02-05-2025
LA Weekend Guide: Celebrating Nightlife at Simon Says, Das Bunker and REDCAT
Every Thursday, Los Angeles magazine curates a list of the best events in and around Los Angeles. Craft a great last-minute schedule with our Weekend Guide to L.A., and don't forget to sign up to have the guide delivered to your inbox every week by clicking at South Coast Botanical Gardens — Opening May 1The Garden's new outdoor exhibit opens this week with an immersive environment that transforms the locale's 87 acres into a bamboo wonderland. Embark on a journey and search for eight massive bamboo bird sculptures created by renowned artist duo The Myth Makers (Donna Dodson and Andy Moerlein) as you soak up the natural surroundings.
The week-long art fest featuring the works by Shepard Fairey, Ozzie Juarez, Tochtlita, and Augustine Kofieare features a public reception, symposium and community gathering as it closes on Thursday.
The controversial, but much revered comedian has a special two-night engagement in Downtown L.A., and he's sure to be as unrestrained and unpredictable as ever. Get your tickets now as they are sure to sell collective Wild Up presents Arthur Russell's minimalist disco piece, an open-form jam that seeks to evoke Downtown New York and the dance floor revelry of the Loft club circa 1979. The REDCAT theater will transform into a large-scale bacchanal with pulsating beats and flashing lights for the three night event.
The dance club named by Los Angeles magazine as "Best Party" in our "Best of LA 2024" issue, celebrates one full year of fabulousness at The Spotlight in Hollywood. Fans of L.A.'s bar scene will recall that the building was home to a legendary queer dive back in the day, and that it's been revamped into various velvet rope dens over the years. But nothing captured the queer spirit of yore until club vets Andrés Rigal, Sean Patrick and Daisy O'Dell brought this bodacious bash to the space. Wild fashion, big name DJs and a creative, inclusive spirit make for an after dark escape that's sure to be at its gayest and grandest this Saturday. Mark the Cobrasnake captures it all for the club's zine, too, so dress to express.
Industrial music is more popular than ever and at Rev. John's long-running dance club (29 years and going strong), you'll hear the best of it, both classic and new. This "History of Industrial" night highlights the Y2K-era with special drink pricing and a cyber-goth suggested dress code. DJs Baby Magick, Franck H-Bomb, IHX, Mimi Cry, The Operative and John spin the hard-hitting sounds.
Rufus Wainright's 'Dream Requiem' at Walt Disney Concert Hall — May 4Rufus Wainwright's new operatic piece, narrated live by Jane Fonda, merges the music artist's fascination with Byron's poem Darkness with his love for the great Requiems of Verdi, Berlioz and Britten. A timely take on the darkness of the our world, the L.A. Master Chorale-commissioned work promises emotive storytelling and dramatic forms of melody and majesty.
