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Home / Life! / Live / Things to do this week: May 13-19

Things to do this week: May 13-19

by F Diaz
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Take advantage of the nice weather this week by getting out of the house and exploring all the things that LA County has to offer.

Monrovia Days

Monrovia Library Park | 321 S. Myrtle Ave., Monrovia, CA 91016 | May 13-15 | monroviadays.org 

Courtesy of the City of Monrovia and the Monrovia Unified School District, enjoy a three day birthday celebration of the City of Monrovia! Carnival rides, music, performances and family fun await you at Library Park! 

– Courtesy photo / Facebook, @monroviadays2017

Ritchie Valens Birthday Tribute And Rockabilly Night

The Mixx | 443 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 | May 13 | themixxclub.com

Careful, this one’s a bit of a rattlesnake! Celebrate the legendary Ritchie Valens’ birthday at The Mixx with a tribute by The Downbeats. Enjoy classic rockabilly music courtesy of DJ Hunny Rose and get vintage dance lessons courtesy of Cori’s School of Dance! 

Beachlife Music Festival

137 N. Harbor Drive, Redondo Beach, CA 90277 | May 13-15 | beachlifefestival.com 

What’s better than SoCal sun and surf? How about music? The Beachlife Music Festival is three days of performances by heavy hitters such as Weezer, 311 and Milky Chance. Soak up some sun while vibing to some chill tunes.

RuPaul’s DragCon

LA Convention Center | 1201 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90015 | May 13-15 | lacclink.com

Glitz, glam and drag. All at RuPaul’s DragCon, where Drag Race stans can enjoy three days among some of the most fabulous people around at the Los Angeles Convention Center. 

CaltechLive! Chanticleer

Beckman Auditorium | 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena, CA, 91106 | May 13 | events.caltech.edu

Chanticleer. | Photo courtesy of Caltech

Hailed as “the world’s reigning male chorus” by The New Yorker, Grammy Award-winning Chanticleer is known around the world as “an orchestra of voices” for its wide-ranging repertoire and dazzling virtuosity. The program, called Awakenings, begins with a commissioned work from composer Ayanna Woods touching on shared experiences of the past years. Tickets can be purchased online.

Nina Sky

Avalon Hollywood & Bardot | 1735 Vine St., Hollywood, CA 90028 | May 13 | eventbrite.com

Get your reggaeton fix with this throwback courtesy of Nina Sky, a twin musical duo that will be performing at Gasolina Party. 

Cruel World Music Festival

Brookside at the Rose Bowl | 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena, CA 91103 | May 14-15 | visitpasadena.com 

This music festival headed by Morrissey also features Bauhaus, Blondie, Devo, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Psychedelic Furs, Violent Femmes and many more. 

‘90s Skate Night

Wisdome | 1147 Palmetto St., Los Angeles, CA 90013 | May 14-22 | bucketlisters.com

Lose yourself skating under a 70-foot dome as projections dance around you and ‘90s tunes set the vibe. Attendees are encouraged to dress up. . 

Club Gold

Academy Museum | 6067 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | May 14 | academymuseum.org

This is the Academy Museum’s first after-hours event and it promises to be a party with special hosts Lance Bass, Daniel Durant, Mason Gooding, Riley Keough, and Bella Thorne. Grab a signature cocktail, food and dance the night away as DJ Ryan Kenney plays into the early morning.

“Dirty Dancing”

The Autry Museum | 4700 Western Heritage Way, Los Angeles, CA 90027 | May 14 | streetfoodcinema.com

Nobody puts Baby in a corner! Before celebrating the 35th anniversary of this romantic classic, listen to The Flusters, a Palm Desert quartet that played at Coachella and has developed a “mix of hyper-romantic guitar-pop that at times sounds like Morrissey giving a concert out of the back of a Woody at a beach party.” And don’t forget to get something to eat from one of several food trucks scheduled for the night.

562 Flea Market

13399 Bailey St., Whittier, CA 90601 | May 14 | 562flea.com

Wear a Disney shirt to get free admission to this market where you can find vintage and Y2K items, crochet, jewelry, rugs, art food, sneakers, plants and collectibles. 

Downtown Burbank Arts Festival

200 N. San Fernando Blvd., Burbank, CA 91502 | May 14-15 | jackalopeartfair.com

| Courtesy photo / Facebook, @jackalopearts

In addition to over 150 artisans selling accessories, art, body care, clothes, food, home goods and jewelry, you’ll find workshops and Chalk Block, where chalk artists will display their talents.

Hélas mon Coeur

First Presbyterian Church | 1220 2nd St., Santa Monica, CA 90401 | May 14-15 | verdichorus.org

The Verdi Chorus kicks off its 39th season with Hélas mon Coeur, dedicated to the memory of Verdi Chorus patriarch Maestro Aurelio De La Vega. The concert Founding Artistic Director Anne Marie Ketchum says  includes “some of the most dramatic moments from some of the most powerful operatic works,” and features selections from two Verdi operas – “Ernani” and “Macbeth,” Beethoven’s “Fidelio,” and sequences from Ponchielli’s “La Gioconda” and Giordano’s “Andrea Chénier.” There will also be selections from Offenbach’s “The Tales of Hoffmann.”

Juanes

Fairplex | 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 | May 15 | lacountyfair.com

Colombian singer-songwriter Juanes, winner of over a dozen Latin Grammy Awards and two Grammys, takes the stage at the LA County Fair.

Juanes. | Photo by Julio Enriquez (CC BY 2.0)

Total Lunar Eclipse Broadcast

Online | May 15 | griffithobservatory.org

The Griffith Observatory is hosting an online broadcast of the total lunar eclipse from 7:35-11:50 p.m. According to the observatory, the eclipse should be visible without the need of a telescope.

Michelada Olympics & Car Expo 2022

Industry Hills Expo Center | 16200 Temple Ave., City of Industry, CA 91744 | May 15 | eventbrite.com

Enjoy some of the selected micheladas while checking out cars, trucks, bikes, and pedal cars.

Full Flower Moon Comedy Show

Griffith Park | May 16 | eventbrite.com

Hike to a lit, secret spot and laugh with some of LA’s funniest comedians like Esther Nevarez, Jamel Dotson, Jeff Horste, and Cid Wiliams. Jesika Lee Foster will be your host and guide for the night on the short hike. 

Daryl Hall 

The Wiltern | 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90010 | May 16 | thewiltern.net

Singer Daryl Hall returns to this stage on his first solo tour in a decade. Audience members can expect to hear “Dreamtime” and “Foolish Pride” alongside Hall and Oates hits like “Out of Touch” and “Maneater.”

Todd Snider

El Rey Theatre | 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | May 17 | theelrey.com

“It’s embarrassing to admit, but I’ve been trying to think of this sound all my life. This is the closest I’ve come to thinking, ‘Man, I don’t know that I’ve heard anything like this before,’” Todd Snider says of “First Agnostic Church of Hope and Wonder,” his latest album mixing funk, folk and Americana.

Oliver Sim: Fruit Tour

Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever | 5970 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90038 | May 17 | hollywoodforever.com

Songwriter, bassist and indie pop vocalist Oliver Sim is debuting “Romance With A Memory,” a single produced by Jamie xx. 

Bluedreams: An Interdisciplinary Piano Recital

Art Share L.A. | 801 E. 4th Place, Los Angeles, CA 90013 | May 18 | eventbrite.com

In his new recital program, NYC-based piano soloist Daniel Schreiner will play two west coast premieres by Brittany J. Green and Ramin Roshandel alongside solo piano works by John Cage, Claude Debussy, György Ligeti, Tristan Murail, Erik Satie, and Amy Williams, interspersed with fixed-media audiovisuals composed by himself, Connie Fu, Caio de Souza, and Vishnu R.

Family Paint Night

El Torito | 3333 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 | May 18 | eventbrite.com

Bring a little bit of spring indoors as you transform a blank canvas with swashes of color into a floral scene.

Lesbian & Friends

Dynasty Typewriter at The Hayworth | 2511 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90057 | May 19 | eventbrite.com

This is an LGBTQ+ show celebrating the Lesbian community and its allies by showcasing performers. Guests have not yet been announced but the night will be co-hosted by Madison Sinclair and Shaan Joshi.

Paint Your Pet

Cisco’s | 1712 E. Avenida De Los Arboles, Thousand Oaks, CA 91362 | May 19 | eventbrite.com

If you’re not the best artist, don’t worry. After paying for your ticket, you’ll email a photo of your pet so that your canvas can be prepared with a sketch in advance. Then you’ll paint it in and take a portrait of your furry friend home.

Float Valley High – LA

Buffalo Wild Wings | 15301 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403 | Through May 14 | whatthefloat.com

What the Float is bringing a musical prom-themed parade of taffeta and lace to the suburbs. The soundtrack will have you reliving your high school years, complete with an afterparty. 

“The Sound Of Music”

La Mirada Theatre | 14900 La Mirada Blvd., La Mirada, CA 90638 | Through May 15 |  lamiradatheatre.com

The beloved musical of Maria and the Von Trapp family by Rodgers and Hammerstein comes to the Southland.

“On Gold Mountain” Opera In The Chinese Garden

The Huntington | 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino, CA 91108 | Through May 15 | huntington.org

From left: Portrait of the See family, including Fong See (third from left) and Letticie “Ticie” Pruett (second from right) and their five children, 1914.The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens; Lisa See (photo by Patricia Williams); and Nathan Wang (photo by Derek Wang).

The Huntington will stage “On Gold Mountain,” an opera based on author Lisa See’s bestselling book about her Chinese American family’s immigrant experience in California. The opera features a colorful musical score by Nathan Wang. Blending Western and traditional Chinese music, Wang’s musical score will be performed by an orchestra composed of members of the LA Opera Orchestra and student musicians from the greater Los Angeles community.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire

Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area | 15501 E. Arrow Highway, Irwindale, CA 91706 | Through May 22 | renfair.com/socal/

Huzzah! The Renaissance Pleasure Faire is back this year with its infamous lineup of bawdy and traditional songs, comedy shows (some rated NC-17 just for adults), jousting tournaments, aerial performances, magic shows and actors on different stages, ax throwing, archery, turkey legs, hand pies and more beer than you could ever imagine.

Renaissance Pleasure Faire. | Photo by Fabiola Diaz / Hey SoCal

“Archival Intimacies: Queering South/East Asian Diasporas”

ONE Archives at the USC Libraries | 909 W. Adams Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90007
| Through May 29 |
one.usc.edu

Three artists-in-residence at ONE Archives at USC Libraries, Prima Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai, Vinhay Keo, and Pamila Matharu were invited to develop new works in response to the archive. Jalichandra-Sakuntabhai and Keo’s work investigates the remnants of embodied history, migration, exile, and queerness. Accompanying these works is “Satrang at 25: Queer South Asian Diaspora(s) in Context,” on view at ONE, examining the history of Satrang, an organization supporting queer South Asian communities in Southern California and placing its evolution in the context of broader queer diasporic histories.

LA County Fair

Fairplex | 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona, CA 91768 | Through May 30 | lacountyfair.com

The LA County Fair is back! Fill up on all the fried food you can think of, enjoy some pig racing, scream your lungs out on carnival rides, catch a concert or catch any number of expositions and shows. Personally, I’m looking forward to a Dole whip float and some grilled corn.

“Metamorphoses”

A Noise Within | 3352 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91107 | Through June 5 | anoisewithin.org

Primal storytelling and modern sensibility collide in a sensual re-envisioning of Greek myths, as gods and mortals alike endure love, loss, and transformation—all while immersed in a pool of water on stage— in “Metamorphoses.” Swirling with passion, this multiple award-winning masterpiece mesmerizes with tales of Midas, Orpheus, Aphrodite and more in a funny, whimsical and heartbreaking meditation on the joys and perils of being human. 

Sydney A. Mason, Trisha Millerand Cassandra Marie Murphy in “Metamorphoses”. | Photo by Daniel Reichert

Street Art Live

Magic Box LA | 1933 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90007 | Through July 3 | thelume.com

Embark on a multi-sensory trip through the world of street. With 360-degree moving visuals and a curated musical score, you will be immersed in the era and location in which the piece was created like New York, London, São Paulo, Melbourne and Berlin. 

Lee Alexander McQueen: Mind, Mythos, Muse

LACMA | 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036 | Through Oct. 9 | lacma.org

Highlighting fashion designer Lee Alexander McQueen’s tailoring and dressmaking skills, the exhibition examines the different disciplines, imagination, innovation and artistic process that defined McQueen’s career. The exhibition will display McQueen garments from the Collection of Regina J. Drucker alongside artworks from LACMA’s permanent collection.

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