Palate in Glendale launches its first Tuesday Night Wine Tastings on the patio. This week focuses on French summer favorites: Allimant-Laugner Crémant d'Alsace Rosé NV -  Alsace; Chateau de Rouët Côtes de Provence Rose Estérelle 2009 - Provence; Haut-Marin Cotes de Gascogne Blanc 2009 - Southwest France; and Domaine de Labarthe Gaillac Rouge 2006 - Southwest France. The wines will be available for purchase at a 10 percent discount tomorrow night only. The tasting will be held from 6:30-9 pm and tickets are $10. RVSP by calling 818-662-9463 or e-mail: merchant@palatefoodwine.com. 6:30-9 pm. more ›

Tonight kicks off the summer season at the Ford Amphitheater--a great little venue across the way from the Hollywood Bowl--with its first J.A.M. Session. Dance in the Making is a participatory program that begins at 7 pm. “Create movement, develop character and explore the creation of dances from professional dancers' perspective with the talented members of L.A. Contemporary Dance Company with music composed and performed live by SONOS a capella group.” The workshop serves as prep for the artists, leading to a world premiere of Gods and Marionettes at the Ford on June 18. more ›

Tonight at 7:30 pm, selected finalists for the Lambda Literary Awards will read from their nominated work at Skylight Books. The "Lammy" is the most prestigious and competitive literary award offered specifically to LGBT authors. Tonight's readers are James Morrison, Stacie Cassarino, Kathleen Bradean, Dexter Flowers, Ariel Schrag and Dayle A. Dermatis. More info. more ›

After a seven-year hiatus from the music business, pop-folk songstress Natalie Merchant has returned to performing to promote her latest effort--Leave Your Sleep--a two-disc collection of songs she adapted from the poetry from both obscure and well-known writers. Merchant took to the stage before an attentive--and somewhat obedient audience--on Thursday night for a performance at the 880-seat Aratani/Japan America Theatre in Little Tokyo. more ›

Tonight at 6 pm, the Santa Monica Museum of Art hosts "Not Your Typical Political Animal Book Launch, Signing, & Holiday Party" to celebrate the launch of Robbie Conal's new book Not Your Typical Political Animal. The book includes a combination of paintings and drawings that illustrate Conal's sharp, satirical takes on past and current events with subtle and often acutely personal portraits of his own pet cats, dogs, exotic frogs, fish and birds. Conal will be on-site and available for signing. Enjoy a shopping with themed refreshments and music by DJ BBRAVE - hosted by GRACIE, SMMoA's retail shop. more ›

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. more ›

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... more ›

Councilman Greig Smith hosts a movie night tonight -- National Night Out -- with free hot dogs, popcorn and "Kung Fu Panda" tonight at Northridge Park. The dogs come courtesy of CPAB and LAPD and will be served at 6:30 pm. The movie starts at nightfall. There will also be free popcorn until 9 pm, free drawings for prizes, face-painting for kids, booths with public safety information, LAPD mounted police and underwater diving units, games, activities, and more. For more information, call Councilman Smith's office at 818.756.8501 or visit his website. more ›

The Lucie Foundation holds an outdoor projection/photo event tonight with Installment One of the Pro'jekt LA Summer Series at Space15Twenty on Cahuenga. Titled “Followers,” the evening will feature work by Tania Fernandez, Jeaneen Lund and Mike Piscitelli with music by B+ of Mochilla, curated by Jessie Cowan. The show begins at 8 pm tonight. more ›

NewFilmmakers LA screens “Youth Knows No Pain + 5 Short Films” tonight at 6:30 pm at Sunset Gower Studios. At 7 pm, there’s a screening of Mitch McCabe’s documentary Youth Knows No Pain, followed at 8:45 pm by the short films: Old Dogs (Dir. Jonathan Fahn) Propel (Dir. Jay Gammill) The Dying Western (Dir. Michael Kortlander) A Kolor to Kill for (Dir. Tim Hall). Guest will have the opportunity to mingle with the directors and participate in an audience Q&A session. Tickets are a bargain at $6 which includes screening ticket and free open bar and appetizers all evening. more ›

There are two exhibits opening tonight at the Carmichael Gallery of Contemporary Art in WeHo. In the rear gallery, “Mood Swings” features seven of the urban world’s best emerging and recognized artists - Asbestos (Dublin, Ireland), Cena7 (Sao Paulo, Brazil), Fefe Talavera (Sao Paulo), Imminent Disaster (New York), Labrona (Montreal, Canada). SoCal artists representing are Oddzoo (LA) and Bumblebee (Downey). Israeli artist Know Hope has an installation "the times won’t save you (this rain smells of memory)" that includes 30,000 paper raindrops, 40,000 feet of fishing twine, 2,500 fishing weights and hundreds of sheets of cardboard fashioned into miniature works of art and life-size cut-out characters. The opening receptions run 7-10 pm tonight, and the exhibits run until July 2. more ›

Steve Martin’s playing the banjo tonight at 8 pm to raise money for the Los Angeles Public Library. The comedian-bluegrass musician will be in conversation with Dave Barry to launch the ALOUD at L. A. LIVE series. Held at L.A. LIVE’s Club Nokia, Martin will be performing songs from his musical debut CD, The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo. The Steep Canyon Rangers band will appear with Martin and the CD’s producer, John McEuen (Nitty Gritty Dirt Band founder) will join the group on stage during the performance. Tickets are $25-$250. more ›

What are you doing today? Cinco de Mayo related or not? Add to our list in the comments section below. more ›

ALOUD at Central Library hosts a conversation with Reza Aslan, cofounder and creative director of BoomGen Studios as well as the Editorial Executive of Mecca.com and journalist Amy Wilentz for Young Literati Members tonight at 7 pm. They’ll talk about “launching a revolution in the way we understand - and confront - radical Islam.” After the program, join both authors and Young Literati members for an intimate gathering, including cocktails and hors d'oeuvres at Café Pinot. (ALOUD Program is open to the public, the post-program cocktails are limited to current Young Literati members.) more ›

GOOD Magazine is examining transportation issues at tonight’s “Transit and The Community” panel discussion and interactive workshop at the GOOD space on Melrose at 7 pm. Top planners, transportation designers and public officials will be in attendance to discuss how to transform LA's transit infrastructure. Attendees will then be invited to join in an interactive workshop to help articulate transportation and land use ideas. On the panel: John Chase, West Hollywood Urban Designer; Simon Pastucha, LA Design Studio; James Rojas, METRO planner; Michael Lejeune, creative Director Metro Design Studio; Mike Feuer, California Assemblyman, 42nd District; Ming Fung, Graduate Director SCI-Arc; and moderator Alissa Walker. You must RSVP for this event by 5 pm today. more ›

April marks the Month of Photography LA (MOPLA) and there’s an array of programming for photographers and collectors alike. This afternoon from 3-5 pm at the Pacific Design Center, Blue Building, there’s a lecture on “Looking at the Past to Build a Better Future - Lessons Learned from Photographic Trends” moderated by Debra Weiss with Steve Levit, Michael Kochman and Tim Wride. The opening reception for six MOPLA exhibits is also tonight from 6-9 pm. more ›

More than 160,500 women have served (and died) in the former president’s the war in Iraq, but many find themselves isolated in the male-dominated culture. “This seclusion, combined with the military's history of gender discrimination and the uniquely challenging conditions in Iraq, has resulted in a mounting epidemic of sexual abuse, physical degeneration, and emotional distress among many female soldiers.” Tonight Columbia University journalism professor Helen Benedict will talk about her latest book, The Lonely Soldier: The Private War of Women Serving in Iraq , and will be joined by two of the five female veterans who are the focus of her book and a therapist who has been working with women soldiers returning from Iraq. The free discussion will take place at the American Friends Service Committee (634 S. Spring St., Downtown LA) tonight from 6:30-8:30 pm. more ›

ALOUD at the Central Library presents author Minal Hajratwala who’ll discuss her book Leaving India: My Family’s Journey from Five Villages to Five Continents. Former reporter Minal Hajratwala was born in San Francisco and raised in New Zealand and suburban Michigan. She spent seven years traveling the world and interviewed more than 75 members of her extended family to see what made her ancestors travel from India to five continents and nine countries. The program begins at 7 pm at the Central Library. Reservations are recommended. more ›

Author Gayle Greene will discuss her book An Insomniac’s Slant on Sleep with Alice Wexler, research scholar at the UCLA Center for the Study of Women. Greene weaves memoir and investigation on the science of sleep -- from the perspective of a life-long insomniac. She’ll guide the audience through the “hidden terrain of a devastating and little understood condition.” The free event begins at 7 pm tonight at the Central Library as part of its ALOUD series. Reservations are recommended. more ›

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Tonight’s the next installment of the LA Phil’s Concrete Frequency series, but here are other options we've dug up for your going-out pleasure: more ›

Los Angeles is the Cultural Capital of the 21st Century. From visual art to cutting edge music to innovative theatre and live performances to some of the world's leading cultural institutions - we truly have it all. But all great cultural capitals have - in addition to the arts and culture as mentioned - a forum for public discourse. The Greeks had the agora for assembly, education, and interaction; and though we have our own Agoura, there is something missing in terms of the town square of Los Angeles, unless you know where to look for it. more ›