Nightlife

Working for the Week

The Complete Guide to Weeknight Parties

Real bang-up job of weekending you did there. Nice work. But weekdays, in those fleeting hours between work and waking, that’s when you can catch Prince’s favorite DJ and have a stripper pole sent to your table. Here, in short, is your guide to the best weeknight parties.

SUNDAY

Love Is the Message at Bar Marmont

The Scene: The kind of sweaty Sunset dance party that can only be achieved when Michael Jackson segues into Donna Summer. You’ve got Prince’s touring DJ, Rashida, to thank—she keeps the room on a blazing soul-disco-funk bender all night. (LA-speak for “until 2am,” obviously.)
Keywords: nocturnal sunglasses, Slick Rick, conductor hats, penthouse after-parties

MONDAY

AV Mondays at AV Nightclub

The Scene: After negotiating the notoriously tough door, you’re bumping elbows with Leo... and steering clear of Chris Brown. You won’t hear a word your lingerie-wearing server says over these megawatt beats, but you’ll see her sparkler-filled bottles gliding across the packed dance floor.
Keywords: ballerinas, contortionists, French maids, pyrotechnic champagne, magic mirrors

TUESDAY

Wax Rabbit at Vignette Lounge

The Scene: Bottle service: not exactly newsworthy. Stripper pole service: yeah, that happens here. They’ll bring one right to your table. Because sometimes burlesque girls and loud underground hip-hop from LES-inspired DJs just require a tableside stripper pole. All due apologies to Wednesday morning.
Keywords: occasional nudity, Reza Roohi, truffle popcorn, TMZ campouts

WEDNESDAY

Low End Theory at the Airliner

The Scene: The exact opposite of the above. Still a fantastically grimy launching pad for legit DJs like Flying Lotus and Gaslamp Killer. Still a legendary rager for experimental hip-hop and edgy electronica. Still flannel-friendly.
Keywords: PBRs, ironic beards, patio nic-fits

THURSDAY

Sessions at the Sayers Club

The Scene: You got on the guest list to bob your head to Jason Scoppa–curated talent perform some pretty great covers, everything from Zeppelin to the Lumineers. Then maybe Florence Welch or Slash shows up on stage and everyone goes nuts. Maybe that happens.
Keywords: SBE unplugged, retractable stage, leather overload, Chris Paul