The Department of Cultural Affairs and the National Endowment for the Arts wants to enhance the quality of your life, and those of the other 3.999 million residents of Los Angeles. No, really! The city might not have the funds to keep even Central Library open on Mondays, but it has managed to keep Grand Performances, a free concert and events series celebrating its 25th season this summer, going, and for that, we are grateful. (You want to balance the city budget, Mr. V? I say let's fire the eight beat cops that spend half their night shift loitering at my local 7-Eleven and replace them with street artists with paint guns, for starters.) Between now and late August, soak up all kinds of culture — from theater to jazz, “global block parties” to Tongue and Groove events, a series focused on Boyle Heights, and one-offs like Charles Phoenix: Los Angelesland. You'd generally have to pay a pretty penny to chortle at this native humorist and his retro slide shows. But not tonight! No! This slide show celebrates L.A. “like it's one big theme park,” and was concocted especially for Grand Performances. Grand Performances. Grand Performances, 350 S. Grand Ave., dwntwn

Fri., June 24, 8:30 p.m., 2011

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