This Saturday, December 20, Klub Nocturno is back at Catch One for a full venue takeover, meaning that there will be five rooms of dancing for you and your friends. I’ll be playing in the new wave vs. darkwave room this time around. This is an 18+ event and tickets are available now on Dice. Nocturno’s Xmas parties usually sell out in advance, so the sooner you get yours, the better. I’ll see you on the dance floor this Saturday night and maybe you’ll hear something off my Top 10 Bangers for 2025 too.
Keep reading if you want my recommendations for concerts, clubs and movie screenings happening in Los Angeles between Thursday, December 18, and Wednesday, December 24.
Concerts
Psych cumbia punk band Tropa Magica are playing Alex’s Bar on Thursday, December 18, with Carlos y Charlos and DJ Nick at Nite. Tropa Magica released a terrific new album, Para Bailar y Tripiar, earlier this year and they’re fantastic live, so do try to catch this show if you’re in/around Long Beach.
Speaking of Alex’s Bar, Fear is playing at the Long Beach venue on Sunday, December 21. Joining them are Mike Watt & The Secondmen and Love Canal. This is a Sunday matinee show for all the punks who have to get up early Monday morning. Doors are at 2 p.m. Meanwhile, for the L.A. crowd, The Offbeat has a free, early show on Sunday with Royal Blue, Hearsay, Near Dark and Sanguine Knight. Doors are at 5 p.m.
And, for the punks who like a little holiday cheer, El Vez & the Centuries bring the Merry Mex-Mas extravaganza to the Lodge Room on Monday December 22 with support from Duderella and Santa Sabbath.
Clubs
There are a few parties worth your time on Friday. For the early crowd, Club Señora, with my pals Scarlett Casanova and Maurice de la Falaise in the DJ booth, will be Juan Gabriel night. The party is from 5 – 9 p.m., there’s no cover and happy hour goes until 8 p.m.
In Chinatown, Club Underground is happening at Grand Star Jazz Club with Larry G. playing indie, Britpop, post-punk, etc. Tickets are available online. (And, for those making plans for New Year’s Eve already, Club Underground will be happening on December 31, with both floors of the Grand Star open and I’ll be DJing with Larry. Tickets are available for that too.)
If you’re going to the Osees totally sold out holiday show at Teragram on Friday, the afterparty is at The Monty, where Joe Dana will be your DJ. Starts at 10 p.m. and there’s no cover.
Movies
If you’re in a holiday movie mood right now, there are a lot screening around L.A., including one of my personal favorites, Tokyo Godfathers, which is playing on Christmas Eve at Los Feliz 3.
Of course, Philosophical Research Society has some excellent holiday programming happening right now. On Friday, they’ll show René Cardona’s 1959 film Santa Claus vs. The Devil. It’s presented by 7th House and El Cine and the event is also a toy drive to benefit Border Kindness. On Sunday afternoon, Bob Baker Marionettes and friends stop by PRS for the Very Merry Mix-Travaganza, which will include puppets, naturally, as well as a selection of animated shorts co-curated by Screen Novelties. That night, 7th House and Astraleyes present Ghost Stories for Christmas, which features a selection of BBC’s A Ghost Story for Christmas broadcasts from the 1970s, as well Kier-La Janisse’s film, The Occupant of the Room.
For those of you who have no interest in watching holiday movies, your options include the music documentary Peaches Goes Bananas, which screens at Lumiere Cinema on Thursday. On Friday, the Armenian Film Society co-presents Sergei Parajanov’s visionary 1969 film The Color of Pomegranates at Vidiots and, on Sunday, December 21, American Cinematheque hosts a centennial screening of Battleship Potemkin over at the Egyptian.
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