Pop culture moves in cycles, constantly lurching forward, only to eat and regurgitate itself later on in the form of nostalgia. Fairly reliably, whatever was 'in' 20 or so years ago seems to come back into fashion again. Right now, the decade cloaked in the rosy glow of our collective youthful memories is the 1990s. Anything harkening back to the era is huge right now, with the adults of today eager to reminisce about their childhood days. As evidence, witness the fact that there not only is an entire television show dedicated to recreating the OJ Simpson trial, but that show also stars David Schwimmer from Friends.
Obviously, Los Angeles—a city which was particularly visible in the pop culture of the era, and not just for Bronco chases—is not going to sit this trend out. If you want to grab a scrunchie and indulge in some nostalgia, here are some of the best spots. There are club nights where DJs spin all your guiltiest pleasures, from the Spice Girls to Snoop Dogg, reunion tours bringing the likes of 98° and Boyz II Men to local stages, arcades to revisit those '90s video games, and even a few places shaking up cocktails that are retro enough to trigger a full-on Sex and the City regression.
Club Nights
Club 90’s: This night happens somewhere in town almost every week, often rotating between Los Globos, UNION, the Lash and the Regent over the course of any given month. Each night is built around a theme—anything from Selena Ball to Blink 182 Night—and some attendees will even dress up in outfits to match the music.
TNT Totally Nineties Tuesdays: Party people are invited to go all out at this retro dance night at the Abbey in WeHo, featuring rotating DJs and glamorous guest hosts.
Bootie LA: As the local franchise of a global party network, each Saturday night DJs post up at Echoplex in Echo Park and mine the most over-the-top of retro and current hit music, pairing and mixing to create danceable mash-ups. Recent themes have included concepts like "Boy Bands vs. Girl Bands" (pitting Backstreet Boys against Destiny's Child, among others) and every possible combination of pop and R n' B divas.
Arcades
Button Mash: Snack on Starry Kitchen dishes, play arcade games based on '90s icons like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and get your check tucked between the covers of a paperback R.L. Stine Goosebumps book.
Neon Retro Arcade: Play all the Simpsons and Street Fighter games you want for a flat fee of just $10 per hour at this Pasadena spot.
X Lanes: Remember back in the '90s when everyone was suddenly obsessed with Dance, Dance Revolution? Relive the moment here. Once you bore of that, there are plenty of other amusements to move on to.
Concerts
98 Degrees, O-Town, Dream and Ryan Cabrera: Curious how the dream boat boys of the 1990s have aged into adulthood? Head to Microsoft Theater on August 25 to see if they can still nail all that choreography.
Bad Boy Family Reunion: Much like your own family reunion, there might be a few folks you sort of forgot about at the Forum on Oct 4. Puff Daddy and Lil Kim headline, along with a raft of their former label-mates including Mase, Faith Evans, 112, Total, The Lox, French Montana and Carl Thomas.
Gwen Stefani and Eve: Get ready to have "Let Me Blow Ya Mind" stuck in your head all over again as the former No Doubt front-woman turned reality television star takes her collaborator on that Grammy-lauded hit, Eve, out on the road, including two nights at the Forum on Oct 15 and 16.
Cocktails
Cosmopolitan: The favorite drink of Carrie Bradshaw's crew gets a modern spin as the Cosmo 1926 at Cole's.
Lemon Drop: A popular sip from the era when "martini" could mean so many things, the lemon drop is revisited as a refreshing frozen slushie at Gladstones.
Bellini: Duck into to the Roger Room for their version of the iconic peach drink that was oh-so-chic back in the day.
Have your own favorite '90s LA experience? Let us know in the comments section below.