Tag Archives: The Mermaid

The Playlist

Here’s What I Played for Dolce Vita at The Mermaid on November 28, 2023

Two classic margarita drinks with salted rims at The Mermaid in Little Tokyo Los Angeles (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
Margaritas at The Mermaid (Pic: Liz O.)

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.  

So, that’s my tip for you today. Get yourself a margarita next time you’re at The Mermaid. Here’s my set list from Dolce Vita. Catch me next week at the Grand Star on Sunday, December 3 for Disco Matinee and on Friday, December  8 for Depeche Mode Night/My birthday at Underground. 

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Upcoming Gigs

Catch Me Playing Italo Disco with David Christian at The Mermaid on November 28

Dolce Vita Italo Disco at The Mermaid Little Tokyo Los Angeles November 28, 2023

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:

Hope to catch you at The Mermaid on November 28.

Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs.

Related:

HERE’S WHAT I PLAYED AT THE MERMAID FOR ITALO HORROR DISCO ON OCTOBER 24, 2023

HERE’S WHAT I PLAYED AT THE MERMAID FOR DOLCE VITA ON SEPTEMBER 26

DJ Gigs, The Playlist

Here’s What I Played at The Mermaid for Italo Horror Disco on October 24, 2023

The Mermaid Little Tokyo Los Angeles Halloween 2023 altar with a mermaid skeleton in the center surrounded by spooky odds and ends. (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
The Mermaid

October might have been stressing me out this year, but I felt an instant sense of relief inside The Mermaid last night. I was there to DJ another week of Dolce Vita’s Italo Horror Disco, this time with DJ Alex Arias. The first thing I noticed is that the Halloween display in the bar has grown larger and more detailed since I last played there earlier this month. The centerpiece is a mermaid skeleton, who is surrounded by a bounty of odds and ends, from crystal balls to eyeballs to skeleton hands. The glow-in-the-dark paints and swaths of fabric help give the impression that you stumbled upon this altar while underwater. It’s super cool. Stop by The Mermaid and check it out this week if you have a chance. 

Other than that, it was great to play with Alex for the first time. I loved his set. Plus, some friends stopped by, which made the night all the better.  Here’s what I played in my sets last night. Also, a reminder that I’ll be playing Underground’s Halloween party on Friday, October 27 and there’s a low ticket alert for the party, so get yours as soon as possible. 

Continue reading Here’s What I Played at The Mermaid for Italo Horror Disco on October 24, 2023 →
Happening in L.A., Upcoming Gigs

L.A. Music Events: Friday, October 20 through Thursday, October 26

Dolce Vita Italo Horror Disco Suspiria Flyer The Mermaid Tuesday October 24, 2023 with DJ Liz O. and D.J. Alex Arias

This week, you can catch me playing a few records at Vidéothèque’s Opening Party on Saturday evening, sometime between 7 p.m. and 10 p.m. Plus, I’ll be at The Mermaid on Tuesday, October 24 to drop an even spookier Italo Horror Disco set than the one I played earlier this month. But, there’s still a lot more than that happening in the next handful of days. Keep reading to see what my L.A. music event recommendations are for this week. 

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DJ Gigs, The Playlist

Here’s What I Played at The Mermaid for Dolce Vita on September 26

The Mermaid bar Little Tokyo Los Angeles (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)

I wasn’t planning to DJ this week, but a last minute opportunity came up to play at The Mermaid for Dolce Vita on Tuesday night. I really enjoy playing at The Mermaid, especially for Dolce Vita, so I dropped whatever Italo disco and Italo-adjacent folders I had on my hard drive into Rekordbox and played from 9 p.m. until around 11:15 or so. Here’s what you heard. I used the file names for artist and song title, just so you can find the tracks if you want. In the case of some of the edits, it’s definitely not the actual name of the artist or title, but you can probably figure that out. 

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DJ Gigs, The Playlist

Here’s What I Played at The Mermaid for Dolce Vita’s Italo vs. Goth Night

A mermaid skeleton at The Mermaid in Little Tokyo (Photo: Liz Ohanesian)
I forgot to take pics while I was DJing, so here’s a mermaid skeleton at The Mermaid that I saw right before the night started. (Pic: Liz O.)

For years, I used to post most of my set lists. Then I stopped because I figured if people were that curious about what I’m playing, they would actually go to the party and Shazam (or, like, come up and ask me about) whatever song they don’t know. Now I’m rethinking that because Shazam doesn’t catch everything. Plus, I like having an archive and want people to actually know what songs are played. So, this is the set from Dolce Vita at The Mermaid on September 12, 2023. 

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DJ Diary, Events, Happening in L.A., The Dance Floor, Upcoming Gigs

New Dolce Vita Italo Disco Mix Is on Mixcloud Now

Dolce Vita Italo Disco at The Mermaid Little Tokyo Los Angeles Presented by L.A. Industrial with DJ Liz O.

Last Tuesday, I played a last minute, fill-in set at Dolce Vita and recorded the full two-hours that I played. Then I chopped the set down to a more reasonable one hour and ten minutes, which you can now hear on Mixcloud. 

I’ll be back at Dolce Vita on Tuesday, February 21 to play from 9 p.m. until last call. There’s no cover and it’s 21+. Hope to see you there. 

Continue reading New Dolce Vita Italo Disco Mix Is on Mixcloud Now →