On December 3, I’ll be at The Grand Star with my pals Jus’ B and Hoseh for another round of Disco Matinee. Join us from 3 – 7 p.m. for an afternoon of disco classics and more. I’ll be bringing my favorite disco Christmas jam from Charo as well as a bunch of other records that I can’t wait to play for you. Check out the previous Disco Matinee post for details, including how you can RSVP for discounted early entry. As for the rest of the week, here are a few of the shows, parties and other L.A. music events that are I think are worth checking out.
Friday, December 1
Underground
Get your indie dance fix at Underground on Friday night with Larry G. on the decks at Grand Star Jazz Club with a mix of classic alternative and modern indie jams. Advance tickets are available on both Dice and Eventbrite for a discounted price, so get yours now. (And mark your calendar for December 8, when I’ll be back in the booth at Underground for my birthday gig.)
The Grand Star, 943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012
Tokyo Love Song @ Hello Stranger
I went to Tokyo Love Song’s Fourth of July party and it was an amazing night filled with so much vinyl heat and a poppin’ dance floor. XL Middleton and Kaistar play Japanese funk and city pop on vinyl and, for their last party of the year, the two will be joined by special guest Tremaine (TLS). Advance tickets are on Eventbrite. Party starts at 9 p.m.
Hello Stranger, 320 E. 2nd Street, Little Tokyo 90012
N8NOFACE @ Lodge Room
N8NOFACE packs a lot of energy and angst into songs that regularly clock in at under two minutes and, sometimes are only a couple dozen seconds, in length. Even the remixes keep the tracks brief. His 2022 album Homicide, is a synthpunk gem and his song “Doesn’t Count Here” succinctly describes our current era. So, if you’re up for a live show on Friday, head over to Lodge Room in Highland Park because this is the one to see.
The Lodge Room, 104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd Floor, Highland Park 90042
These Handsome Devils @ Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet
For The Smiths/Morrissey fans in L.A., These Handsome Devils are playing at Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet on Friday night. This is an extremely budget-friendly show; you can see the band for just the $3.50 admission to the swap meet, according to a post on Moz Angeles Events, plus there will be three sets 7 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 10 p.m.
13963 Alondra Blvd., Santa Fe Springs, 90670
December 2
Common Space Presents: Vinyl Swap
If you’re on the hunt for records, head down to the South Bay on Saturday because Common Space is hosting a Vinyl Swap from noon until 5 p.m. The roster of vendors for the event is great too and includes Stones Throw, We Share Records, Sonido del Valle and Discotchari.
Common Space, 3411 W. El Segundo Blvd., Hawthorne, 90250
Confidence Man @ Echoplex
Australian group Confidence Man, whose last album, Tilt, was one of my favorites of 2022 and whose song “Angry Girl” has become a staple in my DJ sets, is playing L.A. on December 2. If you’re tastes lean towards a mix of late ‘90s dance music and early ‘00s synth-heavy indie, then definitely try to check out Confidence Man at The Echoplex this Saturday night.
The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park 90026
Discotchari @ Goldfish
One of my favorite assignments of the past few years was writing about Armenian DJs in L.A. who have been essentially archiving vintage records mainly from the diaspora for KCET. I interviewed Discotchari for that story, so it’s been exciting to see how much they’ve done lately with club and record fair gigs, plus their Dublab show, “Silk Road Secret Agents.” Check out Discotchari on Saturday night at Goldfish in Highland Park, where they’ll be on the decks from open to close.
The Goldfish, 5043 York Blvd., Highland Park 90042
Les Sewing Machine @ Philosophical Research Center
L.A.-based duo Les Sewing Sisters is Lun*na Menoh and Saori Mitomi, who make music with sewing machines. If that’s not enough of a hook for you, maybe listen to 2021 self-titled album on Bandcamp. It might just pique your curiosity enough to head down to the Philisophical Research Society in Los Feliz on Saturday night, where you can catch the duo for their “Fashionable Nonsense” performance. Scoop up advance tickets on Eventbrite.
Philosophical Research Society, 3910 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz 90027
December 5
Dolce Vita @ Mermaid
Tuesday night’s big ticket event is the final night of Skinny Puppy and Lead Into Gold’s run of shows at Belasco. However, if that’s not your thing because you’ve already seen Skinny Puppy, don’t feel like dealing with Live Nation for tickets or whatever, head down to the Mermaid for Dolce Vita. Even if you’re at the show, The Mermaid is close enough to Belasco where you can make a reasonable attempt to stop by for a post-concert drink and a dose of Italo disco with DJ BPM and David Christian.
The Mermaid, 428 E. 2nd Street, Little Tokyo 90012
December 6
Healing Gems @ Zebulon
A handful of years ago, before the pandemic, I randomly caught Healing Gems live at HM157 and was really intrigued by their contemporary take on mid-20th century lounge music. The band has released a couple EPs since then and their latest single, “Dreameater,” which came out last summer, is a precursor to their forthcoming debut full-length. If you haven’t seen Healing Gems before, perhaps now is the time to do so. They’ll be at Zebulon on Wednesday night.
Zebulon, 2478 Fletcher Drive, Atwater Village 90039
December 7
The Woggles @ Alex’s Bar
For the garage rock fans, Alex’s Bar has a stacked lineup on Thursday night, headlined by long-running Georgia band The Woggles. (I’m super into their cover of The Rattles song “The Witch” right now.) Supporting The Woggles are locals The Luxuries, The Killing Floors and The Thingz.
Alex’s Bar 2913 E. Anaheim St., Long Beach 90804
96 Tears @ Grand Star Jazz Club
Every Thursday, perksandkisses hosts a different old school themed night at Grand Star Jazz Club for 96 Tears and my personal favorite of those themes is on December 7. That’s Doo-Wop vs. Motown night, which basically sounds like K-Earth before “Rio” and “Everything She Wants” were considered oldies. Advance tickets are available now on Eventbrite.
Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs.
Related:
DISCO MATINEE IS BACK ON DECEMBER 3, RSVP FOR DISCOUNTED ENTRY