NIGHT MOVES : Kingston 12: An Island of Jamaican Reggae in Santa Monica

On a small stage the Jamaican band Meditations is playing a polyrhythmic version of “What the World Needs Now Is Love.” The crowd is on its feet. Everyone from youngsters to people in their 50s and 60s are dancing--alone, in couples, in packs.

Jamaicans in dreadlocks bounce on the soles of their feet. Surfers dance in a group, each holding a beer. Couples hold hands and sway. Even the few people sitting at the bar keep time with their hands and feet.

Two girls in acid-washed denim and bulky Tiffany-inspired sweaters giggle as they check out the Meditations’ keyboardist. “God, he’s sooo cute ,” one squeals, as they plunge into the crowd on the floor.

It’s Sunday night at Kingston 12, L.A.’s only nightclub with full-time reggae entertainment. Since opening in 1985, the Kingston 12 has become a haven for reggae fans whose only chance to hear live music was an infrequent concert by touring groups.

“We keep the atmosphere comfortable, casual,” proprietor Barry O’Brien said. “We get a real cross section of people: black, white, Japanese, Chinese. All are comfortable here.”

O’Brien, whose soft voice retains echoes of a childhood in Kingston, had been an accountant for 20th Century Fox when he first tried his hand at concert promotion. The response led him to open Kingston 12, and word quickly spread among reggae fans that it was the place to hear both live and recorded music straight from the Jamaican charts.

Two house bands are now in residence: Soundsplash on Thursdays and Sundays and Jah Maka Inc. on Fridays and Saturdays. The cover charge varies, but it’s generally $7 ($10 on weekend nights). Thursdays are always Red Stripe nights, when cans of the Jamaican beer are on special.

Once a month O’Brien books an internationally known act like the Meditations. Past guests have included Freddie MacGregor, Matabaruka and the Diamonds; cover varies for these special shows.

The room itself is spacious but still retains the cozy feel of a darkened den. Over the main bar portraits of Bob Marley and Peter Tosh flank a hammered-steel sign spelling out the name of the club. A smaller dance floor, with capacity for about a dozen people, is tucked away by the deejay booth.

An informal restaurant area, against the far wall, will begin serving lunch and dinner next month. “We’ll have Jamaican curry, jerk chicken, fresh seafood,” O’Brien said, “and we’ll keep it moderately priced.” At that time, he said, the management hopes to drop the minimum age to 18. (Because the Kingston 12 now serves liquor but not food, the minimum age is 21, strictly enforced.)

If there’s been one obstacle to Kingston 12’s success, O’Brien said, it’s that word of the club hasn’t spread beyond L.A.’s reggae community. “You go to reggae concerts, you see the same faces,” he said. “But we simply haven’t been able to get into the mainstream media. We want to reach out to the new people, let them know they’re welcome.”

It may be happening now. After being on the fringes of Top 40 for years, reggae has now made it onto MTV in the person of young Ziggy Marley, who is reaching a teen-age audience that may never have heard of his parents, reggae superstars Bob and Rita Marley. But O’Brien thinks Angelenos are more attracted by live sounds: “In California the thing is the band. In Jamaica the thing is recorded music.”

(P.S.: Why Kingston 12? Well, Kingston is self-explanatory, and 12, according to O’Brien, is a reference to a part of that city called Trenchtown. Considering that Los Angeles is now home to clubs with names like Lectisternium and White Trash au Go-Go, it all seems quite reasonable.)

Kingston 12, 814 Broadway (at Lincoln Boulevard), Santa Monica. (213) 451-4423. Cover: $7-$10 and up. Nightly, 8 to 2 a.m. Closed Mondays.