Results tagged “events”

This is an annual event aimed more at the naughty (although, hey, there's fun for the nice, too). It's SantaCon, a send up of sorts of the absurdity and kitsch of the Christmas season. Or, as the organizer puts it: "Santacon is a response to the consumer-culture of Amerika's Holiday season."

Add some South American sizzle to your recipe repertoire with today's class held at the Museum of Latin American Art. Learn to make arepas, a massively versatile Venezuelan dish made with corn bread, then filled with eggs, meat, tomatoes, salad, cheese, shrimp, or fish. 11:30 a.m.

A Noise Within is hosting White Russians and Discussions tonight following the 8 pm performance of a new adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. The Russian-themed reception features guest speaker Ed Bacon, Rector for All Saints Church in Pasadena, who will discuss the story of Lazarus, and the ways in which its tale of rebirth intersects with the central figure in the play. Tickets: $44.

Good Luck Bar celebrates its 15th anniversary tonight with a special event that features Chinese burlesque (10 pm, 11 pm and midnight), DJ Travis Keller and the Kogi Truck in attendance. Drink specials include: $5 Stolis, Sailor Jerry, Cazadores or Jack Daniel's cocktails; selected beers for $2. The party’s on from 7 pm to close.

Celebrated jazz bassist Charlie Haden returns to his bluegrass/country roots with his family and friends tonight at Walt Disney Concert Hall tonight at 8 pm. Joining him on stage are his daughters, the Haden triplets (Tanya, Rachel and Petra), son Josh Haden, wife Ruth Cameron, son-in-law Jack Black, and bluegrass greats including Jerry Douglas, dobro. There’s a 25% discount on tickets in the terrace and balcony sections. Use the code HADEN.  

SWAP SHOP* The LA Vintage Swap Party takes place tonight from 7-9 pm at What Goes Around Comes Around (at Space15Twenty). Co-hosts Alexi Wasser of imboycrazy.com, stylist Monica Rose and Geri Hirsch, Founder of BecauseImAddicted.net help guests swap vintage fashion with fresh designs from the best closets in the city. Bring 1-4 quality vintage items and get treated to music by DJ Magdalena and complimentary drinks by Tito’s Vodka and KARMA California Brut. RSVP to: ghwang@thinkpublicrelations.com (Bonus: Umami Burger just opened in Space15Twenty, too!)

                     

This Saturday, crowds and culinarians flocked to the Westfield Topanga Shopping Center to take part in the 1st Annual KCRW "Good Food" Pie Contest. Deep inside the mall was the event's center stage, where the 123 entered pies sat on long tables as a panel of judges comprised of local food writers, bakers, chefs, and gourmands took on the daunting task of tasting and evaluating every single one (not an easy job if you're a little hungover, eh Chef Stefan Richter?). Host Evan Kleiman kept the judges and crowd in check, presiding over this well-received event that served as a sort of culmination of her own months-long personal pie endeavor, the Pie-a-Day Project, as logged on the Good Food Blog.

Fans of Where the Wild Things Are and Spike Jonze will want to head to FAMILY at 5 this evening as the famed director signs copies of his book Heads On & We Shoot: The Making Of Where The Wild Things Are. About the book, via FAMILY's website: "The book design is heavily image-based, a mix of early sketches, storyboards, character designs, and extensive behind-the-scenes photographs that show both incredible live-action puppetry and computer animation. The text includes forewords by Jonze and Eggers, interviews with the cast and crew, stories from on and off the set, and early drafts of the screenplay."

Launch a preemptive strike on Black Friday by jumpstarting your holiday shopping in South Pasadena this weekend. Merchants on Mission Street from Fair Oaks Pharmacy to City Hall will hold open houses, offer discounts and give out goody bags (woot!) during this pre-holiday block party. 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

The Santa Monica Museum of Art hosts artist Allen Ruppersberg and poet Bill Berkson in a conversation about art and literature. Ruppersberg will discuss his book project, The New Five Foot Shelf, while Berkson recites poetry, plays music and screens a new film assembled from 1940s and '50s family movies. The first 20 guests will receive a free copy of Ruppersberg's book, which is not available for purchase. Admission is free, but seating is limited and on a first-come, first-served basis. 7 pm.

To celebrate the book launch of Pam Russell's new collection B is for Bad Poetry, the Better Off Dead Poets Society and ForYourArt presents an open mic at the Mandrake for people to share their bad poems. The evening’s hosted by Russell, and everyone’s welcome to bring your crappy blank verse and doggerel to foist on unsuspecting bar patrons. 8 pm.

Today is Veteran's Day, when the US pauses and asks we remember those who have served the country. Here's some of what you can expect today as part of the holiday. Public Services Government offices, agencies, banks, courts, post offices, and several schools are closed. Trash pick up in Los Angeles will operate as usual and Metro-operated buses and trains, Metrolink trains and Foothill Transit will run on a normal schedule.

Tonight at 7:30 pm Writers Bloc presents British mystery novelist Dame Ruth Rendell (who also writes as Barbara Vine) in conversation with April Smith, creator of the Ana Gray series. Rendell will talk about her latest book The Monster In The Box. The event will be held at the MGM Building in the ICM Theater. Park in the Westfield shopping center directly across the street. Tickets: $20. For reservations, visit writersblocpresents.com

SCI-Arc is conducting a series of Monday discussions throughout November with new media artists in conjuction with the current exhibition Blow x Blow. Hosted by Joe Day, principal of deegan day design, the talks explore current practice and the challenges of new media installation. The series begins tonight at 7:30 pm with a discussion between artist/architect An Te Liu and ForYourArt founder Bettina Korek.

The Berlin wall was toppled on November 9th, 1989. To commemorate this landmark event, the Wall Project has had several segments of the wall erected on Wilshire Boulevard across the street from LACMA, and local artists, like renowned muralist Kent Twitchell, have contributed art to the panels. Today panels will be erected enough to fully block Wilshire, there will be an evening of activities and entertainment, and at midnight the wall will be toppled, marking the anniversary, which will be broadcast live on German television.

Two interesting sales going on today: Flutter in Pasadena hosts a Minnie Rose, Christopher Fischer, Eze Sur Mer and Tag Jeans Trunk Show today from 11 am-5 pm. And various showrooms at the California Market Center Downtown are opening their doors to the public today for pre-holiday sample sale shopping.

Self Help Graphics holds the 36th Annual Dia de los Muertos Celebration at the East LA Civic Center tonight from 5-11 pm. The event features children's art workshops, art and crafts vendors, elaborate altars and local food. Guests will also enjoy a day of the dead fashion walk, live music from top local performers including Killsonic, L'Esprit d'Africque, Ollin, La Santa Cecilia and surprise special guests. One of evening's highlights a traditional public procession featuring people of all ages in colorful calavera face paint and attire. Also: Our guide to Dia de los Muertos events around the city.

Three international movies are screening today at the Egyptian as part of Filmforum/AFI Fest. At 4:30 it's Los Herederos from Mexicao with A Letter to Uncle Boonmee from Thailand and at 7:30 The Anchorage from Sweden. Admission is free, but you have to secure your tickets via AFI. [Ticket info]

Per this event's host, Out of the Box, Los Angeles is the 7th most haunted city in the country. How does one measure this, do you think? Highest incidence of apparition sightings? Most vampire paraphernalia? Highest population of creepy people? We have no idea, but you can discover all there is to know about haunted Hollywood as you run between various hotels, theaters and secret locations on this hair-raising hunt. No EMF meters required, but a flashlight is recommended. Call 323.799.1374 to register.

Culture Clash--the Latino performance troupe that hilariously rips the U.S. melting pot--takes to the Royce Hall stage at UCLA tonight. For their 25th anniversary special, the Culture Clash boys are back in their hometown for a raucous party with an all-star guest list: Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine; the band Ollin; comedian Carlos Mencia; actors Edward James Olmos, Tony Plana and Lupe Ontiveros; and other special guests. They’ll preview their next project: "Palestine, New Mexico" and reprise hits from "Chavez Ravine." Tickets: $32-$60 ($15 UCLA Students) 

Tonight at 7:30 pm, Zócalo and The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West present the program How Will Climate Change Transform L.A.? Moderated by Paul Wennberg, director, Linde Center for Global Environmental Science at the California Institute of Technology, the panel includes CalTech Professor of Environmental Science Tapio Schneider, UCLA Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Alex Hall, and Pulitzer Prize winning environmental writer Usha McFarling. The event takes place at The Huntington in San Marino. Free, but reservations are recommended.

TECH* Tonight Girls in Tech LA presents a “Social Fashion & Beauty Summit Part Deux” tonight from 7-11pm at Live! On Sunset. There’s a panel discussion featuring women from the tech, fashion and beauty industries, followed by a cocktail party. Scheduled for tonight are: Nadine Jolie, founder/editor, Jolienadine.com and editorial director...

Attention all young guys who are fond of older ladies: The first-ever California Cougar Convention hits town on November 6th [Press Release]. In addition to the fine assortment of mature women who enjoy the company of younger men, attendees can enjoy dancing, a RapidDating Mixer, a competition for the title of Miss Cougar California, and a keynote address from Lucia "Queen of the Cougar Jungle." For those who are uninitiated in the means and ways of this murky relationship jungle, may we offer these helpful Urban Dictionary entries to serve as tour guides...

Tonight at 8:30 pm, REDCAT hosts the world premiere of filmmaker Christine Panuska’s and spoken word artist Alberto Araiza’s Mosca and the Meaning of Life. The multimedia piece has animated characters leaping off the screen and joining a live performance. The program also includes other films by Panushka, as well as an excerpt of Biting the Pillow, a performance by Araiza. Both artists will be in attendance at tonight’s performance. Tickets: $9, students $7 and CalArts students, faculty and staff $5.

                     

This Saturday evening was the 10th annual Dia de Los Muertos event held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The celebration, with roots deep in Aztec and Mexican tradition, is a 9-day-long festival honoring the lives of the departed through decoration, the erection of colorful shrines, dance, costume, and processionals.

For a dose of true local culture this weekend, consider this poetry festival hosted by the Pasadena Public Library. Now in its third year, this poetry powwow honors the most distinguished local poets from both the past and present, with guests reading not only their own poems but the works of their predecessors as well. The event will feature Laurel Ann Bogen presenting the work of Eloise Klein Healy, Ron Koertge presenting the work of Steve Kowit, and BH Fairchild reading Henri Coulette and Robert Mezey. 3 p.m., free.

       

PERFORMANCE Captured Aural Phantasy Theater is throwing together its Halloween Spooktacular tonight at tomorrow at 8 pm at the Alexandria Hotel, Palm Court Ballroom. The show is a live, retro-influenced variety show built around radio show-style readings of real old comic book stories. Vintage tales of horror such as 1954’s The Mad Hate of Dr. Zart and 1953’s I Married a Zombie! are performed live in a show that includes sultry singing, stunning visual art, short acts, prizes and live music. Tickets are $10.

Banjoist Béla Fleck, Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain and bassist Edgar Meyer perform live together tonight at UCLA’s Royce Hall to promote their CD, The Melody of a Rhythm, which intertwine bluegrass, world and classical music. Tickets $38-$70. ($15 UCLA Students). The concert begins at 8 pm.

Opening reception tonight at 8 pm at LACE for I Feel Different, a multimedia group show organized by guest curator Jennifer Doyle. Participating artists: Nao Bustamante, James Luna, Lezley Saar, David Wojnarowicz, Monica Duncan, Lara Odell, Susan Silton and LACE resident artist Niña Yhared (1814). The project explores “both the experience of feeling different from others and the transformational power of art to make one feel differently.” There’s also a reading tonight by Raquel Gutierrez and live performances Yhared and Luna.