WeHo Addict makes a very special excursion outside of Boystown to visit the new Wednesday night at MJ's bar in Silverlake. Tthe new Wednesday night, Club 21, has been in operation for a month.Club 21 promotes itself as all about twinks in Silverlake. No, that isn't a typo. Twinks in Silverlake.
OK, even my Grandmother would know that "Twinks in Silverlake" sounds like an oxymoron. The eastside community is more well-known for it's leather crowd, bears, and manly bruttish types. So a Tigerheat-esque environment in the epicenter of gay Silverlake, MJs, sounds like a train wreck waiting to happen.
In actuality Club 21 is mostly successful in luring a younger crowd to MJs. The multitude of booming pop music videos and prepubescent looking go-go dancers successfully changes the usually older and cruisier MJs vibe to the bubblegum chewing (near-statutory) feel of Rage. Although you won't find kids drinking Pepsi here, it is still a 21+ only night.
I was pleasantly surprised to see about 100 younger folks say 20-30 file thought the front doors. The crowd, mostly attractive, was something you'd see at Fiesta Cantina and not typically Silverlake. So twinks in Silverlake do exist (albeit not in huge numbers). The bar nor the dance floor was ever crowded but there wasn't a desperately empty feel either.
The music was pop heavy and a plethora of makeshift projectors broadcasted everyone's favorite pop videos.
I did leave with some concerns. The go-go dancer for the most part looked about 16 and seemed more comfortable auditioning for a backup part in a Britney single than working for dollars. Perhaps this is "cool" for some guys but I was not entirely enthralled by the effeminate twirls and kicks by Justin Bieber look-alikes. But let me retract my claws. This is a generalization, there was some eyebrow raising hotties stomping on the box but the typical MJs buffet of eye-poppin dancers.
Cover was also disheartening. I am always disheartened by covers but it does cost money to put these shindigs on so I'm not going to pull a diva tantrum when asked to cough up some cash. Unfortunately, the flyer says free until 11pm. I arrived at 10:58pm and was asked to pay! Ok, I'm not going to be a stickler and ask for the nearest atomic clock but a dick-move by the gatekeeper like that kills goodwill. Cover was $5, priced right.
In the end, Club 21, much to my surprise succeeds in creating a young pop-centric party environment. However it is not very rowdy due to only a small contingent of local twinks. Certainly worth checking out if you live in the area and want to get your pre-pop party on before Tigerheat on Thursday.
The Verdict (the top 6 takeaways) :
Clock watchers (-10)
Tweens Dancing for Dollars (-5)
Room to stretch (not crowded) (-3)
Boys Boys Boys (few women) (+3)
Cuties on the dancefloor (younger crowd) (+10)
Hot Pop Music with Video (+10)
Grade: +5















