We’re walking along Figueroa Street’s Highland Park hipster drag at 9 p.m. on a Thursday night, looking for something to eat. Within a span of a few blocks, though, we’re greeted by one closed sign after the next. How is it possible that both bar-adjacent pizza joints are already done for the night? 

We’ve been here before, maybe a year ago, when we walked two miles (no exaggeration) before stumbling upon a cramped, hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant that serves to what is now considered Los Angeles’ late night crowd. Maybe we could have gone back to that spot, but we decided to catch the Metro to Chinatown, where there are still a small handful of restaurants open until at least 10 p.m. 

I shouldn’t have to explain to readers that 9 p.m. is a perfectly reasonable time to eat dinner. People around the world know this as a fact. An actual late night meal is after midnight. I used to indulge in those too, but gave up the habit post-pandemic, not because I have grown sensible in my old age, but because reliable late night spots in Los Angeles are now so few and far between that trying to find food at 2:30 a.m. has become a hassle I don’t need after a DJ gig. 

It wasn’t always like this. Los Angeles used to be a proper city. It wasn’t a 24/7 city, but we didn’t operate on farm time either. If you got off work late, you could still get take out or make a grocery store pit stop on the way home. You could meet up with friends for coffee at night or grab a bite to eat after the concert/club/bar. Now, good luck finding food beyond 8 p.m. You should have done your meal prep on Sunday so that you could be safe at home by sunset and ready to settle into a 10-step nighttime routine for optimal sleep hygiene so that you’ll wake up refreshed at 4 a.m. and ready to take on your morning ritual of making content about the life you want people to think you have. Don’t forget to have your friendly, neighborhood delivery bot bring by that breakfast smoothie you love. 

These are, truly, the lamest of times.

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New Mix

I’m not DJing this weekend (next gig is at Catch One for Klub Nocturno on August 14), but I did make a new mix. Listen to the August edition of Beatique on Mixcloud. It’s a little rock and a little rave, with everything from Arctic Monkeys to horsegiirL, a couple electroclash throwbacks, a Spanish cover of “Da Da Da” and more thrown in.

Recommendations for This Weekend

If you’re in L.A., there’s a lot happening this weekend. Iceage is playing two nights at Hollywood Forever. Ceremony is throwing a record release show at Monty’s Good Burger. Philosophical Research Society put together a Deadhead film fest. Edgar Wright will stop by Gardena Cinema. And that’s not including the Boy Harsher show that’s sold out and the Yoko Ono tribute that’s sold out, but maybe there will be tickets at the door. Anyhow, head over to Beatique for my recommendations for this weekend, as well as a few for early next week, including an advance listening party for Mike D’s new album.

That’s all for this week. Thanks for reading and hope to see you on the dance floor soon.

Liz O.