the BEAT of the week: KCRW at Who Shot Rock & Roll.

This, no doubt, will be a fun one. L.A. public radio station KCRW is teaming up with the Annenberg Space for Photography for the museum's current exhibition -- Who Shot Rock & Roll, the first major museum exhibition of rock music photography -- for a series of outdoors concerts. Not only will you get to check out a fun, very L.A.-esque exhibit featuring works from a number of influential photographers -- Anton Corbijn, Dennis Hopper, Richard Kern, David LaChapelle, Annie Leibovitz, Laura Levine, Ryan McGinley, Mark Seliger, to name a few -- but KCRW has also rounded up some great musicians to bring the rock.

First up this Saturday is none other than Moby (with a DJ set by Morning Becomes Eclectic's Jason Bentley). Then there's Portugal. The Man next Saturday, celebrating the station's release of its “T. Rex vs. KCRW Soundclash” remix EP. And finally, on Aug. 4th, it's L.A.'s very own Band of Skulls and Raphael Saadiq, celebrating songs of Bob Dylan. Plus: It's all free. Just be sure to RSVP and arrive early!

Who said museums aren't cool?

Who Shot Rock & Roll is being shown until Oct. 7 at the Annenberg Space for Photography, located at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City. For more information on the KCRW outdoors concerts, check here.

-- Chau Tu

the BEAT of the week: Make Music Pasadena.

Pasadena isn't usually known for being on the cutting edge of music and culture, what with its cleanly manicured neighborhoods and chain store shopping avenues, but Make Music Pasadena may change a lot of minds. For this one weekend in the summer, the city lets its hair loose to offer a totally rocking music fest featuring a number of exciting and up-and-coming bands and musicians -- and it's all for free. This year, you can check out the likes of artists like Grimes, Cults, Dam Funk, Dengue Fever, Grouplove and Milo Greene, among a slew of others. You're bound to discover someone new along the stages, and did I mention that it's all free?

Make Music Pasadena takes place this Saturday, June 16 from 11am-11pm all over downtown Pasadena. Check out the lineup here, which has specific addresses for the various stages.

-- Chau Tu

the BEAT of the week: ForYourArt's "Around the Clock: 24 Hour Donut City."

Yes, you did read that correctly: 24 hours of donuts. And it's for art, so it's cool and not totally gluttonous, right?

Right. ForYourArt, a bi-coastal arts organization aimed at bringing awareness to great art, is opening a 24-hour pop-up donut shop in collaboration with LACMA's screening this weekend of Christian Marclay's experimental film, The Clock, which also lasts 24 hours. The film is actually more like a video montage, slicing together "thousands of moments of cinema and television history depicting the passage of time," all synched up to real-time. So when the screening starts this Saturday at noon, it'll be noontime in the film too.

But let's get back to the donuts -- which, like the screening, will all be FREE. The shop will be right across the street from the museum, and will serve coffee and a rotating menu with picks from the likes of Donut Man and Stan's Doughnuts, all curated by L.A. food and travel writer Krista Simmons. Apparently, Simmons' choices were directly influenced by the movie itself. (Plus, don't forget donuts are round like clocks!) It's all interconnected!

Free donuts, coffee and artsy film. Have a good Saturday.

ForYourArt's "Around the Clock: 24 Hour Donut City" is taking place from noon on Saturday, March 24 until noon on Sunday, March 25 at 6020 Wilshire Blvd. in Mid-City. The Clock will be screening across the street at LACMA, during the same time. Both events are free.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: ForYourArt

the BEAT of the week: "Portlandia" streaming on IFC

The secret's coming out: Portlandia is how I spent my (non-)winter vacation. With a whopping total of six episodes, I whizzed through the first season (currently streaming on instant Netflix) in a simple matter of hours, and came out at the end pretty humored. It helped that I visited Portland earlier this year and was actually aware of some of its idiosyncrasies -- biking, hippies and major unemployment rate among them -- plus the season had a number of great guest stars like Jason Sudeikis and Aimee Mann, but I think keeping an open mind about its strange humor will get you some laughs. Fred Armisen isn't even one of my favorite people (is he really still playing Obama?), but Carrie Brownstein really steals the show. Riot grrls are funny, who knew?

But you decide for yourself. IFC is streaming a full episode of season two on its website right now, and already it boasts Jeff Goldblum and Eddie Vedder as guest stars. So take a trip to the lovely land of Portlandia, where the '90s never died. Season two officially premieres on Jan. 6th.

Cacao!

-- Chau Tu

ps. And if you love it just enough, Carrie and Fred are doing a Portlandia tour and hitting the Echoplex on Jan. 17th. It's sold out, but you can probably scout for tickets outside or on Craigslist.

Do It. Amoeba's Monday Movies at Space15Twenty.

Free movies every Monday at 8pm, all month at Space15Twenty. Grab a burger at Umami and sit back and enjoy the show, or stop by early and check out the racks at Urban Outfitters, What Comes Around Goes Around or Hennessey + Ingalls. Since Amoeba is sponsoring the screenings, be prepared for music-themed movies: this week it's an advance screening of Magic Trip : Ken Kesey's Search For A Kool Place, featuring never-before-seen-footage; next week it's a fun mix of Beastie Boys films and music videos.

Check out the rest of the lineup here.

Amoeba's Mondays Movies are screening at Space15Twenty, located at 1520 N. Cahuenga Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Mandy Ingber at Whole Foods Pasadena.

Mandy Ingber will be at the Arroyo Parkway Whole Foods in Pasadena tonight for a lecture and Yogalosophy DVD signing. Even if you're not interested in purchasing a DVD, show up to listen to what the renowned fitness guru has to say, and bring questions!

Jennifer Aniston, widely admired for having one of Hollywood's hottest bodies, is a longtime devotee of Ingber's yoga practice.

Time & location: May 24 at 6:30 p.m., 465 South Arroyo Parkway in Pasadena.

RSVP to sparr.marketing@wholefoods.com, subject line "RSVP for Mandy Ingber Event".

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: sourcesanddesign.com

Do It. Mondrian Sessions at Skybar.

We've written about the excellent concert series put on by IAMSOUND Records at the Skybar at the Mondrian Hotel in the past. And if you missed such excellent acts like Jens Lekman and Lykke Li perform intimate sets at a location that is L.A. to its core (plus, can you beat that view?), you've got yet another chance.

The spring series of the Mondrian Sessions is about to begin. Light Asylum kicks it off tomorrow with a set at 8pm. Then look out for performances from buzzworthy acts like Cults and Dirty Beaches.

It's all free, but you have to RSVP, and you should do it early, as these events are rightfully popular and fill up. RSVP doesn't guarantee your entry, either, so make sure you show up early. Check the Mondrian's Facebook page for likely more band announcements soon.

Mondrian Sessions will be taking place at Skybar at the Mondrian Hotel, located at 8440 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. "Pretty in Pink" at L.A. Live.

Former Two and a Half Men star Jon Cryer may be out of a job these days, but let's not forget where he first got his start -- and one of my favorite film characters of all time -- Duckie in the '80s classic Pretty in Pink.

Did you forget about Duckie's awesome style and amazing dance moves? I'll forgive you, but only because it's been 25 years. And don't you know it -- in honor of that 25th anniversary, the always-great Los Angeles Film Festival is screening Pretty in Pink for free tonight at L.A. Live. So time to refresh your memory -- and hey, Jon Cryer is even going to show up with a Q&A with director Howard Deutch. And if you show up in '80s attire, you'll even get two vouchers for the L.A. Film Fest! Just, uh, try to avoid remaking Annie's diasater of a dress?

I'm off like a dirty shirt!

Pretty in Pink screens tonight at 7pm at Nokia Plaza at L.A. Live, located at 777 Chick Hearn Court in downtown. There'll also be a pink beer and wine garden opening at 5pm.

-- Chau Tu

Check It. Hipster Bingo iPhone app.

Think you've seen enough hipsters around L.A.? Well, there's an app for that.

Hipster Bingo gives hipster sightings an extra boost of fun by rewarding you for seeing that ridiculous stache or deep v-neck shirt. Just snap a photo using your phone, and you're on your way to filling up your bingo card. Extra points for using Hipstamatic? Instant win with a Bill Murray?

Hipster Bingo is free and available on iTunes.

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Springfest and KXSC Fest at USC.

While its crosstown rival may have hosted Local Natives last week, USC is ready to up its game and give you a double whammy of music this weekend. The downtown campus will be holding not one, but two different music festivals, sure to entice all your musical taste buds.

First up is Springfest 2011 on Saturday, headlined by the ever-talented Mos Def. Other artists to perform include Kid Sister, Murs, Rooney, Steel Train and Hands, and Kogi BBQ and the Dim Sum Truck are expected to pop on by.

Then on Sunday comes the (local campus radio station) KXSC Fest 2011, leaning on the more indie rock spectrum. They've got local faves Abe Vigoda and Avi Buffalo lined up, as well as Puro Instinct, Julianna Barwick, and a very special secret guest. There'll also be DJ sets, and a visit from the Coolhaus truck.

It's all day, all free and all ages -- enjoy some music and get your Trojan love on.

USC is located 3551 Trousdale Pkwy. near downtown.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: USC

Check It. ReALIze at L.A. Live.

This very cool architectural art piece of Muhammad Ali is currently just outside the Staples Center at L.A. Live. It is an aluminum structure, with 1,300 custom boxing speed bags making up Ali's image, and miles of stainless steel cables. After two years and hundreds of thousands of dollars spent, it's finished--and on display to the public first in Los Angeles, then onto New York, Miami, Asia, and Europe.

After reading about it in American Airlines' AmericanWay magazine last month, we made our way downtown on a blustery Saturday afternoon to see it. The human eye doesn't quite piece it all together the way a camera lens does, which is pretty interesting.

It was such a smart and appropriate idea for artist Michael Kalish to use speed bags. I imagine Yolanda Ali (who commissioned the piece along with her husband, "The Greatest") was impressed too.

reALIze is on display until April 9. Free to the public. Nokia Plaza, L.A. Live.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: the BEAT

Do It. Local Natives at UCLA.

I admit it -- it's a bit difficult for me, a Trojan, to try and convince anyone to venture to UCLA for any reason. But this will be worth it.

The ever-amazing Local Natives will be playing a free show on the campus (guitarist Taylor Rice is an alum) this Thursday at noon. Having seen the hometown heroes play a few shows -- and this is not something I usually do for a band that only has one album out -- I can attest to their amazing live performances. As my boyfriend once best described, 'no one loves playing their own songs more than Local Natives.' And it's true, and often even breathtaking.

Check out what the hype is all about, and you won't regret it.

Local Natives will perform at noon at the Bruin Plaza at UCLA, located at 308 Westwood Plaza in Westwood.

-- Chau Tu

Drink It. Free green milkshakes at The Counter [Thirsty Thursdays!].

Happy St. Patrick's Day! If you're not indulging in the green beer tonight -- DDs, that means you! -- here's a special holiday treat you can still enjoy. The Counter, of the build-your-own-burger variety, is offering free green milkshakes to those who "like" them on Facebook. Otherwise, it'll be $3 each (and for those who are indulging, The Counter's green beers are also $3). Happy drinking, be safe out there!

Check out more info on The Counter by visiting their website.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. Free Golden Treasure Shrimp at Panda Express.

If you've already given in to eating at Panda Express, you really can't beat the orange chicken. But Chinese fast food place has still got to try and entice you with new flavors and choices.

Hence, the new Golden Treasure Shrimp. It's tempura shrimp and bell peppers doused in a citrus sauce -- basically just another indulgent Chinese food dish. But here's the real incentive: you can try it out for free! Hit up the Panda Express Facebook page and click through to get your coupon for the one-day only special tomorrow. Happy free eating!

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Lykke Li at Amoeba.

Lykke Li's L.A. shows this week at the Wiltern and El Rey went on sale sometime last year and sold out quickly. And this was way before her latest, powerful and beautiful album Wounded Rhymes was even close to leaking (it was officially released last week). But the Swedish beauty is still giving you another chance to see her live.

We told you about the Mondrian Sessions a while back -- and hey! Guess who the special guest this Thursday is (you are probably still be able to RSVP to this, by the way)! -- but if you just can't wait, head on over to Amoeba tonight at 6pm (but you should get there way earlier) and see Lykke do her thing. The new record is darker, more sultry than her debut pop effort, but Lykke says that this is definitely more her style. So get ready to see her rock.

Lykke Li will be performing today at 6pm at Amoeba Music, located at 6400 Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood.

-- Chau Tu

Eat Out. Free pancake day at IHOP.

Yes, today is the day. While the International House of Pancakes usually reserves its Free Pancake Day for Shrove Tuesday, the diner fave is celebrating a week early and consequently starting March off right.

Head out for your free short stack of pancakes at your local IHOP today from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. (limit one free short stack per guest! And beware of lines!). And while the fun of it all is to get free pancakes, why not throw in a buck or two or more and help support the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals? It'll still be a good deal, and you're sure to leave happy in your stomach and your peace of mind.

Check out more info here and Happy Pancake Day!

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Scion "Installation 7" art show.

I've talked about my admiration for the work of artist David Choe here on the BEAT before, and if you so happened to have sadly missed that show, you've got another chance to see Choe's work in person.

He'll be part of Scion's "Installation 7" art show coming around to Culver City this month. It's the 7th time around for this national art tour, which features emerging artists from all over the country in effort to push for artistic expression and raise money for art-related charities. The line-up this time, even besides Choe, is pretty amazing: Cheryl Dunn, Franki Chan, Gluekit, Mackie Osborne, Matt Goldman, and The London Police. There's even a small twist -- all the work is in video format, something for which many of the participating artists are not known for.

Which such diverse artists combined with this video challenge, the show will definitely be eclectic and fun. And the opening reception this Saturday, too, will not disappoint. RSVP for the free party (the art show itself is free too) here, and get out and enjoy some awesome art!

"Installation 7" will be taking place Feb. 19-March 12 at Scion International LA, located at 3521 Helms Ave. in Culver City.

-- Chau Tu

Drink It. Pisco Sour Day [Thirsty Thursdays!].

So apparently Feb. 5th is Pisco Sour Day in Peru. As if you needed an excuse. But here's another: Discover Pisco is giving away coupons for a complimentary Gran Sierpe pisco sour at participating L.A. restaurants Red Medicine, Big Bar at Alcove, Buffalo Club and Rivera. Enjoy! The pisco sour is basically considered the iconic cocktail for Peru and Chile, and pisco happens to be one of Lauren's favorites.

Get your coupon here!

-- Chau Tu

Do It. Sephora opening at Americana at Brand.

Tomorrow morning a new Sephora is opening at Americana at Brand (the Grove's Glendale counterpart).

Josie Maran will be there for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at 10:00 a.m., and festivities to follow.

Sounds like a good time to get a Nars set, or some new Rosebud Perfume Co. lip balm for the winter months.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Americana at Brand is located at 889 Americana Way in Glendale.

Photo credit: solemag.com

Do It. Open projector night at the Hammer.

Not every film that gets released is Oscar-worthy, and many others aren't even worth the $15 ticket price. So how best to get your money's worth?

See some films for free. Sure, some of the BYOfilms that end up on the screen at this Hammer Museum event tonight probably won't be anything extraordinary (and I'm being nice here), but you might also end up seeing some gems too. Open projector night is a free-for-all, and anything could happen. Maybe you'll see the first short of some future amazing filmmaker. Or you may not. But it's all in good fun, and it's some free entertainment for the night. Plus free popcorn and an open bar, and MC entertainment from comedian twins Jason and Randy Sklar.

And maybe even you perhaps have a short film to show? Don't rely on your best friend for their honest opinion. It's first come, first served to get on the screening list -- just make sure it's under 10 minutes and on a usual film media format. More info is here.

Martin Scorsese had to start somewhere.

Open Projector Night is happening tonight at 7:30pm at the Hammer Museum, located at 10899 Wilshire Blvd. in Westwood. The event is free.

-- Chau Tu