Best things to do this week in Los Angeles and Southern California: March 30-April 2

I went to a fantastic art talk with Cole Case and Shana Nys Dambrot last week, where Case talked about his paintings of the ongoing immigration protests in Los Angeles, which have deep art history references — and even some fun local news ones. Check out the powerful exhibit at Track 16 through April 18.

On Monday, Licorice Pizza’s Lyndsey Parker recommends going back to school with indie star Mitski, who’s playing the Hollywood High auditorium. She’ll also be there Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Tuesday, K-pop star Jackson Wang plays the Forum, indie torch singer Goldie Boutilier is at the Belasco, rising pop singer Sarah Kinsley is at the Fonda, and veteran Welsh noise-rockers McLusky play the Regent. On Wednesday, singer-songwriter Ricky Montgomery plays the Wiltern, and on Thursday, Philly emo band Sweet Pill is at the El Rey.

Elsewhere on LAist, you can lament the end of sawdust on the floor of Philippe, check out a queer Latin dance studio in O.C. and grab tickets to join LAist at Night of Ideas at the Wende Museum on April 4.

Events

Six Chick Flicks

Tuesday, March 31, 7 p.m.
UCB Franklin 
5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood
COST: FROM $20; MORE INFO

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Lauren Silberman

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The alternative title for this comedy hit that sold out at the Edinburgh Fringe is Legally Blonde Pretty Woman Dirty Danced on the Beaches While Writing a Notebook on the Titanic, so I think you can see where this is going. Rom-com fans will get every nuanced joke in this feminist parody take on your favorite escapist movies with Kerry Ipema (One Woman Sex and the City) and KK Apple (UCB Theatre).

History in Bloom

Through April 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. 
TreePeople 
1201 Mulholland Drive, Coldwater Canyon 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

TreePeople is such a special group, and they're showcasing their history from their 1973 founding to today through a new exhibit on-site with creative installations and archival storytelling. The new exhibit highlights community-driven outdoor education and forestry initiatives, along with their work on climate resilience. Stop by to see the exhibit before or after a hike in the next couple of weeks (but beware of rattlesnake season!).

Watches and Whiskey 

Tuesday, March 31, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Penmar 
1233 Rose Ave., Venice 
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Some people are obsessed with watches — fancy watches, historic watches, hard-to-find watches — and in this era of using your phone as a watch, it’s refreshing to see an analog timepiece out there. Get to know the world of watches better at the Penmar, where SecondTime Watches has planned an evening built around talking watches and drinking whiskey.

Noni Olabisi: When Lightning Strikes 

Through April 4
LMU Laband Art Gallery
Burns Fine Arts Center
1 LMU Drive, Westchester
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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Noni Olabisi

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LMU Laband Art Gallery

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Make sure to catch this first (but certainly not last) institutional show highlighting the work of L.A. muralist Noni Olabisi before it’s gone. Olabisi portrayed Black Americans with a truthful eye and examined the history of racism, particularly in her large-scale murals, including “Freedom Won’t Wait” (1992), painted following the L.A. uprising after the Rodney King trial, and “To Protect and Serve” (1995), which portrayed a history of the Black Panther Party and police brutality. The show features 40 pieces made from 1984 to 2022; Olabisi died unexpectedly in 2022, and her works were added to the Cultural Treasures of South Los Angeles database in 2023.

Ever Present: Mary Halvorson — CANIS MAJOR 

Tuesday, March 31, 7 p.m.
Getty Center
1200 Getty Center Drive, Brentwood
COST: FREE; MORE INFO 

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Ernest Stuart

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Getty Center

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MacArthur “Genius” Mary Halvorson brings her new jazz quartet project, CANIS MAJOR, to the Getty for a free concert that explores sound in a unique way. She's known for “crystalline single-note lines that seem to ‘bend’ time, kaleidoscopic harmonic turns, and an innovative use of effects — especially subtle pitch-shifting and delay — that expands the guitar into something orchestral and uncanny.”

Macaroons and Matzo Ball Soup

Through April 9 
All Superba locations
COST: VARIES; MORE INFO 

Matzo ball soup comes in many versions.

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Deb Lindsey

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The Washington Post/Getty Images

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Whether you’re having a seder or not, pick up the two best Passover foods — matzo ball soup and chocolate-dipped macaroons — at all Superba locations. They are available for pre-order and pickup through April 9 at all locations.

Ravi Shankar Ensemble

Tuesday, March 31, 8 p.m.
Alex Theatre
216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale 
COST: FROM $42; MORE INFO

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Courtesy It's My Seat

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The Ravi Shankar Ensemble’s tour launches at the Alex Theatre with the ethereal sounds of world-class musicians celebrating the legendary sitarist's legacy. The evening will blend traditional sitar and tabla rhythms with contemporary arrangements; it’s a great introduction to the sounds that inspired everyone from the Beatles to John Coltrane and many more.

The Joy Who Lived trans theatre and comedy festival 

March 31 to April 12
Various locations 
COST: $1-$25, SLIDING SCALE; MORE INFO

Tuesday is International Trans Day of Visibility, and what better way to mark the occasion (particularly in these difficult times) than with some joy, namely L.A.’s trans theatre and comedy festival, The Joy Who Lived? Back for its second year with more than 30 shows, readings and workshops by trans and nonbinary artists, the festival opens with comedy-variety show Gentleman’s Club at Dynasty Typewriter.