FYF Fest: A certain desert-based music festival may garner the limelight in the springtime, but this growing-ever-bigger -- like really bigger -- in-town August extravaganza has the goods. Indie and alt artists and bands are at the LA Memorial Sports Arena and Exposition Park doing their song-filled, crowd-stoking thing. Dates: Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23. Headliners? Kanye West, Morrissey, and Belle & Sebastian'll be on the main stage, along with more biggies. Way to get there? A) Metro, B) Metro, and C) walk (if you live within a few blocks).
Frank Ocean was scheduled to be Saturday's headliner until FYF announced on Thursday that he chose to cancel his appearance "on his own terms," and Kanye West would be replacing him.
Nisei Week: The Little Tokyo celebration turned 75 this year, with martial arts demos, taiko drumming, and more. Two of the major happenings of this week-plus party are still to come over its final weekend, with the Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza-eating competition taking place on Saturday, Aug. 22 and the everyone-join-in Ondo dance, in the street, on Sunday, Aug. 23. It's part of the tradition-filled closing ceremony. Want to dance or make kid crafts or just see the revelries? There's so much going on, all weekend long.
LA Taco Festival: A cavalcade of food trucks are revving for an afternoon-long tortilla-tacular, complete with a bevy of different bites and a great beneficiary, too. The Saturday, Aug. 22 fundraiser helps out Jovenes, Inc. of Boyle Heights, an organization that helps homeless youths. It's free to get into the Grand Park to-do, but bring cash for your foodstuffs. Is there live music? Yes. Should we mention one more time this is in Grand Park, which is a newer location for the five-year-old fest? We shall.
Silent Disco: It's been a trend for a few months now, but the quiet-quirky dance movement looks like it is here to stay. A free dance night at the Music Center Plaza -- part of its Bring Your Own Dance Moves summertime dance series -- will unfurl on Friday, Aug. 21. Unfurl quirkily, let's add. Why? On-site DJs will send tunes directly to the headphones worn by dancers, meaning that no "aloud" music shall be played. Yep, you're intrigued. If you're really intrigued, arrive early to rent your headphones for five bucks.
Roaring Nights: The last of the summertime fun times are doing their final laps, and the LA Zoo's 18-and-over music evenings are no exception. The final Roaring Nights roars on Friday, Aug. 21, and the 1980s is the theme. That means you should come with your big hair and neon bracelets and you should be ready to play Galaga and dance to The Pac Men, the night's band. Will there be animal presentation and keeper talks? Oh, you bet: Beastie knowledge awaits.
