The Mermaid was busy last night. People filtered in and out of the bar. Guest bartenders from The Wolves poured specialty cocktails. Scenes from Star Odyssey, the “Italian Star Wars,” played on the TV set. I played a mix of Italo disco, space disco and other assorted, related tunes from 8 p.m. until 1 a.m. A couple friends turned up and got a dance party going. It was a good time. Check out the set list.
You can catch me at the clubs twice this coming weekend. On Friday, April 26, I’ll be joining my pal Clifton Weaver in the DJ booth at Apotheke in Chinatown, from 9 p.m. until close. We’ll both be playing all-vinyl sets filled with soul, funk, disco, boogie and more. I’ll definitely bring my favorite Candi Staton album and my current Toto Coelo jam. You might hear Chaz Jankel too and maybe that Scream + Dance 12” I found at Rubycon last weekend. Party starts at 9 p.m. and goes until close. There’s no cover and it’s 21+ Apotheke is at 1746 N. Spring Street.
On Saturday, I’ll be joining Scarlett Casanova, Killed by Synth and Drayk for an Indie Sleaze night at The Offbeat. We’ll be playing ‘00s indie jams and more for the 21+ crowd and there’s no cover this one-off party. The Offbeat is at 6316 York Ave. in Highland Park.
You can also catch me on Tuesday night at The Mermaid, where I’ll be providing the music for Dolce Vita’s Space Disco vs. Italo Disco night. I have some really fun tunes for this night, so stop by between 8 p.m. and closing time. There’s no cover and it’s 21+. The Mermaid is at 428 E. 2nd Street in Little Tokyo.
Here’s a short rundown of other events happening in L.A.
Cover for Ride’s new album, Interplay, which I was listening to for the first time while finishing this post.
It sounds like we’re on the verge of another Pet Shop Boys moment. Or, at least, that’s how I hope 2024 will sound and, judging from the response on the dance floor, the L.A. crowds seem to agree. But, then again, L.A.’s affinity for the British duo has endured since the 1980s.
In January, I fell for the cover of “Being Boring” by TR/ST, with guest vocals from Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters. Shortly after that dropped, Pet Shop Boys themselves released “Loneliness,” the first single from their forthcoming album, Nonetheless. It’s a gorgeous dance song that reflects the strange isolation of 2020s life. (The Guardian has a good interview with the band, if you’re interested in reading more about Pet Shop Boys’ new music.) Around the same time, I stumbled across a cover of “Rent” that Sally Shapiro released last fall. I wondered how I missed this release last year, then snapped it up on Bandcamp.
I forgot to take pics, so here’s an old one of a mermaid skeleton at The Mermaid that I saw right before the night started. (Pic: Liz O.)
I popped into The Mermaid at the last minute on Tuesday to play about 90 minutes of music for Dolce Vita. I knew that there was a screening of Dave Attell’s Netflix special happening beforehand. What I didn’t know, however, was that Dave Attell was actually going to make an appearance. We didn’t meet, but it was wild to be in the same room as him because I lovedInsomniac.
Jalapeño and pineapple wontons at The Mermaid. (Pic: Liz O.)
It was a little unexpected, but I did turn up at The Mermaid on Tuesday night to provide the music for the first half of Dolce Vita. I also didn’t have a chance to eat dinner beforehand, which led to another unexpected delight. The jalapeño and pineapple wontons at The Mermaid are amazing. I hadn’t had them before last night and loved them. Even with the chili sauce, they won’t set your mouth on fire. It’s more of a subtle sweet-and-spicy hybrid. Plus, they are shaped like starfish, which I find endearing.
Anyhow, here’s what you may have heard if you were at The Mermaid between 8 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday night.
This Sunday, Disco Matinee is back at Grand Star Jazz Club for an afternoon of disco, funk, Italo, hiNRG and whatever else we feel like working into the mix. Guest DJ Jen Rock joins residents Jus’ B and me (Liz O.) from 3 until 7 p.m. on Sunday, February 4. RSVP via email, Facebook, Instagram or Partiful for $5 entry before 4 p.m. Otherwise, the cover is $8, cash or Venmo, at the door. Grand Star Jazz Club is located at 943 N. Broadway in Chinatown’s Central Plaza. Both street and lot parking is available, plus Metro’s A Line stop in Chinatown is right across Broadway from the venue. (Bonus: Metro is offering free rides on Sunday, February 4.) Join us for a spin on the dance floor! This is a 21+ event.
On Tuesday, February 6, I’ll be playing Italo disco from 9 p.m. until last call at The Mermaid for Dolce Vita, L.A.’s only, weekly Italo disco party. This is a 21+ venue and there’s no cover. Parking is ample in the neighborhood and The Mermaid is about a block or so away from Metro’s A and E line stops in Little Tokyo. Find us at 428 E. 2nd Street.
For as long as I’ve been DJing, I’ve been keeping track of my set lists. Somewhere in my, er, archives (really, boxes of folders that I haven’t gone through since college), there are probably old playlists of my KXLU shows and crumpled bits of paper from my early club sets. I started sharing the set lists online before social media mostly so that people who went to the clubs could familiarize themselves with the new music and people who weren’t in L.A. knew where they could dance to Ladytron or Miss Kittin or whoever when they visited our fine city. (And, that actually worked, I did meet people from as far as London and Berlin who saw my set list in some electro-indie-whatever forum.)
You have two chances to catch me in the DJ booth this week. First up is Club Underground’s Bowie Nite this Friday, January 12, at Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown. Underground is taking over both floors of the Grand Star this week, with Larry G. playing open to close on the main floor and me, Liz O., doing the same on the second floor. Discounted tickets are available now via either Dice and Eventbrite.
The Grand Star is located at 943 N. Broadway, Los Angeles 90012. It’s inside Chinatown’s Central Plaza, right next to the Bruce Lee statue. Both street and lot parking is available in the neighborhood. The venue is also right across Broadway from Metro’s A Line station in Chinatown. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. and it is a 21+ event.
On Tuesday, January 16, you’ll find me at The Mermaid loaded up with Italo disco jams for L.A. Industrial’s weekly party, Dolce Vita. There’s no cover and it’s 21+, so stop by with your pals for some tasty cocktails and a soundtrack filled with tunes by the likes of Fancy, Fun Fun, Ken Laszlo, Sabrina and more.
The Mermaid is located at 428 E. 2nd Street in Little Tokyo. There’s typically loads of free parking available after 9 p.m., which is the same time that Dolce Vita starts. The bar is also a (very) short walk from Metro’s A/E line stop in Little Tokyo.
A few years ago, I finally got over my fear of tequila (we’ll save that story for another day) and realized that I love margaritas. They’re tart and salty with just a hint of sweetness underneath, all qualities I appreciate in everything. The Mermaid, where I play (more or less) monthly as part of L.A. Industrial’s party Dolce Vita, is home to a very good margarita. In fact, I would say, no matter who is bartending on any given night, it’s consistently the best classic margarita I’ve had. I don’t know the secret. I just know that it’s so good that I keep going for the margarita instead of working my way through The Mermaid’s ample menu of cocktails, even though I know from experience that their specialty drinks are delicious.
I’ll be back at The Mermaid this coming Tuesday, November 28, for weekly Italo disco Dolce Vita. Join David Christian of L.A. Industrial and me, Liz O., for a night filled with Fun Fun and Fancy as we dive into our collections of ’80s dance classics.
Dolce Vita starts at 9 p.m. and goes until last call. There’s no cover and it’s 21+. The Mermaid is located at 428 E. 2nd Street, about a block or so away from Little Tokyo’s A/E Metro stop. There also tends to be lots of available street parking on Tuesday nights. For a taste of what you might here, check out my playlists or listen to my set from Dolce Vita, recorded live on February 7, 2023, right here:
