MUSIC VENUE REVIEWS

House of Blues
1530 Disneyland Dr., Anaheim, CA 92802
You know what you're getting when you go for a drink at the House of Blues. Being a chain, every location across America looks virtually the same and Anaheim's House is no different. Accented with rustic folk art, weathered fixtures and a subtle sense of southern hominess, this venue is known as one of the most elegant bars in Orange County, despite its grungy rock 'n' roll undertones. But with elegance comes expense: stick with the beer and you might get out of the place with money left over for the mandatory parking fee. Otherwise, prepare to pay a heady sum for a couple rounds of mixed cocktails. The final tab is justifiable, though. Anaheim's House of Blues is not a local bar full of regulars. Located in Disneyland's Downtown Disney district, this spot mostly attracts vacationing tourists who anticipate a slightly higher drink tab.

Chain Reaction
1652 Lincoln Ave., Anaheim, CA 92801
Looking around Chain Reaction, you won't see much of a difference between it and any other music venue in Orange County, but scrutinize the details and it's plain to see that this dingy little club is different. First off, take a look at the people around you. If everyone seems to be in high school, it's probably because they are. As the only all-ages rock venue in Orange County, the Chain packs the teens in like a pep rally. Secondly, take a peek behind the bar. Since this is an all-ages club, you're not going to find the usual libations -- it's all water and soft drinks here. Other than that, the Chain is just like any other dive. Although the music can bounce off the walls and sound a little muddy at times, the sightlines from the floor to the stage are incredible -- visually, there’s not a bad spot in the club. And the only area more popular than the mosh pit is the outdoor smoking section – it's so crowded there, the second-hand smoke is staggering. Tip: Obey the bouncers, they can be nice but they're notorious for flexing their muscle on wise-cracking kids.

The Continental
115 Santa Fe Ave., Fullerton, CA 92832
It took well over three years and a little over $500,000 to do it, but the two owners behind Fullerton's ultra-trendy coffeehouse, The Hub, have finally opened their swank, new hipster hangout. The Continental Room, a mere quarter mile west of their coffee shop, has Naugahyde booths with a button you can press to set off a light to summon the nearest stewardess. With wrought iron in almost every corner of the restaurant, hand-crafted banisters, glittery ceilings and just a touch of cheesy French design, this lavishly decorated venue is easily one of the hippest retro lounges in Orange County (only The Fling and Detroit Bar are nicer). But don't expect the usual trappings like pool tables, dance floors, or video games at The Continental --this place (like all proper lounges) is strictly a place to be seen sipping martinis while feeding quarters to the impressive jukebox. If you're lucky, a DJ might be there to spin low-key tunes or you might see a small, lounge band tinkering with their instruments in the background. Of course, don't let all this insider stuff put you off -- people from North Orange County (especially Fullerton) have always been known for their down-to-earth friendliness.

The Boogie
1721 Manchester Ave., Anaheim, CA 92802
When it comes to nightclubs, The Boogie has its Orange County competition beat in every aspect imaginable, due mainly to its mammoth size, incredibly attractive clientele and most importantly, its 18-and-over status. Housing four dance floors, two full bars, an intimate outdoor patio and a hidden VIP room, The Boogie is the Disneyland of nightclubs (fitting since it's only about a block away from the park). Make sure you get through the doors before 9PM, though. Otherwise, expect to spend up to three hours in line. If you get through the doormens' scrutinizing eyes (the dress code here is infamously strict), prepare yourself for a three-ring nightclub experience where everyone seems to lose their inhibitions -- and various articles of clothing -- once they hit the dance floor. Simply put, if you want the entire Orange County nightclub experience, head to The Boogie.

Vegas
1901 Newport Blvd., Costa Mesa, CA 92627
Club Vegas made a quantum leap to the top of the OC nightclub food chain when it opened its doors on February 13, 2004. True to its moniker, the venue looks like it was plucked right off the famous Las Vegas strip. Accented by tasteful neon lights and retro hardware, Club Vegas is thick with old school Vegas style: the three bars are architectural works of art and the light show above the kidney-shaped dance floor makes it impossible for even the worst dancer to look bad. In addition, the impeccably dressed bartenders pour with heavy hands while the DJs spin an eclectic array of world beat, house, '70s, '80s, funk, trance and acid jazz -- a combination that keeps the dance floors continuously packed. And wait until you take a look at the core people that frequent this place: the women look like runway models and the men look like testosterone-fueled metrosexuals -- in other words, practically everyone is beautiful. Unfortunately, all this glamour comes with a price: during prime weekend evenings, it costs $20 just to walk in the door and another $20 if you're in the no-wait line. If you want reserve a table in the VIP Lounge for you and seven of your friends, prepare to spend $1000 (that figures out to $125 per person). Though a grand is, well, a grand, cocktails and the cover charge are included for you and your guests.

Bar 330
330 Birch St., Brea, CA 92821
There was a time when you had to trek to hip cities like Manhattan or Hollywood to experience an ultra-modern nightclub with post-modern interior design, sleek furniture and cutting-edge music. Now, dance clubs like these are quietly emerging in places as remote as the suburbs. As far as north OC is concerned, Brea's Bar 330 is on the short list as one of the most luxurious clubs in the county. But Bar 330 is much more than just expensive furnishings and good music; It also has exceptional martini and cigar menus, well-attended club nights (themes range from hip-hop to '80s revivals) and a pretty impressive clientele -- NBA hotshot Karl Malone has been known to take in a cocktail or two here. You'd never know it, but the place doubles as a sports lounge as well. Don't look for the tacky plastic beer adverts on the walls, though -- the only elements that resemble a sports bar are the monitors hanging from the ceiling and the competition-sized billiards tables.

The Fling
2370 Tustin Ave., Santa Ana, CA 92705
Think of the Fling as a small slice of vintage Vegas during the glory days of the Rat Pack when Sinatra, Sammy and Dino ruled the town. With its velvety burgundy-colored wallpaper, intimate booths and sexy boudoir oil paintings, the Fling revels in its cheesy ode to classy bars from the mid-'60s. Sure, some of the crowd is a bit older (mostly retired types from the neighborhood), but show up late on the weekends and you'll find young scenesters dressed in their Urban Outfitters finery knocking back hi-balls right alongside the older set. The main draw for both crowds is the kitschy musical acts (like Phil Shane, who still makes the rare appearance) and the cheap, stiff drinks. Get there early enough, and you can even enjoy dinner courtesy of the mom-and-pop diner next door (the food is imported straight to your table in minutes). The Fling is hardly flashy or modern, but it gets high marks for its ironic sense of style and decor. This is the kind of bar that the Continental Room in Fullerton desperately wants to be, and everyone knows you can't duplicate the real thing.

JC Fandango
1086 State College Blvd., Anaheim, CA 92806
Since it opened in 1986, JC Fandango has filled a niche in Orange County that had been vacant for decades: an exclusive Latin dining and nightclub venue that hosts internationally known artists such as Celia Cruz and Tito Puente. With its dim interior lighting (save for neon blue highlights), raised bandstand, plush booths and gigantic dance floor, JC Fandango took on the look of a smart Manhattan nightclub and instantly became synonymous with Latin nightlife in Orange County. In the late '90s, the venue began branching out and hosting popular house DJs, ska acts and Orange County punk bands. Once JC Fandango opened its doors to every genre of music imaginable, the line to get in often wrapped around the building. Now you can see major Latin singers on the main stage, dance all night to DJs in the expanded auxiliary room and mosh in the pit to a punk band on any given week. Except for the punk and dance shows, dress in your best clothes on Fridays and Saturdays. The bouncers are the strictest in the county and dozens of people get turned away every night for minor dress code violations. Mixed drinks (especially the flavored margaritas) are exceptional but pricey.

Liquid Lounge
7887 Center Ave., Huntington Beach, CA 92647
In addition to the Liquid Lounge's cool LA-style interior, it also renovated its second floor into a plush VIP section with a private dance floor, and its own bar and pool tables -- not that the first floor is anything to yawn at. Downstairs, there is a heated outdoor patio (a favorite haunt for smokers), an eight-person Jacuzzi bar, five dance floors, six go-go girls dancing at all times and a full sushi bar. Of course, the one thing about Liquid Lounge that hasn't changed since its days as Gecko's is the meat-market factor. Just about everyone who goes to this club looks like they just hopped off the pages of an Abercrombie & Fitch catalog. Mix good- looking people with loud music and inexpensive cocktails, and you have a recipe for a lot of people hooking up. Probably the best endorsement a club can ask for.

The Little Knight
436 17th St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627
The Little Knight is a classic dive bar, and with the demise of the Stag, it’s now Costa Mesa’s best. It contains all of the essential dive features, too: Cheesy plastic beer advertisements hanging from the ceiling, an old television broadcasting whatever sporting event the bad reception allows, and old men spending their social security check on beer. Of course, none of that matters without a jukebox filled with music that hipster snobs drool over -- fortunately, the Knight’s jukebox is filled with the likes of the Clash, Johnny Cash, and Pavement. Designed to look like your grandpa’s den, the Knight tows the line between kitschy cool and pathetically out-of-date, but don’t let that deter you from dropping in -- on any night of the week, you can find clubbers either coming in for a pre-game drink or a nightcap after an evening of dancing.

Paul’s Cocktails
207 Chapman Ave., Orange, CA 92866
You can tell just from the looks of Paul's that this is the kind of bar that your grandfather and your grandfather's grandfather probably frequented in their day. The interior looks kind of like the recreation room of a Moose Lodge: lots of wood, a sprawling bar with attentive bartenders who are more than happy to make small talk and a pool table that's seen better days. But because drinks are cheap and there's a high kitsch factor, this bar is a standout among the 6AM-2AM drinking establishments in Orange County. But don't expect a lot of extracurricular activities like live bands, guest DJs or girls dancing on tabletops. Paul's is a no-frills dive, but with '70s-era Americana -- kind of like a dive where you would find Archie Bunker sharing a pitcher with the boys.