During her years as a Hollywood-based screenwriter in the 1930s, Dorothy Parker remarked, “Los Angeles is 72 suburbs in search of a city.” While LA’s diverse flora and fauna can often bring about a wide range of location-based adventures, many plans are often derailed by distance and rush-hour traffic. Luckily, Flavorpill recently unveiled its beautiful new city-based culture guide, an open platform where anyone can create and share local happenings. Follow events from the entire community, including suggestions from Flavorpill’s very own editors and curators. Below are our own recommendations for this week, hand-picked by yours truly, aka Managing Editor of Flavorpill Los Angeles, Tanja M. Laden. Enjoy, and don’t forget to check out the new Flavorpill. We hope to see you there!
Monday March 18
MUSIC: Abe Lincoln Story Named after our 16th president and an erstwhile animatronic attraction in Disneyland, local band the Abe Lincoln Story brings a lighter, high-stepping sound best characterized by the title of their semi-eponymous release, Kings of the Soul Punk Swing. They bring tunes from their newest release, Story Time, along with a few standard favorites in a live show in the heart of NoHo. — Shana Nys Dambrot
Tuesday March 19
ART: Cristopher Cichocki: Epicenter The Coachella Valley isn’t just home to California’s biggest annual indie music fest; it’s also home to Cristopher Cichocki, an artist who uses his stark, silently foreboding habitat as the inspiration behind Epicenter. Born in Illinois, the CalArts alum references the vast expanse of the Southern California desert in a series of paintings, photographs, and sculptures eight years in the making. Much of SoCal’s precarious and inherently mute topography includes the San Andreas Fault and the Salton Sea, just a few of the enigmatic elements that make up our often visually apocalyptic landscape. Cichocki’s Epicenter at See Line Gallery is a testament to the talented artist’s unique vision, which has also helped him score a 2013 residency at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Stay tuned for more info on Cristopher Cichocki’s upcoming solo installation, Desert Abyss: Cycle in Cycle, on view at the Palm Springs Art Museum from July to September. — Tanja M. Laden
Wednesday March 20
FILM: Red Desert (1964) and Through a Glass Darkly (1961) Italian auteur Michelangelo Antonioni redefined modern narrative cinema in films like Red Desert (1964). The first half of the New Beverly’s double feature, it’s followed by Through a Glass Darkly (1961) — yet another warped film classic from legendary Swedish director Ingmar Bergman. This one concerns a self-involved artist, wallpaper-induced masturbation, incest, and a girl’s descent into madness — no thanks to her screwy family. It’s a fine dissection of several existential crises, all at once. — Jason Jeffers
Thursday March 21
CITY GEM: LA Is Burning It’s an international fashion magazine, a ’90s song by Madonna, and now, “vogue” inspires vampish vixens to get down and dirty with a bona fide dance-floor face-off. If you’ve ever watched Paris Is Burning and secretly wished you could strut your stuff on a mock runway, then sign up for this delightfully de-lovely catwalk-inspired cat fight right now. — Tanja M. Laden
Friday March 22
PERFORMING ARTS: Accordion Babes Revue Adding some much-needed sex appeal to the unwieldy-looking accordion, the babes of the Accordion Babes Revue mix cabaret moves with musical sensation. The event features fun female accordionists (all to be found in the special Accordion Babes pin-up calendar) as well as a range of other performers, including LA’s own Mrs. Hobbs, calendar creator Renee de la Prade, Skyler Fell, Luz Gaxiola, Amber Lee Baker, and Joan Wilson Reuter. Plus, there’s burlesque dancing from the Petting Pantry, featuring Prix de Beaute, Mercury Troy, and Duchess of Courage. Finally, the accordion is hot. — Laura Gatewood
Saturday March 23
Live Draw! invites purists and party people alike to celebrate figure painting — one of art’s oldest traditions — with a contemporary cocktail party featuring drinks, Venezuelan food, and live music. As an audience looks on, five artists draw from a nude model in a generous range of interpretations, styles, and poses. The brand-new works are then sold at a reasonable price, facilitating exchange between artist, viewer, and patron. — Mallory Farrugia
Sunday March 24
TV: Twin Peaks Retrospective Twin Peaks, David Lynch’s early-’90s TV series, was pioneering TV for its stories that veered from beautiful to terrifying, along with a heightened cinematic style. Enjoy it for the first time, or again, on the big screen at a free five-episode screening at USC. A 30-minute intermission takes place after the first two episodes, and a Q&A follows the fifth episode, with Ian Buchanan, Caleb Deschanel, Mary Jo Deschanel, Robyn Lively, Chris Mulkey, Kimmy Robertson, Wendy Robie, and Kenneth Welsh. — Karin E. Baker