The Armored League features real-life combat at the Ukrainian Cultural Center.
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Courtesy @laurengalluzzi
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In this edition:
A Dolly Parton skate night, Charlatans UK at the Palladium, all of the Lord of the Rings movies and more of the best things to do this week.
Highlights:
Secret Movie Club is screening the complete The Lord of The Rings trilogy — all three films on 35mm film prints — at Los Angeles Theatre on Sunday. There will be hour-long intermissions to explore the space, stretch your legs and grab a snack, too.
The L.A. Jazz Fest may have been a bust, but the Rebel Jazz Fest is celebrating its fifth year in Venice and is picking up where the city left off. Windward Plaza is where the jams are at, curated by the Nonsemble collective.
We couldn’t let the week go by without a pick for the best Dolly Parton tribute of the weekend. Strap on your skates and some sparkles and get ready to roll away the pain to Dolly’s tunes at the Midnight Rollerway.
How is it already Labor Day weekend? I’m not sure where the summer went, but looking at my camera roll, it was mostly spent at the Hollywood Bowl, at the beach and in the longest movies I could find (thank you, Christopher Nolan, for all the air conditioning).
I hope your summer was filled with fun explorations, whether they were close to home or further afield. The fall is filling up fast — we have tons to look forward to here, with new museum openings, big movies coming out and some great theater coming our way, too. Plus, the Dodgers are looking strong as baseball season closes in on the playoffs, and you have a few more chances to catch the Sparks in action.
Zia McCabe of The Dandy Warhols performs at The Regency Ballroom on October 08, 2025.
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Miikka Skaffari
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Getty Images
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Licorice Pizza has your music picks this week — and attention, BTS Army, the city has officially named this week “BTS Week” as the K-Pop band takes over SoFi for four nights.
Friday, Sept. 4, 7 p.m. Ukrainian Cultural Center 4315 Melrose Ave., East Hollywood COST: FROM $76; MORE INFO
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Courtesy @laurengalluzzi
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Do you wish Medieval Times was more … interactive? Does your favorite museum have a great collection of armored knights? The Armored League might be for you. Already a hit in New York, the “full-contact armored combat organization” stages battles before your eyes, using real steel armor, swords and axes. It’s for real, and you can check it out Friday night as the tournament comes to L.A. for the first time.
“Once More, With Feeling”: Buffy the Vampire Slayer Musical Episode singalong
Tuesday, Sept. 8, 7 p.m. Three Clubs 1123 Vine St., Hollywood COST: $25; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Three Clubs
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We all know the musical episode of Buffy is the best there ever was. Wear your best Buffy, Angel or Willow costume and walk through the fire straight to Three Clubs for this live musical theater parody reenactment.
Rebel Jazz Fest
Saturday, Sept. 5, 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. 1 Windward Ave., Venice COST: FREE; MORE INFO
The L.A. Jazz Fest may have been a bust, but the Rebel Jazz Fest is celebrating its fifth year in Venice and is picking up where the city left off. Windward Plaza is where the jams are at, curated by the Nonsemble collective. The day also includes DJs, roller skating, vinyl sales and more.
Echoes of Our Ancestors II: Heroes and Saints
Thursday, Sept. 3, 8 p.m. The Greek 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz COST: FROM $100; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Alexis Halejian
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For the second year running, Echoes of Our Ancestors will celebrate Armenian Heritage with a live concert at the Greek. Featuring headliner Serj Tankian of System of a Down, the night honors Armenian culture and history with award-winning musicians and performers, taking the audience through 7,000 years of Armenian history.
Newport Dunes Labor Day
Friday to Monday, Sept. 4 to Sept. 7 101 N. Bayside Drive, Newport Beach COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Newport Dunes Waterfront Resort
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Take a staycation at Newport’s Newport Dunes marina, where there will be all kinds of fun, family-friendly activities all weekend long. The weekend features free live music, movies on the beach, an inflatable water park, water sports, food trucks and more.
Shitty Movie Club screening: Megalopolis
Saturday, Sept. 5, 7:30 p.m. Club Fais Do Do 5257 West Adams Blvd., West Adams COST: FREE/$10 suggested donation; MORE INFO
Aubrey Plaza as Wow Platinum in Megalopolis.
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Courtesy Lionsgate
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Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis is maybe not the acclaimed director’s most revered film (ahem), but it is the perfect pick for the very on-the-nose-named Shitty Movie Club. Only in L.A., folks. Luckily for us, Cinema Saloon is screening this labor of love (Coppola sold his winery to finance it) at Club Fais Do Do, which has a 100-year-old ballroom. Plus, it’s free with RSVP, and there will be movie bingo, “weird clips” and chef-driven concessions.
Lord of the Rings trilogy in 35mm
Sunday, Sept. 6, 10 a.m. to late Los Angeles Theatre 615 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A. COST: FROM $17; MORE INFO
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Courtesy New Line Cinema
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It’s still pretty hot out, so spending all nine hours of the Lord of the Rings trilogy in the sweet, sweet air conditioning of the historic Los Angeles Theatre sounds like a good way to spend your Labor Day Sunday. Secret Movie Club is screening the complete trilogy — all three films on 35mm film prints — at the theater, which opened in 1931 and premiered Chaplin's City Lights. Fellowship of the Ring kicks things off at 10 a.m., followed by Two Towers at 2 p.m. and Return of the King at 6 p.m., with hour-long intermissions to explore the space, stretch your legs and grab a snack. There’s also an after-hours party at 10 p.m.
Charlatans UK, Dandy Warhols and Mercury Rev
Thursday and Friday, Sept. 3 and 4 Santa Ana Observatory,3503 S. Harbor Blvd., Santa Ana (Sept. 3) Hollywood Palladium, 6215 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood(Sept. 4) COST: FROM $46; MORE INFO (Hollywood); MORE INFO (Santa Ana)
Tim Burgess from The Charlatans performs at Victorious Festival 2023 at Southsea Common on August 25, 2023 in Portsmouth, England.
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Rob Ball
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Getty Images
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Be still, my Brit-pop-loving heart. Charlatans UK headline a triple bill with the Dandy Warhols (rewatch Dig! and thank me later) and Mercury Rev at the Santa Ana Observatory on Thursday and the Palladium in Hollywood on Friday. Charlatans UK’s latest album We Are Love — their 14th — came out last year. If you’re heading to the Hollywood show, it’s also a great opportunity to check out the new Vinyl Room that just opened for a cocktail before or after.
Dolly Parton Tribute Skate Night
Sunday, Sept. 6, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. Moonlight Rollerway 5110 San Fernando Road, Glendale COST: $23, skate rental $8; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Mato Events
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We couldn’t let the week go by without a pick for the best Dolly Parton tribute of the weekend. Strap on your skates and some sparkles and get ready to roll away the pain to Dolly’s tunes at the Moonlight Rollerway. It’s the perfect way to honor the legend.
L.A. Mayoral Environmental Forum
Thursday, Sept. 3, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. L.A. Trade Technical-College 400 W. Washington Blvd., South L.A. COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO
Join environmental justice, environmental, climate, labor, public health, and community organizations from across Los Angeles for a nonpartisan mayoral forum focused on the key issues shaping the future of our city. This forum will bring mayoral candidates together to discuss environmental justice, climate, affordability, and the everyday challenges facing Los Angeles communities. And LAist's own Erin Stone will moderate the event!
The widespread coastal damage from Hurricane Marie, which was hundreds of miles off the coast, is a preview of what El Nino could bring later this year.
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Mario Tama
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Topline:
Big surf from distant hurricanes in the Pacific could bring coastal flooding to Southern California starting this weekend.
Why it matters: Hurricanes Polo and Odalys are expected to cause coastal erosion, flooding and high surf along Southern California's already battered coastline.
Read on ... for the forecast.
Big surf from distant hurricanes in the Pacific could bring coastal flooding to Southern California starting this weekend.
Hurricanes Polo and Odalys are expected to cause coastal erosion, flooding and high surf along Southern California's already battered coastline. Swells from Polo are expect to arrive as early as late Sunday and peak Monday and Tuesday.
Bryan Lewis, National Weather Service meteorologist, told LAist that high tides could reach 7 feet. He said Long Beach and Avalon are among the more vulnerable areas for potential flooding and erosion.
Long Beach and Los Angeles warned residents to prepare for potential flooding and other effects through at least Wednesday.
In early September, Hurricane Marie brought coastal erosion and flooding that led homes being red- and yellow-tagged in L.A. and Orange counties.
Friends & Family Flea, a new market from the team behind Maum Market, will make its debut Saturday in Koreatown.
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Courtesy Friends & Family Flea
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Topline:
Friends & Family Flea, a new market from the team behind Maum Market, will make its debut Saturday in Koreatown.
Why it matters: Most of the 24 vendors participating in the first Friends & Family Flea have some connection to Koreatown. Some grew up in the neighborhood, some still live there and others have moved away but retain ties to the area. The vendor list includes apparel brands, artists, jewelry makers, beauty and wellness businesses and food vendors.
The backstory: Nearly five years ago, co-founders Arnold Byun and Kioh Park were living in Koreatown and spending months at Document Coffee Bar. They dreamt up what would eventually become Maum Market, launched in January 2022. They're taking a similar approach to Friends & Family Flea.
Friends & Family Flea, a new market from the team behind Maum Market, will make its debut Saturday in Koreatown.
For organizer Arnold Byun, the launch is something of a homecoming.
Nearly five years ago, Byun and his co-founder, Kioh Park, were living in Koreatown and spending months at Document Coffee Bar dreaming up what would eventually become Maum Market, the Asian makers market they launched in January 2022. The market now has a regular presence at ROW DTLA, where it hosts pop-up markets on Dock Street several times a year.
“The genesis of Maum Market is actually really embedded in Koreatown,” Byun, 31, told The LA Local. “And we have a lot of affection and personal history with Koreatown, so it’s a very personal thing for us just to return to our roots.”
Most of the 24 vendors participating in the first Friends & Family Flea have some connection to Koreatown, Byun said. Some grew up in the neighborhood, some still live there and others have moved away but retain ties to the area. The vendor list includes apparel brands, artists, jewelry makers, beauty and wellness businesses and food vendors.
“We’ve been trying to be pretty intentional about curating from the community as much as possible,” Byun said.
There will be plenty of food and shopping, including “sogeum-bbang,” or salt bread, tea, handmade candles, soaps and vintage clothing, as well as flash tattoos and burgers and fries from Love Hour. The LA Hwatu-Hanafuda Club will teach visitors about hwatu, the Korean deck of playing cards with roots in Japan. The club will also offer $5 tarot card readings.
Friends & Family Flea, a new market from the team behind Maum Market, will make its debut Saturday in Koreatown.
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Courtesy Eena Cho
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Eena Cho, founder of the LA Hwatu-Hanafuda Club, was born and raised in Koreatown. She remembers living with her mother in an apartment on Wilshire Boulevard and Vermont Avenue and volunteering at the senior center near Seoul International Park, where she spent time with older Korean residents.
She also grew up playing go-stop with her grandparents during Korean holidays, like Chuseok and Seollal.
“That was a big part of my childhood,” said Cho, 24. “Another part is that living in LA where there’s so many different groups of people together, I remember my best friend Maria growing up, she was Mexican, and we would be playmates because both of our parents were working overtime.”
For Cho, joining Friends & Family Flea felt like a natural fit.
“Koreatown is a beautiful diaspora of many different cultures,” Cho said. “And I think that makes Koreatown, Koreatown.”
Friends & Family Flea, a new market from the team behind Maum Market, will make its debut Saturday in Koreatown.
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Courtesy Eena Cho
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The local focus is a big part of what Byun hopes will distinguish Friends & Family from other flea markets and fairs. He said organizers wanted to create something that “intentionally celebrates a specific neighborhood,” in this case, Koreatown.
For the Koreatown market, that also means highlighting small businesses beyond the restaurants that often get the most attention.
“It’s more about, you know, where do we get our dry cleaning, where do we get our shoes done, or these kinds of services that I think don’t get highlighted as often as maybe restaurants do, but are really core and essential parts of a community business,” Byun said.
Byun’s own history with Koreatown also makes the neighborhood an especially fitting place to start.
His family immigrated to the South Bay from Korea in 2002, when he was 6. He remembers coming to Koreatown with his parents on the weekends for Korean meals and grocery trips.
Byun still thinks of the neighborhood as a second home for Korean immigrants, while appreciating how its community has grown more diverse.
“I’m just really happy to see it become a really beloved neighborhood,” he said.
The market is also giving back locally. Hats sold at the event will benefit the Koreatown Youth and Community Center, Byun said.
Friends & Family Flea Where: Un-Other Space, 524 S. Western Ave., Los Angeles When: Saturday, Sept. 26, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free. Organizers are asking attendees to RSVP.
And this may not be a one-time run. If Saturday goes well, organizers hope to bring Friends & Family Flea back to Koreatown on a monthly basis. They also plan to offer discounted vendor fees to Koreatown residents.
“I feel like there was so much opportunity for us to really hone in and create something more hyperlocal and also really embed ourselves in the community as well,” Byun said.
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Suzanne Levy
is a senior editor on the Explore LA team, where she oversees food, LA Explained and other feature stories.
Published September 26, 2026 5:00 AM
The delightful sounding house finch.
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Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
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Topline:
Do you know what birds are singing in your backyard? LAist editor Suzanne Levy got to know an entire orchestra of SoCal birds when she found a life-changing app.
What's in a name: The Merlin bird ID app, from Cornell University's Ornithology Lab, opened up Levy's ears to a whole new universe of bird calls. With names like dark-eyed junco, she wondered if they knew they were in SoCal rather than Georgian England.
Who else was out there? Mixed in with raucous crows were birds like the spotted towhee and the orange-crowned warbler. Or the gorgeous chartreuse Swinhoe's white-eye, a relative newbie to the neighborhood.
When I lived in the UK, I worked on a BBC television show about birding. It was a strange experience as I couldn’t exactly book guests — “Hello Mr. Sparrow, could you be on location for an interview at 2 p.m.?”
So instead I spent a lot of time with the crew climbing up mountains with a large tripod on my shoulder. Did you know there’s a bird in the Scottish Highlands whose plumage turns white in winter to blend in with the snow? (It’s called a ptarmigan. Don’t pronounce the p.)
But it did mean I was attuned to British bird calls. I could hear something and pronounce solemnly: “Ah yes, that’s a lark. And that one's a chaffinch."
Moving to LA meant learning a new set of bird calls
When I moved to the U.S., however, it was a whole other story. I really didn’t recognize any of the bird calls. They were all so different. I just shrugged and figured they were part of the backdrop. But one day recently, a woman told me about a free app and said it was life-changing. "Hmm, I’ll see about that," I thought.
Merlin bird app
It’s called Merlin, from the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, and it’s kind of like Shazam for bird calls. As in, you click it, and it tells you what bird song you can hear around you. When I opened it in my backyard for the first time, a whole orchestra of bird sounds opened up around me. I admit: it was kind of life-changing.
Of course it first picked up a crow, which I know only too well, given its loud, raucous sound. But then it identified a house finch. Huh. Who knew they were in my backyard? And as I listened closely, I realized … I knew that sound! It’s the first thing I hear when I wake up at dawn, lovely and melodic.
The house finch, awakening the day.
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Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
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So now when I open my eyes in the morning, I say, "Good morning, house finch, communing with fellow beings alive on a vibrant California morning!" It kicks off my day, although I guess I’ve been reading too much Mary Oliver.
The backyard birds you're probably hearing right now
But then other birds I didn’t know would pop up on my phone during the day, with names as intriguing as their calls: the spotted towhee, the orange-crowned warbler, or Cassin’s kingbird.
I mean, they do realize they’re in a backyard in Los Angeles, not some estate in Georgian England? My favorite for a while was the dark-eyed junco. Now we’re talking romantic heroes. Imagine him slyly popping across the apple tree limbs to call to you. Dark-Eyed Junco, at your service.
Dark-eyed junco, at your service.
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Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
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Meet Swinhoe's white-eye, a non-native bird spreading across SoCal
And then there’s Swinhoe’s white-eye. Which sounds a little like an eye ailment, but there you go. It’s a tiny bright yellow bird with a white ring around each eye. So cute! I first noticed them when there were a bazillion of them in a tree outside my house. It was such an unusual sight that I mentioned it to a woman walking her dog, and we stood there, oohing and aahing, until we both realized we’d oohed a little too much, and it was time to go.
Swinhoe's white-eyes are not native to SoCal, but are thriving.
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Cornell Lab of Ornithology | Macaulay Library
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When I researched them, I was surprised to find they’re not native to SoCal. They’re actually pretty new to the area. There were just a handful in Orange County 20 years ago, probably having been brought over from Asia as pets and escaped. And now, they’re thriving and have spread everywhere from Baja to San Luis Obispo. Who knows where they’ll end up next? If anyone sees a chartreuse cutie in New York, let me know. It'll probably be very tired.
Yes, you can see I’ve become slightly annoying with my newfound bird interest. I’ll be asking my family what they want for dinner, and I’ll say, “Wait, is that the spotted towhee?” and turn to my phone, and my teenager will wrest it out of my hand and say, “Mom, be in the present!” Which is right. But my morning serenade as the birds come online one by one and greet the new day — well, that’s as present as you can be.
Adolfo Guzman-Lopez
is an arts and general assignment reporter on LAist's Explore LA team.
Published September 26, 2026 5:00 AM
El Abrazo (The Embrace) by Elizabeth Catlett. The sculpture was part of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance collection but is now part of the Los Angeles County Civic Art Collection.
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist
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Topline:
Art from the renowned Golden State Mutual collection, including Richard Wyatt, Elizabeth Catlett and Charles White, are on view at four libraries and four community centers in L.A. County.
Why it matters: L.A. County acquired about 120 works from the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance after the L.A. company shut down nearly 20 years ago. Over two decades, William Pajaud, the company's art director, built a pre-eminent collection of Black art. County officials chose four public libraries and four community centers to show the work, keeping it accessible and free of charge.
Why now: The L.A. County arts department created a new website with a map in March to help people find and see the pieces.
The signature work: A two-foot-tall sculpture made from one piece of mahogany, "The Embrace" by artist Elizabeth Catlett. Her work is in the collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, among many other institutions. It can be seen at the Carson Library.
Read on… To see photos of the art.
Walk through the automatic doors at the Carson Library and you’ll see on your left a 1973 painting called "Dominoes" by John Riddle.
Riddle, a prominent Black artist, has worked in the L.A. County Museum of Art and the Brooklyn Museum, and has been collected by Jesse Jackson and Roberta Flack.
Riddle's work was previously owned by the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company in West Adams. Over two decades, the company’s art director, William Pajaud, an L.A. artist himself, carefully collected hundreds of pieces of Black art. Each piece in the collection, Pajaud said, would be a chapter telling the story of African Americans in the U.S. The collection included oil paintings, watercolors, and sculptures in clay, wood and metal.
When Golden State Mutual Life Insurance shut down, the company sold most of the best pieces at a private auction in 2007, with some selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. L.A. County was able to acquire about 120 works, including Riddle's piece.
View Park Bebe Moore Campbell Library (View Park/Windsor Hills)
Community centers:
Curtis Tucker Behavioral Health Center Health Services (Inglewood)
Willowbrook Senior Center Aging and Disabilities (Willowbrook)
Mark Ridley-Thomas Behavioral Health Center Health Services (on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Medical Campus).
“All of these are county-owned spaces that are available, accessible to the public and to patrons to be able to live with the works, learn about the works, see the works, learn about the works,” said Kristin Sakoda, director of the Los Angeles County Department of Arts and Culture.
Dominoes by John Riddle. The painting was part of the Golden State Mutual Life Insurance collection but is now part of the Los Angeles County Civic Art Collection.
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist
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As you walk past the checkout desk at the Carson Library, toward the teen section, you’ll see another remarkable piece from the county’s holdings. It’s a two-foot-tall sculpture made from one piece of mahogany. It’s called "The Embrace" by artist Elizabeth Catlett, whose work is in the collection of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, among many other institutions. Catlett depicted two people hugging, their faces and bodies fused together, their eyes looking at the viewer.
Detail of El Abrazo (The Embrace) by Elizabeth Catlett.
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist
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In the auction catalogue for the Golden State Collection, Catlett wrote: “I still work figuratively, trying to express emotion through abstract form, color, line, and space. I attempt to reach out to ordinary people who have little or no experience or understanding of art principles, and extend to them what I may feel about a subject."
Ancestral Fragments by Stanley Wilson.
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Adolfo Guzman-Lopez/LAist
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Meanwhile at A.C. Bilbrew Library, north of Compton, there’s a piece by Charles White, who lived in L.A. County for decades and mentored many artists in the region. His paintings and drawings in the 1960s took on the issues of the Black Civil Rights Movement, and that led well-known Black Americans like Nat King Cole and Eartha Kitt to buy his art.
County officials are hopeful that the communities around these neighborhoods enjoy the art’s benefits, including “mental health, in our education, our youth development, our sense of inclusion and belonging,” Sakoda said.
