BUZZ CLUBS

Designer digs; celebrities as accouterments

Never thought I’d see the day when the Gate was no mas. In the ‘90s, the Gothic restaurant and nightclub ruled the school; everybody who was anybody partook in its high-class high jinks. It’s the site of one of my favorite moonlight memories. Nigh around ‘98, a besotted starlet clunked her way over to my booth, miffed that the bartender had cut her off. So she began swigging from a bottle of olive oil that was sitting on the table (Mmm, good). Well, the Gate was recently taken over by the folks behind Shelter (formerly the Coconut Teaszer), and it’s now called Prey. Philippe Starck designed the new spot, and on Wednesday night Prey debuted Rockstar, its new Wednesday night dance club.... Speaking of rock stars, Bruce Willis celebrated his birthday in fine form at the Spider Club at Avalon on Friday, and among the amigos who showed up were Jack Nicholson, Kevin Costner, Joe Pesci, his ex Demi Moore (and Ashton Kutcher) and Melanie Griffith and her ex, Don Johnson (‘Twas the night of congenial exes, I guess). Meanwhile, downstairs at the Bolthouse-hosted affair, such starlets as Kirsten Dunst, Erika Christensen and Scarlett Johansson were seen shaking their groove thangs.... Among the entertainers recently rocking the karaoke mike at Orchid, the tony new Koreatown bar and restaurant, are Giovanni Ribisi, Vince Vaughn and Elisabeth Shue.

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Flowing Lava; sunrise Sunset

Time to don your best Hawaiian shirt, because the Blue Hawaiians are back at the Lava Lounge. Regulars for eight years but absent the past two, the silky surf band returns to the Hollywood tiki bar next Thursday, with opening act Maikai Gents. And a little cockatoo told me that actress Eva Mendes is a huge fan of the Britpop group the Tigers, one of Lava’s resident bands. The Tigers are roaring there tonight.... The Sunset Room has hired key rock ‘n’ roll bookers to bring in first-rate talent on weekends. Such Hollywood heavies as Mike Giangreco, Sean Healy and Len Fagan have already started booking acts there. Friday night, Fagan and former Coconut Teaszer booker Audrey Marpol are hosting a CD release party for the band Virgil. The shows will be early (usually 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.) to make way for the Hollywood club’s late-night crowd.... Former Touchcandy bassist Rico Adair just opened up a hot new boutique in Venice called Defile, which features punk clothing and accessories for kids and adults.

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Mayhem

And just when you thought the scene was dead (again), the King King morphs into rock ‘n’ roll central every Thursday. Former Pretty Ugly Club promoter Taime Downe and former Cadillac Club promoter Ricky Vodka have teamed up to launch Thunderpussy, a weekly club of rock mayhem. And we mean mayhem. Tonight, such bands as Motochrist, Republic and the Creeps are bringing the noise, and April 1, don’t miss Lucha Loca, an all-female masked wrestling squad.