INDULGENCES mixology by brad hart
Where were you born and raised, Tony? On the Jersey Shore! I was born in South Plainfield New Jersey and spent most of my life there till my family moved out here when I was around 10. What part of Orange County do you reside in? Right now I’m in beautiful Corona Del Mar, which is a sub city in Newport Beach. Wouldn’t trade it for the world—the view is surreal. Tell us your favorite thing about living in Southern California? I think my favorite thing about it here is the music and the nightlife, and the vast differ- ences between Orange County and Los Angeles. I love the nightlife, I go to shows, I play shows, I dance, I drink and I party. This is the perfect place for that. So the wait is over and Velvet Lounge has opened its doors! What has been some of the feedback about the club you’ve heard from customers? I think everyone is on the same page as far as the level of excitement around us finally opening. People were expecting a club or a restaurant but we’ve managed to combine everything into one. The best part about this venue is its ability to transition into the nightclub. The vibe that we set is incomparable and I think everyone is so stoked that we’re finally here. I mean who wouldn’t with DJ Zach Moos spinning combined with our extravagant lighting system—just wait till we get our giant LED wall! Give us your feelings about working at a brand new gay establishment in traditionally conserva- tive Orange County? I have to say there is no excitement like starting something so huge with a group of people you’ve never met before, our founding team became a family within a week. There are very few outlets in Orange County for our community. Sure we have venues that offer food and nightly entertainment but most of us O.C. kids don’t want to deal with the hassle of paying for parking in Hollywood or in Long Beach. So we took all your favorite attributes about gay establishments and stockpiled them into one amazing concept. When can we find you at Velvet Lounge? You can usually catch me here weekend nights from Thursday thru Sunday. If I’m not behind the bar then I’m usually singing Karaoke on Tuesdays. Chances are if we’re open, I’ll be here. What do you enjoy most about bartending? There’s a level of excitement and energy that I have behind the bar that I don’t have any- where else. I feed off people and I love the party atmosphere, so once I step back there I’m a different person—almost an entertainer. I’ve met some of the most intriguing and strangely interesting people while bartending. At one of my gigs, I met this shaman monk—you would never know it as he smashed vodka soda’s down. But needless to say—I meditate on a daily basis now and if it weren’t for him I probably never would have opened my eyes up to something like that. Any specialty cocktails or shots you have created? A few! We got our infamous Red Velvet Cake Martini that’s droppin’ like crazy! Also for the holidays our Pumpkin Pie Martini is from yours truly, along with a Godiva Chocolate Covered Raspberry Shot. The list is limitless, as long as there’s a selection of booze, I can make you anything. Does Velvet Lounge have any special or new events planned in November? You know it! November 3 is our opening party for “Papi Caliente”, Houseboi’s grand opening party is November 6th (I’ll totally be there) and we’re starting Beer Bust Sun- day on the same day. We’re also doing an O.C. Business Mixer exclusively for the gay community on Thursday, November 17 from 6-8p.m. Finally, Monday fundraisers for different organizations in the community—we’re reachin’ out!! Do you have any favorite hobbies you’d like to share with us? Do I ever! I’m a musician and I’m in two bands right now- iNK and Blare Box. I was trained vocally when I was really young and I play guitar, bass, drums, DJ, keys and I write, mix and record all my own material. I’m working on a project that is a sick blend of dubstep with guitar and live drums. The other (Blare Box) is pure electronica, with a live collabo- ration with two different DJ’s behind dual projection screens. My first dubstep band, iNK has a premiere of our single “Art is Dying” at the American Music Awards pre-show this year, and we might actually be playing red carpet! Fingers crossed guys!!
TONY DEL SERRO
OF VELVET LOUNGE
ORANGE COUNTY’S NEW GAY HOT SPOT—SO SMOOTH…
Three words you would choose to describe yourself? Rambunctious. Creative. Empathetic. Tell us something people would be surprised to find out about you? I’m a big softy. And I’m not the kind of dude that hooks up. I’m totally old fashioned when it comes to dating guys. My parents have been married for 40 years so my values are pretty old school. For as much as I like to RAGE, and as much as my band is taking off—settling down is something that’s crossed my mind a lot lately… I know… I know...
Velvet Loungeis open seven days a week from 11:30 a.m. to 2 a.m. and is located at 416 W. 4th Street in Santa Ana. For more information call 714.664.0663 or visit
VelvetOC.com
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RAGE monthly | NOVEMBER 2011
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