|
June
9, 2005
NIGHT LIFE
Turn back the rock clock
The '80s are back with Video Star, a New Romantic cover band playing
each Thursday at the Key Club.
By Heidi Siegmund Cuda, Special to The Times
Remember
when Bono's new-wave mullet was cool and George Michael wore Daisy Dukes?
That era's warm and fuzzy memories chug to life for those who walk like
an Egyptian to see Video Star, a New Romantic cover band playing each
Thursday at the Key Club's Plush Lounge.
And just ask the ladies, Video Star is hot. Each time the singer croons
"Don't You Want Me," the answer is an emphatic, "Yes!"
"These guys are awesome!" says Tara Donogue, a fan from Northridge.
"The music makes you feel so good and free."
To be sure, Video Star knows how to work a crowd. The glammed-up singer,
who looks like he could be Simon Le Bon and David Bowie's love child,
tells the ladies surrounding the stage how beautiful they are as he
croons songs by the Cure and Duran Duran with pompous precision. The
well-coiffed quartet is the offspring of Metal Skool — a rock
'n' roll comedy group that gave birth to Monday's rawk dynasty at the
Roxy. Two of Video Star's members, its singer and drummer, are also
in Metal Skool."With Metal Skool we have a blast turning young
people on to spandex and hair bands," says Travis Haley, the singer
in Video Star and the bass player in Metal Skool. "But the music
we play in Video Star is all the stuff the heshers used to hate: Depeche
Mode, the sensitive stuff, the songs the hot chicks used to dig."
Judging by the crowd on a recent Thursday, the chicks are still digging
it. Playing at Plush, a downstairs lounge at the Key Club on the Sunset
Strip, Video Star fills the room with ladies eager to hear what they'll
pull out of their bag of hits, as well as men who get to revisit their
'80s glory days.
Josh Martin makes the trip each week from Ventura. "They're the
best, from what I've seen," he says. "Good vocals, talented
musicians, original and comedic. They go all the way." Video Star
draws in its audience by pretending to be a real — albeit very
vain — band from the '80s. With eyes closed, Haley, whose stage
name is Roland Garros, cocks his head to the side with great affectation
and begins singing the Cure's "Love Song." The crowd swoons
to the words, and when it's over, Garros holds a mirror up to his face
and starts primping for his next number — an over-the-top rendition
of "Jesse's Girl."
Each member does his part to bring it on home. From the bass player,
Curt Radmacher ("Taylor"), who's sporting the famed Bono mullet,
to guitarist Matt Fuller ("Vyvyan"), who looks like an extra
in a Dexy's Midnight Runners video, each has a certain savoir-faire."We
have to be in character to pull it off," says Darren Leader ("Nigel"),
Video Star's drummer. "This music means a lot to people, and you
can see how certain songs have certain effects. Each song is special
for different reasons."
The Plush Lounge's small, intimate environment helps pack just the right
amount of heat for Video Star's antics and has even seen some celebrity
drop-ins in recent weeks, such as Roger Daltrey and Keanu Reeves.
By the time Video Star busts out Modern English to stop the world and
melt with you, the crowd is already pretty mushy.
"This is definitely the highlight of my week," says Donogue,
taking a break from doing the safety dance. "It just takes you
to a younger place."
Like a million miles away.
Heidi Siegmund
Cuda can be reached at weekend@latimes.com.
Video Star at Plush Lounge
Where: Key Club, 9041 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
When: 9 p.m. Thursdays
Price: $10; 21 and older
Info: (310) 274-5800
|
