Lina LecaroOnce again, the city of Los Angeles is in mourning. We lost David Bowie only three months ago, and now here we are once again, digesting the death of another groundbreaking superstar, who also had major ties to L.A.
If you walked into any bar or club last night, you saw people letting their doves cry over the death of Prince, and probably heard a DJ delving deep into his material. Marquees along the Sunset Strip paid homage and Amoeba Music in Hollywood played him the entire day, selling out of Prince merch within an hour of his passing and becoming a sort of de facto meeting place for music fans and press vans alike (since Prince, surprisingly, does not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame).
Anyway, there are three ways to properly celebrate the life and music of Prince: 1) getting sexy in the bedroom (but, well, see this Onion post), 2) going crazy on the dance floor, and 3) watching Purple Rain. Here, we’ve gathered the best opportunities for the latter two, at least.
Credit: Courtesy of Purple Fridays (aka Black Fridays)
Friday, April 22
PURPLE FRIDAYS
The retro dance party is not only postponing its scheduled event, it’s changing the name (the night is usually called Black Fridays), bringing fans a tribute to Prince’s '80s hit period inside the main room as well as the '70s stuff out on the patio. (The previously scheduled synthpop night has been moved to Friday, May 20.) DJs Bruce Perdew and Jason Lavitt man the decks inside and Robert Lockerby gets funky and falsetto-y outside. At Boardner's, 1652 N. Cherokee Ave., Hollywood. 21+, $5-$10, 10 p.m.- 2 a.m. More info.
DELIRIOUS DRINKING
Saint Felix’s hosts a special happy hour tonight from 4 to 8 p.m., featuring many deep cuts from The Artist, spun by DJ Johnny 9, plus tasty drink specials. Our suggestions: a purple hooter, or something cream-y or raspberry-flavored. Food available, too. 1602 N. Cahuenga Blvd., Hollywood. Free. saintfelix.net.
GETT OFF WITH THE BOOTLEG BOMBSHELLS
For the sultry ladies of this hot burlesque troupe, celebrating Prince is an annual affair, and this event was scheduled long before his passing. Should take on a bittersweet vibe but remain a bodacious ride regardless. Sneak a peek of their Prince party last year here. At the Del Monte Speakeasy, 52 Windward Ave., Venice. 21+ Doors at 8 p.m., show at 9 p.m.. More info.
Credit: Courtesy of Atomic/Offbeat Bar
ATOMIC
The Offbeat Bar's indie/new-wave night goes all Prince, all night, with DJs Jose Shuton, Rob Risque and Joey Radikal spinning. Pre-party happy hour planned, too. Check the Offbeat's Facebook page for more about this and other events, including the #weplay80s Prince Lovefest next week: At the Offbeat, 6316 York Blvd., Highland Park. 21+, 9 p.m.- 2. a.m. More info.
THE PRINCE PARTY AT SKYBAR
DJ Diallo and friends celebrate the life of Prince at the Mondrian Hotel’s outdoor party space, spinning rarities, B-sides and the big ol’ hits. 8440 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 21+, 10 p.m.-2 a.m.
Saturday, April 23
KISS-N-GRIND
Prince himself used to frequent this funky fete when it was in downtown, and the party has always been a big fan of his jams. K&G’s Saturday afternoon “Beats & Bites” bash with Vikter Duplaix and Rashida promises pumping sounds by the Purple One all afternoon and evening. At the Sofitel Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, 8555 Beverly Blvd., Beverly Grove. 21+, $5-$10 with RSVP, $15 without, 2-8 p.m. kissngrind.com.
GIORGIO'S
This swanky disco club recently underwent a format change, adding a dynamic new dose of '80s funk, hip-hop and even new wave to its signature mix. DJ Adam 12, arguably one of L.A.'s most respected spinsters ever, really gets to show what he can do on a new level. He was Prince's personal DJ for years, and nobody knows how to highlight his work and influences better. Expect nothing less than a royal rumble of rhythm and body-rock anthems from and inspired by the dance music legend from a guy who was right there, all night. At Mmhmmm at the Standard Hollywood, 8300 Sunset Blvd., W. Hollywood. More info.
EROTIC CITY
The Monty Bar's decadent goth-electro shindig Sado Maso Disco gets a one-night-only Prince makeover, a night of dance, music, sex and romance. Prince and his many projects and influences, and similarly freaky party jams will be on the decks all night for this sultry soiree. At the Monty Bar, 1226 West 7th St., Westlake. 21+, free, 9 p.m. More info.
PURPLE RAIN SCREENINGS
Starting tonight and continuing thru next week, the Cinefamily offers four nights of Prince's semi-autobiographical film masterpiece in 35 mm. OK, you've seen it. But have you seen it on the big screen with a group recently? I have, and it's a whole different thing, an interactive, cult-level experience that inevitably turns into an exhilarating sing-along as well. Prince plays The Kid, a struggling Minneapolis club musician dealing with domestic problems at home and band drama at work. There's also his rival Morris Day (of The Time) and his tempestuous love affair with Apollonia to contend with. OK, so the story is kinda fluffy, but the performances here — “When Doves Cry,” “Let’s Go Crazy,” “Purple Rain,” “The Beautiful Ones” — are anything but. Screenings: Sat., April 23, 10:30 p.m.; Sun., April 24, 10 p.m.; Tue., April 26, 10:15 p.m.; Thu., April 28, 10:15 p.m. At the Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Fairfax. Tickets here; more at cinefamily.org.
Sunday, April 24
SEXY MOTHERFUCKER — NO VACANCY TRIBUTE
Some of the hottest DJs in town (including Chris Holmes, Paul McCartney's tour spinner) will gather to celebrate this thing called life. Electric word, life, it means forever, and that is especially true of music, as this mega-musical massive will surely prove. Join Holmes, Ana Calderon, Allie Teilz, Nina Tarr, Daniel T and more as they throw down for our departed royal. At No Vacancy, 1727 N. Hudson Ave., Hollywood. 21+, free, 10 p.m.-2 a.m. More info.
More to come …
The 20 Sexiest Songs of All Time
The 20 Best Pop Songs in History by Female Artists
The 10 Sexiest Men in K-Pop
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