HOUSE DETECTIVE: The new House of Blues...

HOUSE DETECTIVE: The new House of Blues on the Sunset Strip is already earning kudos for its down-home music, but many people going to the club are angry about what they feel is a stuck-up attitude.

The scene outside the club for last week’s appearance by African guitarist Ali Farka Toure was marked by patrons screaming at the headset-wearing doormen, who were letting people in very slowly with no explanations about the delay. The furor escalated when the performance started, even though many who had arrived early still were not inside.

The hold-up, it was later explained, was due to the dinner-show setting of the event, as opposed to the open-floor format of most shows. Fans were seated party by party, a very slow process. One club official admitted that there are still a lot of “bugs” to be worked out for the club.

Upon leaving, many patrons were miffed once again about the wait to get their cars from the valet parking--more than an hour for some.

Pop Eye’s suggestion: Don’t use the valet. There’s parking at several hotels near the club, including self-parking at the Hyatt and valet at the Mondrian. But even for those, it’s a good idea to arrive early.