Vanguard   

Having gone through more makeovers than Madonna, Vanguard has also been around about as long, changing over the decades from the World Theatre to a skating rink and further to Qtopia before settling finally on its current manifestation. Which is, well... hard to explain, vacillating as it does from hip-hop epicenter to club regular to fashionista warehouse and onward. Unlike Qtopia before it -- whose name was retired once it gained a liquor license -- Vanguard is now a multifaceted venue outfitted with a state-of-art system upgrade, making it the perfect fit for both an indie rock concert and runway spectacular. With a lighting and sound array that rivals most of its Hollywood Boulevard neighbors, as well as two cavernous dance floors and four diversely stocked bars worth of action, Vanguard has busted out of its Qtopia cocoon swinging. It has so far housed acclaimed talents from across the rock-hop spectrum, but has also trumpeted local artists, fashion designers, DJs and musicians. It sets aside, as all successful clubs do, headroom for the VIP set, who can enlist an appreciable amount of attention for the right dough. Certain evenings are designated for specific themes from a wide variety of club styles and sounds, running the DJ gamut through techno, house, soul, funk, hip-hop and beyond.