The Best Things To Do In LA And SoCal This Week: Jan. 31 - Feb. 3

Join Wajahat Ali and a few famous friends to discuss his new book, Go Back to Where You Came From. Attend a Sidney Poitier retrospective. Laugh along to live comedy sets at the Popular Kids Club. Or check out bizarro found footage at Everything Is Terrible’s latest screening.

With COVID-19 variants out there, many in-person events are being canceled or postponed. Please check ahead of time to confirm event status and vaccine/testing requirements for entry.

Monday, Jan. 31: 6 p.m. PST

Go Back to Where You Came From
Virtual 
Skylight Books and Writers Bloc welcome book author and New York Times writer Wajahat Ali, who brings a few friends to discuss his humor-filled memoir that tackles the dangers of Islamophobia, white supremacy, and chocolate hummus while offering insights into national security, immigration, and pop culture. Joining the conversation are comedian Maz Jobrani, actor Shohreh Aghdashloo, and moderator Tonya Mosley.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Santa Monica Place celebrates the Year of the Tiger on Feb. 1-8.

(Mathew Tucciarone)

Tuesday, Feb. 1 - Tuesday, Feb. 8

Year of the Tiger
Santa Monica Place
395 Santa Monica Place, Santa Monica
The Westside retailer commemorates the Lunar New Year by decorating the Center Plaza with red and gold lanterns that light up at night and by giving out red envelopes that contain deals from participating shops and restaurants, kids take-home craft kits, and fortune cookies. Visitors can also participate in a Lunar New Year tradition by hanging their wish on the cherry blossom wishing trees for prosperity and renewal.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Feb. 1: 5 p.m.

MA in Japanese Film: In Conversation with Film Director Ryūsuke Hamaguchi
Virtual
Japan House L.A. welcomes filmmaker Hamaguchi, whose film Drive My Car is shortlisted for the Best International Feature Film category at the Academy Awards. He joins series hosts Prof. Hitoshi Abe of UCLA and Prof. Ken Tadashi Oshima of the University of Washington in a conversation exploring the concept of MA (loosely translated to negative space) in Japanese films.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Book Soup welcomes Scott Meslow (virtually) to discuss his book, "From Hollywood with Love The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy."

(Courtesy of Harper Collins)

Tuesday, Feb. 1: 6 p.m.

From Hollywood with Love: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the Romantic Comedy 
Virtual
Book Soup presents a conversation with author Scott Meslow, who discusses the misunderstood and under-appreciated rom-com genre, which includes hits from When Harry Met Sally to Crazy Rich Asians. The book includes original black-and-white sketches of iconic movie scenes and interviews with the actors and filmmakers behind some of the most beloved romantic comedies.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Tuesday, Feb. 1 - Wednesday, Feb. 23

Sidney Poitier: An American Cinematheque Retrospective 
Los Feliz Theatre
1822 N. Vermont Ave., Los Feliz
The American Cinematheque honors the late, great trailblazing actor and director with a retrospective of his work. Films include: A Raisin In The Sun, The Slender Thread, In The Heat Of The Night, They Call Me Mister Tibbs!, To Sir With Love (with Greg Proops’ podcast), Edge Of The City, Guess Who's Coming To Dinner, and Buck and the Preacher.
COST: $8 - $13; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Feb. 2: 9 p.m.

Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché
Art Theatre of Long Beach
2025 E. 4th St., Long Beach
To kick off Black History Month, the independent theater screens a documentary about Poly Styrene — the first woman of color in the United Kingdom to front the successful punk band X-Ray Spex. She used her unconventional voice to usher in a new sound of rebellion, touching upon topics from identity to consumerism and other issues facing late 1970s Britain. Poly Styrene’s daughter Celeste Bell directed the film with Paul Sng to reveal archive material (including rare diary entries narrated by Ruth Negga) and paint a fuller picture of the punk icon’s legacy and demons. There are additional screenings at the theater on Feb. 5 and 6.
COST: $9 - $13.50; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Feb. 2 - Saturday, April 9

SEA SKY LAND: towards a map of everything
USC Fisher Museum of Art
University of Southern California/ University Park Campus
823 Exposition Blvd., Exposition Park
USC Fisher Museum of Art presents a solo exhibition from Cuban-born artist, author, and former scientist Enrique Martínez Celaya, who also serves as provost professor of Humanities and Arts at USC. The exhibition brings together about 30 large-format paintings and sculptures created by the artist between 2005 and 2020 that explore the three motifs in the title: sea, sky, and land.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Thursday, Feb. 3: 8 p.m.

Popular Kids Club
Permanent Records
1906 Cypress Ave., Cypress Park
The popular kids return for more outdoor comedy shows in 2022. Watch funny folks performing and hanging out at this intimate venue. This week’s headliners are Eddie Pepitone and Kate Berlant with Nina Tarr, Asif Ali, Irene Tu, and Bil Dwyer.
COST: $8 - $10; MORE INFO

Gregg Mozgala and Shannon DeVido star in the virtual production of "Teenage Dick," a humorous retelling of "Richard III."

(Teresa Castracane)

Thursday, Feb. 3 - Sunday, Feb. 27

Teenage Dick
Virtual 
The Pasadena Playhouse pivots to a virtual presentation of Mike Lew’s play — a hilarious take on Richard III — directed by Moritz von Stuelpnagel. Produced in association with Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company and Huntington Theatre Company, Teenage Dick was filmed in HD with multiple cameras in front of a live audience during the in-person run in Boston. There are watch parties with creatives slated for Feb. 3 and 10.
COST: $25 - $55; MORE INFO

Thursday, Feb. 3: 8 p.m.

Everything Is Terrible: KIDS KLUB!
Lodge Room
104 N. Ave. 56, 2nd floor, Highland Park
Everything Is Terrible! (EIT) is the video and performance art collective that has culled some of the bleakest/weirdest moments from DVDs, VHS tapes, and the history of the internet. For this screening, EIT has unearthed segments aimed at yesterday’s youth to bring a mind-melting movie to the screen.
COST: $22; MORE INFO

Thursday, Feb. 3: 9 p.m.

Piggy Time
The Elysian
1944 Riverside Dr., Elysian Valley
The unhinged variety show, hosted by John Norris, welcomes performers Camirin Farmer, Claire Woolner, Kevin Krieger, Mollie Merkel, Mo Welch, Opey Olagbaju, Rachel Ho, Rachel Sennott, Ryan Asher, and Sheng Weng. You never know what to expect.
COST: $12; MORE INFO

Thursday, Feb. 3: 5:30 - 9 p.m.

First Thursday Art Walk
San Pedro Waterfront District
For this month’s San Pedro art walk, the band CODE 4 performs on the corner of 6th and Mesa with the Food Truck Alley taking over Mesa Street between 5th and 7th streets. Guided Art Walk tours will not happen this month, so guests are welcome to visit a selection of galleries on their own, including the National Watercolor Society, MS Gallery, Heshphoto at the 4th Street Lofts, and DeKor.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

TV Streaming Pick

Murderville
This new Netflix series, based on the British show Murder in Successville, stars Will Arnett as Senior Detective Terry Seattle. Each episode, he’s given a murder to solve and a new partner to work with — but there’s a twist. Said partner (guests Sharon Stone, Annie Murphy, Conan O’Brien, Ken Jeong, Kumail Nanjiani, and Marshawn Lynch) isn’t given a script, and they must improvise their way through the episode to solve the crime. Murderville drops on Thursday, Feb. 3 on Netflix. 

Norms is offering a $2.22 breakfast deal for 2 hours and 22 minutes on 2/2/2022.

(Bob Hodson Photography)

Dine and Drink Deals

Check out the 411 on restaurant, bar, and food happenings in SoCal this week:

• Norms launches a new limited-time offer menu on Feb. 2, and to celebrate the really cool date (2/2/2022), Norms is offering breakfast for $2.22 for two hours and 22 minutes on Feb. 2. Taste the new breakfast meals — the Four Deuces — that includes two eggs, two strips of bacon, two sausages, and two hotcakes. The deal runs from 7 a.m. to 9:22 a.m. and will be available for in-store and to-go at all locations.
• Wanderlust Creamery lets us get a jump-start on celebrating Valentine’s Day by launching two limited-edition flavors for the month of February. The Raspberry Lychee Rose Sorbet is inspired by the iconic Parisian flavor combination “Isfahan,” coined by legendary pastry chef Pierre Hermè. The Valentine’s Day Neapolitan includes ruby chocolate, vanilla, and mascarpone strawberry. The flavors will be available at Wanderlust locations starting on Feb. 1.
• Gran Blanco in Venice hosts an Amigos at Gran Blanco pop up on Monday, Jan. 31 from 6 to 10 p.m. The pop-up features cocktails by Tato Giovannoni (founder of the famed Argentinian bar Florería Atlántico) and food by Max Chow of Mr. Chow’s and Leo Lanussol from Francis Mallmann in Argentina. Menu items include mushroom empanadas, Omega Blue Kampachi, and grilled pionono with dulce de leche. Reservations are required for the pop-up.
• The Bay Area-based online marketplace Good Eggs, known for carrying organic and sustainable foods, curated products, and local sourcing, launches same-day delivery in L.A. on Tuesday, Feb. 1. Get ready to order favs such as Masumoto Family Farm peaches, small-batch dried and fresh Semolina Artisanal Pasta, strawberries from Harry's Berries, cakes and cookies baked fresh by Sweet Laurel, or chili crisp from Fly by Jing. Meal kits and prepared foods are also available to order without subscription. 
• The Wayfarer hotel in downtown L.A. has created “Singles Awareness Cocktails” available for the entire month of February. The P.X. I Love You is a concoction containing  Angel's Envy Bourbon, Px Sherry, Martini Rosso, and Chocolate Bitters, and the Red Flag is made with vodka, lime, peach, habanero, and Fever Tree Ginger Beer. The cocktails are $16 each. The restaurant also features an Old Town Hour Tuesdays through Thursdays from 4 to 5 p.m. where you can enjoy slices of the new square pies ($6 - $6.50) with $10 cocktails, $8 glasses of wine and $5 local beers.