Entertainment
From Billie Eilish to Metallica: 10 must-see concerts this holiday season
Considering that the weather outside isn’t exactly frightful during the winter months in SoCal, our concert calendar manages to keep our social lives plenty warm in between all the extra meals and family gatherings scheduled to descend upon us in the coming days.
It’s in that spirit of giving that we offer a brisk yet bountiful list of ways to spend your time in the company of fellow fans, all basking in the gift of live music this holiday season. Cobbling together a slate that bears a gift of a little something for everyone — from the metalhead, to the pop princess to the avant-jazzer. Here’s our guide to 10 must-see concerts to enjoy from post-Thanksgiving through the top of 2025.
Each year, starting around Thanksgiving, culture vultures get to unwrap an early present: a raft of films, TV shows, concerts and more that fill the calendar through the end of the season. And this week, The Times is happy to be your guide to some of the most noteworthy offerings, from Oscar contenders and crowd-pleasers to holiday specials you and the family can curl up with. Read on!
Dawn Richard + Spencer Zahn / Zebulon / Dec. 2
Richard deserves a clean break from any Diddy news in her life. She’s a hell of a modernist R&B singer in any setting, but even better with adventurous pianist and composer Zahn in tow. “Quiet in a World Full of Noise,” their latest collaboration in a fruitful string of them, is a tender, vulnerable meditation on grief and deserves its own flowers. — August Brown
TV on the Radio / El Rey Theatre / Dec. 4, 5 & 7
Twenty years after the release of its acclaimed “Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes,” this adventurous New York art-rock crew has reunited to play its first gigs since 2019. TV on the Radio’s 2004 debut mapped the bewildering psychic landscape of a post-9/11 America, so it’s fitting that the band chose this moment of exuberance and fear to make its return. At the El Rey, you’ll see singer Tunde Adebimpe, guitarist Kyp Malone and drummer Jaleel Bunton onstage; Dave Sitek, the band’s guitarist and studio mastermind, opted to sit these shows out. — Mikael Wood
KIIS-FM Jingle Ball / Intuit Dome / Dec. 6
For the acts on the bill — all of them eager to hear their songs on the radio into the new year — this annual all-star holiday concert is a way to kiss the powerful programming rings at KIIS (and its corporate parent, iHeartMedia). For fans in the audience, it’s efficient one-stop shopping for what’s happening on today’s Top 40, including SZA’s wonderfully digressive R&B, Benson Boone’s earnest nice-guy balladry, Tate McRae’s neo-Britney dance-pop and Shaboozey’s post-hip-hop country music. Also due to perform are Meghan Trainor, Kane Brown, Madison Beer, T-Pain, NCT Dream … and Paris Hilton. Some things never change. — M.W.
Metallica / YouTube Theater / Dec. 13
Between two SoFi Stadium dates and a headlining appearance at Indio’s Power Trip festival, Metallica hasn’t exactly been hard to see in Southern California over the last year and a half. But here’s a rare opportunity to catch the veteran metal band in the kind of small(-ish) room it hasn’t played regularly in decades. The occasion for Metallica’s visit to Inglewood’s 6,000-capacity YouTube Theater is the group’s biannual Helping Hands benefit concert, which aims to raise money to fight hunger and to support technical education. Jimmy Kimmel will host the evening, and expect additional acts to be announced. — M.W.
Billie Eilish / Kia Forum / Dec. 15, 16, 17, 20 & 21
On the road for the first time without her brother and producer, Finneas, as a permanent part of her live band, the 22-year-old pop superstar stops at the Forum for five shows in support of “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” which just became the siblings’ third straight album to be nominated for album of the year at the Grammy Awards. (Nobody else has done that with their first three LPs.) Before the tour, Finneas said he’d join his sister onstage occasionally when his schedule permits; here he’ll serve as Eilish’s opening act on Dec. 21. — M.W.
Jeff Parker ETA IVtet / Zebulon / Dec. 16-17
The guitar genius was the beating heart of the late, great Highland Park jazz club ETA, whose residencies spun off a number of compelling combos like the experimental group SML. Fans of his IVtet — a small cadre of jazz and session heroes who are among the city’s best improvisers — will be thrilled to see the combo back in action in person and on record with “The Way Out of Easy,” a refined slate of free-flowing jams. — A.B.
Besame Mucho festival / Dodger Stadium / Dec. 21
Shakira recently postponed a 2024 arena tour to 2025 so she could meet fan demand by upgrading some dates to stadiums. But the Colombian pop icon — whose latest album, “Las Mujeres Ya No Lloran,” chronicles her messy breakup with Spanish soccer star Gerard Piqué — is still on the books to headline the third Besame Mucho festival at Dodger Stadium, where she’ll be joined by Enrique Iglesias, Pitbull, Los Tigres del Norte and Banda MS for an expansive overview of Latin music spread across multiple stages. Among the dozens of other acts on the bill: Ivy Queen, Juanes, Café Tacuba, Caifanes, Los Tucanes de Tijuana and Carlos Vives, the last of whom was just named person of the year at the Latin Grammys. — M.W.
X / The Observatory / Dec. 27
What on earth is Los Angeles going to do without X? The standard bearers of SoCal’s punk scene for more than five decades promised they’d hang it up with “Smoke & Fiction,” a compelling valediction of an LP released this year. Who knows how many gigs they have left in the tank? While you should see them any chance you get, this Christmas show should be an especially meaningful one. — A.B.
Latin Mafia / Hollywood Palladium / Jan. 22
The Mexico-based De La Rosa brothers won a new artist nod at the Latin Grammys for their debut album, “Todos Los Días Todo El Día,” which deftly straddles urbano, trap, R&B, EDM and indie. They’ve already played Coachella and Camp Flog Gnaw. What’s next? A recent listening party in Mexico City that drew the 18,000 fans suggests they’re about to get much bigger stateside. — A.B.
Jamie xx / The Shrine / Jan. 23
You’re not going to have a better night on a dance floor than whenever Jamie xx is on deck. The producer and erstwhile member of the xx beat his own high standards with this year’s “In Waves,” a joyful and heartfelt insistence on the redemptive power of the club. Whatever other dark stuff is happening in late January in the United States, know that you can still go hear “Baddy on the Floor” with a roomful of jubilant friends. — A.B.
Entertainment
Stagecoach 2026: How to watch Friday’s livestream with Cody Johnson, Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman
Choosin’ to stay home instead of trekking out to Indio for this weekend’s Stagecoach festival? Don’t worry, you’ll be able to listen to all the country music your heart desires. You can get your country heartbreak on with Ella Langley, Bailey Zimmerman and Cody Johnson, and then rock out with Counting Crows. If you prefer EDM, you can catch Diplo and Dillstradamus (Dillon Francis and Flosstradamus) as Friday’s closing acts.
The festival will be livestreamed on Amazon Music, Amazon Prime Video and Twitch beginning at 3 p.m. On Sirius XM’s The Highway (channel 56), you can listen to exclusive interviews and live performances along with a special edition of the Music Row Happy Hour. The station Y’Allternative will also be covering the festival on Friday evening.
Here are updated set times for the Stagecoach livestream Friday performances (times presented are PDT):
Channel 1
3:05 p.m. Noah Rinker; 3:25 p.m.; Adrien Nunez; 4 p.m. Ole 60; 4:25 p.m. Avery Anna; 5 p.m. Chase Rice; 5:55 p.m. Nate Smith; 6:50 p.m. Ella Langeley; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 8:55 p.m. the Red Clay Strays; 10 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11:30 p.m. Diplo
Channel 2
3:05 p.m. Neon Union; 3:25 p.m. Larkin Poe; 4 p.m. Marcus King Band; 4:50 p.m. Lyle Lovett; 5:35 p.m. BigXthaPlug; 6:30 p.m. Noah Cyrus; 7 p.m. Wynonna Judd; 8 p.m. Counting Crows; 8:50 p.m. Sam Barber; 10 p.m. Dan + Shay; 10:45 p.m. Diplo featuring Juicy J; 11:05 p.m. Rebecca Black; 11:45 p.m. Dillstradamus
Sirius XM Music Row Happy Hour
1 p.m. Avery Anna; 2 p.m. Nate Smith; 2:30 p.m. Josh Ross; 3 p.m. Cody Johnson; 3:30 p.m. Gabriella Rose; 5:15 p.m. Nate Smith; 7:50 p.m. Bailey Zimmerman; 9:30 p.m. Cody Johnson; 11 p.m. Diplo
Sirius XM Y’Allternative
5 p.m. Ole 60; 6 p.m. Larkin Poe; 7 p.m. Marcus King Band; 8 p.m. Sam Barber
Movie Reviews
Movie Review: The Mortuary Assistant – HorrorFuel.com: Reviews, Ratings and Where to Watch the Best Horror Movies & TV Shows
Forget the “video game movie” curse; The Mortuary Assistant is a bone-chilling triumph that stands entirely on its own two feet. Starring Willa Holland (Arrow) as Rebecca Owens, the film follows a newly certified mortician whose “overtime shift” quickly devolves into a grueling battle for her soul.
What Makes It Work
The film expertly balances the stomach-churning procedural work of embalming with a spiraling demonic nightmare. Alongside a mysterious mentor played by Paul Sparks (Boardwalk Empire), Rebecca is forced to confront both ancient evils and her own buried traumas. And boy, does she have a lot of them.
Thanks to a full-scale, practical River Fields Mortuary set, the film drips with realism, like you can almost smell the rot and bloat of the bodies through the screen.
The skin effects are hauntingly accurate. The way the flesh moves during surgical scenes is so visceral. I’ve seen a lot of flesh wounds in horror films and in real life, and the bodies, skin, and organs. The Mortuary Assistant (especially in the opening scene) looks so real that I skipped supper after watching it. And that’s saying something. Your girl likes to eat.
Co-written by the game’s creator, Brian Clarke, the movie dives deeper into the demonic mythology. Whether you’ve seen every ending or don’t know a scalpel from a trocar, the story is perfectly self-contained. If you’ve never played the game, or played it a hundred times, the film works equally well, which is hard to do when it comes to game adaptations.
Nailed It
This film does a lot of things right, but the isolation of the night shift is suffocating. Between the darkness of the hallways and the “residents” that refuse to stay still, the film delivers a relentlessly immersive experience. And thankfully, although this movie is filled with dark rooms and shadows, it’s easy to see every little thing. Don’t you hate it when a movie is so dark that you can’t see what’s happening? It’s one of my pet peeves.
The oh-so-awesome Jeremiah Kipp directs the film and has made something absolutely nightmare-inducing. Kipp recently joined us for an interview, took us inside the film, discussed its details and the game’s lore, and so much more. I urge you to check out our interview. He’s awesome!
The Verdict
This isn’t just a cash-grab; it’s a high-effort adaptation that respects the source material while elevating the horror genre. With incredible special effects and a powerhouse cast, it’s the kind of movie that will make you rethink working late ever again. Dropping on Friday the 13th, this is a must-watch for horror fans. It’s grisly, intelligent, and genuinely terrifying.
Entertainment
Former Live Nation executive says he was fired after raising ‘financial misconduct’ concerns
A former executive at Live Nation, the world’s largest live entertainment company, is suing the company, alleging that he was wrongfully terminated after he raised concerns about alleged financial misconduct and improper accounting practices.
Nicholas Rumanes alleges he was “fraudulently induced” in 2022 to leave a lucrative position as head of strategic development at a real estate investment trust to create a new role as executive vice president of development and business practice at Beverly Hills-based Live Nation.
In his new position, Rumanes said, he raised “serious and legitimate alarm” over the the company’s business practices.
As a result, he says, he was “unlawfully terminated,” according to the lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.
“Rumanes was, simply put, promised one job and forced to accept another. And then he was cut loose for insisting on doing that lesser job with integrity and honesty,” according to the lawsuit.
He is seeking $35 million in damages.
Representatives for Live Nation were not immediately available for comment.
The lawsuit comes a week after a federal jury in Manhattan found that Live Nation and its Ticketmaster subsidiary had operated a monopoly over major concert venues, controlling 86% of the concert market.
Rumanes’ lawsuit describes a “culture of deception” at Live Nation, saying its “basic business model was to misstate and exaggerate financial figures in efforts to solicit and secure business.”
Such practices “spanned a wide spectrum of projects in what appeared to be a company-wide pattern of financial misrepresentation and misleading disclosures,” the lawsuit states.
Rumanes says he received materials and documents that showed that the company inflated projected revenues across multiple venue development projects.
Additionally, Rumanes contends that the company violated a federal law that requires independent financial auditing and transparency and instead ran Live Nation “through a centralized, opaque structure” that enables it to “bypass oversight and internal checks and balances.”
In 2010, as a condition of the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, the newly formed company agreed to a consent decree with the government that prohibited the firm from threatening venues to use Ticketmaster. In 2019 the Justice Department found that the company had repeatedly breached the agreement, and it extended the decree.
Rumanes contends that he brought his concerns to the attention of the company’s management, but his warnings were “repeatedly ignored.”
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