Bob Baker Day is this Sunday at L.A. State Historic Park. Vintage Bob Baker marionettes from the 60th anniversary exhibition at Forest Lawn in 2023. (Photo: Liz O.)
No gigs for me this week, but stay tuned because I have three coming up the following week. If you want to get out of the house between April 18 and April 24, check the list below for some fun happenings. There is a decent amount of events that are all ages on the list this time around, including Bob Baker Day at L.A. State Historic Park on Sunday, which is ideal if you have young kids. Also, two of the events listed below are part of weekend-long happenings, Akiba Live in Little Tokyo and Plantstock over at Philosophical Research Society, so check out their websites and see if there’s anything else you might want to attend.
When everyone is vibing to Animal Collective at Underground and they realize I’ve turned my camera on the crowd.
I’m back at Club Underground on Friday night for The Strokes Nite. Both floors of Grand Star Jazz Club will be open, with Larry G. and me playing from 9:30 p.m. until 2 a.m. Tickets are available now via either Eventbrite or Dice. Hope to see you there! Here’s what else is happening in L.A. this weekend and into next week.
This Friday, April 12, is The Strokes Nite at Club Underground and I’ll be DJing alongside Larry G. for it. Both floors of Grand Star Jazz Club will be open, so you’ll get a good dose of hits and deep cuts from The Strokes, as well as all your Underground favorites. The party starts at 9:30 p.m. and goes until 2 a.m.
Tickets are available now on both Dice and Eventbrite, so scoop up yours now.
The Grand Star is located at 943 N. Broadway in Chinatown’s Central Plaza. Both street and lot parking is available and the venue is a short walk from Metro’s A Line station in Chinatown. This is a 21+ event.
Kickstart this weekend on Thursday night with Night Shift, where I’ll be playing post-punk, synthpop, darkwave and shoegaze at Bar Franca from 9 p.m. until close. There’s no cover and there will be a drink special. Also, on Thursday, DTLA ArtNight is happening in various locations across downtown Los Angeles’ Historic Core from 6 p.m. until 9 p.m., so maybe come by early, browse the galleries and get dinner beforehand. Bar Franca is located at 438 S. Main Street. Look for the cherry above the door.
(Click here to see what I played at last month’s Night Shift.)
Then, finish your weekend on Sunday afternoon with Disco Matinee at Grand Star Jazz Club. Guest DJ Televandalist, who always drops heat on the dance floor, will be joining Jus’ B and me from 3 to 7 p.m. The theme is punk ’n’ funk and if you want an idea of what I’m playing, head over to my Insta for a sneak peek. The Grand Star is located at 943 N. Broadway inside Chinatown’s Central Plaza, right next to the Bruce Lee statue. This is a 21+ event. Advance tickets are $6.50. The cover at the door will be $8 (cash or Venmo).
I’m so excited to be back at Catch One with Klub Nocturno this Saturday, March 30, in the New Wave vs. Darkwave room. Playing Nocturno’s L.A. party in January was such a wild vibe, as was last month’s party at Crescent Ballroom in Phoenix, and I’m looking forward to seeing what Saturday night has in store. Tickets are already sold out online, but there will be a few at the door, so if you want one of those, please be sure to arrive early. Doors open at 9:30 p.m. for this 21+ event. Catch One is located at 4067 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 90019.
As for the rest of the weekend and into early next week, here are my recommendations.
The Wicker Man is screening at Videotheque this Friday night.
My next gig isn’t until March 30, when I’ll be playing with Klub Nocturno at Catch One, but, there are more than enough parties and shows to keep the good vibes going through this weekend and into next week. As always, I try to stick to lower-priced events. Everything here is under $30 a ticket and a number of them don’t have a cover. At the time of posting this list, there were tickets available for all the events on this list. (I double-checked because a few that I had initially planned to include were already sold out.) And, in what seems to be increasingly rare in L.A., two of the shows listed below are actually all-ages.
Thanks to everyone who made it out to Bar Franca on March 7 for the first installment of Night Shift. We’ll be doing it again on Thursday, April 4, so join me from 9 p.m. until last call for a night of post-punk, synthpop, darkwave and shoegaze.
If you want to see what I played for the first Night Shift, check out my playlist. And if you want to RSVP for the next event, head over to Restless Nites.
Bar Franca is located at 438 S. Main Street in Downtown Los Angeles. Look for the neon cherries above the door. There’s no cover and it’s 21+.
My only gig this weekend is a private event, so I want to encourage everyone to get out and hit up one of the many other parties and shows that are happening around town. Here’s what’s happening between Thursday, March 14 and Wednesday, March 20.
On Sunday, April 7, head to Grand Star Jazz Club for the Punk ’n’ Funk Edition of Disco Matinee. Guest DJ Televandalist will join residents Liz O. and Jus’ B for an afternoon dive into the intersection between punk, funk and disco.
Advance tickets are available now via Restless Nites for $6.50, which includes ticket fees. The cover will be $8 at the door on the day of the event. Disco Matinee is the first Sunday of the month from 3 p.m. until 7 p.m. at Grand Star Jazz Club. This is a 21+ event.
The Grand Star is located at 943 N. Broadway, inside Chinatown’s Central Plaza, right next to the Bruce Lee statue. There is both street and lot parking in the neighborhood. The venue is also located across Broadway from Metro’s A line stop in Chinatown.
It’s the rare week when I’m playing three nights in a row, so if you want to follow along for the ride, here are the details. On Thursday, March 7, Night Shift launches at Bar Franca, where I’ll be playing post-punk, synthpop, darkwave and shoegaze from 9 p.m. until close. You’ll find Bar Franca downtown at 438 S. Main Street. There’s no cover and it’s 21+
The following night, Friday, March 8, is Depeche Mode x New Order night at Club Underground. Larry G., Scarlett Casanova and I will be playing your favorites from both bands as well the best in new wave, post-punk, indie and more. Underground is at Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown’s Central Plaza (943 N. Broadway 90012) and it’s 21+. Tickets are available via Dice and Eventbrite.
This Saturday, March 9, is Razorcake Hearts Drinking Beer & Listening to Records at Footsie’s. This is an early, all-vinyl party with no cover. I’ll be playing alongside Nikki Nothing and Samantha Beerhouse between 5 p.m. and 10 p.m. As for what I’m bringing, that’s still up for debate, but I’m in a dubby ‘80s mood, so we’ll see where that goes. Footsie’s is located at 2640 N. Figueroa St. in Cypress Park and it’s 21+. Since we’re done at 10 p.m., there will be more than enough time to check out other happenings in L.A., so that’s where this list of music events begins. Also, there are a few super cool movies screening this week, so I’ve added those to the list as well.
