by Damien S. on Beautifully backlit bottles of small batch bourbons, gins and beloved apertifs in an artfully centered display. Tonight, we stayed with libations, and I held true to the Strange Horse (Hayman's Old Tom Gin, Green Chartreuse, mint, lime, ginger beer - $11). Shaken and strained by a gentletender straight out of a Dinosaur Jr video, the cocktail quenched, every note singing clearly. Short talk on the magic of herbal spirits and he tipped a jigger of Fernet Branca with his new found friends from states afar. Simple, angular interior and the soundtrack you'd expect, I hold off on a fifth star until I can sample the aromatically attractive flatbreads sent flying from the fire throughout the evening. Tremendous atmosphere plus vowel consciousness in a tough economy? I'll forgive the actual dollar differential of the drink ($12 on the bill) and bestow a very strong four stars.
by Todd K. on Das Bunker is ground zero for hard-core EBM, old-school, a$$-kicking Industrial and loud, mind-blowing power-noise. If you've even been to Das Bunker, you know that it is the core of the L.A. EBM/Industrial scene, and the one club not to miss. If you've not been to Das Bunker, be aware that it is not a Hollywood/mainstream club. It is an extreme, immersing experience into hard-core EBM/industrial (if you don't know what this sounds like, go to the iTunes store and tune in to one of the EBM/Industrial podcasts such as Dark E Mix, The Requiem Industrial Podcast, or Industrial Strength Nightmares, etc). At the upstairs level is a massive, cavernous main dance floor with an awesome sound and lighting system. The resident DJ Joseph is the best DJ on the L.A. scene for hard-core EBM. The other upstairs resident DJ RevJohn plays usually a less harsh mix of EBM and Future Pop. Downstairs features two more rooms: the very popular "retro room" featuring the best of old-school industrial presided over by DJ's Amanda and Gerber, and the ear-splitting "Das Noise Room", for super hard-core Industrial fans, led by DJ and Club Impresario Franck and also featuring "The Operative" (DJ) and other awesome power-noise DJ's. This room is not for the feint of heart. In addition to the loudest, most insane music you are likely to hear, it can get warm in there due to lack of air conditioning. If you like extreme experiences, then Das Noise Room is for you. As other reviewers have mentioned, Das Bunker is slightly rough around the edges, but that just adds to the overall hard-core appeal. The massive dance floor on the upstairs level is equaled by few other clubs. All the DJ's at Das Bunker are amazing and hold nothing back. Das Bunker is the epicenter of the Cybergoth and Rivethead subcultures in the L.A. area, and the crowd here personifies what this scene is all about. However, you will also find mainstream or raver people here (sometime only a few, sometime a surprising number) who are having a great time as well, discovering something new (and often coming back for more). Das Bunker is the antithesis of Hollywood mainstream clubs and their teensy weensy dance floors, insipid top 40 music, and "velvet rope" door bullshit. Das Bunker is a dark paradise for people into harsh EBM/industrial, Old School Industrial and Powernoise. The dance floor upstairs is huge, and the sound system is amazing.
by Larita Doolin on First off, I'll state the obvious... the slide entrance was great. Positives: Not having to wait in line extra great, a good DJ extra-extra great. Negatives: Good music with no dedicated dance floor just a bunch of people standing around holding drinks (and spilling drinks) and kind of swaying to the beat is crappy. Extra crappy bartenders that serve weak drinks and at the stroke of midnight pour weaker drinks in smaller glasses and charge you more money. SUPER CRAPTASTIC!!!!
