Beatique

Happening in L.A.: November 14 – November 20 (Updated)

Time Masters, Rene Laloux’s collab with Moebius, screens at Brain Dead in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 17

My next DJ gig isn’t until November 23, when I’ll be playing with Vanish and Filthy Rich at Club Retro Boom’s first anniversary party, but I have a bunch of recommendations for you for events happening in L.A. between Thursday, November 14 and Wednesday, November 20. These include live music, DJ events and movie screenings and they’re all budget-friendly.

[Update: Turns out that I will be DJing this weekend. Catch me on Sunday, November 17, at The Mermaid in Little Tokyo (428 E. 2nd St., in the mini-mall on the corner of 2nd and Alameda) for Splash! This is a 21+ night and there’s no cover. I’ll be playing first, roughly from 8 p.m. until 10 p.m. or 10:30 p.m. It’s not genre specific. Check out this playlist to see what I dropped at Splash last month.)

On Thursday, seminal goth band The March Violets are playing at The Echo. Their latest album, Crocodile Promises, came out last summer and it’s a good one, so listen when you have the chance. If you’re into shoegaze and psychedelic sounds, I highly recommend Family of Light’s residency at Harvard & Stone on Friday night. I DJed the band’s show at the same venue earlier this year and they’re fantastic. Plus, Izzy Outerspace (who I also played with previously at Harvard & Stone) is on the bill as well. If classic Jamaican tunes are your jam, don’t miss Riddim ’n Brews 3rd Anniversary on Sunday at Creature Comforts.

For friends in the South Bay, Friday night at Gardena Cinema looks like it’s going to be a time. I had never heard of Psycho Ape! before, let alone its sequel, but the trailer looks amazing, especially if you’re into Troma-style films. On Saturday afternoon, Heavy Trip, a really fun Finnish black metal road trip comedy, is playing at Alamo Drafthouse. For those who love Fantastic Planet, head to Brain Dead on Sunday to see René Laloux’s collab with Moebius. Time Masters is visually very different from Fantastic Planet, but it’s beautiful and the story is fantastic. Also, it’s one of those movies that isn’t usually streaming, so catch it while you can. Monday night at Alamo Drafthouse is a screening of the new documentary on the late songwriter Allee Willis, who is best known for writing “September,” but also co-wrote with the Pet Shop Boys, “What Have I Done to Deserve This?” When I put together this post, tickets were nearly all gone, so it might be sold out when you read this. Check out the full list below.
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November 13, 2024
Cadal at Slipper Clutch, November 7, 2024

Cadal live at Slipper Clutch on November 7, 2024 (Pic: Liz O.)

There are two people in front of me in line at Slipper Clutch, but, from my vantage point at the top of the stairs, I can see inside the venue’s top level bar. The crowd is solid, especially for a Thursday night downtown. Out on the streets, there’s no foot traffic. I can only imagine that downtown Los Angeles’ residents are safely tucked into their luxury apartments, broadcasting night time rituals or sleep hacks or whatever inanity is trending on TikTok this week. Inside Slipper Clutch, though, there’s a lot of life. The bar is bustling, people are walking towards the dance floor. I can hear a band play live, but at this point, I’m not sure which band that is.

I’m at Slipper Clutch to catch Cadal, a band from Santiago, Chile. For the past couple weeks, I’ve been listening to their album, Fiesta Nueva, which came out last year and is full of raw, dark punk energy. On this tour, Cadal is only playing two dates in the U.S., one of which is this show on a Thursday night in early November. It’s the sort of show you wouldn’t want to miss if you’re into borderline-goth, danceable indie bands. Plus, it’s just not that often that you can catch a stacked lineup with a headliner who has never played L.A. before for just $10 at the door. That’s the kind of show I’m compelled to support.
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November 9, 2024
Happening in L.A.: November 7 through November 13, 2024

This is going to be a very short list because the highs (Halloween, Dodgers winning the World Series) and lows (the election) of the past few weeks have been a lot and I’m still trying to wrap my head around that.

Regardless, there is one live show that I 100% highly recommend and that’s Cadal at Slipper Clutch tonight. Cadal is a post-punk group from Chile (check out their music on Bandcamp) and they’re only playing two shows in the U.S. Info for tonight is on the list below.

For the city pop and future funk heads, Shibuya Starlight is back on Friday night at High Tide in Little Tokyo. And if French pop is your thing, check out Décadanse on Saturday night at the Grand Star.

As far as movie screenings go, I’m really intrigued by The Cathedral of New Emotions, which is playing at Philosophical Research Society on Saturday night. And I’ll always recommend seeing Grave of the Fireflies, but, bring tissues. Lots of tissues. I’m not kidding. There are still tickets available for the 8:40 p.m. show at Alamo Drafthouse on Monday night.

Keep reading for more of what’s happening in L.A. this weekend and early next week. Also head over to Discover Los Angeles for more nightlife listings.
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November 7, 2024
When the Sound of L.A. Is Dodgers Baseball

The scene at Gloria Molina Grand Park for the Dodgers World Series victory parade on Friday, November 1, 2024 (Pic: Liz O.)

After Mayor Bass speaks and the Dodgers continue down the parade route, blue and white confetti rains across the mass of fans gathered in front of two giant TV screens at Gloria Molina Grand Park. The voice of the late, great Vin Scully rises over the cheers from the fans, sounding as if it was a broadcast from the beyond, before the DJ drops in “It Was a Good Day.” The crowd sings along with the Ice Cube jam, filling in when the DJ scratches out the less family-friendly lyrics, although I doubt anyone here would complain about the content of the song. Thirty some-odd years later, everyone in L.A. knows that Kim can do it all night.

An estimated 250,000 people turned up in downtown Los Angeles for the Dodgers World Series victory parade on Friday morning. My husband and I were amongst them. The park was already pretty packed when we arrived at about 10 a.m. We were able to get close enough to see the buses moving beyond the trees at the edge of the park, but the people on those buses were hardly visible. Those jumbo screens came in handy. Still, I’m listening more than I’m watching.

For the past week, I’ve been following the siren call of the World Series, a sound so captivating that sucks you deeper and deeper into the game until, suddenly, all of your timelines, both online and IRL, are Dodger blue.
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November 2, 2024
Here’s What I Played at Splash! at the Mermaid on 10/27/24

The Mermaid’s Halloween display (Pic: Liz O.)

Sunday night, I played an open format set for Splash! at The Mermaid from 8 p.m. until last call. It started out as a quiet night, which was to be expected given the excitement of the past two nights in L.A. I didn’t mind the night’s slow start either, because it gave me time to DJ and catch up with friends who I hadn’t seen in ages and stopped by early in the evening.

At around midnight, though, a swell of people came into The Mermaid. Once I spotted the wave, I rode it and dropped the L.A. party bangers, like “Nowhere Girl,” “Living on Video” and “Send Me an Angel,” plus, of course “Blue Monday” and “Two of Hearts.” When I realized that we were close to last call, I slowed it down with the Art Laboldies. To give credit where it’s due, playing “Darling Baby” by The Elgins came via a dude who was blasting the song from his bike while cycling through Chinatown recently.
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October 29, 2024
Here’s What I Played On the Saturday Before Halloween

Inside Albert Reyes’ Haunted House (Pic: Liz O.)

I ended up double-booked on the Saturday before Halloween. While that has happened before, it’s never happened while there was a World Series game going on at Dodger Stadium. Thinking about traffic and logistics and rideshare prices stressed me out, but, for reasons I don’t know, there was an Uber Black special early in the evening, which made the first two trips a little more budget-friendly.

Anyhow, I started the night with an hour-long set of spooky tunes at artist Albert Reyes’ haunted house party. Albert, who I’ve known since 2009, when I was a new staffer at L.A. Weekly and interviewed him, spends all year building a maze-like haunted house filled with narrow hallways, dark corners and art installations. I went through the haunt before the party started and was both awed and spooked, which might be the point.

I started DJing at around 8 p.m. and heard fireworks early in the set, which I guess is when the Dodgers won game two of the series. Here’s what I played.
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October 29, 2024
Here’s What I Played at Club Underground’s Halloween Party on 10/25/24

The crowd at Club Underground’s Halloween party on 10/25/24 dancing to Robyn “Dancing on My Own”

It’s hard to describe the energy at Club Underground’s Halloween party last night. It wasn’t just the holiday vibes in the air. Right before the party started, Freddie Freeman hit a grand slam in the 10th inning of the first game of the World Series, a dramatic victory for the Dodgers. And Underground happens to be at the Grand Star in Chinatown, just downhill from Dodger Stadium. So, in addition to the very local regular crowd, where you can safely assume there are plenty of Dodger fans, there were people who came by after the game. Someone in line showed me video he took of the reaction to Freeman’s grand slam in the crowd. There were people screaming and hugging each other, with sprays of beer that looked like rain falling over the scene. It looked wild.

All that excitement helped set the mood for the night. I’ll write more after this I wrap up this weekend’s DJ gigs (I’m at Slipper Clutch for Dolce Vita tonight and The Mermaid for Splash Sundays tomorrow), but I will say that the costumes were great, the crowd was amazing and the vibe persisted until closing time. The set list is below. Don’t forget to get tickets for next Friday at Club Underground. It’s the release party for The Cure’s new album, Songs of a Lost World, and there are some really awesome giveaways. Click here to pick up your tix now.
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October 26, 2024
Here’s What I Played for Olya Sonica’s Album Release Party at Hotel Ziggy

Olya Sonica live at Hotel Ziggy, 10/24/24. (Pic: Liz O.)

Earlier this week, Olya Sonica released her debut full-length, Alchemy. It’s a terrific album— I’m listening to it as I write this— and you can pick it up for yourself on Bandcamp or stream it on Spotify now. Last night was the album release show at Hotel Ziggy, with live sets from Olya Sonica, as well as The Dirty Shirts and Veronica Bianqui. I DJed before and after the bands played.

The directive for the gig was rock ’n’ roll and Britpop, so I thought about when I was in college, in the late ‘90s, and getting started as a DJ. At that point in time, if you went to the equivalent of today’s indie nights, you would likely hear Britpop (“Rocks” by Primal Scream and Sleeper’s cover of “Atomic” had banger status) with a lot of ‘60s— “Lucifer Sam” and “Steppin’ Stone” were throwback faves then— and some ‘70s glam, particularly Bowie, T. Rex, Roxy Music and The Runaways. That became the basis of the set, even if some of the songs didn’t exist until the ‘00s. Check out the set list below.
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October 25, 2024
Halloween Weekend Is Coming. Here’s Where You Can Catch My DJ Sets

Between Halloween and the start of the World Series at Dodger Stadium, this weekend is going to be bonkers. If you don’t have plans, perhaps you’ll consider going to one of my gigs this weekend. I’m actually DJing all weekend and all the sets are going to be different. Keep reading for all the details.
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October 23, 2024
On 3 AM (La La La), Confidence Man Offers a ’90s Throwback With a Twist

I was on the treadmill the first time I listened to 3 AM (La La La), the latest album from Confidence Man, walking at 3.5 miles an hour, a brisk pace, but not quite enough to keep up with the strobelight pulse of songs like “I Can’t Lose You” and “Control.” Maybe I could have stepped up my own speed to a run, or at least a jog, but I didn’t feel like it, so I kept walking off beat, waiting to see if the vibe would shift somewhere over the course of an album that, four songs in, was starting to sound a little too much like a late ‘90s Eurodance throwback.

Confidence Man is the Australian four-piece fronted by Janet Planet and Suga Bones and backed by the veiled and cloaked individuals Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie. I first heard them during lockdown when someone DMed me Yuksek’s track “Gorgeous,” which features Confidence Man. Two years later, the band released Tilt, their second full-length, which quickly became a personal favorite. “Angry Girl” is the song that has appeared most often in my sets since 2022 because it has a dance punk vibe that works very well at L.A. clubs and it mixes seamlessly with The Rapture’s “House of Jealous Lovers.” But, the thing that made Tilt one of my favorite albums of that year was that it was super cheeky and the music was all over the place, kind of like a cross between Bis and Chicks on Speed back at the turn of the millennium. Given the new album’s title, which definitely alludes to both KLF (“3 AM Eternal”) and maybe also references ATC (“Around the World (La La La La La)”), it seemed like Confidence Man would continue that vibe. Fifteen minutes into 3 AM (La La La), though, I started to think that the spirit driving TILT was lacking on this album.

If I were tuned into Spotify, I would have just skipped through tracks or moved on to another album, but I actually purchased 3 AM (La La La) and downloaded it without hearing more than a couple preview Reels on Instagram. I had to stick it out for the whole album.
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October 22, 2024