Pop & Hiss

Iggy Pop was not to be missed.

That was evident in the crowds that gathered to hear him, filling every inch of the slope down to the main stage — or rather, the Moon Stage, as it was labeled at the Desert Daze festival. Pop headlined Saturday night, lithe and shirtless, hurtling across the stage before launching into “I Wanna Be Your Dog.”

It’s quite possible that nobody more fully appreciates and celebrates the role that pop culture plays in our lives than L.A.’s own relentlessly and gloriously perceptive Sparks.

I’m probably not the only one who may find it a bit disconcerting — albeit thoroughly engaging — to wander through the Grammy Museum’s newest exhibition, which is devoted to the 40-year career of L.A. punk band X.

I’ve seen the group in all manner of dive clubs over the years and have been a long admirer of songs that question many forms of institutional conformity.

Throughout his 40-plus year career, South African musician Johnny Clegg has sought to explore connections between body and spirit, between aspirations and reality, between politics and society.

The last few weeks have been fairly historic ones for the Hollywood Bowl, for better and worse. In late September, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers played an acclaimed 40th anniversary three-night run at the venue. The shows turned out, sadly, to be Petty’s last.

But on Thursday night, Depeche Mode notched a new entry into the venue’s record books.