GO LA, the Leonard Cohen Alternative: Mustache Dodgeball and Ron White on Klonopin

Art

THE FOLDER YOU GET ... 

So you failed to get Leonard Cohen tickets for tonight’s show, his first in 15 years. And now you are stuck with nothing to do but hate your pathetic loser self for missing this rare appearance by one of the greatest songwriters on the planet, whose recent shows have won rave reviews (“a vibrant and effective tension” — New York Times). He’s 72, and let’s face it, you’re not so young yourself, so you may never get another chance to see him. How does one console oneself at such lack of foresight? What could possibly fill that void? What would Leonard Cohen do if he couldn’t get Leonard Cohen tickets? He might enjoy the opening reception for Papershapers, a group show featuring 10 artists who cut, tear, fold and sew paper into all kinds of odd and wonderful shapes. Master paper artist Shin Tanaka makes a rare U.S. appearance to show off his technique. You can even download his templates to try it yourself. Did we mention free valet parking and an open bar? Scion Installation L.A., 3521 Helms Ave., Culver City; opening reception Sat., April 11, 7-10 p.m.; exhibit runs Wed.-Sat., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.; (310) 815-8840 or www.scion.com/space. —L.M.

SUNDAY, APRIL 12

Art

WHAT WOULD JESUS SPIN? 

Even if you don’t consider yourself especially religious,­ or, conversely, are on such close terms with God that you know his last name is “Dammit,” ­you’ll want to make a pilgrimage to Within Heaven’s Earshot. It’s an exhibition of religious album covers ­— LPs presenting everything from ventriloquists for Christ to horrifically melted evangelical preacher Merrill Womack and Satan’s latest tool: streaking. While it may seem easy to heap chucklesome scorn upon these seemingly naive intersections of religion and culture, when you actually see the recent video of ventriloquist Gail Wenos and her cheeky dummy Ezra, it seems almost terminally unseemly to do anything but smile and nod. Within Heaven’s Earshot places a more personal face on these dusty relics pawed over during many a visit to the Salvation Army in search of bigger fish to fry. And yet it doesn’t necessarily follow that, with this exhibition, representation equals endorsement ­— rather, it’s like an afternoon hanging out with your grandparents, who are more than happy to tell you how things were and the way they should be. The exhibition ­— curated by Kieran Sala, with contributions from DJs and cultural archaeologists/necrologists Don Bolles, Howie Pyro, Mitchell Brown and others ­— ends, fittingly enough, on Easter Sunday, April 12, a day capped with a performance from David Leibe Hart, the master of puppets seen everywhere, from The Junior Christian Science Bible Lesson Show to the Tim and Eric Awesome Show. The most bracing thing is that none of these albums has to do with edgy ideas in design and record sales. They deal simply with faith and finding people with whom one feels ideologically aligned ­— even if that means believing that the symbol for feminism is simply a circled pentagram and upside-down cross intertwined. Synchronicity Space, 4306 Melrose Ave., L.A.; Sun., April 12, performance 7:30 p.m. (gallery open Tues. and Thurs., 2-­7 p.m.; Fri. and Sat., noon-7 p.m.; Sun. noon-9 p.m.; also by appointment); free; (323) 284-8960 or www.syncspacela.com/heaven.html. —D.C.

Event

EASTER SCHMEASTER 

Some blurbs write themselves: “Ladies and gentlemen, start your mustaches! It’s time to pour on the Rogaine, sprinkle some Chia powder and ... let the mustaches rain down from heaven! Get ready for The Burt Reynolds ‘No Bunny Does it Better’ Dodgeball Tournament & Mustache Expo. LOW DOWN: This is a MANDATORY MUSTACHE EVENT for ladies, boys and lady-boys played with ‘No-Sting’ balls (our Stay Puft style). The winning teams gets supersweet prize packages. Other prizes will also be handed out for best stache, team concept and Burt’s doppleganger.” What else do you need to know? Okay, here: It’s put on by the Los Angeles Dodgeball Society. There are two divisions (Cannon Bunny Run [Recreation Divison] and Smokey and the Bunny [Advanced Division]); eight teams per division; 12 people per team. Mustaches will be for sale at the event. The Bellevue Rec Center, 826 Lucille Ave., Silver Lake; Sun., April 12, noon (Cannon Bunny Run); 2 p.m. (Smokey and the Bunny); http://dodgeball4ever.com/balls/upcoming-events. —L.M.

Classical

A CAPITOL IDEA 

One would be hard put to discover a music series more congenial and budget-friendly than Sundays Live. Held at LACMA each Sunday, these concerts feature the finest of chamber musicians at the finest of prices, i.e., free. But it’s not just the music that’s so much fun — it’s the chance to spend an afternoon wandering LACMA’s great exhibits, having lunch or an early dinner in the café, browsing the fab gift shop, and topping it all off with classical music for dessert. This week, the talented Capitol Ensemble, featuring violinists Phillip Levy and Julie Gigante, violists Roland Kato and Victoria Miscolczy, and cellist David Low perform Mendelssohn’s String Quintet No. 32 in B-flat major, Op. 87 and another avian-inspired work, Haydn’s String Quartet No. 32 in C major, Op. 33, No. 2, a.k.a. “The Bird.” At LACMA, Bing Theater, L.A.; Sun., April 12, 6 p.m.; free. (323) 857-6234 or www.sundayslive.org. —M.B.C.