On a recent visit to the official website for The Scene in Glendale, I was a bit miffed to find that the club is now offering memberships. For a nominal fee ($99-$350) you can enjoy privileges ranging from free entry for you and a guest to the very enticing 20% off of all drinks.

As extra incentive, membership also comes with… well, actually that’s pretty much it. Unless you consider a discount rate when you book a party for 150 people or more a sweet deal. Oh yeah, and that free admission? Doesn’t include “special” or “exclusive” shows. And that drink discount? It’s good for you, but not your date.

The website boasts that platinum level – three years for $350 – has a very limited membership. I don’t know how lame you have to be to have your membership denied, since the application literally consists of your name, e-mail, date of birth, address, phone number and the bonus essay question, “Why do you want to be a member?”

By soliciting membership, the new management is attempting to convince us that The Scene is an upscale establishment. The Doheney this ain’t.

The website brags about their new sound system, then advertises that they are scaling back on live music. They say that bands are only gonna be featured three or four nights a week, but a quick glance at the calendar (which only lists this weeks events) only had 1 night of live music – tonight’s “local band showcase”. Way to not list the names of the bands.

I doubt there’s a cover on nights on which there are “no bands just drinking and lounging”, but isn’t the appeal of membership not paying to get in?

In an additional effort to prove that The Scene is now A scene, the website is cluttered with posed photos of corset-wearing, heavily-bosomed beauties… Because nothing is classier than half-naked chicks.

Photo from The Scene's myspace page