All-ages Dance Clubs
You don’t have to be 21 at these dance clubs that cater to the 18-and-over crowd.
Cafe Bleu at the Probe on Thursdays, 836 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, (323) 951-7079. Cafe Bleu features Britpop, mod and indie music spun mostly by female deejays, with live bands popping up on occasion who share the common denominator of U.K. inspiration. 18 and over, $8 cover (under 21), $6 cover (21 and over).
Clockwork Orange at the World on Saturdays, 7070 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood, (323) 467-7070. For those who can’t decide what music decade to call their own, Clockwork Orange covers all the dance club bases, with separate rooms pulsating with the sounds of separate decades--from ‘70s disco and funk, to ‘80s New Wave and gothic, to ‘90s industrial and electronica. 18 and over, $10 cover (free before 10:30 p.m.).
Kontrol Faktory at the Probe on Mondays, 836 N. Highland Ave., Hollywood, (818) 303-4634. Long before industrial and electronic music became part of radio’s landscape, Kontrol Faktory offered this thriving dance club for post-mod graduates. 18 and over, $5 cover.
Lumpy Gravy, 7311 Beverly Blvd., L.A., (323) 934-9400. Here’s the place for the retro youth who own every Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart album but were born too late to see them live. This Zappa-inspired art bistro culls its live performers from unusual places, with weekend shows beginning around 8 p.m. 18 and over, no cover.
The Palace on Fridays and Saturdays, 1735 N. Vine St., Hollywood, (323) 462-3000. Here are dance clubs that keep the lines going and going and going, by virtue of the abundance of radio hype. Saturday’s Klub KIIS features hip-hop and soul and Friday’s KROQ Dance Party finds Richard Blade and DJ Scotty Boy spinning alternative rock. 18 and over, $12 cover ($10 before 10 p.m.).
Velvet at 7969 on Sundays, 7969 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, (323) 462-7442. Touting itself as the “Happiest Club on Earth,” Velvet can at least lay claim to making boys giddy. The New Wave-plus nightclub has nearly naked go-go dancers gyrating to the beats--making Velvet the birthday spot of choice for those who turn 18. 18 and over, $6 cover.
Villa Wahnsinn, 8751 Van Nuys Blvd., Panorama City, (818) 894-2876. Filled with more kitsch than a Vegas strip mall, this madcap nightspot offers dancing to disco, rock en espan~ol and house music (open Thursday-Saturday). 18 and over, cover varies.