Next Wednesday is New Year’s Eve and both floors of Grand Star Jazz Club will be open for Club Underground’s last bash of 2025. Larry G. and I will be your DJs, playing the best indie, darkwave, new wave, post-punk, Britpop and more. If you’ve been to an Underground NYE party before, you know it’s a blast and that it also sells out. Head over to Club Underground’s website now and get your tickets before they’re gone.
Us L.A. lifers know that Christmas week is a notoriously slow one as far as nightlife is concerned. But, there are still a few things happening that I want to shout out, so keep reading.
Need to get out of the house on Christmas? The Offbeat has your back. Not only is the Highland Park bar open on December 25, but they have a fantastic lineup, including Jenni Gee, French, Argot and Scarlett Casanova playing indie, ‘80s, holiday tunes, darkwave, cumbia and more. Party starts at 9 p.m. and there’s no cover. Get there early if you want to try your hand at karaoke, hosted by Stefvixen, between 7 and 9 p.m.
Egyptian Lover heads to JDC Records in San Pedro on Friday for a free show at what is one of the best record stores in the L.A. area. (And the store also has a fantastic, very L.A. history that I wrote about for KCET/PBS SoCal a few years back.) Party kicks off at 6 p.m. Later on Friday, Club Underground will be open with DJ Larry G. Advance tickets are available now. Doors are at 9:30 p.m.
On Saturday, my pals Malvada and Fifi La Roux takeover Bigfoot Lodge East armed with vinyl. Catch them DJing from 10 p.m. until close. No cover. And, over at La Cita, La Nueva Ola de Cumbia plays live. Finally, on Sunday, Ann Magnuson has a 30th anniversary performance of The Love Show at Zebulon.
As for movies, try to check out something new this week. I’ve probably seen more new movies this year than I have in many years and there hasn’t been a stinker in the bunch. One Battle After Another lives up to the hype. Frankensteinis terrific and, fight me if you want, I love Jacob Elordi as the Creature. Rental Family is a very sweet, and poignant, film about finding connection with other humans. Just last night, I saw The Secret Agent and absolutely recommend that to anyone who can sit through a 2+ hour thriller with subtitles. The soundtrack is fire, as is the very ‘70s look of the film. Also, for the Udo Kier fans, The Secret Agent is the late actor’s final film.
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