…and then the cops came.

Jay Babcock of Arthur Magazine, the recently re-launched counter-cultural journal, sent out a hush-hush e-mail Saturday, Nov. 17 inviting people to an “L.A. River Beautification Meeting” featuring a performance from the much-loved band No Age.

Arthur's Babcock is known for pulling off cool and ambitious live events (like ArthurFest) that would make others give up while still talking through the logistics at a bar.

Staging a free, semi-secret show on the banks of the L.A. River with a little generator for power is a just plain excellent idea. And as with many excellent things, it was over too soon.

The set-up:

See more clips, including the arrival of the park rangers at Arthur's blog, Magpie.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.