Club Review : Bob’s Is Close to Hipster Heaven

Once Bob’s Frolic III works out a few kinks, the new Hollywood club is going to make some local bands, as well as local scenesters, happy.

Open since April 1, the tiny (capacity: 85) club offers its stage to about 18 rock and blues acts from Tuesday through Saturday. The first order of business is to get the sound system up to snuff, and the second is to hire another bartender. On a recent night, the line at the bar was three people deep.

In addition, the stage is a mere inch higher than the floor, so unless you’re particularly tall you might miss the band altogether. A show last week by the alternative band Loungefly was audible but not very visible.

But the club (one of three Frolic Rooms around Hollywood) has its strong points too. It’s similar in spirit to the now-defunct Central--dingy and unglamorous, and therefore relaxing and low-key. It’s clearly a club that’s about the music--primarily the local scene--and it even offers some aural surprises away from the stage.

From Madonna’s “Borderline” to the Sex Pistols’ “Submission,” the jukebox keeps the between-sets music unpredictable and amusing. The fact that you might also get an earful of the Beach Boys or Julio Iglesias, coupled with the backroom’s three billiard tables, explains in part why the Frolic III is beginning to resemble hipster heaven.

* Bob’s Frolic III, 6202 Santa Monica Blvd. Enter from El Centro . (213) 463-0827 . Cover varies, free parking at strip mall on southeast corner of Santa Monica and Vine.