R.J. Comer is a land-use attorney by day. By night, he’s the lead singer for the Dance Hall Pimps – which will release its debut album this month.
Comer originally wanted to be a blues guitarist, and while in his late teens, he set off across the American South in search of a music career. But gigs weren’t bringing in enough money, so he became a lawyer.
He has since built up a practice at the Brentwood land-use law firm Armbruster Goldsmith & Delvac LLP, where he specializes in helping nightclubs and restaurants get local alcohol licenses.
But Comer, 48, still kept up his passion for music. He eventually teamed up with Jeff Jourard, who was lead guitarist for the 1980s new-wave group the Motels. The pair played a mix of genres, ranging from garage-style rock to New Orleans-style ragtime to blues. They named themselves the Dance Hall Pimps.
“When it came time to pick a name for our band, I turned to an old stinky book in the noir section of my library, ‘The Dictionary of American Underworld Lingo,’” Comer wrote on the band’s blog. “A ‘dance hall pimp’ was a guy who ran taxi dancers – women who charged money for dances. As a band name, it described that hip-swaying, foot-stomping retro sound we go for.”
What about the negative connotations of the word “pimp”? The band has as part of its mission to raise money for groups dedicated to stopping the trafficking of children in the American sex trade.
By last year, Dance Hall Pimps had grown to six members and had signed with Lakeshore Records. This month, the label is releasing the group’s debut album, “Beast for Love.”
On March 10, Dance Hall Pimps will hold its album release party at another “retro” location, the Hollywood Forever Cemetery.
Loving Nightlife
The distinction between work and play isn’t much of a difference for Mark Bernardo.
The new head concierge or “W Insider” at the W Los Angeles Westwood hotel, Bernardo spends his day telling guests about interesting restaurants, nightclubs, bars and shops in Los Angeles. When he’s not working, he’s conducting research by visiting those same establishments.
Bernardo, 28, leaves the hotel by 8 o’clock most evenings. The research forays to restaurants and bars often last until dawn the following morning.
“It’s a tough job,” he said, “but very enjoyable.”
One trend that Bernardo personally likes is the return of the speakeasy to L.A. nightlife.
In recent months, several clubs have opened that evoke the feel of the Prohibition era. They feature bowling alleys, 1930s table games, secret rooms and homemade liquor. They also follow the speakeasy tradition by relying on word-of-mouth marketing, although not the “Tell them Joe sent you” variety.
Bernardo, who assumed his job in December, has set a goal to visit every watering hole in Los Angeles.
“I’ve given myself responsibility to cover the entire city,” he said. “And that’s an almost impossible task.”
Staff reporters Howard Fine and Joel Russell contributed to this column. Page 3 is compiled by Editor Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].
