Rose Knows and I paying tribute to Giorgio Moroder at The Lash
There are a lot of venues in Los Angeles, but one like The Lash, where I DJed a lot over the years, is rare. That’s why I’m saddened to learn that the downtown venue has closed.
I’m grateful to Ross, KB and everyone with the venue for providing a home for a cross-section of niche scenes in the city for so long. The club was most closely associated with the darkwave/goth world, but, really, you could hear anything from techno to city pop there. The club boasted a truly eclectic line-up of parties, which is part of what made it unique.
Disco Heat returns to Lost But Found on January 12
I’m happy to announce that Disco Heat will be back at Lost But Found on January 12 *and* that DJ Clifton will be our special guest. Clifton is one of L.A.’s best (and busiest) DJs and his taste is impeccable. Plus, we haven’t played together since Sunday Sessions at Grand Park back in August of 2021! All that said, you really don’t want to miss out on this special night.
Club Underground’s New Year’s Eve Ball Sold Out Before the Doors Opened
What a New Year’s Eve! It was amazing to play with Larry G. and Malvada for the sold out crowd at Club Underground’s New Year’s Eve Ball at Grand Star Jazz Club. Thank you to everyone who joined us on Saturday night to ring in 2023.
Back cover of Fun Boy Three’s debut album. You’ll hear “It Ain’t What You Do…” on this month’s Beatique mix
If you have some time, check out the first installment of my Beatique Mix series. These monthly shows will be about an hour long and divided into two sets. The first set is more like a regular radio segment and the second is a club mix. It’s not tied to any genre or era of music. It’s just good music that has been in my personal rotation lately. Hope you enjoy it.
If you know DJs, then you’ve probably heard or read their complaints about requests. At the very least, you’ve seen a meme or two floating around on Instagram. It’s not necessarily a faux pas to request a song at a club, but there’s a way to do it politely. Unfortunately, plenty of people don’t know how to do that, so I’ll break down how to request a song step-by-step.
Depeche Mode 12″ singles for “Everything Counts” and “Love in Itself” from my vinyl collection.
There’s one band I’ve played more than any other in my DJ sets. That’s Depeche Mode. The British synthpop pioneers have been a part of my gigs, often regardless of the vibe of the party, since I started DJing. I doubt this will ever change.
I’ve been a Depeche Mode fan since I was a kid, but there are a lot of bands that I’ve loved for most of my life and don’t play nearly as often. It does help that L.A. has a lot of Depeche Mode fans. Outside of the clubs, the band frequently appears on request lists for weddings and birthday parties. But, that’s also not really the reason for so much Depeche Mode play.
“Goo Goo Muck” now has a disco edit courtesy of Mark James and Peewee Ferris
I fell in love with a incredibly fun and thoughtful disco take on The Cramps’ 1981 cult hit “Goo Goo Muck” from Mark James and Peewee Ferris this morning. It’s not something I expected to find. In fact, I never considered playing a disco variant of any song by The Cramps. But, that’s likely going to change soon.
Disco Heat is back at Songbird in Chinatown on January 5
Start off 2023 with Disco Heat. Jus’ B and I are back at Songbird in Chinatown on January 5 for a night of classic ’70s jams and nu-disco bops. Expect to hear everything from Donna Summer to Purple Disco Machine as we turn up the temperature on the dance floor from 9:30 p.m. until last call. There’s no cover for Disco Heat, but we do recommend that you RSVP on Eventbrite.
Cover of the single for “Heart Like a Wheel” by The Human League
In 2022, a 32-year-old song from The Human League started creeping into my sets. I’ve been a fan of the band since childhood and play them often when I DJ. Yet, I never played “Heart Like a Wheel,” let alone the extended mix of the song, before this year. I began playing “Heart Like a Wheel” because I heard it on a MARS FM broadcast nearly as old as the song itself.
MARS FM 103.1 was a short-lived radio station in Los Angeles during the early 1990s with a truly alternative format. While MARS was known as the “rave” radio station, they played everything from Morrissey to Arrested Development to Messiah. (Check out these old playlists.) It was wild. Years after the station’s demise, my friends and I recalled it in many conversations. A lot of us were, in some way, influenced by the sound of MARS.
Kickstart 2023 with DJs Larry G., Malvada and me (Liz O.) at Underground’s New Year’s Eve Ball. We’ll light up the dance floor at Chinatown’s Grand Star Jazz Club on December 31, 2022 from 9:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Head over to Underground’s website to get your tickets now.
