(Credit: Corey Seeholzer)
To celebrate the warm weather and all-around slap-happy mood, we hereby present seven days of comedy, fire dancing, freaky artwork and maybe a few baby octopuses. Octopi. Whatever. Just put on some clothes (or take some off) and get out there.
Wednesday, May 7
Intro to Buddhism Class
What: Get your duff over to an introductory class to learn the basics of Buddhism, which involves meditation and clearing your mind of all the thoughts and troubles that plague you. We called this practice "playing video games," but apparently people have been doing it another way for centuries.
Why: An intro to meditation on a Wednesday night? File this under the "Why the hell not?" or "I'm totally going to blog about that later" category of your calendar.
Thursday May 8
Nick Thune at the Comedy and Magic Club
What: Scruffy Echo Park comedian Nick Thune heads down to Hermosa Beach to deliver three nights of guitar-assisted comedy. His dry, intelligent humor just earned him the title of Metromix Comedy Crush of the Week.
Why: Because I just disrupted the office calm by snorting and cackling while watching his YouTube videos. Get off my case—it was research.
Friday, May 9
Studio 1954
What: The fine folks at the nonprofit group Artists on the Brink take you back in time to an era of pained smiles and rubber girdles with Studio 1954, which features musical performances, dancing, theatrical scenes and, yes, a few acrobats for good measure. Stick around for an after-party with DJs, complimentary booze and a crowd of people donning their finest vintage to add to the old-school vibe.
Why: Proceeds from the night benefit S.C.O.P.E., an organization that encourages voter turnout. Uh, where were they in 2000? And 2004?!
Saturday, May 10
Scott Musgrove and Liz McGrath at Billy Shire Fine Arts
What: Raise your hand if you have a crush on Liz McGrath! OK, everyone in the world, you can put them down now. L.A.-based wide-eyed goth girl McGrath shows some new cute-but-eerie watercolors at Billy Shire Fine Arts in the smaller gallery, while Scott Musgrove takes over the main space with his delicate portraits of freaky creatures that appear to be from another planet.
Why: Both Musgrove and McGrath sell out shows in a blink at Billy Shire, so this one’s sure to be packed with a good crowd and plenty to look at. Including the good crowd.
Sunday, May 11
Low Tides Tide Pool Tour
What: Point thine compass west and get some salty fresh air today, stumbling over kelpy rocks during the low tides. The Cabrillo Marine Aquarium, southeast-ish of Palos Verdes, will take you on a tour of the tide pools, allowing you to poke an anemone for only $1. Try doing that at Koi.
Why: Because sometimes the most interesting creatures on the beach are not wearing bikinis or spray tans.
Monday, May 12
UnUrban Coffee House Benefit
What: Mondays always present the pants-vs.-pajamas dilemma, but scoot over to the ridiculously laid-back UnUrban Coffee House, perhaps in your pajamas, for an evening of music from Kathy Leonardo and comedy from Steve DePena. It'll be like flipping through the channels in your jammies, but with 3-D entertainment.
Why: The show is free, but organizers will donate 50% of the proceeds from DVD and CD sales to the American Cancer Society, which means you'll score some of that good karma you've been needing.
Tuesday, May 13
Flux at the Hammer
What: The monthly Flux film screenings at the Hammer Museum are usually high on our to-do lists, and this installment is no exception, serving up new music and video collaborations between Sam Spiegel (aka DJ Squeak E. Clean) and Syd Garon, as well as work from Shepard Fairey and Marcel Dzama.
Why: Because you can see "Baby Mama" at the multiplex any time, but this show is one night only.
With that, folks, we'll see you out there.
Alie Ward is Events editor for Metromix Los Angeles.
