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

Advance Notice. Radiolab Live: Symmetry.

A couple months ago, I posted about the amazingly fun public radio show Radiolab, a sort of science and philosophy sibling of This American Life. If you've already become a hardcore fan like I have (and if you haven't -- start listening now!), then it's time to get your wallets out!

Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich are hitting the road, and of course, we lucky Angelenos are one of the three stops. The two hosts will be performing an episode live, and the subject already sounds amazing: "symmetry, and how it shapes our very existence—from the origin of the universe, to what we see when we look in the mirror." It's going to be really fascinating to see how this plays out in person.

If you want to check out some cool science, buy your tickets now. The show is taking place March 23rd at UCLA, and tickets just went on sale yesterday, but are definitely going quick. It's a little pricey, but sure to be an eye-opening experience.

Get more info here.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: WNYC

Advance Notice. Autobiography of Mark Twain Celebration at the Hammer.

Last fall, 100 years after Mark Twain's death, the first of three volumes of his complete and unexpurgated autobiography was released, and immediately became a smash hit.

So many great books came out last year, and I haven't had a chance to read all the ones I'm interested in (I'm way behind the crowd, and still on Freedom). My boyfriend is currently powering through Keith Richards' autobiography, and I'm hoping he'll read Twain's after that so I can grab it when he's done.

Next Tuesday, UCLA's Hammer museum is having a celebration of the book with Twain scholars and even a band--The Americans--performing renditions of classic American rockabilly and folk blues. Awesome.

February 8 at 7:00 p.m. Free. Info: hammer.ucla.edu, (310) 443-7000

The Hammer is located at 10899 Wilshire Boulevard in Westwood.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: hammer.ucla.edu

Check It. The editors of 'The Onion' at UCLAlive.

The same editors who brought us such headlines as "Rich Guy Feeling Left Out of Recession," and Kim Jong-Il Privately Doubting He's Crazy Enough To Run North Korea" are scheduled to appear at a UCLAlive event next Thursday.

From UCLA's website:

"Join current Onion editor Joe Randazzo and fellow staffers for a multimedia discussion on the state of media, politics and pop culture as they offer up insight into how the paper’s culture-skewering stories and hilarious headlines are created."

The event is set to take place at UCLA's Royce Hall at 8 p.m. Tickets are between $28-$48.

-- Lauren Williams

Do It. UCLA vs. USC women's soccer.

College sports are always a lot of fun--from football to swimming, to basketball and soccer.

This Friday night, Los Angeles rivals UCLA Bruins and USC Trojans play each other in women's soccer at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. They're hoping to break an attendance record and get more than 7,804 people in the stands! Both Pac-10 teams have high ranks (19 for USC, 23 for USC), so this will definitely be a good game. The first 2,500 fans will receive a free commemorative scarf.

Friday October 22 at 7:00 p.m.

The Coliseum is located at 3939 South Figueroa Street in Los Angeles. Tickets are $5 for general admission, and are available online, and by calling (213) 740-GOSC.

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: soccer-picture.net

Eat Out. Glendon Bar and Kitchen [Thirsty Thursdays!].

Thanks to the unsympathetic 10 and 405 freeways, you're never as stuck and hopeless as you are if you're in West L.A. during rush hour. But what a perfect excuse for a happy hour! Even in the equally sympathetic area of Westwood, reduced-priced drinks and food is a welcome distraction until traffic dies down.

The Glendon Bar and Kitchen understands. It offers not one, but two happy hours, where most things off their menu are HALF OFF. Pretty decent, I would say. That means you can get the delicious garlic fries (see above), which are crispy and not too garlic-y, for $4, or any of their good-sized pizzas (perfect for sharing between two people) for $6-7.50. Drinks-wise, you can grab wines for $6 or drafts for $4, or go for their martinis, which are $5 all day. If you're doing the math, you can easily have a few drinks and dinner for under $20!

Cheap grub comes at a small price though. The atmosphere when I sat at the bar for happy hour was quite a ruckus, thanks to a huge birthday party happening behind me. All the demands by the party made the bartenders obviously frazzled and distracted, so that meant we had to try and grab their attention on many occasions (we even got up to go get our own plate of fries sitting on the side of the bar because the bartenders were too busy to see it sitting there). We were forgiving because the service was nice when we got it, and we weren't in any rush to get drinks or food, but I can see this becoming a problem. Also, despite Glendon's close proximity to UCLA, the happy hour crowd was older and more business-type, but that may just be due to it being summer.

Come casual and prepared to sit back and you'll have a great time with great deals. I mean, it's better than sitting in traffic, right?

The Glendon Bar and Kitchen is located at 1071 Glendon Ave. in Westwood. Happy hours are every night at 4-7pm and 10pm-midnight.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: the BEAT

Advance Notice. UCLA Live.

It's really difficult for me to try and plan anything beyond, say, this weekend, but I might have to give in and mark down some busy days for me six months ahead of time. That's because UCLA Live has just announced its 2010/2011 season, and some really great events are in the works.

For example, there's an opportunity to get into the genius minds behind popular satire newspaper, The Onion, when the writers host a multimedia discussion on politics and comedy on Feb. 10. Steven Sondheim, the masterful composer and lyricist of classics like West Side Story and Sweeney Todd, is stopping by on Nov. 8 for a surely not-to-be-missed engagement. And then there's David Sedaris. If you've never listened to the popular author speak or tell his stories in person, you're in for an absolute treat. He'll be at Royce Hall April 27, and it's definitely worth planning ahead for.

Tickets for individual events go on sale TODAY, so get to planning! You can also purchase tickets in series, or buy four individual events and get 15% off.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: UCLA Live

Do It. Soundsuits After Dark.

If you're not headed out to the music/arts fest Silver Lake Jubilee this weekend, head over to the other side of the town for another cheap (i.e. FREE) musical event: Soundsuits After Dark.

Part of the grand finale for the Fowler Museum's latest exhibition, "Nick Cave: Meet Me at the Center of the Earth," (no, unfortunately not that Nick Cave) the event will feature the exhibition's most prominent pieces: the soundsuits. Large, multi-layered and comprised of items like yarn, sequins, toys, etc., these soundsuits are intricate sculptures that create unusual sounds when worn. You'll get to see them in action firsthand as performers don the pieces for pop-up appearances, and if you're one of the first 750 people to show up, you'll even get a pair of American Apparel socks to adorn and make your own personal 'soundsuit.'

Also providing entertainment for the night will be KCRW DJs Jason Bentley and Garth Trinidad, and the usual assortment of food trucks will be on hand for grubbing. A creative and musically fun weekend for all!

Soundsuits After Dark will begin at 8pm on Saturday at the Fowler Museum at UCLA. It's free, and no tickets are needed.

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: KCRW

Advance Notice. Ira Glass at Royce Hall.

For his wondrous skills of storytelling and an unbeatable combination of intelligence and genuineness, This American Life's valiant leader Ira Glass is one of my most favorite people in the world. (Plus, look at him, he's a stud.) And if he isn't one of yours yet, get on the boat already! You won't look back.

Here's another chance: Glass is bringing his live show "Radio Stories & Other Stories" to UCLA's Royce Hall on March 27th for two separate editions, one at 7pm and one at 10pm. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10am--but note, you have to be a KCRW member to purchase (and you really should be subscribing anyway).

I saw this show back in 2007 at USC, and it was incredibly fun, insightful and inspiring. Glass, alone on the stage with his sound devices and players, brings all the great stories and moments that make This American Life fantastic and adds his own personal experiences into the mix, making everything intimate and personable. He'll also be taking questions at the end, but try to refrain from going on and on about your unabated love for him (I know it'll be difficult).

-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: This American Life