Fall Brings a Diversity of Arts: It’s Live, It’s New, It’s Local : Music: Top 40 fades as clubs discover that live bands attract a large, loyal following. Theme nights are also popular.

Less than six months ago, live music at Sasch meant Top 40. Now, managers Mark Yandle and Marlon Parry offer original rock ‘n’ roll six nights a week. The switch has been so popular, they say, that bands are lining up to play Sasch’s “An Evening With Mr. and Mrs. A&R;” on Wednesdays at the Studio City club.

“It’s better than we ever expected. Record A&R; scouts are actually showing up ,” said Yandle about attracting the industry’s “artist and repertoire” agents who sign bands to their company labels. “The exposure’s right here. We get as many as 35 cassettes a day from bands who want first crack at the night.”

Sasch is just one of about a dozen Valley clubs emphasizing live music this fall. Several new clubs--Toes Tavern and Club M--have also entered the scene with a mix of rock ‘n’ roll and international sounds. Many Valley clubs are offering theme or jam nights, expecting to draw accomplished musicians to their stages, club managers said.

At Sasch this fall, there will be more of the same with Peter Van Name, McCarthy, Bangalore Choir, Tattoo Theatre and Liars Club playing as much as possible. All shows begin at 9 p.m.; the club’s cover charge is $7.

Yandle said he also plans Alternative Night music for October. A specific night hasn’t been set, but Sunday looks the most promising for the music that will be similar to radio station KROQ’s format of exposing underground bands, he said.

“We know we’re doing something right. Rockers are hanging out here, checking out other bands,” Yandle said. “And members of Whitesnake, Warrant, Guns ‘N’ Roses and even Billy Idol have been coming around.”

Here’s a sample of what other Valley clubs have planned this fall.

Club M: Open since January, this Canoga Park venue is also showcasing hard-driving rock ‘n’ roll acts. Promoter Matt Smyronos has booked groups such as Split Image, Sweet Revenge and Stunt Road--bands that are also hitting Sasch and FM Station.

“There’s a great sound system here and a large stage. Rockers are so desperate for anywhere to play, especially in the Valley,” said Smyronos, whose Magic Rat Productions also does lighting for the Whiskey on Sunset Boulevard.

Right now, there’s a celebrity jam night on Tuesdays, with host band The Geniuses. Smyronos said he hopes to bring Lipswitch, Clyde, Shake City and Doors guitarist Robbie Krieger--who already performed there this summer--to the club soon.

Cover charges vary from $3 to $6, depending on the artist.

Iguana Cafe: “You definitely won’t find anything close to Top 40 here,” said owner Tom Ianniello about the North Hollywood hangout that more resembles a comfortable living room than a nightclub. “This place is about as eclectic as they come. I guess that’s because I’m not afraid of experimenting.”

Since Bebop Records in Reseda closed its doors in July, Iguana has become a haven for the artistically adventurous crowd. It’s open until 4 a.m., and there are fine art and jewelry exhibits.

At 10 p.m. on most Friday and Saturday nights, Iguana is dedicated to poetry or the spoken word, with writers reading their most recent works. It’s not unusual for Los Angeles performers such as Exene Cervenka or novelist Michael Blake to drop in and experiment with new music or written thoughts.

About midnight, the scene changes as the Xtet Jazz Ensemble takes over the stage with as many as nine musicians blowing avant-garde jazz. Weekdays, the lineup rotates from alternative rock and acoustic bands to jazz or poetry. Cover charges for most events range from $3 to $5, depending on the artist.

On Oct. 13, Iguana celebrates its first birthday with the poetry of Wrath, Uncle Don, Don Elwell and Susinn P. Duffy, followed by the folk-style songs of Japanese artist Hisao Shinagawa, the Rabbit Choir from Oakland, Brad Banyon and Third Door Down, a Chapman stick duo who use the string instrument for jazz and avant-garde arrangements.

The Palomino: At the North Hollywood club, Barn Dance night is as popular as ever. The Tuesday night event features some of the nation’s best traditional country music bands and performers and is hosted by Ronnie Mack.

On other nights, the Palomino offers rock, pop and some heavy metal bands.

“It’s surprising how we’ve grown the last two years. Especially since this is music that’s not supposed to be popular,” Mack said about the free concerts.

On Tuesday, there will be a release party for the videotape “Country Music Video Magazine.” The 60-minute video has a seven-minute Barn Dance segment that includes performances by Rosie Flores, Ray Campi, Jeffrey Steele, The Lonesome Strangers and Dale Watson, Mack said.

On Oct. 9, there’s All Rockabilly night, with Big Sandy & The Fly Rite Trio, Blue Hearts and the boogie-woogie piano of Herman Schmerdly (a k a actor Tom Willett of the NBC-TV sitcom “Dear John”).

On Oct. 23, a record release party for Big Jay McNeely’s “Welcome to California” is planned. Mack has also scheduled the Second Annual Gram Parsons Tribute Nov. 6 for the legendary founder of the International Submarine Band and The Flying Burrito Bros., who died in 1973 at 26.

Other nights at the club offer a solid supply of rock ‘n’ roll. This summer, owner Bill Thomas expanded with Heavy Metal night on Wednesdays, at which bands such as Creature and Every Mother’s Nightmare performed. Originally, it was set to run through September, but Thomas said he’s undecided about continuing it. Cover charges vary depending on the artist.

Toes Tavern: The Canoga Park club may not be on beachfront property, but it brings all the fun of surfboards, beer and lots of danceable music. The tavern offers acoustic and folk music by Gary Ballen on Wednesdays and Reggae Jam Night, with host band Native Sun, on Thursdays.

“We pull a good-sized college crowd,” owner John Stafford said. “They’re opened-minded, and so we’re booking more bands that play international music such as reggae, ska, world beat.”

Tonight the club hosts “A Benefit for the Surf Rider Foundation,” an international organization dedicated to preserving the coastal environment. Performing are the Real Gone Gassers, Urban Dread and Insect Surfers. The show, which is being recorded live for a possible future album, begins at 9:30 p.m. Tickets are $5.

On Sept. 28, Spence the Gardner plays music that’s reminiscent of a 1960s spy movie soundtrack. On Oct. 5, The Reggae Sun Splash Festival includes performances by Crucial DBC, Bread & Circus and, from Boston, Bop Harvey.

On Oct. 19, The Toes Classic Brews & Blues will be held, with Blue Shadows, a group of local rockabilly musicians that includes The Blasters’ Dave Alvin. The Formula One, a Haitian group, is scheduled to perform Nov. 19. Shows begin at 9:30 p.m.; there is no cover charge.

FM Station: Owner Filthy McNasty has been spotlighting rock bands for 15 years at the North Hollywood club and that’s not about to change, he said.

On a yet-to-be announced October date, the club will celebrate the release of “FM Station Live Vol. 1,” an album that offers performances by the best bands that competed in the club’s KNAC Pure Rock Search ’90 contest held over eight consecutive weeks during the summer. McNasty said bands included on the album are Mozart, Asphalt Ballet, Cold Shot and Mogg from Sweden.

The Station will continue Pure Rock Night every Tuesday, with shows beginning at 9 p.m. Tickets are $8.

Wednesdays will be called The Policemen’s Ball and be packed with surprises, McNasty said. Look for members from Poison, Warrant and rockers such as Eddie Money to jam under assumed names, he said.