Music Heats Up Summer at the Autry

July 2 through Aug. 27 — “Sizzling Summer Nights” take over Thursday evenings at the Autry National Center of the American West with Latin bands and dancing to the sounds of mambo, son, Latin jazz, charanga and Afro-Cuban rhythms. The all-ages party features a taco bar and margaritas, as well as free dance lessons from salsa instructor Trish Connery of Dance Chatter. There’s also a separate dance floor for kids. The café and bar open at 5 p.m.; music and dancing run from 6 to 9 p.m.

July 19 — The Autry launches its new book club in an intimate setting, showcasing celebrated authors discussing their latest works. Group conversations are followed by private author receptions. Works selected will focus on these topics: the West as a crossroads, voices of Native America, Western resources and violence and justice. The inaugural event features Craig Johnson discussing “The Dark Horse” from 2 to 4 p.m. Autry book club dues are $10 per year on top of membership; club members receive special discounts on books discussed.

Through Aug. 23 —  The exhibition “Sparkle & Twang: Marty Stuart’s American Musical Odyssey” highlights the country music star’s personal experiences with Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, Bob Dylan and other big names from country, bluegrass, rockabilly, Southern gospel and other American music scenes. The show includes costumes, handwritten lyrics, personal letters, musical instruments and unpublished photographs. An interactive performance stage, listening stations and ambient audio and video documentaries are located throughout the exhibition.

The Autry National Center of the American West is located at 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. Call (323) 667-2000 or visit autrynationalcenter.org.

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Americafest Celebrates the Glorious 4th

July 4 — Pasadena’s traditional Independence Day fireworks at the Rose Bowl—one of Southern California’s biggest displays—return with the 83rd annual installment of Americafest. The family-friendly event features five of the country’s top drum corps units performing field shows and precision music. The day also celebrates the armed forces, with veterans and active-duty personnel manning exhibits and demonstrations. A military flyover and a tribute to area military members who died serving in the Middle East are scheduled.

Active-duty military members and their families are admitted free. The event, presented by XBOX 360, opens at 8 a.m. in the parking lot, followed at 2 p.m. by a festival in the Family Fun Zone outside the Bowl that will include food vendors, entertainment, crafts, exhibits and rides. Food will be on sale inside the stadium when the gates open at 6 p.m. After opening ceremonies at 6:50 p.m., drum corps performances start at 7 p.m. Fireworks at 9:05 p.m. conclude the program. General admission tickets cost $13 (children ages 7 and under admitted free), and preferred-seat tickets for adults and children cost $25. For advance general admission tickets, call (800) 745-3000, visit ticketmaster.com or go to Rose Bowl ticket booths through July 4. Preferred-seat tickets can be purchased at dci.org/tickets/. The parking fee is $15 per car.

The Rose Bowl is located at 1001 Rose Bowl Dr., Pasadena. Call (626) 577-3101 or visit rosebowlstadium.com.

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Celebrating wine at Descanso

July 8 and 15 — The two-part course “Viticulture with Adam Baldwin” includes an overview of viticulture (the growing of wine grapes) and vinification (creating wine from juice), as well as an instructor-led tasting. The course clarifies some widely used and often misunderstood wine industry terms and concepts. Baldwin is a wine buyer and specialist for Whole Foods Market. Sessions run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. The cost is $60, $48 for members.

July 9 and 23 — “France al Fresco” wine-tasting sessions take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. in the Descanso Courtyard. The events feature wines paired with complementary foods catered by Patina. The cost is $49 per session. For reservations, call Patina at (818) 790-3663.

Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Dr., La Cañada Flintridge. Call (818) 949-4200 or visit descansogardens.org.

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Classic Cars, Good Cause

July 11 —  The San Marino Public Library Foundation and the Classic Car Club of America, Southern California Region, present the first San Marino Grand Classic Car Show in Lacy Park. Guests can get a close-up view of some $20 million in classic vehicles produced from 1925 through 1948. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. General admission costs $30 the day of the event or $25 plus a handling fee in advance. Children under 12 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased through the event Web site. Proceeds benefit the San Marino Public Library Foundation Endowment Fund supporting the Crowell Public Library in San Marino.

Lacy Park is located at 1485 Virginia Rd., San Marino. Call (626) 300-0779 or visit sanmarinograndclassic.com.

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The Fab Four Perform with Cal Phil

July 11 and 12 — The California Philharmonic, under the direction of Victor Vener, presents “Basically Beatles” on Saturday at the L.A. County Arboretum & Botanic Garden and on Sunday at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. The show features an appearance by acclaimed cover band the Fab Four, but the program also includes Bach and beyond: excerpts from the musicals “Cabaret” and “La Cage Aux Folles,” Rachmaninoff’s “Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini” featuring Russian piano competition winner Robert Thies, the world premiere of “Symphony No. 1” by Cal Phil composer-in-residence Roger Allen Ward and Bach’s Toccata and Fugue with  Disney Hall organ conservator Phil Smith. Tickets for Saturday’s concert start at $20 and are available at calphil.org. Gates open at 5:30 p.m. for pre-concert picnicking at the Arboretum. Food vendors will be on-site; advance orders can be placed on the Cal Phil Web site. A live jazz performance accompanies dining, and the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Tickets for Sunday’s performance start at $25 and are available by calling (213) 365-3500 or visiting ticketmaster.com. The Disney Hall concert begins at 2 p.m.

The Arboretum is located at 301 N. Baldwin Ave., Arcadia. The Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 S. Grand Ave., Los Angeles. Call (626) 300-8200 or visit calphil.org.

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Southwest Chamber Music Celebrates Summer at the Huntington

July 11 through Aug. 23 — Southwest Chamber Music’s 2009 Summer Festival at the Huntington features fine music and optional fine dining during four weekends. Concert One, July 11 and 12, features music of Puccini, Verdi and Chen Yi. Concert Two, July 25 and 26, brings works by Rossini, Mozart, Christoph Willibald Gluck and Thea Musgrave. Concert Three, Aug. 8 and 9, showcases music of W.G. Still, Heitor Villa-Lobos, Alberto Ginastera and Maurice Ravel. Concert Four, Aug. 22 and 23, celebrates works of Aaron Copland, Alexandra du Bois and Schubert. All programs start at 7:30 p.m. Ticket holders can arrive early for a pre-concert meal at the Huntington Tea Room. Guests are asked to arrive for dinner between 5:30 and 6:15 p.m.  Single concert tickets start at $28; tickets for four Saturday or four Sunday programs begin at $100. Dinner costs $55 for one meal, $220 for four.

The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino. Call (800) 726-7147 or visit swmusic.org.

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Conservatory Jazzes up Summer for Kids

July 13 through 24 — The Pasadena Conservatory of Music’s Summer Jazz Camp offers instruction in theory, performance and improvisation to students in seventh through 12th grades. The repertoire includes the blues and world music influenced by jazz. All instruments are welcome. Hours are 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. The tuition fee is $325.

The Pasadena Conservatory of Music is located at 100 N. Hill Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-3355 or visit pasadenaconservatory.org.

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Ethnomusicology Discussed at Southwest Museum

July 18 — Musician and arts patron Elisabeth Waldo discusses ethnomusicology and her career in this month’s “A View from the Braun” lecture at the Southwest Museum of the American Indian. The recording artist and violinist, who played first chair for Leopold Stokowski, has brought indigenous and ethnic musical instruments and musicians to audiences worldwide. Waldo and her late husband, former Southwest Museum Director Carl Dentzel, were deeply involved in cultivating the institution’s ethnomusicology program. The free lecture runs from 1 to 2 p.m. 

The Southwest Museum of the American Indian is located at 234 Museum Dr. in Mt. Washington. Call (323) 221-2164 or visit autrynationalcenter.org.

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Art Center Car Classic BREAKS DESIGN BARRIERS

July 19 — Art Center College of Design’s Car Classic ’09 celebrates vehicles that push the boundaries of design. Titled “By Air, Land and Sea,” the event reflects Art Center’s Department of Transportation Design’s broadened scope to include all types of transportation. The exhibition features more than 100 rare and exotic vehicles, including classic, sports and custom cars, hot rods, motorcycles, aircraft, watercraft and more. The world’s top designers, collectors and enthusiasts gather from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on the Hillside Campus. The keynote address will be delivered by Burt Rutan, the prize-winning aerospace engineer known for his designs of the record-breaking Voyager aircraft and SpaceShipOne. Rutan — who will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from Art Center and General Motors Design at the event — is currently preparing to launch the Virgin Galactic spaceline with Sir Richard Branson for suborbital space tourism. Tickets cost $60 at the door or $50 online. Art Center alumni can save $20 by making a purchase online at artcenter.edu/carclassic/index.jsf.   

Art Center College of Design’s Hillside Campus is located at 1700 Lida St., Pasadena. Call (626) 396-2200 or visit artcenter.edu/carclassic.

 

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Pain and Itch at Boston Court

July 25  through Aug. 23  — The Theatre @ Boston Court presents “The Pain and the Itch,” a co-production with the Furious Theatre Company. This scathing comedy about the politics of class and race focuses on a young girl in serious need of attention, a ravenous creature that may be prowling the upstairs bedroom and a family whose Thanksgiving unravels into a tangle of disastrous choices and less-than-altruistic motives. Dámaso Rodriguez, co-artistic director of the Furious Theatre Company, directs. Call for showtimes and dates.

 

The Theatre @ Boston Court is located at 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 683-6883 or visit bostoncourt.org.  

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A BassQuake Shakes Pasadena

July 25 —  The L.A. Music Academy presents Pasadena Bass Day 2009, co-hosted by the BassQuake organization. The daylong clinic for students of all levels starts at 8 a.m. The guest clinicians are Rhonda Smith (solo artist, Prince and New Power Generation), Byran Beller (solo artist and composer), Sekou Bunch (Michael Jackson, Luther Vandross, Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, Rod Stewart) and Brian Bromberg (solo artist, Bob James, George Duke, Herbie Hancock, Dianna Krall). Clinicians cover styles including jazz, funk, rock, R&B and fusion. The day will include performances, giveaways, breakout sessions and private lessons. Registration costs $40 and includes lunch.

L.A. Music Academy is located at 370 S. Fair Oaks Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 568-8850 or visit lamusicacademy.edu.

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This Summer Camp Rocks

July 27 through 31, Aug. 3 through 7 —  DayJams celebrates 10 years as America’s original rock music day camp at Pasadena’s New Horizon School. Children ages 8 through 15 receive professional instruction on guitar, bass, keyboards, drums and vocals, plus songwriting, instrument and art classes. Campers — beginners through advanced — are placed in a band on Monday and finish the week with a live performance for family and friends on Friday.

The New Horizon School is located at 651 N. Orange Grove Blvd., Pasadena. Call (800) 295-5956 or visit dayjams.com.