Pete Wentz bring his upscale-dive concept home with a spot that's twice as large (and appealing) as the original location on New York's Lower East Side.
The Fall Out Boy mogul and his partners combine celebrity (Perez Hilton himself) and industry talent (Lakeview Broadcasting Company, Empire Liquors, and Victory Liquors) forming a maven squad with a style that stretches slightly past image towards art form.
Celebrity hangs in the atmosphere, not unlike the electric halo about the raised DJ pulpit which is electrified at will by the staff, unifying everyone's attention. Why? Just because. Celebrity also hangs on the walls of Angels & Kings in an enlarged police mug shot series of rock's most arresting luminaries: Jimi Hendrix, Iggy Pop and Frank Sinatra, among others. Opposite the celeb mug shots, posted on distressed planks of wood, is a line-up of AK-47s designed by Gucci, Prada, and Louis Vuitton.
In the front of the lounge is a square-shaped regal inset that looks like a gothic living room; very 'knights of the round table,' but with emo-hipsters and vodka. This living room is readily available for bottle-service reservation and seats "25.5 people," according to Nick Scimeca, partner of Angels & Kings and longtime friend of Wentz.
Although Angels & Kings had a preview bash by invitation-only, and is likely to host celebrities and their very skinny friends from L.A., all you really need to get in is a fake I.D., according to Wentz. There's a DJ set 6 nights a week, karaoke will be celeb hosted at random, and a small arsenal of instruments is on hand for spontaneous post parties for bands that are friends of Angels & Kings. Other than that, check Scimeca's website for finer details, updated daily.
Centerstage Reviewer: Kate Anderson