This weekend, the Olympics may be coming to an end, but the good times are just beginning to roll. After you hit the bar to catch Usain Bolt’s cheeky grin, there’s lots to do in Los Angeles—especially for the musically inclined. Echo Park Rising returns for its sixth run, a Kanye tribute party will be popping off at The Regent Theater and Rostam from Vampire Weekend is performing live at The Broad. You can also catch a live recording of podcast Call Your Girlfriend at the Ace Hotel in DTLA, float through space and time in The Hollywood Forever Cemetery, satisfy your inner gaming nerd, and eat your heart out at Smorgasburg.
Thursday, August 18
Call Your Girlfriend - Live Recording
Ever had a mind-bending and/or hysterical 4 a.m. conversation with your best friend and thought, we should start a web series and become the next Abbi and Ilana? Well, long distance besties, Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, had a similar sentiment and started Call Your Bestie, an equal parts informative and funny podcast where they carnivorously chat culture—high and low—over the phone and let us listen in. On Thursday night at the ACE downtown, the best friends are reunited (and it feels so good) for a live recording of the show. Guaranteed on the menu for the evening are special guests and “unapologetic feminism.”
Deets: Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles; 8 p.m.; Tickets range from $30-$100; Get them HERE
Image courtesy of Call Your Girlfriend
Thursday - Sunday, August 18 - 21
Echo Park Rising
It’s back for round six! The magical free-for-all music fest returns again. The 2016 lineup includes Egyptian Lover, Chicano Batman, the Weirdos, La Luz, Sex Stains and more. Musical happenings are going down all over Echo park, but the outdoor main stage at the intersection of Liberty and Reservoir is where the food trucks, vendors and beer gardens (AKA the bare necessities) settle. If you’re not in the mood to sweat it out with the rest of us peasants, VIP tickets are available for $21-$30, which includes a free goodie bag, scenic views of the stage and line-cutting capabilities. Boo to the yah.
Deets: Various locations in Echo Park; See the full set list and purchase VIP tickets HERE.
Image courtesy of Echo Park Rising
Friday, August 19
Kanye Loves Kanye
Whether you stand by Kanye or not, you must admit the man can write a clean lyric, produce a bomb beat and design a sleek shoe. We love Kanye and Kanye loves Kanye too. On Friday, The Regent is celebrating his work with all Yeezy errthang—new jams and old, with a tribute party on Friday night. If you want to ball out, email kanyeloveskanyeparty@gmail.com for table service details. Kanye would approve.
Deets: Regent Theater DTLA; 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.; RSVP for FREE admission before 10 p.m. with RSVP HERE.Tickets are $10- $20 thereafter.
2001: A Space Odyssey at Hollywood Forever
Cinespia has our inner cinephile swooning again. This time with a Kubrick classic, 2001: A Space Odyssey. Shake out your picnic blanket, pack up your finest hand-woven basket with wine and cheese and venture out to the cemetery to watch Dave float through space and time. HAL, do you read me? HAL? HAL?
Image courtesy of Cinespia
Late Night Music at The Broad
The modern masters will come to life on Saturday evening with the sounds of several musical acts—perhaps most notably, Rostam of Vampire weekend. (Have you guys listened to his solo track Wood yet, because you’re welcome.) There will also be contemporary dancers and a string quartet! It’s all going down in The Broad’s open-air plaza. Although the event isn’t free, admission prices include access to the full museum, plus Cindy Sherman’s special exhibition, Imitation of Life. Don’t sleep on these tickets.
DJ Sky Ferreira on the Broad's Plaza Stage. Image courtesy of The Broad
Saturday, August 20 - Sunday, August 21
SoCal Retro Gaming Expo
Hey Hackerman, are you in search of that missing super-nintendo power-plug so you can hack your way back in time to 1982? Well no worries, the SoCal Retro gaming Expo has got what you need! You won’t even need a time machine to feel like it’s the good old days of endless arcade gaming, plus some of your favorite Youtube retro-gamers will be in attendance.
Deets: Frank & Son Collectible Show; Saturday: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday: 9 a.m. - 4 p.m. Tickets are $10 for one day or $15 for both. Get them HERE.
Image courtey of @socalretrogamingexpo
Sunday, August 21
Smorgasburg at Row DTLA
Well Los Angeles, we’re in luck. If you haven’t heard, the massive food hall that the New Yorkers have been raving about has landed in LA and it comes alive every Sunday, all year long. There will be about 100 vendors to satisfy all of your burger, pastrami, taco, kale salad and donut desires. In addition to tasty everything, there will also be vendors selling housewares, clothing and furniture. If Smorgasburg lasted all week, we might just move in.
Deets: ROW DTLA; 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. FREE
Image courtesy of @smorgasburgla
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Header image courtesy of Amaze Bowls at Smorgasburg LA
