Looking for something to do? Look no further than these 20 events happening this weekend. Check out our January Guide and David Bowie Tribute Events for other options, too.
FRIDAY, JAN. 15
IT’S THE PITS (Art Party)
5 Every Day takes over the La Brea Tar Pits and Museum on Jan. 15 from 7-10 pm for It's the Pits, turning the museum into “a science-skewed creative salon” with artists, musicians and filmmakers to stage pop-up installations and performances throughout the museum’s spaces. L.A. creative groups/artists/collectives participating so far include Lost & Found Film Club, Tom Carroll, Ghosting, dublab, Jherek Bischoff and others. The event is free with RSVP. Parking is $10 flat rate.
(NO) SNOW DAY (Festival)
Angel City Brewery is throwing a (NO) Snow Day on Friday from 2-8 pm to benefit the nonprofit Global Inheritance, who’ll be onsite to talk about rain initiatives and ways to harness the power of El Nino. In addition to food trucks onsite (La Casa Del Cuoco, Sweet E’s Bake Shop,Tropical Sno and Dogtown Dogs), there will be live music (The Kaygle$ & Countless Thousands), beer specials, a vendor market (Tiger Moon Designs, Practical Arts Coasters, Polite Hostility, PetraLis and others) and a screening of the 80s classic Gremlins at 4 pm.
THE BITCH SEAT (Comedy)
The Bitch Seat, a show that combines comedy and a therapy talk show hosted by Lyssa Mandel and Phil Casale, is at NerdMelt on Friday night at 7 pm. Guests Baron Vaughn, Emmy Blotnick, Zoe Jarman, Anna Akana (with music from Zach Sherwin) are invited by hosts Lyssa Mandel and Phil Casale to present “poignant/painful creations from their adolescence on stage.” Afterward, they’ll be interviewed right after. “Think of it as Judy Blume meets Dr. Phil.” Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door.
#THROWBACK FRIDAY (Storytelling + comedy)
JV presents #Throwback Friday, a show that involves a mixture of long form improv and storytelling. The JV troupe—Casey Feigh, Cissy Fenwick, Anthony Gioe, Dan Gregor, Rene Gube, Mary Holland, Nicholas Mandernach and Paul Welsh— invites hilarious storytellers to the UCB Franklin stage to show off their old school pictures, and then JV weaves these stories into improv comedy. This week's guest storyteller Charlene DeGuzman. 11 pm. Tickets: $5.
SATURDAY, JAN. 16
X-FILES MARATHON (TV)
There’s an X-Files six-episode marathon that runs from 12-10 pm on Saturday at Cinefamily. It’s hosted by Kumail Nanjiani (Silicon Valley) who hosts the X-Files Files podcast and guest stars on the upcoming X-Files reboot. There will be surprise X-Files cast/crew appearances and a live taping of the podcast. The night ends with a sneak screening of the first new episode, which debuts on Jan. 24. (The event is free, but the demand has been so great that Cinefamily organizers have taken the registration offline.)
MIGHTY MORPHIN POWER RANGERS (Art)
Gallery Nucleus in Alhambra teams up with Saban Brands and BOOM! Studios to host a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers official tribute art exhibition on Saturday night. The event celebrates the release of the new Power Rangers #0 comic by BOOM! Studios with new artwork along with rarely seen production art from the original TV show. 7 pm. Free. First 100 attendees get a free door prize. The exhibition remains on view through Jan. 31.
SHADES AND SHADOWS (Reading)
Shades and Shadows, the reading/story series dedicated to dark fantasy, horror and science fiction, takes place at Mimoda Studio on Saturday at 8 pm. Hosted by Lauren Candia and Xach Fromson, the evening brings together authors who read from their own works. On the program this weekend are readings by Elise Forier Edie, David Gerrold, Joshua Scher, Sherri I. Smith, Stephanie Diaz and Fromson. Tickets: $10.
DEVOTCHKA (Music)
The four-piece multi-instrumental ensemble DeVotchKa plays the El Rey on Saturday night with glam rock outlet Timur and the Dime Museum opening. Tickets: $27. Doors at 8 pm, show at 9 pm.
JUNGLE DRUMS (Art)
Painter, illustrator and designer Josh Agle (aka SHAG) debuts new works at Corey Helford Gallery’s new 12,000-foot space on Saturday night from 7-11 pm. The Jungle Drumsexhibition features new paintings, as well as sculptures and masks. The exhibition will remain on view through Feb. 13.
THE CEVICHE PROJECT (Food + Drink)
The Ceviche Project pairs with Cocktail Academy's Brandyn Tepper and Scarpetta's Freddy Vargas for a food and cocktail takeover of El Chavo Restaurant in Silver Lake beginning on Saturday night at 5 pm. Reservations are being accepted now for the ceviche, raw, tequila and mezcal bar(s).
ASIAN AMERICAN EXPO (Lunar New Year)
The 35th Annual Asian American Expo takes place on Saturday and Sunday at the Pomona Fairplex. The expo is the largest Lunar New Year celebration in America and features more than 1,200 vendor booths in six exhibition halls, three food courts with nearly 200 food vendors and seven performance stages. This year, the Expo also introduces three new events: the the Silk Show (streetwear), AnimeImpulse Convention (anime and video games) and the first-ever Asian Beer Fest. Admission: $9.50-$11.50.
DRUM-OFF (Music competition)
Guitar Center's 27th Annual Drum-Off finals are being held on Saturday night at Club Nokia in DTLA. The five undiscovered finalist contestants—Hilario Bell, Jonathan Burks, Luis Burgos Jr, Brandon Zackey and Tony Taylor— will perform for the championship. Special guest artists are Taylor Hawkins (Foo Fighters), Mike Mangini (Dream Theater), Robert Sput Searight (Snarky Puppy) with Clyde Stubblefield (James Brown) and Gil Sharone (Marilyn Manson). 7 pm. Tickets: $25.
MODULAR SYNTHESIS (Art)
Subliminal Projects opens the solo art show Modular Synthesis with works by Steve Keene on Saturday at 8 pm. Modular Synthesis marks the artist’s first West Coast show in five years and debuts more than 30 of Keene’s Tattooed Plywood pieces, as well as handmade furniture and more than 750 hand painted multiples. The works will remain on view through Feb. 13. Email: RSVP@subliminalprojects.com to attend the opening night reception. Music by Shepard Fairey, DJ Babydonut and David Orlando.
SUNDAY, JAN. 17
FOMO FEST 2016 (Music)
The Echo, Origami Vinyl and Buzzbands present FOMO Fest 2016 (Fear of Missing Out) at The Echo on Sunday beginning at 2 pm. Bands/artists on the bill include: Bird Dog, Breakfast, Cobalt Cranes, Draemings, FORD MADOX FORD, James the Human, Jim and Sam, Miya Folick, The Molochs, Northern American, Prettiest Eyes, Sego, Sun Drug and Veronica Bianqui. All ages. Tickets: $9.50-$12.50.
THE PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC (Silent film)
The Valley Performing Arts Center (at CSUN) presents Carl Theodor Dreyer’s 1928 silent film masterpieceThe Passion of Joan of Arc with with sacred medieval music performed live by The Orlando Consort on Sunday at 7:30 pm. Much of the music performed was composed during Joan of Arc’s lifetime, bringing St. Joan’s story alive onscreen. Tickets: $20-$50.
DEBATE DEBATE (Politics + comedy)
Debate Debate returns to the Theatre at Ace Hotel on Sunday night at 6 pm. It’s a debate viewing party of the Democratic candidates with a panel of comedians ready to cut in with commentary and debate rebuttals. Comedians weighing in at Debate Debate 2 include: James Adomian, The Lucas Brothers, Erin Gibson, Guy Branum and others. There’s an afterparty with drinks and dancing. Tickets: $15-$50. Doors at 5 pm.
MICHAEL MORTILLA (Music + film)
LACMA's exhibition, New Objectivity: Modern German Art In The Weimar Republic, 1919-1933, closes on Monday (Jan. 18), and to wrap up the exhibition, composer Michael Mortilla performs live improvised scores to the five silent films on view in the galleries on Sunday. He will be in the galleries from 10:30 am to approximately 7 pm. Films will be screened with 5 to 10 minute breaks in between. The music is free with general admission. At LACMA’s BCAM building, level 2.
HEAD OVER HEELS (Play reading)
Coeurage Theatre Company—LA’s only Pay What You Want company—presents a one night only reading of the play Head Over Heels, written and directed by Coeurage resident playwright Eric Czuleger on Sunday at 7:30 pm at The Historic Lankershim Arts Center in NoHo. Proceeds from the event will go toward the ongoing medical care of Steve Julian, host of ‘Morning Edition’ on KPCC Radio and Coeurage board member, who was diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumor in November. All proceeds from this benefit reading will go directly to assisting with Julian’s medical expenses and ongoing care. Click here to donate directly to Steve Julian’s medical care.
EROTICA WRITING 101 (Workshop)
On Sunday night from 8-10 pm, there’s a free Erotica Writing 101 workshop at the Pleasure Chest in West Hollywood. The event’s led by Rachel Kramer Bussel, author and editor of more than 50 erotica anthologies, will teach the basics of modern erotic writing. Bring paper and pens or a laptop for the writing exercises. There is no RSVP, but seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
LAVA’S DETECTIVE'S CASEBOOK (Forensic science)
Cal State Los Angeles Professor Donald Johnson joins LAVA (The Los Angeles Visionaries Association) and Esotouric to present a new forensic science seminar: Detective's Casebook: L.A. Bombing & The Making of a Serial Killer on Sunday at Cal State L.A. from noon to 4 pm. The workshop’s led by investigators Ed Nordskog (LASD) and Mike Digby (LASD retired). The seminar is being held at the CSULA’s The Hertzberg-Davis Forensic Science Center. Cost: $36.50 per person, includes refreshments. A portion of the proceeds from this event supports the graduate level research of the college’s Criminalistics graduate students. Children may not attend because of the graphic nature of the presentations.
Related: LAist’s January Guide
Want the 411 on additional events and happenings in LA? Follow @LAist or me (@christineziemba) on Twitter.
