Joy Williams and John Paul White of The Civil Wars met during a professional blind date after drawing straws at a 2008 songwriting workshop. It didn't take long for them to realize they were meant to make music together. Their debut album, Barton Hollow, has garnered praise from critics and fellow songwriters alike, and this week they're set to perform at the El Rey and Largo at the Coronet. more ›

Walk into Soda Pop's on La Cienega to find the smiling face of owner David Puopolo ready to spring into sandwich mode serving up SteakBombs, Ruebens, Sausage & Peppers and more. The menu is stuffed with classic sandwiches and daily fun specials (be sure to try the pulled pork with pepperjack and bourbon BBQ sauce and the Argentinian steak sandwich when they're on the board!), and every Soda Pop's creation comes with freshly made potato chips in rotating flavors like bacon, cheddar, cajun, salt & pepper, dill and other spicy seasonings. more ›

Tig Notaro, Craig vs Wild Kyle Dunnigan and Sarah Silverman are the hookers n' coupe de villes of comedy. They will never disappoint. Ever. If fall down a fight of stairs funny is what you crave in your live comedic experience, it is essential to suit up for tonight's special Thanksgiving edition of Tig & Friends at Largo at the Coronet. The ridiculous round-up of performers also includes Maria Bamford, Jen Kirkman and musical guest Jill Sobule, the original girl who kissed another girl and liked it and wrote a song. more ›

Punch Brothers' music is the sound of synapses firing. The band's mix of unpredictability and virtuosity means there's always something new to uncover in their original pieces. And upon listening to one of their covers, you'll be hard-pressed to imagine Bach's Brandenburg without banjo or Of Montreal's "Gronlandic Edit" without mandolin. Don't miss them tomorrow night at the El Rey with opener Jon Brion. more ›

Just when you thought Largo, the hip comedy and music venue on La Cienega, couldn’t get any cooler - they go and do something like this. On Monday, October 11th, they’ll be hosting the West Coast rendition of Punchline Magazine’s Five Year celebration, and essentially all bets are off. So far Greg Proops, Marc Maron, Maria Bamford, Whitney Cummings and Chris Hardwick are all slated to slay the stage; that is, in addition to the giveaways, the after-party and the inevitable special guests. How dare you, Largo. more ›

To say that David Mamet is a polarizing figure in Hollywood is an understatement--like when Google says that it'll take 20 minutes to get from Koreatown to Santa Monica on most given afternoons. more ›

Italian Cultural Institute of Los Angeles is holding a presentation tonight at 6:30 pm on Los Angeles's Little Italy by Marianna Gatto. Did you know that LA is the country’s fifth largest Italian population? Did you even know that we had a Little Italy (used to be in Chinatown, btw)? Well hear Marianna Gatto, curator of History and Education for the City of Los Angeles, talk the city's vibrant Italian enclave during the 100-year period following the arrival of the first Italian pioneer in 1827. Book signing and reception to follow. RSVP: rsvp.iicla@esteri.it more ›

Comedian, writer, and musician Chris Hardwick's "Web Soup" had its 2nd season premiere on G4 this week and the show is off to a great start with some adjustments that Hardwick elaborated on in a conversation we had at G4's offices on Wednesday. Hardwick will also be performing two sets tonight at The Improv in Hollywood. More info: Check out G4's website for more info on "Web Soup" (Wednesdays at 8pm), Hardwick's website The Nerdist, and The Improv's page for tonight's shows (7:30 & 9:30pm). Also look for Hardwick's Gadget Pr0n segments on G4's "Attack of the Show". more ›

Tonight Loudon Wainwright III will take the Largo at the Coronet stage to play songs that reflect his unique vision of the world. From heartbreaking to hilarious, Wainwright's songs always entertain. The show marks the beginning of a mini California tour that will take him to Santa Cruz, Petaluma, and Berkeley in the next few days. more ›

Man, Largo is outstanding this week, with totally amazing shows back to back to back to back. So many, in fact, they couldn't all be listed here. But that's OK, because there's a hefty helping of other great shows all over town that should fill in this lazy gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas / Hanukkah for you quite nicely. If you've got a show you're sneaking off to see, why not spread the holiday cheer with the other great LAist readers? Hit me with an email here and we'll talk. FOREVER. more ›

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!) more ›

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. more ›

Today marks the start of the four-day Digital Hollywood Fall at the Loews Hotel in Santa Monica. There are waayy too many panels and speakers to mention, since the conference has multiple tracks on each day. But trust us, there are a lot of good sessions on the very long agenda. Tickets are $95-$300. If you can’t make it, then follow dhollywood on Twitter feed or the hashtag #DH09. more ›

Doug Benson is one stoner/comic who happens to get a lot done. Crowned High Times Magazine's Stoner Of The Year in 2006, you'll know Benson from his popular podcast "I Love Movies" (which he records on the regular before Comedy Death Ray at the Upright Citizen's Brigade theater in Hollywood,) Last Comic Standing (sixth place) and VH1's Best Week Ever. more ›

If you want to see the epitome of collaboration, you need look no further than the band Works Progress Administration (WPA). This new folk-pop supergroup, named after FDR's New Deal agency, was born out of many Largo at the Coronet shows and impromptu post-show jam sessions. Over the last year, it has evolved into an "expandable collective" of musicians who can individually and collectively make your jaw drop with their skill and improvisation. more ›

There’s a free Hip Hop Get Down J.A.M. session at the Ford Amphitheater tonight at 7 pm with artists from Culture Shock LA, Crewest Gallery, Aesthetics Crew and the Scratch DJ Academy who’ll demonstrate the four elements of hip hop: breakdancing, deejaying, emceeing and graffiti art. This is a fun event for all ages, and bring a picnic to enjoy on the Ford grounds beforehand. more ›

The Grammy Museum welcomes veteran singer-songwriter Marshall Crenshaw for “The Drop” -- a program where musicians talk about their recently or upcoming releases. Crenshaw will discuss and perform selections from his newest album Jaggedland. He’ll be in conversation with Museum Executive Director Robert Santelli about the songwriting, collaboration, and production behind his first new studio recording in six years. He’ll also take a few questions from the audience. The event begins at 8 pm tonight, and tickets are $14.95 ($12 for members). more ›

Seeing Jill Sobule live, you immediately know you are in the presense of an intelligent artist who has the ability to tell a story and the truth. Her songs evoke laughter and tears. Many know Jill from her hits songs "I Kissed a Girl" and "Supermodel". Now she's turned her considerable songwriting chops to making sense of her new life in California. more ›

Last week Mike Doughty, former frontman for Soul Coughing, was in town for a two-night stint, first at the Hotel Cafe on Tuesday followed by Largo on Wednesday. more ›

It's always fun to spot the first-timers at one of Jon Brion's Friday night shows. They're usually the ones with their jaws hanging open as they try to figure out how he's looping instruments into a 10-layered live performance, or how he's using the piano as percussion. Perhaps the greatest moments of awe occur as they realize he's improvising something that's never been heard before, and will probably never be heard again. It's no wonder some people have seen his show hundreds of times and keep coming back for more! LAist's two-part interview with Brion followed the same pattern as his live show--which often starts with a solo set, then incorporates other musicians during the second half. In part one of the interview, Brion discussed his early experiences with music and improvisation. In this second part, he talks about some of his favorite musicians--from the 60s to the modern day. In addition, LAist asked him about his sock collection, how he discovers new music and why he loves Los Angeles. more ›

This week is a great one for comedy, as a lot of heavy hitters are performing all over town. the Comedy Central Stage is getting a lot of love, as is Largo with back to back nights featuring Aziz Ansari and Sarah Silverman. Beer Shark Mice is back at iO, and Harold Night tonight at UCB promises great things. I will too, if you send me a link to the show's you're interested in and want to hype. Hit me up. more ›

It is no surprise that Jon Brion did not ask for any requests last Tuesday evening. The last time he did that to warm up the crowd for Greg Proops, some wise acre asked for Free Bird. It does not matter that Brion rose to the challenge and melted our faces off with, get this, a piano solo, what matters is that Brion was not going to allow the audience to choose his song again. To be honest, I don't know what he was thinking the first time. Who does he think attends the Greg Proops Chat show, if not smart ass goobers? (For anyone who is offended by that, know that I include myself in this category.) So instead he chose the safe course and sat down at the piano without so much as a glance at the audience, and promptly stunned us all into awed silence with his playing. It must be very handy being able to do that on command. I would even possibly qualify it as a minor superpower. Nothing as flashy as moving objects with your mind, but still very impressive. more ›

Describing the breadth of Jon Brion's career can be a trying task. He's a man who wears many hats--among them multi-instrumentalist, producer (Aimee Mann, Kanye West, Dido), film scorer (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Punch-Drunk Love) and singer/songwriter (Meaningless). But to Brion, it's all one body of work, and he's most happy when he's making music. Brion is also one of the reasons why LA residents can call themselves geographically fortunate, thanks to his weekly gigs at Largo. Each Friday night show is its own animal--a chemistry of sound that includes everything from one-man-band live looping to special guests. It's a rare opportunity to hear new takes on old classics, as well as to witness the creation of new music on the spot. Earlier this month, LAist sat down with Brion a couple hours before he took the stage at Largo. As the venue began to come to life for the night, he opened up about his early experiences with music, his first night at Largo and his love of improvisation. more ›

On April 10, Mandy Moore turned 25. With a new album, a tour, volunteer work, and upcoming film projects, she really knows how to keep busy. If you want to try to keep up with Mandy, you can follow her on Twitter, check out her blog, and see her play at Largo. LAist talked to Mandy last month as she was putting the finishing touches in her new album Amanda Leigh. She was home recovering from having wisdom teeth removed, gushed on and on about her collaborator Mike Viola, and didn't let on even a hint that she and Ryan Adams were about to tie the knot. We asked Mandy about her new album Amanda Leigh, her long list of collaborators, and what she has planned for her show at Largo on April 25. more ›

Around Los Angeles, Largo has long been known as a solid comedy spot to see great people doing exactly what made you love them in the first place. Six months ago, you probably wouldn’t have found as much experimental comedy going on there as you do know, and that is certainly a good thing. Lately, it seems, Largo is undergoing another comedy renaissance; with the arrival of the Doug Benson Interruption, the emergence of Largo from a once-or-twice-a-month spot into a weekly venue for great laughs is becoming unavoidable, and completely welcome. The Reno 911! Benefit Show last Wednesday is a great example of where Largo is headed, and the future looks bright. more ›

John Wesley Harding loves a sense of occasion, highly theatrical imagery, and collaboration. He is a busy songwriter, novelist, and new dad. His latest album Who Was Changed and Who Was Dead came out in March. Recently Wes completed his third novel. He is the father of two small children. Since his critically acclaimed 1990 debut, Here Comes the Groom (lauded by the LA Times as “the first great rock record of the `90s”) John Wesley Harding has recorded ten records for both major (Sire, Hollywood) and independent labels. more ›

You will be doing yourself a very large disservice if you don't get your ass over to Largo tonight to check out the Reno 911! Benefit Show, to raise money for Planting Peace, a charity that works to help children in impoverished nations. Every member of the show, including Tom Lennon, Joe Lo Truglio and Ian Roberts, will be sharing stage time with a roll call list of the greatest class clowns you'd kill to have in homeroom. Rob Heubel and Paul Scheer from MTV's Human Giant, Andy Daly (the principal on Eastbound and Down), Nick Kroll, Matt Besser and Matt Walsh (founders of Upright Citizens Brigade theatre) Nick Swardson, and even Rainn Wilson, to NAME JUST A FEW. more ›

Largo at the Coronet, on La Cienega, is absolutely killing it this week. The Reno 911! benefit show is an absolute must, and CDR at UCB should be it's usual long-as-hell-but-also-gut-busting self. Naked Babies on Thursday should prove to be a great improv show from a lot of top names, and The Improv has the Sklars on Saturday. Hot DAMN folks. This recession can go to hell. more ›

The voice rang out through warm Largo darkness, "FREE BIRD!" Jon Brion sighed like he was stuck on a bad blind date,but he'd asked for it when he began his set by announcing that he'd be taking requests. Opening for the Greg Proops Chat show the multi-talented musician was foolish if he thought his audience was mature enough not to do that. Shaking off the malaise Brion launched into the most beautiful instrumental version of Lynyrd Skynyrd's hit I had ever heard. Jon Brion managed to make the guitar sing as if it had been possessed by Ronnie Van Zant himself. more ›

Comedian Margaret Cho has never been afraid to push the envelope, challenge stereotypes and use humor to make some stunningly valid points. This year, Cho is embracing a new role--that of a singer/songwriter. She's now working on her first full-length music album, with the help of some well-known friends. Of course, Cho infuses the songs with her unmistakable wit, so it's safe to say her lyrics are just as memorable as her melodies. You don't have to wait until her album release to hear the new music. She's incorporated some of the new tunes into Fingerbang!--her exclusive comedy/variety show hosted at Largo at the Coronet. This month's show on Tuesday, March 24, will include guests such as Susie Suh and Grant-Lee Phillips. LAist recently caught up with Cho and chatted about her Largo show, songwriting and burlesque. more ›