A Melting Pot of Sounds at the Alpine Inn

Tucked away in a nondescript region of Torrance is a quirky European mini-vacationland called Alpine Village, where guests can sample “Bavarian Hospitality at Its Best.” Think Solvang, on a smaller, German scale. Highlights of the 36-year-old pseudo-village include a beer garden, wedding chapel and plenty of Frauleins in dirndl dresses serving vast amounts of home brew and Wiener schnitzel.

Within this colorful complex of kitsch is a spacious dining, dancing and live music hall called the Alpine Inn. Over the years, the inn has taken on numerous personas, some more surprising than others. In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, it was called the Barn and such punk bands as the Dead Kennedys, the Angry Samoans and T.S.O.L. performed on its large stage. Although recent years have included periodic visits from hard-rock and alternative acts, the inn’s current music focus is a little on the lighter side, but no less varied. You might expect a lot of oom-pah bands, but in fact the dominant favorites are country, swing, hip-hop and contemporary cover bands.

Tuesdays through Thursdays, guests receive free dance lessons from 7 to 8 p.m.--from the country two-step to the butterfly, a current hip-hop staple. Mondays and Fridays are usually reserved for big-band music and Saturdays and Sundays feature continental music, which folks can jitterbug and waltz to until 1:30 a.m. Add to the Americana music mix such upcoming celebrations as the Austrian Festival (July 21), a Polynesian luau (Aug. 3) and Polish-American Day (Aug. 11), and you’ve definitely got a cross-cultural goulash.

* Alpine Inn at Alpine Village, 833 W. Torrance Blvd., Torrance. All ages, no cover. (310) 323-6520.

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Club Buzz: Nightclub promoters Manny X and Eddie X, known for such dance club staples as the weekly Temple and Pump and the annual Halloween Ball, have scheduled their “Heroes II” benefit event for Saturday and Sunday, paying tribute to the godfather of house music, deejay Frankie Knuckles. Knuckles, who will perform Saturday at the Diamond Club and will be honored the following night at the El Rey Theatre, has worked with artists such as Michael Jackson and Michael Bolton and is the resident deejay of the Sound Factory in New York. Proceeds go to the Pedro Zamora HIV Youth Clinic at the Gay and Lesbian Center of Los Angeles.

Information: (213) 650-3038.