Alright, so, I was investigating things to do in LA when my parents came to visit, and I found some great events and venues.  I’ve been meaning to try them all out, and hopefully having the entire list in one place will help me accomplish this.  If you hear of any more good ones let me know!

1. Hammer Museum Summer Concert Series

• Hammer Museum courtyard
• Thursday nights, 7-10pm
• June 28-August 9
• Free admission, cash bar
• Concerts from musicians representing various LA music styles.
• Cool because of laid back, sophisticated atmosphere and quality performances.  Added bonus, museum is open late and free to stroll through.
• http://www.madeinla2012.org/made-in-l-a-music-launches-with-kcrw-dj-jason-bentley/

2. LACMA Concert Series

• LA County Museum of Art
• Thursday @7- hip hop, Friday @6-Jazz, Saturday @5-Latin, Sunday @6-instrumental
• Thursdays through August 16th, Fridays through October 26, Saturdays through September 1st, Sunday through October 28
• $15 for non-members
• Some indoor, some outdoor shows featuring a wide range of talented musicians.
• Special because each show offers a classy environment, and LACMA brings in a line up of musicians that wins national awards in programming.
• http://www.lacma.org/music

3. Griffith Park Shakespeare in the Park

• Old Zoo in Griffith Park
• Thursday-Sunday
• June- September 2
• Free admission, cash concessions, donations helpful
• Shakespeare plays in open air theater
• Nice because set up on grassy hill allows sort of stadium seating and chance to cuddle up in blankets next to your sweetie.
• http://www.independentshakespeare.com/

4. Levitt Pavilion Pasadena

• Levitt Pavilion
• Thursday-Saturday, music starts at 8
• June- August 26
• Free admission, cash concessions
• Concerts from wide variety of musicians.
• Nice because the crowd and food vendors are fun and diverse. Laid back, seating mostly on lawn with a few bleacher seats.
• http://www.levittpavilionpasadena.org/images/pdf/summer2012forweb.pdf

5. Malibu Wines Concerts and Movies

• Malibu Wines lawn
• Thursday movie, Friday-Sunday Music, various times afternoon/evening
• Indefinitely?
• Free admission, cost of wine you drink
• Concerts on a small stage, mainly as back up noise to your soiree.  Movie night plays classics.
• Fun because you can bring a picnic, pop open some wine, and mingle with friends on concert nights. Movies and wind are great for date nights. Parking can be a hassle, but valet is available for I think $15.
• http://malibuwines.com/events/2012-07/

6. Universal City Walk Music Spotlight Series

• 5 towers stage on City Walk
• Friday and Saturday at 7pm, Sunday at 6pm
• Through September 3
• Free admission, parking around $10
• Hip Hop, Rap, Pop, DJ, Dance, Electronic music concerts
• Exciting because these guys really put on a show. Lights, acoustics, dancing, all of it. Mostly standing/dancing room.
• http://www.citywalkhollywood.com/spotlightseries.html

7. LA Farmers Market Summer Music Series

• LA Farmers Market
• Thursday- Jazz, Friday-Other music
• Through September 7
• Free admission
• Jazz, country, Latin, blues, rockabilly, etc.
• Country inside the city. Laid back and peaceful setting with fun musicians.
• http://origin.library.constantcontact.com/download/get/file/1101527824990-317/Summer+Music+FLYER.pdf

8. Street Food Cinema 

• Traveling…but worth finding
• Saturdays: 5:30 open, 6:30 band, 8:30 movie
• Through September 1
• $10 Tickets, cash concessions at food trucks
• Bands and movies
• Awesome because it’s the best of all worlds: delicious food, live bands, and fun movies (many fairly recent).
• http://www.streetfoodcinema.com/home.html

9. Hollywood and Highland Wine and Jazz Nights

• Babylon Courtyard at Hollywood and Highland
• Tuesdays 7-9pm
• Free admission, proceeds from concessions ($10 for 2 glasses of wine and an appetizer box) go to charity
• Jazz
• http://hollywoodandhighland.com/events/hh-events/wine-jazz-free-summer-concerts.html#details

10. Eat See Hear

• Traveling…again, worth the find!
• Saturdays: 5:30 entry, 7:00 band, 8:30 movie
• Through September 15
• Admission $10, with option to purchase reserved seating ahead of time for $20
• Local bands, Classic 80’s and 90’s movies
• Added bonuses: most of their venues have free parking and will welcome your pup with dog treats (be sure to check their website for pet friendly sites).  They’ve gone to great lengths (and 52 foot screen widths) to put on a quality show.
• http://eatseehear.com/movies/schedule/

You’ll notice I didn’t include the Hollywood Cemetary outdoor movie nights, and that’s mostly because everyone I talk to has so much trouble getting tickets, finding parking, or fighting the crowd.  All of the venues I listed seem to be pretty hassle free, enjoyable venues.  We live in a great city, though. I know there are probably many more I don’t know of, and I’d love to hear about them!