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18 Awesome Things To Do In SoCal This Week

Art Battle Los Angeles (Craig Olejnik)
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Female comedians interview each other and share their stories. A massive convention for Korean culture comes to town. Artists compete in a live painting battle. The L.A. Phil traces the history of space exploration during a show at the Bowl. An old-timey Hollywood cocktail lounge goes tiki.


MONDAY, AUG. 12; 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.
Milk Crate Mondays
Melody Lounge -- 939 N. Hill St., Chinatown
This late-night vinyl dance party happens every Monday and presents different guests each time. Kenyaan Cali, Spinobi and Xist join the party this week.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO


MONDAY, AUG. 12 - SUNDAY, AUG. 18
Exclusive MI XUN Teahouse Menu
Plant Food + Wine -- 1009 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice
The chefs of MI XUN Teahouse, in Chengdu, China, and vegan eatery Plant Food + Wine in Venice, team up to create a special menu available for only one week. The selection features the "Ice Plant," native only to China's Sichuan province. Other highlights include dry lotus marinated with wasabi and sesame dressing, handmade spinach noodles with dandan sauce, braised mapo tofu in wild mushroom sauce, and ice jelly with rose, nuts and fruits. The menu also offers MI XUN's selection of traditional Chinese teas.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO


THROUGH SATURDAY, AUG. 24
Remix: The Art of Music
Gabba Gallery -- 3126 Beverly Blvd., West L.A.
Enjoy Remix, a music-themed exhibition showcasing more than 60 artists from around the world. Works include imagined album covers, portraits of rock idols and song-inspired paintings.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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THROUGH WEDNESDAY, AUG. 21; 12 - 5:30 p.m.
Blooming Korea
Edgar gallery -- 1923 S. Santa Fe Ave., Boyle Heights
Explore the Korean landscape with conservation artwork from this exhibition staged by the Korea Forest Service. You'll see designs and logos from posters that highlight the works of Sejong Icon, a design firm that has created art to support environmental conservation.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

An original promotional poster designed by Arnold Skolnick and an electric piano used by Sha Na Na member Donny York are seen at the Woodstock Music and Arts Fair on display at the Bethel Woods Center for the Arts. (STAN HONDA/AFP/Getty Images)


MONDAY, AUG. 12; 7 p.m.
Reel to Reel: Creating Woodstock at Grammy Museum
Grammy Museum -- 800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown L.A.
New film Creating Woodstock screens in celebration of the music festival's 50th anniversary. After, the film's director and Woodstock attendee Mick Richards leads a discussion. David Edward Byrd, artist of the original Woodstock poster along with other well-known rock designs, will sell and sign original posters.
COST: $15; MORE INFO


THROUGH SUNDAY, AUG. 25; 8 p.m. or 2 p.m.
SHREK The Musical
Cerritos Center -- 18000 Park Plaza Dr., Cerritos
The Tony Award-winning fantasy adventure comes to L.A. with all new songs by composer Jeanine Tesori and a book by David Lindsay-Abaire. See the characters you loved on screen come to life on stage.
COST: $40-$85; MORE INFO


Nicole Byer performs onstage at Team Coco House during New York Comedy Festival on November 10, 2018 in New York City. (Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Turner)

TUESDAY, AUG. 13; 8 p.m.
Audie Cornish & Nicole Byer Live
Downtown Independent -- 251 S. Main St., downtown L.A.
Get a glimpse of how radio is made. NPR host Audie Cornish interviews ladies in comedy including Emmy-nominated actress and writer Nicole Byer. Hear these funny women's personal journeys in the industry.
COST: $30; MORE INFO


TUESDAY, AUG. 13; 8 p.m.
Never Not Funny Live Taping
Feinstein's at Vitello's -- 4349 Tujunga Ave., Studio City
Listen in on the live taping of comedian Jimmy Pardo's award-winning podcast on which he hosts free-form conversations with guests like Conan O'Brien, Amy Poehler, Jon Hamm and Weird Al Yankovic.
COST: $15 tickets, $20 minimum for food and beverages; MORE INFO

(Courtesy of the Mermaid)


TUESDAY, AUG. 13 - MONDAY, AUG. 2
The Mermaid's First Birthday Festivities
The Mermaid -- 428 E. 2nd St., Little Tokyo
The neighborhood dive bar turns one-year old this week. To celebrate, they're throwing a series of events, starting with a Disney Trivia Night, followed by a cocktail party, a tiki mug release, two-for-one daily punch specials and guest DJs.
COST: Varies; MORE INFO


WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14; 9 p.m.
Plan C
The York -- 5018 York Blvd., Highland Park
The free comedy show at the York every second Wednesday features Janelle James this week. James has performed on Netflix's The Comedy Lineup and Late Night with Seth Meyers. Will Miles from Blackish and Steph Tolev from Comedy Central join her.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

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WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14; 7:30 - 9 p.m.
Off My Head Storytelling Special Edition
The Crawford Family Forum -- 474 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena
Past Unheard L.A. storytellers return to KPCC to share their own shows. Author Ty Fance performs Off My Head Storytelling with special guests Bryan Kett, Michael Lambert, Beverly Mickins, Stan Sellers, Lila Lee Silvern and Kelly Spillman.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO


WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14; 8 - 11 p.m.
Black Fire Sessions
The Broad -- 221 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A.
The museum's second installment of the Black Fire Sessions celebrates the exhibition Soul of a Nation. The event kicks off with a performance by composer Anthony Braxton and harpist Jacqueline Kerrod in the museum lobby. Enjoy an a cappella jazz choir conducted by Jimetta Rose. Listen to Kelsey Lu's soulful vocals and cello sounds in Oculus Hall.
COST: $25; MORE INFO

A NASA picture taken by U.S. crew commander Eugene A. Cernan, on December 13, 1972 shows astronaut and geologist Harrison H. Schmitt seated in the Lunar Roving Vehicle (LRV) at Station 9 (Van Serg Crater) during the third Apollo 17 extravehicular activity (EVA) at the Taurus-Littrow landing site. (AFP/AFP/Getty Images)


THURSDAY, AUG. 15; 8 p.m.
America in Space
Hollywood Bowl -- 2301 N. Highland Ave., West L.A.
Fifty years after Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, the Hollywood Bowl celebrates the anniversary with a lunar film program that mixes clips from history and cinema (Hidden Figures, Gravity, Apollo 13, The Martian). Experts from NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab join the L.A. Philharmonic to highlight the impact California scientists have on achievements in space.
COST: $1-$162; MORE INFO


WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14; 8 p.m.- 2 a.m.
Evening of Tiki
The Spare Room -- 7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood Heights
One night every month this summer, this Hollywood bar mixes it up with a different bartender. This Wednesday, it's Portland's Hey Love bartender Emily Mistell. Everything from the cocktail menu to DJ sets is tiki-themed, and every night comes with a new drink list.
COST: No cover charge; MORE INFO


WEDNESDAY, AUG. 14; 7:30 - 11 p.m.
Art Battle Los Angeles
Exchange L.A. -- 618 S. Spring St., downtown L.A.
It's the Iron Chef of art. Sixteen of L.A.'s top artists face off in one of the world's largest live painting competitions. Vote for your favorite painter to move forward, and after three rounds, one artist will remain. Audience members can bid on all pieces in a silent auction. The event is 21+.
COST: $15-$100; MORE INFO

Bridget "Biddy" Mason. (Courtesy of Southern California Grantmakers)


THURSDAY, AUG. 15; 10 a.m. - 11 a.m.
Know Biddy: A Story of Resilience, Wreath Laying Ceremony
Evergreen Cemetery -- 204 N. Evergreen Ave., Boyle Heights
Nonprofit org Southern California Grantmakers commemorates the life of Bridget "Biddy" Mason, a philanthropist and the first Black woman to purchase land in Los Angeles. On Biddy's birthday, honor her legacy with a wreath-laying ceremony at the unmarked grave where she was buried for almost a century. Local historians and community leaders will speak and there will be cake. The celebration continues on Saturday, August 17 with a historic downtown walking tour.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

THURSDAY, AUG. 15; 6:30PM
TV + KPCC: Life Below Zero
KPCC's Crawford Family Forum -- 474 S Raymond Ave, Pasadena
Nat Geo Channel presents a conversation with the team behind the chilling series "Life Below Zero." Hear from Executive Producer Joe Litzinger, Editor Michael Swingler, and Directors of Photography David Lovejoy and Benji Lanpher as they describe what it takes to film an extreme show set deep in the remote, Alaskan wilderness. And the Coolhaus ice cream truck will be there!
COST: FREE w/ RSVP; MORE INFO

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MBLAQ perform during their "Broken" comeback showcase in Seoul on March 24, 2014. (STARNEWS/AFP/Getty Images)


THURSDAY, AUG. 15 - SUNDAY, AUG. 18
KCON 2019 L.A.
STAPLES Center -- 1111 S. Figueroa St., downtown L.A.
Los Angeles Convention Center -- 1201 S. Figueroa St., downtown L.A.
This huge convention celebrates K-pop and all aspects of Korean culture from music to food to drama. It's broken into two sections, a convention at the L.A. Convention Center (August 15-18) and a music festival at STAPLES Center (August 17-18). This year's performers include AB6IX, ATEEZ, Loona, IZ*ONE and Momoland.
COST: Starts from $57; MORE INFO


THURSDAY, AUG. 15; 7 - 9 p.m.
Bingo Under The Stars
The Americana at Brand -- 889 Americana Way, Glendale
Vie for prizes and enjoy an evening of food and games at the Americana's bingo night. Your admission ticket includes eats from Trattoria Amici, Bacari GDL or Lemonade.
COST: $20; MORE INFO

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