Grand Performances has been offering great free shows all summer long in Downtown Los Angeles for 25 years. Summer nights can be surprisingly chilly and windy between the tall skyscrapers, but there are also performances at noon, which can bring just the opposite of chilly.
I have heard that the previous years they had unfortunately suffered from budget restrictions, but this year, they have teamed up with the Satellite and lots of indie bands are in the schedule!
This is a personal selection:
On June 23rd at 8 pm, the screening of 2012 Sundance selection ‘Under African Skies’, Joe Berlinger’s documentary about Paul Simon’s adventure in South Africa, and the making of his masterpiece ‘Graceland’. Still can’t believe it was 25 years ago.
On June 30th at 8 pm, ‘Tongue and Groove: Charles Bukowski’, I know it’s not music, but I am sure he is venerated by tons of punk rockers. The fiction of ‘the LA writer’ will be brought to life by actors, and among them the great Harry Dean Stanton (‘Paris Texas’!)
On July 6th at 12 pm, The Allah-Las will make you surf the downtown with their retro-wave-melodies and their pseudo-psychedelia.
On July 20th at 12 pm, The Haim girls, whom Ryan Adams loves so much! They are supposed to mix folk with R&B, and be very talented.
On July 27th at 12 pm, Lady Danville and their charming-poppy harmonies. I saw them last summer, and their melodies had this mix of irresistible catchiness and youthful energy.
On August 3rd at 12 pm, brother-sister duo, The Belle Brigade and their 70s-anthemic choruses will sure make you sing-along and move even if it’s 100ºF up there.
On August 19th at 8 pm, ‘The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs’. Steve Jobs invented iPods and iTunes, and so much more, his impact is obviously not limited to music but since I have no idea of what this event could be, I will just copy and paste this: ‘This powerful theatrical work sheds light on issues of corporate responsibility, worker rights, and an individual consumer’s role in a globalized marketplace. The ‘monologue’ will be read by Chinese, Mexican, Korean and Japanese American performers, further emphasizing the impact of one man across an industry that affects the world.’
On August 24th at 12 pm, I am sure He’s My Brother She’s My Sister will know how to occupy the space, as there is a circus-like ambiance (the girl beating the drum with her feet) in their uplifting folkish-bluesy tunes.
You can check their full schedule here.