Our Picks
- Events
- Outdoor Pick
If last week was bookended with a computer glitch for you, maybe put the technology aside for a bit and log some analog hours exploring the greatest things to do offline in L.A.?
I hope you’ve been spending the summer so far honing your pickleball and cornhole skills, because the Olympics of fun backyard games is happening all week long downtown. There’s also music of every genre – from Broadway to funk to indie rock – on offer at indoor and outdoor venues alike. Plus, Wednesday is National Tequila Day, so you can’t go wrong with a well-timed excuse for a spicy margarita at one of the many locations celebrating.
For more to explore, visit LAist.com, where you can learn how to protect young kids outside during this extreme heat we’re having, get the rundown of the O.C. Fair highlights, and of course gear up for our summer ice cream social happening July 31.
Events
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Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 8:00 PM
Idina Menzel: 'Take Me or Leave Me'
- The Wiltern
3790 Wilshire Blvd., Koreatown
Cost: From $75.50 ; more info
Idina Menzel is at the Grammy Museum this week talking about her latest release, 'Drama Queen.'
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Courtesy of BMG
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I’ve been an Idina Menzel fan since I first saw her in the Jonathan Larson musical RENT in 1996. (To be fair, fan is probably an understatement, I even hosted a podcast during the pandemic called This Year’s RENT.) But my personal RENThead history aside, Menzel remains one of the most recognizable voices on Broadway and beyond – from "Let It Go" to her starring role on Glee, to her new musical Redwood, which opened just down the 5 Freeway at the La Jolla Playhouse and heads to Broadway this fall. Her latest release, Drama Queen, is her first album of original songs since 2016. Catch her performing Broadway classics and songs off the new album at the Wiltern.
- The Wiltern
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Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 6:30 PM
Amelia Earhart Birthday Celebration with Explorer Lloyd Romeo
- The Ebell of Los Angeles
743 S. Lucerne Ave., Mid-Wilshire
Cost: $30 ; more info
Amelia Earhart stands June 14, 1928 in front of her bi-plane called "Friendship" in Newfoundland.
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If Amelia Earhart were still alive, she’d be turning 127 this year – and yet the mystery surrounding her disappearance still fascinates us as much now as it did in 1937, the year her plane lost contact in an attempt to circumnavigate the globe. Celebrate the trailblazer’s life (there will even be cake!) and hear about the latest attempts to find her plane on the ocean floor from the Deep Sea Vision team.
- The Ebell of Los Angeles
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Thursday, July 25, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Teens ages 12-18 can join a marine biology expert for this virtual tour of the Manhattan Beach Roundhouse aquarium to learn about the diverse ecosystems of watersheds. It’s all online, so just register and explore!
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Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 8:00 PM
'Song Exploder: 69 Love Songs'
- The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre (The Ford)
2580 Cahuenga Blvd. E, Hollywood Hills
Cost: From $35 ; More info
Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields performs at ACL Live at the 2012 SXSW Music, Film + Interactive Festival in 2012.
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Tim Mosenfelder
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Learn about how "The Book of Love" was written when you head to the Ford Amphitheatre to hear Stephin Merritt of The Magnetic Fields explore the band’s seminal 1999 three-volume concept album 69 Love Songs with Song Exploder podcast host Hrishikesh Hirway. Merritt will also perform an intimate solo show at the event. I’m putting in a request for “I Think I Need a New Heart.”
- The John Anson Ford Amphitheatre (The Ford)
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Thursday, July 25, 2024 from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM
An Evening of Exploration: Latino and Islamic Cultural Connections
- The Fowler Museum at UCLA
308 Charles E. Young Dr. North, Westwood
Cost: Free ; more info
Porfirio Gutiérrez and Tanya Aguiñiga talk and weave together in a field near Gutierrez’ hometown inTeotitlán del Valle.
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Javier Lazo Gutiérrez
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Fowler
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Co-hosted by PBS SoCal, this special night at the Fowler will feature a guided tour of the new exhibit Sangre de Nopal/Blood of the Nopal: Tanya Aguiñiga & Porfirio Gutiérrez en Conversación/in Conversation as well as a conversation about the art, food, and cultural ties between Latino and Islamic communities with Spanish Historical Linguistics expert Dr. Mariam Saada.
- The Fowler Museum at UCLA
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Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 6:00 PM
NeueHouse x Headliner's Ball Comedy Night
- NeueHouse
6121 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood
Cost: FREE with RSVP ; more info
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Matthias Wagner
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Comedians Jamie Kennedy, Harlan Williams, Erika Rhodes, and more will perform at NeueHouse in Hollywood in collaboration with the Headliner's Ball Comedy Show. The free show takes place at the members club’s historic Studio A sound stage.
- NeueHouse
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Thursday, July 25, 2024 at 7:30 PM
George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville & Phunky Friends, Slapbak
- The Mint
6010 W. Pico Blvd., Mid-City
Cost: From $45.84 ; More info
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New Orleans comes to the Mint, with jazz/funk legends George Porter Jr., Ivan Neville and more at the intimate mid-city venue. Get ready to get down with all the horns. Slapbak opens the night at 8:30 p.m., and the headliners go on at 10 p.m.
- The Mint
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July 23, 2024 through July 25, 2024
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Nick Jio
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If you’ve been cooped up in the office too much lately, take a break with downtown L.A.’s hosted games at lunchtime and happy hour all week. On Tuesday, there’s Free Throw from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Yard at Cal Plaza and Mini Golf from 4 to 7 p.m. that evening. On Wednesday, play Cornhole from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and on Thursday, grab a partner for Pickleball from 11 a.m. - 2 p.m. at the Bank of America Plaza.
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Outdoor Pick
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Every week from July 22, 2024 through August 31, 2024
Monday at 11:00 AM
Tuesday at 11:00 AM
Wednesday at 11:00 AMDaytime Swim Passes
Cost: From $25 ; More info
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Courtesy of The Highlight Room
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Sometimes it feels like everyone else has access to a beautiful turquoise pool on a hot day and we’re stuck gazing over the fence. Don’t let that be you! Many hotels offer access to their pools for a small fee – even if you’re not staying there. For a weekday dip, check out the Dream Hollywood, which offers daytime swim passes all summer, Monday through Wednesday.
Dine & Drink Deals
Note: It’s the last week of DineLA, so take advantage!
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Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 8:00 AM
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Sol Mexican Cocina (Cadillac Margaritas for $10 all day), Sirena at the Georgian (enjoy their rosemary-infused tequila, watermelon, mint, chipotle and lime co*cktail) and La Lo La Rooftop ($50 tequila flights) are just a few of the dozens of bars and restaurants getting in on the National Tequila Day fun. Sample the tequila flights, try a new co*cktail, or even get a free shot before you sing your heart out at Cowboy Karaoke at Desert 5 Spot in Hollywood.
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Tuesday, July 23, 2024 at 5:00 PM
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Yana Sheptovetskaya
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Fresh fish – literally bluefin tuna caught that morning by the restaurant’s owner – is what’s on the menu in this collaboration between Venice’s popular Dudley Market and downtown Japanese hotspot YESS. Chef Junya will use all parts of the bluefin tuna to create menu items including smoked tuna head tacos and a tuna katsu cheeseburger.
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Monday, July 22, 2024 from 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM
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Adam Bartoszewicz
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One of the best “meet in the middle” spots, Paper or Plastik, is hosting a burger and beer deal nearly every weeknight. Mondays through Thursdays get their signature burger and a beer for just $18.
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