Dec 032015
 

Purity Ring- Fineshrine

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (12/3-12/6/15)-

Thursday

Starting Thursday night and running until Sunday, Machine Project has turned its theater into a sports bar and will be showing sports themed art videos (free)

Made by DWC (Downtown Women’s Center) sells unique products created by homeless and low income women and tonight they are having their annual holiday party with snacks and bubbly- get some Xmas gifts and support a good cause!

The Dandy Warhols are playing at the Teregram Ballroom (also on Friday, sold out Saturday)

Mar Vista is having its first art walk

Artist Sandow Birk will be in conversation with writer and editor Gary Dauphin about the former’s book American Qur’an at the Hammer Museum. For the book Birk transcribed the entire Qur’an, using traditional colors, inks, and formatting, and set it against a backdrop of illustrations from everyday American life (that work is on view at OCMA)

X are playing at the Roxy (also Friday, Sunday, sold out Saturday)

Friday

A Christmas Carol, performed by Will & Company, The Music Center’s educational touring ensemble, is at The Huntington and includes a pre-show sing-along of favorite holiday tunes ($15)

Booker T. Jones is playing with Black Joe Lewis at UCLA’s Royce Hall

White Reaper is opening for together PANGEA at the Echoplex

Power 106′s Cali Christmas is at The Forum and features Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Pharrell Williams, Ty Dolla $ign, Travis Scott, Dej Loaf and more

Gary Clark Jr. is playing at the Fonda Theatre (also Thursday and Saturday)

Saturday

Purity Ring are playing at The Shrine along with Baths and HANA

Self Help Graphics in Boyle Heights is having an Annual Holiday Marketplace and there will also be printmaking and other art demos and workshops throughout the day

Artists Ed Templeton and Ethan Rafal will be signing their books at Arcana Books in Culver City

Artist and musician Phranc will be in conversation with curator Howard Fox at CAFAM (free with admission and RSVP)

DJ Four Tet AKA Kieran Hebden is playing a 6 hour set at Lot 613 downtown

Saturday and Sunday

Grand Central Market is having a pop up Holiday Marketplace with Santa, live music, and more. If you go on Saturday you can also see Elf at the Million Dollar Theatre afterwards.

The School for the Movement of the Technicolor People exhibit will have its closing dance performance, Meadow, at LACE in Hollywood

Sunday

MOCA Grand Avenue is hosting Sunday Studio, which will explore experimental film, photography, and collage through activities, performance and an artist talk with filmmaker Paul Clipson and musician Liz Harris (free)

LA Makers is having a holiday market at the Fowler Museum

Tacocat is opening for Sallie Ford at The Echo and !!! are at the Echoplex

Nov 262015
 

Public Image Ltd- (This is not a) Love Song

This 1983 single, from Public Image Ltd, reached  number 5 on the UK Singles Chart. The band was started in 1978 by singer John Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten of The Sex Pistols, guitarist Keith Levene (a former member of The Clash), bassist Jah Wobble, and drummer Jim Walker.

Those who know Los Angeles will recognize the Century City location and the Century Plaza Towers in the video.

Public Image Ltd are playing at the Fonda Theatre on Sunday (11/29/15).

Nov 262015
 

Papa- Young Rut

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (11/26-11/29/15)-

Thursday

Happy Thanksgiving! Enjoy the day in some relaxing way!

You can also volunteer for Gobble Gobble Give at The Echo, Echoplex and the Regent Theater. They are taking food and clothing donations and also need help serving and delivering food. It starts at 10am. More info here

If you are looking for bars that are open LA Weekly put together a list 

The New Beverly  has a double feature for the holiday- March of the Wooden Soldiers and Singin’ In the Rain

Friday

Papa is playing at the Echoplex with Astronauts, etc., Maxim Ludwig, and Grouplove (DJ)

The Egyptian Theatre is showing Rear Window

Family of the Year are playing at the Troubadour

Saturday

It’s Small Business Saturday and We Heart Eagle Rock is having a block party with several businesses having festivities/promotions.  There are also events and discounts at the shops and restaurants in Pasadena’s Playhouse District.

Robert DeLong is playing at the Fonda Theatre with Coleman Hell & xylo

Lil B is performing at the El Rey Theatre

Sunday

The Hollywood Christmas Parade is a collection of randomness that should be seen at least once while visiting or living in Los Angeles. This year it’s co-hosted by Erik Estrada and Laura Mckenzie with Penn & Teller as the Grand Marshals. There are marching bands, giant balloons, cars with the casts of current TV shows and other celebrities and of course, Santa. Tickets are sold out but you can get a spot along the parade route for free. Keep in mind a lot of streets will be closed for this event so take the Metro if you can.

Public Image Ltd (PiL) are playing at the Fonda Theatre

Nov 192015
 

Primal Scream- Loaded

This song, the first single released from Primal Scream’s 1991 album Screamadelica, was actually released in February of 1990, months before that album was released. It was the band’s first top UK top 40 hit. Loaded contains a sample of Peter Fonda’s speech from the 1966 film The Wild Angels seen below.

Primal Scream are playing at the Hollywood Palladium with The Cult on Friday 11/20/15.

Nov 192015
 

Broncho- Class Historian

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (11/19-11/22/15)-

Thursday

Broncho are playing at the Teregram Ballroom with The Shelters and Pearl Charles

Author Rick Moody will be reading from and discussing his new book Hotels of America at Skirball Cultural Center (free and free to see the new exhibit)

As part of the Hammer Museum’s film series I Am Armenian, they are showing Vodka Lemon.  A Q&A with Dr. Carla Garapedian and linguistics scholar Amir Sharifi follows the screening and complimentary coffee, tea, and Armenian pastries will be served after the program (free)

Artist Pae White will speak about artist Manny Farber at MOCA where the latter’s work is currently being shown (free and free museum admission)

Alvvays are at the Echo with Los Angeles Police Department

Hunter Hunted are playing at Club Bahia with Steady Holiday

Dragonette are at the Roxy

Thursday-Sunday

Joey Arias: Billy Holiday Centennial has the downtown New York cabaret singer, performance and drag artist performing Holiday’s songs in this cabaret production at REDCAT ($25)

Friday

Katherine Brinson, curator of contemporary art at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, will provide an overview of Los Angeles-based artist Alex Hubbard’s practice and talk with him about his work as part of Artadia’s Art & Dialogue Program at LACMA (free)

The Cult are playing with Primal Scream at the Hollywood Palladium

Fever the Ghost are playing at the Echo with Fartbarf, HOTT MT, and Charlie Bird

The Polyphonic Spree are at the El Rey Theatre

We Were Promised Jetpacks are at the Teregram Ballroom with Seoul

Saturday

It’s time for the annual Great Los Angeles Walk. This year it starts at the renovated Cliftons and then proceeds to take Olympic all the way to Santa Monica. A good way to get some exercise and get a new perspective on Los Angeles

Pancakes & Booze Art Show is back (also on Friday) downtown with artists, live music, body painting and of course booze and free pancakes  ($5)

La Luz de Jesus Gallery is hosting a book signing, performance and screening to celebrate the release of the book People Like Us – The Cult of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by Lauren Everett. Songs from the musical will be performed by Claire McKeown (Honey Child), and there will be a screening of Frank-N-Furter’s Shadow and other short films. (free)

Sunday

Designer Con, the annual art and design convention that combines “collectible toys and designer goods with urban, underground and pop art” has its second day at the Pasadena Convention Center

Mr Little Jeans is playing at the El Rey Theatre

Nov 132015
 

Andra Day- Forever Mine

Today (11/13/15) at Amoeba Records, Andra Day will be performing from her album Cheers to the Fall for Club Vinyl. There will be live vinyl pressings and Amoeba will be offering 50% off vinyl from artists performing at 30 Days in LA as part of the event as well.

Nov 122015
 

Squeeze- Up the Junction

This is from Squeeze’s 1979 album Cool For Cats.  According to an article in The Guardian, in which the songwriters Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford discuss Up the Junction, the video was filmed in the kitchen of John Lennon’s old house where the Imagine video was made.

Tilbrook and Difford will be at the Wilshire Ebell for Squeeze Acoustic – “The At Odds Couple”- An Evening with Difford & Tilbrook on Saturday 11/14/15.

Nov 122015
 

Cass McCombs- Dreams-Come-True Girl (featuring Karen Black)

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (11/12-11/115)-

Thursday

Cass McCombs is the band in Cinefamily’s The Band & A Movie series. The movie he chose is Dusty and Sweets McGee– a “stark quasi-documentary look at the Los Angeles drug scene by featuring real-life junkies playing themselves” with short film Sean preceding it. ($20)

Artist Jennifer Pastor is speaking at the Hammer Museum (free)

LACMA is hosting Selfies, Sousveillance, and Participatory Countersurveillance a conversation with artists Hasan Elahi and Annina Rüst (free with reserved ticket)

The School for the Movement of the Technicolor People curator Robert Crouch and artists Ashley Hunt, taisha paggett and Kim Zumpfe will be in conversation at LACE in Hollywood focusing on the current installation and the artists’ collaborative process.

Downtown Art Walk is back and this time it’s featuring work from the Los Angeles Plein Air Festival

Tamaryn is at The Echo with LA bands Froth and Roses ($10)

Gardens & Villa are playing at The Roxy ($18)

Friday

DIEM: TALKS DESIGN is a “one-day design symposium presented by the West Hollywood Design District with discussions, panels and keynotes from leaders in the fields of design, decorative arts, fashion, architecture and fine arts” and it’s all free with RSVP

Andra Day is performing for  Club Vinyl at Amoeba Records and there will be a half off sale on all vinyl releases from artists headlining 30 Days in LA

Yo La Tengo are reuniting with former member Dave Schramm for an acoustic show at the Ace Hotel 

William H. Macy, Baron Vaughn, Chicano Batman, Matt Walsh,and Brian Huskey will all be a part of NPR’s Bullseye with Jesse Thorn event at the Hollywood Forever Masonic Lodge

Blitzen Trapper are playing at the Teregram Ballroom

The last of One Santa Fe’s free concert series has electro-pop artist Kauf performing

Here We Go Magic are playing at the Bootleg Theater ($14)

Saturday

Squeeze Acoustic – “The At Odds Couple” ~ An Evening with Difford & Tilbrook is at the Wilshire Ebell Theatre

Family Books is having a book signing with photographer Ryan McGinley for his new book Way Far

Depending on your feelings about crowds and Christmas celebrations you may want to check out or avoid The Grove Christmas. Seth McFarlane will be singing holiday songs along with special guests Meghan Trainor and Katharine McPhee with a 70 pieces orchestra and there will be a tree lighting, fireworks and more.

Artist Ned Evans is speaking at Craig Krull Gallery in Bergamot Station (rsvp by 11/12)

Sunday

Barnsdall Art Center Holiday Art Sale + Fundraiser will be selling prints, ceramics, jewelry, handcrafted cards and photography by students & faculty of the center. Free or a $5 ticket that includes a snack and drink, $5 for raffle tickets

The Charlatans UK are at The Fonda Theatre

The Ace Hotel is hosting the Los Angeles premiere of Paul Thomas Anderson’s new documentary Junun

Paper Pilots are playing at The Echo along with Story of the Running Wolf ($5)

Nov 052015
 

Lauryn Hill- Everything is Everything

This song is from Lauryn Hill’s 1999 debut album The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. It was also the first commercial appearance of John Legend, who played piano on the song and was still in his late teens at the time (info via Wiki).

Hill is playing at The Observatory in Santa Ana on Thursday 11/5/15.

Nov 052015
 

Kendrick Lamar- Alright

Things to do in Los Angeles this weekend (11/5-11/8/15)-

Thursday

Artist Glenn Ligon is speaking for free at MOCA Grand Ave about work in their permanent collection, including his own recently acquired Untitled (America, America)

LACMA is screening the feature film Station to Station, about Doug Aitken’s 24 day project of the same name. For this project a train traveled from the Atlantic to the Pacific making stops along the way where a “constantly changing group of artists, musicians, and performers took part in a series of unique happenings”. The screening is followed by a conversation between the film’s director, Doug Aitken, and Film Independent curator, Elvis Mitchell with an opening performance by Sun Araw. $25 general admission tickets available here

For CraftNight: Handmade & Foraged, L.A. Papermaking at the Craft & Folk Art Museum you can sample edible creations using foraged ingredients from “food revolutionaries” Josey Baker, Mia Wasilevich, and Pascal Baudar.  Afterwards dye pulp with local plants and materials under the guidance of Hiromi Paper International to create handmade paper samples- $8 includes food, drink and supplies. RSVP here

Eleanor Friedberger (of The Fiery Furnaces) is playing El Cid with Fay

Reptar are playing Club Bahia with Holiday Mountain, Breathers and Green Gerry

Thursday-Sunday

Only in Hollywood Music + Arts Festival has a HUGE list of events going on throughout the weekend, most of them free. One of the opening night parties is at Festival Hub Space 15 Twenty and there are multiple art gallery pop-ups, live music and comedy as well.   Also make sure to get a button for $1 that gets you great discounts including 2 for 1 drinks at Aventine, $3 off any purchase over $5 at Amoeba Records, free truffle fries with your burger at Umami, percentages off purchases at many local businesses, and more.

Friday

Sleepless: The Music Center After Hours has an impressive amount of late night activities (beginning at 11:30pm and running until 3am), including Daniel Lanois performing a “breakthrough ambient/electro visual experience” on the penthouse floor,  DJ sets on the 2nd and 3rd floors, a dance party, a music and scent experience curated by The Institute of Art and Olfaction, on site screen printing and lots more- try your luck on standby line to get in for free or pay $20 to skip the regular line and get a pillowcase to screenprint

So Many Wizards are playing a free show at Taix

Beat Connection are at The Echo with Psychic Twin

Beach Party are playing a free show downtown at One Santa Fe

Friday and Saturday

The Hammer Museum is having ENGAGE MORE NOW!, a free international conference on the subject of public
engagement. “The symposium will convene a group of experts to consider ongoing practices initiated by artists and museum professionals—both within and outside of institutions—that are designed to engage the public in discursive projects that may take the form of social practice, performance, or artistic intervention.”

Saturday

Top Acid in Santa Ana is throwing the free Way Too Fun Fest with 4 music stages and bands including The Lovely Bad Things, So Many Wizards, Gap Dream and more

Saturday and Sunday

To start your Christmas shopping early there’s The Jackalope Art & Craft Fair, which returns to Old Pasadena with over 200 local artisans who were hand selected by jury members. Free with free art workshops as well.

Sunday

Kendrick Lamar is part of 92.3′s The Real Show at The Forum along with Future, Rae Sremmurd, Jeremih, Rich Homie Quan, Ty Dolla $ign and Jidenna. Tickets are only resale but there are plenty of those as of this writing ( $76+)

At LACMA author Nina Ansary and artist Shirin Neshat discuss women in Iran in general, as well as Neshat and her work followed by a booksigning for Ansary’s book Jewels of Allah (free)

Wax Idols are playing at Complex LA in Glendale

Lee Ranaldo (of Sonic Youth) is playing a solo acoustic show at The Echo