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
Ai Weiwei: Life Cycle
The acclaimed Chinese artist kicks off a flurry of activity in L.A. with this takeover of the Marciano’s massive theater gallery, including Ai’s floor-covering “Sunflower Seeds,” which features millions of porcelain seeds, as well as the similar but smaller “Spouts,” a pile of thousands of Song dynasty teapot spouts. “Life Cycle” also marks the premiere of its namesake work, a nearly 60-foot inflatable raft made entirely from bamboo. Inspired by the European refugee crisis, the work employs traditional kite-making techniques to create its passengers, which are often pulled from the signs of the Chinese zodiac—such figures also factor into the astounding mythological mobiles and creatures that surround the black box space.
Red Bull Music Festival Los Angeles
Though the much-loved 30 Days in L.A. series has left the city, the Red Bull Music Festival is back again—and boy does it promise an unforgettable lineup. Robyn, Trina, CupcakKe and others are all slated to partake in a month of concerts, conversations and installations spread across the city. Other highlights include a skate and film fest with Illegal Civilization, a showcase of the music from Red Dead Redemption 2 and a screening of Selena with Edward James Olmos and Jacob Vargas.
Marc Maron
The irreverent ranter Maron, who has hosted programs on Air America, performed his own one-man shows and written a book, is one of the reasons for the recent alt-comedy (and podcast) boom. These days, he’s swapping time between the stand-up stage and his WTF podcast with comedy luminaries.
Sushi + Doobie Rolling Workshop
If you're good at rolling joints, you might have a knack for rolling sushi. Find out—and improve your skills for both—at High Dining Club's sushi and doobie workshop. Think: cooking class, but with cannabis. You'll be hand-rolling food thanks to some sushi know-how from frequent Mary Jane University instructor Victor Miller, while author Keiko Beatie helps you with your joint-rolling skills. There's also live music and a DJ set, and every ticket includes passed bites, your rolls and dessert, plus take-home good like a sushi-themed pipe (pictured), a grinder, a lighter, a gift bag and sushi kit. It's lit.
Bob Baker Day
In celebration of the late Bob Baker’s 95th birthday, the namesake theater is hosting a pop-up celebration at Los Angeles State Historic Park. The free fest, which runs from 10am to 5pm, features puppet performances throughout the day, as well as DJ sets that feature music from the Bob Baker archives and performances by King Kukulele and Tiny & Mary. Explore a vendor village of sweets, crafts and workshops from the likes of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Miracle Mile Toy Hall, Bohemian Kitten, Stone Cold Style LA, Coast to Coast Vintage, Oddly Weird, Calaveras Paintings and Pins, Clover Scout, the Los Angeles Guild of Puppetry and more.
The Confetti Project
Forget selfies: Spend a little extra coin and have a professional photographer capture you at your best—which, in this case, is in a fluttering shower of confetti. The Confetti Project, as its name implies, allows visitors to pose for photos within a sparkly setting. The touring photo op is stopping by Santee Alley’s Apex Studios for a single day of open studios. The project comes from Jelena Aleksich, who created the “confetti therpay” process as a means to grieve for the loss of both her roommate and father. Each time slot begins with a brief Q&A about what you choose to celebrate in your life, followed by a confetti-filled photo session. Though the photos are primarily meant for solo subjects, you can your friends can buy multiple tickets and have a group shot taken as well (up to four people).
Witness Uganda: A Documentary Musical
Intolerance drives a New Yorker to volunteer in a small African village, where AIDS and corruption are the new roadblocks. Written by Matt Gould and Griffin Matthews. Matthews directs.
Ron Lynch’s Tomorrow!
The comedian’s long-running, bizarre variety show, filled with comedy, music and puppetry, hits Dynasty Typewriter every Saturday night, just before midnight.
Kind Music Festival
Miguel, Ferg, Starcrawler and Yonee top this all-ages (but cannabis-friendly) “pop-up” fest. The most peculiar aspect of the Desert Hot Springs fest? It’s set to take place on the future site of the Tyson Ranch, Mike Tyson’s “412-acre entertainment complex, luxury glamping resort and cannabis research and design facility.”
Robyn
The sassy, lightning-blonde-haired Swede performs cathartically upbeat dance tunes from Honey, her first full-length release in seven years.
‘Notorious RBG: The Life and Times of Ruth Bader Ginsburg’
When the Supreme Court struck down key sections of the Voting Rights Act, then law student Shana Knizhnik was outraged. But in the blistering dissenting opinion of Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Khizhnik found hope and the possibility for a better day. And so, the Notorious R.B.G. was born—a cheeky, DGAF interpretation of the justice on Tumblr that would a few years later inspire a biography from Knizhnik and journalist Irin Carmon. But beyond that crown-wearing caricature is the story of a woman with a tireless and tenacious approach to social change, as Skirball curator Cate Thurston puts it. Through letters, recordings, outfits and photo ops, the exhibition balances that irreverence with an easy-to-understand primer on Ginsburg’s ongoing legal career, as well as a very personal portrait of her life. “The Notorious RBG” positions Ginsburg not as a feminist, but as a tireless advocate for the rule of law, fairness and equality who’s pressed against discrimination at every turn, in both her personal life and her law career. Hands-on installations encourage visitors to not just play dress-up, but to imagine themselves in her role: You’ll listen to Supreme Court recordings, step into a recreation of Ginsburg’s childhood Brooklyn bedroom and be able to throw on a robe and a collar to pose behind a facsimile of the Supreme Court bench. The exhibition—which will later tour to Philadelphia, San Francisco and Skokie, Illinois, with two more locations to be announced—comes at a tim
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.
Sarah Silverman
Need any further evidence that comedy's lowbrow is becoming accepted in the hallowed halls of high culture? Silverman will bring her acerbic, off-color act to Largo at the Coronet.
“Annie Leibovitz: The Early Years, 1970-1983”
When you set foot inside Hauser & Wirth’s north gallery, you’re greeted with a wall-filling timeline of the 1970s that’s comically meticulous in its detail. But once you round the corner of the wall, it’s clear why: Annie Leibovitz was there for seemingly all of it. The artist dug through her archives to handpick this early-career collection of works that meant the most to her, arranged chronologically and thematically in the Arts District gallery. “I lived with my camera, I never went home,” said Leibovitz during an exhibition walkthrough, and the photos prove it. Her Rolling Stone cover photos from the ’70s are indelible parts of pop culture history, and those instantly recognizable shots are certainly on display (think David Cassidy nude, a fiery Patti Smith, and a naked John Lennon embracing Yoko Ono shot hours before he was murdered). But the most remarkable parts of this early-career retrospective are the moments in between, all captured with fly-on-the-wall candor (“No one paid me any bit of attention because I was a woman,” she says). Candid shots of Jerry Garcia and Dennis Hopper occupy the same space as behind-the-scenes photos of an always-smoking Hunter S. Thompson, with whom Leibovitz worked extensively. There’s Richard Nixon’s fall, Jerry Brown’s rise and the surge of cults. And then there’s her documentation of a 1975 Rolling Stones tour, with no drug-addled details spared. (“It took me a while to get off the tour,” remarked Leibovitz about the experience).
‘Hir’
Dark and absurd, this fresh tale by Taylor Mac about fresh starts brings us a son returning from doing battle in Afghanistan who finds his home in upheaval. He and his transgender sibling are now under the generalship of their mother, long abused by her husband, whose recent stroke has rendered him nearly speechless. Bart DeLorenzo directs.
‘The Cripple of Inishmaan’
Truth weaves its many spells in this unmistakably Irish play by Martin McDonagh (Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri). Titular “cripple” Billy Claven hears that a Hollywood crew is on a neighboring island and decides to give himself a fresh start: He’ll become a film star and win a kiss from, or at least the attention of, the town’s prettiest girl. However, as is always true in McDonagh’s storytelling, something deeper is at work. Steven Robman directs.
“Valley Girl Redefined”
Forget about uptalk and tired clichés: 11:11 A Creative Collective is curating a group exhibition of the women shaping what it means to be a “Valley girl.” Artists at this Brand Library & Art Center show include Rachel Apthorp, Judy Baca, Hilary Baker, Lynn Coleman, Gioj DeMarco, Kathi Flood and others, plus a pop-up newstand by the San Fernando Valley Zine Fest. Swing by on January 26, from 6 to 9pm, for an opening reception that includes an opening ceremony by the Cihuatl Women’s Group, a pop-up shop from 11:11 ACC and VLY GIRL, free beer from 818 Brewing and their Valley Girl Blonde, music by DJ Lobo and more.
Gudetama x Highland Park Bowl
For those of us too lazy to learn proper bowling technique—who instead plop the ball down and let physics handle the rest—Gudetama, Sanrio’s lazy egg mascot, is our bowling spirit animal. It makes Highland Park Bowl’s latest collaboration the perfect pairing: The apathetic egg is all over the alley, with decorative banners and projections. In addition, you’ll find Gudetama egg-topped pizza and themed straws for cocktails, along with swag like bowling socks ($10) and pins ($5). All of the previously mentioned items are also bundled in an all-inclusive, unlimited food and drink two-hour lane reservation ($275 for two people), which also includes a 10% discount on other merch, plus use of yellow bowling balls with Gudetama’s grimacing face on them (available for purchase for $200). The takeover runs through February 2019, with to-be-announced pop-up events along the way.
Jermaine Dupri & So So Def: 25 Years of Elevating Culture
Travel back to an era when seemingly every hip-hop hit started with Jermaine Dupri giving a shoutout to So So Def during this career-spanning examination of the rapper and producer and his platinum-producing label. The exhibition showcases Atlanta’s rise as a hip-hop–tied cultural influencer with objects and videos from performers like Bow Wow, Mariah Carey, Da Brat, Jagged Edge, Kris Kross, Usher and more.
A Gentleman's Guide to Love & Murder
The hilarious tale follows a distant heir, who maneuvers himself ever closer to the inheritance, and the sundry characters (played by one man) standing in his way. Peggy Hickey directs and choreographs.
The Secret Garden
An embittered 10-year-old blossoms when she learns to love the plants, animals and other children in a safe, walled garden. Music by Lucy Simon, book and lyrics by Marsha Norman.
‘One Day at a Time: Manny Farber and Termite Art’
See more than 100 works of painting, sculpture, photography, film, video and sound—dating from the 1950s to present—from 30 artists in this exhibition of art inspired by observing and being in the world, a sentiment from American painter and film critic Manny Farber’s underground essay “White Elephant Art vs. Termite Art” (1962).
Life Could Be a Dream
Roger Bean’s jukebox musical, set in a cozy suburban basement, finds a quartet of fellas trying to enter a radio contest with the help of one talented gal. Songs from the 1950s and ’60s abound.
Ragtime
At the turn of the 20th century, three families pursue the American Dream as history jostles them in this magnificent musical. David Lee directs.
“3D: Double Vision”
See how three-dimensional technology has transcended View-Masters and 19th-century stereoscopes and worked its way into cutting-edge digital art.