Where Monday comes out to play

Sometimes, the hottest scene has been there all along. As trendy clubs come and go, it’s easy to forget about the workhorses -- the nightclubs that are always there for us, always user friendly, never a hassle at the door.

Rage is still all the rage, 20 years after it opened its doors on Santa Monica Boulevard, a nightclub smack in the heart of boys’ town. And it has one of L.A.’s hottest Monday night dance clubs -- shaking since ’86. Alternative Mondays, with a no-cover policy and underground musical leanings, quickly became a staple of L.A. nightlife.

Although primarily a gay scene, the fact that it wasn’t pumping the typical disco/house sounds attracted a wider audience, and Alternative Mondays became a dance haven for a mixed gay-and-straight crowd.

When this weeknight workhorse needed a boost, Rage reached out to DJ Paul V. Since he grabbed the sonic reigns last year, Rage’s Alternative Mondays got a fresh new lease.

Paul V. had never spun west of Western. A Silver Lake stalwart, Paul V. is the promoter/DJ behind L.A.’s longest running drag club, Dragstrip 66 -- a monthly staple at Rudolpho’s. He’s also a former music manager whose clients included such edgy rock acts as Porno for Pyros and Extra Fancy.

At Dragstrip, he proved that drag queens could hang with a bit of punk; at Rage he seems to have decided that anyone can hang with anything. His Monday night sets are a music lover’s delight -- fueled by his whimsical desire to keep everyone on the dance floor guessing his next move.

And good luck guessing. His music arsenal is vast.

“I’m trying to redefine what ‘alternative’ means,” says Paul V. “Music is so cross-pollinated now. I want to play music that makes people happy, and I’m always looking for feedback to see how I can make things better.”

A recent Monday night trip to Rage was a lesson in what fills the floor. Among the new tracks he spun were Kelis’ “Milkshake,” the Rapture’s “House of the Jealous Lovers,” and the Stills’ “Still in Love Song.” Tossed in for good measure was “I Believe in a Thing Called Love” by Darkness, a Brit band that sounds like Queen-meets-AC/DC-meets-Sweet. But Paul V. doesn’t stop there. As midnight got ready to strike, he was bumping the Distillers, Missy Elliott, the Strokes, New Order and OutKast -- mixing and matching punk and funk as if it’s second nature.

Nicole Hyde, a West Hollywood hairdresser who’s been dancing on Alternative Mondays since they started, says Paul V. has rejuvenated the club. “I’m always running upstairs to the booth and asking him, ‘What was that? What did you just play?’ ”

“The art is finding the little bridges that take you from one song to another,” Paul says. “It’s funny and kinda cool that everything’s ultimately a rehash. So I look for the artists who are doing it most creatively.”

Rage itself got a remix over the last few years. The owners added a second level, which includes a private party room, an additional bar and lounging areas where you can peer down onto the dance floor. They’ve also added large-scale projection screens, which Paul V. puts to good use.

“So few DJs will VJ,” says Paul, who creates eye-popping videos to go with his music. “I’ve always loved doing visuals with whatever I spin; it adds the next level of excitement.”

Once you’re in the club, it’s hard to take your eyes off his carefully crafted video collages. As he bounces the dance floor with mash-ups, New Wave, electroclash and ‘80s rock, dancers get to view everything from vintage Soul Train clips, ‘50s wrestlers and soft-core porn to line-dancing cowboys. You may even find a classic U2 video tossed on simultaneously as a track from “Achtung Baby” hits the speakers.

He’s like the Wizard of Oz working magic from behind the curtain. So much work and timing goes into his presentation, fans come back week after week.

“Paul has an interactive style that makes him reachable, approachable,” says Scott Bogash, who started going to Rage 10 years ago. “His spinning adds diversity to the dance floor. It’s not just what’s on KROQ, but other booty-quakin’ styles.”

Unlike some DJs, who prefer to be distant and elusive, Paul takes requests. More than likely, he’s got what you want. As it approaches 2 a.m., and you’ve just been broadsided by Corey Hart’s “Sunglasses at Night,” you try to leave the dance floor but Paul slips on a mash-up of Madonna and the Sex Pistols. As Madonna sings “Ray of Light” on top of “God Save the Queen,” the dance floor explodes again. It’s a total subversive punk-rock moment on a Monday night at a gay club on Santa Monica Boulevard -- one of those only-in-L.A. moments.

“People who’ve never been, once they come by, will find out there’s nothing better on a Monday night,” says Hyde. “Especially for free. What could be better than that?”

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Alternative Mondays

Where: Rage, 8911 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood

When: Mondays, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.

Who: 21 and older

Cost: No cover

Info: (310) 652-7055 or (323) 969-2596