A Reprise for Boccara--at Lhasaland

“It’s encouraging that people I meet say ‘We miss you,’ ” said Jean-Pierre Boccara, who has been away from the club scene since his cozy Hollywood art-music-theater club, the Lhasa, lost its lease early this year.

Miss him no longer.

Boccara, along with his original Lhasa partner Anna Mariana and new associate Denny McGovern, returns May 27 with Lhasaland, a Friday night club that will feature live and recorded music, as well as the kind of arty sideshows associated with the old club. Lhasaland will be housed in the 600-capacity Musician’s Hall at 817 N. Vine St.

Things will kick off, Boccara says, with a gala party, featuring a still-to-be-named band. On June 3 the club will host a performance art show headed by Theatre Carnivale, an avant-garde troupe that includes Johanna Went.

The Lhasa, which closed in January, served as something of a center for the alternative, underground entertainment scene in Hollywood, with a schedule mixing intimate performances by local rockers like Peter Case, Syd Straw and the Balancing Act, spoken-word performances by the likes of Henry Rollins and Exene Cervenka and such performance artists as Linda Albertano. The facility was also the home of A Celebration, a benefit-oriented music and social club founded by a group of U2 fans.

Meanwhile, Boccara and Mariana, haven’t given up on finding a permanent site so he can once again promote his eclectic array seven nights a week.

In the meantime, Boccara is keeping busy by booking Saturday concerts at the downtown Alcohol Salad, 912 S. San Pedro St.

Upcoming shows there include Cindy Lee Berryhill and Apache Dancers on Saturday, Gothic Hut, Buck Naked and Alisa and the Dude Ranch on May 28, and Karmageddon (featuring former members of Public Image Limited and Jane’s Addiction antecedent Psicom) on June 4.

NOT-SET-IN-CONCRETE BLONDE. While things remain up in the air with I.R.S., Concrete Blonde isn’t letting the uncertainty slow it down. In fact, lead singer Johnette Napolitano said the basic tracks for the band’s next LP have already been completed, and that not knowing who is going to release it has helped the creative process.

“It shouldn’t really matter who you record for anyway,” she said. “And we have no A&R; department breathing down our necks. We don’t worry about it, thinking people will forget about us and we won’t be rock stars. Why should we be hurried?”

Why indeed. But once the album is finished, will the trio return to I.R.S., the label that released its late-1986 debut LP?

“No way,” insisted Napolitano, commenting that the legal wrangling between band and label (which culminated with the band filing for bankruptcy to get out of their contract) is nearing settlement. (I.R.S. declined to comment.)

Meanwhile, Napolitano is keeping busy, taking on the role of producer and label owner as well as performer. Her record label, Happy Hermit Records (which released an EP by Dream 6, the pre-Concrete Blonde configuration) is getting ready to put out three more albums over the next few months: one from Tex and the Horseheads (produced by Dream Syndicate’s Paul Cutler), Rik L. Rikk (produced by Napolitano) and the Ringling Sisters, of which she is also a member.

RETURN OF THE ZARKONS: After a 3-year silence, the Zarkons (formerly the Alley Cats) are back with a new lineup and an LP on Atlantic Records, “Between the Idea and the Reality . . . Falls the Shadow.” Founders Randy Stoldola and Diane Chai have added drummer Terry Cooley and vocalist Rente’. The changes have broadened the Zarkons’ sound while Stodola continues to be one of the most interesting--and under-appreciated--songwriters in town.

After more than 10 years on the local scene and three albums (including 1982’s “Escape From Planet Earth” for MCA), Stodola is philosophical about the band’s chances: “I don’t know if I have the same goals that other bands do. I think the longer you play the better stuff you do. Unless you’re resting on your laurels and we don’t have any laurels to rest on. Maybe if you’re not successful you try a little harder.”

FENDER’S FLAMBE: The $250,000 fire that hit the main ballroom of Fender’s in Long Beach on May 2, has effectively taken the facility out of the music business for now. With the 1,000-seat ballroom gone, owner John Fender said that only the Friday night Club Reggae events will continue in one of the smaller 350-seat side rooms until the ballroom is restored. He considered using one of the side rooms for other live shows, but the fire marshal nixed the idea, closing down a concert May 6.

So while repairs have begun, Fender said it will be 30 to 60 days before music returns to the ballroom. Paul Tolett of the concert promotion firm Goldenvoice (which booked many of the shows there including the recent Skate Rock extravaganza) said the temporary loss of the venue will be felt. “The bands we use Fender’s for--a lot of speed metal and punk bands--don’t have any other place to play, so we hope it’ll be rebuilt soon.”

THE LION’S DEN: The burgeoning Christian-rock phenomenon, given a tremendous boost by the success of U2, the Alarm and others, is starting to make its presence known in local clubs. Three of the top local bands that claim a Christian orientation--the Choir, Boys Club and Adam Again--will share a bill at the Roxy on Tuesday.

But members of the Choir and Boys Club are concerned that the “Christian” tag could impede their progress.

“We consider ourselves a band first and the fact that we’re Christians is only part of that,” said Derri Daugherty, singer-guitarist of the Choir.

Daugherty also said that the band, which has a driving contemporary sound betraying some U2 influence, has gotten better responses from “secular” club shows than for its specifically Christian-oriented performances. The biggest problem is that it’s latest album, “Chase the Kangaroo,” is on the Christian Myrrh label and not readily available outside of Christian record stores.

Gym Nicholson of Boys Club, is even more adamant about avoiding being typed as a Christian band. “We’ve done everything we can to get away from that label,” he said. “It would be a real negative connotation if people thought we were going to thump them over the head with a Bible.”

NEWS ‘N’ NOTES: The Rave-Ups, having finally made its big label debut with the new Epic release “The Book of Your Regrets,” is on the road opening for the Church, including a show Wednesday at the John Anson Ford Theatre. . . . The Best of the East mini-tour comes home on May 29 to the Green Door in Montclair. The tour showcases four Inland Empire bands including the Unforgiven, the Flamethrowers, Rozzi Lane and Desperation Squad. . . . The Krypt, one of the more interesting alternative music dance clubs around town (with guest deejays such as Patrick Mata from Kommunity FK there a week ago), has moved from its Washington Boulevard digs to Hollywood, but not fashionable West Hollywood. Rather East Hollywood . . . in the Ramada Inn . . . the basement of the Ramada Inn on Vermont Avenue.

Chameleon Records, is gearing up its new distribution arrangement with Capitol with upcoming LPs from Walking Wounded, the New Marines and the Wild Cards. For the latter, it marks the album debut of the Orange County Latino rock/R&B; outfit that has long been a favorite in local clubs.