More Newport Than NYC, Ice Box Is Chill, Not Square

Club-goers who remember the disco-with-an-attitude NYC might have observed its closure last year with sadness or glee. Either way, those who have traveled Newport Boulevard recently have probably wondered when the building at 17th Street would re-open. The answer is now--and just in time for summer.

By day it’s Louie Louie’s, a restaurant serving Italian and American food. But at night, the tables get moved out and the deejay equipment moves in. And already, independent promoters have set up shop Thursday nights with a dance club called the Ice Box.

Promoters of the Ice Box are Louie Louie’s entertainment director, Robert (Bonzo) Painter, and Grant King, a fellow San Diego State alumnus. A third partner in the venture is Tony Cardullo of Taurus Enterprises in Huntington Beach.

Painter and King promote under the name Tic Toc Productions. Tic Toc has made its mark in San Diego over the past four years with huge clubs using such locales as Jack Murphy Stadium and the San Diego Sports Arena. With Painter back home in Newport Beach where he grew up, he says he wants to expand Tic Toc into a bi-county club operation.

Their goal, no doubt, is for the Ice Box to make your summer chill. The promoters are promising the same fare as was formerly offered at NYC, the club that inhabited the building summers before, without the attitude. If the past three weeks are any indicator, it could rank among the season’s best spots--so long as you care less about a cutting-edge scene than you do about having a swell time.

The crowd is totally Newport. Shorts are standard wear, as is anything exposing bronzed skin. Bleached tresses and little Lycra dresses also have mass appeal. Fortunately, the white pumps were left at home.

The Ice Box has also become a hang for those in the local action sports industry. That could partly be due to the involvement of Costa Mesa-based urban label Bleick, which co-sponsors the event along with Tic Toc and Taurus. Among the names spotted: Mossimo Giannulli and his posse, the boys from Uphoria and Heathyr Lawrence of Mantrap. Bleick co-owner Greg Hillman says the club provides him and his partners a place to party with those they grew up with.

The industry connection leads to the usual arguments at the door between bouncers and patrons insisting they’re on the guest list. That, the screaming conversations, the home-style decor (shelves of books, grandma-style knickknacks and old newspapers plastered on the ceiling) and the sounds blasting from the two dance rooms make the lobby a nightmare, so you’re advised to move on.

As of last week, the 1970s room still lacked a permanent deejay at the controls, making it almost impossible to get into the groove. Apparently different “designated” individuals go up whenever a song ends or they’re tired of the one playing. They’ll actually cut a song in the middle and ineptly switch to another. It might explain why folks stayed clear of the front room and headed to the rest of the club.

Between the dance rooms there’s a long narrow patio with plenty of seats and low lighting. Ideal for a breather or to chat without straining your vocal chords.

Deejay Daniel Park deserves much of the credit for making the Ice Box a hit. His playlist of house and pop is less than revolutionary, but the lack of elbow room on the dance floor proved it didn’t matter. To satisfy any discovites going through withdrawal, Park mixed in several oldies upon request.

In addition to recorded music, Painter promises to stage live acts such as local favorites the Shrinky Dinx, who played to a sold-out crowd opening night and will appear again on June 10. In the future expect the likes of such party bands as the Untouchables and former English Beat front man Dave Wakeling. Tonight, local bands Liquid Tree and Sol will perform. For those who haven’t yet experienced Sol’s funk, it draws from the twangy car chase tracks in ‘70s blaxploitation films and TV shows such as “Starsky and Hutch.” It’s what acid jazz would sound like without the hip-hop element. Good tunes to groove to, so check them out.

Those all danced-out can hit the game room--called Louie Land--for pool, pinball or a game at the electronic dart board.

A word of advice: Avoid placing your jacket or anything else you value on the floor, tables or counters; drinks are spilled often, and no one seems to bother mopping up through the night.

MORE CLUBS:

Main Street, 1460 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach. Open daily, noon to 2 a.m. No cover. (714) 494-0056. A Cheers-like atmosphere makes it hard to tell the strangers from the regulars at this piano bar, where many patrons are not only hip, they actually come after hours of partying at nearby nightclubs. The baby grand is the main attraction here, with pianists playing a range from show tunes to country and pop. There’s an early karaoke air when customers take to the microphone.

Duke’s at the Hyatt Newporter, 1107 Jamboree Road, Newport Beach. Wednesdays through Saturdays, 5 p.m. to 2 a.m.; Sundays 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. No cover. (714) 729-1234. A “How the West Was Fun” theme not only best fits the club’s namesake--John Wayne, who used to drink hereabouts--but also satisfies hunger for country music. Of course, these cowpokes look about as slick as the polished hardwood floor (this is Newport Beach, after all). But it’s a cordial, civilized group that doesn’t get miffed over a wrong drink order, and the scam level seems comfortably low. Drinks are pricey, however.

Pandemonium, at McCormick & Schmick’s, 2000 Main St., Irvine. Tuesday only, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. Cover: $5. (714) 756-0505. Pandemonium bombards the senses with loud, pulsating music, bright laser lights, mood-altering caffeinated or alcoholic drinks, and luxurious fabrics covering the walls and furniture. With deejays playing blocks of deep house, underground hip-hop and ‘70s disco and funk, the club rivals anything happening in O.C. on the weekends.

* THE ICE BOX

* At Louie Louie’s, 1670 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa.

* (714) 631-3663.

* Thursdays only, 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

* Cover: $5.