Friday
Hit up Largo on Friday night for a stand-up set from Pete Holmes. The goofy, philosopher-like comic and You Made It Weird host rounds out the show with twisted non-sequiturs from Anthony Jeselnik and a set from—schwing!—Dana Carvey.
Head a few blocks east to Cinefamily for a screening of the just re-released Roar. Maybe you've seen those insane Life magazine photos of a teenage Melanie Griffith lounging by her Sherman Oaks pool with her pet lion latched onto her ankle. Well, that was just the warm-up for this 1981 thriller from her director dad Noel Marshall and actress mom Tippi Hedren. Let's just say the hostile big cats in the film's cast weren't always acting.
Saturday
Stock up on tricks—illusions, Michael—on Saturday morning at the Magic Castle Swap Meet. This typically invite-only magicians clubhouse is hosting a market with books, antiques and collectibles. At $8 for admission, it's by far the cheapest way to peek inside the castle and maybe see a card trick or two. More on that event right here.
Spend the rest of the day Downtown, starting with an indigo-inspired fashion talk at the Reef. We can see that raised eyebrow, but clothing designer Jill Yee—one of our favorite local artisans—is sitting down with plant-based dye guru Graham Keegan to talk threads, textiles and collaboration. Plus, we're curious to see what sorts of "indigo-inspired cocktails" will be served.
Make your way over to the Arts District for Brokechella. The DIY fest's lineup of local bands isn't exactly a Coachella challenger, but it is a budget-friendly way to listen to up-and-coming bands and drink cheap beer. Plus, extra points for its dedicated dog area called "Puppychella."
Cap off the night at the Orpheum for a Welcome to Night Vale live show. Listen to the tales of two-headed quarterbacks and haunted dog parks at this faux public-radio show. This live session will feature Night Vale’s velvet-voiced announcer, Cecil Baldwin, its resident band, Disparition and live weather by British singer and songwriter Mary Epworth.
Sunday
Get wrapped up in books on Sunday at the USC campus. No, we're not talking about enrolling in some Trojan-priced classes—we're talking about attending the free Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. The second of two days, this outdoor book fair of sorts features stalls from a variety of booksellers as well as author readings, signings and culinary demos. Today's biggest names include Jason Segel, Al Michaels and Diary of a Wimpy Kid creator Jeff Kinney. Oh yeah, and a UCB-presented live read of Swingers with Ben Schwartz and Thomas Middleditch—tell me that wasn't money.
Wrap up the weekend at the Theatre at Ace Hotel for the latest installment of Pop-Up Magazine. Think of it as a TED talk for unpublished and unaired NPR-caliber stories. Over the course of 100 minutes, literary and art luminaries premiere new articles, documentary films, photography, art and radio pieces. Sunday night's guests include Radiolab's Latif Nasser, National Geographic photographer Anand Varma and former director of The Onion Baratunde Thurston, and many talented others.
Find more things to do this weekend by clicking each day or by heading over to our weekend calendar.