This Friday, August 22, is Yeah Yeah Yeahs x Siouxsie and the Banshees Night at Club Underground. Larry G. and I are DJing and both floors of Grand Star Jazz Club will be open. It’s been more than a year since Underground last did this theme and, if you’ve been to it before, then you know it’s a good time. Tickets are available now and you can get yours on either Eventbrite or Dice. Party starts at 9:30 p.m. on Friday night and it’s 21+.
Saturday, August 23, is the last day to check out Monday Nights: L.A.’s Scene of the Century, the retrospective exhibit of Sean Carnage’s Monday Nights, which I co-curated, at Leiminspace in Chinatown. For the closing party, John Thill will be playing live and Kyle Mabson is DJing. This is also Leiminspace’s 10th anniversary, so come out and celebrate from 4 – 7 p.m. There’s more information on Sean Carnage’s website.
Keep reading for my club, concert and movie screening recommendations for this weekend.
Concerts
On Thursday, August 21, Taleen Kali plays Alex’s Bar in Long Beach. This is a free, 21+ show, that also includes Noir Dalis, Siam Jem and Bad Interior on the bill. Head over to Dice for more information or to RSVP.
Long Beach’s Happy Sundays Festival is happening this weekend shows taking places at various venues around the city. This is a free festival and the lineup includes bands like Le Shok, Tim Kasher of Cursive, Brainstory, Dildox, Trap Girl and so many more, as well as DJs Dennis Owens, Unholy and others. Shows take place at various times on Saturday and Sunday and, while some are all ages, others are 21+, so check the Happy Sundays website for more information.
Jesika Von Rabbit, whose new album, Bunnywood Babylon, was released earlier this summer, plays a free show at Zebulon on Sunday, August 24. Opening the evening are Dream Phases and Los Quinceaneros. For more information, or to RSVP, head over to Dice.
I only recently learned that Deradoorian has a new album out. Ready For Heaven, which was released in May, is in the post-punk/post-disco vein, a sort of hybrid of every artist you’ve heard on a Disco Not Disco compilation. It’s a killer album, right up there with her project Decisive Pink’s 2023 debut. Anyhow, Deradoorian plays Zebulon on Tuesday night with support from Colloboh and DJ Chris Fallon. Tickets are available on Dice.
Dance clubs/DJ events
VinylCon is happening this Saturday and Sunday at California Market Center. The record vendor announcements are starting to turn up on Instagram and there’s a lot. I saw a post about deadstock 45s from Zimbabwe in the convention’s story, if that interests anyone. Cut Chemist headlines the roster of DJs for the event. For tickets, head over to VinylCon’s website.
Incognito is throwing a party at the Cargo Shack inside Los Angeles State Historic Park on August 23. Hammer of Italo Hits is headlining Saturdaze in the Park, which features a lineup that also includes Arthaus, Bobby Sauce, Sylknet and the winner of their DJ contest. It’s from 4 p.m. until 10 p.m., all ages, pet friendly and free before 5 p.m. if you RSVP. For more details, or to buy tickets, head over to Resident Advisor.
Also happening on Saturday night is Discostan, which is free at Zebulon. For the househeads, Unity is back at Jungle on Saturday night with Colette, Christi Mills, Mr. Bootsauce and more. Tickets for Unity are on Eventbrite.
Movies
Lone Wolf and Cub: Sword of Vengeance is the first movie in the famed series of films, based on the manga about an executioner-turned-assassin who travels in search of work with his young son. It’s a classic and the film is screening at Alamo Drafthouse this weekend and most of next week.
On Thursday, The Wiz is at The Frida and 24 Hour Party People is at Los Feliz 3. The same night, Philosophical Research Society screens the fascinating documentary of late musician and disco experimentalist Arthur Russell, Wild Combination.
Sunday evening, Whammy’s Stuck on VHS series presents Fast Getaway, a Corey Haim movie from 1991. On Monday, at Brain Dead, Videodrome is screening and there are still tickets available. Tuesday at Whammy! is an event that looks even more exciting than Corey Haim VHS rarities. LA Punk & New Wave on Videotape: Segments from VIEW, a screening of segments from student-made programming for UCLA’s cable access program in the ‘80s.
At Brain Dead on Wednesday, August 27, hip-hop group clipping. will be on hand for a music video retrospective and Q&A session, followed by early 1990s cyberpunk film Nemesis. Tickets are available on Dice.
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Liz O. is an L.A.-based writer and DJ. Read her recently published work and check out her upcoming gigs or listen to the latest Beatique Mix. Follow on Instagram or Bluesky for more updates.
Keep Reading:
New N8NOFACE, Ora the Molecule and More of What You Heard at Club Underground on 8/01/25
Jesika Von Rabbit Welcomes Listeners Into Bunnywood Babylon (interview)
Taleen Kali: “Sometimes, I think it’s easy to lose touch with the point of DIY” (interview)