DANCE CARD

BY STEPHAN HORBELT

Outré: A Party That Violates Convention

The past year has seen much of L.A.'s gay nightlife leave the West Hollywood and Silver Lake ghettos, branching out into as of yet unfamiliar territories. Downtown Los Angeles was once not only the center of the city, but also the center of the scene, playing host to legendary clubs and parties. That same area is now a burgeoning spot once again, drawing boys and girls far from home on a regular basis. Similarly, other spots around town have begun to lure gays from their safety zones, the result being a roster of amazing parties that simply weren't around a couple years ago.

Outré is one of these parties, currently taking place every third Sunday at The Mandrake, a spot south of where the gays normally dwell. The party has quite a history, once a successful monthly underground party running for about a year in an Echo Park art/performance space. After getting a little too out of control (something involving a kitchen sink), the party was asked to leave, remaining inactive for most of 2008. Today Outré is re-establishing itself at The Mandrake, a quaint bar that is perfectly contrasted by its not-so-quaint patrons.

Just as this new roster of parties prefers to take place outside the constraints of WeHo and Silver Lake, the crowds are similarly comprised of those who prefer to play elsewhere. In this tradition, the crowd at Outré is one you would never find inside L.A.'s largest gay establishments. Promoter and co-creator of Outré, Cody Wayne, describes the crowd as “an eclectic, artsy, predominantly gay crowd,” and further remarks that the party “likes to conjure an atmosphere where all are welcome and feel comfortable to be themselves.”

The music at Outré is an eclectic mix sure to please even the most snobbish music lover. Cody Wayne, also the party's resident DJ, describes the music as “mainly underground electro pop and indie pop, with a splash of hip hop, new wave and goth/industrial thrown in for good measure.” He adds that the set list is “basically anything that excites me and that you can shake your ass to.” Guest DJs are planned for the future, while past ones have included fashion designer Jeremy Scott, DJ PeePlay from Honey Soundsystem, Total Freedom from Wildness and Bianca O'Blivion from Pinche Way.

Expect big things in the future from Outré.

Vital Info

Outré at The Mandrake

2692 S. La Cienega Blvd., Culver City
When: Every third Sunday (next event is Feb. 15)
The Scene: An eclectic mix of people dancing the weekend away

MIXOLOGY

DJ: Oren Nizri

When this ultra sexy, muscular, 31-year-old, 5'11”, 195-pound, Israeli native isn't spinning at popular dance clubs around the U.S. he spends his off time working out at the gym, traveling, hanging out with friends, cooking and watching his favorite form of visual entertainment — cartoons (like Family Guy, South Park and The Simpsons) — every chance he gets. Even though he currently calls Miami Beach home, this popular nightclub headliner is slowly making a name for himself with L.A. hipsters — most recently by spinning at Here Lounge a few weeks back. Aside from ultimately becoming a world-renowned DJ, this highly ambitious, yet laid-back mixmaster also aspires to produce music for some of the biggest names in the recording industry. —Tony Miros

Top 5 Singles

DJ Oren Nizri Top 5 Singles

1) Kid Massive - “Get Busy (Soul Avengerz Dancefloor Mayhem Mix)”

2) Kristine W - “Never (Nick Hurvey Tribal Mix)”

3) Judy Torres - “Hell No (Tony Moran & Warren Rigg Mix)”

4) Fireball - “What I Want (Chris Cox Club Mix)”

5) Whelan & Di Scala - “Close My Eyes (Lee Cook Mix)”