A rock ‘n’ roll revolution in the works

PROMOTER Keith Wilson believes in the power of live music.

“With rock ‘n’ roll you always hope to start a revolution,” says Wilson, dark-haired, lanky and wearing a black suit, bright tie and slightly gothic eyeliner.

Wilson is trying to do just that every Wednesday with Club Moscow, the weekly live music/dance night he promotes at Boardner’s. Some local acts believe Wilson has already turned the longtime Hollywood hangout into a prime spot to play.

“We’ve been trying to play here a year,” says Jeanette Virden, a club regular and the lead singer of the Mulhollands. “This place has a guaranteed crowd. It’s the best exposure in L.A. to the best audience.”

Those are strong words, considering Virden’s new wave-tinged rock band also regularly plays such venues as the Viper Room and Key Club. But Blake Jordan, singer-keyboardist for the Prix, a four-piece that incorporates elements of Led Zeppelin and the theatricality of ‘70s rock, agrees. “It’s a young crowd,” he says. “They’re much more receptive, enthusiastic, and they like to watch the band. It makes all the difference.”

Sure enough, when the Mulhollands make their Club Moscow debut on the stage at the back of the outdoor patio at 10:30, the 18-and-older crowd is already packed into the space. Between bands, the diverse crowd -- new wavers in suits, rockers who could pass for Billy Crudup’s guitarist in “Almost Famous” -- feels like a three-dimensional MySpace message board come to life, sizing and chatting each other up, texting, bumming smokes. During the sets by the Mulhollands and the Prix, though, they are watching and dancing, commenting on the musicianship, their favorite songs. They make it very hard to argue with the opinions of Virden and Jordan.

“I used to do 21-and-over clubs,” says Wilson, who states that on average the 600-person crowd is a 50-50 split between those over and under 21. “Eighteen-and-up clubs have more life.”

Though Club Moscow, which has featured performances from the likes of She Wants Revenge and Idlewild, didn’t add live music until a month into its 1 1/2 -year run, Wilson always intended to spotlight new acts. “I wanted to create a CBGB mentality,” he says. “I want this to be a venue where we can push rock ‘n’ roll forward.”

THAT philosophy extends to the indoor dance club as well. Those fans not taking in the live music are dancing to a mix Wilson dubs “indie-dance-electroclash-funk.” He itemizes: “We play everything from the Killers to the Kinks, from New Order/Joy Division to Death From Above 1979.”

Inside offers a few diversions, including an upstairs photo studio where patrons can get their pictures taken alone or with friends. This night features MTV casting agent Teresa Lowther, who hits Club Moscow twice a month and signs up between 15 and 20 people a night. “This place just looks like young, hip Hollywood,” she says.

Wilson acknowledges that’s no accident. “I want to get in as many cool kids as possible,” though he says it’s not just looks that matter. “I always see which kids are dancing the most and I VIP them.”

But diversions aside, the music still seems to come first, even inside. By 11:30, the dance floor and all the raised platforms are jammed with people gyrating to the hard and fast beats of the predominantly ‘80s-flavored electroclash.

That many of the same people who were just rocking outside to the Prix are now shaking on the dance floor validates Wilson’s belief in the power of rock and his audience.

“We should always support new music. And we have a crowd that comes to hear something new. We can play the most obscure [stuff], and people embrace it.”

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Steve Baltin may be reached at weekend@latimes.com.

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Club Moscow

Where: Boardner’s, 1652 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood

When: 10 p.m. Wednesdays

Cost: Cover varies

Info: www.myspace.com/clubmoscow