You Have to Be Carded

Cat’s Outta Da Bag: Dr. Dre hosts a hip-hop club each Thursday night in downtown Los Angeles, but we couldn’t list it because it’s pretty darn exclusive. Seems you need to be a close personal friend of the Doc’s to get in and must be issued some sort of platinum “gold card” to prove you’ve been invited. . . . That crazy Villa Wahnsinn, a newish club in Panorama City loaded with European kitsch, is cooking up salsa on weekends and has just started booking live rock en espan~ol bands on Saturdays. Friday night offers a Latin dance party with a house band performing everything from Cuban-style salsa to disco.

Some Guys Have All the Luck: L.A. promoter and club owner Brent Bolthouse just returned from Cannes, where he was busy planning an upcoming film festival shindig for New Line Cinema, which will feature performances by War and the Pimp Daddies. Meanwhile back at his place, the Opium Den in Hollywood, a new dance night is scheduled to open March 28 called Buddah. The Zen-titled club was born out of frustration--seems the evening’s hosts, New York’s Next Model agency, was miffed it could never get any of its girls into the Sky Bar, so the company started its own L.A. club. Friday night deejay Sean Perry will remain at the helm. . . .

Guitarist Brian Setzer turned out for the opening of Sandsabar, the new Tuesday surf and rockabilly club at West L.A.’s the Gig. Setzer, who was with his five months pregnant wife, performed with the Blue Hawaiians and promises to return with ax in hand in the future. . . . Good ska night coming up at the Viper Room on Sunday, with Yeska and Mento Buru performing, and on March 26, Viper guests get three bands for three bucks, with Mary Lou Lord, Further and Birddog scheduled to play.