Libby MolyneauxFRIDAY, June 20
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Been a long time since your bon temps roulezed? See Saturday.
Without Carl Reiner, we wouldn’t have had Alan Brady, Your Show of Shows, The 2000 Year Old Man, Rob, Laura and Ritchie Petrie, or Reiner’s son Rob, which would have meant there would be no Spinal Tap — and that’s a world I just wouldn’t want to live in. Mr. Reiner will host A Festive Evening for Westside Center for Independent Living, an evening to benefit people with disabilities. Performances by Charlotte Rae and jazz singer Corky Hale will add to the star wattage. Beverly Hills Tennis Club, 340 N. Maple Dr., Beverly Hills; Fri., June 20, 5 p.m.; $250. (310) 568-0107, Ext. 24.
SATURDAY, June 21
If you’ve ever been to the Long Beach Bayou Festival, you know how to best enjoy the killer Cajun and Zydeco music, festive outdoor vibe and fun-loving crowd. Time your food items, people! Don’t scarf upon entry! Get your beer buzz going, then wait a band or two, and then — and only then — should you even think about the rich étouffée, the boiled crawfish, the hot beignets with powdered sugar, the shrimp poboys and (warning to P.C. types: Bad food juju coming) alligator on a stick. The headliners are Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, Geno Delafose & French Rockin’ Boogie, New Orleans Traditional Jazz Band, Savoy-Doucet Cajun Band, Chubby Carrier & the Bayou Swamp Band and the Pine Leaf Boys. Plus there’s a badass blues stage. Proceeds benefit Comprehensive Child Development. Rainbow Lagoon; look for the big boat at the end of the 710 freeway, Long Beach; Sat., June 21, 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Sun., June 22, 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; $35, $30 in advance. (562) 427-8834.
SUNDAY, June 22
We know you love good comedy. We know you happily give to worthy causes. African Kids in Need is an organization that helps children in Kenya to pursue their education after the eighth grade. The group is sponsoring a comedy fund-raiser with some big names — Kevin Nealon, Sinbad, Franklyn Ajaye, others — plus a silent auction and designer-clothing sale. The Improv, 8162 Melrose Ave., W. Hlywd.; Sun., June 22; show 7:30 p.m.; silent auction/sale 6-7:30 p.m.; $75. (323) 651-2583.
MONDAY, June 23
Never thought I’d say this, but oh, to be Alison Krauss. She hit the musical jackpot when she decided to put out a record of duets with rock god Robert Plant. The album of rootsy Americana covers, Raising Sand, by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, is full of beautiful harmonies that further prove Mr. Plant is capable of much more than the artful histrionics of Led Zeppelin. Word is there might be a Zep nugget or two at these shows. “Black Dog” meets a banjo? Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Ave., Griffith Park; Mon.-Tues., June 23-24, 8 p.m.; $49-$125. (213) 480-3232.
TUESDAY, June 24
Who quipped, “I never miss a chance to have sex or appear on television”? If you said Gore Vidal, then you must already have your tickets to Writers Bloc Presents Gore Vidal With Jay Parini.Gore’s pimping his new book, Selected Essays, which follows 23 novels, five plays, two memoirs, many screenplays and short stories, and more than 200 essays. I’d say someone likes seeing his name in print a bit too much. Writers Guild Theater, 135 S. Doheny Dr., Beverly Hills; Tues., June 24, 7:30 p.m.; $20. (213) 628-8141 or www.townhall-la.org.
WEDNESDAY, June 25
Cute, blonde female comics have it harder than their homelier colleagues. What kind of painful, embarrassing awkwardness could they possibly have lived through to give the embittered, angry edge of a Sandra Bernhard, a Paula Poundstone or a Totie Fields? Says cute, blonde female comic Melinda Hill about her one-woman show, Overcome By Salvation: Stories of a Girl Who Was in a Creed Video: “I search for the meaning of life in this hilarious collection of absurd jokes and autobiographical anecdotes involving a near-death experience, Spearmint Rhino and how my life was transformed by a Creed video.” We’ll leave the definition of “hilarious” up to you, but here’s a taste of Hillian humor: “I just had a surprise party. I have to say, it wasn’t much of a party, it was more like everyone I know just getting together to tell me I drink too much.” Comedy Central Stage, 6539 Santa Monica Blvd., W. Hlywd.; Wed., June 25, 8 p.m.; free, resv. required. (323) 960-5519.
THURSDAY, June 26
The always-smashing Mods & Rockers Film Festival kicks off with the premiere of The Seventh Python, a film about Neil Innes, who, along with credits as main songwriter for the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and Ron Nasty in the Rutles, was also a performer and songwriter with Monty Python. Mr. Innes will answer questions after the screening, so time to start boning up on All You Need Is Cash. I’m sure he’ll appreciate that you know more trifling froth about his career than he does. Followed by a screening of The Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band 40th Anniversary Concert. The Seventh Python also screens Fri., June 27, followed by a solo show by Innes. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hlywd.; Thurs., June 26, 7:30 p.m.; $10. (800) 326-3264.
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