Happening in L.A.

Happening in L.A.: July 4 – July 10, 2024

Decadence x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club on Friday, July 5 with DJs Larry G., Liz O. Pierrot and Fife Laroux

This is going to be a whirlwind of a weekend. I’m playing four gigs in the next seven days and hope to see a few you out at least one of them. Friday night is Decadanse x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club with Larry G. and me playing all your Underground favorites and Decadanse DJs Pierrot and Fifi LaRoux bring French heat to the dance floor.  Tickets are available through Eventbrite or Dice.

On Saturday, I’ll be playing records for Malvada’s party at Bigfoot Lodge in Los Feliz with DJ Felix. Sunday is the first anniversary party for Disco Matinee over at Grand Star and Tuesday I’ll be joining David Christian for Dolce Vita’s ‘80s night Splash over at The Mermaid. Details for all those gigs, plus a handful of recommendations for the rest of the week, are listed below. 

Thursday, July 4

4th of July Block Party w/Healing Gems, Tropo Magica, Grupo Soñador & more @Gloria Molina Grand Park

200 N. Grand Ave., DTLA 90012; 4 p.m.; All ages; No cover

96 Tears w/perksandkisses @ Grand Star Jazz Club

943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets

Subtract on the Pier 9 Year Anniversary @ Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier

15 39th Place, Long Beach 90803; 1 p.m.; 21+ ; Get tickets

Dávila 666, Self Improvement, Op-Ed, Space Horse @ The Paramount

2708 E. Cesar E. Chavez, Boyle Heights 90033; 8 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets

Friday, July 5

Decadanse x Underground w/Fifi LaRoux, Larry G., Liz O., PierrotGrand Star Jazz Club

943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets

DJ Malvada Bigfoot Lodge DJ Liz O. DJ Felix

Saturday, July 6

DJ Felix, Liz O. @ Bigfoot Lodge

3172 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz 90039; 10 p.m.; 21+; No cover

Disco Matinee First Anniversary July 7, 2024 at Grand Star Jazz Club from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. with DJ Liz O. and DJ Jus' B playing disco, funk, dance punk and more.

Sunday, July 7

Disco Matinee 1st Anniversary Party w/Liz O. and Jus’ B @ Grand Star Jazz Club

943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 3 p.m.; 21+; $5 at the door, RSVP on Instagram or Facebook for free entry before 4 p.m.

Monday, July 8

Izzy Outerspace, Essencer, Ter, Voice on Tape @ Genghis Cohen

740 N. Fairfax, Hollywood 90046; 7 p.m.; 18+; Get tickets

Splash '80s Night by Dolce Vita with rotating DJs at The Mermaid in Little Tokyo. Tuesday nights at 8 p.m.

Tuesday, July 9

Splash w/David Christian, Liz O. @ The Mermaid

428 E. 2nd St., Little Tokyo 90012; 8 p.m.; 21+; No cover

Wednesday, July 10

The Future Is Female: L.A. Filmmaker Screening @ Vidiots

4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 7:30 p.m.; Get tickets

Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs.

Keep Reading:

HERE’S WHAT I PLAYED AT CLUB UNDERGROUND ON FRIDAY, JUNE 14, 2024

HERE’S WHAT I PLAYED AT DISCO MATINEE ON JUNE 2, 2024

DAPHNE GUINNESS’ NEW ALBUM, SLEEP, IS DISCO PERFECTION

PULSAR, THE NEW ALBUM FROM L’IMPÉRATRICE, IS OUT NOW

ZOOT WOMAN, ALEX ANWANDTER, MODEL CHILD AND MORE JUNE MUSIC

New Music

Daphne Guinness’ New Album, Sleep, Is Disco Perfection

Cover of Sleep by Daphne Guinness
Album cover for Sleep, by Daphne Guinness

It was before noon on the first day of July when I listened to Sleep, the new album from Daphne Guinness, for the third time that day. I’m not one to play albums on repeat, but this one resonated with me in a particular way. By the third listen, I had already started to memorize a few of the songs, but had yet to decide which ones will end up in my DJ sets.  This album is disco perfection and there are songs suited for nearly every kind of set I might play.

Continue reading Daphne Guinness’ New Album, Sleep, Is Disco Perfection →
Music

July 1 Is Repair Independence Day

Phot of electronic junk separation for recycling. Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication
Right to Repair laws aim in part to help curb e-waste that results from devices that have been difficult, if not impossible, to repair. (Syced, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons, Creative Commons Zero, Public Domain Dedication)

Today, July 1, is the day that right to repair laws go into effect in California and Minnesota, so the organizations that have been working to make this kind of legislation happen across the U.S. have declared it Repair Independence Day. Since I’m a Californian and have written about the new right to repair law in our fine state, it seemed like a good idea to post about it here. We’ll start with a link to my story from January. 

“What California’s Right to Repair Law means for fixing home appliances and more” (Southern California News Group, gift link)

Continue reading July 1 Is Repair Independence Day →
Upcoming Gigs

Disco Matinee First Anniversary Party Is July 7

Disco Matinee First Anniversary July 7, 2024 at Grand Star Jazz Club from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. with DJ Liz O. and DJ Jus' B playing disco, funk, dance punk and more.

Disco Matinee is turning one year old and we’re going to celebrate on Sunday, July 7 at Grand Star Jazz Club from 3 to 7 p.m. To say thank you for your support this past year, there will be no cover before 4 p.m. if you RSVP on Instagram or Facebook* and the cover after 4 p.m. (or if you don’t RSVP) will be $5 for the first anniversary party. 

Disco Matinee is a monthly, Sunday afternoon party with DJs Liz O. (that’s me) and Jus’ B. We play disco, funk, dance punk and more. If you’re down to dance to everything from Donna Summer to Talking Heads to Mary Jane Girls to Lime, this is the party for you. 

Grand Star Jazz Club is at 943 N. Broadway in Chinatown’s Central Plaza, right next to the Bruce Lee Statue. Both street and lot parking is available. The venue is also right across Broadway from Metro’s A Line stop in Chinatown. 

See you on the dance floor on Sunday, July 7. 

*If you don’t have Facebook or Instagram, just click this link to send us an email with RSVP in the subject line and send us your name. 

Happening in L.A.

Happening in L.A.: June 27 through July 3

Liquid Sky movie
Liquid Sky plays at Gardena Cinema on Friday night.

It’s a good week for movies in L.A. You’ve got two nights of Bruce LaBruce screenings at 2220 Arts + Archives, The Living End (with Gregg Araki in the house) at Academy Museum on Thursday and, one of my personal favorites, Liquid Sky at Gardena Cinema on Friday. 

Also on Friday, Vidiots is screening Out of the Blue, the 1980 Dennis Hopper starring Linda Manz as a troubled punk rock teen. The movie is the source of the “Kill All Hippies” sample in the Primal Scream song of the same name. And, not to spoil anything, but it has one of the most disturbing endings I’ve ever seen in a movie. You’ve been warned. 

There are also some worthwhile shows happening on the lower side of the ticket price spectrum, including Hunx & His Punx at Lodge Room next Wednesday night. At the time of writing this, tickets were still available for that show. As always, there are loads of DJ nights happening— certainly more than I’ve been able to keep track of on socials this week— so take some time to check out those if you can too. Keep reading to see what’s happening in L.A. between June 27 and July 3. 

(And, in case you were wondering, my next gig is Friday, July 5 at Grand Star Jazz Club for Décadanse x Underground. Click on this link for more details.)

Continue reading Happening in L.A.: June 27 through July 3 →
Music

Mark Your Calendars: July 5 Is Decadence x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club

Decadence x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club on Friday, July 5 with DJs Larry G., Liz O. Pierrot and Fife Laroux

Friday, July 5, is going to be amazing. Mark your calendars for Décadanse x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club. This one-night-only event brings together L.A.’s Friday night indie dance party with monthly French pop Décadanse Soirée. Catch Larry G. and me (Liz O.) with your favorite new wave, post-punk, Britpop, indie faves and more, while DJs Pierrot and Fifi La Roux play the jams en français.

Tickets are available now on Dice and Eventbrite. Get yours as soon as possible. You don’t want to miss out on this night.

Grand Star Jazz Club is located at 943 N. Broadway in Chinatown’s Central Plaza, right next to the Bruce Lee Statue. There is both street and lot parking in the neighborhood and the venue is located right across Broadway from Metro’s A Line station in Chinatown. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. and is 21+. See you on the dance floor on July 5.

Got It On Vinyl, The Playlist

This 12-Year-Old School of Seven Bells Song Still Hits Like It’s New

School of Seven Bells Ghostory on vinyl
My vinyl copy of School of Seven Bells’ 2012 album, Ghostory.

When a song isn’t instantly recognizable, you can see it on the faces in the crowd. They’ll shoot befuddled glances around the room, scope the scene and see how many people look like they know it. They half-dance, as if they’re still deciding whether or not to stay on the floor. 

In the DJ booth, this is a tense moment because there are a few ways that the scenario can play out. They might leave the dance floor, taking a handful of people with them. Or, someone who is equally bold and clueless might come up to the booth with the “play something I know” request. In the best possible instances, they stick with the groove and keep moving.

I see people cast the “I don’t know this song, should I dance?” glance whenever I play “Low Times” by School of Seven Bells. The song is 12 years old, and I’ve been playing it for just as long, but it still hits as if it were new. Even though it’s not a song that people automatically know, they keep dancing. Every time, the crowd grows and energy builds alongside the heart-pounding rhythm and breathless vocals. 

Continue reading This 12-Year-Old School of Seven Bells Song Still Hits Like It’s New →
Movies

The Legend of the Stardust Brothers Is a Wild Ride Through Pop Stardom

The Legend of the Stardust Brothers 1985 movie
The Legend of the Stardust Brothers

It’s Tokyo, 1985 and the vibe inside the nightclub is Cabaret, were that movie directed by David Lynch. The scene is shot in grainy black-and-white and filled with characters who look as if they are caught between the past, the present and a fever dream. At this moment, which is just seconds into The Legend of the Stardust Brothers, nothing could be too weird for you. Well, nothing, perhaps, except the appearance of the Stardust Brothers themselves. 

Kan and Shingo, the washed-up pop stars at the center of the film, bolt onstage and on screen in full color, their silver jumpsuits shining, their tale of woe set to a glam rock beat. Kan tries to keep it together as Shingo gorges himself on food and drink. They are a brilliant mess, but the crowd is thoroughly unimpressed. 

Continue reading The Legend of the Stardust Brothers Is a Wild Ride Through Pop Stardom →
Adventures in L.A., Art

Go See Giant Robot Biennale 5 at Little Tokyo’s Japanese American National Museum

Yoskay Yamamoto "Moonage Daydream" installation with Luke Chueh painting in background at Japanese American National Museum in Little Tokyo for Giant Robot Biennale 5. (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
Yoskay Yamamoto’s installation “Moonage Daydream” with painting by Luke Chueh in the background at Giant Robot Biennale 5. (Pic: Liz O.)

It’s a been a minute, but the Giant Robot Biennale is back. Between 2007 and 2015, the group exhibition developed by Erik Nakamura and the Japanese American National Museum popped up roughly every other year, bringing together a cross-section of artists that you might recognize from shows at the GR2 Gallery in West L.A., or from the pages of the magazine Giant Robot, which ran from 1994 until 2010 and helped introduce audiences to artists like Takashi Murakami and Yoshitomo Nara. 

Continue reading Go See Giant Robot Biennale 5 at Little Tokyo’s Japanese American National Museum →

Indie music and alt culture blog from Los Angeles. By Liz O.