L.A.'s Homeboy Industries is known for its groundbreaking community activism. Focused on providing second chances to former gang members wanting to turn away from violence, the homegrown nonprofit offers everything from tattoo removal to legal services to solar-paneling certification programs. Originally focused on gang members in the Boyle Heights area, it has become the largest gang-intervention program in the nation, thanks in no small part to the power of its in-person storytelling. Sharing with groups in churches, schools and prisons, Homeboy's experienced narrators get their message across by delivering visceral detail, sparing no emotion as they tell of the sometimes overwhelming and painful lives they left behind. The Echoplex tonight hosts a night of Homie Storytelling from Homeboy Industries, during which men and women alike will recount their harrowing, real-life experiences. Father Gregory Boyle, the organization's founder and a gifted orator himself, is the evening's host. The Echoplex, 1822 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles; Sunday, Oct. 27, 7 p.m.; $20; 18 and older. (213) 413-8200, theecho.com.

Sun., Oct. 27, 7 p.m., 2013

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