The Brief

Catch Haim at one of their hometown shows. Listen to risky stories. Watch PowerPoints that won’t numb your skull. Choose from a number of free outdoor movies and concerts.

Events

Monday, July 17 - Wednesday, July 19

Haim
The Bellwether
333 S. Boylston St., downtown L.A. 
The sisters from the San Fernando Valley play a three-night hometown stand at L.A.’s new music venue. The July 19 show performs its debut Days Are Gone album to commemorate the 10-year anniversary. Opening each night is Buzzy Lee, the new artist project of performer, writer and actress Sasha Spielberg. All ages.
COST: $75; MORE INFO

Monday, July 17; 7:30 p.m.  

2/3 of a Threesome
Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Watch an evening of comedy, music and musical comedy hosted by AJ Holmes and Caitlin Cook with special guests Reggie Watts, Langston Kerman, Beth Stelling, Dylan Adler and Tom Thakkar. 18+.
COST: $20 - $25; MORE INFO

Tuesday, July 18; 7:30 p.m. 

Risk!
The Lyric Hyperion 
2106 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake  
Watch people tell true stories they never thought they’d share (in public, no less). Hosted by storyteller and author David Crabb, with performances by Lindsey Mallard, Jonathan Bradley Welch, Katy Townsend and Anastasia Washington.
COST: $20; MORE INFO 

Next Slide Please is a live show that invites comedians to make PowerPoints about whatever they want.

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Arin Sang-urai

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Courtesy of Next Slide Please

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Wednesday, July 19; 7:30 p.m. 

Next Slide Please: A PowerPoint Comedy Show
Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Usually PowerPoint presentations make us want to gouge our eyes out. But Next Slide Please lets comedians make PowerPoints about whatever they want — which should be a whole lot more entertaining. Presenting this week are Dylan Adler, Sudi Green, Andrew Michaan, Anna Garcia, Levi Macdougall, Annapurna Sriram and Mark Vigeant.
COST: $20 - $25; MORE INFO

Wednesday, July 19; 8 p.m.

Roguelike Rumbles
The Roguelike Tavern
259 N. Pass Ave., Burbank 
Gamers and drinkers unite for Pick Your Poison Productions’ monthly live Roguelike Rumbles — a live, comedy-action show of a Dungeons and Dragons campaign. Pre-game questioning begins at 7 p.m.
COST: FREE with two-item minimum purchase; MORE INFO

Wednesday, July 19; 7:30 p.m.

Teen Wolf + Movie Club the Band
Secret Movie Club 
1917 Bay St., downtown L.A. 
Watch the 1985 film Teen Wolf in 35mm. Directed by Rod Daniel, the film stars Michael J. Fox as a likable teen who discovers he has lycanthropy running in the family. A whole lot of hijinx happens when you mix hormones and werewolf tendencies. The retro film is followed by a party and live music set by rock band Movie Club.
COST: $18 - $21; MORE INFO

Wednesday, July 19; 6 - 8 p.m.

Hometown Hangout
The Shay 
8801 Washington Blvd., Culver City
This pop-up market is held every third Wednesday of the month, featuring local brands and businesses. This month, in addition to jewelry and vintage scarves and accessories, Imperial Barbershop offers $40 haircuts, barber style (by appointment, cash only); Jon Narcisso Millinery demonstrates his custom and bespoke hat-making technique; and milk + honey provides polish-change manicures and tension-relieving massages.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Thursday, July 20; 8 p.m. 

Sunset Concerts: Billy Valentine
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood
Listen to the socially conscious soul of blues and R&B singer Billy Valentine. He’ll reimagine covers of iconic protest songs, including works by Stevie Wonder, Prince and Marvin Gaye. The event kicks off Skirball’s Summer Concert series. Get there early at 6:30 p.m. for gallery exhibitions and concessions, with the concert starting at 8 p.m. While advanced reservations are closed, walk-up tickets are on a first-come, first-served basis.
COST: FREE, but parking is $20; MORE INFO

No Duh, a No Doubt tribute band, performs at OC Parks Summer Concert Series in Irvine this week.

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Courtesy of No Duh

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Thursday, July 20; 6 p.m.

OC Parks Summer Concert Series 
Mason Regional Park
18712 University Dr., Irvine.
Watch a concert by No Duh, an awesomely named ultimate tribute band for OC’s own No Doubt. The event is family-friendly with free parking and food and drink options available for purchase. COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Thursday, July 20; 6:30 p.m.

Abraham Alexander
The Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
KCRW Summer Nights welcome rising artist Abraham Alexander, whose debut album SEA/SONS is now critically acclaimed. KCRW DJs Dan Wilcox and Chris Douridas also spin tunes through the night. Happy hour, full bar, and food trucks will be available and the galleries are open late.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Pack a picnic basket for the beach to watch the sunset at the Annenberg Beach House.

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Evangelina Silina

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via Unsplash

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Thursday, July 20; 5 - 8 p.m.  

Sunset Picnic
The Annenberg Community Beach House 
415 Pacific Coast Hwy., Santa Monica  
Take a break from the heat and bring your own picnic to the Beach House for a chill evening. Come solo or with friends. Get fancy or bring a brown bag. A live Brazilian duo adds to the seaside ambiance. Leave the alcohol, glass and dogs at home.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Thursday, July 20; 8 p.m.

Watch at the Water Garden: Sister Act
The Great Lawn at 1620 26th St., Santa Monica
Watch family-friendly movies under the stars in Santa Monica this week with a free screening of Sister Act with Whoopi Goldberg. Guests can arrive as early as 5 p.m. to listen to live music, bring blankets and picnic baskets or buy snacks from SweetPea Catering.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO 

Cosplayers portraying Thundercats characters attend Comic-Con International in San Diego in 2022. The 2023 edition returns this week.

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ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images

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AFP

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Thursday, July 20 - Sunday, July 23

Comic-Con
San Diego Convention Center
111 Harbor Dr., San Diego 
With the industry strikes, and many studios scaling back their presence, the 2023 Comic-Con may be a little more subdued — which means it should be so much easier to get around Hall H. Day 1 programs include Todd McFarlane, the Emmy- and Grammy-winning director/producer and creator of the bestselling comic, Spawn; Spike and Mike's Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation and Dr. Horrible Screening and Horrible Karaoke.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO

Viewing Pick

Spirited Away
Rooftop Cinema Club screens the work of legendary animator and filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki every Wednesday in July. This week, watch the original version of Spirited Away (2002) on the DTLA rooftop location with on-screen English subtitles. Watch a young girl Chihiro, who becomes trapped in a strange new world of witches, spirits and gods. Chihiro must call upon her inner strength and courage to free her parents, who’ve undergone a strange transformation. Tickets start at $19.50. MORE INFO

Chef Eric Huang of Pecking House in Brooklyn brings his much-beloved chili fried chicken to L.A. at a new pop-up.

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Courtesy of Peking House

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Dine and Drink Deals

Here are a few dine and drink options to indulge in this week.

• Xuntos is a new tapas bar that opened last week in downtown Santa Monica. This is the second eatery from chef-owner Sandra Cordero who opened Gasolina in Woodland Hills in 2015. Xuntos serves tapas featuring traditional dishes of Galicia, Asturias, Catalunya and Basque Country. The restaurant also offers natural wines from these regions, along with Spanish beer on tap and aperitivos made with sherry, vermouth and seasonal fruit. Currently open for dinner only.
• On Monday, July 17, Rock & Brews outposts in Buena Park, El Segundo, and Corona locations partner with the Body Art Bus to offer free tattoos up to $50 to the first 20 guests who pop by the truck. Diners with tattoos at all participating SoCal locations (Buena Park, Corona, El Segundo, Redondo Beach, Tustin) can enjoy “penny pints” of select Rock & Brews beers. Guests can buy one pint at regular price and get the second one for just one cent when they show their tattoo.
• Chef Suzanne Tracht of Jar welcomes her friend and colleague Raphael Lunetta for a collaborative four-course dinner at Jar, creating an edible ode to summer and SoCal’s seasonal markets. The dinner begins with an amuse bouche of summer melon with Dungeness crab with jalapeno vinaigrette and Persian mint, and continues with fried Ipswich clams, wild striped bass and spot prawn with sweet corn succotash,  Westholme Australian wagyu New York strip and chilled summer cherry soup with vanilla ice cream and chocolate biscotti. The dinner takes place on Tuesday, July 18 and is $172 per person, inclusive of taxes and gratuity. 
• On Wednesday, July 19, the teams behind Tuk Tuk Thai on Sawtelle and Turntable at Lord Stanley (SF) open Tuk Tuk x Turntable, a new pop-up space at 1644 Sawtelle Blvd. that will host ongoing chef residencies. Chef Eric Huang of Pecking House in Brooklyn brings his much-beloved chili fried chicken (pictured above) to L.A. The Pecking House pop-up runs through Sept. 17.
• Punch Bowl Social and Fortaleza host a tequila tasting on Thursday, July 20 from 5 to 10 p.m. at Punch Bowl Social in Rancho Cucamonga. Admission is $10 and includes small tastings of the tequila brand and a hand-crafted cocktail (alcoholic or non-alcoholic).
• The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills (9705 S. Santa Monica Blvd.) has opened in its new space and holds an official grand opening on Monday, July 17. The Cheese Store also now offers its first takeaway menu with an array of gourmet sandwiches and salads.  

Californians will decide on more than a dozen ballot initiatives this November, covering a wide range of proposals focused on housing, taxes, recall elections, voter identification and more.

One ballot measure would approve an $11.25 billion bond for affordable housing; another would create a new down payment assistance program for homebuyers. Proposition 40 would establish a one-time 5% tax on the net worth of billionaires in California, while two other propositions would limit new taxes and potentially nullify Prop. 40. Other ballot measures, if approved, would change the recall election process in California, require identification to vote and speed up the environmental review process for certain developments.

It’s a lot of information to wade through on your own.

That’s why LAist unveils its Voter Game Plan each election season, with guides to help you cast a ballot that aligns with your values and beliefs. (The one thing we don’t do? Tell you how to vote. That is up to you.) For the Nov. 3 general election, LAist is also hosting a series of ballot cram sessions focused on helping you make informed decisions.

The series kicked off on Wednesday with AirTalk Host Larry Mantle and a panel of experts focused on the long list of statewide propositions in a one-hour cram session.

Michael Alvarez, professor of political and computational social science at CalTech; Sara Sadhwani, associate professor of politics at Pomona College, and Lee E. Ohanian, a professor of economics at UCLA and senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, provided an overview of each ballot measure. The trio described the pros, cons and stakes of every decision Californians face this November, including the confusing and conflicting trio of tax measures you’ll see on your ballot as Props. 40, 41 and 42.

“There’s a lot of uncertainty as to how much revenue this might generate. There’s a lot of uncertainty, in particular, if it’s going to generate revenue in sufficient time to help the Californians who are really in need of having healthcare,” said Alvarez on Prop. 40, which would create a one-time tax on billionaires to fund healthcare.

Lee and Sadhwani both noted that there's a question of whether the tax would drive billionaires out of the state. “If you think that super high wealthy people should be paying more in taxes, there’s better ways to do this,” said Lee.

As for Prop. 41, which would require audits of new tax programs, and Prop. 42, which would ban new taxes on personal property, the panel agreed the measures are confusing.

Both propositions would nullify Prop. 40 if they receive more votes in support than the billionaire tax measure. That’s the big thing to remember, said Sadhwani: “They’re really the poison pills of Prop. 40, the billionaire’s tax. So a yes on 41 or a yes on 42 is a no essentially for Prop. 40.”

“I’ll be honest, Prop. 41 as well as Prop. 42 kind of makes my eyes glaze over,” said Sadhwani. Alvarez added that the measures make his head spin. Experts — they’re just like us!

LAist’s upcoming voter cram sessions will focus on judicial elections and Orange County.

You can find LAist’s Voter Game Plan and dozens of guides to the Nov. 3 election here at LAist.com/Vote

Elevated sea levels are already rolling into Southern California waters, leading to coastal erosion and other damage. An El Niño-driven Kelvin wave is further exacerbating conditions along the coast. And Tropical Storm Rachel could bring rain across the region this weekend.

But all of this is probably just the beginning of a very wet Southern California rainy season.

Authorities have been sounding the alarm.

“ Residents need to hear this information, and they need to hear it repeatedly, enough times so that they too can act,” L.A. County Supervisor Hilda Solis said during a recent presentation about El Niño preparations.

Heavy rain, flooding and debris flows can pose serious threats to homes and infrastructure. Officials and climate scientists say the best way to protect yourself and your property is to make preparations now, well before peak El Niño conditions arrive.

Here’s what you can do to prepare your home.

Preparing your property

One of the first steps to getting your home ready for El Niño is to understand how vulnerable it is to flooding when heavy rain or surging surf hits your neighborhood.

“It really is incumbent upon people to pause, evaluate where they live, where they travel and to really think about what would happen if those areas were flooded out,” said Kerjon Lee, spokesperson for the L.A. County Department of Public Works. “ Knowing your community, your neighborhood, where mud and debris flow might occur — is really critical.”

You can review your risks using California’s MyHazard tool, which allows you to input your address and cycle through potential risks.

Floodwaters and the landscape

Knowing if your property or neighborhood has flooded in the past can be helpful, and you can learn a lot from simply looking at the landscape in and around your home.

If your house is at the bottom of a hillside, for example, it’s probably more susceptible to debris flows, especially if the slope burned in a wildfire in the last several years. Burn scars are especially vulnerable to landslides and flooding because they lack the established vegetation that helps hold soil in place and absorbs water during heavy rain.

Other landmarks to look out for near your property are creeks, canals, drainage channels, debris basins and even low-lying roadways.

It’s also a good idea to understand how rainwater flows onto your property, where it collects and how it leaves. The goal should be for water to flow through your property safely and efficiently, without causing damage to neighbors.

That means clearing debris and overgrowth from gutters and drains now, before extreme weather hits.

Officials are also urging residents to report clogged or blocked storm drains to their local public works department.

If you live in L.A. County and are concerned about potential mud or debris flows, you can contact the county’s Department of Public Works for free advice.

Sandbags

If your property is at high risk of flooding, consider stockpiling sandbags. Many fire departments and public works departments offer sandbags to their local communities.

You can check sandbag distribution locations and availability here:

• L.A. County
• Orange County 
• Ventura County
• Santa Barbara County
• Riverside County
• San Bernardino County

Be prepared to fill the sandbags yourself, as most places only offer empty ones. Never fill sandbags with beach sand or empty used ones onto the beach.

Once you have sandbags, make sure you know how to use them properly.

Here are a few tips:

• Only fill sandbags half-full, not all the way full.
• Do not place sandbags directly against the outer wall of a building as wet bags can create added pressure on the foundation. 
• Sandbags should be placed parallel to the direction of water flow.
• The open ends of sandbags should be folded underneath and face upstream so they aren’t forced open as water flows around them.
• Sandbags should be used to redirect floodwater rather than create a dam or block its path. 
• Sandbags can be used to protect doorways, but to do so, they should have a waterproof layer like heavy plastic or waterproof canvas placed behind them. 

This diagram shows the proper way to place sandbags so that they are parallel to the flow of water or debris and redirect it away from structures.

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Los Angeles County Department of Public Works

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Local agencies offer thorough instructions on how to use sandbags online. L.A. County Public Works offers a breakdown in its Homeowners Guide.

Sandbags and other materials for protecting your home, including plywood, lumber or plastic sheeting, should be stored in a dry location away from potential flooding.

Other flood considerations

If valuables could be damaged or destroyed by floodwaters, consider moving them away from the ground or, if possible, to upper floors. Keep important documents in waterproof containers or sealed bags, and make sure to create digital copies.

Another recommendation is to check trees on your property for dead branches, cracks or other issues that might make them unstable, especially those that hang over structures. If you’re unsure or concerned about your trees, you can hire an arborist to inspect them. To trim or remove them, you will likely have to hire a professional. Cities and counties generally do not handle tree maintenance on private property.

Finally, consider purchasing flood insurance if your home is at risk — and do so as early as possible.

Standard homeowners insurance policies typically do not cover flood damage, and new flood insurance plans can take at least 30 days to kick in. If you want to consider signing up for a plan, the National Flood Insurance Program is a good place to start.

If floodwaters do enter your home, public health officials recommend drying wet areas as quickly as possible, as saturation can lead to mold. If mold does take hold, clean the area using a disinfectant. Also, wear gloves and a mask to protect your skin and lungs and throw away moldy items that can’t be cleaned.

Jordan Corral had to do something.

It was late 2024, during a historically dry start to the winter. But the winter before that had been historically wet. This kind of “weather whiplash” is growing more common with a warming climate, research is finding. And it meant the hillsides of the Santa Monica Mountains were overgrown with invasive and highly flammable plants, such as black mustard, castor bean and fennel.

So Corral got to work. Alongside mentor Bill Neill, the president of the Santa Monica Mountains chapter of the California Native Plant Society, Corral pulled together a group of volunteers to pull out invasive plants.

Then came the Palisades Fire. Corral and his wife, Sara Marti, lost their apartment and had to start over. They’ve finally relocated to an apartment that survived the fire. Meanwhile, through their work for the nonprofit Resilient Palisades, Corral has launched a subgroup focused on invasive plant removal.

“The team is working on wildfire recovery while trying to mitigate the next wildfire simultaneously,” Marti said by phone on a day when Corral was out working with volunteers in Temescal Canyon Gateway Park.

Now, Marti said, their effort to heal the land has become a part of their own recovery journey.

“Being a part of the recovery has played an enormous part of personal healing,” she said. “It's meditative while you know that you're also making a huge difference, protecting the nearby neighborhoods.”

A half dozen or so volunteers, including Corral and Marti, have been regularly going to the park to remove invasive species, which choke out native plants and grow into dense, dry vegetation that can make fires more intense. They’ve also worked with local high schools and youth groups.

Now, they’re racing to get as many invasive species removed as possible, while at the same time planting as many native seeds as they can, ahead of a potentially very wet winter driven by El Niño. If the rain is as intense as forecasters are predicting, it could help invasive species flourish further.

Sara G. Marti, left, and Jordan Corral lost their apartment in the Palisades Fire and are leaders in the nonprofit group Resilient Palisades.

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Courtesy Sara G. Marti

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The effort has been boosted by a recent $24,000 grant from UCLA’s Philanthropy as Civic Engagement Course. The money will help hire expert field assistants and buy safety gear, among other things. Corral and Marti hope the effort can become sustained.

“It's not a one-and-done thing,” Marti said. “Invasive plants are going to continue coming back. … So we're really just trying to stay ahead of it as much as we can.”

In some ways, Marti said, the effort reflects their own journey to recover after losing their apartment in the fire.

“ We're probably never going to win, but we can't give up,” she said. “We have to keep trying.”

The city of Los Angeles will establish a fund to clean the 6th Street Bridge, where trash and other waste often pile up on pedestrian walkways. 

In a unanimous vote on Tuesday, the City Council approved the establishment of the fund, which will allow the city to accept and retain donations from private entities “to preserve this iconic landmark,” Councilmember Ysabel Jurado said. “Our commitment to this bridge has to ensure its longevity.”

Funds will go toward trash and bulky item pickup, graffiti abatement and other beautification services for the bridge. 

The dedicated fund follows the city’s hiring of Pasadena-based engineering firm Tetra Tech to restore the lighting of the bridge, which has been plagued by copper wire theft since its opening in 2022. 

The outages have frustrated residents and commuters who use the bridge to walk, run, bike and drive between downtown L.A. and the Eastside. 

This move also comes as residents in Boyle Heights and the Arts District grapple with how the 12-acre park beneath the bridge will be maintained once it opens in 2027. 

Community members have raised concerns about the possibility of homeless encampments forming at the park, as well as graffiti and whether copper wire theft from the bridge could affect the park’s safety.

Meanwhile, groups like the Arts District Little Tokyo Neighborhood Council, Arts District Los Angeles and the Boyle Heights 5K Run/Walk are filling gaps with an upcoming bridge cleanup in collaboration with Jurado’s office. 

The post City of LA will establish a fund to clean the 6th Street Bridge appeared first on LA Local.