Summer In The City (That City Being Los Angeles)

Unless you’re a hermit or you hate music, a trip to the Hollywood Bowl is pretty much mandatory in the summer months. The music is always excellent and eclectic: Santigold, Adele, Ray Lamontagne Sergio Mendes, and Femi Kuti are just a FEW of the many performers who are expected grace to stage this summer. Not to mention all the classical and jazz options! Don’t forget to bring some beer or wine and a picnic dinner. Otherwise, you’ll cry as you watch everyone else get tipsy.

Saturday night traffic on Santa Monica Boulevard has become crazier than Britney Spears since Cinespia started screening outdoor films at Hollywood Forever Memorial Park (it’s really not as blasphemous as it sounds). So if you want to be able to munch on your picnic dinner and drink a bottle of wine while you watch cult classics like “The Graduate” and “East of Eden,” under the stars get there EARLY.

Nothing says summertime like an overpriced Dodger dog smothered in ketchup, a cold cup of beer, and some ice cream. It doesn’t really matter if the Blue win or lose, it’s still a good time—although it is a little more fun when they win.

If you’re looking to get out of your stuffy apartment on a Wednesday evening, then you might want to make like a mall rat. This summer the Century City mall is screening free outdoor movies on the patio adjacent to the food court (the movie screen is draped over the side of Bloomingdale’s). The series kicked off with “Forest Gump”— the lineup also includes “Top Gun,” “Grease,” “Footloose,” “Raiders of the Lost Ark,” and “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”

With corn dogs, Skee Ball, and a Ferris Wheel, the Santa Monica pier is pretty much synonymous with summer. To sweeten the deal, the pier hosts its admission-free Twilight Dance series on Thursday nights, bringing good, clean (and free!) fun to Santa Monica in the summertime. Legendary acts like Patti Smith and Los Lobos have performed in past years.

This Hollywood park gets bombarded by Shakespeare lovers during the summer months, when Independent Shakespeare presents free performances of the Bard’s work. So grab a picnic dinner and get in touch with your inner culture vulture as you watch “Henry IV .”

The Skirball may be dedicated showcasing Jewish artifacts, but their summer concert series is all about world music. Their Thursday-night Sunset Concert series hosts acts from all over the globe.

The Greek Theatre is slightly more commercial than the Hollywood Bowl. Not only can you NOT bring in your own food and drink, but there are surly-looking guards keeping everyone in their seats (at the H-Bowl you are free to get up in the aisles and dance, dance, dance). But the Greek offers something for everyone as far as programming goes: Andrew Bird for the 20-somethings, Elvis Costello for the 30-somethings, and Jefferson Starship for the 40-something-plus range.

If you’re overwhelmed by the size and scope of the Hollywood Bowl, this neighboring amphitheater might be a good option. The JAFA books lesser-known acts than the Bowl, but the programming is just as eclectic: you can see everything from Bollywood to Ladytron.

Free outdoor music is rampant at LACMA during the summer months. And thanks to the new contemporary art building, art lovers will even more to absorb during those evenings. Friday nights are reserved for jazz while Saturdays are devoted to Latin music.