Lina LecaroSchool's out for summer (well, almost) and it's time to start prepping for the party-packed months ahead. June gloom be damned, outdoor events are starting to take off, while indoor ones are putting their patios to good use with DJs, dancing and music-fueled debauchery. From emo rock to gay pride to dance club reunions to splashy pool bashes, June is jam-packed with nightlife goodness. Drink it in.
EMO NIGHT: TAKING BACK TUESDAY
Tuesday, June 7
If you lived through the freshly inked boy-band brigade and pseudo-punk whine-o-rama known as the “emo/screamo” era, its resurgence as a new, only slightly ironic happening at the Echoplex might make you a little skeptical. Clearly, from the aforementioned description, I am, and that’s because I covered the scene extensively the first time around. But, if you’re over 30, it’s time to face it: The ’90s and even early 2000s, are like, totally retro, and maybe, just maybe, they are cooler now than they were then … you know, like yacht rock.
Emo Night L.A.: Taking Back Tuesday has become one of the hippest hubs in the E.P. in spite of itself, attracting lines down the block full of punky, past and present pierced-lipped types wanting/needing/hurting to celebrate the music of hook-obsessed sensitive artists such as Taking Back Sunday, Brand New, Saves the Day, New Found Glory and Underoath, as well as, according to its press release, the “old-school jams” (really? wow!) of Sunny Day Real Estate, Jets to Brazil, Jawbreaker and Death Cab for Cutie. The emotion commotion has, for some, validated a maligned genre, though for others it seems like a put-on; “sad AF” is part of the club's marketing language though everybody seems positively giddy at the events. Emo Night is even going on tour, with Arizona, Michigan and Detroit stops the next few months.
But it all began in L.A. and this Tuesday brings another chance to wear your heart on your (script-tattooed) sleeve and maybe even dig out that old chain wallet. Live performances are scheduled by Partybaby, Teenage Wrist, WASI and Two O'Clock Courage plus the surprise DJ sets the party’s become known for (past pop-ins have included members of Blink-182 and My Chemical Romance).
At the Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park. 9 p.m.; $10; 21+. emonightla.com. More info via Facebook.
Banjee Ball at Los Globos; Credit: Courtesy of Banjee Ball
EASTSIDE PRIDE PARTIES
Sunday, June 12
Has the Pride festival in WeHo become less about celebrating gay equality and more about showcasing a Coachella-like music show? Naysayers think so. But for a lot of the queer community it’s irrelevant, because they never go west of Western for their revelry to being with. For these people, and for the ones who might otherwise be over the priciness of Pride events on the Westside, there is Eastside Pride, a weekend of events in Silver Lake. Don't even try to argue about what is technically the Eastside here, because the gay scene has its own geographical boundaries; the Eastside is a state of mind and sometimes dress, from leather daddies to art tarts.
You'll want to block-hop Sunset Boulevard on Sunday, when two of our favorite hangouts are offering full-tilt bashes. First up, Pride on the Eastside at Akbar promises $1 PBR all day plus a BBQ and one-hour DJ sets all day into the evening from Rudy Bleu, David Dancer, DJ Susan in Accounting, Hank Green, Frenchkiss and Max Bruce. After that it’s time to strut over to Banjee Ball, which marks its move to Sunday early evenings (5 p.m.). Striking its first pose at the Standard Downtown, BB has blossomed the past few months at Los Globos, showcasing voguers, posers, twerkers and whackers (look it up) in fierce competition and vying for cash prizes. Emcee Enyce Smith and host Shay Paradise Ebony provide aural accompaniment to the runway mayhem, while Purple Crush provides the DJ tuneage. For this special Eastside Pride Edition, live performances by Gia Banks, Ricashay, Crush and surprise special guests pump up the prancing and proud partying til the wee hours.
Pride on the Eastside at Akbar, 4365 Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. 4-11:30 p.m.; free; 21+. More info.
Banjee Ball at Los Globos, 3040 W. Sunset Blvd. Silver Lake. 5-9:30 p.m.; $5 before 6 p.m., $10 after; 21+. More info.
Bang, one of the many clubs that got its start at the Ruby; Credit: Courtesy Club Bang!
RUBY REUNION
Saturday, June 18
If you loved to dance and lived in L.A. in the ’90s, you probably remember the Ruby nightclub on Hollywood Boulevard. With three rooms for three different vibes and DJs, it was the go-to for alternative kids, hosting everything from goth and industrial nights (Perversion) to ’80s (Beat It) to Brit-pop (Bang) and everything in between (Clockwork Orange). It closed for good back in 2011, and though gone, it has definitely not been forgotten, especially since most of the promoters who threw parties and/or DJed there continue to do so at other venues, namely the Evil Club Empire (Bruce Perdew and Michael Stewart of Blue Mondays and Club 90s) and Jason Lavitt (Tigerheat and Club 90s). It might be ironic that this trio’s most successful party is a ’90s night, since they’ve been doing clubs since well before then, but it also makes a lot of sense. Who knows what kids like to dance to from that time better than they do? A whole new generation is digging it, so they clearly haven’t lost their touch.
Still, a reunion — and revival — featuring some of their most-missed haps has been a long time coming, promising the biggest and best flashback ever for nightlife newbies and clubbing vets alike. Clockwork, Bang, Beat It and Perversion will all be back for one mega-dance party, each repped in a different room at Union (formerly Jewel’s Catch One), with all the venue’s original DJs including Perdew, Lavitt, Stewart, Jeffrey Lyman, Bractune, Amanda Jones and Robert Lockerby.
At Union, 4067 W. Pico Blvd., Arlington Heights. 9 p.m.-2 a.m.; price TBA; 21+. More info at evilclubempire.com and unionclubla.com.
Nightswim; Credit: Ed Carrasco
NIGHTSWIM DOWNTOWN
Wednesday, June 29
Nightswim has 10 years at the Roosevelt Hotel under its stylish bikini bottoms and tons of big-time guests on decks (Thom Yorke, Questlove, Classixx, Elijah Wood, Nigel Godrich, to name a few). It’s no stretch to say the party helped the Roosevelt keep its cool cred the past decade, particularly the poolside Tropicana Bar, which could have easily been douche-drenched thanks to the busy Hollywood Boulevard locale. This summer, they’re taking the soiree somewhere new, downtown to the Standard’s rooftop, and hosts Chris Holmes (Paul McCartney’s DJ) and Jeremy Burke (Loud Village) promise a season of splashier, sassier poolside bashes through late September. Residents Holmes, Allie Teilz, Daniel T. and Nina Tarr are on the turntables for the event’s relaunch, which, by this hump night at the end of June, will have been treading and trending in town for a few weeks. As always, there’ll be a diverse array of sounds and sights (including fun pool toys). And yes, it is literally a “night swim,” so expect the pool to be populated by pretties and in-the-know party people, especially as the night progresses and surprise guests pop in.
At the Standard Rooftop, 550 S. Flower St., downtown. 9 p.m.-2 a.m. every Wednesday; cover TBA; 21+. More info via Facebook.
More from Lina Lecaro:
Goths, Galleries and Gentrification: The Year in L.A. Nightlife
Everyone From L7 to Nirvana (Yes, That Nirvana) Played '90s DIY Venue Jabberjaw
A Q&A With Gun N' Roses' Duff McKagan
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