Photo by ~db~ via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr SALSA & MERENGUE DANCING Dance Downtown kicks up its heels tonight for the first installment of the summer-long Friday night series. Free admission to anyone who feels like trying a little salsa out on the Music Center Plaza. Beginner lessons are at 6:30, and a live DJ provides the tunes from 7:15-10. 6:30-10 p.m. // Music Center Plaza // 135 North Grand Avenue,......

Art Walk It's sort of like a mini Downtown Art Walk, but it's not Thursday. Tonight is the preview night of Art Seen 3's auction gala on May 17th that will benefit the AIDS Research Alliance. Unlike this weekend's event, tonight is free and is a block party on Main St. between 3rd and 4th Streets. Some 200 pieces will be showcased along with bands playing on the street. You can also get free HIV......

Photo by hiddedevries via Flickr COMEDY It's the last week of the Los Angeles Comedy Festival in Hollywood. There are two shows tonight (one at 8:00 p.m., another at 9:30 p.m.) that include 18 Mighty Mountain Warriors, Dry Hump and The Comedy Jesus Show. 8:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m. // McCadden Theatre // 1157 N. McCadden Place, Los Angeles // $12/show CHEAP EATS Whether you're over the hill on the East or Westside, or even......

The Downtown Art Walk is every second Thursday of the month (that means tomorrow!) and is easily a staple of those things you have to do at least once. For us, however, we prefer it to be on the list of things to do at least once a month. More than 30 galleries participate along with events happening in conjunction such as the Comedy Walk, Town Square's cocktail and networking party and Possum Saloon at......

Photo by rink_rat via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr Stay in school kids, especially if you live in the Valley. Yesterday the truant police hauled in 137 middle and high school kids who were ditching classes and chilling in public. 5 members of a church group were involved in an accident this morning on the eastbound Pomona Freeway. Sadly, three of the victims were killed and the others injured. The driver had......

Today's holiday is a Federal one, so that means government offices, from city to county to state and beyond, are closed. Same goes for banks and public schools. No mail being delivered either. However, trash and public transportation in Los Angeles will be running as usual says the Daily News in their Presidents Day schedule. If you're one of the blessed and have the day off, there are many fun things to do. Here are......

If it's a day with the folks tomorrow, you might want to head out to Heritage Square Museum as anyone over 65 gets in free ($10 if your a youngin'). And if they know something about Los Angeles in the 1940s or before, they may participate in an oral history project too. "Old-Timers" Day aims to bring together true Los Angeles veterans from 12 to 4:00 p.m. at the museum located in Highland Park (if......

Tonight is the perfect night to cozy up inside a darkened theater and to go on a journey into the unknown. A really cool piece of LA history and lore comes to life on screen tonight at the Egyptian The American Cinematheque "presents a rare screening of six short films by the enigmatic Dutch/LA artist Bas Jan Ader (1942-1975) and the Los Angeles premiere of Here Is Always Somewhere Else, Rene Daalder's critically acclaimed......

One of my few gripes with Los Angeles is that it's not a 24-hour town. Las Vegas? Gimme, gimme more. New York? Reasonable facsimile. Los Angeles? Not so much. My bio rhythms are royally screwed up. I have no problem staying up until 5am. I also have no problem waking up at 4am. I often say to myself that sleep is for the weak -- until I pass out and wake up 18 hours later,......

Here at LAist, we really love local folk music, especially The Hollow Trees. In fact, we love them so much that we've interviewed them three times: a little ">over a year ago, then in May about Stagecoach (the roots version of Coachella) and this last December. We'll spare any in depth analysis this morning, but will just say if you're looking for things to do late this morning, whether your a parent or babysitting some......

Astra Heights, who is this week's iTunes Latino “Single of the Week,” will play tonight at The Echo. Lemon Sun will also be there. Yesterday was Xena: Princess Warrior picket day at the WGA Strike. Tonight, Xena herself, Lucy Lawless, will be bashing heads and belting out songs over at the Roxy. And earlier this morning, we interviewed Talib Kweli who will be at the House of Blues down the street from the Roxy......

Carmen Rizzo will play the Temple Bar tonight Be joyful with the electro-pop sounds of Hey Willpower (Will from Imperial Teen and Tomo from Tussle) at The Echo or get a more worldly groove on at the Temple Bar. Jackshit, who we interviewed once, plays tonight and there are two in-store performances as well: one at Amoeba (of course) and the other at Active Ride Show. There's a few sold out shows, but you......

The Airborne Toxic Event is Spaceland's January Thursday night resident. | Promo photo The Short List Cornelius & Plaid @ Walt Disney Concert Hall (see yesterday's article) Sole @ The Glass House (see yesterday's article, they'll be at Knitting Factory tomorrow) Lenny Kravitz @ Santa Monica Civic Auditorium The Airborne Toxic Event, The Adored, Bloodcat Love, Sunday Drivers @ Spaceland Tower of Power @ Vault 350 (Long Beach) Minibar @ Temple Bar......

Dan Deacon at SXSW | Photo by Tod Seelie Thanks to those who responded yesterday to help make this LAist column more useful. You can still chime in, it's never too late. Today, here's a short form list of our picks with select MP3s embedded after the jump. THE LIST The Hectors, Coco B's and You Me & Iowa @ Silverlake Lounge | Free Why? @ Tangier (Read our preview from yesterday) | $10......

It's the biggest dance club night in Los Angeles over at The Vanguard and tonight is a special one -- GIANT is having its eighth-anniversary party. Join Steve Aoki, Glycerin and others along it 1500 clubbers. Metromix has the low down. And speaking of anniversaries, the monthly Dragstrip 66 at Safari Sam's is celebrating its Quinceanera! 15 years ago, January, L.A.'s queer/mixed underground have been eagerly descending upon the club night every second saturday......

Who is brave or foolish enough to go out tonight? No, seriously. Why do you want to leave the house? There are some things to do if you are so inclined (queue writer's raised eyebrow). JAZZ The renowned Alan Broadbent Trio plays two sets tonight at the Jazz Bakery. 8 & 9:30 p.m. // The Jazz Bakery // 3233 Helms Ave. // (310) 271-9039 // $25 FILM Quentin Tarantino hosts a LACMA screening of South......

If you're not mall-ward bound, frantically baking fruitcake, cleaning house for arriving relatives, or headed to LAX, there are still plenty of things to do tonight in LA. FILM "Yippee Ki-yay, mother..." You get the idea. The Aero Theatre is showing a badass Christmastime double feature tonight. On the bill is the original Die Hard and 2003's Bad Santa, starring Billy Bob Thornton. Ah, the familiar holiday cinema classics. 7:30 p.m. // Aero Theatre......

If you want to laugh non-stop for an hour and a half, then go see Bob's Holiday Office Party at The Lounge Theatre in Hollywood. This slapstick Holiday play is hilariously fucked up and the riot that is the party at Bob's will leave you smiling like no other. The whole audience is LOLOLOLOLOLOLROFLOLOLOLOL the whole time -- pure insanity. Every year in a small Iowa town, insurance agent Bob Finhead throws an office party......

photo by gotomattex via flickr Uh Oh, not sure what to get for that sullen-eyed teen or Vampira look-a-like on your list this year? Is shopping for your little darkling turning into a real nightmare before Christmas? Fear not! We live in L.A.: one of the best places to be dark and spooky or at least look the part. Not only do we have a thriving Goth scene, but tons of local vendors that......

Due to family illness, It has not been the greatest year and a half for me. So, anyone who is going through some hard times this holiday, I feel your pain. Still, it's Thanksgiving Day and much like a starving pilgrim at a potlatch, I know I should be thankful rather than angst ridden--at least for one day! Here's a few things I am very grateful for (in no particular order): -the support of dear......

Over hot chocolate and chocolate-chip rugula at Canter’s in Hollywood, we spoke with LA author Mark Z. Danielewski about his latest novel Only Revolutions and got all worked up about film, freedom and fonts. He will be reading tonight @ UCLA, 5 p.m. RSVP here or call (310) 206-0961 to reserve a seat. You were recently quoted as saying if you could live anywhere in the world, it would be Los Angeles. You’ve traveled......

Andy Milonakis jumped into public consciousness after making some freestyle rap videos on the web, which led to him appearing on Jimmy Kimmel Live, and then getting his own MTV program. Andy's come full circle and is currently at work on a full length rap album, but despite all he's accomplished so far he remains hard on himself for not doing more. Milonakis finds inspiration in his roommate, a newcomer to the industry who......

Did you know you can still get tickets for Monday night's Rilo Kiley show at the Santa Monica Civic? Do you know why you can still get tickets for the show? Because it's in Santa Monica. And when the people of Santa Monica aren't trying to destroy old trees and houses, they're looking for things to do Other than see great rock shows. Let's think of things they do on the Westside other than......

Your pets want the house to themselves today. Some of yesterday's festivals like Detour, NoHo Scene and the Eagle Rock Music Festival are over with. Yet Sunday, here in Los Angeles, is still a busy day. Events continuing from yesterday's Weekend Festival Guide: Brewery Art Walk and TarFest Jazz at Drew 10:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.: In it's 17th year, the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine & Science's popular music and charity event......

I’ve always felt that political correctness would one day be our demise. When politicians refuse to acknowledge that the overwhelming majority of terrorists that try to kill Americans are Muslim, and 80-year-old Caucasian grandmothers are pushed to the side by airport screeners, political correctness seems a little absurd. When people illegally cross our borders and are then called “undocumented workers” who are catered to by Bank of America and our welfare system, Mayor Villaraigosa......

Life is confusing, shrinks are expensive and complaining will make you unpopular. Ask Jen instead. Dear Jen, I own a very successful business, have two kids and a husband and donate much of my time to a charity that I’m very passionate about. The problem is that I’ve always thought of myself as a traveler, it’s truly one of my favorite things to do, but I recently realized that I haven’t left the country......

1. Go running on Los Feliz Blvd in the evenings, to get the anger out. (It's well-lit, fairly level, and a little exhilarating with all the cars rushing by. Just mind the sprinklers at 8.) 2. Hang out in Studio City or Burbank, etc. There's something oddly cheerful and reliable about that area. 3. Make frequent, unapologetic Pinkberry and gelato trips. 4. Go to the Griffith Observatory and see the Planetarium. That is some uplifting......

Chrisette Michele busted out before our very eyes and ears at the end of 2006, singing the hook on her boss, Jay-Z's "Lost One".Shortly after the 24 year-old's incredible voice was heard on Nas' hit single, "Can't Forget About You." That same voice, according to her bio, gave L.A. Reid, DefJam Chairman, goosebumps. In June, Michele dropped "If I Have My Way," the lead single from her debut solo album, I Am. LAist caught up......

On any given Sunday there is a barrage of things to do in Los Angeles. This particular Sunday I received an invitation from Kamran V of Spaceland Records to go to "This is not a Fugazi Show" a tribute to Fugazi (a benefit for Art Share Los Angeles ). As I made my way there I had got a flat tire, I didn't let this deter me and borrowed my loftmates car. It was......

"Vive l'independance!" Sure, we just hoisted back a few brews, grilled up some meat eats, and set off our own rockets' red glare on the 4th of July, but for the French--or merely fans of--today is the day of celebration: Bastille Day, which commemorates France's national uprising and storming of the Bastille prison. (We love history, but we'd rather talk parties, so if you've an inquiring mind, hop on over here and we'll continue with......