Taleen Kali’s latest album, Flower of Life, on vinyl. (pic: Liz O.)
While eating a 1 a.m. Del Taco dinner, I thought about how amazing an opportunity it is to be able to DJ in the L.A. music scenes in which I’ve played for so long. Getting to connect with fantastic bands, DJs and other people through this world is a constant source of inspiration. So, I’m incredibly grateful that Taleen Kali asked me to DJ on Wednesday night for the shoegaze installment of the band’s September residency at Harvard and Stone.
Taleen Kali, Izzy Outerspace and Lux Lawless all played fantastic live sets. Given the theme of the night, I put together sets that included some classic and contemporary shoegaze, psychedelic and indie rock. Check out the set list here.
At Philippe’s, you can get a cup of coffee for 46 cents and a donut for $1. (Pic: Liz O.)
I grew up in a family full of staunch Angelenos who love to dispense advice on crucial subjects like rush hour short cuts and where to get a good meal. When it comes to the latter, one of the best pieces of advice I heard from multiple family members was, “Get breakfast at Philippe’s.”
Disco Matinee returns to Grand Star Jazz Club on Sunday, October 8 from 3 to 7 p.m. Special guest DJ Mr. Michel (Dolce Vita, Playback Fantasy, Æomega Lab Moda L.A.) joins resident DJs Liz O. and Jus’ B for an afternoon of disco classics mixed with Italo disco, hiNRG, freestyle, nu-disco and lots more. Stop by if you’re game to dance to anything from Donna Summer to Taana Gardner to Lime to Daft Punk to Purple Disco Machine.
This coming week, I’ll be joining Taleen Kali’s residency at Harvard & Stone for a special DJ set before, after and in between the bands. More info on that below the jump. Plus, I’ve included a handful of other L.A. music events, including clubs, concerts and record fairs that are on my radar for the week. Keep reading and mark your calendars.
I forgot to take pics while I was DJing, so here’s a mermaid skeleton at The Mermaid that I saw right before the night started. (Pic: Liz O.)
For years, I used to post most of my set lists. Then I stopped because I figured if people were that curious about what I’m playing, they would actually go to the party and Shazam (or, like, come up and ask me about) whatever song they don’t know. Now I’m rethinking that because Shazam doesn’t catch everything. Plus, I like having an archive and want people to actually know what songs are played. So, this is the set from Dolce Vita at The Mermaid on September 12, 2023.
Nolune live outside of Bar Henry for Echo Park Rising
For one baffling moment, the thought of walking the 1.2 mile stretch of Sunset Blvd. between Spacedust and Bar Henry for Echo Park Rising on Saturday afternoon sounded doable. I quickly came to my senses and vetoed that option, though, on account of it being somewhere around 90 degrees, per the weather app on my phone. Plus, the list of things I wanted to do that day was out of control. So, instead, I stuck around Bar Henry long enough to see Nolune, Micah Preite and Datamaps play fantastic sets on the sidewalk as traffic whizzed past us.
An installation of wild animal sculptures by Camilla d’Errico for “Nurtured by Nature” at Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, September 2023. (Pic: Liz O.)
If you’re interested in new contemporary art, you really should visit Corey Helford Gallery. Founded in 2006 by Jan Corey Helford and television producer Bruce Helford, this hub of pop surrealism, street art, new figurative art and related styles has hosted shows from the likes of Eric Joyner, D*Face, Kristen Liu-Wong, Brandi Milne and so many others. But, what’s really cool about CHG is that the frequent shows here are accessible whether or not you’re able to buy art.You don’t need to wait for an opening or make an appointment to visit. They have regular, open hours five days a week.
Joe Joe’s Bizarre City Pop Night at Silverlake Lounge on September 6, 2023. (Pic: Liz O.)
I love it when I don’t know the music at a club. Maybe that’s a DJ thing or a music snob thing. It could just be a Liz O. quirk, IDK. Still, I’m the last person who will run up to the booth and say, “play something I can dance to.” I will, however, run up to the booth and compliment the DJ for playing something that’s unfamiliar to me, but sounds like funky Cocteau Twins, which is what happened on Wednesday during my friend Elvin Estela’s set at Silverlake Lounge for Joe Joe’s Bizarre City Pop Night.
I’ll be your Dolce Vita DJ at The Mermaid (where you can see this mermaid video projection) on Tuesday, September 12. Stop by and check out these other L.A. music events throughout the week too.
Having a hard time keeping up on L.A. music events? Yeah, same here. But, to try and make it a little easier for people to get out and see what this city has to offer, I wrote up a list of events that I’m interested in attending this week. (I’ll for sure be at two of them, since I’ll be DJing.) Check it out and if you make it to any of the shows or parties listed below, let me know on Instagram.
By some fluke of the algorithm, I saw a post on Instagram that Tinglez were playing at Oracle Tavern for Unusual Tuesdays last week. Since relevant event information has become increasingly rare on my timeline— I frequently see Insta flyers days after the fact— that this post even reached my eyeballs on a night when I happened to be free was surely a sign that I had to go.
And I did go to Unusual Tuesdays later that evening. Tinglez packed the dreamiest space disco into set that was shorter than Patrick Cowley’s remix of “I Feel Love.” The energy in the crowd was electric as people pulled in closer to the stage. I was glad to be there, not only to catch this set, but because it would be my last venture at Oracle Tavern.
