DANCE CARD

Wednesday Nights Are Fun Again, Thanks to Dada Dance Haus

BY STEPHAN HORBELT

In a part of town adjacent to both Silver Lake and downtown sits Medusa Lounge, once a popular German restaurant and currently one of the coolest venues in town. Open for only seven months, the lounge is still fairly unknown around the city, particularly among the gays. Cody Bayne, one of L.A.'s newest promoters, is changing that. His brand new Wednesday night party, Dada Dance Haus, is a night meant for everyone, though it caters to the gays. As Bayne puts it, the party is for “everyone and their dancing grandmother,” the “polysexual, try-anything fashionistas, club kids, foxy guys and sexy, fun people.”

Walking into Medusa Lounge, one is in awe of the over-the-top, German-influenced design. Originally built and designed by a Hollywood set designer, the space is crammed with unique details, including gargoyle columns, keg barrels, vaulted ceilings, mounted animal heads, and gorgeous stained glass windows. The lights are kept at a minimum, which adds to the charming and bizarre experience. The lounge area leads to a large dance floor that features a state-of-the-art sound system, perfect for blasting music into the wee hours. Bayne remarks, “The space has everything you could want—the lounge area is perfect if you just want to kick it with your friends and hear great music. If you want to dance 'til you're naked, you go to the second room and let it all hang out—or you can move through both.”

Bayne intends to feature rotating DJs at the party, with DJs Dave Rape and Chris Bowen dropping in frequently. The music on Wednesdays consists mostly of electro, dance and neo-disco tracks, and opening night saw the dance floor packed with guys and girls who weren't thinking about waking up for work in the morning. The crowd is comprised of Angelenos from downtown and the Eastside, although WeHo residents don't mind the 15-minute travel time nearly as much as they used to. L.A's best parties have gradually moved East, and Dada Dance Haus is yet another example. Check out the party online at myspace.com/dadadancehaus.

Vital Info

Dada Dance Haus at Medusa Lounge

3211 Beverly Blvd.
When: Every Wednesday
The Scene: Eastsiders come out on the hump day and party in German style

MIXOLOGY

DJ: Morningstar

When this 26-year-old, 6’4”, 160 lbs, extremely ambitious, California native isn’t spinning at The Abbey, Area, Here Lounge in West Hollywood or at several major nightclubs in Las Vegas, he spends most of his time adding new music to his already extensive record collection, playing with his 1-year-old kitten Je t’aime (that means “I love you” in French) or watching his favorite TV shows like The Office, Arrested Development and Entourage on DVD with his significant other. He is also a self-described health nut that rarely eats junk food or drinks alcohol. This easy-going, yet complex, highly driven spinmaster has produced remixes for established artist such as Daft Punk, Depeche Mode and Red Carpet. He also plans to one day “take over the DJ world” and become an international DJ just like Tiesto. —Tony Miros

DJ Morningstar Top 5 Singles

1. Kids – MGMT (Soulwax Remix)

2. Funk Nasty – Andy Caldwell Ft. Gramma Funk

(Wolfgang Gartner Remix)

3. Mission – Chris Lake

4. Love Lockdown – Kanye West (Chu Fu Fix)

5. Summertime – Wiley Vs Daft Punk (Alex Gaudino Remix)