Q: What would you get if Kitchen 24 had a love child with the Kress?
A: The Fox Theatre.

 
What's the Fox Theatre, you ask? Rumors have swirled for years about what the legendary space at 6506 Hollywood Boulevard would become thanks to several club owners claiming to have a stake, but now it's official. Alan Nathan, John Baydale and Rick Calamaro of Choice Hospitality Group (Ivar, Nacional, Holly's, NineThirty, Tengu) have teamed up with Robert Vinokur (formerly with Crobar) and Elie Samaha from Roxbury and Sunset Room to transform the venue into a one-stop nightlife destination that includes a mega 13,000-square-foot club described as a "full social experience" and "an homage to old Hollywood." 

Sound familiar? I'm sure the Kress will think so, especially since the venue, in addition to having weekly club nights, will serve as an event space for conventions, premiere parties, screenings, fashion shows, live music, and press junkets. 

Fox Theatre might also give Kitchen 24 a run for its money with Sweet Love Hangover, a 24-hour diner housed within the club that'll look "'60s" and "digital." If that has you conjuring "the Jetsons," think again. Designer Kelly Nishimoto created the uniforms with anime in mind. 

With a Crobar alum at the helm, I imagine there'll be a focus on world class DJ talent. And with Gina Wade, formerly at Boulevard3 and the Mondrian, on board as the Director of Events, Fox Theatre is bound to roll out more red carpets than Mariah Carey can handle. But where Fox really nails it is with its complimentary shuttle service, Safe Ride, that'll pick up and deposit clubbers at Hollywood subway stations and bus stops. Even better: When you take public transportation to the club, you'll get a discount at the door. 

I'll obviously be adding this to my Red Line bar crawl when the club opens in November or December.

—Alexandra Le Tellier

I've vowed to keep politics out of this space (we'll see how long that lasts), especially when there are voices much louder than mine regulating things out there in the mean streets of this election year.

Case in point: Nancy Wilson, guitarist for legendary rock outfit Heart. When Republican VP nominee Sarah Palin chose to use their '70s mega-hit "Barracuda" as something of an ad hoc theme song at the Republican National Convention, the band's response was quick and unequivocal: Cease and desist!

"I think it's completely unfair to be so misrepresented," Wilson (above) told Entertainment Weekly. "I feel completely fucked over." Nancy and her sister Ann came together to craft this email statement to the press: 

"Sarah Palin's views and values in NO WAY represent us as American women. We ask that our song 'Barracuda' no longer be used to promote her image. The song 'Barracuda' was written in the late 70s as a scathing rant against the soulless, corporate nature of the music business, particularly for women. (The 'barracuda' represented the business.) While Heart did not and would not authorize the use of their song at the RNC, there's irony in Republican strategists' choice to make use of it there."

Boo-ya! See Heart kick out "Barracuda" and more of their timeless classic rock hits when they play the Greek Theatre with Cheap Trick and Journey on Sept. 30. It should be interesting, as the band's Republican fans are none too happy about Heart's political stance (just check the comments on this awesome clip of Heart playing "Barracuda" back in the day). It'll also be a good chance to see how your parents act when they're stoned. And yes, they did pilfer your stash to do so...

—Scott T. Sterling