BUZZ CLUBS

Clinging to Vine

Word on the street is that the new Vine Street Lounge already has promoters lining up. The new 300-capacity nightclub, which makes its official debut on Feb. 5, scored such house DJs as Poet from Black Eyed Peas and Playboy Playmate Colleen Shannon. Owned by restaurateur Scott Shuttleworth, who also owns the neighboring Hollywood and Vine restaurant, the Vine Street Lounge is bringing back L.A.’s famed Monday-night jam session, China Club, which kicks off on Feb. 7 with performances by Billy Preston, Jeff “Skunk” Baxter, Steve Ferrone and more. In addition, we hear Bruce Willis and Joe Walsh have been tapped for the opener.... Oliver Stone and Mickey Rourke are among the Hollywood toughs digging and dining at Geisha House, Hollywood Boulevard’s new high-end sushi lounge.

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The Jetta set parties

Loads of party people hung out at the Lot on Santa Monica Boulevard last Wednesday for VW’s 2005 Jetta launch bash. Hosting the event were Chloe Sevigny, Rosario Dawson, Jessica Biel and songbird Alicia Keys, who performed for the likes of Adrien Brody, Travis Barker, JC Chasez and Carmen Electra.

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What’s in store

Here’s one for the books: Highland Park’s own swing-punk-soul group, Abe Lincoln Story, will be rocking IKEA in Covina on Saturday as part of the city’s Martin Luther King Day celebration.... DJ Adam 12 is entertaining the masses tonight at Shelter in WeHo as it unveils its newest dance club, the Lodge.... Global chanteuse Lhasa will be playing the Conga Room on Tuesday. Already a smash in France and Canada, the soulful vocalist performs in French, Spanish and English, with songs rooted in Mexican and European folk traditions....

While hanging at Lucky Tiki (see Going Out review), we ran into that wild man, Crazy Al, the artist who created the giant sasquatch at San Francisco’s Bigfoot Lodge as well as the 8-foot

tiki god for the new Mission Hills bar. Turns out he’s also in an exotic voodoo band called Ape, which plays around from here to Vegas. Check it out at

tikimania.com.

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Well skooled

The Roxy is inviting metal mayhem on Jan. 24, as Metal Skool (formerly Metalshop) celebrates its fifth anniversary of wreaking havoc on the Sunset Strip.... In more metal news, hard-core Boston outfit Unearth headlines the House of Blues in Anaheim on Feb. 8, along with such heavy hitters as Norma Jean, Atreyu and Scars of Tomorrow.... Malibu-based rockers Whitestarr begin a Tuesday-night residency next week at the Viper Room.... And we hear Spaceland in Silver Lake is gearing up to celebrate its 10th anniversary on March 5 with a really big shoo .... And after two decades of passionately documenting the frailties of the human condition, Human Drama is bowing out with a final performance on Jan. 27 at Club 1650 in Hollywood. One of the bands to develop out of L.A.’s legendary club Scream (which spawned Jane’s Addiction, among others), Human Drama has invited the alternative gothic band Faith & the Muse to open. And join the gang for a black-on-black after-party at Bar Sinister after the show.

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-- Heidi Siegmund Cuda