Homecoming

Little Pedro's is the best venue in Los Angeles, period. It's all-ages, they serve margaritas in pint glasses, and there's this crazy huge florescent dragonfly hanging from the ceiling as you walk in. After a few drinks there, I like to pretend that I've taken my favorite rock bands back in time to some magical Jurassic cave dwelling filled with sexy young people in tight pants. Every Little Pedro's show is a wild, sweaty prehistoric sex party, and last night was no exception. In fact, it may have been the wildest, sweatiest, and sexiest of all the prehistoric parties ever to have taken place at the club. The Tints wowed, the Adored rocked my pants off with some new material, and the freshly knighted Blood Arm set the place afire with their newfound (world- class) international traveler status. After the show, Jeppe and Alexis kept the place dancing with a crafty selection of sixties flavored tunes, and the place was still swinging when my wife and I left at three in the morning.

There has been a rather troubling fashion trend taking place in the dance clubs of Los Angeles and the UK. Ever since the tabloids went to press with photographs of Pete Doherty smoking crack in his Benny (of Benny and Joon) get-up, there has been an overabundance of young men donning the same billowy white shirt, black vest, blue jeans, and black bowler hat. I spotted one last night, and at least two in every club we visited in the UK. Hopefully Mr. Doherty's followers aren't mimicking the pop star's self-destructive tendencies and substance abuse as well. I wonder if the ex-Libertine were to be captured on film wearing a spandex body suit while shooting up, if that garb would take the clubs by storm as well. If ever I am to achieve his level of influence over the world's youth, I hope to be caught smoking crack while wearing my mother's panty hose as a scarf. That, ladies and gentlemen, is a trend worth backing.

Now, on to Austin, Texas for SXSW...

-Ben Lee