Agoura Hills is new boogie capital

RETRO NITRO--The stage and dance floor are hoppin' every Thursday at Boogie Knights in Agoura Hills.

According to a lot of the folks that clamor to get through the doors of Agoura Hills-based Canyon Club each Thursday night, the Boogie Knights phenomenon currently sweeping Conejo Valley-Las Virgenes is more than Baby Boomers looking to relive fond memories.

They say the ’70s retro influence and the rebirth of disco music and dances is their affirmation of a desire for a certain quality of life.

First of all, don’t try to get through the door in tennis shoes. A part of the reborn disco scene is––as it was the first time around ––a chance to get dressed up and go to a nice place for an evening of good old-fashioned fun.

There’s a dress code––not a harsh one, but shine up your shoes and wear something decent.

And according to Lance Sterling, club owner, the night isn’t just a "meat market" scene of sweaty, hard-dancing lonely adults looking to meet someone, it’s just the "place to be" on Thursday nights.

"People are looking for fun things to do," Sterling said. "That’s what were trying to do here, provide a place and an atmosphere where people can have fun."

If you enjoy a hard-driving band that plays hit songs––covering them every bit as well as the originals did the tunes–a fog-filled stage with a big-hair band and two dancers sporting hot pants and enough energy to solve the current California power crunch, then The Canyon is someplace you should try.

There’s all the retro you’ll ever want or need with glitter-covered woman, bellbottoms and a lot of chances to get up and do "The Hustle."

One weekly visitor, "Boogie" Bob Lotto, a local real estate agent, said Boogie Knights is a way for him to "recharge" himself each week.

"By Thursday night, I need somewhere to go and have fun with other people that feel the same way," Lotto said. "It’s just a lot of fun. It’s like therapy, but cheaper. I never miss going."

And recharge he did as Lotto missed only a few dances during the evening.

The band, according to a bio on their Website, was originally formed in October 1992 as a Halloween gag.

Now eight years and 8,000 shows later, the Boogie Knights have a worldwide reputation, performing on various MTV programs and major sporting events, live shows across the nation and overseas, as well as appearances on network television shows and films. In the last couple of years the band has been headlining in Las Vegas.

Tunes they play include "Get Down Tonight," "Boogie Oogie Oogie," "Dancin’ Machine" and "YMCA."

The Canyon is in the old Whizin’s supermarket building in Agoura Hills. Once there, you step into a somewhat dark, but opulent nightclub designed, its owner said, to give patrons a taste of both style and elegance.

In the doorway of the club stands a gleaming, gigantic figure of Buddha that Sterling said is his "good luck piece."

The idea of the club as conceived by Sterling, a former vice-president of operations and development for the "House of Blues," is to give local residents a place where they can enjoy fine dining at the same time they get the chance to listen to the music of nationally recognized acts such as Gordon Lightfoot, America and Eddie Money.

Of all things, Sterling said that he got the idea for the club from watching reruns of the "I Love Lucy" show.

"On the show, Ricky worked in the Tropicana Club, and ‘The Canyon’ is what I believe that club should be like now," Sterling said. "You can come in and enjoy the music, top acts, and it’s a good place to eat and it’s a comfortable place to be."

One of the club managers said that Boogie Nights is becoming a favorite with the Hollywood crowd, and that recently Rob Lowe and Emilio Estevez came for the evening and brought their own assortment of big-hair wigs so that they would fit in.

So, as they say, "Dance with the boogie, get down, cause the Boogie Knights are always the best in town."

The Canyon is at 28912 Roadside Drive, Agoura Hills.

For more information, call (818) 879-5016 or go to the Website at www.canyonclub.net.