Duo Lining Up Groups to Play at Airport’s Encounter

In May, deejay Sen~or Amor and lounge cat Joey Sehee will begin booking Saturday nights at the Encounter, the groovilicious Space Age restaurant in LAX’s landmark theme building. “We’re going to invite a different band every week, and the shows will always be free,” says Sehee, who says the club is in the process of turning an upstairs, open-air deck into a proper cocktail lounge. “You can’t beat that view. It is after all, the Eiffel Tower of Los Angeles.”

First on the lineup is local pop band the Wondermints, followed by neo-New Wavers Charlotte’s Bionic Blimp and legendary Vegas lounge performer Cook E. Jarr, who looks like a cross between KISS’ Gene Simmons and Elizabeth Taylor (no disrespect intended). . . .

Speaking of fashion icons, we hereby officially nominate Sugar Ray guitarist Rodney Sheppard for his contributions to making this world a more glamorous place. Sheppard, who joined his group for an unannounced show at the Opium Den in Hollywood on Monday to celebrate the second anniversary of that most excellent Monday music club, “Zeke’s Backyard,” showed up in a pinstripe suit, polo shirt and natty bowler hat. Not bad for a guy who spent the last year on the road. Also on hand was Kid Frost (who joined singer Mark McGrath on stage) and Craig “DJ Homicide” Bullock, who says a new album may be on the horizon in August. . . .

Got a privileged advance of Ozomatli’s upcoming album and it’s slammin’. Fans of the local salsa-jazzy-hip-hop troupe will be pleased to know their unique style wasn’t toned down for mass consumption--i.e. de-ethnicized--but is as raw and rich as the live shows. And speaking of which, you can share a special Easter night performance by the band this Sunday at the Dragonfly in Hollywood.