Best Things To Do This Week In Los Angeles And SoCal: Nov. 7 - 10

Attend Lake Bell’s audiobook launch. Catch an evening of acoustic tunes by Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt. Go ice skating in Santa Monica. Screen Stranger at the Gate with our own John Horn.

This Week

Monday, Nov. 7; 7:30 p.m.

An Evening with George Saunders
The Writers Guild Theater
135 South Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills 
ALOUD at the Central Library presents writer George Saunders who discusses his latest short story collection Liberation Day with friend Nick Offerman.
COST: $28 - $40; MORE INFO

Monday, Nov. 7; 7:30 p.m.

Lake Bell in Convo w/ Tig Notaro + June Diane Raphael
Dynasty Typewriter
2511 Wilshire Blvd., Westlake
Do you cringe when you hear the sound of your voice? You’re not alone. Join actor, writer and director Lake Bell for the release of her new audiobook, Inside Voice: My Obsession with How We Sound. She’s joined by guests Tig Notaro and June Diane Raphael.
COST: $30; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Nov. 9; 2 p.m.

MIX-MIX: The Filipino Adventures of a German Jewish Boy
Skirball Cultural Center
2701 N. Sepulveda Blvd., Brentwood
Attend a staged reading of MIX-MIX, an original production written by L.A.-based actor and playwright Boni Alvarez and directed by Jon Lawrence Rivera, the founding artistic director of Playwrights’ Arena. The play is inspired by the life experiences of Ralph Preiss, a Jewish boy who escapes Nazi Germany with his family and finds safety in the Philippines—until the Japanese invade the islands.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Nov. 9; 8 p.m.

An Acoustic Evening with Lyle Lovett and John Hiatt
The Soraya - Cal State Northridge
18111 Nordhoff St., Northridge 
Two great prolific songwriters and musicians Lovett and Hiatt bring their storied careers to the Soraya’s stage, where they’ll share stories and their music.
COST: Tickets start at $46; MORE INFO

Wednesday, Nov. 9 - Sunday, Nov. 13

Coast Film & Music Festival
Various locations in Laguna Beach
The five-day festival screens about 50 films, including the cult surf classic documentary Five Summer Stories, which celebrates its 50th anniversary. The band Honk plays live with the film as they did 50 years ago. In addition to the adventure and nonfiction films on the slate, come for the art, live music and panel discussions with filmmakers, environmentalists and professional activist-athletes.
COST: Tickets start at $25; MORE INFO

Thursday, Nov. 10; 7 p.m.

Celebrating Kendrick Lamar’s Mr. Morale & the Big Steppers
Grammy Museum
800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown L.A.
Watch a panel discussion featuring Lamar’s collaborators on the making of the album, including album producer Sounwave, Beach Noise, J Lbs., Bekon, Manny Marroquin, DJ Dahi and moderator Carl Chery.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

Thursday, Nov. 10; 7:30 p.m.

Metropolitan
Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Ave., Santa Monica
Revisit writer-director Whit Stillman’s 1990 movie about young socialites in Manhattan in the 1970s with their lives revolving around their debutante balls, after parties, gossip, salons and discourse. Stay for the Q&A with filmmaker Stillman and actor Taylor Nichols.
COST: $10 - $15 admission; MORE INFO

Thursday, Nov. 10 - Saturday, Nov. 12; 6 p.m.

Milk with Volta
Institute of Art and Olfaction
932 Chung King Rd., Chinatown
The L.A.-based dance theater company Volta presents the world premiere of MILK, inspired by the Greek tragedy Medea. The work mixes dance, prose, sound and scent to “examine the construction of feminine desire and destruction.” The Institute of Art and Olfaction is developing custom blends that help tell the story through scent.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

The Ice at Santa Monica skating rink opens this week after a two year hiatus.

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Courtesy of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.

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Thursday, Nov. 10 - Monday, Jan. 16

Ice Santa Monica
1324 Fifth St., Santa Monica 
The ice skating rink reopens after a two-year hiatus with a grand opening celebration on Thursday from 6 to 10 p.m. featuring free skating, a live DJ, delicious bites and giveaways. The 8,000-square-foot rink transforms the corner of Fifth Street and Arizona Avenue into a winter wonderland.
COST: $20 (admission after the grand opening); MORE INFO

'40 Watts from Nowhere' is an immersive production of Sue Carpenter's passion project: KBLT, Silver Lake's own pirate radio station.

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Mister & Mischief

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Thursday, Nov. 10 - Sunday, Dec. 18 (various dates)

40 Watts from Nowhere
Secret location in Silver Lake
The theatrical production tells the story of Sue Carpenter, who operated KBLT — Silver Lake's own pirate radio station — which ran for a few years in the 1990s. KBLT is recreated by husband-and-wife team Jeff and Andy Crocker and held in a secret location in Silver Lake.
COST: $70; MORE INFO

Thursday, Nov. 10; 7 p.m.

Retake LIVE: Stranger at the Gate Screening
Crawford Family Forum
474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
Join us for a live taping of LAist Studios’ Retake podcast, featuring a screening of the documentary Stranger at the Gate. Following the screening, Retake host John Horn welcomes director Joshua Seftel and cast members Bibi Bahrami and Richard “Mac” McKinney, for a conversation about the film, which challenges people to rethink their assumptions and misconceptions about Muslims.
COST: FREE - $12; MORE INFO 

Through Wednesday, Nov. 30

Spider Pavilion
South Coast Botanic Garden
26300 Crenshaw Blvd., Palos Verdes Peninsula 
Only a few more weeks to visit the creepy crawly critters like yellow garden spider and tarantulas. The Emergence Chamber features the Spider Wall that educates guests about the brown widow, which was “discovered” in Torrance in 2003 as an invasive species on the West Coast. (Thanks a lot, Torrance!)
COST: $7 - $22; MORE INFO

Viewing Pick

The Big Brunch
Do we need another cooking competition show? The answer is “yes,” especially if Dan Levy (Schitt’s Creek). created and hosted it. The brunch-focused reality show pits 10 undiscovered chefs vying for a $300,000 cash prize. The eight episodes begin streaming on Thursday, Nov. 10.

Tallula’s in Santa Monica teams with Mezcal Mal Bien for a cocktail party on Nov. 9.

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Courtesy of Tallula's

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Dine and Drink Deals

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

• Tallula’s in Santa Monica teams with Mezcal Mal Bien for an intimate cocktail/mezcal party on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $75 and include a welcome drink, tasting of three Mal Bien mezcales, snacks and stories about the mezcaleros. Make reservations through Resy.
• Café Gratitude Larchmont teams with plant-based chef Anne Thornton for a collab dinner with the option to pair the menu alongside natural wines personally selected by Sommelier Taylor Grant. Tickets are $50 per person, with $25 wine pairing. 
• Savida in Santa Monica now offers a happy hour Tuesdays through Saturdays from 3 to 6 p.m. The menu includes oysters ($3 each); Shrimp Tacos, Salmon Crostini, Octopus Potato Salad And Crab Lettuce Cups for $12 each; and a selection of wines for $11 each.
• Kevin Hart’s plant-based Hart House opens its second location in Monrovia on Wednesday, Nov. 9, serving up plant-based burg'rs, chick'n sandwiches, salads, nuggets, fries, tots and milkshakes. The restaurant will donate 10% of its opening day proceeds to the Boys & Girls Club of the Foothills.
• Present an “I Voted Sticker” at participating locations of Corner Bakery on Election Day, Tuesday, Nov. 8, for a free cup of coffee.