Joke of the week: Jane Borden
I was watching Jeopardy once, and the answer was, 'This leader did some sightseeing in a newly defeated Paris in June of 1940.' The contestant said, 'Who is Adolf Hitler?' and Alex Trebek replied, 'That is correct.' Really? That's the answer to the question 'Who is Hitler?': A guy who went antiquing through Europe? Because I feel like I know that name from something else.
Jane Borden performs at Hollywood Studio Bar & Grill on January 7th at 8pm, the Pleasure Chest on January 8th at 8pm and M.I. Westside Comedy Theater on January 9th at 10pm. Tickets are under $10.
This weekend
Smorgasburg LA
Indulge your inner foodie and shopaholic at this weekly food-focused market. The Brooklyn export has landed in the Arts District and become a hotbed of fantastic food and retail vendors, with some that are testing out their dishes before launching a full-blown brick-and-mortar in the city. Bonus: there is plentiful (and free, for two hours!) parking in the nearby parking garage.
Cinespia Cemetery Screenings
It isn’t summer in L.A. until the first cemetery screening brings hoards of movie-lovers to Hollywood Forever, toting folding chairs, picnic blankets, snack spreads and lots of booze. Each year, Cinespia brings classic cult favorites to the hallowed resting place of such Hollywood greats as Rudolph Valentino and Bugsy Siegel. This year’s first batch of screenings includes The Neverending Story, Drive, Almost Famous and Casablanca. Angelenos line up for hours to partake in the concept—and to enjoy DJ sets, dance parties, sleepovers and more magical mischief otherwise strictly forbidden behind the cemetery gates. It’s an L.A. rite of passage, a quintessential summer experience and one of the best film venues in the city. Just be sure to get your ticket early, arrive early (doors open at 6:45pm), pee early... it’s getting a bit overcrowded, to say the least.
Monday night residencies at the Satellite
Silver Lake's legit little music venue offers up some of the best local music in the city every Monday night... for free. Check out LA bands that are about to make it big (acts like Fitz & the Tantrums, Superhumanoids and even Local Natives have graced the residency stage) without spending a dime—well, except on maybe a beer, or a round for the folks onstage. Check the Satellite calendar to see who's on the bill each month. Acts often have a rotating cast of openers, so you can see different bands each week while watching the main act work on material, become more comfortable onstage and find their rhythm as the month goes on. Then a few years from now, you can say "I saw them when...."
Monday night residencies at the Echo
It's free music every Monday when sponsored, up-and-coming local bands call the Echo stage home for a one-month stint, honing their stage presence and giving various opening acts a chance at the spotlight as well. If you're worried a Monday night will fill up to capacity, you can RSVP on the Echo website for VIP entry. When a band is on its third or fourth Monday and killing it, this is a pretty convenient way to make sure you're in on the action.
Asssscat
Every Saturday and Sunday, the UCB franchise's longest-running, most beloved showcase starts when a base cast of the theater's current top-brass—including founding UCB members Matt Walsh, Matt Besser and Ian Roberts—takes the stage. Then they introduce the surprise celebrity alumnae and friends who will be joining them (think Horatio Sanz, Ben Schwartz, Adam Pally). And finally, another special guest takes the stage, a non-improviser (think Flea, Cat Power, Rebel Wilson, Lena Dunham) who opens the show with a personal story, that's deftly mined for laughs by the players. But you have to go to find out who's there—that's part of the fun. Looking for a cheap night out? Sunday shows are free, but seating is first-come, first-served, so be sure to arrive early.
Monday night residencies at the Bootleg
Head to Echo Park on Mondays for free residencies at one of the best venues on the East side, the Bootleg. Theater shows happen in the Gallery, and music in the Theater (in back) and the Bar (in front). Residencies take place in the bar, with high tables and stools in the back, a bar with great craft brews and a high, open-beamed roof with great acoustics. Check the Bootleg's calendar to see who's on the bill month to month.
Public Star Party
Want to admire the moon and constellations up close, but don’t have your own powerful telescope at home? Not to worry, Griffith Observatory has you covered with their popular (and free) monthly Public Star Parties. Head out to the Observatory’s expansive lawn among hundreds of other star enthusiasts and check out the views through a wide variety of telescopes, with savvy amateur astronomers happy to discuss what you see through their equipment. The views of celestial objects above and L.A.’s majestic city lights below make this a special evening for the whole family.
Artists & Fleas Venice
The newest flea market on the block, the Venice outpost of this artisan/craft-focused flea market mini-empire is bringing records, vintage and vintage-inspired clothing, cosmetics, jewelry and more to the Westminster Avenue Elementary School. A handful of small batch confectioners provide sweet treats to snack on or take home, while food trucks and nearby restaurants provide heartier bites. Though relatively small in size, owing perhaps to its prime location bookending the neighborhood’s famed Abbot Kinney stretch, vendors hawk a diverse range of hand-made and expertly curated wares that seems to simultaneously fit in and stand out in one of the nation’s most unusual neighborhoods.
Unique LA Holiday Market
The annual Unique holiday market features clothes, accessories and art pieces from a number of quality handmade brands. Check out local products and rub elbows with the different designers and artists showcasing their work. The market visit SoCal this season with two pop-ups: one Downtown, the other in Santa Monica.
Fleetwood Mac
If you’ve ever had a soft spot for the Mac, you owe it to yourself to catch the group on its current tour. We imagine the M.O. will be the same as usual: a set list crammed with hits, during which Stevie and Christine (but sans Lindsey) graciously share the spotlight. And try not to grin when Mick Fleetwood takes his lovably kooky drum solo during the encore.
Childish Gambino
There was a time when Donald Glover was just a sitcom star who released clever, embarrassingly confessional rap tracks under a moniker devised by a Wu-Tang Clan name generator. These days, he’s the creator of genre-defying FX show Atlanta, a part of the Star Wars universe (as young Lando Calrissian) and the creative voice behind the striking music video for his latest track, “This is America.” On tour behind his not-yet-titled “final” album, Glover will be joined by Mississippi hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd and Long Beach rapper Vince Staples.
Rolling Loud
See Post Malone, Lil Wayne, Cardi B and Lil Uzi Vert headline this two-day hip-hop fest, which this year has moved from the far reaches of San Bernardino to a much closer locale: Exposition Park’s Banc of California Stadium. The absolutely massive lineup also includes the likes of Wiz Khalifa, 21 Savage, Ty Dolla $ign, Young Thug, Kodak Black, Playboi Carti, Tyga and Lil Yachty. Tickets are on sale now, staring at $199 for a weekend pass.
Pee Cast Blast
Spend an entire day at the Theatre at Ace Hotel as nearly all of podcasting’s funniest comedians come together for a “Monsters of Rock”-style event. Pee Cast Blast’s lineup includes—deep breath—Comedy Bang! Bang! (featuring Scott Aukerman, Paul F. Tompkins and Lauren Lapkus), The Andy Daly Podcast Pilot Project, Doughboys, Throwing Shade, Off Book and Teachers Lounge.
Rooftop Cinema Club
The masters of alfresco rooftop movie viewing have returned for another season of screenings in Hollywood and Downtown L.A. Known for excellent film choices and a steady supply of snacks and booze, Rooftop Cinema Club is your snazzy, comfortable and less stressful alternative to other outdoor movie screenings. You don’t even need to bring your own blanket or camping chair—Rooftop Cinema Club provides you with your very own comfy lawn chair, as well as blankets on request for the ultimate cozy experience. And instead of listening to the movie over loudspeakers, you’ll get a set of wireless headphones so you never have to miss a word. For its holiday screenings, RCC is turning its rooftops in winter wonderlands, with mulled wine, hot chocolates and holiday giveaways.
Enchanted: Forest of Light
The botanical garden’s nighttime experience masterfully mixes hands-on art installations with atmospheric, luminescent forests, all against a background of uplit trees and shimmery sound effects. Enchanted is intuitively immersive: You can tap columns that change color according to your touch; spin a dizzying swirl of kaleidoscopic patterns with HYBYCOZO’s “Celestial Shadows” pendants; and stomp your way across Jen Lewin’s “Aqueous,” a serpentine Candyland-like path that changes colors as you meander along its winding walkway. This year, “Celestial Shadows” has been upgraded with even more sculptures, including a particulalrly mesmerizing disco-ball–like one, while the layout of “Aqueous” has been slightly reconfigured, with glowing benches around the perimeter. At “Lightwave Lake,” you can no longer control the swirl of colorful spotlights atop the foggy water, but there are far more stations to change the colors of the lighting on the trees (And bonus: There’s a whiskey bar adjacent, with an especially delicious spiked cider). Elsewhere, “Enchanted” (delightedly) looks much like it has in the past: a field of faux tulips ripples with waves of twinkling color changes while the mist-filled “Ancient Forest” still beckons visitors with its straight-out-of-E.T. setting. You’ll want to wear comfy shoes as it’s about a mile walk around “Enchanted.” The route is clearly marked and the grounds are mostly level, though some of the paths can get a little spongey if it’s rained r
‘Invader: Into the White Cube’
The most fun part about Invader’s tile mosaics is finding one. There, on an otherwise unassuming block of Los Angeles, is a candy-colored, pixelated Space Invaders minion affixed to a brick wall. So how does a formal gallery show, in this case a career-spanning survey at the Arts District’s Over the Influence, go about preserving that sense of unexpectedness? By covering an entire wall with over 50 new editions of Invader’s out-in-the-wild mosaics. The result, as part of “Invader: Into the White Cube,” is a Where’s Waldo?-like experience of picking out pop culture references, where Hokusai, Captain American, the Smurfs and Super Mario World can all fit comfortably together. You’ve undoubtedly seen Invader’s work. His tile mosaics have not-so-legally graced the sides of buildings across the globe, including 200 works that’ve been installed in L.A. since 1999. This near-20-year anniversary is observed with a row of updated editions of the Los Angeles Invasion Guide, complete with very-L.A. tile mosaic covers (think: the Dude, a cannabis leaf, film iconography). In addition, the exhibition features the premiere of a new series of paintings from the artist’s studio practice. You’ll find the same signature characters, just translated onto a canvas (and, in one case, with the local-favorite addition of a low-res avocado). Now, Invader’s work is heading inside for a career-spanning survey at Over the Influence. The solo exhibition, L.A.’s first in over a decade, will feature ove
Melrose Trading Post
If Melrose Ave is LA’s sceney-est street, then the Melrose Trading Post is the epicenter of that scene. Every Sunday, hundreds of stylish Angelenos head over to Fairfax High School for the beloved Melrose Trading Post ($3 entry, free parking). Smack dab in the middle of Los Angeles, it's much more than a mere flea market: live music, a food court, and expansive grounds bring people out to wile away the day, chat with old friends, and yes, be seen. Fortunately, the Trading Post is also a world-class flea market. With the right balance of new and old, expensive and affordable , the many vendors hustling artwork, succulents, and vintage jackets fill a startlingly expansive space in an urban epicenter.
Valley Urban Market
Studio City's own open-air food market brings roughly 20 vendors to the parking lot of Midcentury-Modern charmer Sportsmen's Lodge every Saturday, with family-friendly fun in tow: face painting, music, photo booths and balloon art, for the little ones.
Los Angeles Holiday Lights Tour
2-hour evening walking tour of Downtown Los Angeles! In the evening, we will witness the Las Posadas celebration, view a nutcracker village, see the icicle sheets of the Old Bank District, the beautifully lit Walt Disney Concert Hall and a digitally enhanced fountain!
Festival of Carols
This season, we'll leave the singing to the pros. Join the Los Angeles Master Chorale for all of your favorite holiday carols in concert at the iconic Walt Disney Concert Hall. One hundred and ten singers will belt out Deck the Hall, Silent Night, the First Noël, White Christmas, Santa Claus is Coming to Town and more to get you in the festive spirit. Pulling out all the stops, the Disney Hall's pipe organ will also participate in the magical concert, and kids can visit with Santa after the show.
Moscow Ballet’s ‘Great Russian Nutcracker’
This Russian ballet company has been gracing U.S. audiences with its rendition of The Nutcracker since 1993. The annual production of the classic Christmas tale features a growing Christmas tree and falling snow, all set to Tchaikovsky’s iconic score.
The Aimee Mann Christmas Show
Aimee Mann and Ted Leo have spent quite a bit to time on the road together over the past few years. Most recently, the two singer-songwriters have been working together on Mann’s project The Both. But this December, Mann brings the return of her electric holiday show, featuring herself and Ted Leo in a fit of Santa-centric carols, original tunes, video displays and sketches. For those who like their rock shows with a side of festivity.
Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn
Riverside’s stunningly beautiful Mission Inn is bathed in 4.5 million twinkly lights during the annual Festival of Lights. The free six-week-long holiday tradition begins the day after Thanksgiving with a “switch-on” ceremony. Throughout its run, you'll find horse-drawn carriage rides, fresh snow and more than 400 animated figures.
American Ballet Theatre: The Nutcracker
American Ballet Theatre is returning to Southern California with its production of The Nutcracker. But a highlight of this year’s show is likely to be the return of Southern California’s Misty Copeland as Clara for select performances. As if that wasn’t enough, the show will feature larger-than-life scenery, a Christmas tree and sets and costumes designed by Tony Award-winner Richard Hudson.
Snow Day LA
[Sponsored content.] Entering into its third season, Snow Day LA brings the magic of winter to the warm temperatures of SoCal. Located in Elysian Park just 10 minutes from DTLA, families, friends and co-workers can enjoy an evening out to celebrate the holidays without having to drive three hours for the real cold stuff. The park includes multiple lighted downhill winter tubing runs, falling snow, an LED interactive holiday light show, an animated penguin holiday light path, a VIP experience that includes a penguin or narwhal-themed onesie to take home, multiple holiday photo opportunities, food trucks, a bar, games and more.
