Here’s a photo of my friend Scarlett and I at Bar Sinister on 11.12.11.
Bar Sinister is different from any goth club I’ve been to on the East Coast. There’s an outdoor section that’s like a big tent. There’s a stage for bands and other performers. Local bands play there, as well as some national and international artists and I’ve noticed that it’s a diverse mix. I saw Disco Death Rock the night I first moved to Hollywood on November 5th. They are an awesome dubstep group featuring Gingerfish, Tim Jarvis, and Davey Rockit. The following week, I saw some burlesque performers. Two Saturdays after that, my friends went and saw Tina Guo, who is an eclectic cellist.
The inside part of the club has two floors. The downstairs part has a bar and a dance floor with a screen of visuals on the wall and go-go dancers dancing in different parts of the club. Some of these dancers are people you might recognize from other work they’ve done, such as modeling. There’s also a table of handmade jewelry and accessories. I haven’t ventured to the upstairs part yet, but there’s some fetish things happening there. The DJs play everything from your typical, mainstream ‘goth-like’ music, to underground classics, to newer and edgier songs.
All sorts of artists go there to hang out: Rockstars, painters, makeup artists, costume designers, etc. There are some amazing-looking people there. Some of them actually design the costumes in movies and television shows or do the makeup to the stars. I guess that when you go to a club in Hollywood, you will end up mingling with people you wouldn’t meet in Baltimore. Even DC and NYC weren’t quite like this. And then there are people at the club who claim to be psychics and mediums, which I don’t believe in, but it’s just an interesting and diverse mix of creative people there.
Next door to Bar Sinister is Boardner’s. I haven’t been yet, but I believe it is owned or run by the same people as Bar Sinister. From what I’ve heard, it’s a cool club and they also serve food. I plan to check that place out soon.