There’s so much going on in the City of Angels, it can be hard to keep track of it all. Thanks to the new Flavorpill, we’re inviting the entire community to make suggestions with its gorgeous city-based culture guide — an open platform where our very own editors and curators meet and mingle with artists, gadabouts, and other tipsters for a limitless variety of both ongoing and one-off recommendations. With this in mind, please enjoy our weekly list of hand-picked event suggestions here on Flavorwire, and in the meantime, be sure to check out the new Flavorpill. We’ll see you there.
Monday, September 9
CITY GEM: Pictionary Tourney Once upon a time, the Spare Room was literally a spare room. These days, it’s a place where spares are made — in bowling, that is. Located in a former storage annex at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, the space is now a handsome, nostalgic tribute to flapper-era speakeasies — an intimate, first-class refuge from the chaos of the modern world. Strong drinks serve as tributes to modern literary giants, and there’s even a hidden photo booth. The reclaimed, two-lane bowling alley comes with an optional valet, and the bowling shoes are custom-made, too. Meanwhile, a game room provides custom-built backgammon tables and classic diversions such as dominoes and chess, with a smartly dressed, dedicated games mistress to keep score. It’s the perfect place for a Pictionary tournament, the beloved family diversion we’ve come to play like the artist’s version of charades. Come for the fun, play for the prizes, and stick around for a dance party with music from DJ Rare Matthew. — Tanja M. Laden
Tuesday, September 10
MUSIC: Transcendental Townhouse Tuesdays
Wednesday, September 11
ART: Lunchtime Art Talks: Mario Garcia Torres
Thursday, September 12
MUSIC: Body/Head Kim Gordon of Sonic Youth presents her latest musical project, Body/Head, at The Echo. Enduring bad-ass Gordon, famed for her numerous collaborations with artists, film directors, fashion designers, and other musicians, pairs up with guitarist Bill Nace for this experimental duo. White Magic and Bad News open the show. — Karin E. Baker
BOOKS: Anthony Ausgang: The Pawnee Republican
Friday, September 13
FILM: Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction Director Sophie Huber’s new film Partly Fiction is not your conventional documentary profile. The camera (in the hands of the great Seamus McGarvey) studies Harry Dean Stanton’s face and pays attention to how he doesn’t talk. And Stanton says more when he sings, anyway; the film is full of songs, old favorites and standards, which flicker across the star’s face and dance in his eyes as he sings them in lovely (if weathered) tones. Despite Stanton’s best efforts, however, some information is conveyed in his interviews (and those of his collaborators) — and some of it is new to those who knew him less as a person than as the characters he portrays in his voluminous film work. The film flings scattered bits and pieces of trivia and minutia, but Partly Fiction is really more about mood and feeling than facts. And music; the songs become Stanton’s form of communication, and by the film’s end, when the actor sings “Hands on the Wheel” over photos and knick-knacks around the house, it feels as though we know him far better than in any conventional documentary. — Jason Bailey
Saturday, September 14
CITY GEM: Silver Lake Art, Craft & Vintage Flea Market Silver Lake’s vibrant bazaar hawks everything from crafts to collectibles, and from designer pet wear to tarot readings. Located on Micheltorena, the market calls out to artists, record collectors, vintage shoppers, and the frugal alike. East Side shoppers seeking the offbeat have no need to make any flea-market pleas, because you’ll find everything you need at the Silver Lake Art, Craft & Vintage Flea Market, except maybe the fleas. — Tanja M. Laden
Sunday, September 15
FOOD/WINE: Third Annual Local Craft Beer Festival Rock & Brews, owned by Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons of KISS, welcomes as many as 20 local craft beer brewers, among them Eagle Rock Brewing, Hangar 24, El Segundo Brewing Co., and Strand Brewing. Designed for both beer lovers and “the people who love them,” the event is family friendly and features a rock-n-roll circus theme that includes magicians, juggling clowns, face painting, a dunk tank, circus games, karaoke, and music trivia. Food choices include Rock & Brews’ pretzels, dogs, and brauts; ultimate cheeseburgers, pizza, and Santa Maria tri-tip sandwiches. This event sells out every year, so buy your tickets now. — Karin E. Baker
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