Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: January 27 - 30

In the early 2000s, Glasgow natives Travis led a post-Oasis, pre-Coldplay Britpop era, with songs like "Side," "Sing," and "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" getting major radio play. They’ve released 10 studio albums since 1997, and their latest, 2024’s L.A. Times (no relation to the paper!), marks nearly a decade of living in our fair city and their complicated relationship with the City of Angels. They play the Wiltern as part of their first U.S. tour in 14 years.

I spoke with lead singer Fran Healy about the fires, their new song "Avalon," and the band’s “live friendship” on stage.

If the fires have impacted you, join this event to select home goods donated by a range of brands to replace what you’ve lost. Plus, you can meditate in a relaxing sound bath and enjoy the sense of community as you connect with others to build back what’s been lost.

Support musicians in L.A. who’ve lost their livelihood due to the fires at the Sweet Relief benefit at Pico Union Project. With performances by Annika Bennett, Olivia Barton, Rett Madison, Tommy Siegel (from Jukebox the Ghost), Rae Isla, and many others, the show is billed as a “night of healing.”

A big, collaborative effort from several well-known L.A. music promoters and curated by IHEARTCOMIX, Fire Relief features two stages curated inside the Bellwether, with music and DJ sets happening until 2 a.m. Dancing is the cure.

Rob Harvilla’s podcast 60 Songs That Explain the 90s: The 2000s and Yasi Salek’s show Bandsplain come together for the nerdy music obsessiveness you think you don’t really need but are actually addicted to. Just me? Harvilla’s is one of my favorite podcasts, especially the episode where he spends an hour and 24 minutes breaking down U2’s One – something I thought only I could do (or spend that much time listening to!).

Lunar New Year kicks off on Wednesday, so laugh your way into the Year of the Snake with a great lineup of Asian comics at the Laugh Factory. The show will feature sets from Leslie Liao, Jason Cheny, Andrea Jin and more.

Drag queen Morgan Wood celebrates her story from Berlin to L.A. in the solo comedy drag show Timeline of Trauma at the Lyric Hyperion.

If you need a little art in your life, two great shows are still on for another week at the beautiful David Zwirner Gallery space in Melrose Hill. Catch a retrospective of photographer William Eggleston’s work, called The Last Dyes, and paintings and drawings from Brooklyn-based artist Walter Price in his Pearl Lines show at the gallery before they are gone.

You’ve seen Team America: World Police, you’ve seen Book of Mormon, and you’ve watched South Park, but have you seen Cannibal! The Musical? Those two crazy kids Trey Parker and Matt Stone created this cult hit film back in 1996 and, thanks to a new remastering, it’s coming to the Frida for one night only. If you like Parker and Stone’s brand of offbeat humor, you won’t want to miss it.

The Black-owned Little Red Hen Coffee Shop was a beloved Altadena institution lost to the fires. Chef Jamie Lauren is hosting a benefit to help bring back the hot spot in a new form, whenever the time is right. The pop-up will offer Jewish comfort food like matzoh ball soup, pastrami on rye and more.

Dine L.A. continues, with deals on prix fixe menus and more, all benefitting fire relief efforts.

BOA Steakhouse, Sushi Roku, and Katana locations are serving a Bandero Tequila Espresso Martini through Feb. 9. All proceeds will be donated to the LAFD Foundation.

Locations include BOA Sunset, Santa Monica, and Manhattan Beach; Sushi Roku Santa Monica, Manhattan Beach, Pasadena and Newport Beach; and Katana in West Hollywood.