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Allow us to introduce eight night crawlers behind those red velvet ropes at every club, bar, lounge, party and private event in Orange County and beyond. Despite this region’s ever-evolving, love-it-or-hate-it brand of nightlife, the following individuals each bring their own panache and contribution to the scene. These are the personalities who drop sick beats until the moon becomes the sun, plan the must-attend events, simply show up as socialites to see-and-be-seen or master a combination of all of the above. Meet the people who make the nightlife.

Ashley Eckenweiler
24/7 Perfectionist
Ashley Eckenweiler is no stranger to Orange County nightlife. As the owner of The ACE Agency, she throws some of the most notable parties, fundraisers and events in the region. “I prefer throwing a party and being involved to attending as a spectator,” Eckenweiler says. “I strive to make every night out and every event I produce memorable.” When she’s not producing her own events, she can be found dancing at The Crosby or catching a show at Detroit Bar. With her passion for parties and events, Eckenweiler’s lifestyle is the ultimate example of mixing business with pleasure. “I work to live, live to work and love it,” she says.

Anna Lake
Brains Fused with Beats
She can pump up a crowd in about five seconds, stun partygoers with her looks and get anyone out of trouble with the law. Proving that beauty and brains do coexist, Anna Lake is a lawyer by day and one of the hottest new local DJs by night. “Music can make or break a party very quickly,” she says. “The DJ has to be able to connect with the crowd on some level to give partygoers the experience they came for.” When she’s not the one spinning the tracks, Lake parties to the sounds of local DJ Mike Soltani. What she wants from local nightlife? “More relaxed laws on nightclub operations in the Newport Beach area. [And] a high-end, quality lounge with mixology drinks would be awesome.”

Thomas Horton
The Dancing Techie
“What I like about OC nightlife is the ability to hit up a great restaurant in Laguna and then head out dancing at a decent club,” says Thomas Horton, principal and co-founder of uscritical.com and approvedoptics.com. In order to make a venue enjoyable, Horton knows that the right music is essential and thinks that the talent in OC is flourishing. “The local DJ talent has become much better in the last five years,” he says. “We used to have to wait for certain nights, now it’s on somewhere any night if you want to dance.” Though he’s known as a dancing machine with a love for music, his favorite parts of a night out are “good friends and the beauty of the OC.”

Ian Alexander and Brendan Thomas
The Dream Team
This match made in party heaven works in tandem to bring partygoers the best experience possible. Brendan Thomas, client relations director for The SUN Grp and event coordinator, gets the gig set up and brings in the party people, while Ian Alexander, aka DJ Kedd Cook, spins the tracks to pump them up. “We love being behind the scenes and producing the event or party,” says Thomas. “Seeing our friends and fans have a great time is what drives us to succeed,” Alexander adds. Known for La Cave Wednesdays and Scott’s Restaurant & Lounge Thursdays, this eclectic duo is the life of the party and strives to make an impression on their supporters. “We hope to be a part of our generation’s memories to come,” Alexander says.

Ryan Choura
Passionate Party Planner
“I really like what’s happening to OC’s party scene. There are so many different great spots in OC,” says Ryan Choura, owner of Long Beach-based Choura Events. With the ability to turn any event into a success, Choura chooses to put his talents to good use.
“I want to be responsible with the opportunities I have been given and build something that allows me to give back and take care of my family,” he says. His fondest memory of a night out includes a charity event for The Boys and Girls Club of Long Beach. “We host a poker tournament at Newport Lexus for about 250 people and then it always evolves into quite the night: Multiple stops, a lot of energy and you wake up the next day feeling you did something good.”

Lori Brystan
Talented Triple Threat
As the beauty editor of Greers OC, photographer and owner of Brystan Studios and executive producer of SHOW: The Supper Club, it’s safe to say that Lori Brystan knows what Orange County likes. She never leaves home without her lipstick and her favorite part of a night out on the town is getting ready with her girlfriends. “It all starts with the anticipation of a new adventure,” Brystan says. She also describes the OC night scene as fickle because “clubs come and go so fast.” What does she think it takes to make a party pop? “It needs to tantalize all five senses.”

Dr. Richard Moy
Surgeon-Slash-Socialite
“It’s not necessarily where you are, but who you are with that makes for a fun time,” says Dr. Richard Moy, a foot and ankle surgeon who is known as for being the pulse of any party he attends. When he’s not slicing and dicing on the operating table, this surgical socialite is cutting it up on the dance floor with friends in tow. “The constant introduction of new people creates a huge circle of social interaction … I can now walk into any hotspot in town and have fun with those I know,” he says. According to the doctor, however, OC nightlife could use a spring in its step with “a place that has a club, separate bar areas with different music and yet another area to converse as a group.”