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We found an amazing array of events tonight, including a mah jongg exhibition; a SoundClouders meetup; Justin Halpern reads from his new book, I Suck at Girls; Pico Iyer talks about The Joy of Quiet; Lucha Va Voom holds another Heino Happy Hour; JuntoBox holds a screening party; and LACMA kicks off a hip-hop music series. Read on for all the details.
ART+GAMES
The Skirball Center opens the exhibit Project Mah Jongg today, examining the place the Chinese game has held in Jewish popular culture since it was introduced to the U.S. in the 1920s. It’s inspired décor, fashion, household products, philanthropy and more, and the exhibition displays vintage photography, historical objects as well as contemporary mah jongg-inspired works by artists such as Isaac Mizrahi and Maira Kalman. People are encouraged to come play the game at the Center, too. Packages for mahj groups available. The exhibition is on view through Sept. 2. Free admission on Thursdays.
PICO IYER TALK*
One of our favorite writers Pico Iyer is in conversation tonight with Marketplace’s Lisa Napoli tonight at 7:30 pm at UCLA’s Fowler Museum as part of Live Talks LA series. He’ll discuss The Joy of Quiet: Desperate to Unplug (or coping with the age of always-on). We’re always connected today, and the discussion will focus on how always being plugged in affects our ability to think, create and participate in....life. Tickets: $20.
BOOKS
Blogger Justin Halpern, who killed it with the Twitter feed and book Sh*t My Dad Says is at Barnes & Noble at The Grove for his newest book, I Suck at Girls.It’s Halpern’s collection of coming-of-age stories of his romantic misadventures. This is the guy who asked a girl to homecoming in high school by asking if she’d “ever taken flaming hot Cheetos and dumped nacho cheese on them?” (Who wouldn’t want to date that!?) Reading and signing at 7 pm.
SOUNDCLOUD MEETUP
Calling all sound creators and wanna be collaborators: SoundCloud’s holding a Global Meetup Day today, and LA’s SoundClouders are meeting up tonight at Biergarten on Western. Organizers say the site’s appropriate because it’s “halfway between KCRW and KPCC and because, like the HQ of Soundcloud, it's German!” 6 pm.
BURLESQUE
Tonight, Lucha VaVOOM presents The Heino! Happy Hour: 80s for the Ladies at El Cid. Every third Thursday, audiences get treated to an evening of comedy, music, burlesque and “astounding feats of Germanic humour.” Dinner and drinks will be served at 8 pm and the show starts at 9 pm featuring Heino (the Voice of Germany), komödie kabaret, Diamondback Annie, Lady Elvis and Horatio Sanz. $15.
SCREENING
JuntoBox is a social media platform/community for filmmakers and fans to share ideas to create films—and then make them. The company is scheduled to green-light five films this year, and they’re throwing a screening party tonight at their offices (2043a Colorado Ave.) to show what the JuntoBox Creators are working on. There will be booze and snacks served during the meetup.
HIP HOP
LACMA kicks off the hip-hop series Through the Mictonight at 8 pm with a reunion concert by 3MG. Performing for the first time in five years, the group’s members Murs, Eligh and Scarub met as students at LA’s Hamilton High and released Gypsy’s Luck before joining forces with The Mystik Journeymen and The Grouch to form The Living Legends. KCRW DJ Dan Wilcox opens. Tickets: $10-$15. ***This concert is now sold out.
*Pencil pick of the day
Want more events? Follow me on Twitter (@christineziemba). Or follow Lauren Lloyd—who takes care of Pencil on Wednesdays (@LadyyyLloyd).
