With a new entertainment coordinator, Starz changes direction and promises a varied lineup.

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Rock

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In the first couple of weeks without a booking agent, Starz experienced some lineup difficulties that caused pessimists to predict the club''s premature demise. Intense enthusiasm and a bag full of ideas however, may change the club''s reputation from failing rock ''n'' roll venue to an interesting entertainment experience. The man with the plan is Al Ewing, school bus driver by day and DJ (Artisphere Entertainment) of all trades by night.

"Kathi [DeMaria, Starz''s owner'' has a vision about Starz and what it should represent and offer to its customers," explains Ewing. "She doesn''t want just a bar anymore, she''s been in that business for almost 30 years. She''s ready for a change."

That much was obvious even before the club opened. A live rock ''n'' roll club would be something completely new for her and an experiment at best. It''s now apparent that experiment fizzled, at least in DeMaria''s eyes, and she has found a soulmate in Ewing to plot the future of Starz.

"We''re starting from scratch," says Ewing. "What we are going to create is a locale of versatile entertainment, a place that is intimate yet has its own ''bar thing'' going."

Judging from the intended lineup, versatility won''t be a problem. The week will start off with Monday night sports, possibly accompanied by complimentary hors d'' oeuvres. Tuesdays will remain karaoke nights. Thursday nights offer something for the dancers among us with DJ Mr. Al (Ewing).

Three days of "stuff" you can find elsewhere in town. Where are the new and innovative ideas? The answer: On Wednesdays.

"For Wednesdays, we''re going to try something new as far as live music is concerned," says Ewing. "We''re going to invite bands, locals as well as out-of-towners, to come and audition for weekend gigs at Starz."

Ewing promises to pay top dollar for weekend venues as an incentive of sorts. "We are looking for bands that draw well and are entertaining. They will be signed that very evening for a future weekend," he says.

This brings us to Friday, which will offer rock ''n'' roll, and Saturday nights, reserved for any kind of live music. Finishing the weekend is Sunday''s open mic from 4-7pm.

Still in the works are two interesting additions to the club''s complete overhaul. One is going to be called the Monterey Bay Singles Network. The plan is to have little catalogs at Starz, that contain pictures and mini-biographies of people who want to meet other people. You don''t have to pay to get into the catalog, but should you find an interesting person whom you''d like to meet, there will be a small fee. The first "date" will be set up at Starz, which is a pretty safe and neutral environment to meet a total stranger.

"The other thing we''d like to try out is classical music," says Ewing. "This would take place on weekend mornings with perhaps a continental breakfast of sorts. People with a passion for this kind of music could just come in and relax with a cup of coffee and the newspaper perhaps."

It''s quite a change in direction for the fledgling club. Granted, some of it may not be all that new, but judging from the overall turnout at the club, DeMaria and Ewing are obviously trying to keep their customers satisfied. And that''s what it''s all about.

Meanwhile, the rock ''n'' roll front this weekend looks familiar and rather meek, but it''s still out there so don''t give up on it yet. The BlueFin offers rock with Unshakable on Friday, and reggae with Tony Miles on Saturday. 375-7000. And Starz invited Mr. Dick to play on Friday with its mix of folk/classic rock. For info call 375-3056.

The Long Bar has some cool stuff going on as well. On Tuesday you can rock with High Street and VERA, and Wednesday brings back a band called Government Grown that successfully rocked the house at Doc''s in the past. If you haven''t got any plans, this band is worth checking out. 372-2244.

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