Weekend Picks


thursday, march 25
Aztec Pantheon and the Art of Empire
10 a.m. – 5 p.m. > Getty Villa > FREE

The Getty Villa celebrates the bicentennial of Mexican Independence with a display of Aztec sculpture and the Florentine Codex, a 16th-century manuscript chronicling Aztec history and culture.

Dan O’Bannon
7:30 p.m. > Egyptian Theatre > $11

Come see a little known Dan O’Bannon film, The Resurrected, and a rare archival print of his first feature, Dark Star. The double-feature showing pays tribute to O’Bannon, writer/director of some of cinema’s most original sci-fi and horror films, who died in December. He was a USC alumnus and was left out of the Oscar’s obituary montage this year.

All Doc’d Out: Documentary Survival Guide for Filmmakers
7:30 p.m. > Egyptian Theatre > $9

For those interested in pursuing filmmaking — especially documentary filmmaking — this seminar provides information on techniques to keep your film alive and competitive in the world of nonfiction distribution. This panel will discuss conceptualization, financing and distribution techniques sure to help any budding nonfiction filmmaker.

The Future of Art Criticism
6:30 p.m. > MOCA > FREE

Trojan alert — this MOCA exclusive event is moderated by Sasha Anawait, director of USC’s Annenberg Arts Journalism program. The panel will discuss the effect of the Internet on current media and the quality and ethics behind arts journalism.

friday, march 26
Jay-Z
7:30 p.m. > Staples Center > $125+

If you’re missing him close out the opening night of Coachella next month, catch the rapper that dominated 2009 tonight. He’ll front a 10-piece band in a set you can expect to pull heavily from last year’s album, The Blueprint 3. Young Jeezy and Trey Songz open, and as usual there will be a number of unannounced surprise guests.

Gabrielle Burton’s Impatient with Desire
7 p.m. > Book Soup > FREE

Remember learning about the allegedly cannibalistic Donner Party way back in high school? Gabrielle Burton’s book delves into the story of the ill-fated Donner family, as told through fictional letters and diary entries written by Tamsen Donner.

Los Angeles Leather Week
7 p.m. > Little Tokyo > $25

The Los Angeles Leather Coalition, a non profit, is hosting a dance party, Tom of Finland erotic art exhibit, brunch, bar crawl and a Mr. L.A. Leather contest. The fundraiser is being held at various locations and will take place from March 26-28.

Metric
7 p.m. > Hollywood Palladium > $30

The Canadian rock outfit Metric has impressed American audiences with its unique blend of electronica and rock in tours pasts. Now can count on a somewhat well-established following to turn out for its coming performance.

saturday, march 27
Up with Downey
noon > Bob’s Big Boy > $75

This five-hour walking and bus tour provides a refreshing new perspective on the sometimes-forgotten Great Basin city. For the price of a ticket, guests are provided with bus transportation, entrance into the city’s several museums, free tour parking and even lunch at the world’s oldest operating McDonald’s.

NPC Muscle Contest
11 a.m. > Veterans Memorial Auditorium > $30

Get a close-up view of everybody part and bulging muscle, at the NPC Muscle Contest and IFBB Pro Bikini Championships. For body-builder followers, Iron Man mag’s Lonnie Teper and International Federation of Body Building Pro Figure Champion Gina Aliotti will be hosting the event.

Jack Bowen
5 p.m. > Book Soup > FREE

Jack Bowen will be signing his new book, If You Can Read This: The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers, celebrating a staple of American culture. Decades before Twitter and Facebook, Bowen analyzes what was once considered person’s profile — bumper stickers

The Like
8 p.m. > The Smell > $5

The four girls that compose The Like are already rock royalty — one is the daughter of Elvis Costello’s longtime drummer. All the same, the girls have a sound all their own. They will prove it in the intimate independent venue The Smell Saturday night that they don’t need the benefit of musical nepotism to rock a stage.

sunday, march 28
Air
8 p.m. > Walt Disney Concert Hall > $35

Composers Nicolas Goden and Jean-Benoît Dunckel make up for their recent album’s shortcomings with their tasteful choice of venue. The French duo’s funky instrumentals will sound incredible at Disney Hall.

Pomegranates record release party
8 p.m. > The Silent Movie Theatre > $10

Planned for international release on the night of the Persian New Year, the new Like a Phoenix From The Ashes’ album features a compilation of Persian folk, funk and psychedelia. The event will include a party complete with a catered Persian dinner and artwork centered around the film presentation.

Extropia
7 p.m. > King King > $20

This stage show, created and originally produced by the Seattle-based company Collaborator, features no traditional music. Nonetheless, the music director has made this show a marvel as performers dance to the beat of squeaking plastic straws, croaking frogs, chirping birds, skipping rocks and sounds from other found objects.

Dirty Laundry: Real Life. Real Stories. Real Funny.
7 p.m. > Book Soup > FREE

Laura Silverman, Maggie Rowe, Jim Vallely, Randy Skylar and Kevin Nealson will all be presenting and signing for this hilarious anthology containing real life confessions and monologues from the behind-the-scenes Hollywood crowd.
— Tanvi Mirani and Becca Lett