BUZZ CLUBS

Mai tai mania

While watching my favorite motorcycle granny, Century Motorcycles owner Cindy Rutherford, race around the block in a vintage, motorized baby buggy, I bumped into Byron Mathis. Mathis, who was also hanging at Rutherford’s 35th annual Father’s Day rockabilly fiesta at her San Pedro shop, invited me to check out his new lounge, Puka Bar, in Long Beach. Mathis, who bartended at the Bigfoot Lodge in Atwater Village since it opened in 1999, partnered with South Bay motorhead Larry Settle last year to open the upscale tiki bar. Puka is a throwback to the ‘60s, with DJs spinning rock ‘n’ roll and exotica, and it’s a favorite hang for such musicians as Big Sandy, East Bay Ray of the Dead Kennedys and skate/punk icon Duane Peters. Must be the ample black-velvet nudes adorning the walls.

Peacock choir

Spent a lovely evening under the stars with Billy Gale, a country musician who performs at the Old Place in Agoura Hills. Gale, who’s written songs for Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, is a bit gun shy, so he likes the intimate vibe of the Mulholland Drive steakhouse. With peacocks cawing in the background, Gale strums his guitar from table to table like a cowboy singing for his supper. The Old Place is owned by 87-year-old Tom Runyon, who cooks a mean steak.... Promoter Michael Sutton celebrated his birthday at the Lodge on Monday with Snoop Dogg, Sacha Baron Cohen, the Duff sisters, Terrence Howard, Amy Smart and Shavo from System of a Down.... Promoter Steven Harlow just locked in the Roosevelt Hotel’s Tropicana lounge on Tuesday nights.... Harry Morton’s Pink Taco restaurant celebrates its grand opening in Century City on June 28 with a performance by Men Without Sex.... Among those who’ve popped into Romanov are “The O.C.’s” Melinda Clark and Maksim Chmerkovskiy from “Dancing With the Stars.” The Russian-themed restaurant and lounge in Studio City is opening a teahouse in late July.

Poolside libations

Downtowners are enjoying the Blue Velvet, a pool-adjacent lounge at the Flat, a new residential development on Garland Street. Check out the Blue Velvet twists: herb-infused tea cocktails.... Bopped over to downtown’s Standard on Saturday, where DJ Carmena was mixing it up with a summery blend of ambient rock in the lobby. Took the elevator to the roof, where postmodern cowgirls were kicking up their boots and flirting with boys at a rooftop party across the street. As the boys flirted right back, it looked like two concrete cruise ships passing in the night.... Before leaving, I made one more trip to hear DJ Carmena, whose day job is slinging records at Amoeba. The lobby’s vertical tickertape post, which spews witty sayings, read: “A positive mental attitude makes all the difference in the world.” And then he played the Cure.