Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: October 7 - 10

I sometimes get jealous when I read about all the fall art and theater openings in places like New York and London – and then I remember they need all those exciting things going on because it’s about to be cold in places that aren’t L.A. But it turns out fall is just as busy for great theater and art right here at home.
This week, it’s really just one big culture explosion if you want it to be – from Solange Knowles curating an incredible night of orchestral music at Disney Hall to a Gen X dream come true with Mike Mills of REM and more celebrating the music of Big Star at the Lodge Room. There are also two great shows on stage – local playwright Tom Jacobson’s Crevasse and one of my favorite musicals of all time – Little Shop of Horrors – at South Coast Rep.
For more to explore, visit LAist.com for recommendations on three exciting Thai restaurants to try and catch up on the latest news about AI and the entertainment industry. And we’re only a month out from the election! Make your Voter Game Plan now.
Events
-
October 4, 2024 through October 27, 2024
Crevasse, by local playwright Tom Jacobson, is a two-hander that looks at a real-life meeting in 1938 between photographer (and Nazi propagandist) Leni Riefenstahl and Walt Disney. The L.A. Times said it was "extremely well-acted, directed and designed" during its summer run; the show is now re-opened for the month and plays at the Victory through Oct. 27, so it’s a great opportunity to see this well-reviewed gem.
-
Wednesday, October 9, 2024 at 7:30 PM
One Liner Madness
-
The Paramount
2708 E. Cesar E. Chavez Ave. , Boyle Heights
You know how you always have the perfect retort just after the person you want to say it to leaves the room? One Liner Madness puts 64 comics to the test in a 90-minute battle for the best one-liners, leaving a single winner at the end (determined by audience applause, of course). Check these pros out and maybe you’ll be ready the next time. Proceeds will go to The Pitty Committee, a local nonprofit that helps rehome pit bulls.
-
The Paramount
-
October 7, 2024 through October 8, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Big Star’s 'Radio City' 50th Anniversary
-
Lodge Room
104 N. Ave 56, 2nd floor, Highland Park
Members of REM, Wilco, Big Star, and more will all be in one room – The Lodge Room – this week to perform Big Star’s seminal sophomore album, Radio City. The Memphis rockers’ sole surviving member, drummer Jody Stephens, joins some of the biggest names in Gen X music on stage, including REM’s Mike Mills, as this supergroup brings their show to L.A. for a sure-to-be memorable night.
-
Lodge Room
-
September 21, 2024 through October 20, 2024
'Little Shop of Horrors'
-
South Coast Repertory
655 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa
Don’t feed the plants, but do get yourself to Costa Mesa to see South Coast Rep’s production of Little Shop of Horrors this Halloween season. The Howard Ashman/Alan Menken cult classic has been extended to Oct. 20.
-
South Coast Repertory
-
October 3, 2024 through October 31, 2024
Black Rabbit Rose Presents: The Witching Hour
-
Hillview Building
1719 N. Hudson Ave., Hollywood
Add some fancy old Hollywood magic to your October and plan a date night at Black Rabbit Rose. The upscale magic lounge is hosting a “witching hour” through October, matching spooky drinks, er, spirits, to magic tricks, all set in the maybe haunted Hillview building, home to silent film stars of the 1920s like Clara Bow and Stan Laurel. Do they still lurk in the halls???
-
Hillview Building
-
Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 8:00 PM
On Dissonance (An Evening of Classical, Symphonic, and Opera Works), curated by Solange Knowles
-
Walt Disney Concert Hall
111 S. Grand Ave., Downtown L.A.
Solange Knowles curates a special night honoring Black women’s contributions to innovation in opera and classical music. The evening focuses on the work of renowned late composer and educator Julia Perry, who was a pioneer in minimalism. According to the L.A. Phil, the program’s name is a reference to the “tonal qualities of Homunculus C.F., Perry’s composition for harp, celesta/piano, and eight percussionists, which she created in the summer of 1960 in Akron, Ohio, above her father’s medical office.” These will be performed alongside symphonic and orchestral works composed by Patrice Rushen and Knowles. Philadelphia’s Jeri Lynne Johnson, the founder and artistic director of the Black Pearl Chamber Orchestra, will conduct.
-
Walt Disney Concert Hall
-
Tuesday, October 8, 2024 at 9:00 PM
B.O. Boys In 'Box Office Save America'
-
The Yard Theater
4319 Melrose Ave., East Hollywood
And here I thought I was the only one who nerds out to box office stats (a holdover from my years covering film, I guess). Popular movie podcast B.O. BOYS is putting on a live show called "Box Office Save America" with short films, live sketches, and more. Puck News box office reporter Scott Mendelson will make a guest appearance as will comedian/actor Nick Turner (The Tonight Show).
-
The Yard Theater
Viewing Pick
-
Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 7:00 PM
NOUNS FEST: Animation Shorts Film Festival
-
The United Theater on Broadway
929 S. Broadway, Downtown L.A.
Fifty animated shorts were chosen from more than 400 submissions to screen at this year’s Nouns Fest, hosted by actor and comedian Donald Faison (Scrubs). The annual event celebrates creativity and innovation in animation and was co-founded by Adult Swim’s former head of development Walter Newman, so you know there are sure to be some out-there projects showcased.
-
The United Theater on Broadway
Dine & Drink Deals
-
Thursday, October 10, 2024 at 6:00 PM
Tastemakers of Orange County
-
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
600 Town Center Dr., Costa Mesa
This annual benefit for the Orange County Asian and Pacific Islander Community Alliance features more than two dozen local chefs creating all-you-can-eat Asian and Pacific Island-inspired tapas dishes. Proceeds support OCAPICA's numerous programs and services in mental health and health, youth development, housing assistance, policy education and combating anti-Asian racism.
-
Segerstrom Center for the Arts
-
October 8, 2024 through October 27, 2024
Krabby Patty Burger at BOA Steakhouse
-
BOA Steakhouse - Manhattan Beach
3110 Sepulveda Blvd., Manhattan Beach -
BOA Steakhouse - WeHo
9200 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood
This was one of the more unusual pairings to show up in my inbox, but in honor of SpongeBob’s 25th Anniversary, BOA Steakhouse created a Krabby Patty Burger. BOA Steakhouse’s version of the “secret” burger is an 8-ounce wagyu beef patty with a house-made short rib marmalade, BOA burger sauce, tomato, red onion, and parsley salad, served on a toasted brioche bun, with fries on the side for $24. And you don’t have to live in a pineapple under the sea to have one. I’ll see myself out.
-
BOA Steakhouse - Manhattan Beach
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.

-
Isolated showers can still hit the L.A. area until Friday as remnants from the tropical storm move out.
-
First aspiring spectators must register online, then later in 2026 there will be a series of drawings.
-
It's thanks to Tropical Storm Mario, so also be ready for heat and humidity, and possibly thunder and lightning.
-
L.A. County investigators have launched a probe into allegations about Va Lecia Adams Kellum and people she hired at the L.A. Homeless Services Authority.
-
L.A. Mayor Karen Bass suspended a state law allowing duplexes, calling more housing unsafe. But in Altadena, L.A. County leaders say these projects could be key for rebuilding.
-
This measure on the Nov. 4, 2025, California ballot is part of a larger battle for control of the U.S. House of Representatives next year.