L.A. WeeklyFrom a preview of fall TV shows to celebrations of gender and queerness, here are the 13 best things to do in Los Angeles this week.
fri 9/6
TELEVISION
What’s on TV?
Still looking for a new, binge-worthy obsession to fill the void after Game of Thrones? At PaleyFest Fall TV Previews, you can hang out with a small-town choir, a teen detective, an animated Mexican-American family, Batwoman or the Wu-Tang Clan. The Paley Center’s most popular, annual event hosts screenings of TV and the internet’s hottest, upcoming comedies and dramas, as well as receptions and discussions with some of the cast and crew, including: Perfect Harmony, Sunnyside and Bluff City Law (Sept. 5); Undone (Sept. 6); Batwoman, Nancy Drew and Katy Keene (Sept. 7); Almost Family, Prodigal Son and Bless the Harts (Sept. 9); Wu-Tang: An American Saga and Dollface (Sept. 10); Bob Hearts Abishola and All Rise (Sept. 12); The Misery Index (Sept. 13); Mixed-ish, Stumptown and Emergence (Sept. 14); and The Casagrandes and Disenchantment (Sept. 15). A highlight this year is a screening of a classic episode of Mad About You, with Paul Reiser and Helen Hunt in attendance, in anticipation of the sitcom’s limited-series reboot for Spectrum Originals later this year. Paley Center, 465 N. Beverly Drive, Beverly Hills; Thu.-Tue., Sept. 5-15, various times; $20. (310) 786-1000, paleycenter. —Siran Babayan
(Courtesy of RAINBOW SHIFT)
ART
Under the Rainbow
We Choose Art has been doing some very fine art-centric event curations at the Montalban the past few years, often with a progressive social perspective, and always with cocktails. Friday night’s RAINBOW SHIFT: A Queer Homecoming Celebration will be the fourth edition of its totally joyful LQBTQ-awareness series, and features not only visual (sculpture, craft, drawing, painting, photography) and performance art but also writers and community organizers, curated by Baha Danesh and Tiger Munson. Getting there early is a good idea, not only because with advance tickets your first drink is free before 9 p.m., but also because energetic art performances from Planet Queer and Miss Art World start right at 7 p.m. The Montalban Theater, 1615 Vine St., Hollywood; Fri., Sept. 6, 7-11 p.m.; $10-$15. facebook.com/WeChooseArt. —Shana Nys Dambrot
(Courtesy of Long Beach Lobster Fest)
FOOD&DRINK
Get Cracking
From sea to shining sea, the humble lobster has reigned supreme — celebrate its 23rd year of benevolent rule at this year’s Long Beach Lobster Festival. Flown in fresh from Maine, this year’s crop of crustaceans will fill your heart with buttery, high-caloric goodness as you dance, enjoy live music, rest up in a blessedly shady tent, and enjoy lobster from sliders to rolls to lobster on a stick. There’s even a powerful drink called the Screaming Lobster, which — and let’s not kid ourselves — takes its inspiration from the moment your lobster gets an icepick right through the medulla. Rainbow Lagoon Park, 400 E. Shoreline Drive, Long Beach; Fri., Sept. 6, 5 p.m., Sat.-Sun., Sept. 7-8, noon; $5-40. (562) 495-5959, originallobsterfestival.com —David Cotner
PHOTOGRAPHY
Historic California in Focus
What started as a small group show at the Michael Dawson Gallery in 2010 has become an annual art fair celebrating both classic and contemporary photography. Marking its 10th anniversary, Classic Photographs Los Angeles at Bergamot Station gathers more than a dozen galleries from around the country — even Paris and Shanghai — to showcase works by such names as Andre Kertesz, Edward Weston, Eadweard Muybridge, Bruce Davidson, Garry Winogrand and Jim Marshall, some dating back to the 19th century. With an emphasis on the West Coast, the mostly black-and-white prints give a glimpse into historic California, whether it’s Big Sur, Yosemite, Venice Beach, Sunset Boulevard or the Pacific Coast Highway. ROSEGALLERY at Bergamot Station, 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica; Fri., Sept. 6, 6-8 p.m.; Sat., Sept. 7, 11 a.m.-7 p.m.; Sun. Sep. 8, 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; free. (310) 264-8440, classicphotographsla.com. —Siran Babayan
sat 9/7
ART
Island Art
“I imagine my work as artifacts discovered by a future archaeologist, clues to an unknown civilization,” Joy Ray offers in her bio. The Hawaiian artist plants enigmatic clues in her mixed-media artifacts, coiling flowery, sinuous strands of twine against an abstract but evocative and haunting collision of black and white paint (Talisman: Dream Siege) and burying hints of letters, words and other attempts and vestiges of communication under a seemingly random splatter of entropic plaster (Artifact: Never). The two-person “Beyond/Within” exhibition also features Samuelle Richardson’s rough-hewn cloth sculptures of disembodied heads and wire-legged, squawking birds spliced up with scarlike stitches. “Influences are numerous and come from sources that strike me as vulnerable and off-guard,” the local artist writes. Launch LA, 170 S. La Brea Ave., Hancock Park; reception Sat., Sept. 7, 6-9 p.m.; through Sat., Sept. 28; free. (323) 899-1363, launchla.org. —Falling James
FILM
Get Gory
Produced by Sam Raimi and star Bruce Campbell, The Evil Dead remains a masterpiece of gore and mayhem with imagery that is, at this point, iconic to lovers of horror and scary-film fare. So it’s no shock that Burbank’s beloved Bearded Lady Museum (know for artistic homages to haunted subject matter and macabre movies) is taking a stab at celebrating the film with another one of its eerie exhibits and parties. Showcasing original props from the film, the Lady touts this as one of their most immersive experiences with photo ops, tribute art and other unexpected creepiness. They are working directly with Renaissance Pictures LTD, so the show promises authenticity that is sure possess fans and freaks alike. Opening night features a DJ, complimentary drinks and treats from the Rad Coffee Truck outside. All ages OK, but children must be accompanied by adults. Bearded Lady’s Mystic Museum, 3204 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. Sat., Sept. 7, 8 p.m.; $12, $25 VIP for early entry. squareup.com/store/
Christy Roberts Berlowitz (Courtesy of Love and/or Fear)
ART
Love Yourself on Hollywood Boulevard
Saturday night the stretch of Hollywood Boulevard where LACE and the WUHO Gallery are located turns into an activated cultural site as Freewaves and Dis…Miss present LOVE &/OR FEAR: A Celebration of Genders — gathering together more than 35 artists and groups in a micro-festival of engaging performance and visual art, installations and participations, advocacy and community-building. Performers and postcard artists include some of L.A.’s most prolific and progressive voices, including Marcus Kuiland-Nazario, Thinh Nguyen, Jennifer Moon, Kristina Wong, Christy Roberts Berkowitz, Austin Young, Yozmit, Dakota Noot, Cassils, April Bey, boychild, Alexandra Grant, Micol Hebron, Shizu Saldamando, Julio Salgado, #SNATCHPOWER, Marsian De Lellis, and Yarn Bombing L.A., along with orgs like Peace Over Violence and Black Lives Matter. LACE (Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions) 6522 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sat., Sept. 7, 8-11 p.m.; free. freewaves.org. —Shana Nys Dambrot
ART
Art All Night
Just like Christmas, Muse ‘til Midnight comes but once a year — and, much like Christmas, the illuminating gifts it provides are priceless beyond compare. This year’s theme? The Allure of Music, which comes from the concurrent exhibition “The Allure of Matter: Material Art from China.” Curated by the beast with many heads that is tonight’s collaboration between dublab and Ninja Tune, and boasting musical manifestations by Actress, Octo Octa, Maral, and Julianna Barwick, there’s also a plethora of food, drink and experiences that will buoy you throughout the night, even after the last chime of midnight has faded away. Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Mid-Wilshire; Sat., Sept. 7, 7:30 p.m.; $20 LACMA members/$30 general. (323) 857-6000, lacma.org/event/muse-allure —David Cotner
(Courtesy of Manhattan Beach Badminton Club)
sun 9/8
FOOD&DRINK
Pub at the Club
Badminton at a club in Manhattan Beach immediately brings to mind four-letter words like “posh” and “chic,” but before you get your shuttlecock in a knot, you should realize that all the money from the 4th Annual Pub at the Club benefits local junior athletic programs, war veterans and people with special needs. What you’ll get as you’re luxuriating in all your newfound kindness: over 20 beers and ciders from far and wide, the treasures of wineries like Comstock, Kinship and Chalk Hill, and the finest dishes from upwards of a dozen local restaurants such as Sausal and Locale90. Manhattan Beach Badminton Club, 516 18th St., Santa Monica; Sun., Sept. 8, 2 p.m.; $89-109. (310) 545-9052, pubattheclub.com —David Cotner
mon 9/9
CULTURE
Don’t Fear the Reaper
Death is often treated as a dirty secret in many parts of Western society, but author-mortician Caitlin Doughty has made it her life’s work to demystify death and inspire people to look at mortality from a more natural viewpoint. As the madly irreverent but sincerely passionate host of the YouTube series Ask a Mortician, the local undertaker is unafraid of taking on taboo subjects like necrophilia or getting into intricately macabre details about what actually happens to rotting corpses. In this presentation from Book Soup and Spaceland, Doughty takes questions from the audience and discusses her latest book, Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs?: Big Questions From Tiny Mortals About Death. The Regent Theater, 448 S. Main St., downtown; Mon., Sept. 9, 8 p.m.; $35 & $45; all ages. (323) 284-5727, spacelandpresents.com. —Falling James
ART
Good To Go
“B.A.T.” is one of those bits of art-studio lingo that printmakers use to communicate; it stands for “bon a tirer” which translates as “good to pull,” meaning that a print has been proofed and the satisfied artist is ready to go forward with producing its edition. In CSULB’s new exhibition B.A.T. State III: Women Artists In Conversation with El Nopal Press, curators Anita Bunn and Francesco X Siqueiros survey the innovative prints (lithographs, reliefs and monoprints) produced by 37 women across 30 years of Siqueiros’ legendary DTLA print studio, El Nopal Press. Artists include Bunn herself, as well as figures as diverse as Lisa Adams, Judith F. Baca, Judie Bamber, Carolyn Castaño, Chelsea Dean, Diane Gamboa, Sherin Guirguis, Annie Lapin, Laurie Lipton, Mara Lonner, Ruby Osorio, Renée Petropoulos, Analia Saban, Susan Silton, Linda Stark, and Liat Yossifor. Kleefeld Contemporary Art Museum, Cal State Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach; opening reception: Sun., Sept. 8, 4-6 p.m.; exhibition: though Nov. 14; free.(562) 985-4111), csulb.edu. —Shana Nys Dambrot
wed 9/11
LITERATURE
Storytelling Sorority
The Secret Society of the Sisterhood is an ongoing series in which a diverse variety of fascinating women tell real-life stories. The theme this time around is “If at first you don’t succeed,” with comedian-host Trish Nelson presenting actor-writer Mara Wilson, comedian Cameron Esposito and writer-comedian Akilah Hughes. “The topic of my talk is fear,” says Jackie Fuchs, the lawyer, former Runaways bassist and recent Jeopardy! champ, in a general description of her piece. The storytelling will be broken up by the endearing pop songs of Letters to Cleo’s Kay Hanley, who was also the singing voice of the title character in the 2001 film Josie and the Pussycats. The Masonic Lodge , Hollywood Forever Cemetery, 6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Hollywood; Wed., Sept. 11, 7 p.m.; $20. (323) 469-1181, hollywoodforever.com. —Falling James
thu 9/12
DANCE
Deconstructed Fairy Tales
REDCAT, CalArts’ cutting edge presence downtown, opens its 2019-2020 performance season with choreographer Ligia Lewis’ Water Will (in Melody). This third section of a trilogy opens with pastoral sounds as Lewis leads viewers into a deconstructed grim fairy tale about a misbehaving or maybe just being a lonely child. Dominican Republic-born Lewis grew up in Florida and now divides her time between New York and Berlin, picking up a New York Bessie award along the way. With performers (including Lewis) garbed in sharply contrasting white and black, the work incorporates voice and gesture along with the movement to tell the tale. REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., downtown; Thu.-Sat., Sept. 12-14, 8:30 p.m., Sun., Sept. 15, 3 p.m.; $27-$32, $22-$26. redcat.org/. —Ann Haskins
Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.