Santa Monica’s Midnight Special Bookstore was packed Tuesday night with an audience ranging from teenagers to elderly ladies, all listening to bestselling author Dai Sijie, whose novel “Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress” has been translated into 31 languages and made into a film by the writer himself. Read more...

It’s sad when the most exciting part of a performance is when pickles are raffled off to audience members. Such was the case when Wade Robson came to UCLA’s Ackerman Grand Ballroom Tuesday afternoon. Read more...

Upon hearing the word “folk,” most students automatically think of something like the hokey song “She’ll Be Coming Round the Mountain.” When they see the word “archive,” images of a dusty, dingy, dilapidated room with rats and spiderwebs come to mind. Read more...

The French-born pianists Marielle and Katia Labeque bring their musical passion to pieces in nearly every genre. The sisters’ willingness to learn from experts in various fields contributes to the repertoire that earns them critical acclaim. Read more...

About two years ago, Todd Drootin was sitting at his home in Encino, surfing on Napster and trading his music with other tech-happy, independent artists. While online, a man who went by the name Infoslut told Drootin about his mp3 label No Type. Read more...

John Fasano’s “Notebooks, Sketches and Placemats” 18th Street Gallery Through Feb. 28 Zero Paws Remember the preview for “Darkness Falls,” the movie about an evil spirit who has returned, in the guise of the tooth fairy, to the town that lynched her? Read more...

We are four days away from the most highly anticipated extravaganza on television since the series premiere of Fox’s “Girls Club.” Come Sunday, my fridge will be stocked and my eyes will be locked on the TV. Read more...