The Legend of the Stardust Brothers is playing on one of the TV sets inside The Mermaid when I arrive. The movie is bonkers in the best way possible and, since it just started, I take that as a sign that tonight’s going to be a good night. And it is. I start playing a little before 8 p.m. and, not long into the set, someone starts dancing to Amy Winehouse, then continues through Freda Payne at Stevie Wonder. Someone else starts head-bopping to Talking Heads and the guy who was dancing to the soul jams sings along with Madonna.
Splash!, on Sundays at The Mermaid, is not a genre-specific night, so really, anything goes at the DJ table. For two-and-a-half hours, I jump across decades, from the 1960s until today. I work in “My Generation,” from the latest La Femme album, which I’ve been listening to on repeat since I bought it earlier last week, and two songs from Fontaines D.C.’s album-of-the-fucking-year, Romance.
The crowd ebbs and flows, as is usual at bars, but it’s always a vibe. A group sitting next to me ask about “Tears Run Rings.” It’s Marc Almond, I tell them, “y’know, from Soft Cell.” They don’t know. I realize that we’re at a point where young adult Angelenos don’t remember the good KROQ Flashback Weekends, when you could hear “Sex Dwarf,” and maybe even “It’s a Mugs Game,” several times before Sunday night came around. I think that my new calling might be preserving the legacy of Los Angeles as a city where Soft Cell is not a one-hit-wonder.
The Phantom of the Paradise is playing when I finish up my set at around 10:30 p.m. David and Stefano take over on DJ duties. (Go listen to their project Tibia, especially if you’re into synthwave.) They’re playing jams and I hang out for close to an hour after I play to chat with them and wait for the rideshare prices to drop. Camp Flog Gnaw, which was happening at Dodger Stadium, must have just let out because Lyft is a good $3 more than it normally is at this time and Uber is more than double it’s usual price. When Lyft finally comes down to a rate that I’ll settle for paying, I head home. I mention the show and the surge prices to my driver, who starts telling me about how much less the drivers are making now than pre-pandemic. He said the drivers are basically “fighting for crumbs” right now, which I understand, and which you probably get too, because that’s life in the 2020s if you aren’t the sort of person who can pay to make elections go your way. It’s a conversation that I’ve had with a lot of drivers lately, but this one ends on a hopeful note, and I think that this same conversation keeps happening is hope. It means that people are seeing that tech wields far too much power over our existence right now and things have to change.
But, anyhow, you probably just came here to see what I played last night, so here’s the set list. Maybe come out to a gig soon. Click on this link to see where I’m playing next.
The Dynamics – Miss You
The Spinners – It’s a Shame
Elia y Elizabeth – Alegria
Marcos Valles – Estrelar
White Town – Your Woman
Franz Ferdinand – No You Girls
The Smiths – This Charming Man
Amy Winehouse – Valerie
Freda Payne – Band of Gold
Stevie Wonder – Signed, Sealed, Deliver
Talking Heads – Once in a Lifetime
Madonna – Holiday (Yuksek edit)
Culture Club – Miss Me Blind
Daft Punk – Around the World
Blur- Girls and Boys
Ladytron – Playgirl
La Femme – My Generation
Fontaines D.C. – Here’s the Thing
Yardbirds – For Your Love
Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons – Beggin’
Edwin Starr – 25 Miles
Edwyn Collins – A Girl Like You
Hot Chip – Ready for the Floor
Phoenix – 1901
The Rapture – House of Jealous Lovers
Confidence Man – Angry Girl
Yeah Yeah Yeahs- Date with the Night
Jacques Dutronc – Le Responsable
The Hives – Walk Idiot Walk
White Stripes – Blue Orchid
Count Five – Psychotic Reaction
Gloria Jones – Tainted Love
Le Tigre – Deceptacon
Wet Leg – Chaise Longue
Peaches – Fuck the Pain Away
Olé Olé – No Controles
Depeche Mode – But Not Tonight
Marc Almond – Tears Run Rings
Actors – Cold Eyes
Interpol – Slow Hands
The Cure – Lovesong
Fontaines D.C. – Favourite
Arctic Monkeys – Do I Wanna Know?
MIA – Paper Planes
Selena – Fotos y Recuerdos
Blondie – The Tide Is High
James and Bobby Purify – I’m Your Puppet
Brenton Wood- Gimme Little Sign
Robyn – Dancing On My Own
New Order – Bizarre Love Triangle
Del the Funky Homosapien – Mistadobalina (Block and Crown edit)
Magazine 60 – Don Quichotte (Gay Marvine edit)
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs.
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