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Happy Friday! There are a ridiculous number of cool events happening tonight in LA. Film events include a free screening of Snoopy Come Home! and a special presentation of The Omen with Richard Donner in person. Music events include: Mystery Skulls and Miami Horror at Culture Collide Festival and the LA Opera’s Einstein on the Beach. Art events at ArtNight Pasadena, Meltdown Comics and at the Barker Hanger. Read on for all the details.
MUSIC FEST
Filter Magazine’s fourth annual Culture Collide Festival continues today, bringing together music, art, film and more to several venues throughout Echo Park. We especially like the lineup at the Echoplex tonight with Mystery Skulls, Miami Horror, Gemini Club and Bagheera. Doors 8 pm. 21+. Culture Collide Festival wristbands are $30.
ART+MUSIC
Tonight form 6-10 pm is ArtNight Pasadena, in which some of the city’s cultural institutions throw open their doors for a free evening of art, music and entertainment. At one of the night’s music events at the Pasadena Civic Center from 6-9 pm, MUSE/IQUE kicks off its 2013-14 season with "Free For All," a family-friendly concert that blends sounds from the MUSE/IQUE Orchestra and the daKAH Hip Hop Orchestra for an evening of dancing under the stars. Free.
COMEDY
There’s a special exhibition that opens tonight—the Museum of Modern Groundlings—a sketch comedy show directed by Michael Naughton and featuring the work of Scott Beehner, Lauren Burns, laurel Coppock, H. Michael Croner, Chris Eckert, Laird Macintosh, Ariane Price and Jill Sachoff. 8 pm. The $50 ticket price includes beer, wine, small plates from Lemonade and dessserts from Babycakes.
OPERA
LA Opera opens a rare revival of the groundbreaking 1976 operatic collaboration by Robert Wilson and Philip Glass: Einstein on the Beach tonight at 6:30 pm. This is a decidedly unconventional opera that doesn’t follow a straight narrative, using a series of images a visual counterpoint to abstract dance sequences created by Lucinda Childs. If the 4 hour, 30 minute performance scares you—don’t be. Since there are no traditional intermissions, the audience can leave and re-enter as quiety as needed. Through Sunday. Tickets: $199-$330. (Read our interview with violinist Jennifer Koh, who plays Einstein.)
PSYCHIC BARBERS
Tonight (6-10 pm) also as part of ArtNight Pasadena, the artist collective Finishing School presents a new art installation by Jean Robison and Yucef Merhi: Psychic Barber. The “social sculpture” opens at Side Street Projects in Pasadena, and all visitors to the site will receive “psychic readings and haircuts by real hairstylists who also have psychic abilities.” Be prepared to get the “haircut you need.” Free.
ART OPENING *
There’s an art opening tonight at NerdMelt for Coming Soon, an exhibition of new original artworks and film posters based on unfinished science fiction, horror, thriller and animation film concepts by Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, Walt Disney, Akira Kurosawa, Andrei Tarkovsky and Orson Welles. There are also takes on original concepts for for Twin Peaks films, Krazy Kat cartoons and Kaiju monster movies. The opening reception will feature an artist panel and live music! Free. 6-10 pm.
BEYOND FEST
The American Cinematheque’s horror series Beyond Fest continues tonight at 7:30 pm at the Egyptian with a screening of The Omen (1976). The demon-possession flick has some heavy hitters in the cast including Gregory Peck and Lee Remick. Director Richard Donner will be in attendance and participate in the film’s post-screening discussion. Tickets: $11.
FREE FILM
The Front Porch Cinema series at the Santa Monica Pier, presented by Film Independent, continues tonight with a screening of the animated film Snoopy Come Home! The entire family is welcome to attend—even the four-legged members. It’s a pet-friendly screening. Doggie treats and water will be provided. Doors at 6 pm, film starts at 7:30 pm.
ART FOR A CAUSE
Tonight from 7-10 pm, the T.J. Martell Foundation kicks off its Artworks for a Cure weekend tonight at the Barker Hangar with a VIP meet the artists reception. The charity art exhibition and sale features more than 150 contemporary painters, sculptors, photographers and mixed media artists who’ve contributed to the foundation’s work in helping eradicate cancer and AIDS. Guests are able to bid on works by Desire Obtain Cherish, Shepard Fairey, RISK, Tilt, Tom Waits and many more. Tonight’s $75 ticket includes an art preview and sale, a celeb DJ, live music, wine and snacks. The art event continues through the weekend.
WEEKEND PICK
On Saturday night at the Nokia Theatre, KPCC presents NPR's Snap Judgement - Live. It's an evening of music and storytelling with tales of pure emotion during life's pivotal moments. At 8 pm. Tickets: $20-75 + fees.
*Pencil pick of the day
Want more events? Follow me on Twitter (@christineziemba).
