Taylormania is going to take over the Grammy Museum ... ready for it?
Halle debuted her first music video as a solo artist on Friday. Since taking the industry by storm with her sister Chloe Bailey, she‘s ventured under the sea as Ariel in Disney’s “Little Mermaid” live-action reboot. Now she’s taking to the sky with her new song, “Angel.” The video features smooth and sharp movement choreographed by Kyle Abraham that finds Halle in a silo of swiftly moving arms that ebb and flow with the lyrics. Be sure to check it out between your city ventures. I’m Steven Vargas, your L.A. Goes Out host, and here are the top events for the upcoming weekend recommended by the crew (sign up here for the newsletter):
Weekly Countdown
1. ‘I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)’
Calling all Swifties! If you still need an extra dose of T-Swift after her sold-out Eras tour stop at Sofi-Stadium, head over to the Grammy Museum’s “I Can See You (Taylor’s Version)” exhibit. The pop-up event is displaying 11 costumes (as seen in the music video starring Joey King and Taylor Lautner) and two instruments. The artifacts on display — all memorabilia from Swift’s “Speak Now” era — offer a stroll down memory lane. The exhibition is on view until Sept. 18 at the museum, which is open 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Mondays, except Saturday when it’s open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets range from free to $18; more information can be found on the Grammy Museum’s website.
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2. Maggie Rogers
Wherever you go, the Hollywood Bowl is where Maggie Rogers will be. The Sunday concert, presented in association with KCRW, marks Rogers’ debut at the historic outdoor venue. The producer, songwriter and performer released her latest album, “Surrender,” in 2022, featuring music that blends euphoric synths with raw instruments to create an intimate and expansive sound. She will be accompanied by Alvvays, an indie pop group from Toronto that recently turned heads with its latest album, “Blue Rev.” The show starts at 7 p.m. and remaining tickets range from $24 to $174. More details can be found on Hollywood Bowl’s website.
3. ‘Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare’
Take a dive into the history of the Hollywood Red Scare to get a new perspective on the current division within the entertainment industry. In 1947, entertainment figures were called before the House Un-American Activities Committee to testify about allegations of Communist propaganda in film, resulting in an industry blacklist that ousted people based on their political beliefs. Skirball Cultural Center in Brentwood chronicles the historical event in “Blacklist: The Hollywood Red Scare,” which includes artifacts from the proceedings and investigations. The center will also host “Solidarity in a Divided Hollywood: From the Blacklist to Today’s Hollywood Strikes,” a two-part conversation starting at 2 p.m. Sunday that explores how studios have responded to labor struggles and union demands over the years. Tickets to the conversation are free for Skirball, WGA and SAG-AFTRA members. They are $20 for general admission and $10 for seniors and full-time students. Tickets to just the exhibit range from free to $18. Skirball Cultural Center is open noon to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. More details on the exhibition can be found on the center’s website.
4. Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet
Raiford Rogers Modern Ballet returns to the Luckman Fine Arts Complex in El Sereno with the world premiere of “Études” from choreographer Raiford Rogers. The company performed “Seeds of Rain” at the Cal State L.A. theater last August and is returning with a coda to the 2022 piece. It’s set to Philip Glass’ Études 5 and 12 and “Prophecies” from “Koyaanisqatsi.” The new work will be followed by an encore of “Seeds of Rain.” Both pieces are brought to life with the artwork of painter Mike Nava, who shapes the movement in bright colors. Tickets to the 8 p.m. Saturday performance range from $20 to $50 and more information can be found on the Luckman’s website.
5. ‘Shaping Color’
Various Small Fires Los Angeles presents a new group show curated by L.A.-based textile artist Diedrick Brackens. “Shaping Color” shares the work of six artists — Zalika Azim, Oliver Strand, Sarah Crowner, Samantha Bittman, Donald Moffett and Bakari Akinyele — who explore the connection between color and process with monochromatic palettes. The group show includes paintings and fabrics that dissect themes of color, movement and structure. “Shaping Color” opens Saturday with a free reception from 6 to 8 p.m. and the exhibition runs until Sept. 16. The gallery space in Hollywood is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays. More details on the exhibition can be found on the VSF’s website.
Bonus round: ‘Spotlight: Ambré’
In 2020, the Grammy Museum launched its Spotlight series, which offers weekly concerts (then digital) by up-and-coming artists. The first group of artists included Kiana Ledé, BENEE, Conan Gray, Duckwrth and Jeremy Zucker. On Saturday, the museum will welcome Grammy-winning musician, producer and writer Ambré to the Clive Davis Theater in downtown L.A. for an intimate conversation and performance. She recently wrapped the second leg of her Wild Magnolia tour, which included a sold-out show in L.A. Take a dive into her music and process at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets cost $20 and can be found on Universe.
On My Mind
Lil Baby performed at Crypto.com Arena on Saturday night.
On Saturday, I went to see Lil Baby at the L.A. stop of his It’s Only Us tour. GloRilla, Rylo Rodriguez, Gloss Up and Hunxho accompanied Lil Baby. The concert at Crypto.com Arena documented his journey to fame by separating the show into five parts: “West End,” “Trapped,” “Earthquake,” “Riches” and “Serenity.” The theatricality brought his discography to life as the moving screens behind him on stage displayed snow, lightning and medieval imagery to coincide with each chapter. When a video of him in armor riding a horse played on the larger background screen, it felt like an outlandish choice at first. But as the chapters unfolded, the imagery coalesced. The energy came in full throttle in “Riches” as Lil Baby’s lyrics thundered and the dancers moved with emotion. The crowd picked up on the intensity. To make the evening even sweeter, Lil Baby brought out surprise artists Yung Miami of the duo City Girls to perform “Act Up” and SZA to sing “Kill Bill.”
My Sunday plans included seeing Echo Theater Company’s production of “Crabs in a Bucket” by Bernardo Cubría. The show, directed by Alana Dietze, follows a cranky crab duo — Pootz (Anna LaMadrid) and Amargo (Xochitl Romero) — stuck in a bucket. When Beb (Jordan Hull) interrupts their status quo and suggests they team up to escape to the luxurious crab world outside the plastic walls, arguments ensue. But their plans are altered when an old frenemy, Mamon (Michael Sturgis), returns to the bucket after escaping years prior to share that the outside isn’t as exciting as they thought it would be.
The play at Atwater Village Theatre captured the universal feeling of anxiety when leaving home for greener pastures. The show got a bit didactic as it preached the message that no matter how far you go in life, there will be someone trying to pull you down, and the only way to survive is with communal support. But amid fight scenes to get out the bucket, the words carried more weight. It was just a matter of making it to the next fruitful event. Romero concluded the play with a powerful monologue that tied up the story beautifully and showed that Amargo’s life in the bucket was more complex than she let on. “Crabs in a Bucket” runs until Aug. 21 and tickets cost $34. More details can be found on Echo Theater Company’s website.
On the first Monday of every month, dancers are invited to share works in progress at G-Son Studios in Atwater Village. The environment is supportive. I watched choreographers Kate Wallich and Stephanie Zaletel each perform for about half an hour, toying with lights and choreography in real time. It’s an exciting addition to L.A.’s dance community because it offers space for dancers and dance lovers to connect and bond over the art form. I won’t say much about what I saw (they are works in progress, after all), but I will say that it is a beautiful, safe space to collaborate and play.
Go out speed round
Go out before it closes: Joey Cocciardi‘s new exhibit at the Lodge in East Hollywood is going dark on Saturday. “It’s Getting Dark” consists of a series of firework paintings that Cocciardi created with a collage method. The exhibition is free and the Lodge is open noon to 6 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. More information on “It’s Getting Dark” can be found on the gallery’s website.
Go out for free: Swap your usual coffee shop for the Santa Monica Pier ferris wheel. Nespresso is serving up a pop-up experience hosted by TikTok star Noah Beck so you can enjoy your cup of joe while hovering over the Pacific Ocean about 130 feet in the air. The first-come-first-served event is from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Thursday.
Go out and learn: Join Hauser & Wirth and Printed Matter for conversations on bookmaking and collaboration. The series coincides with Printed Matter’s L.A. Art Book Fair at the Geffen Contemporary at MOCA. From Friday to Sunday, there will be multiple conversations at the downtown L.A. location of Hauser & Wirth with artists including Garrick Gott, Karen Lofgren, James Benning and Jason Huff. Each discussion begins at 10 a.m. and is free. More details can be found on the gallery’s website.
Go out all weekend: Speaking of Printed Matter’s L.A. Art Book Fair, spend your weekend digging through art and books at the event running from Thursday to Sunday. The fair brings together international exhibitors, including galleries, cultural institutions and antiquarian booksellers to share a wide range of art books. The weekend is also filled with performances and special projects from interdisciplinary artists. Fair hours vary and tickets range from free to $25. Find out all the details and plan your weekend venture on Printed Matter’s website.
Go out with the kids: Take the kids to Westfield Century City for reDiscover Cardboard City 2023, an annual pop-up produced by reDiscover Center. The event features large cardboard art installations, building classes, exhibits, workshops, weekly artist residencies and hands-on activities for the kids. Cardboard City runs until Sept. 3 and is open from noon to 6 p.m. Wednesdays through Fridays and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. The event is free and more details can be found on reDiscover Center’s website.
Go out on a date: “Mr. Yunioshi” returns to Sierra Madre Playhouse and is the right balance of humor and drama for a date night. J. Elijah Cho plays the role of Mickey Rooney wrestling with the moral conflict of taking on the role of Mr. Yunioshi, a character of a different race, in “Breakfast at Tiffany’s.” The one-man show has three more performances: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets range from $25 to $45 and more details can be found on Sierra Madre Playhouse’s website.
Go out all day: The Japanese American National Museum in downtown L.A. presents the 2023 Natsumatsuri Family Festival from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday. The free summer festival features performances by TAIKOPROJECT and Yu-Ki Project, crafts and activities for the whole family. Better yet, the event includes free admission to JANM exhibitions. More details can be found on the museum’s website.
Go out all night: Spend your night at the Miracle Inglewood for its weekly Jazz Thursdays. From 6 to 10 p.m., the Miracle MBar will be thriving with jazz played by the Simon:Fisher Quintet. The music starts at 7 p.m. and includes two sets. Tickets are $10 and more info can be found on the venue’s website.
Go out and laugh: The Ford in the Hollywood Hills presents “Comedy Under the Stars: Women Crush Wednesdays,” a night with the funniest women in comedy. The show is led by Marcella Arguello, who recently released her debut special on HBO, “Bitch, Grow Up!” Throughout her comedy career, she grew tired of being the only woman on the lineup. Thus, Women Crush Wednesdays was born. The show is curated by Arguello and features comedians Naomi Ekperigin, Laurie Kilmartin, Sherry Cola, Lydia Popovich, Mala Muñoz, Nori Reed, Irene Tu and Meatball. Tickets to the 8 p.m. Wednesday show range from $30 to $38. All the details can be found on the Ford’s website.
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I’m all ears!
That’s all I’ve got for this week. Follow our feed of recommendations and itineraries on Instagram and Twitter, and if you have recs of your own, send them to steven.vargas@latimes.com.
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