CLUB REVIEW : At Last: Now You Can Kibitz at Canter’s Seven Nights a Week

An informal survey of the club scene earlier this week revealed wild horses--let alone flooding--won’t keep L.A. scenesters in their homes. The entrance to Bianca’s Hole at the Whisky on Monday was nearly as flooded with fans as the Southland’s streets were with water. Across the boulevard at the Viper Room, club-goers were paying $10 a pop at midnight to see Chuck E. Weiss. The nearby House of Blues was letting hundreds of folks in for free for a musical tribute to Tom Petty.

There does, however, exist a breed of night owl--even in L.A.--that gets queasy at the mere mention of the word scene . They may want to go out, but they wouldn’t be caught dead waiting in line or paying exorbitant fees. They want their fun to come with an understated flourish, a sort of mellow guarantee, and they can be found any night of the week at Canter’s Kibitz Room.

Until recently, this bar area adjacent to the famed Fairfax District deli--the 24-hour heart and matzo soul of the region since 1931--got poppin’ only on Tuesdays, an evening made famous by weekly performances by the Wallflowers and their famous guest jammers (Slash, Chris Robinson, the Red Hot Chili Peppers).

But Marc Canter, whose grandparents founded Canter’s, made the wise decision to bring live music in seven nights a week, and now the Kibitz has plenty to sing about.

From lounge acts to jazz, blues and the celebrated Tuesday night acoustic jams, the Kibitz Room offers good (and free) music in a relaxed and friendly setting. Some nights, it’s so comfortable in the Kibitz it feels as if you’ve stayed in.

* Canter’s Kibitz Room, 419 N. Fairfax Ave. 21 and over, no cover. (213) 651-2030.