The Brief

If you’d asked me in high school whether I thought an Oasis reunion tour would be the biggest ticket of the summer in 2025, I’d have told you that you were crazy. I’ve been an Anglophile since the get-go, and I wore out my CD of What’s the Story, Morning Glory? — but I thought I was so indie and cool for listening to this random British band.

Well, joke’s on me. Good luck getting a ticket to the hottest show in town, Oasis’ two nights at the Rose Bowl. Luckily, you can at least still dance your face off to all your Britpop favorites at Gold-Diggers’ "Live Forever" night on Friday, and that’s only $6. Or, head to the Palladium Friday night for another Britpop favorite, Supergrass.

No idea what I’m talking about? No worries. Trek out to Pappy & Harriet’s in Pioneertown for a special Arrested Development show supporting the Keep a Breast Foundation, or check out Sunday’s second annual free Hungry Ghost Festival in Chinatown.

More from LAist: learn about the L.A. Breakfast Club, apply for a new artist residency in Tujunga, or pay a visit to the newly resurrected Norman the Werewolf in Altadena.

Events

Saturday, September 6, 7:30 p.m. 
Jenny Hagel Gives Advice with special guest Joel Kim Booster
The Lyric Hyperion
2106 Hyperion Ave., Silver Lake
COST: FROM $17.85; MORE INFO 

You might know Jenny Hagel from her hilarious long-running bit on Late Night With Seth Meyers alongside Amber Ruffin, “Jokes Seth Can’t Tell,” a skewering of political correctness that was always a favorite segment. Hagel brings more Agony Aunt advice to the stage in her comedy show, with special guest Joel Kim Booster (Fire Island).

Friday, September 5, 10:30 p.m.
Live Forever: Britpop night 
Gold-Diggers 
5632 Santa Monica Blvd., East Hollywood
COST: $6.18; MORE INFO

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Courtesy Gold-Diggers

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This is my jam. Bands of the golden age of Britpop like Stone Roses, London Suede, Manic Street Preachers, Blur, Pulp and of course Oasis will surely be on the turntables at Gold-Diggers’ "Live Forever" dance party. It's timed to definitely maybe not coincidentally match up with Oasis' major stadium shows at the Rose Bowl.

Sunday, September 7, 1:30 p.m. 
Ryan Coogler in conversation with Sev Ohanian 
Armenian Film Society 
Alex Theatre
216 N Brand Blvd., Glendale
COST: FROM $25; MORE INFO

Ryan Coogler, the creative genius behind this summer’s hit film Sinners, plus Black Panther, Creed and more, joins his longtime producing partner Sev Ohanian for a chat with the Armenian Film Society in Glendale.

Sunday, September 7, 5 p.m. 
Copa Guate Banrural 
BMO Stadium 
3939 S. Figueroa St., Exposition Park 
COST: FROM $26; MORE INFO

Guatemalan soccer takes the field at BMO for a friendly match at the Copa Guate Banrural. The Cremas of the Comunicaciones Soccer Club will take on the Rojos of the Municipal Social and Sports Club. Ole!

Saturday, September 6, 7:30 p.m.
d. Sabela grimes: Parable of Portals
Sierra Madre Playhouse
87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre
COST: FROM $12; MORE INFO

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Courtesy d. Sabela grimes

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Octavia Butler is really having a moment, one that's far overdue. Parable of Portals, a new performance piece based on Butler’s writing, blends dance, sound and visual media. Storyteller and movement composer d. Sabela grimes’ work is on for one night only at the Sierra Madre Playhouse.

Sunday, September 7, 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m.
L.A. Kids Book Festival
West Hollywood Park 
647 N. San Vicente Blvd., West Hollywood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Enjoy a free day of books and stories, music, and a celebration of the love of reading and bilingualism at the L.A. Kids Book Festival in West Hollywood. Plus, Blippi and Meekah will be there! Oh, yeah, and LAist, too!

Outdoor Pick

September 5-7
Red Bull Origin 
Windward Plaza
1 Windward Ave., Venice
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Red Bull

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Dogtown is the logical place for Red Bull Origin, a skateboarding event taking place this weekend in Venice Beach. Top-tier skateboarders, including Olympic medalists Sky Brown and Jagger Eaton, plus legends like Ryan Sheckler, Mark Gonzalez and Tony Alva will be on hand for public skateboarding sessions, contests, demos and more.

Viewing Pick

Saturday, September 6, 8 p.m. 
Cinespia: This Is Spinal Tap 41st Anniversary with Rob Reiner
Hollywood Forever Cemetery 
6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood 
COST: $29.99; MORE INFO 

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Embassy Pictures via Cinespia

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Before The Office, before Parks & Rec, before Borat, there was Spinal Tap. Christopher Guest and Rob Reiner’s behind-the-scenes comedy about a fake band going on the road wasn’t the first mockumentary, but it was genre-defining, spurring quotable lines and Guest’s much-loved follow-up films like Best in Show, Waiting for Guffman, and A Mighty Wind. So, crank it to 11 and bring your cemetery picnic A-game to Hollywood Forever for an epic night. Did I mention Rob Reiner will be there in person?

Dine & Drink Deals

Ongoing 
Yogurt with a free waffle 
Thor’s Skyr - Silver Lake
1639 1/2 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake 
COST: FREE WITH PURCHASE, MORE INFO 

Protein is all the rage, and Thor’s Skyr, an Icelandic yogurt brand that’s opened a brick-and-mortar spot in Silver Lake, makes getting your extra grams of protein in delicious. They also give you a free hot waffle with your skyr, so that sweetens the deal.

Through Monday, September 22 and Tuesday, September 30
High Holiday food orders
Gelson’s Markets 
Multiple locations 
COST: $90 DINNERS FOR FOUR, MORE INFO

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Gelson’s Markets

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The Jewish fall holidays are swiftly coming at us, so be ready for guests with chef-prepared dinners and a la carte options for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Gelson’s offers five dinners for four, each priced at $90, including rotisserie chicken dinners and brisket dinners with traditional sides like roasted potatoes, tzimmes and kugel.

Rosh Hashanah orders are available through Sept. 22. Yom Kippur orders are accepted through Sept. 30.

This story first appeared on The LA Local.

Since 1977, Richard Santillan has been to every Opening Day game at Dodger Stadium. 

“The tradition goes from my father, to me, to my children and grandchildren. Some of my best memories are with my father and children here at Dodger Stadium,” Santillan told The LA Local, smiling under the shade of palm trees near the entrance to the ballpark Wednesday morning. He was there to protest the team less than 24 hours before Opening Day.

Santillan, like countless other loyal Dodgers fans, is grappling with his fan identity over the team’s decision to accept an invitation to the White House and owner Mark Walter’s ties to ICE detention facilities.

More than 30 people joined Santillan on Wednesday morning for a press conference held near 1000 Vin Scully Drive to convey a message directly to the team. 

“We are demanding the Dodgers stop participating in funding of inhumane treatment of families and do not go to the White House to celebrate with the criminal in chief,” Evelyn Escatiola told the crowd. “Together, we have the power to make a change.”

Escatiola, a former dean of East Los Angeles College and longtime community organizer, urged fans to flex their economic power by “letting the Dodgers know that we do not support repression.”

Jorge “Coqui” Rodriguez, a lifelong Dodgers fan, spoke to the crowd and called on Dodgers ownership to divest from immigration detention centers owned and operated by GEO Group and CoreCivic.

Jorge Coqui H Rodriguez speaks at a press conference outside Dodger Stadium on March 25, 2026, to demand the Dodgers not to visit the White House following their 2025 World Series win.

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J.W. Hendricks

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The LA Local

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In a phone interview a day before the protest, Rodriguez told The LA Local he did not want the Dodgers using his “cheve” or beer money to fund detention centers. 

“They can’t take our parking money, our cacahuate money, our cheve money, our Dodger Dog money and invest those funds into corporations that are imprisoning people. It’s wrong,” Rodriguez said. 

Rodriguez considers the Dodgers one of the most racially diverse teams and said the players need to support fans at a time when heightened immigration enforcement has become more common across L.A.

The team’s 2025’s visit to the White House drew ire from the largely Latino fan base, citing the Trump administration’s ongoing attacks on immigrants. 

In June, the team came under further scrutiny when rumors swirled online that federal immigration agents were using the stadium’s parking, which immigration authorities later denied in statements posted on social media accounts.

The team again came under fire after not releasing a statement on the impacts of ICE raids on its mostly Latino fan base at the height of immigration enforcement last summer. The team later agreed to invest $1 million to support families affected by immigration enforcement.

When he learned the Dodgers were pledging only $1 million to families in need, Rodriguez called the amount a  “slap in the face.” 

“These guys just bought the Lakers for billions of dollars and they give a million dollars to fight for legal services? That’s a joke,” Rodriguez said. “They need to have a moral backbone and not be investing in those companies.”

According to reporting from the Los Angeles Times, former Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershawsaid last week that he is looking forward to the trip.

“I went when President [Joe] Biden was in office. I’m going to go when President [Donald] Trump is in office,” Kershaw said. “To me, it’s just about getting to go to the White House. You don’t get that opportunity every day, so I’m excited to go.”

The Dodgers have yet to announce when their planned visit will take place. 

Santillan sometimes laments his decision to give up his season tickets in protest of the team. His connection to the stadium and the memories he has made there with family and friends will last a lifetime, he said. On Thursday, he will uphold his tradition and be there for the first pitch of the season, but with a heavy heart.

“It’s a family tradition, but the Dodgers have a lot of work to do,” he said.

A local favorite mom-and-pop bookshop in Eagle Rock is facing displacement due to a steep rent hike. The owners say theirs is just one of several small businesses along Eagle Rock Boulevard struggling to keep up with lease increases.

Over the past 19 years, many in the neighborhood have come to love READ Books for its eclectic collection of used titles and shop dog Florence.

Co-owner Jeremy Kaplan said it’s been a delight to grow with the community over the years.

“Like seeing kids come back in, who were in grade school and now they’re in college,” Kaplan said.

But the building where Kaplan and wife Debbie rent was recently sold, and the rent increased by more than 130% to $2,805 a month, Kaplan said. He told LAist it was an increase his small business simply could not absorb.

Kaplan said he originally was given 30 days notice of the rent increase. After some research, assistance from Councilmember Ysabel Jurado’s office and some pro-bono legal help, Kaplan said he pushed back and got the 90-day notice he’s afforded by state law.

California Senate Bill 1103 requires landlords to give businesses with five or less employees 90 days’ notice for rent increases exceeding 10%, among other protections.

Systems Real Estate, the property management company, did not immediately respond to LAist’s request for comment.

What can small businesses do? 

Nadia Segura, directing attorney of the Small Business Program at pro bono legal aid non-profit Bet Tzedek said California law does not currently allow for rent control for commercial tenancies.

Outside of the protections under SB 1103, Segura said small businesses like READ Books don’t have much other recourse. And even then, commercial landlords are not required to inform their tenants of their protections under the law.

“There’s still a lot of people that don’t know about SB 1103. And then it’s very sad that they tell them they have these rent increases and within a month they have to leave,” Segura said.

She said her group is seeing steep rent hikes like this for commercial tenants across the city.

“We are seeing this even more with the World Cup coming up, the Olympics coming up. And I will say it was very sad to see that also after the wildfires,” Segura said.

Part of Bet Tzedek’s ongoing work is to advocate for small businesses, working with landlords who are increasing rents to see if they are willing to give business owners longer leases that lock in rents.

What’s next 

After READ Books posted about their situation on social media, commenters chimed in to express their outrage and love for the little shop.

While he looks for a new spot, Kaplan says he’s forming a coalition of local businesses and activist groups to see what can be done to help other small businesses facing similar displacement. He wants to address the displacement issue for businesses like his, which have made Eagle Rock the distinctive neighborhood that it is today.

Owl Talk, a longtime Eagle Rock staple selling clothing and accessories in a unit in the same building as READ Books, is facing a “more than double” rent increase, according to a post on their Instagram account.

Kaplan said he’s been in touch with the office of state Assemblywoman Jessica Caloza and wants to explore the possibility of introducing legislation to set up protections for small businesses like his, including rent-control measures or a vacancy tax for landlords. Kaplan said he also reached out to the office of state Sen. Maria Durazo.

By his count, Kaplan said there are about a dozen businesses within surrounding blocks that are at risk of closing their doors or have shuttered due to rent increases or other struggles.

When READ Books was founded during the Great Recession, Kaplan said he knew it was a longshot to open a bookstore at the same time so many were struggling to stay in business.

“It was kind of interesting to be doing something that neighborhoods needed. That was important to me growing up, that was important to my children, that was important to my wife growing up,” Kaplan said.

“And then somebody comes in and says, ‘We’re gonna over double your rent.”

Topline:

Frozen budget: Most of the city’s Bureau of Street Lighting budget comes from an assessment that people who own property illuminated by lights pay on their county property tax bill. The amount people pay depends on the kind of property they own and how much they benefit from lighting. A typical single-family home currently pays $53 annually, and in total, the assessments bring in about $45 million annually for the city to repair and maintain streetlights. Changing the amount the Bureau of Street Lighting gets from the assessment requires a vote among property owners who benefit from the lights.

Ballots: L.A. City Council’s vote gives city staff the green light to prepare and send out those ballots. Miguel Sangalang, who oversees the bureau, said at a committee meeting earlier this month that he expects to send out ballots by April 17. Notices about the ballots will be sent out prior to the ballots themselves.

Near unanimous vote: L.A. City Councilmember Monica Rodriguez was the only “No” vote Tuesday, saying she wanted to see a more current strategic plan for the bureau. Sangalang said the bureau developed a plan in 2022 that lays out how money will be spent. Councilmember Imelda Padilla was absent for the vote.

Vote count: Votes will be weighted according to the assessment amount. Basically, the more you’re asked to pay yearly to maintain streetlights, the more your vote will count. Ballots received before June 2 will be tabulated by the L.A. City Clerk.

How much more money: According to a report, the amount needed in assessments from property owners to meet the repair and maintenance needs of the city’s streetlighting in the next fiscal year is nearly $112 million.

Use of the money: Sangalang said at a March 11 committee meeting that the extra funds would be used to double the number of staff to handle repairs and procure solar streetlights, which don’t face the threat of copper wire theft. That would all potentially reduce the time it takes to repair simple fixes down to a week. Currently, city residents wait for months to see broken streetlights repaired. The assessment would come with a three-year auditing mechanism.