Friday, September 13, is Pulp x Underground Nite at Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown. Both floors of the venue will be open with Larry G., Jesse B and me (Liz O.) on the controllers. Dance to all your favorite Pulp jams before they play the Palladium and Hollywood Forever, plus, the Underground mix of post-punk, new wave, indie, darkwave, synthpop and more. Tickets are available now via Dice or Eventbrite. The Grand Star is located at 943 N. Broadway in Chinatown’s Central Plaza. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. and it’s 21+.
I played a last minute set at Underground last night from open to close. It was a fun night in spite of the hideous heat wave that struck L.A. this week. Thanks to everyone who came out and hit the dance floor. Set list is below.
Here’s the crowd dancing to Depeche Mode’s cover of “Route 66” (The Nile Rodgers Mix) at Club Underground’s Depeche Mode Nite on Friday, August 30
Last night was the first time I DJed the Depeche Mode room at Underground’s Depeche Mode Nite. By the end of my first set, I realized that playing nothing but Depeche Mode-related songs (Yaz counts, it’s Vince Clarke) is really easy to do when you’ve been a big ol’ fan since you were 10 years old.
I got in my favorite Alan Wilder cut, “Fools (Bigger),” which is a B-side for “Love in Itself.” I have a whole story about that, which involves tracking down a sample I heard, accidentally finding it in a used record bin, playing it at a club and making a friend with whom we became the Alan Wilder Appreciation Association, but we’ll save that for another day.
Mixed in some synth pop that wasn’t made by members of Depeche Mode in the second set, plus a mini Vince Clarke tribute right after “Send Me an Angel,” and then went all DM again for my third set, which closed out the night upstairs at the Grand Star. Anyhow, the set list is below. Thanks for sticking through the sets. I hope you got to hear a Depeche Mode song that you hadn’t heard in a long time, or maybe one that’s new to you.
Want to know what’s happening in L.A. this Labor Day Weekend. Let’s start off with where I’ll be DJing.
Friday, August 30
Club Underground: Depeche Mode Nite @ Grand Star Jazz Club
Not only is it Depeche Mode Nite, but we’ll be celebrating the birthday of Underground’s founder and resident DJ Larry G. Both floors of the Grand Star will be open, so expect Depeche Mode jams and deep cuts, plus your Underground favorites on Friday night. Larry G., Filthy Rich and I are DJing from 9:30 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Grand Star Jazz Club, 943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Saturday, August 31
Klub Nocturno @ Catch One
Nocturno is back at Catch One on Saturday, August 31, with five rooms for dancing. I’ll be playing in the Indie vs. 80s Room. There’s also Rock en Español vs. Cumbia, Deftones Night, Corrido Night and Sad Bunny Night. Online tickets have already sold out, but there will be a very limited amount available at the door. Early arrival is suggested and the line starts at 8:45 p.m.
4067 Pico Blvd., Arlington Heights 90019; 9:30 p.m.; 18+; Online tix sold out, limited amount at door only, follow Nocturno on Insta for updates.
Check out what’s happening in L.A. for the rest of the week. Everything here is under $30 and it ranges from Spanish oldies at Grand Star on Thursday night to an L.A. Synth Club event in Long Beach on Sunday to a meet-and-greet with Night Tempo Tuesday night. There are some killer film screenings too, especially on Labor Day. If you’ve never seen The Time Masters, from Fantastic Planet director Rene Laloux, I highly recommend it.
This Friday, August 30, is Depeche Mode Night at Club Underground. It’s also the birthday of Underground’s founder and resident DJ Larry G., so you know this is going to be a night for the books. Both floors of Grand Star Jazz Club will be open and DJ Filthy Rich and I (Liz O.) will also be dropping heat all night. Be ready to dance to Depeche Mode’s biggest hits, plus album cuts and B-sides, along with your Underground favorites. Tickets are available now on Eventbrite and Dice, so take your pick and get yours now.
Club Underground brings a dose of post-punk Manchester to Los Angeles on Friday, August 9 with a Joy Division x The Smiths dance party with DJs Larry G. and Liz O. (that’s me) at Grand Star Jazz Club. Both floors of the venue will be open, so you can expect a mix of hits and deep cuts from the Mancunian icons as well as your favorite Underground indie, Britpop, post-punk, darkwave and new wave jams. Plus, there will be a giveaway for tickets to this year’s The Smiths/Morrissey Convention at Avalon on August 25.
This Friday, I’m back at Club Underground with Larry G. for Yeah Yeah Yeahs x Siouxsie Nite. Both floors of Grand Star Jazz Club will be open and tickets are available now. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. and it’s 21+. Find the Grand Star at 943 N. Broadway inside Chinatown’s Central Plaza next to the Bruce Lee statue.
As for the rest of the weekend and into next week, your options include Pearl and the Oysters’s free show at Levitt Pavilion on Saturday. Also happening Saturday is Razorcake’s annual chili cook-off at Footsies and Décadanse’s tribute to Francoise Hardy at the Grand Star. On Monday, Ed Harcourt is playing at The Stowaway, which is a very intimate venue. Tuesday night, my favorite Schwarzenegger movie, The Running Man, screens at Vidiots in Eagle Rock. There’s plenty more happening in L.A. too. Check out the list below.
The scene at Grand Star Jazz Club for Decadanse x Underground on July 5, 2024
Decadanse x Underground was such a great time and I’m happy to have been a part of it. DJs Pierrot and Fifi LaRoux played French pop on vinyl downstairs. Larry G. and I brought the indie vibes upstairs. We switched off on the controllers about every half hour or so.
“Amour Ex Machina,” from L’Impratrice’s new album, Pulsar, did pretty well for my first time playing it out. “Digitalism in Cairo,” the Digitalism track that samples “Fire in Cairo” by the Cure, made a reappearance after many years. People probably don’t recall it was a big track back in the ‘00s.
Anyhow, I’ll be back at Underground next Friday, July 12, for Siouxsie x Yeah Yeah Yeahs Nite. Tickets are already available on Restless Nites, Dice and Eventbrite.
Check out my set list from Decadanse x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club on July 5, 2024.
This is going to be a whirlwind of a weekend. I’m playing four gigs in the next seven days and hope to see a few you out at least one of them. Friday night is Decadanse x Underground at Grand Star Jazz Club with Larry G. and me playing all your Underground favorites and Decadanse DJs Pierrot and Fifi LaRoux bring French heat to the dance floor. Tickets are available through Eventbrite or Dice.
On Saturday, I’ll be playing records for Malvada’s party at Bigfoot Lodge in Los Feliz with DJ Felix. Sunday is the first anniversary party for Disco Matinee over at Grand Star and Tuesday I’ll be joining David Christian for Dolce Vita’s ‘80s night Splash over at The Mermaid. Details for all those gigs, plus a handful of recommendations for the rest of the week, are listed below.
Thursday, July 4
4th of July Block Party w/Healing Gems, Tropo Magica, Grupo Soñador & more @Gloria Molina Grand Park
200 N. Grand Ave., DTLA 90012; 4 p.m.; All ages; No cover
96 Tears w/perksandkisses @ Grand Star Jazz Club
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Subtract on the Pier 9 Year Anniversary @ Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier
15 39th Place, Long Beach 90803; 1 p.m.; 21+ ; Get tickets
Dávila 666, Self Improvement, Op-Ed, Space Horse @ The Paramount
2708 E. Cesar E. Chavez, Boyle Heights 90033; 8 p.m.; All ages; Get tickets
Friday, July 5
Decadanse x Underground w/Fifi LaRoux, Larry G., Liz O., PierrotGrand Star Jazz Club
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 9:30 p.m.; 21+; Get tickets
Saturday, July 6
DJ Felix, Liz O. @ Bigfoot Lodge
3172 Los Feliz Blvd., Los Feliz 90039; 10 p.m.; 21+; No cover
Sunday, July 7
Disco Matinee 1st Anniversary Party w/Liz O. and Jus’ B @ Grand Star Jazz Club
943 N. Broadway, Chinatown 90012; 3 p.m.; 21+; $5 at the door, RSVP on Instagram or Facebook for free entry before 4 p.m.
Monday, July 8
Izzy Outerspace, Essencer, Ter, Voice on Tape @ Genghis Cohen
740 N. Fairfax, Hollywood 90046; 7 p.m.; 18+; Get tickets
Tuesday, July 9
Splash w/David Christian, Liz O. @ The Mermaid
428 E. 2nd St., Little Tokyo 90012; 8 p.m.; 21+; No cover
Wednesday, July 10
The Future Is Female: L.A. Filmmaker Screening @ Vidiots
4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock 90041; 7:30 p.m.; Get tickets
I forgot to take pics last night at Underground. It happens. But, it was another fun night on Friday, the memories of which become hazy after playing music for four hours. I do, however, recall that I really like the way Actors latest single, “In Real Life,” sounds with Roxy Music’s song “More Than This.” It makes sense in my head because Actors always sounded less like a “darkwave” or “postpunk” band to me and more like people who have listened to a lot of Roxy Music, Bowie, Japan and Duran Duran. But, that doesn’t mean that two songs will go well together and I never know for sure until I try it.
(Just in case you’re wondering, all my sets are improvised, but, when you’ve been DJing since you were 18 and you’re now a far cry from that, you have a good feel for which songs go together and which ones don’t.)
Also new to my set is “Hechizos” by Glass Spells, which you might have heard me play on Dublab last week. If not, you can click on this link to the archive of the show. Glass Spells are from San Diego and are currently on tour, but, unfortunately, don’t have an L.A. date. However, they will be at the Observatory in Santa Ana on July 17. Check Glass Spells’ website for other upcoming tour dates. The other new addition to my set is Boy Harsher’s remix of Chelsea Wolfe’s song “House of Self-Undoing,” which I love. Anyhow, here’s the set list.
