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L.A.'s art scene has seriously been rocking these days with shows and events that get the youngens excited. Between Terrywood at OHWOW, Mike D's Transmission LA that gave us a multi-sensory experience with performances by Santigold and Diplo and James Franco's Rebel exhibition we've had a steady flow of fresh and interesting art culture pumping through this town. Barry McGee's new solo show kept that trend rolling as it brought out a packed crowd to PRISM for its opening reception Friday night. More»

My friends and I have been having an argument lately over whether salt or pepper is the more essential condiment. My friends and I are not exactly the coolest people in the world, but hear me out. While there are plenty of reasons why one might argue for one or the other, in actually, it's the diversity of flavor added when you combine them that really make for the complete experience. Likewise, while Dim Mak Studios last night featured both an early Cher Lloyd showcase set, and then went on to a Dim Mak Tuesdays lineup featuring heavy hitting house DJ Switch, it was the combination of the two that made it an evening to remember. More»

• Tupac Shakur's family says there's no way the fallen rapper was a homophobe as Suge Knight has been claiming, and in fact was very close, personal friends with designer and noted homosexual Gianni Versace, even walking in one of his fashion shows in the 90s. [TMZ]
• Welterweight boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, a devout and very conservative Catholic, is banned from The Grove where he is scheduled to do an interview for "Extra" today after declaring he is against gay marriage. [KTLA] More»

Elizabeth Banks, J. Lo (with her beau!), and Anna Kendrick walk the carpet at the Chinese and party at the Roosevelt alongside Lion's Gate execs at the premiere of What To Expect When You're Expecting; Bravo honcho/host Andy Cohen brings out the brightest stars of the Bravoverse for the release of his new life-in-pop-culture memoir; former "Baywatch" star Donna D'Errico hosts the red carpet premiere of her new reality show about life after The Hoff. Monday night might not have been packed with parties, but since it doesn't cost you anything to read, you'll get your money's worth in this edition of Last Night's Parties!

Anna Kendrick, Elizabeth Banks at the What To Expect When You're Expecting After Party [via] More»

The summer of live music is still going strong and it's only May. Although it may feel like your only option if you get the mid-week going out itch is to hit up the club for a late night of drinking that probably wasn't worth the hangover, there is a happy medium between raging and staying in. And with local music events headlined by the likes of Light Asylum and Best Coast this week, there's no reason you shouldn't step out to catch some live jams. As we bring you each week, here are our recommendations for the best music happening in the area this week, so get off your arse and go see a show! More»

• Britney Spears really cleaned up with this deal that pays her $15 million to be a judge on the upcoming season of Simon Cowell's "X Factor" reality TV singing competition that I hope to go through life having never seen. [TMZ]
• Jay-Z sits down for real talk with CNN and declares his support for President Obama's endorsement of gay marriage saying it was "the right thing to do" and straight-up equates marriage inequality to racial discrimination. [HuffPo] More»

Oh, James Franco, thank god you're alright! We've been so worried about you as it's been almost a full month since we last caught up with you... and you had your hair in cornrows. We're pleased to report he was back in full smirking, self-satisfied effect this weekend for the opening of Rebel, the off-site MOCA art show he curated. Though he did wear a suit to the opening reception, he didn't stray too far beyond his comfort zone as he clearly could not be bothered to run a comb though his hair for at least a full day prior to the event. Here's a look at who showed up for the Rebel debut and what the Franco-curated exhibition is all about. More»

Halle Berry, Stacy Keibler, Mario Lopez and more host a  Run/Walk to raise money for women’s cancer research and treatment; James Franco curates a multimedia exhibition at the MOCA paying tribute to James Dean and his most classic film; Ben Affleck ponies up for Hank Azaria’s charity poker tournament in Westwood; “The Bachelor” Ben Flajnik brings his significant other, mother and sister for some serious Mother’s Day pampering at a rooftop event in Beverly Hills; Krysten Ritter and Shannon Elizabeth are on hand for the selection of the Swatch Art Rules contest winner and after party at Royal/T—it was a very full Mother’s Day weekend, and we’ve got all the details in this Monday edition of Last Night’s Parties! More»

THIS JUST IN... as promised, Coachella made the big mystery announcement they teased on Friday with an intentionally vague Tweet and Instagram prompting us all to wait with baited breath for some big news at 10am PST Monday morning. And, as we surmised, the big announcement revealed the Coachella 2013 dates (held over two weekends), and that ticket presale, or "Advance Sale" in their words, will begin this week. Keep reading for all the details and what all of this ridiculously premature information (dude, seriously, Coachella 2012 ended literally three weeks ago...) means for you. More»