Black Tie Society

Founded in the 1920s as a way to capitalize on prohibition era

decadence, The Black Tie Society began as a song and dance act in the

speakeasies and brothels of New York City. Quickly gaining popularity

amongst the seediest of the big apple's boozerunners and "reefer"

addicts, the Society began to gain quite a reputation, not only for

their raucous and often violent stage shows, but for the debauchery that

was rumored to occur after the curtains had been drawn and the stage

lights dimmed.

Though it's members were never set in stone, the ranks of this

band of ruthless revelers included many of the eras most

promising musicians such as: John "Lefty" Snipowitz(who would later

become Cary Grants body double in nearly all of his films) and Pepe "

illegally made liquor salesman" Sernaque.

Unfortunately for the Society, tales of their exploits had

reached the ears of the infamous gangster Louis Lepke

Buchwalter who, threatened by the Society's growing popularity

issused the famous ultimatum, " Leave or I will kill you."

Having no interest in dying, the Society ( numbering nearly

two dozen at this point) packed up their immodest belongings

and headed to Hollywood where they took residence in a

sprawling manor nestled in the hills and began anew;

performing for the glamorous stars of the silver screen and

earning the coveted," house band" spot ant William Randolph

Hearsts San Simeon estate. Shady dealing began to surface

again however as increasingly dangerous drugs and sexual

exploits became the focus of the Society's image, the carefree

days of harmless weeklong parties drifting into memory.

After 1948, not much is known about the Society, as its ranks

swelled security tightened and the Society turned to the

underground, existing only as a whisper on the lips of young

and curious Angelenos. Rumors flew that the Society was now

basing itself in South America, biding its time, waiting for

the proper moment to return. Offshoots still exist everywhere

however, most notably, the band whose site you are currently

visiting remains devoted followers of the original Black Tie

Society's message, updating the sound for a more modern

audience but continuing to spread their ideals in a fast

moving world.