Interview With Preston Olson A.K.A. "Dirty" Preston

[photo by Rachel Carr via] Preston, better known as "Dirty" Preston, is a man. No. He is more than a man. He is a God amongst men. People flock to him like the Manna of the the heavens; for his parties have become so legendary that A-list Hollywood celebrities have driven the three (three!) miles from their homes in the Hollywood Hills to the infamous Cha Cha Lounge and its now near legendary pee-stained bathrooms stalls with black lights illuminating the urine somehow halfway up to the ceiling. How did it get there? Was it George Clooney? The world may never know, for Preston holds the key to the gates of Funtown, USA. I sat down with him and asked him a few questions about his party night called Forming, which 'forms' (nonexistent pun intended) every Wednesday night at the Cha Cha Lounge on Glendale Boulevard...

Where ya from? I'm from small town in Minnesota by the name of Moorhead. It's across the border from Fargo, ND. Yeah, that Fargo.

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What did you move here for? I moved here from Minneapolis in 2003. I moved because the winter was killing me and I came to visit in like November of 2002 and it was 75 degrees outside. The second day I was here I ended up swimming in Ozzy Osbourne's pool. I was sold. [photo via]

What's the best part about LA? The weather, the proximity to the ocean, mountains, desert. The majority of the people that I meet on the Eastside are people that I would have hung out with back in Minneapolis. You know, the best people. So, it's most everyone that were the sweetest people in their hometowns all coming together to be great together.

... the worst part? Now, on the flipside of the coin, some of the worst people from your hometowns all move here to be in reality tv and bro out all over the place. Those people are the worst part.

Partying. Define it. Partying, if you do it right, doesn't have to involve booze or any drugs. Partying can be making your 8 year old niece laugh by doing a silly voice and acting out an impromptu play together, partying can be pulling an elaborate prank on your friend involving eggs and a man in a cheeseburger costume. Partying is just having fun. But, yeah, a lot of the time that involves gulping booze.

Biggest party foul. Biggest party foul, to me, is not barfing in a toilet, sink, garbage, or outside. You feel it coming, you know you can make it to one of those places. If you can't, then you have no business drinking with me. Also, don't get super coked up and talk to me with your Hollywood dead eyes, fool.[photo via ronysphotobooth]

Your night at Cha Cha is infamous and now widely known. I actually constantly ride a line of wanting to, at least somewhat, please a really wide ranging group of different types of people at the Cha Cha every Wednesday. Basically, I have my friends and their friends that show up and are mostly down for any stupid kind of music, from hardcore to show tunes. But then there are the more conventional peeps that show up and they are probably the ones spending a bit more money at the bar, so I make sure to throw in 80s pop and current hip hop too 'cause, I mean, I actually wanna hear that too myself.

Best three songs to be played to increase drink sales. Black Flag - "Nervous Breakdown" Dr. Dre - "Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang" George Harrison - "I Got My Mind Set On You" (surprisingly people really start partying when this song comes on. It's a little trick I learned from DJ Douggpound)

Cha Cha bathrooms. Discuss. They are horrible, but most cheap drinking, hard partying establishments have totally rank bathrooms. It's kind of a mark of honor. Also, you can divide the ladies up into the 2 groups based on the bathrooms: Those that use the men's room stall when the line is too long for the ladies room, and those that don't. I tend to like the girls that use it, tough broads. Some dudes would go the other way.

What would you say about the Silver Lake party scene to: Your grandma -"It's fun, grandma. We eat (pot) brownies and drink milk (white russians)." A bourgeois lady from the Hamptons - "You wanna tongue kiss in the photobooth?" Your 'boss' - Well, I guess the Cha Cha is one of my bosses, so I would say, "Can I get another free drink?" A cool kid from NY - "I just fingered your girlfriend."

Cool celeb stories? We've had Drew Barrymore in and she is really awesome. She DJed one song and danced, fun times. Alia Shawkat (Maebe from "Arrested Development") is in a bit. The Mighty Boosh came and hung out once, they are awesome. Most of these people come 'cause they are brought by my Man About Town roommate, Har Mar Superstar. We've had our friends from The Soft Pack, Abe Vigoda, Mika Miko and many more all come and guest DJ and that is always fun. Chloe Sevigny is in a bit too 'cause she is friends with some of the bartenders. I guess Mischa Barton was in last week. A lot of the time celebrities are kind of boring (a.k.a. just normal people hanging out when they are out at bars). They don't turn into gold and start sputtering diamonds or shit their pants or anything.

Final thoughts? Come to the Cha Cha every Wednesday. This Wednesday (today!) Garett from the band Girls is guest DJing.