For a while there, relocated East Coast DJ Mod Scott (also known as Scott Mesorana) couldn't find a spot in town where he could play '60s pop music. Earlier this year, he hooked up with former Fitzgerald's booker Lara Lowery and spent an evening spinning '60s soul, reggae and rock. But his music's retro feel didn't quite gel at the grungy club. Now it looks like Scott's finally found a place to perch: that multipurpose community center known as Helios. On Tuesdays, Scott packs up crates of records and heads to the Montrose spot to anchor "Mod Night." "I love, love, love this new venue because it's more intimate a setting," he says.
Musically, Scott's all over the place, spinning everything from ska and reggae to obscure soul to British pop -- as long as it hails from the era of Brezhnev, Bardot and the British Invasion. "I feel bad for kids who dig music a lot but aren't aware of some of the magic that hit the airwaves between 1959 and 1969," he says. "I feel like it's my duty to share it with them."
Anyone with a taste for nostalgia (even those nostalgic for a time when they didn't exist) is welcome to enter Scott's mod, mod world. "When I'm standing there spinning and the dance floor is filled with people lost in the dance, I swear it's like I've been missing that since I was a kid," he declares. "I need it."
"Mod Night" goes down at 10 p.m. Tuesdays at Helios, 411 Westheimer. For information, call 713-526-4648 or visit www.expage.com/stapespage. $2. -- Craig D. Lindsey
Stirred and Shaken
Morton's of Chicago's Key Lime Pie Mortini
My heroes, the Chicago Cubbies, were back on a winning streak, having successfully squelched the first-place Astros in two out of three games over the weekend. A drink was in order, so I headed over to Morton's of Chicago (5000 Westheimer, 713-629-1946) for a little hometown cheer. I asked Frank the bartender for a recommendation, and he suggested an after-dinner drink called the Key Lime Pie Mortini, a ten-ounce graham-cracker-rimmed beauty that was as frothy and tangy as a fat slice of the namesake dessert. Not only did it taste good, it was lethal -- maybe even lethal enough to put hair on Jeff Bagwell's chest. The place was cool, as refreshing as my drink, with the lights dimmed low and Sinatra floating carelessly through the air. Down the bar sat a bunch of cigar-smoking good ol' boys cracking jokes and guzzling expensive port. The only thing missing was a redheaded stranger -- and a Sammy Sosa grand slam.
2 ounces Licor 43
1 ounce Absolut Citron vodka
1 ounce cream
1/2 ounce Rose's lime juice
Juice of 5 or 6 lime wedges
1 lime wedge
Graham cracker crumbs
1 packet Sweet'N Low
Use a lime wedge to moisten the edge of a martini glass, then rim it with the cracker crumbs. In a cocktail shaker filled with ice, measure out Licor 43, vodka, cream, lime juice and Sweet'N Low. Shake vigorously for several minutes, then pour contents into glass. Sprinkle a small amount of crumbs on top of drink and garnish with another lime wedge. -- J.W. Crooker
Here, Pussycat
THU 8/7
You've probably heard about the Pussycat Dolls, that West Coast pack of po-mo burlesque dancers who've been popping up all over the place: in the pages of Maxim, in the Charlie's Angels sequel, in your nephew's masturbatory-fantasy Rolodex. Swinging couples' hangout Encounters, with the help of G-Spot Entertainment, has just launched a new night, "Bada Bing Thursdays," featuring some Pussycat Dolls of their own. There, though, you're supposed to call them Pussycat Dancers. They might not be the actual Dolls, but believe us, they're still dolls. DJ Bizz and DJ Chris P spin the striptease sounds. Doors open at 8 p.m. Thursdays. 5718 Fairdale. For information, call 713-532-0840 or visit www.encountersclub.com. -- Craig D. Lindsey
Rock 'n' Roll All Day
SUN 8/10
While some critics feel that Jane's Addiction's new album is a little weak, the same can't easily be said of Lollapalooza '03. Teenymoshers will be pleased as trash-can punch with main acts like Incubus, Audioslave, Queens of the Stone Age, Jurassic 5 and, of course, Jane's Addiction. The more discriminating fan will be happy to see supporting acts like the Mooney Suzuki, the Music, the Donnas and MC Supernatural. And the Don't Try This At Home tour featuring some of the daredevil-idiots from MTV's Jackass should satisfy the freak in you. 12:30 p.m. Sunday, August 10. Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, 2005 Lake Robbins Drive, The Woodlands. For tickets, call 713-629-3700. For information, visit www.lollapalooza.com. $49.50 to $69.50. -- Eric A.T. Dieckman