just sent this to 9 avalon email addresses. (yes i know it's almost 8AM. red bull is the devil):

dear sirs or madames,

i am writing you to tell you how disappointed i was with avalon tonight (friday afterhours). i was at the arena for red earlier tonight and convinced my friend to go to avalon afterhours at 4:30AM. your flyers promote that it's the only afterhours friday night. after paying $20 each to park, and bribing your doorman $20 (i hope you know this goes on. he will let people wait in line for up to 30 minutes, while letting "VIPs" cut in line to go inside if they give him a tip), we paid $35 EACH to get inside.

well, after 25 minutes, security kicked everyone out (they said the spider room was packed upstairs). i feel this was both unfair and unethical. obviously, if we'd have known we would only be allowed to stay inside for less than a half an hour, we would have never paid to get inside. the security guard up front said we could wait up front and the manager would be right out. but of course, 15 minutes later, he never showed.

i've been clubbing since 1998, and i've never been taken advantage of like this. the LA club scene spreads primarily by word of mouth: websites, flyers, and fellow clubbers. this is not a way to run a club. i don't know if the promoters are just not aware of this, or don't care. but i want to make sure the club-owners are aware of this. we go to your club every week to have fun and SPEND MONEY: parking, entrance fee, bar, restroom attendant, etc. please don't take advantage of us. i am not some 22-year-old newbie, nor some european that has no idea has LA clubs are. i am a writer, a reporter, and a clubber. i hope you take this seriously.

edit:  the flyer says it's open until 7AM, by the way. and let me make it clear that i'm not upset with spider after dark. it was the avalon management & bouncers i had a problem with. so mario's funny picture comment wasn't quite accurate.