GO LA: Mort Sahl, Ziggy Marley and Everything In Between
What to do in L.A., May 1-7
What do you do all day when you’re on the road?
I spend most of my time in hotel rooms, where I eat room service, watch movies and write in my red-velvet, unicorn-themed man-journal.
Proust section, à la Vanity Fair: When and where is your idea of perfect happiness?
Asleep in Lionel Richie’s moustache, dreaming of cotton candy and singing “Margaritaville.”
What is the most despondent you’ve ever felt?
The captain wired in he had water coming in, and the good ship and crew was in peril. Later that night when his lights went out of sight, came the wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald.
Where do you go to be alone?
A Tone Loc concert.
Stephen Lynch at The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., L.A.; Fri., May 1, 8 p.m.; $29.50. (213) 480-3232.
SATURDAY, MAY 2
ART
Gary Had a Little Man
According to artist Gary Baseman’s bio: “Mr. Baseman’s work is Surreal. Innocent. Lustful. Honest. Everywhere.” Not to mention “Enjoyed. By. Seven. Year. Olds.” For the opening of La Noche de la Fusion, expect “a Carnivalesque festival celebrating the beauty of the bittersweetness of life,” with dancers in costumes designed by Basemen, plus custom-made silk banners and lanterns from Thailand. You can meet his new character, the Enlightened Chou, which Baseman describes as resembling “my ChouChou character, only he has three more ChouChou heads on top of his head. It’s all part of fusing these different cultures and ideas together.” See interpretations of the Enlightened Chou by artists from Thailand, India, Mexico, Brazil and Russia, and other Americans. Oh, and new paintings, too. Guests are encouraged to come in costume as their “true fantastic self.” Corey Helford Gallery, 8522 Washington Blvd., Culver City. May 2-23. Reception Sat., May 2, 6:30-10 p.m. (310) 287-2340.
—L.M.
ART
Art Is a Mystery: Discuss
If it’s May, it’s Incognito time. The fifth annual benefit art sale for the Santa Monica Museum of Art is the first of the season’s art auctions, and with some 500 works from 400 artists, a bargain at $300 a pop. But in case you’ve somehow missed it in the past, here’s what makes Incognito so fun: The artworks are signed only on the back, so when you buy, you don’t know who you’re buying. (Unless, of course, you know — but don’t be so sure, a lot of well-known artists are pretty good at disguising their work, or simply doing something a little different.) And then there’s the near-purity of it: You’re buying because you actually like the piece, not because of the artist’s name or value. Only “near” purity because, let’s face it, we’re all hoping the name turns out to be Ruscha or Baldessari or Pettibon or Antin. But it’s just as cool to discover an up-and-coming artist you’ve never heard of by taking his or her piece home and hanging it on your wall. And there are many, many seriously great artists participating who can be called neither Ruscha nor up-and-coming. All this suspense going on, with good food and drink, and the knowledge that you’re supporting an institution we’re fortunate to have, and want to keep healthy. Santa Monica Museum of Art, Bergamot Station G1, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; Sat., May 2; tickets start at $100; early purchase recommended as availability is limited. (310) 586-6488 or www.smmoa.org/index.php/programs/group/0/2.
TENNIS
Where There’s a Will, There’s a Goofy Overhead Smash
Swedish world tennis champ Mats Wilander once said, “He’ll never beat Roger Federer unless he becomes a little more aggressive.” Only a true tennis fanatic would know he was talking about Lleyton Hewitt, but even the most casual observer would know that the advice certainly wouldn’t apply to Will Ferrell, who has gamely stepped up to the baseline for The Global Tennis Showdown, a benefit for the Swedish School of Los Angeles and the Sweden House, where Wilander and Ferrell will smash and lob for a good cause. After the match, watch the Dan Band pay disrespect to songs you once loved. A barbecue dinner and live and silent auctions await big spenders. Los Angeles Tennis Center, UCLA, Westwood; Sat., May 2, 4-9 p.m.; $25 tennis only; $100 includes dinner. (888) 369-9909 or www.globaltennisshowdown.com.
—L.M.
Remember When Barcamp Meant “Bar Camp”?
From treatises on “Sandwich Making” to panels on “Lock Picking,” BarCampLA is not your traditional snore-inducing tech conference. It’s the ultimate “unconference,” where all attendees are encouraged to contribute in some way, by either making a presentation, giving a demo, running a session or helping out with one (just post your topic on the handy white boards provided!). A spinoff of Web 2.0 guru Tim O’Reilly’s FooCamp, the name “BarCamp” has its etymology in the hacker term “foobar,” which represents an unknown value. Taking off on this concept, co-organizer Chris Darbro emphasizes that BarCampLA is a place where you can “make it what you want, share what you want, learn what you want,” a sort of à la carte user-generated conference. Founded in Palo Alto in 2005, and now held in hundreds of cities and countries, BarCamp is not just for hardcore techies. With attendees from as far away as Africa, South America and New York, Darbro asserts, “You don’t really need to be a tech person to get something out of it.” That “something” includes free drinks, snacks, and T-shirts for those bold enough to contribute and learn. Note: All presenters are responsible for making sure that notes/slides/audio/video of their presentations are published online for the benefit of all who attend, and for those who can’t be present. OTX Research, 10567 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City; Sat.-Sun., May 2-3, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. (with more after-hours fun on Sat.); free. barcampla.org or @barcampla on Twitter.
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