An article from the Daily News takes a look at the toll the 6-month old smoking ban in Burbank is taking on its local workers, most of whom are flummoxed by the fact that a smoke break means breaking the law. According to the article, one local businessman "Barry Kessler, 48, owner of a downtown jewelry store bearing his family name, has led the charge against the anti-smoking ordinance. In the coming weeks he plans......

Monday Eliot Tiegel presents The Latinization of America 6:30pm @ Book Soup Judith Freeman discusses and signs The Long Embrace 7pm @ Vroman's Roz Chast discusses Theories of Everything 7pm @ Central Library Robert Kuttner in conversation with Arianna Huffington about The Squandering of America 8pm @ James Bridge Theater, UCLA Tuesday Cesar Millan presents Be the Pack Leader 7pm @ Borders, Pasadena Frank McCourt presents Angela and the Baby Jesus 7pm @ Borders,......

Willie Nelson, Glen Campbell @ Autry National Center Bright Eyes with the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Yo La Tengo, M. Ward @ Hollywood Bowl India.Arie, Ziggy Marley, Ottmar Liebert @ The Greek LA Riots, Toxic Avenger, Juiceboxxx @ Echoplex Low, Charlie Parr @ The Troubadour The Blasters, Charlie & the Valentine Killers @ Malibu Inn Zigzag Wanderers, Smash Fashion, Backbiter, Motorcycle Black Madonnas @ Mr. T's Bowl AM, Dirt Dress, Maria, The Sundelles @ The......

Here are the five productions opening this weekend that are currently piquing LAist’s interest: 7 Glimpses of Utopia Tonight only, the Skid Row-based theater group LAPD (Los Angeles Poverty Department) presents a picture of utopian possibilities in downtown L.A. LAPD'ers and others were asked to identify and invite someone they knew who was doing something "laudable, and important, something that represents the best of the current and future downtown." National Center for the Preservation......

It's been a FleetBank tradition since 1998, as mentioned by our sister site Bostonist, but Bank of America has brought its annual "Museums on Us" promotion to Cali for the first time. Throughout the month of May, you'll be able to get into many Southland museums for free by showing your B of A ATM, check, or credit card, or MBNA credit card. So for once, the card that typically drains your bank account......

Monday Allen Rucker presents The Best Seat in the House 7pm @ Vroman’s David Mamet & Howard Norton sign their new books 7pm @ Dutton’s Brentwood Tuesday Sam Sheridan presents A Fighter’s Heart 7pm @ Book Soup Bich Minh Nguyen presents Stealing Buddha's Dinner 7pm @ Vroman’s Rafe Esquith discusses Teaching Shakespeare 7pm @ Central Library Wednesday John M. Wieskopf presents The Ascendancy 7:30pm @ Barnes & Noble Third Street Promenade Kate Jacobs signs......

All the world's creatures... It's too late for the $1 tickets, but $12 ones are still available for tonight's powerhouse performance of Beethoven's 9th at the Hollywood Bowl with the LA Phil under the baton of Leonard Slatkin. If you haven't heard this from start to finish, you're really missing out. He is Alive! Skirball +AFI = Oliver Stone screening the 1969 political thriller, Z. The movie was not directed by Stone, but there......

The Silverlake Film Festival is on and, as you might guess, it features new independent films, many from local filmmakers (right on). But if you guessed that the Silverlake Film Festival was taking place in Silverlake, you'd be dead wrong. Most of the films are showing at the ArcLight — one of our favorite movie theaters, to be sure, but it's nowhere near Silverlake. According to GoogleMaps, the ArcLight is 4.6 miles from Spaceland,......

As the nights grow darker and colder, we seem to treasure light and make it the centerpiece of the winter season. Here are some upcoming events to get you in the mood: Bottom's Dream Theater Company presents the World Premiere of "FireFlow: Two Tales from Andersen" featuring 2 Hans Christian Anderson tales adapted by Erik Ehn "Matcher in the Nigh" (The Little Match Girl) and "Blister" (The Story of a Mother) directed by James......