21 Of Our Favorite Events In Los Angeles This Week

LAist gets a lot of press releases and we go through most of them to curate a list of our favorite events happening in L.A. Here are 21 events you should know about this week. Read on for all the details.

BLOOMSDAY: Bloomsday is the annual celebration of one of literature’s most famous days. It commemorates James Joyce’s novel Ulysses, set on June 16, 1904, and the day generally includes readings, drinking, music and odes to debauchery. (The novel was banned in the U.S. from 1922-33.) The Hammer Museum celebrates its fifth annual Bloomsday with live Irish music by Rattle the Knee, Guinness on draft and Irish fare. From 7:30-9 pm, there’s a dramatic reading in the Billy Wilder Theater featuring a finale (for mature audiences) that includes the select “racy parts of Molly Bloom’s famous soliloquy." Admission is free.

FILM: The 2014 Los Angeles Film Festival presents the documentary Harmontown at LACMA at 7:30 pm. Part biography and part road movie, it follows Community’s creator Dan Harmon, showing both moments of pure genius and self-loathing. Tickets: $13. Also screening at the LA Film Fest (at LA Live) is They Came Together, a romantic comedy created, written and produced by the folks of the cult classic Wet Hot American Summer. Directed by David Wain and written by Wain and fellow Stella/State member Michael Showalter, the cast includes Paul Rudd and Amy Poehler in lead roles with Cobie Smulders, Christopher Meloni, Max Greenfield, Bill Hader, Ellie Kemper, Ed Helms, Michael Ian Black and many others. Q&A follows the 8 pm screening with Wain and guests. (Standby line only. Tickets: $13.)

AUDIO-VISUAL: Prism Pipe is a monthly visual music event, curated by The Current Sea and Screaming Claws features “HypnoGIFs” from around the world. It’s an animated GIF style developed by The Current Sea that features looping kaleidoscopic mandalas. Visual works by The Current Sea, Kidmograph, WeInventYou, ScorpionDagger, HaydiRoket, Adam Ferriss, Declan Ackroyd, Okkult Motion Pictures and others. Music for the evening is by the experimental ambient group l’eternebre (Natalie Chami of TALsounds and Brian Griffith of grey ghost). Bring a yoga mat to experience the piece fully relaxed. 8 pm. Suggested donation: $5.

MUSIC VIDEO : MOCA Grand Avenue presents the exclusive world premiere of the new OK GO music video, “The Writing’s on the Wall.” On Monday only, the museum screens the new video the Ahmanson Auditorium throughout the day.

TUESDAY, JUNE 17

FILM: The Grindhouse Film Festival is at the New Beverly Cinema on Tuesday, presenting a double-feature of late ‘80's films. Screening first at 7:30 pm is Remote Control (1988) with Kevin Dillon and Jennifer Tilly in a film about aliens preparing to invade Earth through the use of a VHS tape that brainwashes viewers. Lieberman does a Q&A after the film. It’s followed by the “insane Indonesian exploitation film” Lady Terminator (1988). Grindhouse says that the flick is packed with “sex, violence and 80's mullets.” (They had us at "mullets.")Tickets to the double feature: $8.

MUSIC: Rockwell Table and Stage presents An Evening with Molly Ringwald on Tuesday at 8 pm. Ringwald’s done a lot after her reign as ‘80s teen queen of John Hughes films. She’s performed with her band throughout the world and starred on Broadway in several productions including Cabaret and How I Learned to Drive. She’s performing to celebrate her first jazz album, Except Sometimes. Tickets: $20. Ringwald’s residency continues on July 1 and July 15.

STORIES: The Moth takes over Los Globos on Tuesday with storytellers spinning tales on the theme of “money.” Anyone can toss their hat into the ring for a chance to be selected. All you have to do is prep a 5-minute story about big spenders, a lack thereof, what you’d do for it and deals gone wrong, etc.. No standup and no notes allowed. Hosted by Brian Finkelstein. Doors and storytelling signups at 7 pm and tales begin at 7:30 pm. Tickets: $8 at the door, $16 in advance (guaranteed admission). This is a 21+ venue

POP-UP EVITE EVENTS: Eventbrite took over a former vacant retail space at 7711 Melrose Ave, for a week-long series of events. The Eventbrite LA X LA CANVAS closes out with a live performance by In the Valley Below from 8-10 pm. Free, but RSVPs are required.

COMEDY/VARIETY: The Victory Lap variety show returns to The Virgil at 9 pm. Hosted by Seth W. Owen (Movie Night @ The Roosevelt) and Stuart Jenkins (Associate Producer, BBC America’s The Nerdist), the evening promises music, games and comedy with a lineup that includes Johnny Pemberton of 22 Jumpstreet, James Adomian, Linas Phillips, Andy Erikson, Linas Phillips and others. There’s no cover, and the Virgil has great specials, $6 cocktails, $5 wine and beer all night long. 21+. Free admission. There’s valet so you don’t have to worry about finding a parking space in the neighborhood.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18

COMEDY: Speaking of The Virgil, The Super Serious Show takes over the venue on Wednesday starting at 7 pm with happy hour, music and drinks. The show starts at 8 pm featuring sketch, more music and videos by Jon Dore, Cristela Alonzo, Joe DeRosa, Hari Kondabolu, Jake Weisman, Liquid Feet, and video by Sam Molleur, Curt Neill and Elisha Yaffe. Tickets: $7 in advance/ $10 at the door (cash only). 21+.

FILM: American Cinematheque celebrates the 40th Anniversary of Roman Polanski's Chinatown on Wednesday at the Egyptian Theatre with screenwriter Robert Towne in person. Towne introduces the 1974 film that stars Jack Nicholson and Faye Dunaway at 7 pm (with spoilers, if you’ve never seen the film). After the film, LADWP historian Fred Barker and Christine Mulholland (schedule permitting) share interesting facts about the film and the real-life events on which the film is based. Tickets: $11.

MUSIC: On Wednesday night, singer-songwriters Gavin DeGraw and Matt Nathanson play the Greek Theatre with guest Mary Lambert. 7 pm. Tickets: $25-$49.50.

CULVER CITY HAPPY HOUR: Downtown Culver City’s Neighborhood Happy Hour takes place on Wednesday from 5-9 pm with ‘Spiked’ Lemonade Tasting” events at several establishments (sample some free goodies or take advantage of specials). Check in at Melrose Mac or Lundeen’s Gifts to pick up a “Third Wednesday Passport” with a list of participating restaurants, bars and other stores.

MUSIC: Hermosa Beach rock trio Life performs its debut EP 'R U D W N ?' at the Roxy on Wednesday. They play a mix of funky grooves reminiscent of the older Red Hot Chili Peppers, Incubus and Sublime. The band goes on at 9:30 pm. Tickets: $15.

THURSDAY, JUNE 19

TV TALK: On Thursday, Paley Center joins with WE TV to commemorate the 40th anniversary of Police Woman—the first successful hour-long American drama TV show to feature a woman as series lead lead. WE TV’s first scripted series, The Divide, also features the latest in strong, female protagonists. The evening includes a clip-filled conversation with awesome guests, including Angie Dickinson (Police Woman), Marin Ireland (The Divide), Emily Deschanel (Bones), Poppy Montgomery (Unforgettable, Without a Trace), Holly Robinson Peete (21 Jump Street), S. Epatha Merkerson (Law & Order), Marg Helgenberger (CSI: Crime Scene Investigation), Tony Goldwyn (co-creator and director, The Divide). The evening is moderated by Entertainment journo Will Keck. The program begins at 7 pm. Remaining tickets (for adjacent closed circuit viewing room): $7.

ART : Crowded House (the art collective and not the band) is putting up its inaugural pop-up show, In The Flesh, on Thursday. The show encourages to step away from their computers and technology to focus on an appreciation of art. In the Flesh is designed and curated by Crowded House founders Desiree Pakravan and Michelle Plotkin, who’ve assembled artists including Kate Anderson, Shana Johnson, Maddy Nimoy, Reid Ulrich and Alex Zohar, among others. The gallery space is located at 1247 W 7th St., in DTLA. The reception will be held from 7-10 pm.

CUMBIA MUSIC : Red Bull Music Academy Panamérika continues its L.A. concert series that celebrates Latin alternative artists. Thursday’s show at the Echoplex highlights the cumbia genre with a little help from Dublab. The lineup includes dub producer Mad Professor, a solo performance by Colombia’s cumbia/dub masher Mario Galeano Toro from Frente Cumbiero, South Central LA’s Buyepongo and L.A. DJ outfit Mas Exitos (Ganas, Enorbito, Hoseh and Lengua). The show is 18+. Doors at 8:30 pm. Tickets: $10 online or $12 at the door if available.

SHORT FILM :The Cinematographers Guild presents its Short Film Programs 2014 at 7:30 pm on Thursday at the Egyptian Theatre. The Emerging Cinematographer Awards, which are being presented that evening, honors the 10 best short films selected from more than 100 submitted by members of the union. The cinematographers on these films can’t be current directors of photography—they are camera operators, camera assistants, etc. A panel discussion with the filmmakers and the Guild’s national president, Steven Poster, ASC, precedes the screening which begins at 8 pm. General admission tickets: $11.

The art show 'Word Bites Picture' opens Thursday. | Image: Richard Misrach, 'Untitled' (April 1, 2012 5:44PM)

MUSIC: Design Matters presents Word Bites Picture—an ongoing project by art collective Friend & Colleague. Artists have been asked to contribute a work without talking about its meaning or background. Co-curator Katya Tylevich has then written a 500-word piece of fiction in response to the art, resulting in a non-related caption for the piece. “Word Bites Picture is a tongue-in-cheek take on Katya’s day-job as an arts writer, which hinges on the inaccurate science of ‘explaining’ art….” Among the artists featured in the show are Dewey Ambrosino, Edgar Arceneaux, Michaël Borremans, Espen Dietrichson, Anton Ginzburg, Carl Hammoud, Todd Hido, Mi-Zo, Richard Misrach, Dasha Shishkin, and others. The opening reception for Word Bites Picture takes place on Thursday at Design Matters Gallery from 6-9. Works will be on view through July 26.

FOOD TALK & FILM: Zócalo and KCRW kick off its new My Favorite Movie quarterly film series on Thursday at 7 pm at the Million Dollar Theatre in DTLA.. Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW's Good Food welcomes chef and restaurateur Roy Choi, author of the memoir L.A. Son. He’s chosen the film Chef—about food trucks and fatherhood. It’s the film on which he served as technical consultant, and he’ll sit down with Kleiman to discuss the film immediately following the screening. Free.

STORYTELLING: The RISK! Storytelling show is at NerdMelt tonight at 9 pm with people telling true stories they’d never thought they’d share in public. The evening’s storytellers—Cameron Esposito, Megan Hayes, Tony Sam, Kristina Wong, Andrew Solmssen and Selena Coppock— are telling tales based on the theme: "Astonishing." The evening is hosted by Sara Benincasa and Beowulf Jones. Tickets: $8 in advance, $10 at the door.

Related: Your Ultimate Guide To June: 20 Cool Events Happening In Los Angeles

Want the 411 on additional events and happenings in LA? Follow @LAist or me (@christineziemba) on Twitter.