Outside of the BOKX

New Newton restaurant becomes ’80s L.A. for a night

Judging by the ludicrous  amount of security, the place had to be loaded with stars.

The proposed guest list for BOKX 109 American Prime Steakhouse’s opening at Newton’s Hotel Indigo, late last month, name checked Sammy Hagar, Joan Jett, Boston Celtic Jojo White, Berlin’s Terri Nunn, members of Deep Purple, AC/DC, and Jefferson Starship, Linda Ronstadt, all of  The Knack ferrchrissakes, Twisted Sister’s Dee Snider, and Johnny Carson sidekick Ed “my Hollywood mansion is in foreclosure” McMahon. Nothing says parr-tayy like a guy in foreclosure, after all.

Cape native, owner Lou Carrier called in star buddies as he and partner and executive chef Evan Percoco launched this high profile glamspot in the ‘burbs. Booze flowed like, well, free booze; food was somewhere. Snider stood poolside, as Boston DJs Soul Clap played dead-cool tunes and several models in swimsuits looked on, bemused. Model Andre Sanchez, 26, who lives in Waltham, was enjoying the scene.

“It’s definitely different. L.A. is coming to Massachusetts,” he said, clearly pleased.

He wants to be an actor.

Does he know who Sammy Hagar is? “No, no idea.”

How about The Fixx? “No.”

How about Snider?   “Yeah, I know him from that movie ‘Strangeland.’ But I don’t know his band.” 

WMBR Late Risers Club DJ Joanie Lindstrom was dubious as to how many celebs she’d spot other than Snider. “If I see one more of the advertised celebrities I’ll be surprised. AC/DC’s going to fly in from Australia? But it’s a beautiful night, it’s cool,” she shrugged.

Inside, JoJo White cooked to a delighted throng. AC/DC’s Cliff Williams and Brian Johnson, the Knack’s Doug Fieger, A Flock of Seagulls’ Mike Score, Loverboy’s Mike Reno, and Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes kept low profiles. A publicist told us Joan Jett and Lita Ford were, “by the stage grooving” to The Fixx’s razor-sharp 80s digi-rock, including its one-hit wonder “One Thing Leads to Another.”

Bob Hovsevian, 49, was also grooving.

“They sound just like the record,” said the Newton habitué, beaming. “Just the same as years ago.”

The Lamborghini and Ferrari on the hotel’s forecourt may have been rented from the Otto Club in Boston,  but, for a nanosecond, a hint of L.A., albeit circa 1985, hit MA.

BOKX 109
399 Grove St., Newton.
617-454-3399
www.bokx109.com