This Friday, May 1, Klub Nocturno is back at Catch One with five rooms for dancing. I’ll be in the new wave vs. darkwave room this time around, which is also where you’ll find Joy Division Night. So, you’ll be getting a heavy dose of Joy Division (and New Order) in addition to the usual mix of darkwave, new wave and post-punk bangers. Tickets are available now on Dice for this 21+ bash.
As for the rest of this weekend and early next week, keep reading for my recommendations.
Concerts
King Tuff has a new album of raw, rock ’n’ roll jams, Moo, out now and his current tour hits Sid the Cat Auditorium on Thursday, April 30. Also on Thursday, Willowake plays The Echo with Collars and Kim Theory, the latter of whom I interviewed last year. Definitely try to catch Kim Theory if you go to the show, especially if you’re into Wet Leg, Lambrini Girls and ‘90s Riot Grrrl artists.
On Saturday, May 2, Crom laughs at your Four Winds from the stage at Zebulon, where the grindcore faves are playing with Sweat and Barren Path.
On Sunday, Buyepongo and Quitapenas celebrate Cinco de Mayo two days early on stage at La Cita. Meanwhile, at Scribble, Defective Children, Gumdrop, Armistice and Cry the Monarch play a fundraiser for Skid Row DTLA Food Not Bombs. Yes, there will be free, vegan food at the all ages show.
As for May 5, Tiki de Mayo is happening at Zebulon with Healing Gems, Las Cohinxs, Dolores y Su Conjunto, Dorothy Fuzz and Pink Lemon. No cover! Down in Orange County, Mariachi El Bronx, who I interviewed recently for Music Connection, is playing Garden Amphitheater. If you’re anywhere near Garden Grove, definitely try to catch this show. I saw Mariachi El Bronx at La Cita last year and they’re excellent live, plus, their new album is fantastic.
Darkwave/synthpop artist Tempers has a new album, Delusion, out now and she’ll be celebrating with a record release show at the Lodge Room on Wednesday, May 6, with support from Touching Ice and Galán.
Dance Clubs/DJ Events
Boombox is back at the Grand Star Jazz Club on Saturday, May 2, with special guests Battlecat, who was one of KDAY’s Mix Masters, and Mona Lisa, who you might recognize from Dublab or Motown on Mondays.
Central Library is a real Los Angeles treasure— I remember visiting for the first time in high school and being a bit awestruck by how big it is— and it’s turning 100. To celebrate, the hub of the Los Angeles Public Library System will be open after dark on Saturday for an event that will include DJs, puppets, art, food and more.
Movies
Last week, I caught Normal at Alamo Drafthouse and it was excellent. Bob Odenkirk plays an interim sheriff in a Minnesota town that seems very Normal, but has some really big secrets. It starts out with an extremely Twin Peaks vibe then morphs into a crazy Assault on Precinct 13 kind of escape film with Western and yakuza film influences. It’s far too good to have a crowd of five people at a Thursday evening showing, which was the case when I saw it, so go check it out whenever you can, wherever you are.
On Thursday, April 30, Dead City Punx, the documentary about the band known for their illegal shows, plays at Brain Dead.
While hearing “Half-o-Ween” makes me cringe so hard that I would normally ignore any event that uses it in their marketing, Carrie is the best film (maybe only film?) about menarche trauma and a movie I can quote nearly verbatim, so, I’ll recommend the 50th anniversary screening of the horror classic on Saturday at Heritage Square Museum. It’s a Street Food Cinema event that’s for the 21+ crowd and you will be able to tour the houses before the movie starts, which is a bonus.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Follow on Instagram or sign up for the weekly, Beatique newsletter for updates on new stories and gigs.
Listen to Beatique, April 2026 on Mixcloud, featuring music from Slayyyter, Kneecap, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Armand Van Helden and more.
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