Go for Gloom

I see dead people.

OK, they’re not really dead. They’re just pretending. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month, patrons of Absynthe don black clothes and dark eye shadow, wipe those smiles off their faces and play dead.

Goth is a trend that seems to have an eternal life of its own. Although its purveyors suggest that the scene is slowly relocating to Orange County, Absynthe and a handful of other L.A. Goth-industrial clubs are keeping the flame alive for those who find real life a bit too sunny.

Absynthe, located at Tempest in West Hollywood (which also houses the decidedly more upbeat Brit-pop club Cafe Bleu), is the perfect club for sampling the scene without making a full-blown commitment. More theatrical clubs, such as Satyr, Coven 13 and Repent, attract S & M types, glam rockers and cross-dressers.

Absynthe focuses more on the music than the show. That’s not to say clubgoers don’t dress the part. Many do. But some come for promoter/DJ Noah Korda’s excellent selection of music. Not only does he play the Cure, Switchblade Symphony, Sisters of Mercy, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Bauhaus and the Cramps, but he and DJ Seraphim are supportive of local bands Idol Worship, My Ruin and Dead Girls Corp.

Absinthe (with an “i”) had a long run at the Probe but closed when that venue became the Playroom. It was revived as Absynthe in March 1999 by Korda and Heather McRyhew. Korda had promoted other clubs such as the Bog, Resurrection and Club London and deejayed at Bar Sinister. His background in props and special effects came in handy when choosing the appropriate black velvet and candles for the current club. Korda knows his way around a fog machine.

I was introduced to Absynthe by a handsome blond actor who claimed to be a principal cast member of “Buffy the Vampire Slayer.” What can I say? He talked the talk and walked the walk. As a joke, I told him I was 1,000 years old, which led him to believe that I would love his favorite club. In true Hollywood fashion, he turned out to be an extra and I’m not nearly 1,000--but I did love his favorite club. Any club that plays the Virgin Prunes is my kind of hangout.

Candles Brighten Patio, Main Room

After you pass Absynthe’s large gothic pillars and pay your $7 cover (first-timers must also purchase a $1 membership card), you can peer into the venue’s enclosed candlelit patio. More candles light the main room, which sports velvet-covered tables, requisite crosses and other decorative props created by Korda. We 1,000-year-olds really appreciate the dim, foggy ambience. Many patrons don’t bother with costumes at Absynthe, although most seem to sport the dark circles under their eyes. Makeup? Heroin? I didn’t ask.

“Absynthe welcomes anyone,” says Korda. “There is no strict dress code. We strive for an atmosphere where everyone feels comfortable to dance, drink and socialize.”

Still, it’s difficult to tell when Goth clubgoers are actually enjoying themselves. Smiling is inappropriate and laughter tends toward the maniacal.

It’s hard to resist the clean, dark sounds of good industrial music, though, so dancing occurs. The shadowy, funereal environment ultimately cannot suppress the living human urge to move those legs. Think Bob Fosse as the vampire Lestat. If clubs could have personalities, Goth clubs would be manic-depressive.

A word of caution is in order here. Any occult scene, even if it is theatrically faux, has the potential to attract authentic baddies. A few voyeuristic types at the bar struck me as genuinely ominous. One scary-looking guy peered at Tempest’s supper club menu so fiercely that I wondered if he was looking for liver and fava beans. Mostly everyone else is just out to have a good time, with a nod to an eccentric lifestyle that can’t be addressed (or dressed) at a typical day job.

So go, enjoy, and even if you don’t feel like donning a get-up like Morticia Addams, you won’t feel like an outcast at Absynthe. And, if you run into a tattooed, blond man who claims to play Spike on “Buffy,” tell him I’m on to him.

BE THERE

Absynthe at Tempest, 7323 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood. Every second and fourth Sunday of the month. Next date: June 11. 18 and older. $7 ($1 membership). (323) 860-6663.