DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES - In this weeks Dont Miss List: Big Laughs, Klezmer Music and a Taylor Swift Museum Exhibit Are All in Downtown 1. Ordinarily, a plump man who goes by Fluffy, and whose conversation drifts from character voice to character voice, would be a person you’d go to great lengths to avoid. However, stand-up comedian Gabriel Iglesias subscribes to the late Dr. Hunter S. Thompson’s advice that, “If you’re going to be crazy, you have to get paid for it.” Paid he is. The San Diego native and sitcom star has built himself a huge following with his comedic schizophrenia and no-holds-barred style. This Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 27-28, Iglesias will be holding court at Nokia Theatre. People will laugh. Deal with it. At 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive. 2. Saying an exhibit will showcase Latin American folk art is sort of like trying to take in the entire ocean through a peephole — it’s huge! Give the Natural History Museum points for effort. The Exposition Park attraction recently opened Grandes Maestros, a vast collection of, yes, Latin American folk art, representing five centuries of work across 22 countries. The exhibit, which runs through next September, weaves a masterful narrative, blending elements of European culture, Moorish influence and indigenous craftsmanship into a broad survey of some of the Western Hemisphere’s most vital art. At 900 Exposition Blvd., (213) 763-3466 or nhm.org. 3. Here’s one from the realm of the different: Author and decorated veteran Captain Luis Carlos Montalvan will read excerpts from his latest book, Tuesday Tucks Me In, on Saturday, Dec. 27, at 11 a.m. in the Last Bookstore. Tuesday is the name of Montalvan’s service dog, and the relationship between canine and human is the focus of the tome and a departure point from which Montalvan addresses contemporary veterans’ issues and the omnipresent specter of PTSD. The reading is free and, yes, Tuesday the dog will be there. At 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela. 4. Pop into the Walt Disney Concert Hall this holiday season and your ears will perk up to myriad Christmas themed sing-alongs, concerts and general celebrations of Yule wonder. Well, Hanukkah and Jewish culture get their turn on Monday, Dec. 22, when The Klezmatics pop in. Specializing in an eclectic brand of klezmer music that draws influences from Eastern Europe to the Caribbean, The Klezmatics promise at least one crazy night of menorah madness. Tickets were still available at press time. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (213) 972-7211 or musiccenter.org. 5. It’s easy to write off pop-country entertainer Taylor Swift as a machination of a profit-greedy, single-oriented record industry. Beyond the glitz and glamour, though, Swift has earned legions of loyal fans with her accessible brand of music. Her career has even earned her a museum exhibit, and now through May 10, 2015, the Grammy Museum is hosting the Taylor Swift Experience. The show explores the singer/songwriter’s life and career with a collection of childhood items, clothing and instruments. If you can’t wait until next August to see Swift at one of her five shows at Staples Center, then this will be an appetizer. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org.
Posted on: Mon, 22 Dec 2014 18:01:47 +0000
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