Things to do in Los Angeles this Sunday
End the weekend on a high note, whether on the beach or back at the brunch table, with the best things to do this Sunday
Weekend, where have you gone? Before it’s time to head back to work, take a day to relax on the beach or picnic in a park… and maybe sneak in one more boozy brunch. Make the most of your Sunday with these great things to do in L.A.
Time Out loves
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. The series typically releases its slate one month at a time, most recently for August: Point Break (Aug 3), Boyz n the Hood featuring a John Singleton tribute from Questlove and DJ Pooh (Aug 10) and Psycho (Aug 24). Of particular note: the 9th Annual Slumber Party on August 24, with a trio of sleepover staples including Never Been Kissed, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Jawbreaker. 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.
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.
“Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop”
Celebrate the photographers responsible for helping to define hip-hop’s visual identity with this display of unedited contact sheets for famous photo shoots. Author and curator Vikki Tobak has assembled over 140 works from more than 60 photographers alongside rare videos, memorabilia and music. The era-spanning exhibition features photos of both the anonymous faces who showed up to hear early hip-hop at clubs and roller rinks in the late-’70s, as well as the genre’s biggest stars: Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Salt-N-Pepa, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B and more. You’ll spot instantly recognizable images, as well as behind-the-scenes moments, like Nas in the studio recording Illmatic and Kanye West getting a haircut during the cover shoot for The College Dropout. The exhibition pulls from a visual book of the same name, and it features a few Annenberg-only additions, including a contact sheet of Nipsey Hussle driving around town with his daughter sitting in his lap, as well as a photo of Mac Miller playing piano that was the inspiration for a memorial mural on Beverly Boulevard.
Free Shakespeare in Griffith Park
Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Independent Shakespeare Co. puts on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliners: Twelfth Night and Pericles. Insider tip: Before the show starts, grab a bite from the concession tent, which features sweet treats from the Village Bakery & Cafe, homemade kettle corn and more.
Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano
Each summer, a different world-renowned architect constructs a short-lived immersive pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. Now, for the first time, one of those fleeting structures is headed stateside: SelgasCano’s crisscross of airy rainbow tunnels will welcome visitors who are looking for colorful photo ops and free performances, hosted by coworking space Second Home and the Natural History Museum. Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano This iridescent rainbow pavilion has landed at the La Brea Tar Pits—and you can visit for free. http://bit.ly/2LnXCT6 Posted by Time Out Los Angeles on Thursday, June 27, 2019 We’re sure the pavilion’s Insta-worthiness will be the biggest attraction for most visitors, but take a moment to admire some of the whimsical architectural details: the colorful latticework of shadows on the floor, the calm canopy of streamers overhead, the iridescent shimmer of the plastic walls, the winding hallway that hugs the pavilion’s exterior. It should provide a stunning backdrop, too, for the pavilion’s planned live talks, which already include the likes of Universal Music, Netflix, World Wildlife Fund, David Lynch, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Frieze LA, LACMA and the mayor’s office. You can swing by daily from 11am to 7pm (and until 9pm on Fridays), though timed express entry tickets will also be released. While you definitely want to visit when there’s ample sunlight to make the irridescent exterior and its colorful shadows more vibrant, do
Backstreet Boys: The Experience at the Grammy Museum
Brian, Nick, A.J., Kevin and Howie might be performing with all they have to give in their Las Vegas residency, but thankfully they’re decided to quit playing games with our hearts and show L.A. that no one else comes close: From April 10 to September 2, Downtown’s Grammy Museum will host a larger-than-life exhibit dedicated to the Backstreet Boys and their roughly three decades of making boy-band history. Set adrift on memory bliss as you stroll past merchandise, photos, costumes and other memorabilia, some original and the only one of its kind. You can stare for maybe a little too long at the open, pastel blouses the boys wore in the “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” video—you know, the one with the rain where they're soaking wet? Yes, those shirts. You can see the “futuristic” hover boards BSB flew in on as they kicked off their Millennium world tour and appreciate fan art, not to mention some personal items from the five's private collections. How personal? Oh, just things like Howie's wedding album and A.J.'s baby shoes. No big deal. There’s even a hologram station, so you can dance and pose along with BSB, plus a “confessional booth” where you’ll get chances to record a video—during the call you can let them know you’ve always been the perfect fan. If sometimes you wish you could turn back time to the ’90s, impossible as it may seem, this is the exhibit for you.
“Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963-1983”
Trying to condense decades of diverse contributions from communities around the country into the amorphous banner of “black art” is a preposterous pursuit. William T. Williams’s hard-edge abstract canvases have little in common aesthetically with Alice Neel’s expressionistic portraits, which look nothing like Betye Saar’s ritual-inspired sculptures. “Soul of a Nation” shatters that indefinable umbrella term by shining a light on the grassroots thought, leadership and art movements that arose out of communities in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles over a two-decade period in the 1960s, ’70s and early ’80s. You’ll walk away from the exhibit not talking about “black art,” but the power of particular artists and pieces, like Barkley Hendricks’s eye-catchingly crimson Blood (Donald Formey), David Hammons’s X-ray–like “body prints” and the legacy of local institutions and movements like Spiral, BAM, JAM and AfriCOBRA (Wadsworth Jarrell’s psychedelic word clouds of activists are a colorful standout). Disagreements surrounding pieces at the time of their creation are still uncannily relevant to social discourse today: whether works were too radical or not “black enough,” if they should cater to a black audience or a universal one, and how they were often relegated to second-tier status in institutions. Though not organized by the Broad—London’s Tate Modern first hosted the exhibition two years back—it feels well-suited for the Downtown museum’s diverse, young audience
“The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China”
Exhibition organizer Wu Hung, of the University of Chicago’s Smart Museum, has categorized the creators at the center of “The Allure of Matter” as “material artists,” and, well, that’s a pretty to-the-point description: The 21 featured artists all employ unconventional materials to create their works (each installation includes photo documentation of the piece’s construction), like Zhang Huan’s use of temple incense ash to form a landscape of field workers or Wang Jin’s imperial robes made from PVC. But the use of materials goes beyond aesthetics and instead engages with China’s extreme economic changes, history of artmaking and government censorship. The unconventional material choices lead to some sublime surprises: Gu Wenda’s rainbow, tent-like United Nations: American Code is no Insta backdrop, but rather a symbol of international tolerance made entirely of strands and braids of human and synthetic hair. Most memorably, Xu Bing’s floor-covering 1st Class looks just like a massive tiger rug, but is in fact made of half a million loosely positioned cigarettes (the smell of tobacco is unmistakable). Make sure to peek at that one from both sides: The orange-and-white design changes to brown and white depending on where you stand.
Dogs! A Science Tail
We love their adorable faces, quirky behavior and unwavering loyalty. We bring them everywhere—particularly here in L.A. And they may very well make us better people. It’s no surprise then that dogs would get an entire exhibition dedicated to their canine skills and unique relationship with humans. “Dogs! A Science Tail” takes a colorful, hands-on approach to its subject and mainly targets kids. But dog lovers of all ages will delight in the displays at the California Science Center: You can squeeze between two pointed ears to listen to how dogs perceive the sounds of a street scene different than humans; you can put your face up against a dog-shaped viewfinder that simulates canine vision; and you can test your knowledge in a game of Jeopawdy! Kids will particularly love seeing how fast they are compared to dogs and sniffing scents that a dog might encounter—from coffee and bubblegum to, yes, poop and farts. The exhibition also includes a selection of dog-featuring works of art, mostly Norman Rockwell paintings and Charles Schulz Peanuts strips, on loan from the upcoming Lucas Museum of Narrative Art. Make sure to catch daily live demonstrations of dogs’ rescue, agility, sensory and service skills (i.e. a guide dog walking a sightless trainer through an obstacle course). You’ll find the demo area near the exhibition’s exit, just before the gift shop.
Popular
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. The series typically releases its slate one month at a time, most recently for August: Point Break (Aug 3), Boyz n the Hood featuring a John Singleton tribute from Questlove and DJ Pooh (Aug 10) and Psycho (Aug 24). Of particular note: the 9th Annual Slumber Party on August 24, with a trio of sleepover staples including Never Been Kissed, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Jawbreaker. 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.
Last Podcast on the Left
The true crime and paranormal podcast finds the most fitting venue imaginable: the Fairbanks Lawn at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. See Ben Kissel, Henry Zebrowski and Marcus Parks discuss serial killers, ghosts and UFO sightings during this live edition of the podcast.
Lil Trap House
Get a small dose of Atlanta’s Trap Music Museum (founded by T.I.) at this pop-up exhibition. Staged at Delicious Pizza’s Hollywood outpost, the art installation includes pieces in honor of T.I., Nipsey Hussle, YG, Pusha-T, Gucci Mane, Migos, 21 Savage, Cardi B, Nicki Minaj and more.
Outfest Los Angeles
For two weeks each summer, Outfest, the world’s largest gay and lesbian film festival, takes over the gay social calendar in Los Angeles with a slew of parties, screenings and galas that attract a veritable who’s who of out filmmakers, actors and bold-faced below-the-line names. Each year, the centerpiece events of the festival are the opening and closing night galas, which tend to be booze-fueled schmoozefests where introductions are easygoing and the opportunities for networking with celebrigays of all stripes is plentiful.
Backstreet Boys: The Experience at the Grammy Museum
Brian, Nick, A.J., Kevin and Howie might be performing with all they have to give in their Las Vegas residency, but thankfully they’re decided to quit playing games with our hearts and show L.A. that no one else comes close: From April 10 to September 2, Downtown’s Grammy Museum will host a larger-than-life exhibit dedicated to the Backstreet Boys and their roughly three decades of making boy-band history. Set adrift on memory bliss as you stroll past merchandise, photos, costumes and other memorabilia, some original and the only one of its kind. You can stare for maybe a little too long at the open, pastel blouses the boys wore in the “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” video—you know, the one with the rain where they're soaking wet? Yes, those shirts. You can see the “futuristic” hover boards BSB flew in on as they kicked off their Millennium world tour and appreciate fan art, not to mention some personal items from the five's private collections. How personal? Oh, just things like Howie's wedding album and A.J.'s baby shoes. No big deal. There’s even a hologram station, so you can dance and pose along with BSB, plus a “confessional booth” where you’ll get chances to record a video—during the call you can let them know you’ve always been the perfect fan. If sometimes you wish you could turn back time to the ’90s, impossible as it may seem, this is the exhibit for you.
Free
The Little Literary Fair
Affectionately dubbed LITLIT, this free fair is a celebration of indie booksellers and creators. Head on over to Hauser & Wirth to peruse tomes from and interact with over 20 publishers.
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.
“Contact High: A Visual History of Hip-Hop”
Celebrate the photographers responsible for helping to define hip-hop’s visual identity with this display of unedited contact sheets for famous photo shoots. Author and curator Vikki Tobak has assembled over 140 works from more than 60 photographers alongside rare videos, memorabilia and music. The era-spanning exhibition features photos of both the anonymous faces who showed up to hear early hip-hop at clubs and roller rinks in the late-’70s, as well as the genre’s biggest stars: Notorious B.I.G., Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre, Salt-N-Pepa, Kendrick Lamar, Cardi B and more. You’ll spot instantly recognizable images, as well as behind-the-scenes moments, like Nas in the studio recording Illmatic and Kanye West getting a haircut during the cover shoot for The College Dropout. The exhibition pulls from a visual book of the same name, and it features a few Annenberg-only additions, including a contact sheet of Nipsey Hussle driving around town with his daughter sitting in his lap, as well as a photo of Mac Miller playing piano that was the inspiration for a memorial mural on Beverly Boulevard.
Free Shakespeare in Griffith Park
Each summer, Bard fanatics watch their favorite works come to life at the historic Old Zoo in Griffith Park. Independent Shakespeare Co. puts on a series of lively productions each week, inviting audiences to take a seat on the grass (read: bring a picnic blanket) and enjoy performances like this season’s headliners: Twelfth Night and Pericles. Insider tip: Before the show starts, grab a bite from the concession tent, which features sweet treats from the Village Bakery & Cafe, homemade kettle corn and more.
Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano
Each summer, a different world-renowned architect constructs a short-lived immersive pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens. Now, for the first time, one of those fleeting structures is headed stateside: SelgasCano’s crisscross of airy rainbow tunnels will welcome visitors who are looking for colorful photo ops and free performances, hosted by coworking space Second Home and the Natural History Museum. Second Home Serpentine Pavilion by SelgasCano This iridescent rainbow pavilion has landed at the La Brea Tar Pits—and you can visit for free. http://bit.ly/2LnXCT6 Posted by Time Out Los Angeles on Thursday, June 27, 2019 We’re sure the pavilion’s Insta-worthiness will be the biggest attraction for most visitors, but take a moment to admire some of the whimsical architectural details: the colorful latticework of shadows on the floor, the calm canopy of streamers overhead, the iridescent shimmer of the plastic walls, the winding hallway that hugs the pavilion’s exterior. It should provide a stunning backdrop, too, for the pavilion’s planned live talks, which already include the likes of Universal Music, Netflix, World Wildlife Fund, David Lynch, Hans Ulrich Obrist, Frieze LA, LACMA and the mayor’s office. You can swing by daily from 11am to 7pm (and until 9pm on Fridays), though timed express entry tickets will also be released. While you definitely want to visit when there’s ample sunlight to make the irridescent exterior and its colorful shadows more vibrant, do
Movies
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. The series typically releases its slate one month at a time, most recently for August: Point Break (Aug 3), Boyz n the Hood featuring a John Singleton tribute from Questlove and DJ Pooh (Aug 10) and Psycho (Aug 24). Of particular note: the 9th Annual Slumber Party on August 24, with a trio of sleepover staples including Never Been Kissed, I Know What You Did Last Summer and Jawbreaker. 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.
Outfest Los Angeles
For two weeks each summer, Outfest, the world’s largest gay and lesbian film festival, takes over the gay social calendar in Los Angeles with a slew of parties, screenings and galas that attract a veritable who’s who of out filmmakers, actors and bold-faced below-the-line names. Each year, the centerpiece events of the festival are the opening and closing night galas, which tend to be booze-fueled schmoozefests where introductions are easygoing and the opportunities for networking with celebrigays of all stripes is plentiful.
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. Want to win two tickets to Rooftop Cinema Club? Enter now!
Toy Story 4
Turns out, Pixar’s sentient toys can still make us cry: Nearly 25 years after their cinematic debut, the sweetly selfless plastic pals return in a fourth Toy Story, one charged by the animated series’ thematic essence of finding purpose in being useful to others. It’s a hopeful, immensely human chapter that echoes the franchise’s complex notions of loyalty, displacement and self-worth, doing so with humor and warmth. Working from a script by Andrew Stanton and Stephany Folsom (as well as six other story contributors, including ousted ex-Pixar chief John Lasseter), director Josh Cooley successfully balances all of these elements—a noteworthy achievement considering the large cowboy boots he had to fill after the epic yet nuanced Toy Story 3, one of Pixar’s more perfect achievements. The reliable company of old friends certainly helps: Now happily living with a new kid, Bonnie (voiced by Madeleine McGraw), Tom Hanks’s pull-string pardner Woody, Tim Allen’s devoted Buzz Lightyear, Joan Cusack’s feisty Jesse and the rest of the gang are back. New to the clan is Forky (Veep’s Tony Hale, adding nervy personality and genuine weirdness), an existentially confused spork with low self-esteem that the ever-imaginative Bonnie creates as a kindergarten craft project. Convinced of his status as trash (an unusually raw class dilemma for a Pixar movie), Forky get a crash course on his toyness from Woody, himself thrown by a life crisis resembling that of a retiree. Bonnie has moved on to o
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