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Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: December 15-18
4 Non Blondes will be at the Roxy this week.
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Steve Jennings
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Getty Images North America
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Our Picks
Happy Hanukkah to all celebrating the festival of lights. I am obsessed with this NY Times Cooking recipe for pickle latkes and plan to break all rules of tradition by attempting to make them.
If you, too, are jumping on the pickle latke trend this year, brush your teeth before heading out to one of the many options on the music menu. On Monday, popera icon Sarah Brightman is at the Dolby Theatre. On Tuesday, the Cool Kids play the Echo, and Robert Glasper begins his six-night residency at the Blue Note. On Wednesday, Death Angel is at the Belasco, Ariel Pink is at the Regent, Ella Mai plays the Roxy and Okkervil River is at Scribble. On Thursday, Queensrÿche and Accept bring some hard rock to Anaheim’s House of Blues, and Electric Guest plays the Regent. Licorice Pizza has even more music listings here.
Elsewhere on LAist.com, read up on NPR’s pick for best album of the year, find the best local last-minute gifts with our gift guides and choose your early Oscar favorites with our film aficionados.
Events
Ben Platt: Live at the Ahmanson
Through December 21
Ahmanson Theatre
135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A.
COST: FROM $44.85; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Center Theatre Group
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From waving through a window to waving from the stage, musical theater wunderkind-turned-pop star Ben Platt hits the Ahmanson for a week of shows featuring Broadway favorites — and some of his famous friends. A surprise guest will join him each night, and while we don’t know who yet, the 2024 Broadway residency featured the likes of Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Hudson, Sam Smith and more.
4 Non Blondes
December 15-16, 8 p.m.
The Roxy
9009 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
COST: MORE INFO
INGLEWOOD, CALIFORNIA - DECEMBER 13: Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes performs onstage during the 2025 KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas at The Kia Forum on December 13, 2025 in Inglewood, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images for Audacy)
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Kevin Winter
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Getty Images North America
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One of the (only?) good things about social media is its ability to introduce classic hits to a new generation of fans (see: Kate Bush). The 4 Non Blondes' iconic 1993 hit “What’s Up” has been showing up in TikTok mashups — and the Linda Perry-led band is reuniting for two shows at the Roxy on their current tour.
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Broadway Brass Band Hanukkah Party
Tuesday, December 16, 8 p.m.
The Venice West
1717 Lincoln Blvd., Venice
COST: $20; MORE INFO
Showtunes, Hanukkah and brass bands — pretty much my trifecta of fun. If it’s yours, too, head to the Venice West and celebrate the festival of lights Westside-style with musician Benny Lipson, who gives a New Orleans spin to Tom Lehrer’s “Hanukkah in Santa Monica” (oh the rhyming). Happy hour goes till 7:30, so get there early!
Read to a rescue dog
Tuesday, December 16, 4 p.m.
Wilshire Branch Library
149 N. Saint Andrews Place, Mid-Wilshire
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Rhiannon Elliott
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Unsplash
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Rescue dogs like a good book, too! All ages are invited to read books to therapy dogs at the Wilshire Branch Library. Who’s helping whom here, I wonder…
Jane Lynch’s A Swingin’ Little Christmas
Wednesday, December 17, 7:30 p.m.
Broad Stage
1310 11th Street, Santa Monica
COST: SOLD OUT, WAITLIST AVAILABLE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Broadstage
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It’s no secret that Glee star Jane Lynch knows how to belt it out, and she brings friends Kate Flannery, Tim Davis and the Tony Guerrero Quintet together for comedy and classic holiday tunes at the Broad Stage in Santa Monica.
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Gimme Shelter: Songs for LA Fire Relief Launch Party
Tuesday, December 16, 5 p.m.
Amoeba Hollywood
6200 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
We’re fast approaching the one-year anniversary of the fires, and there’s never a better time than the holidays to support the ongoing relief efforts. Flood Magazine is hosting this in-store launch and listening party at Amoeba for the new double vinyl benefit album, Gimme Shelter: Songs for LA Fire Relief. The album features rare tracks from Elliott Smith, Flaming Lips, Rilo Kiley, Local Natives, Chromeo, Norah Jones and more — on double gatefold red vinyl, with a cover by Shepard Fairey.
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Courtesy FLOOD Magazine
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Robert Therrian: This is a Story
Through April 5
Broad Museum
221 S. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A.
COST: $19; MORE INFO
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Joshua White
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The Broad
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If you’ve been waiting since Thanksgiving to get down to the Broad to see the larger-than-life installations by Robert Therrian, wait no longer to book your tickets for the quiet holiday week. You know his big chair and table from visits to the permanent collection, but This is a Story features over 120 works that inspire wonder and awe, including enormous hanging beards and stacked dishes that create an optical illusion.
Jeopardy! Bar League
Tuesday December 16, 8 p.m.
Brennan’s
4089 Lincoln Blvd., Marina del Rey
COST: FREE; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Jeopardy! Bar League
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Test your knowledge with fellow Jeopardy! fans at the (show-sanctioned) Jeopardy! Bar League night at Brennan's in Marina Del Rey. If you’ve ever thought about auditioning for the classic trivia game show, members of the Jeopardy! team will be on hand to answer questions about the contestant journey and offer a mini contestant test. Try out — take it from this Jeopardy! loser — you won’t regret it!
Hammer Museum: "MoMA Contenders" screenings
December 15-18
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
COST: $10 members, $20 general admission; MORE INFO
Head to the Hammer for four more nights of screenings of potential awards nominees at the annual “MoMA Contenders” series. On Monday, you can catch the George Clooney Hollywood drama Jay Kelly; Tuesday has art heist film The Mastermind; on Wednesday, director Scott Cooper joins for a screening of his film, Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere; and Thursday’s feature is Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.
ShrimpMas
Through December 23
San Pedro Fish Market
760 S. Harbor Blvd., San Pedro
And
6550 E. Marina Drive, Long Beach
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO
It’s not hard to come up with an excuse to go to San Pedro Fish Market, and this is an especially easy one. Through December 23, they’re featuring 12 days of World Famous Shrimp Trays, holiday offerings and exclusive seasonal specials at both the Long Beach restaurant and the newly opened Landing in San Pedro.
Hanukkah at Miznon
Through December 22
Grand Central Market, Downtown L.A.
COST: $16; MORE INFO
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Courtesy Miznon
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It’s always overwhelming choosing where to eat at Grand Central Market. To celebrate Hanukkah, the popular Miznon is serving up latkes for $16, with four golden potato latkes served with rich, tangy Runover Cream.
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