Coming Soon: The Best of LA May 12-18, 2025

The GRAMMY Museum’s screening series, Reel to Reel, continues on Monday, May 12 with a screening of José James' short film, Revenge of the Dragon, which coincides with the release of the singer’s latest album, 1978: Revenge of the Dragon. James will be on hand to talk about the album, which was influenced by jazz fusion, kung fu movies and Blaxploitation films. He will also be performing at the museum’s Clive Davis Theatre.

The World Champion Los Angeles Dodgers will host The Athletics for a three-game home stand, May 13-15. Promotional giveaways include a Mookie Betts Bobblehead on Tuesday, May 13; a light-up Death Star/Dodger Stadium on Star Wars Night (May 14) and on Thursday a Shohei Ohtani 50/50 Bobblehead that commemorates his historic first season with the Dodgers. First pitch is at 7:10pm on all three nights.

Halsey’s summer tour hits Los Angeles on Wednesday, May 14, when the pop star takes the stage of the Hollywood Bowl. Joining her is Evanescence and Mexican rock band The Warning. Gates open at 5:30pm, the show starts at 7pm.

Best known for his time with seminal indie rock band Galaxie 500 and the long-running Luna, Dean Wareham released his most recent solo album, That’s the Price of Loving Me, in late March. He headlines the Lodge Room on Wednesday, May 14. Big Search opens the all-ages show.

Last year, Japanese DJ/producer Shingo Nakamura played his first U.S. headlining tour and all the dates sold out. His current tour reaches just a few cities in the States, including Los Angeles on May 14, where he’ll play Wednesday night bash Clinic at Jungle Hollywood. Free passes for the event are already gone, but there are still some available for purchase at Dice.

Beloved singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock plays the second of two LA shows on May 15 at Zebulon. Thursday night’s show is a full-band performance and, as a bonus for the mega-fans, requests are welcome. Hitchcock will also perform a solo acoustic set at Philosophical Research Society on Wednesday, May 14. Tickets to the Zebulon show at Dice.

Prepare to have your mind expanded on Thursday, May 15 when Lightstruck presents 16mm Brain Food at 2220 Arts + Archives in Historic Filipinotown. This 90-minute presentation includes 11 shorts spanning animation, abstract works and more, all screened on 16mm film. Tickets at Dice.

Late last year, White Denim released its twelfth studio album, aptly titled 12. Catch the band live on Thursday, May 15, when they headline Teragram Ballroom. Be sure to arrive early to catch the opening set from Austin psyche rockers Nolan Potter’s Nightmare Band. Tickets at Ticketmaster.

Willie Nelson and Family celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Outlaw Music Festival tour in Los Angeles on Friday, May 16. Joining them at the Hollywood Bowl are Bob Dylan, Billy Strings and Sierra Hall. Gates open at 3:30pm and showtime is 5pm.

The Freeway Series gets going on Friday, May 16, when the Dodgers take on the Angels for a weekend-long showdown at Dodger Stadium. Friday is also Firefighter Appreciation Night, see the Dodgers calendar for more ticket details. First pitch on Friday is at 7:10pm, Saturday’s game is at 6:10pm and the Sunday matinee starts at 1:10pm.

Ludovic Morlot conducts the LA Phil for weekend performances of works by Ravel and Granados. The concerts will also include the world premiere of Julia Adolphe’s LA Phil commission Chrysalis, featuring Seth Parker Woods on cello. The performance on Friday, May 16 begins at 8pm. Matinee performances follow on Saturday and Sunday.

Fans of dark, slick, ‘80s inspired club music will not want to miss A Club Called Rhonda at Los Globos on Friday, May 16. Darkwave duo Boy Harsher heads to the DJ booth for a special set; as will Desire, the synthpop duo helmed by musician/producer Johnny Jewell. Also on the decks are Pablo Bozzi, known for his Italo disco and EBM-influenced sets; Stacy Christine, Maryze, Goddollars and Paradise. Tickets at Resident Advisor.

Headlined by New Order and Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, Cruel World features a stellar lineup of alternative artists from across generations. This year’s festival lineup includes The Go-Go's, Devo, OMD, Garbage, She Wants Revenge, Chelsea Wolfe, Mareux, She Past Away, Actors, Midge Ure, N8noface and many more. General Admission and VIP tickets are still available at AXS.

They Might Be Giants bring “The Big Show” to the Orpheum Theatre on May 16 and 17 for their own LA-area performances this year. With no opening band, They Might Be Giants will be playing two sets of music from across their catalog with an eight-piece band that includes three horn players. Tickets for Friday night’s show have already sold out, but there are still some available for Saturday, May 17 at Ticketmaster.

Hermanos Gutiérrez earned critical acclaim for last year’s full-length album, Sonido Cósmico. Tickets are running low for their headlining concert at The Greek Theatre on Saturday, May 17, so act fast if you want to catch the duo live on their current tour. Adrian Quesada’s Trio Asesino opens the night.

May 17 marks the 30th anniversary of the release of The City of Lost Children, Jean-Pierre Jeunet and Marc Caro’s unforgettable fantasy film that features music from Angelo Badalamenti, costumes by Jean Paul Gautier and a cast that includes Ron Perlman, Dominique Pinon and Daniel Emilfork. Philosophical Research Society’s 7th House film series presents this special, one-night-only anniversary screening. Tickets at Eventbrite.

Chicago-based duo Drama have been making waves for the past handful of years with their house-inflected, electronic pop music. Catch them DJing at 1720 on Saturday night with support from Clavette, Karam and Maikol. Tickets at Etix.

Local rivalries continue this weekend on the soccer field when the LA Galaxy and LAFC go head-to-head at Dignity Health Sports Park. The match begins at 6pm.

The LA Sparks play their first home game of the 2025 WNBA season on Sunday, May 18 when they host the Minnesota Lynx at Crypto.com Arena. Tipoff is at 3pm.

Post-punk outfit Blood Club returns to Los Angeles on Sunday, May 18, for a night at The Regent with support from locals Obskuros. The Chicago-based band has a large following in LA, so get your tickets at Ticketmaster ASAP and plan on early arrival if you want a spot close to the stage. Doors open at 6pm.