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Pencil This In: Literary Death Match, Silent Film Shorts, Dirty Songs and Seun Kuti in Concert
The Gallery on Market Street in Venice hosts an opening reception tomorrow (Sat., April 21) for a solo exhibition of paintings by local artist, Farid Kia. (Image 'Pablo': Courtesy of the artist and gallery.)
TGIF! We found a few great events happening around town tonight. Check out: an evening of Silent Comedy Shorts at the Aero Theater; an evening of Dirty Songs; Seun Kuti in concert; Anna Deveare Smith's Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992; and Literary Death Match in ATX.
SILENT FILM
The Aero Theater holds its monthly evening of Silent Comedy Shorts tonight at 7:30 pm. Films by Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, Georges Méliès, Winsor McKay, Segundo de Chomón and Harold Lloyd are presented with live musical accompaniment. On the program are Méliès’ French Interpreter Policeman (1908, 7 min); Charlie Chaplin’s Rink (1916, 30 min); Buster Keaton’s The Frozen North (1922, 17 min); Winson McKay’s Gertie the Dinosaur (1914, 12 min); De Chomón’s Music, Forward! (1907, 3 min); and Harold Lloyd’s An Eastern Westerner (1920, 20 min). Tickets: $11.
SONG
Tonight Karaoke Fever presents an evening of Dirty Songs at 8 pm at the Echo Country Outpost. It’s an evening that celebrates sexually explicit music with originals and cover songs performed live by Dick and Jane, Gabriel Hart (Jail Weddings), Bloody Death Skull, John Carpenter, Betty White, Olentangy John, Donna Suppipat (Tommy Santee Klaws), RT N The 44s, Sabrina Lawrie, Matt Taylor, Ghiant, Bikos, Chris Hajek, Alex Lilly (Touche), Chris Frias (Random Patterns) and more. DJ sets by Brendan Willard and Daiana Feuer. Donation: $5
THEATER
The Katselas Theatre Company presents the Anna Deavere Smith play Twilight: Los Angeles, 1992, which opens today and runs through April 29. Directed by Leila Vatan, 25 multiethnic actors from Katselas Theatre Company now recreate Deveare Smith's one-person show at the Skylight Theatre. It explores the turmoil in Los Angeles following the failed conviction of the officers in the Rodney King Trial. The show runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm and Sundays at 7 pm. Tickets: $15-$20.
MUSIC
Afrobeat superstar Seun Kuti performs at UCLA's Royce Hall tonight with the extraordinary group Fela’s Egypt 80 to promote his album From Africa With Fury: Rise. The son of Fela performs with incendiary live energy, continuing the movement his father began, railing against many of the same injustices, from corporate greed to military leaders to the war on drugs. Tonight at 8 pm in Royce Hall. Tickets: $20-$55.
LIT*
Literary Death Match is at Atwater Crossing tonight at 9 pm. The event pairs four authors to read their most electric writing for seven minutes or less before a panel of three judges, who spout off-the-cuff critiques and select a winner to move onto the finals. The two finalists then compete for the Literary Death Match crown. Tonight's contestants are Lauren Groff for Slake; Krys Lee for Granta; Jerry Stahl for Rarebird Lit; and Tom Bissell for Zyzzyva. Judges Richard Lange (Dead Boys, “Baby Killers” from Slake No. 1; Oriana Small, a.k.a. Ashley Blue (Girlvert); and one more TBA. ATX Kitchen will be open for your food and wine needs, and the beer will be flowing at the bar. Tickets $5 in advance; $7 at the door; both redeemable at the merchandise table.
*Pencil pick of the day
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Want more events? Follow me on Twitter (@christineziemba). Or follow Lauren Lloyd—who takes care of Pencil on Wednesdays (@LadyyyLloyd).
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