Dressed up, ready to rock

Every so often, it’s fun to dress to impress. That’s what the promoters at the Anaheim all-ages venue Chain Reaction discovered a couple of years ago when they held their first Prom Night.

“Up pulls this Honda that’s all smashed up and has ‘LIMO’ painted on the side of it, and a couple kids pile out,” says Jon Halperin, who books talent for the storefront club. “They really got in the spirit.”

Now comes the Winter Formal -- another dressy affair that will transform the rough-and-tumble room, replete with its walls of punk-rock T-shirts and band stickers, into a balloon-festooned wonderland. The proprietors see the themed nights as a way to keep things light in a club that serves nothing stronger than candy, caffeinated drinks and heavy metal.

“We have kids come with really spiked-out hair, in all kinds of prom dresses, in shorts with tuxedo tops,” Halperin says. “Even the staff gets decked out.”

Says club owner Tim Hill: “It’s just a really cool vibe.”

-- Kevin Bronson

Winter Formal, with Melee, Jupiter Sunrise, Dios and Hello Goodbye. Chain Reaction, 1652 W. Lincoln Ave., Anaheim. Saturday, 7 p.m. $12. (714) 635-6067 or www.allages.com.