin....something tells me that its a good thing.

Trousdale is Mr Brent Bolthouse's new nightlife lounge in the West Hollywood/Beverly Hills area. Since leaving SBE, Brent is taking things back to what made him what he is...running a tight door and inviting only models and people in the entertainment industry, along with hipsters, scenesters, fashionistas, and power Hollywood talent agents. Its a great time, but it always appears that the backroom is where everyone wants to be and be seen.

Wednesdays:

Tea Room: This spot has been off most people's radar for quite sometime. A lot of people try Goggling it, using map quest to find it, and running around asking "Where the f*%k is the Tea Room?".

Well, the Tea Room is a small (and I do mean small) little spot with no sign and good energy once you walk in. Its fun, its chill, and the quality of people that are there, are top notch. Not a lot more I can say, except that its been going on since September and the place is only open two nights a week (Monday & Wednesday).

The other clear cut winner on a Wednesday night (which I made a blog post about it before) is "The Saint". Solid choice for a Wednesday night.

Thursdays:

Voyeur: If you want to see celebs and hang out with the cool kids, its still a solid time.

***Bardot***: One of the best places to go on a Thursday night is Bardot. Hands down, this place is the best place to go on a Thursday night if you don't want to deal with the bullshit. If you just want to have a few drinks and dance into the late night hours, then Bardot is the spot to be. The vibe and energy reminds me of the L.E.S (the lower east side) aka the East Village in NYC. Really cool, live bands playing soulful music and after midnight....the DJ takes everyone to a higher level. For those who are anti-Hollywood, and are looking to keep it real.....Bardot on Thursday nights. Lock it in!!!

Fridays:

Teddy's: It has been a solid choice for the past 4 years in Hollywood and you will still see some of the best that LA has to offer. Friday nights at Teddy's. If you just want a cigarette, a scotch & water, and some great conversation this is the spot on Fridays.


Saturdays:

Trousdale: Friday & Saturday nights at Trousdale, I have to say for some reason, all the guys wear sport coats, and the girls are dressed to the nines. I have been there on Friday nights and it's really good; however Saturday nights are I-N-C-R-E-D-I-B-L-E at Trousdale. See for yourself.

Voyeur: Even though I feel that this venue is starting to get a little played out; their Saturday nights have been pretty solid.

Sundays:

Sunday pools are about to start soon. I will fill you in with the details soon.


****Drais @ The W in Hollywood****: - this place is a straight-up dumpster fire. If you have been to XS in Vegas, it's less than that. The rooftop pool is narrow, the space itself is narrow, and it will be the a C list venue in a matter of months (if it isn't already now). So much hype about nothing at all.

Hollywood + Rooftop party + large space that holds over a thousand plus people = The Kress (I mean, Drai's in Hollywood).

This will be my last post, until my next post.

First Annual - King of the Douchebags Contest

I have hand selected (qualifications included) the two men that I feel are the biggest douchebags in America right now and they have been paired up for a head to head contest where you get to vote for the person who you feel is the bigger douche.

Next week I will announce the winner (based on your votes of course), and write a little description of how I think the douchebattle went.

Please vote by leaving your choice in the comments section of this blog post. If there are write in candidates please include him/her in the comments section with a reason why he is a bigger douche then the ones mentioned here.

The winning douchebag will have the historic honor of being named “The Biggest Douchebag in America! 2010”

So without further ado:

Micky Flores:


Anyone who has ever visited his Facebook page, Twitter page, IMDB page, Its A Small World page, his blog, and who can forget about his MySpace page (which is the funniest thing I have ever seen in my entire fucking life).

This guy is the biggest self promoter of himself that I have ever seen.

If there is a social networking page anywhere he makes it a point to create a page for himself and promote it.

Have I mentioned his MySpace page (I swear to Jesus, the pictures of himself posing with celebs is the funniest thing I have ever seen....I have never cried laughing so hard in my fucking life).

Please visit his Facebook & MySpace pages.

Fuck Eddy Murphy, Chris Rock, Dane Cook, Jerry Seinfeld and every comedian you have ever known. If you really want to laugh, (and I mean laugh to the point whereby you may piss your pants, and cry all at the same time) then I beg you to please view his Facebook & MySpace pages.

Wow. I honestly can't stop laughing, it is pure comedy.

Recently Micky posted a Facebook event for no other reason than to ask for your BBM pins (Blackberry Messenger Pins).

Here is the photo he created for the event post:


Cast your vote for: Micky Flores below.

----------------------------------------------

Freddy Figueroa aka Freddy Figs:



The man who brought the Jersey Shore to Hollywood....long before MTV decided to make a television series about it.

The man who single-handedly is keeping the "Ed Hardy" clothing line alive and well in the night life scene.

The man who keeps everyone in the loop with Twitter & Facebook status updates such as:
-"I'm soooo fuckkin iLLLLL !! not sick"

-"Scratch that. I'm GOING INNNNNNN !!!!! pin:xxxxxxxx"

-"@ 24hr Fit doin things. Biggie tribute on the iPod. I got that NY mean mug look. Niggaz @ the gym lookin the other way"

-"What a fuckin night. Came in the Range. Left in the Mazzaretti. Every few DAYS I'll be on that next shit, cause I'm on to the next, I'm on to the next, I'm on to the next ONE!"

Speaking of Range, the man drives around town in a 20 year old Range Roover. I swear to God I think I saw some original kangaroo shit on the tires.

He was under the hood of that Range on Hollywood blvd, trying to get it to start.

I will let the photos speak for themselves:









Cast your vote for: Freddy Figueroa aka Freddy Figs below.

The polls are now open!

"Get Involved....Boom"



The art of social climbing.

Here is a story, about a no named guy, from a place you haven't heard of, who wanted to come to Los Angeles, to be socially accepted in Hollywood. Classic!!!

Sometimes, one of the most interesting places to go for entertainment isn't a concert, isn't a nightclub, it isn't even a movie.

Sometimes the most interesting place to go is online, on a little social networking site called Facebook.

On Facebook and Twitter people just love to tell you all of their business, why?

Could it be to make themselves appear to be more interesting than what they really are? Which is to say, that they are not that interesting at all.

For instance, take this guy whom we'll refer to as Sam.

You know, the kind of guy who likes to use the terms: "buddy" and "bud" when referring to pseudo male friends.

Now Sam isn't from Los Angeles (like most people in Los Angeles).

Sam tells a few friends of his back home (again, in a place you have never heard of), that he will quickly move up the social ladder fast in Hollywood, "watch me...in a few months I will be in the inner circle".

So Sam creates his very own Facebook page.

He begins joining all the large Facebook groups; adding various key people to his Facebook "friends" list.

He sees that some of these people are promoters and wants to badly gain social acceptance from them; because in his eyes, they have large social networks and are the key to him quickly becoming popular.

He begins to respond to all of their Facebook status updates.

If they throw a party or an event, he makes sure to message them via their FB invites as to not get left standing outside looking stupid.

He starts collecting names and phone numbers of the people he meets at their parties to begin building his own social network aka "his friends list".

At the same time, while online he begins to start adding all of the friends from the various promoters Facebook friends list.

He begins to believe that the more FB friends he gathers, the more his social status will grow.

After collecting hundreds upon hundreds of Facebook friends weekly; he has studied the art of Facebook status updating...and he loves it.

He loves it so much, that he begins to use it as a key element of gaining popularity (because we all want to be popular, right?). Sending out update status, just for the sake of doing it.

If someone else is posting something that people are talking about.....you better believe that Sam will soon be posting an status update about it (it is by far the most entertaining thing ever to watch).

Now, since his Facebook friends list has began to massively expand, he starts befriending more and more promoters and people in the nightlife industry, drinking from their bottles and becoming what some would call a bottle whore.

After this, the social climber thinks to himself...."this is the life".

He says, "this promoting thing looks pretty easy. I have a bunch of friends now, I have a bunch of so-called friends via Facebook, I think I could become a promoter."

So this social climber, whom we are calling Sam, begins to invite people to pool parties, and keeps everyone on his Facebook page informed of his daily outings to Runyon Canyon and what & where he is going to be eating via his FB status update, complete with snappy catch phrases at the end.

So now he's made it in his eyes, he tells his friends back home that he is now a playa in the Hollywood nightlife game, and that it only took him a couple of months to hoodwink and bamboozle the people in the Hollywood scene.

Reality starts to set in when the pool, and the venues he promotes at aren't so hot once a new place opens up....its at that point when the hot, cute people no longer are coming to your party and they move on to other things that are newer and better.

So what does a social climber do in these situations? That's right, he drops the night that he was promoting and heads over to the other spots where everyone else is partying.

You know what they say, if you can't beat them...follow what everyone else is doing.

Our social climbing friend quickly faded out of the party promoting scene and has now stuck to entertaining FB status updates, whereby he keeps trying to gain a great social acceptance by replying to every single person that replies to his updates.

You see this is exactly what happens when a so-called socialite sees a promoter working hard, and thinks to themselves that they can do it to...its so cool. Mean while, the Hollywood scene gets all fucked-up in the process.

I wish I were making this story up, however this is all so sadly true.

The people who are laughing the hardest are: the guy in this story (Sam) and his friends back home....because they all know that most people are followers, and it doesn't take much to pull the wool over people's eyes.

Hollywood is the land of Bullshit, filled with phony-suck-ass-social-climbing-crackheads-no talents, that just cling to the true artist like those little fish that hang on the sharks for a crumb. So Sam is fitting right in accord to most.

Again, don't take my word for it...go GET INVOLVED and see for yourselves.

BOOM!!!

There you have it.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Smoking



Can this please stop?

We all get it, you are a baller.

You just dropped $10,000 on bottles of alcohol which probably cost $50 total at Ralph's or Costco.

Congrats, you have money to burn.

But can the venue owners and managers please not pollute everyone elses lungs by lighting sparklers every time someone spends a few dollars on a bottle?

I mean, its cool if you are partying in Vegas, however for the local guy and girl who just want to go out and have a few drinks and possibly get a little action toward the end of the night.

Coughing and having your eyes water halfway through telling someone your name is really not cool.

Can we please stop this? If this is going to be the norm now, why don't you just start letting people just smoke in the club?

Second hand smoke, is second hand smoke, no matter how much you look at it.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Drais Hollywood



So here you have it folks.

This is the current Drai's Hollywood calendar.

Again, if you have been to XS in Las Vegas, then you will not be surprised but the decor and layout.

Also, if you have been to Tryst, XS and Drai's Las Vegas; then you have a better idea of what the venue in Hollywood looks like.

Now that you know, have fun with the 1,000+ people in attendance.

Within the next three to six weeks, be on the lookout for more venues opening each week.

Oh brother, here we go!

And so it begins



I'm not saying I told you so, but I stopped by Voyeur last night after leaving The Dime, and like I made mention of before......there were roughly 20 people inside at 12:45am.

Now, could this be because Voyeur is now open six nights a week?

I would say that its pretty safe to say that the Monday night there is done!

I'm sure that there will be another Monday night popping up in Hollywood soon, as a result.

Monday nights at Teddy's will more than likely be picking up the slack or scraps from the fall out. However, the Monday night crowd there is pretty GA (general admission) if you ask me.

But that's only if you're asking.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Trousdale



After attending both soft opening nights, I'm here to tell you....there is a clear cut winner in the nightlife scene again.

Brent Bolthouse's new lounge "Trousdale" is honestly one of the best places I have been to in Los Angeles, in the past 3 years.

It seems as though Brent Bolthouse is taking things back to the old Concorde & LAX days.

Hands down, best looking crowd (every guy was dressed in a sports coat, slacks and were well groomed; as well as every lady there looked as if they were straight off the pages of European Vogue Magazine).

Now, what was the most surprising thing was the fact that these nights were soft-openings for friends and family; however every table was sold, and the place was packed.

The venue is dark, sexy and the sound system is incredible.

However, the best part about the venue in my opinion, is the back room.

The back room features: a fire place, bear skin rugs, suede couches, a pool table, private bar, and countless million dollar Andy Warhol paintings.

The main room has a huge bar, satin booths, hardwood floors, and carpet.

There were a lot of famous faces there on Saturday night (however, The Weinstein Company did have their Oscar party directly across the street at the same time, at Soho House).

So perhaps that could have been the reason why everyone was so well dressed and there were a lot of celebs in attendance.

And the venue will only be open 3 days a week (Tuesday, Friday and Saturdays).

The grand opening will be tomorrow (Tuesday March 9th).

If the soft opening was packed I can only imagine what Tuesday is going to look like.

Douche & Bohos



This is an older, classic post that seems to never get old.

OK, so I am starting to believe that if you are a straight-up "poser", you'll fit right in to the Hollywood night life scene (attention: everyone in Iowa, Arizona, New Jersey and Orange County...this is your cue to come to Hollywood right now, while the water is warm).

Ladies, the "Boho" look has been played out for a while now.

I mean, we all get it. You are a boheiman, you drive a Toyota Prius, you're going green now, you stopped getting your morning latte from Starbucks, you now get it from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf, you only use your Black Berry Messenger (BBM) when it is absolutely important, you only make out with girls because its fun on the weekends after you've had a few drinks....got it; we all understand how hard your life is.

Just do us all a favor and loose the shoe string across your forehead.

I know that it's a real lazy way to do your hair, and that it keeps your brain from falling out.

However, the real reason why you use the shoe string is to keep your hair back while you are giving "bjs" to casting directors during the day, and for keeping your hair back from messing up the lines of blow that you'll be doing in the bathroom at one of the Hollywood Hills after parties at 3am.


Time to switch it up ladies.




Guys, nothing says "I'm a complete douche bag poser" better than the "faux hawk" hair style...complete with the frosted tips. F*ckin classic I tell ya!!!!

If you are going to be punk rock, then do it all the way. Don't just get some lazy a** San Fernando Valley hair cut and frost the tips.

Come on playa. Step your game up. Shave the sides of your head...grow the middle section out...spike it...dye it...and live on the streets and alleys in Hollywood.

Now that's gangsta....Holla!!!!

p.s.,

Don't try and get cute & creative by adding lines and designs. It only makes you look like a fifth grader with a bad hair cut.

I rest my case with the picture below, your honor:



Now that's so...NOT gangsta.

Word!!!

Joke of the Day: SBE



Wow, SBE must stand for: Stupid, But, Entertaining.

It seems as though SBE has a new marketing and promotions campaign.

The campaign is called (get ready for this one folks):

SBE wants YOU to name Hollywood's next hotspot.

In other words, they can't think of anything creative, so now its up to you, the public to do it.

However, its actually a real corporate way of them collecting your email address and contact information; in the hopes of you thinking you are going to win a $1,000.

Which is nothing but a tax write-off for them I'm sure.

If I may offer my suggestion for the new venue, I say call it "Pencil".

Because once it begins to fadeout, months after it opens, they can flip it over and erase the whole damn thing and start all over again, and call it something else.

Here are the exact details according to SBE's website:

Located on Cahuenga Blvd in the heart of historic Hollywood, SBE's latest nightclub venue, formerly known as White Lotus, is undergoing a major renovation.

Destined to evoke the feel of a high-end Hampton's beach house, the approximately 13,000 square foot space will be the largest nightlife venue in the SBE Collection.

Aesthetics include a seamless indoor-outdoor experience, wood plank floors (for a board-walk feel), an expansive and meticulously landscaped outdoor environment, oversized wood shutters, a spacious dance floor, and inviting cabanas and pillows creating an unparalleled nightclub experience in the comfort of a beautiful and cozy beach house setting.

Join us in leaving your mark on LA's nightlife scene!

Submit your suggestions for a name for this venue that conveys a high-end Hampton 's nightlife experience infused with Hollywood's uncompromising style.

Win $1000 - and VIP entry to the club's grand opening if your name is chosen!!

What better way to leave your mark in Hollywood!

Thank you for participating!


Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.........

What would you suggest the name be?

Come on now, don't hold back folks.

Trendsetters don't do Average



It always starts with a small movement.

It always starts with the tastemakers, and the trendsetters.

When you start catering to a small and select crowd, the masses will follow, no matter if you want them to or not.

I couldn't help but think that at the end of Spring '09/start of Summer '09, a small little movement was created.

Mr Costas Charalambous (Senior VP of Operations at SBE), Dean May, and the Eye Candy Twins (two twin DJs) wanted to celebrate their love for European/Ibiza style house music.

So they started a small Sunday afternoon party on the patio of XIV (14) Restaurant; and by small it started with roughly 60 - 75 people (in the beginning).

The energy and vibe was exactly how they wanted it to be.

So they invited only their friends, and those who were passionate about the scene they wanted to create.

Slowly, friends told other friends.

Then they told their friends.

The next thing you know, it was complete chaos trying to get in.

What was so unique was the fact that this weekly party was during the most odd ball of oddball hours. Sunday afternoons from 5pm - 9pm????

Now, most people in LA usually go to various hotel pool parties Sunday afternoons from noon - 4pm or 5pm. By that time most people are drunk, and tired, so they just go home and get ready for work the next day.

Honestly, it was absolute genius from a business stand point.

Why? Because there was no competition.

Every pool party in the city was over by the time their party was starting, and they had a very relaxed dress code (basically, come as you are...I mean come in whatever).

It actually got to the point whereby at 5pm the line to get inside wrapped around the block in both directions.

I mean, it was a complete mob scene outside before the doors even opened. The photo on this blog post is an actual photo I took at 4:45pm on a Sunday at XIV before the doors even opened.

The point that I am trying to make is this, when you start small, cater to a select few, and create something special by thinking "outside the box" (as they say), then in the end you will be rewarded (everyone knows the large amounts of money that Sunday afternoon party was bringing in).

This is why, I continue to point out the venues that aren't doing it right. Venues in Hollywood and West Hollywood who are putting quantity over quality.

If they continue to only think about today and right now, rather than tomorrow and the following day, then they will continue to fail and close their doors for expensive remodels every 3 - 6 months.

When you start out catering to everyone, you reach no one.

Again, I have been to Voyeur in West Hollywood the past few nights, and as soon as they went to being open 5 - 6 nights a week, the crowds have been getting smaller, and smaller on average every night.

Why? Because its no longer exclusive.

Now if you can't get inside Voyeur one night, that's ok...everyone gets in on Friday nights now.

LA is almost one step away from becoming Vegas....seriously having people inside hotels, and street corners passing out discounted passes for various random venues.

This is why, I personally don't think that big venues like, Kress, PlayHouse, Vangard, Highlands, Empire, Marbella and Drai's Hollywood (maybe Drai's will be different because they will continue pumping money into it), etc. will last.

Venue owners, I know that many of you read my blog daily.

My message to you is this: STOP PUTTING PROFITS OVER PEOPLE.

Small is the new big.

That also applies to you random Facebook promoters: STOP ADDING RANDOM PEOPLE AND SPAMMING THEM NIGHTLY WITH THESE WACK ASS VENUES.

All you see are the number of so-called Facebook friends you have, while no one really knows you at all, and you honestly are doing more harm than good.

Stop being a part of the problem and start being part of the solution.

This is my last post, until my next post.

Exclusive



I have been receiving a ton of emails in regards to why can't things be fair?

Why can't everyone get in to ______________ (fill in the blank with any venue you can't get into).

"But me and my friends have money and we can buy bottles everywhere, and spend money at the bar.... I just don't understand why do these places have issues with letting us in."

Ok, let me break it down for you:

Does Harvard just let everybody in who wants to attend?

I mean, I'm sure a large percentage of the people who would like to get in, certainly have the money and the qualifications needed to get in, but they don't get accepted.

Harvard only accepts less than 9% of the people who apply. Is that fair?

In regards to the Hollywood nightlife scene and why is it that some venues don't let everyone in, its due in large part to being exclusive. To some degree its about catering to a certain clientele; and you my friend may not be it.

Being exclusive matters.

Being exclusive can equal longer lasting staying power.

Catering to the masses in today's market means closing down within a few months.

Personally, I write this blog, not to the masses, but to the elite.

The people to whom I'm talking to, the people who read what I have to say, are the tastemakers, are the trendsetters, are the social elite.

If you don't believe me...... then why is it that whenever I write something about a venue in Hollywood, within 24 hours I get an email from the venue owner(s)/partner(s) or their PR firm asking me why am I saying what I am saying about their establishment?

Again, what I am writing now and what I've been writing about since the beginning is the truth, and it is what a small select few have been saying and talking about for a while now. I was simply encouraged to step-up and speak on it.

The masses read this and ask why, and question, and get angry, and upset. While those in the know simply nod their heads in agreement and tell their friends about it.

Again, for those of you who are casual readers of what it is that I am saying....its ok to get upset, its ok to get angry, its ok to not fully understand why things are the way they are...certain things aren't for everybody.

Being exclusive is the only way to keep things going. Its the only way to control quality.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

East vs West



Well, it seems as though the battle for Hollywood's nightlife crown has almost come down to a battle between East vs West.

What I am referring to is the far eastside of Hollywood, against the far westside of Hollywood.

Beginning toward the end of this week, as well as next week (for sure) there will be several new venues opening up at the same time.

The biggest and most well known new comer is Drai's Hollywood on the far east side of Hollywood, located near Hollywood and Vine.

Now Drai's Hollywood will be a "new rooftop experience unlike any other", at least that's what they (meaning management and newly hired staff) keep telling everyone who will listen.

However, with so much hype and buzz around it, its going to be difficult to keep that energy going. I'm not trying to hate on the place at all, I've personally seen the space and it is beautiful, however what outsiders don't know (and by outsiders I am referring to those business owners that come in from outta town) is that 22,000 sq ft, rooftop spaces will not have a very long shelf life.

The reason why, is do in large part because the so-called trendsetters and tastemakers don't like venues that cater to the masses, and once everyone can get inside, then why should someone of taste go there?

XS is Vegas is great, if you are into crazy loud vacation drunkenness with random people from parts unknown. However, Los Angeles/Hollywood peeps don't roll like that dawg (sorry about that last line I just finish watching Training Day).

Those large venues are no different than Vangard, The Highlands (Hollywood & Highland complex), and Playhouse. Kress is another large venue with a rooftop view and a bunch of square footage, now look who parties there....a bunch of gangsters and hood rats from Chino, and Asians on Friday night.

While Drai's Hollywood has brought in their crew from Vegas, as well as hired a bunch (and I mean a bunch) of well known bottle service host (perhaps for their Hollywood table connections. They have a ton of people on the Drai's Hollywood payroll so it will be only a matter of time before the house music, jersey shore wearing, fist pumping yahoos come in and make it the most randomest place on earth (fuck Disney Land).

What makes it worst is that a bunch of low level Hollywood promoters (you know the guys with the 4,000 facebook friends), they are the biggest followers ever, so what they will soon be doing is sucking up and kissing the asses of people who work there in order to know feel proud to tell everyone that they now have a night at Drai's Hollywood. So then it will be all over the place.

However, they will always be followers and never on the cutting edge to what is hot (by that I'm referring to the masses), so for those who are in the loop, we have nothing to worry about. Mass appeal isn't for everyone just the uninformed.

Drai's Hollywood's public grand opening will be Thursday March 11th. The venue will also be hosting various soft openings starting on March 5th - 10th, with E Entertainment's Oscar party Sunday March 7th.

Now, what else is opening on the westside is the old SBE Area spot which is now called: Industry (of which you can't miss it because they have basically wrote the name all over the place).

I have personally seen the space and again, I can't lie, it's quite nice. Inside looks amazing (and believe it or not, they have made the space smaller after the remodel).

Also, the membership only westside private club "SoHo House" will be opening Monday March 8th.

In addition to Brent Bolthouse's new lounge (directly across the street from the SoHo House) is set to open to the public (or for those who can get inside) Tuesday March 9th.

Now, I've seen all these venues (except SoHo House, I'm not a member) and I have formed my opinions, so now its time to form yours.

Take a look at these places for yourself...see what if what I am saying is true or not. You will see the truth.

What's scary is that this is the short list of things to open, there are plenty more venues opening in the next coming weeks.

My question to most of them is.....how are all of you guys going to make any money???

With the millions of dollars invested in these remodels and new venues, I'm not sure if any of you guys ever got the memo but people are spending LESS now-a-days....NOT MORE.

Oh well, best of luck to all of these new places. Many of you will not be around next year.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

There's only one



Now it is time to take a few little kiddies back to school.

I might have to pack a lunch for ya with orange wedge slices, peanut butter & jelly w/ the edges cut off, along with some fruit roll-ups, and a carpi sun pouch.

Because many in the Hollywood nightlife scene are (for lack of a better word) RATARDS. Not retards, but as in the movie the Hangover "ratards".

When a new venue opens, it is then (on the very first night that the doors open) that it is their GRAND OPENING!

Now there maybe a small friends & family soft opening so that the venue and test things out. However, there is only one Grand Opening.

Whenever I login to my Facebook account, I receive countless amounts of invites for "The Grand Opening of _____________________ (fill in the blank of any venue).

What's even more incredible is that its always a place that you have been going to for the past few months.

Then when you send them a message saying, "hey, how is this the grand opening even I've been going there every Tuesday night?".

Their reply, "Oh, this is the launch of the new Thursday night."

Whoa.....slow down there cowboy. Why don't you relax for a bit while I break it down for ya.

You see, it is a grand opening whenever a venue first opens its doors.

Now, I'm glad you and the local kids from your glee club finally are able to host a night for all the under aged girls to take photos at, but lets keep things in its proper perspective.

Run along and make this scene better, with less spam, and better people.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Come one, come all



This is how you begin fading out of the Hollywood nightlife scene sooner, rather than later.

When you begin to stay open more than a few nights a week.

Voyeur is now open 6 days a week.

Yeah, that's right six days.

So if you were unable to get in on a Thursday night, don't worry, there is always the following night, and the following night, and the following night.

The only night they are not open are Tuesday nights (however that could change at any moment).

R.I.P Voyeur nightclub in West Hollywood.

It is now only a matter of time before everyone and their mother begins posting Facebook photos stating how much fun they are having at Voyeur on _________________ (insert any night of the week here).

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Playboy Mansion Parties



Fact: If you are attending Playboy Mansion parties at this point in time, you my friend are a loser.

The people who attend Playboy Mansion parties are washed up under-aged girls, who wanted all their lives to be in Playboy, or Brett Michael's "Rock of Love" VH1 show; but were rejected from both.

But, for the most part, its a bunch of middle-aged men from Orange County who had to pay $2,000 or more to attend, or a bunch of random Hollywood nightclub promoters thinking that they are cool because they are now at the Playboy Mansion.

If you were attending the Playboy Mansion parties in the early 80's or 90's, then it was a wild and crazy time. Now a days, its just a place where washed up has-beens go to feel like they have made it, or will be getting laid at some point of the evening.

The truth is fellas is that you will get fucked, but you won't be getting laid.

Let me explain: you just got fucked out of your money for showing up, but you will not be having sex in the pool or else where. Got it?

If you would like to meet a guy (and his buddies) who are in their mid 40's and 50's, who like to wear Affliction, and pointy boots with jewels on their belt buckles, then this is the place you wanna be.

And, if you would like to meet a few under-aged (or over the hill, washed up housewife) who wears a ton of makeup and bronzer, with a ton of hair extensions and almost no clothes on....then bring on the coke and let the good times roll partner :)

For all that money you just paid, the party still ends at 2am...not different than a typical club in Hollywood.

If this is your scene then by all means, have fun and enjoy.

However, for those of us who are in the know....this place and scene is straight up wack.

This is my last post, until my next post.

No, not you?



What happened?

You were once the crown jewel of the nightlife scene.

A place with style and grace.

A classic, timeless venue.

A place that was uberly exclusive.

A place that was "the house of cool".

I understand in this current economy things are tight for some, even for most...but I must continue to ask you....what happened?

It use to be almost impossible for people to get enter through the doors.

For most people, you were only a myth.

You were a place talked about by many, but seen by only a select few.

Oh, how I loved your tight door policy.

Oh, how I loved walking through the sea of people at 1 a.m., and simply walked through the velvet ropes without waiting a single second.

Now you had to drop the standards down to the ground.

Now everyone walks right inside.

How did Monday nights destroy you?

For those of you that have no idea what I'm talking about....I'm talking about "How Monday nights have devalued one of the Hollywood nightlife classics....Teddy's.

Monday nights at Teddy's are for all the people that can't get inside on Friday nights.

They should honestly re-brand Monday nights as: General Admission Modays @ Teddy's.

They have over 20 random nightlife pseudo promoters on Monday night, that I was at a party on Saturday night and this over-weight kid, sporting a cotton knit blazer mentions to me that he "promotes Monday nights at Teddy's"; to which I say oh really?

So you must know that guy of there in the corner with the hat on, right (the guy I'm pointing out was the director of promotion for all the west coast Thompson Hotel properties)?

His reply was, "Nope. I've never seen him before in my life". Super.

There was no need to continue that conversation any further.

What's sad is that Teddy's holds about 250 people. That's really not that big.

Teddy's still has Friday nights going for them.

Last Friday night there was a lot of fame, as well as hipsters/scenesters who are dead broke.

Friday night, while I was talking to Rev Run's daughters at one table, Kelly Osbourne was at the next table, while the cast from Entourage was at the table across from us, and the model who is currently on the cover "V" magazine with her crew of size 2 friends (why is it that all models smoke and drink cocktails, btw?).

What makes the Friday night so great is that you have trust-fund babies, and starving artist who are sneaking in brown paper bags of whiskey, and Jack Daniels in their jackets. So you have some girls drinking $15 glasses of wine and some writer/poet/actor kid drinking out of a brown paper bag, having a long conversation.

The music ranges from 60's to 80's, from 90's hip-hop to soul and rare grooves.

If Mondays were good, I wouldn't be writing this...however, since Mondays look like I were at Crown Bar, then I just had to say something.

Again, don't take my word for it on this one...go to both nights and see what I'm talking about for yourself.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Facebook Promoters + the LA Nightlife Scene



Which came first, to many nightlife venues or to many random club promoters?

With the steady growth of online social networks, it is amazing to see the endless number of random club promoters.

Does Facebook help or hurt the current nightlife climate?

I don't know about you but there sure is an explosion, as of late with Facebook friend requests and Facebook event invites.

More and more you begin to receive friend request from people whom you don't know requesting to add you because you either live in a certain area or, perhaps they saw you in a friend's group picture and liked what they saw so they wanted to "collect you", in a weird sorta way.

After you add them, you begin to receive endless amounts of mass messages, event invites and fan page requests (great, they must have been reading my mind...how did they know I wanted to go to PlayHouse tonight).

At any rate, it probably wouldn't be so bad if it only happened every once in a while. But everytime you log in to your Facebook account you receive "unbelievable" amounts of messages, wall post and event invites (daily).

If its someone you know, you probably don't think much of it. When its a random name of someone whom you don't know, for some random place you normally don't go to...then its time to change things.

Attn random club promoter: Friending a hundred, or a thousand, or two thousand people on Facebook might be good for your ego but it has zero to do with any useful measure of success.

So please stop with the zillions of event invites!

For those of you that are reading this, who live outside of Los Angeles, its important to note that, Los Angeles is different then most other cities.

The reason why people find it difficult to meet or interact in Los Angeles is that unlike New York or Chicago or Miami, you don't really bump into people. People go from their apartment, to their underground parking garage, to their office elevator, to their cubicle and you're not interacting. L.A. is structured to isolate people.

So that is why (in my opinion) most of these promoters stay online all the time because they are not out meeting people, because that requires hard work (oh, did just say that?).

You can have over 4,000 Facebook friends but if they don't know you, it doesn't mean a damn thing. Except you just wasted a bunch of time adding a bunch of random people.

Which leads me to my next point....if there wasn't so many venues would Joe Blow with 1,000 Facebook friends really need to keep spamming people to come to your wack ass place?

I'm just saying!

So, enough with me ranting and raving.

I'm just losing my mind with all of these countless numbers of FB (Facebook) friend request and event invites from a ton of randoms from all over.

When"Gym, Tan Laundry" starts sending you FB friend request then you know that your time on that site is about to come to a close.

Its almost starting to remind me of MySpace; remember when tons of fake profiles started to invade that site????

I'm just saying.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Great Place to Visit



So, last night I met up with old friends at Cube (which is a small restaurant on La Brea, right below Melrose Ave).

We had dinner and after-wards are plan was to head over to this Hollywood nightlife spot.

As we were waiting for valet to bring our cars around, we noticed this place called Tar Pit Bar so we decided to peak our heads in to see what this place was all about.....WOW!!!!

First of all, I believe this place is a restaurant with a bar, however, the bar area was packed, and the surrounding outskirts area of the bar was full as well. The inside of this place looks like a combination of the old FOXTAIL lounge/restaurant and EAST lounge/restaurant. Everyone was extremely well dressed and the vibe there was extremely cool. So, needless to say we stayed there and grabbed a few drinks at the bar.

We had such a great time there that we skipped our original plans and just stayed there until 1:30am.

Now, even though the name of this place is called "Tar Pit Bar" it is more of a restaurant. Drinks were $12 and up, but the staff is super chill and our bartender comp'd us the last round of drinks (that fuck pretty fuckin dope on his part).

I am not being paid to say this, and you guys know how much I bash most places...but this spot is really cool.

It is not a real Hollywood type place, but the inside looks amazing and the bar area was cool. I didn't eat there so I can't say anything about the food, but try it and let me know if it's any good.

I say stop by there and check it out.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Dial "W" for..Whatever



So, I just came back from a meeting at the new W Hotel in Hollywood.

What's great was that I was able to walk around and see how it was laid out and what the plans are going to be moving forward.

I'm here to tell you that it really isn't that special in my opinion.

The group in charge of the restaurants and bars, do a great job at all of their other establishments (Boa, Sushi Roku, and Katana) so I'm sure that Delphine and The Station will be fine as well.

However, I'm still not sure what all the hype is all about.

In terms of the night life there, "The Living Room" is suppose to be the hard to get into place and they have a really smart guy whom I respect running it there. But honestly, how long will that last as new places keep popping up, and up and up???

What's really crazy is the people who are heading up Drai's in Hollywood at the W.

They want Drai's Hollywood to be one of the most exclusive places, that will be hard to get into.....which is fine, but the place will be able to hold nearly 1,000 people.

Here is a hint: the average Hollywood nightclub holds any where between: 500 - 600 people; so 1,000 people will be about twice as many people as the average club in Hollywood.

Then they would like for it to be like XS is in Las Vegas. Now if you haven't been to XS in Lass Vegas, the Wynn Group & Victor Drai truly did an outstanding job there. XS the place is one of the best looking places in the world. XS features a huge dance floor, two floor cabanas, an amazing standing pool, with gambling tables in the center, and its an outdoor and indoor venue.

Now they would like Drai's Hollywood to be, modeled in the same fashion (indoor/outdoor pool, dance floor, and a place where anything goes) but you can't do that and be exclusive. You have to open the doors to everyone. Will it be another PlayHouse?

So, soon they will be receiving a huge reality check....and what they will discover is that Hollywood ain't Vegas.

But then again, what do I know.

I just try to speak the truth, and sometimes that rubs people the wrong way.

Oh well.

This will be my last post, until my next post.

Parking in the City



So, I ventured into Hollywood & West Hollywood last weekend (specifically on a Saturday night).

And its pretty much official...weekends in Hollywood & West Hollywood are the worst!!!

Aside from the general population invading the area in mass numbers, the real issue is the parking situation(s).

Parking pretty much kills the night.

What I've found is that if you do decide to go out in Hollywood/West Hollywood to party on a Saturday night, you have to either pick one location to party and have a good time, or your night will be wasted on trying to find parking or handing over $20 to park or valet.

What's really cute is the fact that the city of Los Angeles feels the need to continue citing more and more people for parking tickets. Changing the metered parking hours later and later; so that if you do park at a meter you have to continue to pay for it, up until 11pm or even midnight. Then if you don't move your car by 3am your car will be towed away.

Thanks mayor Antonio.

This is why it is always better to go out during a weekday night (i.e., Monday - Wednesday). Parking is always easier to find, traffic is much lighter, and every 19 and 20 year old isn't out trying to use their brother or sister's ID at the local hot spot.

On another note, most of the places me and my friends went to wasn't anything to write home about anyway.

Sometimes Saturday nights are better for staying at home and hanging out with your close friends, rather than in a loud ass nightclub listening to the Black Eyed Peas 15 times a night.

This is my last post, until my next post.

Size Matters



In today's economy, with these large scale venues blooding money; what do some of these owners do? Buy & build even bigger places.

Yay!!!!

Because that's what the scene needs. More money hungry bottle service clubs, filled with weekend warriors, skanks and douche bags.

Doing things like this, only allows for the terrorist to win.

Thanks a lot Bin Laden!

Here are a list of new venues hitting the Hollywood night life scene within the next few months:

Hemingway's (Hollywood)

From the guys who brought you PlayHouse, comes a venue so large that they will be splitting it up into two different clubs (great, you guys most have been reading my mind. Its so funny, because when I woke up today I thought to myself...."man, I wish there was a club that could be split into two clubs"). Thanks Muse Life Style Group :)

The dance destination known as Ivar will turn into two venues, with half becoming a 1930s Paris-style saloon. Hemingway's Hollywood, coming soon.

Supperclub (Hollywood)

Supperclub at the Vogue Theater, a forthcoming 17,000-square-foot restaurant/nightclub inside a historic building (the long-vacant Vogue Theater at 6675 Hollywood Blvd.), is actually part of an international chain called Supperclub.

Nice, a 17,000 square-foot night club. Nothing says,"hey, lets get to know each other a little bit better than a 17k sq ft, dark space with loud music and over priced drinks. I honestly cannot wait to wait in a super long line and pay my cover charge there. I wonder if I can send it to them now via PayPal?

The renovation of the Vogue Theater into the circus-like Supperclub is almost ready for its close-up. Planning for a March opening, the space will pair dominatrixes with midgets on bicycles. Dominatrixes and midgets (or little people if you wanna get PC) on bikes. I'm almost 100% sure there will be drug dealers there to get your mind in the proper state to deal with that kinda action :)

Drai's (Hollywood)

If you have been to my man, Victor Drai's place in Vegas then get ready for the Hollywood edition. Drai's in Vegas is a straight up drug den with house music playing until 9am. Do you think that could work in Hollywood?

At any rate, along with the opening of the W Hotel Hollywood comes its buzzed-about rooftop club. Big, loud, house music, love fest, that will end around 2am. Welcome to Los Angeles homie. Things here close at 2am (1:45ish.....but who's counting). Most after-hour spots tend to slow down by 3:15am anyway.

The venue formerly known as Vanguard Hollywood

Jordan Buky (All Points owner & managing partner)-- will take over the behemoth dance club Vanguard on Jan. 1, close it in March or April and most likely reopen it by Halloween.

I don't know about you,but I cannot wait for the next super massive, loud club, with a bunch of tables for bottle service, playing KIIS FM's greatest hits/Now That's What I Call Music Volume 23, filled with reality stars, with TMZ out front, along with the weekend warriors and a bunch of guys out front towards the end of the night, either handing me a flyer (that I will let slip out of my hand on to the ground), or staying out front parking lot pimpin, because they have no game and live at home with their mommas and are broke with a net worth of nothing...except for their Wii & X-Box collections :)

Don't you think that these club owners would get the hint that in this current economy, building a bigger club isn't a great investment? That their current big clubs aren't filling up because no one likes them????

Now, there are a few newer smaller type venues hitting the scene as well:

Mignon (Downtown LA)

This place will only hold 40 people. That that for what its worth.

Premiere

I've already told you about this spot, but here is a refresher course.

Vinny Laresca of Villa fame has plans to transform Central into a dinner and theater type of joint. It should open in May/June.

MyStudio

After MyHouse, David Judaken is turning his former club Mood into MyStudio, a small dance den meant to evoke New York City. Dodd Mitchell (designer of MyHouse, Teddy's and East) is designing the space set to open by March/April.

Surly Goat

This place is open now. It's the old 24k spot. Right next to Voyeur, so more than likely you will be seeing everyone that can't get into Voyeur on Saturday nights hang out there for most of the night. Its a beer & wine bar, specializing in obscure brews.. No door guys, just someone checking IDs.

So there you have it.

This will be my last post, until my next post!

Death of a Dynasty



"Is Bottle Service the reason why, the nightlife scene sucks balls?"

The scene is the same thing that happens every weekend in Hollywood & West Hollywood.

Sometimes it resembles a better-dressed version of Mardi Gras.

Girls with flat-ironed flaxen hair, wearing glittery tops and tight jeans, totter on their high heels from one velvet rope to another. The clubs all have exotic names like, Ecco, Wonderland, Haute, PlayHouse, Janes House, Marbella, Empire, MI-6 and offer the promise of opulence and intrigue once inside.

The reality is far less interesting.

Inside, the clone-like crowds come to party the only way they know how—the way they learned from watching hip-hop videos. They stand on the little booths and shake and shimmy, hoisting bottles of vodka—priced 1,000 percent over what you'd pay in a store—over their heads. As some Jay-Z song plays over the speakers, for a minute, they are Bling. They feel fabulous. And then they order another $300 round.

Bottle service gained popularity in the early '90s as a complimentary service offered to VIPs and moneyed clientele.

Bottle service today, though, entails a customer buying a normal bottle of liquor vodka or champagne, usually—for $150 to $500 (if not more), served with a mélange of mixers and a booth to sit in for the duration of the night.

As club owners quickly figured out, everyone wanted to be a VIP, or at least feel like one. Bottle service was an easy and very financially sound means of achieving mutual happiness for both the club and the clientele.

Now a days, if you go from one bottle service club to another, you will notice how hard it is to distinguish one from another just based on the music.

There is almost no new music introduced at these clubs that you couldn't already hear on the radio. Crowds just want the hits (que in the Black Eyed Peas now).

Bottle service clubs are like the Wal-Marts of the music world.

Here is the formula that club owners would like for you to follow: You go, you get a table, you get a bottle, and that's it? People-watch? And for $500 a bottle?

People who know what a good night out is, who aren't going to be hoodwinked by, like, 'Oh, I got into __________ (fill in the blank with a random club name here), I must be cool!

Slowly, there is a new movement happening soon. Why?

Because the people want it, and the scene needs it!

This will be my last post, until my next post.

No One on the Corner has...



"You can pay for school, but you can't buy class" - Jay-Z

Fresh off of my rant from yesterday, I wanted to show you a prime example of those who buy their way into "cool".

Ok, so Brent Bolthouse used to be a pretty big deal back in the day.

His events and weekly clubs were the place to be, and be seen.

Do you recall in my last blog post "Why-Y-Why", where I stated that if you and your friends walk up to the door person and they don't know you then its probably not going to happen for you and bottle service maybe your only way in.

Well, lets just say that was the case for Mr Sam Nazarian.

So what does he do? He decided to BUY his coolness or his way into the Hollywood nightlife scene.

I just finish reading a 2006 Los Angeles Times newspaper article (entitled: The King of Clubs by Steve Baltin) on how Sam partnered up with Brent Bolthouse to take over the Los Angeles nightlife scene. lol

Here is one of my favorite quotes, I'm going to copy & paste it here:

As a clubgoer in L.A., Nazarian was well aware of the Bolthouse mystique. "Growing up in L.A., obviously the Bolthouse brand is a huge brand," Nazarian says. "I remember nights I was outside Las Palmas and waited an hour. I had never really spoken to Brent; the first time we really spoke was at his club [Body English] in Vegas, but obviously you understand that the following's huge. That I knew."

Did you catch that part?

The part about "waiting outside for an hour".

Here you have a pretty successful guy, with enough money to buy the place, standing outside for hours. Why? Because he ain't cool.

Because he doesn't fit in. Because he heard that this is where the cool kids like to party and he wants to be a part of it.

Sorry, pal. Get in line and pay. Tables start at $2,000 dork.

Then Nazarian had to stalk Bolthouse in Vegas and offered to buy his coolness.

Nazarian thought that he's part of the "in crowd" and now he's "cool".

This just goes to show you that, sometimes you just can't buy cool.

Sam came in and bought Brent Bolthouse out and neither one of them have been successful since. Why?

Well, you cannot force big corporate, money making idealogies on tastemakers & influencers. Its not exclusive and its not cool.

The fallout of that partnership is this:

Sam Nazarian's vision of hiring all the "young promoters in town" to be taught by Brent Bolthouse didn't work. They ended up firing all of them once their contracts were over.

Bolthouse and SBE are not in partnership anymore.

Bolthouse's name is not a big draw anymore in the nightlife scene (ask the Saturday night PlayHouse guys about that experiment).

Bolthouse has moved on to 944 Magazine (which is a great read by the way....lol).

And, Sam Nazarian's businesses aren't so hot (when was the last time anyone went to XIV to eat,or to Hyde Lounge on Sunset, or stayed at the SLS Hotel?).

Here is another quote from the newspaper article:

"We see the bankers who come in from Wall Street and they're like, 'OK, the deal is great. But let's go out. We want to see Paris Hilton,' " Nazarian says. "It's pretty powerful to be able to have [those] relationships with celebrities."

Yeah, because I'm sure that the celebs and hipsters want to hangout and party with middle aged guys from investment firms.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the influencers are a lot less impressed with average stuff for average people.

There are just certain things that your money just can't buy!

When you try paying your way in, and you start selling out, your run will not last long.

This is my last post, until my next post.

Why-Y-Why?



Why?

That is such an important question.

I truly believe that the more you ask the question "why", you begin to get to the root and/or bottom of any and everything.

Why is it that, if I say something that is perceived to be negative about a venue, I will receive negative comments or statements about my remarks? However, once I show that my comments are valid, based on the fact that reviews by complete strangers echo a similar tone with a much more critical eye; no one says a word?

Then, I began reading over everything that I have blogged about since the beginning. I started from the bottom and read all the up to my most recent post.

What I discovered was that, in the beginning I truly was writing from the heart, I wasn't writing to please or humor anyone....well, perhaps I was. The person whom I was trying to please and humor was myself.

Then, I began to get emails, and more emails, and more. The more I began to see just how many people responded to the things that I had written, then it made me fully aware that people were reading and that people really cared, and wanted to hear what I had to say next.

By this time the tone of my blogs began to change. I began to try to be honest, yet at the same time try and entertain.

I wanted to tell everyone what I've witnessed first hand; from conversations with nightclub owners, GMs, and promoters in Hollywood.

I wanted to let the world know why, some people get into certain places and others simply don't.

Why most Hollywood venues come and go. What really happens at Hollywood after-parties, and what happens after the after-parties (btw, the blog post "Walk of Shame" is a true story).

Why is it, that this blog has become so popular with some and hated by others?

What I was able to figure out is that I simply told the truth and spoke from the heart.

Personally, I don't care for large Hollywood nightclubs, they remind me of Vegas. If you've been to Vegas its fun for a day or so, but not every night.

You see, in Vegas they just line everyone up...and make them pay. You don't feel a sense of belonging or a connection in anyway to anything.

I have always believed that the cool Hollywood scene was a lot less impressed with AVERAGE stuff for AVERAGE people, and the cool kids who are usually in the know, are also a lot less impressed with loud, flashy, big venues.

I had posted something before entitled "Quality vs Quantity". All the super mass texting & BBMing is kinda lame. What many of these so-called promoters do is group all the names (i.e., all of the Kim's & Kimberely's in one group), so when they send out a text the says "Hey Kim, what are you doing tonight?" that just went out to a group of 30 - 40 Kim's. Great, right?

Someone who has been in the Hollywood nightlife scene for quite sometime now, David Schneider who once said, "once venues become to large, quality goes right out the window".

The nightlife scene has really taken nose dives with the birth of Facebook. I mean, everyday you log into Facebook you will receive well over 10 event invites a day.

So what hurts the scene is every person with over 1,000 Facebook friends thinks that they are promoters; pushing and directing random people to random places.

Then you have many of these so-called promoters battling each other to gain more Facebook friends. I mean, do you really need 5,000+ Facebook friends???

Some of the greats in the nightlife game never needed 5,000 people whom they don't know to fill up a venue, to have a great time.

Johnny Zander one of the creators of the original "Green Door" on Ivar, to this day doesn't have a twitter or huge Facebook following, yet he is opening something that people will be talking about for quite sometime very soon.

Green Door had a great little run for over a year with just 5 people running it. Each guy would host their own night, then collectively they would all host things together. People came there because they knew the guys personally, not from some Facebook random friend request.

People want connection and growth and something new.

The status quo is wack. And that is what you get at most places.

Mondays at The Bronson Bar has been going on for over four years, and is a great spot to hang out and meet quality peeps. Why? Quality control is the key.

I wrote something a few days back about a really nice Wednesday night spot in Hollywood, but I know that the worst thing I could do is blast it for all to come and post it on their twitter and Facebook status updates.

Venues open & close quickly because once the general public finds out about something....its pretty much over and done for...and the clock begins ticking.

I believe that's why the owners of the Roger Room did not want any press about their venue. The people who are in the know, already know.

I look back at why I started this blog and again, its was because one of my dear friends had been telling me for the longest time to write about what you see when you go out, because you have a way of capturing the essence of the scene (special thank you to him for those words to keep pushing me to do this).

However, I'm now only writing this blog for the tiny few that want to hear about quality over quantity.

So, no more bashing wack venues just for shits and giggles. These venues are bad because they don't have the consumer in mind when they are designing them, they only have their bottom line (aka $$$) in mind which leads to them being in business for 3 - 9 months.

Bottle service and paying covers are for lame-o's & posers.

Bottle service was a way to protect those who are so-called "cool" and "in the know", while those who aren't have to buy bottles in order to be with the cool kids & scensters.

"You can pay for school, but you can't buy class" - Jay-Z

Again, if you walk up to a spot in Hollywood, and the door person doesn't know you and you don't know them, then you and your friends are not the right kind of people and bottle service is your way in tourists.

So this is my last blog post, until my next blog post (get it).

And why do I have a picture of a lady with her boobs out? I had to grab your attention somehow. Did it work?

Geez, Really?

It never fails.

Once I write something about a venue someone from the venue has to email me and argue over what I said.

Ok, I get it.

You believe that I have a personal beef, or an issue with you and your establishment.

Well, I am here to tell you that nothing could be further from the truth.

And to prove it to all you venue owners and managers, I'm going to let the people tell you what they think of your establishment(s).

After all, these are the people who help keep your lights on and help with those high mortgage payments of yours.

So, if you click on each picture of each venue, you will then see what real people have to say about your place of business.

Honesty is so refreshing. LMFAO.....LOL.



Notice the rating(s)



Again, these are not my words.



Here is a newer venue in West Hollywood.



Wow, that had to hurt a little.



So as you can see, I didn't write these things...the people did.

So, when I say that certain places are hot, and others are not, I'm not just making these things up.

For example.

Listen to what people have to say about this hot Friday night spot:



I rest my case