Pierpoint Landing

Sure, LA has one of the best comedy scenes in the country. But things are going to be just a bit funnier around town this week, thanks to a comedy festival headlined by Louis C.K., a lobster festival with dogs dressed as sea creatures, and a Neil Simon classic directed by Jason Alexander. As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Los Angeles. Oddball Comedy and Curiosity Festival Irvine | Saturday, September 13, and Sunday, September 14 Funny or Die's comedy festival is only in its second year, but it's already attracting some of the industry's best talent. Headlining this weekend's dates is Emmy-winner Louis C.K., with a supporting cast that includes Sarah Silverman, Aziz Ansari, and Hannibal Buress. (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre; $40–$255; buy tickets here) EAT. DRINK. ART. Hollywood | Saturday, September 13 At this biannual fundraiser for the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, you can bid on pieces from up-and-coming artists, sample food from celebrity chef Kris Morningstar, and make art of your own at sketching and ceramics demos. Admission includes three drink tickets. (4800 Hollywood Blvd.; $30–$40 for GA, $100–$110 for VIP; buy tickets here) Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival Ports O' Call Village | Friday, September 12, to Sunday, September 14 If that dog-dressed-as-mutant-spider viral video made you laugh, you'll definitely want to check out this fest's LobsterDog parade with pups costumed as sea creatures. Plus, all the actual lobsters are flown in fresh from Maine each day. Oh, and did we mention pirates? (Berth 76; $9–$10, free for kids 12 and younger; buy tickets here) The Coaster Show Los Feliz | Through September 28 A tie-in to LA Beer Week (which starts on the 20th), this exhibit at La Luz de Jesus Gallery puts a pop-surrealist spin on the ubiquitous bar accessory by having established artists paint, etch, or even sculpt upon 4-inch discs, all of which are being sold for $250 or less. And yes, there'll be craft beer on tap. (4633 Hollywood Blvd.; free) Broadway Bound Sawtelle | Through September 28 Nearly 30 years after starring in it himself, Seinfeld alum Jason Alexander is now directing a reboot of Neil Simon's classic autobiographical play. Try catching the show on Friday the 19th, when Odyssey Theatre is having free wine and pay-what-you-can tickets ($10 minimum). (2055 S. Sepulveda Blvd.; $10–$30; buy tickets here) Photos courtesy of Oddball Festival, Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival’s Facebook page, and Odyssey Theatre Ensemble

It’s a bucket list kind of week here in LA. By the end of the month, you could say you’ve watched a play in a cave (the final showing of the aptly titled CAVE at Griffith Park) and challenged an indie-rock icon to a dance-off (Arcade Fire’s been doing this at some of their shows). As always, check Groupon for even more great things to do in Los Angeles. Renegade Craft Fair Downtown | Saturday, July 26–Sunday, July 27, 11 a.m.–6 p.m. The international celebration of handmade arts and crafts is swinging through Grand Park, inviting locals to check out hundreds of DIY vendors. In addition to shopping for prints, clothing, stationery, and countless other goods, you can also hit up the food-truck lot and listen to tunes spun by KXLU DJs. (200 N. Grand Ave.; free) Cowabunga! 30 Years of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Silver Lake | Through July 27 With three decades under their ninja belts as sewer-dwelling crime fighters, the Heroes in a Half Shell are now officially a common interest of parent and child. In celebration of the live-action movie coming out next month, the iam8bit gallery has curated a family-friendly exhibit of TMNT-themed art from artists around the world. (2147 W. Sunset Blvd.; free) CAVE Griffith Park | Friday, August 1, 7 p.m. For this site-specific play, you won’t just be expected to turn off your cell—you’ll also be expected to hike. Audiences meet a half-hour before curtain time, then trek up to Bronson Caves to watch the story of a false prophet who has sequestered his family in fear of an upcoming apocalypse. (Bronson Caves; $20 suggested donation; buy tickets here) Arcade Fire Inglewood | Friday, August 1–Saturday, August 2, 7 p.m. The world’s biggest indie band is out to make their first arena tour feel as intimate as possible, greeting fans in lobbies and grooving beside them during dance-offs. Previous shows have included a “Motownphilly” cover and a surprise appearance from Echo and the Bunnymen frontman Ian McCulloch, so who knows that they’ll have up their mirrorball-ed sleeves for the LA crowds. (The Forum, 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood; $40–$90; buy tickets here) Eighth Annual Outstanding Art of Television Costume Design Exhibit Downtown | Through September 20 Great costumes make great television more transformative—who hasn’t imagined themselves in Cersei Lannister’s gorgeous gowns or Walter White’s slimming coveralls? Get up close to small-screen style at this exhidbit curated from past conteners for costume-design Emmys, including the sparkly numbers worn in one of last year’s winners, HBO’s Liberace biopic Behind the Candelabra. (FIDM Museum & Galleries, 919 S. Grand Ave.; free) Photo courtesy of Renegade Craft Fair's Facebook page.

To the untrained eye, there’s not much in the way of scenery along the 270-mile stretch between Las Vegas and Los Angeles—just distant mountains and vast expanses of desert punctuated by the occasional tumbleweed. The monotonous terrain seems a fitting contrast to what awaits at either destination: the promises of money and stardom. An empty stomach and a taste for curiosity, however, can get the best of anyone during the four-hour drive. Luckily, just off the beaten asphalt of Interstate 15, there’s a smattering of roadside stops that prove anything but boring. Just an hour outside of Las Vegas, Primm is more than meets the eye. The city sits right up against Nevada’s border with California—an imaginary line that felons have long associated with freedom from the law. It happens that Primm is home to the most famous getaway car of all: Bonnie and Clyde’s V8 Ford. Punctured with more than 100 bullets, the battered vehicle sits behind a glass enclosure inside Whiskey Pete’s Hotel and Casino. Nearby rests the torn and bloodied shirt Clyde wore on the morning of his death. More than 70 miles down the road and safely across California’s border, Alien Fresh Jerky restocks stomachs set on empty with 20 flavors of jerky—not to mention stuffed olives, nuts, candy, and various sauces. A few miles south of the exit for Zzyzx, CA, the gourmet jerky stop gets its curious name from owners who founded it after a failed search for Area 51. Standing at an impressive 134 feet and visible from Interstate 15, the world’s largest thermometer sits just down the road from Alien Fresh Jerky. The thermometer’s height honors the highest temperature ever recorded in North America: 134 degrees in nearby Death Valley. The heat and lack of moisture in the desert can help with preservation, which might explain why dinosaurs still roam the earth at Peggy Sue’s Diner and Dinosaur Park. When nobody is looking, the giant metal dinosaur statues that inhabit Peggy Sue’s backyard are said to slip quarters into the giant outdoor jukebox and feed on Peggy Sue’s hearty burgers and sandwiches. Not far down the road from these towering statues, Casa Jimenez hosts some animals of its own. The Mexican restaurant lines its walls and counters with stuffed antelope, zebras, and wolves. Of course, you don’t need to contend with wild beasts to get your fill of tacos and burritos. Just across town from Casa Jimenez, the world’s oldest operating Del Taco has kept its grills hot and its drive-through open since 1964.