Milk Shakes It Up

Milk. It sounds so . . . wholesome.

And in some respects, it is. This Thursday-night promotion at Fais Do-Do contains all the ingredients of a really cool basement rec room: an all-ages crowd, food, drinks, a video projection screen and pingpong tables.

Still, there’s the feeling that this Milk is some kind of elixir. Step through the front door of Fais Do-Do, and you are in a Technicolor wonderland of blue vaulted ceilings, painted pillars, varnished-wood bars and a chessboard of a dance floor.

Cushy crimson booths and bright green pingpong tables only add to the mighty contrast of sensory material. Musically, Milk is Bjork meets AC/DC, head-spinningly diverse. And just when you start to feel settled, you have to dodge a little flying white ball.

Milk is the brainchild of Belinda Peru, Fais Do-Do’s entertainment manager, and her partner, Patricia Klein. They previously worked on a monthly project called St. Lucy’s, a night featuring female musicians at the old Fais Do-Do Ballroom, which was across the street from where Fais Do-Do stands now.

This time, Peru and Klein opted for an unconventional night of entertainment. The concept behind Milk, which started up in December, was to transform Fais Do-Do’s upstairs bar into a milk bar serving ice cream and milkshakes--essentially indulgences for all ages. However, the actual milk bar hasn’t come to fruition. What already has developed downstairs is a mixed straight and gay crowd of friendly people who gather despite the lack of sugary substances.

Believing that everyone needs a place to have a good time, even young folks, Peru and Klein have worked hard to take the young ‘uns into account. There is a relatively low $3 admission, a deal for those with a small weekly allowance. Those with extra energy can flaunt their athletic skill by darting across the black-and-white checkered linoleum floor while playing Andre Agassi-style table tennis. Younger players seem to have a tile-sliding advantage, being closer to the ground. Also, never underestimate the power of distraction. Players achieve unfair advantage by either wearing extremely squeaky shoes, doing impressions of Vanilla Ice in his “Ice, Ice Baby” video, or by playing someone of drinking age who has had a few too many. (All actual observations.)

The more seasoned visitors can drink, smoke, laugh and be merry too--to the most odd mix of ‘80s and ‘90s music perhaps ever gathered at one venue on one night. Madonna, Dolly Parton, Pat Benatar, Sonic Youth and Sleater-Kinney all combine forces against the Beastie Boys, Black Sabbath, Queen, Journey and Hank Williams for sound-system dominance.

If listening to the varied lot isn’t amusing enough, you can watch the Kiss videos that appear on the massive projection screen--at least until the featured band starts performing around 11:30 p.m., bolstered by the terrific Mesa/Boogie sound equipment.

As peculiar as this lineup of events sounds, the formula works. There are smiling faces all around, making Milk known not just as a food staple for living creatures, but as an entertaining event and interesting experience for them as well. Milk. It does a body good.

BE THERE

Milk, Thursdays at Fais Do-Do, 5257 Adams Blvd., Los Angeles. All ages. $3 cover. (323) 954-8080.