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The Brief

The most important stories for you to know today
  • Lineup is here for both weekends in April
    A woman with long black hair sings into a microphone being held in her left hand. She's wearing a light blue and red tattered dress or bodysuit with fishnets.
    Doja Cat performs on stage during the 2022 Coachella Valley Music And Arts Festival on April 24, 2022 in Indio, California.

    Topline:

    The lineup for one of Southern California’s most popular music festivals was released Tuesday.

    Why it matters: Lana Del Rey will be headlining Friday, Tyler, the Creator will be headlining Saturday, and Doja Cat will be closing out both weekends as the Sunday headliner.

    Why now: This year, Coachella weekend one will run from Friday, April 12 through Sunday, April 14. Coachella weekend two will be from Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21.

    What's next: If you’re loving this lineup, presale passes will go on sale at 11 a.m. on Friday.

    Go deeper: ...to learn more about the lineup.

    The lineup for one of Southern California’s most popular music festivals was released Tuesday.

    This year, Coachella weekend one will run from Friday, April 12 through Sunday, April 14. Coachella weekend two will be from Friday, April 19 through Sunday, April 21.

    Friday artists

    Lana Del Rey will be headlining both Fridays. The title for her ninth and latest album, Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd, was inspired by Long Beach.

    Mexican singer Peso Pluma, rapper Lil Uzi Vert, Korean boy band Ateez, and the Eras Tour opening act Sabrina Carpenter will also be performing on Friday, April 12 and 19.

    Other notable names include electronic duo Gorgon City, R&B singer Tinashe, and indie rock band Lovejoy.

    Saturday artists

    Tyler, the Creator will be headlining both Saturdays. The rapper is also a founding member of Odd Future, a hip-hop collective that used to include Frank Ocean.

    Ocean headlined last year’s Coachella, but the singer ended up dropping out of the second weekend after a disappointing and controversial performance.

    Rock band Blur, Bronx-born rapper Ice Spice, Long Beach locals Sublime, and house music DJ Dom Dolla will also be performing on Saturday, April 13 and 20.

    More artists such as indie pop group The Drums, Huntington Beach’s very own band The Aquabats, and German DJ Purple Disco Machine will also be performing.

    Sunday artists 

    Doja Cat will be closing out both weekends as the Sunday headliner.

    The rapper / singer double threat was born and raised in Los Angeles.

    Colombian singer J Balvin, R&B singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko, and Mean Girls musical star Reneé Rapp will also be performing on Sunday, April 14 and 21.

    Other notable names include Taking Back Sunday, Coi Leray, and Flight Facilities.

    Extras

    No Doubt, which got its start in Anaheim, will be reuniting for Coachella 2024. The band’s singer, Gwen Stefani, was inducted to Orange County’s Hall of Fame just last week.

    The band is listed as a floating headliner, so it’s unclear what days they’ll be performing.

    If you’re loving this lineup, presale passes will go on sale at 11 a.m. on Friday. Plus, if you purchased tickets for 2023 or 2022, you’ll get access to a loyalty presale a little early at 2 p.m. on Thursday.

    To access the loyalty presale, register with the same email you used for previous years. For your best chance at passes, Coachella recommends skipping ahead to weekend two.

  • Concert helps survivors get their vinyl back
    stacks of records, wood paneled shelves, golden light fixtures
    Interior of Healing Force of the Universe records in Pasadena, where a benefit concert is held on Sunday to help fire survivors build back their record collections.

    Topline:

    This Sunday, a special donation concert at Pasadena's Healing Force of the Universe record store helps fire survivors get their vinyl record collections back.

    The backstory: The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s musical instruments in the Eaton Fire. Now, he has turned his efforts on rebuilding people's lost record collections.

    Read on ... to find details of the show happening Sunday.

    In the wake of the Eaton Fire, Altadena and Pasadena’s music community have really shown up to support fire survivors, especially fellow musicians who lost instruments and record collections.

    That effort continues this weekend with a special donation concert at a Pasadena record store, with the aim of getting vinyl records back in the hands of survivors who lost their collections.

    “You know, our name is Healing Force of the Universe, and I think that gives me a pretty clear direction… especially after the fires,” said Austin Manuel, founder of Pasadena record store, where Sunday’s show will be held.

    The record donation effort is the brainchild of musician Brandon Jay, who founded the nonprofit Altadena Musicians after losing his home and almost all of his family’s instruments in the Eaton Fire. Through Altadena Musicians’s donation and registry platform, Jay said he and his partners have helped some 1,200 fire survivors get their music instruments back.

    Brandon Jay sits in front of a row of amplifiers.
    Brandon Jay.
    (
    Robert Garrova
    /
    LAist
    )

    Now, that effort has fanned out to restoring vinyl record collections.

    “All of that stuff evaporated for thousands of people,” Jay said. “Look at your own record collection and be like, ‘Wow, what if that whole thing disappeared?’”

    You might know Jay from several bands over the years, including Lutefisk, a 1990s alt-rock band based in Los Angeles. He and his wife, Gwendolyn Sanford, composed music for TV shows, including Orange is the New Black and Weeds.

    Jay plans to play some holiday tunes at Sunday's record donation show (which LAist is the media sponsor), along with fellow musician Daniel Brummel of Sanglorians. Brummel, who was also a founding member of Pasadena’s indie-rock sensation Ozma, said he was grateful to Jay for his fire recovery work and to Manuel for making Healing Force available for shows like this.

    Brummel, who came close to losing his own home in the Eaton Fire, recalled a show he played at Healing Force back in March.

    Ryen Slegr (left) and Daniel Brummel perform with their band, Ozma, on the 2014 Weezer Cruise.
    (
    Even Keel Imagery
    )

    “The trauma of the fires was still really fresh,” Brummel said. After playing a cover of Rufus Wainwright’s “Going to a Town,” that night — which includes the lyrics “I’m going to a town that has already been burnt down” — Brummel said his neighbors in the audience told him the rendition hit them hard. “It felt really powerful. And without that space, it just wouldn’t have occurred.”

    Details

    Healing Force of the Universe Record Donation Show
    Featuring: Quasar (aka Brandon Jay), Sanglorians (Daniel Brummel) and The Acrylic.
    Sunday, Dec. 14; 2 to 5 p.m.
    1200 E. Walnut St., Pasadena
    Tickets are $15 or you can donate 5 or more records at the door. More info here.

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  • Fire department honored with 'Award of Excellence'
    A close-up of a star plaque in the style of the Hollywood Walk of Fame on top of a red carpet. The star reads "Los Angeles Fire Dept." in gold text towards the top.
    The "Award of Excellence Star" honoring the Los Angeles Fire Department on Friday.

    Topline:

    The Hollywood Walk of Fame has a new neighbor — a star dedicated to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

    Why it matters: The Fire Department has been honored with an “Award of Excellence Star” for its public service during the Palisades and Sunset fires, which burned in the Pacific Palisades and Hollywood Hills neighborhoods of L.A. in January.

    Why now: The star was unveiled on Hollywood Boulevard on Friday at a ceremony hosted by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and Hollywood Community Foundation.

    Awards of Excellence celebrate organizations for their positive impacts on Hollywood and the entertainment industry, according to organizers. Fewer than 10 have been handed out so far, including to the LA Times, Dodgers and Disneyland.

    The backstory: The idea of awarding a star to the Fire Department was prompted by an eighth-grade class essay from Eniola Taiwo, 14, from Connecticut. In an essay on personal heroes, Taiwo called for L.A. firefighters to be recognized. She sent the letter to the Chamber of Commerce.

    “This star for first responders will reach the hearts of many first responders and let them know that what they do is recognized and appreciated,” Taiwo’s letter read. “It will also encourage young people like me to be a change in the world.”

    A group of people are gathered around a red carpet with a Hollywood star in the center. A man wearing a black uniform is hugging a Black teenage girl on top of the star.
    LAFD Chief Jaime E. Moore, Eniola Taiwo and LAFD firefighters with the "Award of Excellence Star" Friday.
    (
    Matt Winkelmeyer
    /
    Getty Images North America
    )

    The Award of Excellence Star is in front of the Ovation Entertainment Complex next to the Walk of Fame; however, it is separate from the official program.

    What officials say: Steve Nissen, president and CEO of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, said in a statement Taiwo’s letter was the inspiration for a monument that will “forever shine in Hollywood.”

    “This recognition is not only about honoring the bravery of the Los Angeles Fire Department but also about celebrating the vision of a young student whose words reminded us all of the importance of gratitude and civic pride,” said Nissen, who’s also president and CEO of the Hollywood Community Foundation.

    Go deeper: LA's wildfires: Your recovery guide

  • Councilmember wants to learn more
    A woman with brown hair past her shoulders is speaking into a microphone affixed to a podium. She's wearing a light blue turtleneck under a navy blue checkered jacket and small earrings. Two other women can be seen standing behind her on the left.
    L.A. City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto was accused of an ethics breach in a case the city settled for $18 million.

    Topline:

    Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.

    The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

    The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

    What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

    What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

    Topline:

    Fallout from allegations of an ethics breach by Los Angeles’ elected city attorney has reached the City Council. Councilmember Ysabel Jurado introduced a motion Friday requesting a closed-session meeting about an allegation that City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto improperly contacted a witness days before her office entered into one of the city’s biggest settlements in recent years. The motion came a day after LAist reported about the allegation.

    The case: In September, the city settled a lawsuit brought forward by two brothers in their 70s who said they suffered serious injuries after an LAPD officer crashed into their car. Days before the $18 million settlement was reached, lawyers for the brothers said Feldstein Soto called an expert witness testifying for the plaintiffs and “attempted to ingratiate herself with him and asked him to make a contribution to her political campaign,” according to a sworn declaration to the court by the plaintiffs’ attorney, Robert Glassman.

    The response: Feldstein Soto did not respond to an interview request. Her spokesperson said the settlement “had nothing to do” with the expert witness. Her campaign manager told LAist the city attorney had been making a routine fundraising call and did not know the person had a role in the case, nor that there were pending requests for her office to pay him fees.

    What Jurado says: In a statement to LAist, Jurado said she wants to “make sure that the city’s legal leadership is guided by integrity and accountability, especially when their choices affect public trust, civic rights and the city’s limited resources."

    What’s next: The motion needs to go through a few committees before reaching the full City Council. If it passes, the motion calls for the city attorney to “report to council in closed session within 45 days regarding the ethics breach violation and give updates to the City Council."

  • How one Santa Ana home honors the holiday
    At the center of the altar is a statue of the Lady of Guadalupe -- a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands clasped in prayer and an angel at her feet. Behind the statue is a tapestry with a glass-stained window design. The statue is surrounded by flowers of all kinds of colors.
    Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his Santa Ana home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe.

    Topline:

    Today marks el Día de La Virgen de Guadalupe, or the day of the Virgen of Guadalupe, an important holiday for Catholics and those of Mexican descent. In Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana builds an elaborate altar in her honor that draws hundreds of visitors.

    What is the holiday celebrating? In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman, wearing a green veil with her hands clasped in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak. Every year on Dec. 12, worshippers of the saint celebrate the Guadalupita with prayer and song.

    Read on … for how worshippers in Santa Ana celebrate.

    Every year in Santa Ana, Luis Cantabrana turns the front of his home into an elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe that draws hundreds of visitors.

    Along the front of the house, the multi-colored altar is filled with lights, flowers and a stained-glass tapestry behind a sculpture of the Lady of Guadalupe. Cantabrana’s roof also is lit up with the green, white and red lights that spell out “Virgen de Guadalupe” and a cross.

    Visitors are welcomed with music and the smell of roses as they celebrate the saint, but this year’s gathering comes after a dark year for immigrant communities.

    A dark-skinned man wearing a navy blue long sleeve shirt stands in front of the altar he built for the Lady of Guadalupe. At the center of the altar is a statue of the Lady of Guadalupe -- a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands clasped in prayer and an angel at her feet. Behind the statue is a tapestry with a glass-stained window design. The statue is surrounded by flowers of all kinds of colors.
    Luis Cantabrana stands in front of the stunning altar he built in front of his home in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe. Every year, his display draws hundreds of visitors.
    (
    Destiny Torres
    /
    LAist
    )

    Why do they celebrate? 

    In 1513, the Virgin Mary appeared before St. Juan Diego between Dec. 9 and Dec. 12, asking him to build a church in her honor. Her image — a brown-skinned woman wearing a green veil with her hands together in prayer and an angel at her feet — miraculously appeared on his cloak.

    To celebrate in Santa Ana, worshippers gathered late-night Wednesday and in the very early hours Dec. 12 to pray the rosary, sing hymns and celebrate the saint.

    Cantabrana has hosted worshippers at his home for 27 years — 17 in Santa Ana.

    The altar started out small, he said, and over the years, he added a fabric background, more lights and flowers (lots and lots of flowers).

    “It started with me making a promise to la Virgen de Guadalupe that while I had life and a home to build an altar, that I would do it,” Cantabrana said. “Everything you see in photos and videos is pretty, but when you come and see it live, it's more than pretty. It's beautiful.”

    The roof of a home is decked out in green, white and red lights. At the center peak of the roof is a small picture of the Virgin Mary. Lights spell out the words, "Virgen de Guadalupe." on the slope of the roof, the lights are laid out in the display of a cross.
    The Santa Ana home's elaborate altar in honor of La Virgen de Guadalupe draws hundreds of visitors each year.
    (
    Destiny Torres
    /
    LAist
    )

    Gathering in a time of turmoil 

    Many also look to the Lady of Guadalupe for protection, especially at a time when federal enforcement has rattled immigrant communities.

    “People don’t want to go to work, they don’t want to take their kids to school, but the love we have for our Virgen de Guadalupe,” Cantabrana said. “We see that la Virgen de Guadalupe has a lot of power, and so we know immigration [enforcement] won’t come here.”

    Margarita Lopez of Garden Grove has been visiting the altar for three years with her husband. She’s been celebrating the Virgencita since she was a young girl. Honoring the saint is as important now as ever, she said.

    “We ask, and she performs miracles,” Lopez said.

    Claudia Tapia, a lifelong Santa Ana resident, said the Virgin Mary represents strength.

    “Right now, with everything going on, a lot of our families [have] turned and prayed to the Virgen for strength during these times,” Tapia said. “She's a very strong symbol of Mexican culture, of unity, of faith and of resilience.”

    See it for yourself

    The shrine will stay up into the new year on the corner of Broadway and Camile Street.