Long Beach Joint Is Jumpin’ With Blues

If blues is your thing and you don’t mind traveling to hear it in an element that can inspire a blues song or two of its own, venture out to the Hillside along the Long Beach border in Signal Hill.

On a stretch of Pacific Coast Highway that’s nowhere near the ocean, look for the huge, lighted sign boldly stating “The Hillside--Dancing” and the dozens of road hogs out front.

Those motorcycles don’t belong to RUBs (Rich Urban Bikers), either. This is a roadhouse, smack in Southern California’s coastal sprawl, that features mostly live, local blues acts and an occasional hard-rock band. The 3,000-square-foot joint opened its doors in 1937 and has been rockin’ ever since, courtesy of the original owners.

It’s not a pretty place. Sometimes you need to watch where you walk in the restrooms. The nearest public phone is on the other side of the entrance, on the street corner, and the doorman advises to “yell loudly and kick hard if there are any problems.” But there’s plenty of fun for cheap here and there’s no attitude being dished.

There’s a cover charge only on Friday and Saturday nights and it’s never more than $4. Drinks are reasonable, too. Beer is king here, especially domestic in a long neck ($2.75) or in pitchers ($4.75)--the two imports, Corona and Heineken ($3.75), are rarely seen. Well drinks are $3 and calls go up to $4.

But the main attraction is the live music coming from the worn-out stage. At a bar surrounding it, blues fans vie for a chance to sit up close while sucking down cold ones and bopping their heads to the beat.

Even more worn is the parquet dance floor, partially covered in the front with cocktail tables. When the band kicks in, that dance floor gets clogged with dancers of all styles, but it’s the East Coast swingers who dominate. Mostly young couples clad in pre-’60s garb, their routines are at times as exciting as the band.

On the topic of attire, the key is to dress down as much as possible. If you’re seeking a theme, consider the ZZ Top video vixen look or wear anything with the Harley Davidson logo. If the dancing and the music don’t entertain you, people-watching will. The Hillside attracts a mixed bunch: the college-aged alternative crew, bikers, senior citizens, and one too many cretins regurgitating the same tired lines to every woman who walks by (and we thought they only lingered in repeats of the “Love Boat”).

The crowd diversity peaks whenever resident band Whiteboy James and the Blues Express perform. Together four years, the band has made the Hillside its home in the last six months, playing just about every Friday and on scattered other nights throughout the month.

This band is worth any risk incurred by parking your car on a nearby street. James, in his signature head-to-toe black outfit (including trench coat and cockroach-killing cowboy boots), is hypnotic to watch. At least for a set. He looks somewhere in his 30s, sounds older, but comes in at only 25 young years. Singing standards from Chuck Berry to Sonny Boy Williams, his voice is reminiscent of another local musician, Phil Alvin of the Blasters. The five-piece Blues Express charges hard.

Of course, a place like this has a couple of pool tables, a wall of dart boards and a lone pinball machine.

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If your senses can take an evening of burlesque, garage, samba, polka and rockabilly selections from the ‘40s, ‘50s and ‘60s, check out the opening at 9 p.m. Sunday of Club Queso at the Lord Nelson in Laguna Beach (1464 S. Pacific Coast Highway).

Promoters Jackman & Jones promise an eclectic night filled with lounge lizards and ladies in boas and rhinestones. Bingo will be called by a guy in a light-blue tuxedo. Should be interesting.

There’s a $2 cover.

* THE HILLSIDE

* 3099 Pacific Coast Highway, Signal Hill.

* (310) 597-2354.

* Open daily, 10 a.m. to 2 a.m.

* Cover is $3-$4 on Fridays and Saturdays; no cover on other nights.