Halloween season is in full effect and most of us are still scrambling for costume ideas. Take a break from scouring Pinterest and thrift stores for that perfect freaky fit and indulge in the nostalgia in the air this weekend. Mexican telenovela-turned-pop stars RBD are in town for their reunion tour, which is 15 years in the making. OG ‘80s and ‘90s hitmakers Mellow Man Ace and Rodney O’ perform at Grand Performances’ “Evolution of L.A. DJ Culture” event as part of “Grand Ave Arts: All Access” takeover. Try out Metro’s new Grand Ave Arts/Bunker Hill station, which takes you straight into the mix.
LIVE MUSIC
RBD reunion tour: The Mexican pop group that began as a fictional band in the Telenovela “Rebelde” turned into an international phenomenon in the early 2000s. Now it’s back after a 15-year break with the “Soy Rebelde” world tour, which kicked off in August. RBD will hit L.A. fans hard with nostalgia with four shows lined up at BMO Stadium (one was held Wednesday). Bring out your Y2K fashion gems: pointy knee-high leather boots, cropped button-down shirts and low-rise miniskirts. Expect to hear top hits like “Rebelde,” “Salvame,” “Ser o parecer,” “Nuestro amor” and many more that conquered an entire generation.
When: When: 7 p.m. Thursday, Friday and Sunday
Where: BMO Stadium, 3939 S. Figueroa St., Los Angeles, CA 90037
Admission: Tickets start at $79.50
Marisa Monte at L.A. Phil: The five-time Latin Grammy winner is a legend in Brazil, where Rolling Stone Brasil considers her one of the greatest singers of all time. With a career spanning three decades, the post-bossa nova samba singer gives Hope Sandoval vibes as she emerged from the same ‘90s emo era. The sultry songstress stops in L.A. for a KCRW series sure to take you on a trip to Rio de Janeiro, where she studied singing, piano, drums and opera singing from a young age. Her 2002 album “Tribalistas,” sold 3.5 million copies and propelled her to fame. In 2021, Monte released “Portas” after a 10-year recording hiatus. It’s a pandemic project consisting of collaborations with artists from four different countries. Maybe she’ll perform some.
When: 8 p.m. Friday
Where: Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $56
Ears-deep in his Hollywood era, Bad Bunny pulls back the curtain and lets us into his head in “Nadie Sabe Lo Que Va a Pasar Mañana.”
Peso Pluma Doble P Tour: The corridos tumbados returns with back-to-back shows in Anaheim. The Orange County city gets serenaded by the eclectic Mexican singer-songwriter, who added a bunch of shows to his tour after selling out a slew of venues.
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday
Where: Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim
Admission: Tickets start at $220
Eslabón Armado at the Oxnard Michelada Fest: Held at the Oxnard Beach Park, this fest will have one of the biggest winners of the Premios Billboard Music Awards in Eslabón Armado, whose hit “Ella Baila Sola” along with Peso Pluma broke records. They will be accompanied by La Banda Machos, Enigma Norteña, El Mariachi Orgullo de México and La Banda Maguey. Doors open at 12 p.m. for this all-ages show.
When: Noon Sunday
Where: Oxnard Beach Park, 1601 Harbor Blvd., Oxnard
Admission: Tickets start at $60, children under 10 get in free
The lineup for the 24th Latin Grammys, to be held in Spain, includes performances by Alejandro Sanz, Bizarrap and Rauw Alejandro.
Banda Machos at the Peacock Theater: The musical genre that captivated Mexico and the rest of Latin America known as “Quebradita” will shine bright once again with a concert highlighted by acts like Banda Machos, Mi Banda El Mexicano de Casimiro, Banda Maguey and Banda Vallarta Show. This show will give fans another chance to dance in pairs to the sounds of the past decades.
When: 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Peacock Theater, 777 Chick Hearn Court, Los Angeles
Admission: Tickets start at $65.50
ART & CULTURE
The Evolution of L.A. DJ Culture at Grand Ave Arts All Access: Grand Avenue comes alive with a day filled with free workshops, performances, tours and interactive activities at the many museums, concert halls and arts establishments on this iconic strip of downtown L.A. Visit an instrument petting zoo at the Colburn School, get a photography lesson at MOCA, make Frida Kahlo-inspired crafts at the L.A. Opera and create paper marigolds with Self Help Graphics at the Music Center. Cap off the day at Grand Performances’ “From Backyards to Discotheques: The Evolution of L.A. DJ Culture,” which features a panel moderated by Chicano/a Studies lecturer Gerard Meraz, who DJ’d many Eastside parties with his Wild Boyz crew in the late 1970s through the ‘90s and performances by ‘90s hitmaker Mellow Man Ace of “Mentirosa” fame and Rodney O’ of legendary L.A. rap group Rodney-O & Joe Cooley. Did we mention it’s all free? Y mañana otra cosa.
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday; Mellow Man Ace performs at 2:15 p.m.
Where: All along Grand Avenue, downtown L.A.
Admission: Free
Procession L.A. River Activation: After a series of workshops making wearable art and papier-mâché sculptures of local plants and wildlife and learning traditional Native song and dance, it’s time for the grand finale: a procession led by our city’s Indigenous cultural bearers. Join one of three contingents meeting at Placita Olvera, Lincoln Heights and Little Tokyo for a walking performance guided by Tongvans Lazaro Arvizu Jr. and Tina Calderon and Japanese American artist and activist Nobuko Miyamoto that traces historical routes where the L.A. River once flowed. All processions lead to L.A. State Historic Park, where Japanese, Mexican and African American arts collective FandangObon hosts crafts, food, music and an augmented reality exhibit honoring our sacred land.
When: 9 a.m. Saturday
Where: Various routes that converge at L.A. State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring St., Los Angeles
Admission: Free with RSVP
Here’s your guide for events in L.A. and O.C. counties that are bringing the community together to celebrate Día de Muertos.
DíA DE MUERTOS
Gloria Molina Grand Park’s Downtown Día de Muertos: The season of honoring our ancestors is upon us, just take a look at our extensive guide filled with events in L.A. and beyond to celebrate. Grand Park kicks off its annual altar exhibit with performances by Grupo Folklorico Huitzilin, Mariachi Arcoiris de Los Angeles and L.A. Opera Connects’ tenor Jonathan Lacayo. Make your own mini altar and cookie sugar skulls in conjunction with the Grand Ave Arts All Access event. This year’s community altar honors victims of January’s Monterey Park ballroom shooting and those who died in Maui’s wildfires.
When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Nov. 2
Where: Gloria Molina Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave., Los Angeles
Admission: Free
San Pedro’s Día de Muertos Festival: Dress up as a calavera and head to downtown San Pedro for this family-friendly event featuring performances by Grammy-winning all-female ensemble Mariachi Divas de Cindy Shea, ranchera trio Ellas, Death Row Records’ first and only mariachi tenor Julian Torres and local folklórico youth groups. San Pedro Brewing Co. is hosting a beer garden, San Pedro Fish Market is providing the micheladas and food offerings include Birrieria San Marcos, Cerda Vega Tacos, LA Street Eatz and Perro. Free trolley rides within San Pedro are provided.
When: 3 to 9:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: 398 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Admission: Free
THEATER & FILM
‘Queen of the Rumba’ closing weekend: “Real Women Have Curves” playwright Josefina Lopez’s latest piece is inspired by the true story of dancer Alicia Parla, who introduced the U.S. to rumba when she immigrated to Miami from Cuba in the 1920s. The show starts when an 89-year-old Parla is diagnosed with cancer and refuses to stay in her ward until she hears the cries of a young girl also battling a terminal illness. Parla cheers up the girl by sharing stories of her wild dance career and revealing her biggest regret: not marrying the man she loved because he was poor and Black and not accepted by her white Cuban family.
When: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 3 p.m. Sunday
Where: Casa 0101, 2102 1st St., Boyle Heights
Admission: Tickets $20
Cornerstone Theater Company Presents Pedro Play: When journalist Jessica is sent to San Pedro on assignment, she finds a community in the midst of radical change. Based loosely on podcasts, Zoom recordings and articles by the late San Pedro historian Angela Romero, whose motto was “Keep San Pedro Cozy,” the romantic comedy written by Yale drama grad Juliette Carrillo captures the uniqueness of this southernmost part of the city. Carrillo interviewed many San Pedro locals, some of whom appear in the play alongside professional actors, and carefully crafted a production about a city undergoing the transformation of Ports O’ Call into West Harbor and the redevelopment of Rancho San Pedro public housing. Husband-wife duo David Markowitz and Nehal Shahin composed the music for this eye-opening piece.
When: 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday
Where: Warner Grand Theatre, 478 W. 6th St., San Pedro
Admission: Free, $20 suggested donation
The East Los Angeles author chronicles the 14-year journey it took her to complete her novel ‘Huizache Women.’
14th O.C. Film Fiesta: From short films like Gustavo Aguilar’s animated “Tuco: The Texas Wrestling Mystery Show” to Dave Tourjé’s documentary “California Locos Renaissance and Rebellion,” including legendary graffiti artist Chaz Bojórquez, this film fest can be viewed online or in person. Culture Clash’s Ric Salinas stars in “57 Chevy,” a comedy about screenwriter Cris Emilio Franco’s real life move as a kid in 1964 from his comfortable Eastside abode to a new tract home in the San Fernando Valley. Plus “57 Questions,” a coming-of-age short about a mother and daughter who get deep and overcome generational pitfalls on a ride in a ‘57 Chevy Nomad.
When: 8 p.m. Friday, 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday
Where: TVGB Digital Maker Space, 1666 N. Main St., Santa Ana and virtually
Admission: Tickets vary
GET OUTSIDE
5K Boyle Heights Run/Walk & Classic Car Show: Bust out your running (or walking) shoes and enjoy the 6th Street Bridge on foot at this 5K run and walk starting at Mariachi Plaza. Little ones can join the munchkin run and everyone can admire the classic cars capping off the event at a street fest on 1st St. Riding the Metro is highly encouraged because parking is limited.
When: 8 a.m. Saturday
Where: Mariachi Plaza, 1831 1st St., Los Angeles
Admission: Registration $30, day of signs up available
Community Wellness in El Sereno: It’s time to visit (or revisit) the vibrant and well-maintained El Sereno Community Garden for a day of free community care services provided by healing arts nonprofit Critical Mass Dance Company. Well:spring offers all the de-stress techniques, including reiki, acupuncture, massage, yoga, cupping and sound baths. Get clarity with a tarot card reading and show your inner niña/o some love with a hula hoop session. Vendors will be slinging tacos, cocos fríos, handmade journals and more. There’s even a slime station for the kiddos you drag around to all the community events.
When: 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday
Where: El Sereno Community Garden, 5466 Huntington Drive North, Los Angeles
Admission: Free
Pura Playa Latinx Beach Clean Up: What better way to spend your day than making our beaches cleaner while celebrating the contributions of Latinx environmentalists? This Heal the Bay-sponsored event provides the supplies. All you need to do is register, sign a waiver if you’re under 18, and show up to the Venice Beach Pier to pick up trash and learn about the Latinx Angelenos who’ve made massive impacts on environmental justice and coastal culture. Round up the homies, lather on the sunblock and pack that reusable water bottle for this bilingual beach cleanup.
When: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday
Where: Venice Beach Pier at Washington, 5138 Venice Fishing Pier, Marina del Rey
Admission: Free with registration
L.A. is too big for us to know about all the events happening this weekend. If we missed something you think we should know about, let us know.
Kamren Curiel is a fourth-generation Xicana born in East L.A. and raised in Monterey Park and South San Gabriel. She’s written for the Los Angeles Times, L.A. Taco, Latina magazine, LAist, KCET, Alta and the Huffington Post, and was the senior editor at Remezcla and Sí TV.
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