Michael Montfort/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
I have a confession to make: I went to Las Vegas for last year’s Super Bowl. It happened like this: the 49ers won the NFC championship game, a few friends texted me to say they were going to fly out, and I said something to the effect of: “I will absolutely, 100%, be there. How could I not!?”) And I would have gone, too, if tickets were not literally ten thousand dollars. (When I found out the cost I gasped, choked, spit, and then calmly texted the group that I would not be attending, but would gladly drive out for the hang/second-hand smoke.) Anyway, my point is that even just being around such a massive sporting event was weirdly thrilling, and this is relevant because in a few short years, we’re all gonna be residents of Olympic Village.
Speaking of the Olympics, the nice thing about hosting a global sporting event in a real, existing city is that you don’t have to build a bunch of infrastructure that is going to immediately obsolesce. Instead, you get to build upon what’s already there: USC sports facilities, the UCLA dorms, the Coliseum (also hosting Cai Guo-Qiang’s light show!), SoFi Stadium, the Pool in Exposition Park, and so on. The most ambitious project—on a par even with un-sewaging the Seine—is the effort to make the LA Olympics car-free, and even though the highways remain happily clogged at the moment, the dream, at least, is real. I do still wonder if “car-free” just means cars will be liberated rather than banned, but either way, it’s hard not to be impatient for these games to arrive.
(I have another confession to make: I thought that the Olympic torch was just like constantly in motion, always migrating across the globe except for every other year when it plopped down to watch elite athletic competitions/nap. It turns out that is not the case, and that in France, for instance, it was basically just a months-long relay through a few provinces. Still, let’s pretend that my more romantic version is what actually happens in the next paragraph.)
...And although it will be many, many months until the tireless Olympic Torch Bearer leaps off of her cattle boat and continues her journey west, Los Angeles has already picked up the cultural torch, via the new Intuit Dome—home to basketball in 2028—which is now a haven for huge artworks from Los Angeles-based (or connected) artists. And that’s really just the start of how the city’s preparing for the future games: they're building no new buildings, removing all their cars (as mentioned above), and refusing to employ their titular/disgusting rivers. But if that’s not enough for you, sports-wise, culture-wise, or otherwise-wise, well, that’s what we make the list for.
-Dan Harmon
P.S.: We got a lot of great license plate submissions this month, so thanks to everyone who sent in photos. (Keep ‘em coming!) A brief evaluation of the aforementioned plates can be found, fittingly, at the very bottom.
Cultural Happenings
Clockwise from top left - Public Assembly Benefit Show; Kismet Restaurant; Danish Days; Thelma & Louise at Vidiots; WE ARE: Cai Guo-Qiang’s Explosion Event for PST ART [photo cred: computer rendering via Cai Studio]; Angel City FC [photo cred: Illustration by Lorenzo Gordon. Photo by Getty Images]
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Tues + Weds, 9:30-12 - LA Phil Rehearsals (The Hollywood Bowl) Friend of the newsletter Jamie Weiss Chilton wrote in with this gem about the open rehearsals at the Bowl: “You never know which pieces you’re going to hear, but parking is super easy, the seats are in the shade, and you can bring snacks! Since they’re working rehearsals, kids get to see that even the professionals “practice” and take direction, too.” Call ahead to make sure rehearsals are on before you go: 323-850-2000!
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Sept 3 - Rachel Kushner in Conversation with Kim Gordon (2220 Arts + Archives) Skylight Books is nothing if not well-curated — and that applies equally to the events they host and the books they stock. This month, you can listen in as two powerhouse women (who happen to call Los Angeles home) Kim Gordon and author Rachel Kushner discuss Creation Lake, Kushner’s new novel about a (cue cover copy!) “seductive and cunning American woman who infiltrates an anarchist collective in France—a propulsive page-turner of glittering insights and dark humor.” (BK)
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Sept 12 - L.A. Story Opening Reception (Hauser & Wirth) *Double Bill* Obviously we Loose Landers could never resist a good LA Story. My personal favorite movie as a kid in the 90s gets a double bill this month with a screening at Vidiots on September 27th (see more about our love for Vidiots below) and as the inspiration for a stellar group exhibition at Hauser & Wirth’s West Hollywood location. The exhibition, which weaves together a portrait of Los Angeles, will include works by LA icons such as David Hockney and Ed Ruscha alongside artists with a more layered view (Florian Maier-Aichen, Calida Rawles, etc) and is organized in dialogue with the film’s writer and star Steve Martin (an avid collector and sometimes curator himself). We can only hope there will be roller skating at the opening! (MR)
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Sept 13 -Thelma & Louise, presented by Vidiots (The Eagle Theater) I’m not sure whether this pitch should be for the film or for Vidiots, both of which are worthy of our devotion. The buddy road trip movie with superb performances by Geena Davis and Susan Sarandon holds up, and speaks to Ridley Scott’s love of a good heroine (or two). The themes of “transformation and liberation [through] escaping, the agonizing constraints of gender, class, time, and place” (The Atlantic) hits much closer to home now than when I saw this as a blissfully naive tween. And then there is Vidiots—the 40-year-old nonprofit that has expanded from an independent video store to a full-blown movie theater/bar that curates a fun, off-beat selection of films weekly. Popcorn’s on me! (BK)
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Sept 15 - CicLAmini (Lincoln Heights) Lemme tell ya, there’s nothing better, more relaxing, and more restorative than when a city closes a certain section of streets and allows pedestrians and cyclists to roam free (except of course when you’re trying to catch a flight out of a large metropolitan area and the airport happens to be on the other side of such a closure -- but that’s a story for another day/newsletter). They’ve got a mile and a quarter-stretch of Broadway carved out for just this purpose from 10-3 on the 15th, and although license plates will be in short supply, hopefully the characters will make up for it. (DH)
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Sept 15 - Feb 16, 2025 - The Getty presents PST ART: Art & Science Collide (Various Locations) Speaking of major events, the art olympics are coming to town! If you aren’t connected to the art world, the news may have not reached you that the citywide exhibition - previously known as Pacific Standard Art Time - debuts in September. A unique format, this is as civic as it gets, with over 70 exhibitions unfolding at various cultural, scientific & community organizations throughout the city. This year’s theme will follow the connecting threads between art & science. Expect exhibitions, talks, and workshops on themes touching astrology, future ecology, synthetic biology, etc. Here’s a snapshot of things (a list within a list?!) we’ve got on our radar for the opening month. (MR)
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Sept 9 - PST: Olafur Eliasson in conversation with Johanna Burton (USC) If you’ve been lucky to experience one of Olafur Eliasson’s pieces, then you will jump at the chance to hear the artist talk about his approach to creating them. Using unexpected materials such as light, water, air, rainbows or glacial ice, Eliasson creates works that speak to human perception and our connection to nature. While most people think of The Weather Project when conjuring Eliasson (his seminal piece at Tate Modern in 2003), we love him for his commitment to cooking (and apparent talent for breakdancing?) because as Julia Child said “People who love to eat are always the best people”. This talk is presented in conjunction with Olafur’s site-specific installation opening at MOCA on September 15th as part of PST ART. (MR)
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Sept 15 - PST: WE ARE: Cai Guo-Qiang’s Explosion Event for PST ART (Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum) Daytime fireworks? Finally an example of using AI that we can get behind…GLITTER PARTY! This dazzling light show will inaugurate Cai Guo-Qiang: A Material Odyssey, an exhibition at the USC Pacific Asia Museum exploring the artist’s love affair with gunpowder and human-kind’s quest for harmony with technology. Cai Guo-Qiang designed the pyrotechnics for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics and is no stranger to a stadium-sized spectacle. (MR)
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Sept 16 - PST: Beyond the Human?: From the Metaphysical to the Physical (USC) Ok, I’ll say it: I’m afraid of technology! Never touch the stuff, if I can help it. That said, I am always looking for reasons to feel a glimmer of hope about how technology will improve our lives and relationship to the world. I can’t promise this event will do all that, but I DO know I look to smart people like Josh Kun, USC Vice Provost for the Arts and MacArthur Genius, to unpack those complex questions. This daylong symposium curated in collaboration with artist Cai Guo-Qiang (see below) will explore the impact of AI on the arts with confirmed participants like Reifk Anadol and Nancy Baker Cahill, some of my favorite in the space. (MR)
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Sept 20 - Nirvana Documentary Premiere: I Hate Myself and Wanna Die (Philosophical Research Society) Nothing makes me feel older than looking back at the 90s in a historical context, but alas. It’s smelled like teen spirit for 33 years now and this guy couldn’t say “nevermind.” I’ll stop making bad puns because the truth is I never was a die-hard Nirvana fan but all the more reason to go see this documentary that was revised and refined over a period of 10 years at a place as wonderful as PRS. Filmmakers Greg Eggebeen and Benjamin Shapiro will be in attendance. (MR)
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Sep 20-22Danish Days (Solvang) I’ve never actually been to Danish Days, but I’ve also never actually learned papirklip, the Danish art of papercutting -- so this is a great opportunity to do both. Solvang is a magical little place, that’s what I do know, and this festival (that I’d never heard of before) offers a nice reminder that even though ax-throwing may now be “trendy” in certain quarters, elsewhere it’s just what you do after you get your runes read. (Also a humble proposal: ax-throwing should replace darts as our precision violence recreation of choice.) (DH)
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Sep 20-22 - Oktoberfest at Benny Boy BrewingBenny Boy Brewing has a surprisingly peaceful outdoor garden for a business that abuts a freeway (and I mean that as a sincere compliment), and it is apparently embracing that sense of irony with an Oktoberfest that takes place entirely in September. Stein holding competitions, karaoke, weenie-dog races—check the schedule and see which competition/event is most to your Geschmack! (DH)
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Sept 21 - Public Assembly Benefit Show (South Pasadena Masonic Lodge) The wonderful people at Public Assembly have created something beautiful and nearly impossible in a city like ours - free community theater that is fully donor-supported. Every month they put on a show on a theme decided by the audience in the previous show (past themes include: doppelgänger, midnight snack, smother). Writers submit proposals, selections are developed, cast, and produced in the space of a month. They are living up to their hope of reinventing theater in LA and this month they are having their first-ever benefit show with an open bar, special speakers William Jackson Harper & Alexandra Billings, and three of their most legendary short plays. Supporting independent theater is always a good way to spend a night (or a few bucks). (BK)
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Sept 21 & Ongoing - Weekend Brunch at KismetI don’t think I’ve brunched in a consistent capacity since my 20s but consider the challenge newly accepted — because this is not just any brunch! Starting late September, weekends just got a lot more vibey with Loose Land friends and chefs extraordinaire Sara Kramer & Sarah Hymanson bringing their excellent brunch service back to the city of angels. We’re hoping for a return of items like the Kuku and freekeh polenta but we’ll just have to wait and see (and remember to set our alarm so we don’t sleep through brunch!). Every Saturday & Sunday beginning 9/21 from 10am-2:30pm. (MR)
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Sept 27 - Angel City FC vs Washington Spirit (BMO Stadium) After feverishly watching the Olympics for weeks, I’m officially going through withdrawal and looking for my next fix. In preparation for 2028 when we can actually be in those stands cheering, I’m finally going to check out LA’s Women’s Soccer League when Angel City FC faces off against the Washington Spirit and revel in the opportunity to scream at the top of my lungs in public. (BK)
Looking Ahead
After getting burned this month by a few amazing shows getting sold out before we could get you this newsletter (looking at you, Moses Sumney and Perfume Genius), we decided to introduce a new section so we can preview some upcoming events where we anticipate tickets will sell out quickly.
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Oct 2 - Andre 3000 - New Blue Sun (The Greek) The ever-evolving, supremely talented cosmic weirdo Andre 3000 has reinvented himself once again as an experimental flutist with his first solo album New Blue Sun. I love it when anyone, but especially a musician, takes big swings and evolves in completely new directions. The wonderful LA-based Sudan Archives is opening up this ethereal, outdoor show. (BK)
Plate Of The Month
Gold: FATTOES Silver: 1OLDBAG Bronze: BANANAE
The plates that I reviewed this month spanned all the classic categories: geographical shout-outs (WATUPLA), messages to fellow travelers (IMLAYT2), homages to the host car (BENZO), and nods to the personality (ODD4EVR), fitness level (DAMNFIT), and dopeness (DOPENSS) of the driver. But what really stood out to me were the plates that were brave enough to self-denigrate in interesting, provocative ways. I’m speaking of course about FATTOES and 1OLDBAG. They’re so brazen that you wind up hunting for a hidden meaning, but for the life of me, I can’t think of one. They’re a dead-end, in the best possible sense. Your mind wants to scale the wall and see the beauty of some brighter message, some secret DAMNFIT DOPENSS beyond those stark characters—but it’s impossible.
Upon reflection, we are, all of us, just bags of old flesh flopping around on top of fat toes. It’s no wonder we want to stake a claim to something grander, but you have to admire the level of candor here. If you’re gonna pay money for a plate, you might as well say something—and these plates do. They say it all.
(Oh, and as for BANANAE, I just like to think that this is the plural of BANANUM.)
