This Sunday, January 26, I’ll be DJing at The Mermaid for Splash! This is an open format night, so anything goes as far as the music is concerned. Music starts at 8 p.m. and goes until 1 a.m. There’s no cover and it’s 21+. You’ll find the Mermaid at 428 E. 2nd Street in Little Tokyo. There is street and lot parking in the neighborhood and The Mermaid is just a couple blocks away from Metro’s A/E Line station. Hope to see you there!
As for the rest of the weekend, and early next week, check out the list below to see what’s happening in L.A. While Jamie XX’s dates at the Shrine are sold out, there are some other fantastic shows happening around town, from Tropa Magica at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach to Nuovo Testamento at Saturday night’s Abortion Access Benefit at the Lodge Room and Travis on Tuesday at The Wiltern.
From the looks of it, the David Lynch film screenings— like Fire Walk With Me at Brain Dead on Thursday night and Blue Velvet on Sunday at the Aero— are sold out. Some other worthwhile screenings include Oldboy at Gardena Cinema on Friday and Viridiana at Vidiots on Saturday.If you’re in/around Orange County, Tank Girl (!!!) Is playing at The Frida on Monday night.
Keep reading for details on these and more events happening in L.A. between Thursday, January 23 and Wednesday, January 29.
Thursday, January 23
Tropa Magica, El Santo Gope, Integra Pink, La Papaya Club (DJ) @ Alex’s Bar
Alex’s Bar is celebrating their 25th anniversary with a series of shows and, for the event on January 23, Tropa Magica headlines. I saw band, who play psych cumbia with punk energy, at Grand Park’s Fourth of July event last year and they’re fantastic. El Santo Gope and Integra Pink open the show and La Papaya Club DJs. If you’re in or around Long Beach on Thursday night, don’t miss out on this show.
Alex’s Bar, 2913 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach 90804; 8 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Walt Mcclements, Mary Lattimore, DJs Paul Corley and jonsi @ Zebulon
On her last full-length album, Goodbye, Hotel Arkada, harpist Mary Lattimore collaborated with the likes of former Cure member Lol Tolhurst and Slowdive’s Rachel Goswell. She’ll be playing solo at Zebulon on Thursday night, as part of a lineup that includes a performance from multi-instrumentalist Walt Mcclements (who also appeared on Goodbye, Hotel Arkada) and DJ sets from composer Paul Corley and Sigur Rós vocalist Jónsi. There’s no cover, but it looks like RSVPs are going fast on Dice, so maybe plan to arrive early.
Zebulon, 2478 Fletcher Dr., Elysian Valley 90039; 8 p.m.; 21+; No cover, RSVP
DIG! XX (film screening) @ The Frida
Orange County friends, make this Thursday movie night and head to The Frida for Dig!XX. This is the updated version of the 2004 documentary about the relationship between The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre with 40 minutes of previously-unseen footage, plus new narration from Joel Gion of The Brian Jonestown Massacre.
The Frida Cinema, 305 E. 4th Street, Suite 100, Santa Ana 92701; 7:15 p.m.; Get tickets
Also happening:
Daniel Johnston Tribute Show @ Scribble
5541 York Blvd., Highland Park 90042; 7 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets
96 Tears w/DJ perksandkisses @ Grand Star Jazz Club
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
GZA (performing Liquid Swords), Lettuce @ The Novo
The Novo, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite a3335, DTLA 90015; 8 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets
Friday, January 24
Underground w/DJ Larry G. @ Grand Star Jazz Club
Every Friday night, you can dance to the best in indie, post-punk, Britpop, new wave, darkwave and more at Underground. Larry G. plays the jams from the 1980s- today from open-to-close at the Grand Star Jazz Club, located right next to the Bruce Lee statue in Chinatown.
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Gwen and the Book of Sand (L.A. Premiere) @ Philosophical Research Society
Deaf Crocodile has been on a roll when it comes to bringing stunning, European films to the U.S., so Gwen and the Book of Sand should be a real treat. The post-apocalyptic, French animated film is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, but it hasn’t been released in the U.S. until now. It’s also been restored with the participation of director Jean-François Laguionie.
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz 90027; 7 p.m.; Get tickets
Lightstruck: Good-By Keiichi Taanami @ 2220 Arts + Archives
Japanese pop artist Keiichi Taanami, who died last year, had a vast body of work that included album covers for The Monkees, Jefferson Airplane and Super Furry Animals. He also made experimental films and animations, some of which will screening on Friday night at 2220 Arts + Archives.
2220 Arts + Archives, 2220 Beverly Blvd., Historic Filipinotown 90057; 8 p.m.; 18+; Get tickets
Also happening:
Elephant Stone, The Asteroid No. 4, DJs Brent Rademacher and Chris Robinson @ Zebulon
2478 Fletcher Dr., Elysian Valley 90039; 7 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Into the Red Room: Twin Peaks Tribute (Benefit for Pasadena Humane Society) @ Gold-Diggers
5632 Santa Monica Blvd., East Hollywood 90038; 10:30 p.m.; 21+ ; Get tickets
Oldboy @ Gardena Cinema
14948 Crenshaw Blvd., Gardena 90249; 7:30 p.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Get tickets
Saturday, January 25
Abortion Access Benefit w/Nuovo Testamento, Draag and more @ Lodge Room
Nuovo Testamento and Draag are part of the stacked lineup at The Lodge Room on Saturday night for the 3rd Annual Abortion Access series of benefit shows, which will also be a fundraiser for L.A. wildfire relief. Proceeds benefit reproductive justice organization Noise for Now and Baby2Baby’s Disaster Relief and Emergency Response.
Lodge Room, 104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd Floor, Highland Park 90042; 6:30 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets
Gyration Station: Zombies in Miami, Sam Wise @ Homage Brewing
Mexican duo Zombies in Miami make killer house and techno tracks, sometimes flirting with Italo disco and ‘90s house vibes. They’re headlining Gyration Station’s party at Homage Brewing on Saturday night.
Homage Brewing, 1219 S. Main St., Chinatown 90012; 9 p.m.; 21+; No cover before 10 p.m., $10 after that
Viridiana @ Vidiots
Viridiana is a wild ride. The 1961 film from Luis Buñuel starts off as a gothic horror film, maybe with a nod to Jean Cocteau’s Beauty and the Beast, and then turns into a totally over-the-stop social satire. Back in its day, Viridiana won the Palme d’Or and pissed off the Catholic Church, so you know it’s good. If you haven’t seen the movie before, now is your chance.
Vidiots, 4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 4:15 p.m.; Get tickets
Also happening:
Heaven Ship: A Trip to Mars @ Philosophical Research Society
3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz 90027; 7 p.m.; Get tickets
Death From Above 1979, Spiritual Cramp @ The Novo
800 W. Olympic Blvd., Suite a3335, DTLA 90015; 9 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets
VHYes @ Alamo Drafthouse
700 W. 7th St., Suite U240, DTLA 90017; 10 p.m.; Get tickets
Club Synth w/DJs Drayk, Mikki Sudden, Cabslays @ Stowaway
416 S. Spring St., DTLA 90013; 10 p.m.; 21+; No cover
Club Disintegration 7th Anniversary Party w/DJ perksandkisses @ Grand Star Jazz Club (first floor)
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Club Retro Boom w/ Bläk Widöw (live) and DJs Metal Mando, Lizard King @ Grand Star Jazz Club (second floor)
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Monday, January 27
Tank Girl @ The Frida
Back in 1995, I saw Tank Girl in the theater and thought it was amazing. So did my friends. In fact, there were likely a lot of people who loved Tank Girl when it was released, but nobody takes the opinions of weirdo teenagers seriously, so we basically had to grow up and reassess this big screen adaptation of Jamie Hewlett and Alan Martin’s comic for ourselves. (I wrote a story about just that for Los Angeles back in 2018, you can click this link to read it.) Anyhow, Tank Girl is amazing and it’s playing at The Frida on Monday night, so if you’re in the vicinity of Santa Ana, go see it.
The Frida Cinema, 305 E. 4th Street, Suite 100, Santa Ana 92701; 7:30 p.m.; Get tickets
Tuesday, January 28
Jeremiah Chiu, Yuka Honda, Monde UFO @ Zebulon
Not only is there a free show going on at Zebulon on Tuesday night, but it’s one featuring Yuka Honda, founding member of Cibo Matto who released the EPs Farm Psychedelia I & II last year. If you’re interested in psychedelic and more experimental types of music, definitely head to Zebulon on Tuesday night.
Zebulon, 2478 Fletcher Dr., Elysian Valley 90039; 8 p.m.; 21+; No cover, RSVP
Travis @ The Wiltern
Travis’ albums The Man Who and The Invisible Band are classics of Y2K-ish indie, but they also released a terrific album last year called L.A. Times. As of right now, tickets are still available for their show on Tuesday night at The Wiltern.
The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown 90010; 7 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets
Wednesday, January 29
L.A. Gives Back: Fire Relief @ The Bellwether
The lineup for L.A. Gives Back: Fire Relief benefit show on Wednesday night hasn’t been released yet, but the list of promoters and labels involved is pretty impressive. They include Brownies and Lemonade, A Club Called Rhonda, Emo Nite, Lights Down Low, Ninja Tune, IHeartComix and more. Tickets are still available.
The Bellwether, 333 S. Boylston St., DTLA 90017; 7 p.m.; 18+; Get tickets
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs. Follow on Instagram for more updates.
Keep Reading:
CSS Live at The Regent January 19, 2025