Buzz Clubs

New sizzle at an old Crush

Popped into the Sunset Room for some rainy night cheer and ran into Eric James Virgets, the lovely nightclub’s co-owner and a Hollywood screenwriter. Virgets says he’s gearing up to open White Lotus in February, a sizzling dim sum bar and then some, at Hollywood’s old Crush Bar.... And speaking of crushes, we hear Keanu Reeves was the last to leave Star Shoes’ anniversary bash on Sunday, which featured a dazzling array of DJs, including Z-Trip and Cut Chemist ....

Def Leppard turned out to cheer on L.A.’s favorite Irish punk band, Flogging Molly, which took the Palace by storm on Sunday with a 1 1/2-hour set.... You won’t find a cuter scene than Beat It!, Sunday’s youthful dance fest at the Ruby. Kids come from Riverside, the South Bay, Orange County and Hollywood to partake of its retro fun. The ‘80s-theme dance club is hotter than the King of Pop circa ’84....

And speaking of hot, Club Synthetic, which moved from the 7969 club in WeHo to Club Echo last month, is so popular they had to shoo people away on Friday. Tomorrow, the DJ-fashion-art collective Mount Sims turns Synthetic out.... And while we’re yapping about the Echo, check out its new Monday night scene, Hot Coffey, a weekly fiesta de funk.... Dragstrip 66, a monthly drag club at Rudolpho’s in Silver Lake, is plotting a blowout bash on Jan. 11, 2003, for its 10th anniversary. If Saturday’s send-up of the James Bond girls was any indication, January’s gay-la should be wild....

“Glojob,” a new Saturday night dance club at Dorscia (formerly Moomba’s) is off the hook and, speaking of Dorscia, we hear the way-cool band Mellowdrone plans to take its soft-core sound to the WeHo nightclub for a private show on Wednesday. Fans have to hold out for their show at the Knitting Factory Nov 22.... The Lava Lounge’s “Kinky Karaoke” on Sundays nights is so bad it’s good.... Tonight, the Temple Bar in Santa Monica is celebrating the third anniversary of its popular Thursday night club, Rhythm Room, with a performance by the 55-piece hip-hop orchestra Dakah. Word....

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Dance away

This just in: The sharp nightclub A.D. in Hollywood is hosting a new Friday night dance club called Facial, keeping it clean with loads of hip-hop, soul and funk.... Our favorite musical coffeehouse, Highland Grounds, is hosting Oakland A’s pitcher Barry Zito’s rock band on Saturday. Take me out to the ballgame, baby.

-- Heidi Siegmund Cuda