"Celebrities who go to trendy nightclubs are simply insecure egoists that need the acceptance, validation and admiration of millions of people they don't know or care about"
xx NIGHTCLUBS/DJing and PRESS:
From oldest to newest. Scroll right to read larger articles(tab at bottom of page).
(updated continuously)
"When I was a kid and all thru High School, I became fascinated by colorful people re-creating themselves in a fantasy playground of their choosing. I was glued to Stephen Sabans nightclub column in Details magazine back in the late 80s. I was completely obsessed with wanting to be part of that liberated, creative, worry-free world. However, up until I moved out of my parents house when I went to College, I was not allowed to go to nightclubs. I had an extremely strict upbringing when it came to my social life(as I didn't really have one) and was only allowed to go to the Library as an outing. I finally decided I'd have to move to another city for College, and I certainly made up for it then..." - Apollo Staar
When Apollo moved back to Los Angeles after graduating film school at SFSU in March of 1995, he took up jobs dressing windows and working retail at various Melrose Ave. boutiques and Vintage shoppes. This is where he met guitarist and event promoter, Rick Royale(ex-Rattled Roosters). Rick invited Apollo to come host the night at the 70s Glam-Rock inspired night that he was currently promoting at Goldfingers bar. The night was called 'Club Suck' and the house band was 'POPism', taken from the Warhol book, and promoting the ethos that all importance is purely superficial and that nothing underneath matters.
After the demise of the night, due to the development of a mainstream crowd(from various press written about the night), Apollo and house DJ, Tommy Carmanico, decided to stop the night, but steal all the interesting people and continue the party at another venue. But this time they wanted to go overboard in every way possible. This new once-a-month adult theme party was called 'SUPERSTARR'. The club featured local drag celebrities, oddballs, underground legends, magicians, cabaret acts, fashion shows by upcoming fashion designers and basically anyone interesting and crazy thrown up on stage, as the evenings 'Talent' and 'Entertainment'. Starr encouraged the bizarre and immoral. The party went on for around 2 years before the city pulled the plug on them, since the venue was continuously being nit-picked by the Fire Dept. for not having the correct permits as well as being complained by the neighbors for club goers using their trees, bushes and parking lots as areas of copulation.
Most of these press related articles where written about the various nightclub events starting off with Club SUPERSTARR and including various parties and other events that Apollo put together and was associated with. Most of the nights were DJ'ed exclusively by Apollo. Included are various original fliers for the nights.
1998
The official party started. It's opening night was thursday Feb. 19th, 1998.
Flier for March, 1998.
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Flier for April, 1998.
Flier for May, 1998.
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A review from lesbian magazine Female FYI, early May, 1998.
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Flier for June and July, 1998.
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Flier for August, 1998.
A write up for Superstarr by Lina Lecaro in LA WEEKLY, August, 1998.
For the month of September 1998, Club Superstar was turned into the infamous Warhol 'Factory' complete with silver walls, films projected on the walls, speed freaks and ex-Warhol film star(Trash, Women in Revolt), Holly Woodlawn, performing live.
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1998
Pick of the Week in LA WEEKLY, Sept. 17th, 1998.
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From The New Times, the following week, Sept. 24th, 1998. Photo by Gary Leonard.
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Flier for Oct. 1998.
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1999
From Music Connection, April 26th, 1999. Article by Tom Farrell.
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2000
In early 2000, Apollo was hired to be the VIP host and guestlist boy for a new 60s Mod/Pop themed club called BANG! that was promoted by Piper Ferguson and Shalyce Benfell(Cafe Blue) and by Jason Lavitt and Joseph Brooks. This is a clip from an ad in the LA WEEKLY for Club Bang! when we had a Fashion Show by Eskandalo Clothing Store, Feb. 10th, 2000. Apollo and model Alexis appear in the ad.
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Article on LA's new Glam Revival and the return of Rodney Bingenheimer's English Disco.
From MOJO Magazine, March 2000.
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Article on LA's most fashionable(Steret Style) people. From TRAP Magazine, June 2000.
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2000 Fall
In the Fall of 2000, through Big Daddy Carlos, now proprietor of The Velvet Margarita Cantina, Apollo was asked to be the house DJ at this new night at the Viper room called 'CAMARO'. This was a write up on CAMARO, the first incarnation, where the original 80s metal cover band 'Metal Shop' first began, then became, 'Metal Skool', then 'Danger Kitty', now 'Steel Panther'. Apollo was hired to be the house DJ from opening nite until 2 years after, which then he was replaced by Taime Downe of Faster Pussycat. The night was hosted by Josh Richman.
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Article on CAMARO from the LA TIMES, Sep. 14th, 2000. Written by Heidi Sigmund-Cuda.
Another blurb about CAMARO from Jim Freeks column in the New Times.
"In Oct, 2000, Los Angeles Magazine did an article on LA's Rock & Roll Revival, which was basically a mini expose on all of our clubs, bands and people and friends that went to them. Nedless to say, after the article came out, the clubs were overrun with ignorant mainstream people that diluted the coolness and excitement of the nights" - Apollo, 2005
From Los Angeles Magazine, October 2000.
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In late 2000, Club Goldfingers asked Apollo to come back and promote and DJ and new Friday Night party. It was an homage to everything fun and funky about the 70s called 'SEVENTEEN'.
This was the first photocopied flier.
Second Flier.
Third Flier.
2000 Fall
A blurb on the new nite, SEVENTEEN at Goldfingers Bar on Yucca and Cahuenga.
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Article on Club SEVENTEEN, from the LA TIMES, written by Heidi Sigmund-Cuda, Oct. 12, 2000.
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2001
In early 2001, due to the hype and reputation of CLUB SUPERSTARR, the owners of the Beauty Bar asked Apollo to begin a night. Apollo wanted to do an homage to Big Hair Rock and New Wave music of the 80s. The night was called HAIRSPRAY and only music from bands and performers that had HUGE hair in the 80s was played.
A blurb written by Rock Journalist Jim Freek, owner of Teenacide Records.
Beauty Bar's ad for the LA WEEKLY, 2001.
an Opening Night picture from NEW TIMES, May 3rd, 2001.
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GIRL TALK Magazine, 2001. Taken from an article on Club MAKEUP at the El Rey Theatre.
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from the CAMEL PAGE, LA WEEKLY, 2001
Apollo DJing in the Night Fever room @ Beat It! @ 7070 Hollywood Blvd., 2001.
From DETOUR Magazine, late 2001.
2003
More articles/clippings coming...
