After more than 30 years of passionate arts and cultural coverage, inky hands and hooker ads, not to mention plenty of kick-ass reporting, L.A. Weekly has decided to throw a weekend festival to celebrate all that makes this city so … so … Angelenean — with music, fashion, art, books, film, comedy and theater. Oh — and that Korean taco truck foodies are raving about. The event is called L.A. Weekly's L.A. WEEKEND , which simply fills your mouth with the joys of the “w” sound and makes for a handy test to see if you're too tipsy on free Belvedere vodka to drive after enjoying the offerings. It's free, like the L.A. Times Book Festival, but unlike that outdoor enormous ass-lock, we've got booze. Friday is an art opening of photographer Kevin Scanlon's portraits from the Weekly's “People” issues, with L.A. music legends Henry Rollins and Keith Morris as DJs. Wil Wheaton will read and sign; Hysterica Dance Company's Ryan Heffington does some sorta dance this and that; and the adventurous collective Human Ear Music with Geneva Jacuzzi perform. The aforementioned Kogi taco truck pulls up outside at some point Friday night. Saturday's schedule starts at the crack of noon and goes into the night, with a “Carnivore!” panel on meat, featuring Jonathan Gold, Mark Peel of Campanile, Octavio Becerra of Palate Food + Wine and Susan Feniger of Street and Border Grill. At 3 p.m., Joe Donnelly moderates an authors panel, with Jerry Stahl, Evan Wright, Richard Lange and Patrick DeWitt. They'll explain why they write about outsiders and why so many L.A. writers got their start with Larry Flynt. Then there are performances by the movie spoofers of Point Break Live! '; Taylor Negron's one-man (genius, hilarious, pictured) show, The Unbearable Lightness of Being Taylor Negron ; and Matt Sorum's band with Juliette Lewis, Billy Morrison (the Cult), Donovan Leitch, Chris Chaney and special guest (hmmmmm?). Plus, a screening of the movie The Heart Is a Drum Machine and book signings by Lonn Friend and artist David Weidman.

Fri., April 24, 7 p.m.; Sat., April 25, noon, 2009

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