Best Things To Do This Week In Los Angeles And SoCal: June 5 - 8

Celebrate the opening of the 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival. Party with Pride at the Getty. Attend The Story Collider — live. Screen Ava DuVernay’s 2008 documentary This is the Life.

Events

Tuesday, June 6; 7 and 9:30 p.m.

Wax Poetics / I’m A Basshole 
The Bourbon Room
6356 Hollywood Blvd., 2nd Floor, Hollywood 
Watch two comedy shows that support two nonprofits, Stand Up for Pits and Sharing Love with Others. Wax Poetics, hosted by comedian and producer Keida Mascaro, is headlined by Iliza Shlesinger. The 9:30 p.m. show I’m a Basshole is a hybrid storytelling/standup show hosted by Doug Bass and features headliner Tom Arnold.
COST: $35 - $90 and $25 - $45; MORE INFO

Wednesday, June 7; 7 p.m.

The Music Behind Ted Lasso
The Grammy Museum
800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown L.A.
The event starts with a screening of an episode from this season, followed by a panel discussion with Sam Ryder (artist and songwriter), Tom Howe (composer and songwriter) and Tony Von Pervieux (music supervisor). After the conversation, Ryder performs his new original song “Fought & Lost” — featured in this season’s penultimate episode — along with Howe.
COST: Waitlist only; MORE INFO

Wednesday, June 7; 8 p.m.

Hollywood Fringe 2023 Opening Night Party
The Bourbon Room
6356 Hollywood Blvd., 2nd Floor, Hollywood 
The 2023 Hollywood Fringe Festival officially runs from June 8 to 25 with more than 1,000 performances and events taking place at dozens of venues throughout Hollywood. The festival’s opening night party takes place on June 7 with food and drinks for purchase, speeches, a DJ/dancing and other entertainment. VIP entry starts at 6 p.m. with general admission at 8 p.m. The party is 21+.
COST: $3 - $25; MORE INFO

'The Flower Show' opens at L.A. Louver this week, featuring works by more than 50 artists.

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Rebecca Campbell's "Where Have You Been My Blue-Eyed Son?"

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Courtesy of the artist and gallery.

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Wednesday, June 7; 6 - 8 p.m.

The Flower Show
L.A. Louver
45 N. Venice Blvd., Venice 
This group art show includes more than 50 diverse artists with works that feature flowers in formal, symbolic and narrative contexts. From still life to sculpture and interactive video, themes of “life, death, identity, memory and the environment infuse the presentation, from David Hockney's iPad flowers to the natural history illustrations of Pancrace Bessa.” If you can’t make this week’s opening reception, the show will remain open through Sept. 1.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

Wednesday, June 7; 7:30 p.m.

The Girls On Guys Comedy Show
Moxy Downtown Los Angeles
1260 S. Figueroa St., downtown L.A.
The new hotel property hosts a comedy show on the Mezzanine above Bar Moxy. Hosted by Nina Tarr and Liam Cullagh, the lineup features Reggie Watts, Jade Cata-Preta and Willie Simon.
COST: $10, free for hotel guests; MORE INFO 

Wednesday, June 7; 7 - 9 p.m.

Getty and LA Pride Celebration
The Getty 
1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood
Just ahead of LA Pride weekend, attend a free event with DJ Daisy O'Dell setting the night’s soundtrack, plus complementary bites and drinks in the museum courtyard, local LGBT+ organizations with booths and late-night access to The Getty’s contemporary photography exhibition Tim Walker: Wonderful Things.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO

Thursday, June 8 - Thursday, June 29

A New Wave of K-Cinema: Korean Women Directors
The Academy Museum of Motion Pictures
6067 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire
The film series highlights contemporary Korean women filmmakers, opening on Thursday at 7:30 p.m. with Waikiki Brothers (2001) with director Yim Soon-rye in attendance. The film tracks the stagnancy and decline of the Waikiki Brothers, a band originally formed by high school friends. When Seong-woo, the lead singer and guitarist, returns home with the band, he’s forced to confront his dreams and reality in Korean modern society.
COST: $5 - $10 per screening; MORE INFO

Thursday, June 8; 4 p.m.

Pride is Universal
Universal Studios Hollywood - Super Nintendo World
100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City 
This LA Pride fan favorite event returns with an after-hours theme park experience for guests of all ages. Enter the park as early as 4 p.m., then enjoy exclusive extended park hours from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. Enjoy music from DJs, Universal character meet-and-greets, photo ops, drag performers and surprises. The VIP – Universal Express ticket option includes even earlier access to the park at 2 p.m. and other perks.
COST: $124 - $249; MORE INFO

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LAist Design

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Thursday, June 8; 7 p.m.

The Story Collider LIVE: An Evening of True, Personal Stories About Science
The Crawford Family Forum (+ Livestream)
474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
Most widely known as a weekly podcast, The Story Collider brings together scientists, performers, and everyone in between to share true, personal stories about how science has impacted their lives. Hosted by Bryan Kett and Natalia Reagan, this live edition features stories by actress Brittany Ross, JPL systems engineer Farah Alibay, author Carlos Kotkin, writer and storyteller Mike Lambert and public health-focused psychologist Nina Christie.
COST: FREE - $15; MORE INFO

Thursday, June 8; 7 p.m.

Los Angeles Times Book Club with Elliot Page 
Montalbán Theatre in Hollywood
1615 Vine St., Hollywood 
The Times’ Book Club presents a live event with actor Elliot Page discussing his memoir Pageboy with fellow actor Kate Mara. Best known for his breakout role in 2007’s Juno, the producer, writer, director and star of the Netflix series The Umbrella Academy, shares his story in a new memoir. In it, Page delves into coming out as transgender, secret love affairs, his battle with body image and struggles with familial strife.
COST: $25 - $65; MORE INFO

Thursday, June 8; 7:30 p.m.

This is the Life
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
Attend a screening of Ava DuVernay’s 2008 documentary This is the Life, which chronicles L.A.’s groundbreaking, alternative hip-hop movement born in Leimert Park’s Good Life Café. Through archival footage and interviews, the film tracks underground rap legends in the 1990s, including Freestyle Fellowship, Jurassic 5 and Cut Chemist. From The Hammer: “Their collective rhymes, which existed in a parallel universe to gangsta rap, explored the complexities, humor, and everyday surrealism of life in L.A. and beyond.” This is the Life screens as part of the Summer Night Cinema: 50 Years of Hip Hop series, curated by critic Ernest Hardy.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Viewing Pick

Burden of Proof
The HBO Original four-part, true crime docuseries revisits the case of Jennifer Pandos. When the then-15-year-old disappeared in 1987, her parents told everyone she ran away. Now decades later, her brother Stephen goes in search of the truth, which may destroy his family as he becomes convinced that his parents were involved. Directed by Cynthia Hill (HBO’s Private Violence), the first two episodes debut on Tuesday, June 6 at 9 p.m., with the final two dropping on Wednesday, June 7. The entire series will be available to stream on Max beginning Tuesday, June 6.

Baar Baar Los Angeles recently opened in downtown L.A., offering elevated Indian food.

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Neil Burger/© Neil John Burger Photography

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www.neiljohnburger.com

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Dine and Drink Deals

Here are a few dine and drink options to indulge in this week.

• Sandwich shop Bruxie (known for chicken and waffle sandwiches) celebrates the first anniversary of its NoHo location with a party on Thursday, June 8 from 4 to 8 p.m. The family friendly event includes food specials, a DJ, photo booth, a golden syrup giveaway, and a chance to win Bruxie gift cards. 
• On Wednesday, June 7, asterid by Ray Garcia in downtown L.A. launches a happy hour. The 10-item menu includes $10 classic drinks from beverage director Chris Chernock, an NA option, and the restaurant’s beloved Caviar Bites, made with grand selection schrenckii, honeynut squash tamal and crema. The happy hour runs from 5 to 7 p.m., Wednesdays to Saturdays in the bar and lounge area.
• Paloma Venice launches its “Sunset Hours” on Tuesday, June 6, with special bites and drinks available from 4 to 6 p.m., Tuesdays through Fridays on the oasis lounge deck or at the bar. Bites (including falafel bites, calamari, artichoke dip) and glasses of wine are $10 and cocktails are $12.
• The Agave Room, located at Punch Bowl Social’s Rancho Cucamonga location, holds several free upcoming tastings in the 90-seat mezcal and tequila lounge.  Learn about how specialty spirits are crafted (and tasted). On Thursday, June 8, from 5 to 10 p.m., sample tastes from El Tesoro. Free with RSVP (21+).
• After the success of New York’s modern Indian gastro bar Baar Baar, chef Sujan Sarkar recently launched an L.A. addition in the space previously held by Faith & Flower in downtown L.A. Open Tuesday through Sunday from 5 to 11 p.m., the new Indian cuisine features chaats (street food snacks) such as dahi puri or a Kashmiri duck taco, inspired by birria. From Baar Baar’s charcoal grill, guests can try lamb shank roast, monkfish osso bucco, or order up familiar dishes including butter chicken and chicken malai tikka.