The Best Things To Do This Week In Los Angeles and SoCal: Aug. 23-27

With the COVID-19 delta variant spreading, it's best to check ahead of time to make sure events are still happening as scheduled.

Hear from tennis great Billie Jean King. Watch Fred Armisen and friends perform live. Attend the Dances with Films festival. Groove to Afrobeat.

Monday, Aug. 23; 7 p.m.

Business of Food
Good Food’s Evan Kleiman discusses the restaurant business — finding and retaining staff, creating an equitable workplace, culinary challenges — with: Elissa Phillips, founder and CEO of Mise En Place Restaurant Services; Javier Espinoza, chef at A.O.C.; Lien Ta, co-owner of All Day Baby; and Jeremy Fox, chef/owner of Birdie G’s, Rustic Canyon and Tallula’s.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Billie Jean King during a Women Changing The Conversation panel at Carnegie Hall in February 2020.

(NOAM GALAI/Getty Images for HISTORY

/

Getty Images North America)

Tuesday, Aug. 24; 6 p.m. PT

Billie Jean King: All In
Tennis legend Billie Jean King discusses her new memoir with Los Angeles Times executive sports editor Chris Stone. King writes about growing up in Long Beach, competing in SoCal before sports scholarships for women were available, and finding herself along the way. The event will be livestreamed on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 24; 8 p.m.

DJ Kaytranada and Big Boi
The Torch
Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
3911 S. Figueroa St., Exposition Park
Grammy winners DJ Kaytranada and Big Boi co-headline the MLS All-Star Concert, part of a week of fan experiences before the soccer all-star game on Wednesday . The concert benefits the nonprofit World Central Kitchen , which nourishes communities through times of crisis and beyond. The concert is 21+.
COST: $15; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Aug. 24; 8 p.m.

Fred Armisen and Friends
Largo at the Coronet
366 N. La Cienega, Beverly Grove
The musician and comedian takes center stage at the intimate venue. Masks are required for entry and must be worn by all guests. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hrs. is also required.
COST: $35; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 25; 7 p.m.

Music Stories from the Cosmic Barrio
The Grammy Museum
800 West Olympic Ave., downtown L.A.
The museum welcomes music journalist Betto Arcos for a discussion and signing of his new book, a collection of 150 stories about music from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East and Europe. Singer-songwriter-producer Gaby Moreno performs.
COST: $15; MORE INFO

Shelley Lazarus' art show '93001' opens at TAG Gallery this week.

(Courtesy of the gallery and the artist)

Wednesday, Aug. 25 - Saturday, Sep. 18

New Exhibitions
TAG Gallery
5458 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
The gallery opens new fine art exhibitions this week: Shelley Lazarus: 93001; Gary Polonsky Drawings: Past & Present; Shirley Asano Guldimann: The Color of Memory; Elyse Wyman: Anything But Normal and Carlos Buitrago: Humanoids and Friends. An artist reception takes place on Saturday, Aug. 28 from 5 to 9 p.m.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 25; 5 p.m.

Creating the Costumes of The Masked Singer with Marina Toybina
FIDM holds an online lecture with the five-time Emmy winner, who will discuss her work as costume designer for Fox’s hit singing competition show. Toybina has also created costumes for other shows such as The X Factor and So You Think You Can Dance.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 25 - Friday, Aug. 27

Quattrosound / Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles
Promenade Terrace
9390 N. Santa Monica Blvd., Beverly Hills
The Summer @ The Wallis series continues this week with a performance by the acoustic ensemble on Wednesday that blends jazz, rock and classical music. The vocals, along with violin, cello, guitar and a number of percussion instruments, reflect the musicians’ roots in Japan, Mexico, Guatemala and the U.S. Also performing at the Wallis on Thursday and Friday is the world's first LGBTQ+ mariachi band .
COST: $30 - $40; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Aug. 25 - Thursday, Aug. 26

Tribeca Drive-in
Rose Bowl Stadium
1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena
The screening series wraps its L.A. run with Shorts: Mix Tape featuring music and dance shorts on Wednesday at 6 p.m. It’s followed by Fame at 8:30 p.m. Thursday’s films are The Little Shop of Horrors at 5:30 p.m. and Dreamgirls at 8:30 p.m.
COST: $30 per vehicle; MORE INFO

UCLA Film & Television Archive presents the virtual program, 'Baby Peggy: A Tribute.'

(UCLA Film & Television Archive)

Thursday, Aug. 26; 4 p.m.

Baby Peggy: A Tribute
The UCLA Film & Television Archive chronicles the story of Baby Peggy, a child actor who emerged more than a decade before box office star Shirley Temple. Baby Peggy began her career in silent comedies and became one of Hollywood’s highest paid stars. She later authored several books on child actors, including her autobiography, as Diana Serra Cary. The program offers a selection of Baby Peggy’s surviving films including a fragment of a film not seen by audiences since the 1920s.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 26 - Sunday, Sep. 12

Dances with Films
TCL Chinese Theatres
6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The independent film festival returns for its 24th year, opening with the documentary The Art of Protest from Colin M. Day (Saving Banksy). It closes with Mister Sister from writer-director Mars Roberge. Short films in competition include Michelle Bossy’s Klutz and Robert Gregson’s A Good Couple.
COST: $20 - $425 (passes); MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 26; 7:30 p.m.

Orange Empire Chorus
Muckenthaler Cultural Center
1201 W. Malvern Ave., Fullerton
The Muck hosts the chorus, which was first formed in 1957. The performance features standards, contemporary tunes and comedy songs all sung in the four-part barbershop style.
COST: $15 - $30; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 26; 8 p.m.

2021 Sunset Concerts: Extra Ancestral
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood
The summer concert series wraps with a performance of traditional African song and dance combined with Afrobeat, jazz and reggae. Led by artist-educator Kahlil Cummings, the night is a celebration of the African diaspora in Los Angeles.
COST: FREE with RSVP, parking $10 - $20; MORE INFO

The 4th annual 'Remix: The Art of Music' is now open at Gabba Gallery.

('When I Went to School I Carried Lunch in a Bag' by Jason Abraham Smith)

Through Saturday, Sep. 18

4th Annual Remix: The Art of Music
Gabba Gallery
3126 Beverly Blvd., Westlake
The music-themed exhibition features more than 60 local and international artists who have created visual artworks inspired by music. The results include imagined album covers, portraits of rock idols and paintings inspired by songs. Curated by Jason Ostro and Elena Jacobson, a portion of every sale will be donated to Adopt the Arts, a nonprofit that helps fund arts programs in public elementary schools. The art will be available online starting Tuesday, Aug. 24 at 9 a.m.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Through January 2022

Gabriella Sanchez: Partial Pictures
The Museum of Latin American Art (MOLAA)
628 Alamitos Ave., Long Beach
MOLAA presents the first solo museum exhibition for one of the most exciting emerging Latina artists on L.A.’s contemporary art scene. The 17 artworks include paintings, sculptures, installations, photographs and video art. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sanchez will also be the featured artist of the MOLAA Zoom Project Series on Wednesday, Aug. 25 at 11:00 a.m. via Zoom.
COST: $7 - $10; MORE INFO

Streaming Pick

Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed
Joshua Rofé’s (Lorena, Sasquatch) documentary about the curly-haired The Joy of Painting artist launches on Netflix on Wednesday, Aug. 25 . Ross’s soothing voice, gentle demeanor and affinity for happy trees have made him and the show cult faves more than 25 years after his passing. The trailer from Netflix hints at something darker in his life. Melissa McCarthy and Ben Falcone are among the doc’s producers.

A three-part thematic dinner series, curated by the Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West, explores the past, present and future of Italian cuisine.

(Courtesy of N10)

Dine and Drink Deals

Here's the 411 on restaurant happenings in SoCal:

• The Hotel Bel-Air celebrates its 75th anniversary this month with new libations in the bar and lounge, including the Bel-Air 75 (gin, elderflower, lemon and champagne) and the Some Like It Hot (Aperol, prosecco, fresh chili). Wolfgang Puck at the hotel is also featuring an anniversary Saturday afternoon tea this week and next with seatings at noon and 2:30 p.m.
• Temple City newcomer Happy Buddha Kitchen serves meatless Vietnamese dishes. The menu features lemongrass chicken with rice, beef stew with noodle soups, an assortment of vermicelli dishes, pho and bun bo hue. (h/t Eater LA )
• Sticky Rice has debuted another outpost. The Highland Park spot joins locations in Grand Central Market and Echo Park. With an order window and sidewalk seating, it's open 6-10 p.m., Tuesday-Sunday. The menu features curries, noodle soups and munchies perfect for patrons of companion music venue The Goldfish. Both businesses are taking over the Hi-Hat space at 5043 York Blvd. (h/t Los Angeles Times )
• Tuesday, Aug. 24 is National Waffle Day, and all three Dolly Llama locations (DTLA, Koreatown and Sherman Oaks) are offering waffle deals for $5 each . Guests can create their own sweet treat with a bubble waffle or the OG liege waffle and pair it with ice cream and toppings. A 6-piece Mini OG box of waffles will also be available for $5.
• Learn how to make corn fritters with tomato jam and a summer salad with corn, tomato and avocado during a free, virtual cooking class from the Institute of Culinary Education on Tuesday, Aug. 24, 12-1:30 p.m. Registration is required for the Zoom link and ingredients list .
• Dave’s Hot Chicken has added a new location to its growing empire. The Ladera Heights outpost (5301 Centinela Ave.) opened last week, bringing more heat to the neighborhood.
• The Italy-America Chamber of Commerce West curates an Italian dinner series at three Los Angeles restaurants to celebrate “ True Italian Taste. " Dine at Angelini Osteria (Aug. 23), N10 (Aug. 24) and Rossoblu (Aug. 26) for one-night-only menus.

• Crowns & Hops Brewing Co. in Inglewood recently released The Blue Peach, a blueberry peach gose, brewed in collaboration with Black Calder Brewing in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The beer was made in honor of Stacey Abrams, and a percentage of funds generated from its sale will go to the voting rights organization Fair Fight. The Blue Peach is currently available in select SoCal retailers .
• Philip Camino’s Imari in Brentwood opens for dine-in on Wednesday, Aug. 25, serving traditional Japanese cuisine. Imari will continue to offer its signature bento boxes for takeout and delivery.
• The District Lounge in Orange recently launched a weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. with hefty breakfast burrito options, burgers, omelettes and chilaquiles. For $15 and an entree purchase, get bottomless champagne, mimosas and juices.