Best things to do this weekend in Los Angeles and Southern California: January 24 - 26

With the NAMM conference happening in Anaheim this week, we’re benefitting from some of the most accomplished jazz musicians in the country coming to the area. Many of them join local favorites on stage at Hotel Cafe, so wrap up your weekend with Ben Williams, Tatiana Tate, David Cook, Tony Austin and more.

In a push to bring the stories of Skid Row to the public and in public spaces, the L.A. Poverty Department is performing their latest show, The Covid Hotel Welcomes You to the Future, in Boyle Heights. The show is based on the stories of first responders and the unhoused during Covid. Following the performance, a panel discussion, “Reimagining Healthcare For Our Homeless Community,” will feature L.A. County medical experts.

Music Director Brett Mitchell and the Pasadena Symphony present Mozart’s “Jupiter” symphony, a joyful piece to celebrate the community, even in these dark times. The Symphony is also supporting youth orchestras who lost their instruments in the fires; donations can be made here. Tickets to both concerts are free of charge for first responders and anyone who has been displaced, evacuated or has experienced loss from the wildfires.

Delirium Musicum, Los Angeles’ self-conducted string ensemble, debuts at L.A. Dance Project this week in two locations – Downtown on Saturday and in Pasadena on Sunday. The show aims to redefine classical music and breathe new life into old and contemporary works. $100 VIP tickets are also available, which includes VIP seating and a $65 tax-deductible donation to MusiCares.

Leaning into the weird is one way to get through these times and if that’s your brand of therapy, check out Sleepytime Gorilla Museum at the Lodge Room. The experimental Bay Area band gave their first performance to a single banana slug in 1999 according to their Wikipedia page and while the venues have grown, the eccentricness has stayed the same. Get your dose of Gorilla magic.

The original Righteous Babe plays the Bellwether, and I’m sure she’ll have some choice words to share about politics and the future, plus some really great tunes.

Two shows at the Broad Stage have become pay-what-you-wish in light of the recent fires to support the community and encourage folks to come out and be together through music. First, Marlon Martinez & Marlonius Jazz Orchestra play on Saturday. On Sunday, local favorites Wild Up will perform.

The group Friends of Residential Treasures hosts this timely conversation with architects and design experts about the future of our city following the wildfires. Topics include both short and long-term planning and how the design community can best serve the city during this difficult time.

I’ve been seeing Dustbowl Revival in its various forms since they were playing neighborhood gigs like the Venice Art Crawl in the early 2000s, and they embody a California spirit not often seen these days. They bring their roots music to the Troubadour this week and are raising funds to support cancer patients impacted by the wildfires.

Show off your classic car or just wander among the cool wheels at this cruise-in and benefit at Petersen Automotive. Your ticket includes coffee and bagels. Bring your own shades.

Michaela Moffett leads a painting workshop for all levels about the basics of painting outdoors with oil paints at Fullerton’s Muckenthaler Cultural Center. The class covers skills like creating depth, simplifying light and shadow, and understanding essential materials. Leave with your very own 8” x 10” canvas creation. All supplies included.

I think I’d lose my Angeleno card if I didn’t recommend two David Lynch screenings this weekend. The first is a presentation of the Lynch Twin Peaks prequel movie Fire Walk With Me at Brain Dead Studios; the second is Mulholland Drive, which made Naomi Watts a star, at the LOOK drive-in in Glendale.

Dine L.A.'s restaurant week couldn’t have come at a better time to support restaurant workers, donate to wildfire funds, and eat some amazing food, as always. Restaurants across L.A. are participating, with specially priced prix fixe menus starting at $15 at some venues.

Each reservation supports wildfire relief efforts, with L.A. Tourism donating $5 per reservation to The American Red Cross, matched by Banc of California, with total donations going up to $100,000. Get the full list of restaurants, which includes favorites like Little Sister in Redondo and El Segundo, Michael’s in Santa Monica, Tam O’Shanter in Atwater Village, Wife and the Somm in Glassell Park, all five Zinque locations, and many, many more.

Support the LAFD in the most delicious way I can imagine, enjoying weekend French toast at one of the city’s best bakeries, Jyan Isaac Bread’s sister spot, Ghisallo. Your ticket gets you Jyan Isaac Bread brioche French toast soaked in vin santo with berries and rosemary or the JIB McGriddle breakfast sando, plus coffee and breakfast punch.

The Artopia Community Gallery at Creative World Art Center hosts this free workshop, where you’ll make (and paint) pickles. Not to be alarmist, but maybe we can use all the probiotics and shelf-stable things we can get in these apocalyptic vibe times!