Night Stuff fans should seriously consider staying downtown for the variety of experiences available tonight after the First Friday gallery walk.

Also on the night shift: an open-to-all-club-kids cast party for "Femme Capulet" and a Lightsleepers showcase for local underground hip-hop.

AFTER 'FIRST FRIDAY'

The usual venues will stay open with live music, DJs and drink after the galleries, shops and street performers shut down 'round 9 p.m.: "Get Fresh!" at Indigo Eurasian Cuisine; Mercury Lounge; Bar 35; NextDoor; thirtyninehotel; Du Vin; Hanks Cafe Honolulu; The Dragon Upstairs; O'Toole's; Murphy's. ... I'm pretty much fond of all of 'em.

But for a whole lot of live eclecticism in one spot, I'll be trekking down to the River Street side of Chinatown tonight for the Ong King Art Center's always-diverse First Friday lineup, and roots reggae players Krushal Meditations, playing down the street at The Riverloft.

Krushal plays the warm brick interiors and kava bar of the Riverloft (186 N. King St.) from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Ong King (184 N. King St.) has the worldly jazz-funk of Quadraphonix, Irish tunes from Doolin' Rakes, India-based Odissi belly-dancer Colleena, performance poet Bridget Gray, dance by Giinko Maraschino, turntablists, hip-hop theater and glow-in-the-dark-juggling from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. $7 gets you Krushal; $10 gets you into Ong King.

On the other end of downtown at Sound/House (1192 Alakea St.), local indie darlings The Malcognitas rock bandmate Ara Laylo's groovy dance monthly, "The Enterprise," sometime between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m.

CHERCHEZ LA 'FEMME'

Those Shakespeare re-imagineers behind "Femme Capulet - 'Romeo and Juliet' Remixed" a production that places the drama's drama in an exotic dance club — throw themselves a cast party. "Luck You! 777" is set for supposedly full o' good fortune Saturday (7/7/07) at the Mercury Lounge (1154 Chaplain Lane, off Fort Street Mall).

The 9 p.m. to 2 a.m. — and very much open to all who are over 21 — party offers DJs Jedi and Shadowfaxxx, comedy by Improv This!, vocals by Sherry Shaoling, the mod burlesque of Cherry Blossom Cabaret and casino games. And because no real actor can resist a captive audience, "Femme Capulet" will encore a fight scene from "Remixed" for the gathered.

Dress code is "casino-swank." The cover is $7 for students, $14 general (includes a martini) or $21 (includes two martinis and gambling credits).

GROUND ZERO HIP-HOP

On Thursday, Kavet the Catalyst and the Lightsleeper's crew throw down "Epicenter: An Underground Hip-Hop Showcase" at NextDoor (43 N. Hotel St.). Earthmovers' sure-to-be-ground-rattling first-ever live performance with every group member present tops the night. Also live on the bill: Kavet, Rhyme Da Old Man, Nomasterbacks, Wade and Temper T. Turntablism by Observ, Oliver Twist, Matt Ratt, Memoirs, KTC and BM13. From 9 p.m. to 2 a.m., 21 and older, $5 entry.

Reach Derek Paiva at dpaiva@honoluluadvertiser.com.