SAMANTHA BLONS
A&E Assistant Editor
Editor’s Note: This is the sixth of a seven-part series featuring fun, out-of-the-ordinary activities to do each day of the week. It is the perfect guide for those who find themselves searching for new ways to spend their nights.
A morning to sleep in. A day to unwind. A night to party. Saturday is a day of freedom, of no responsibilities for many Pepperdine students. And weekend nights in Los Angeles are legendary.
But there are only a few left before the semester ends, so this Saturday, grab a few friends and stop by these clubs and shows to experience all that Los Angeles has to offer.
Rock ‘n’ Roll Dueling Piano Show
at Howl at the Moon
1000 Universal Studios Blvd. Suite 216
Universal CityWalk
howlatthemoon.com
After a long Saturday of riding the roller coasters at Universal Studios, there is no better way to end the night than by listening to some of the area’s best pianists duel it out onstage. Located at CityWalk, just down the street from the theme park, Howl at the Moon is a piano bar home to “The World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Dueling Piano Show” on Saturday nights.
The two “dueling” pianists take turns playing matching baby grand pianos, taking audience requests from many genres of music, especially from the 1950s to today.
The interactive show allows audience members to regularly sing along with familiar songs.
“The energy level is extremely high all night long,” said Sean McDermott, operations and promotions manager of Howl at the Moon. He estimates audience participation at about 90 percent, and credits the entertainers with creating a lively atmosphere in which visitors want to sing along.
The show starts at 6 p.m., and the Web site urges potential audience members to show up early to avoid long lines. Admission costs $10 and patrons must be at least 21.
ASSSSCAT at
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
5919 Franklin Ave., Los Angeles
ucbtheatre.com/la
When laughter is the best medicine, energy-drained college students can relax and recover from a long school week by watching the “ASSSSCAT” improvisation show at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre in Hollywood.
Unlike most local improvisation shows, “ASSSSCAT” cast members practice long form improv, in which “a single audience suggestion inspires a series of interconnecting scenes that go on for 30 to 45 minutes,” according to Seth Morris, artistic director for the Los Angeles UCB Theatre. The fun begins at 8 p.m.
A small group of staff comedians and a special guest monologist lead the show each Saturday night. At the beginning of every performance, an audience member will offer a one-word suggestion, and the guest monologist must immediately recall a true story related to this word. His story initiates a series of fast-paced scenes performed by the staff improvisers.
“It’s way funnier than any of the other long form shows around,” Morris said. He attributes its success to the “well-oiled machine” that is UCB’s core group of weekly improvisers.
The guest monologist is often a recognizable actor, comedian or writer. Comic talents such as Jack Black, Alec Baldwin, and Rob Corddry and Ed Helms of “The Daily Show” have graced the UCB stage.
The small, 75-seat black box theater “feels more like a rock club than a comedy club,” he said, because the all-ages, inexpensive tickets attracts a diverse younger crowd. At just $8 per person, admission costs less than the cover charge at most clubs, so it’s perfect for penny-pinching students.
KIIS FM’s DV8 Club at Level 3
6801 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles
level3hollywood.com
On Saturdays, DJs Drew and ODM broadcast their 102.7 KIIS FM show live from Level 3, spinning pop, dance and hip-hop tracks from the Top 40 charts. David Bradley, director of operations for Level 3, said it is the only on-air broadcast on Saturday nights in the area.
“It has a classy chic, Miami-meets-L.A. type feel,” Bradley said. “It’s a crazy party scene with lots of energy and lots of dancing.”
Bradley said Hollywood’s young stars have been spotted at the DV8 Club, including Hilary Duff, Frankie J and Chingy. He said what sets Level 3 apart from other clubs is the “quality of the crowd.”
The club décor is linear and modern, with long curtains draping the walls surrounding the dance floor and bright white booths and beds. Though the rooms are dark enough to create the appropriate club ambiance, bright stage lights in hues of reds, purples and blues decorate the furniture and dance floor with color.
Freshman Jenna Williams has visited Level 3 several times this year with her friends. “We go there just to let loose,” she said. “It’s an option to just go and have fun without drinking.”
When the club first opened, it was called Club 17, a tell-tale moniker for an 18 and under venue. However, three years ago the owners adapted it to be a 21 and over club, reserving Saturdays for the 18 and over crowd.
Doors open at 10 p.m. on Saturdays and close at 2 a.m.
Level 3 is on the third floor of the Hollywood and Highland complex. The cover charge costs $20 for underage clubbers and $15 for those ages 21 and over.
Hot Lava at LAX
1714 N. Las Palmas Ave.
Los Angeles
laxhollywood.com
Feel like jet-setting across the Pacific this Saturday night? Although this aviation-themed 21 and over dance club will not fly patrons to Hawaii, it just might turn up the heat.
At 10 p.m. on Saturday nights, this posh nightclub that caters to young Hollywood’s hottest clientele replaces its usual playlist for that of a rock ‘n’ roll dance party. DJ BoJesse Christopher spins an edgy mix of hard rock, as well as indie, pop, 80s and hip hop.
The club creates its unique airport theme with unusual décor such as mirrors shaped like airplane windows and an aircraft door leading to an outdoor patio.
The weekly high-energy “Hot Lava” party has seen guest appearances from Panic at the Disco, Fall Out Boy, rapper Lil’ Jon and Good Charlotte’s Benji and Joel Madden.
Pre-sale tickets are available at wantickets.com/bjcevents for $10, and are sold at the door for $20.
03-22-2007