As everyone is working for that weekend, it looks to be a pretty typical Friday morning in West Hollywood. Nothing major broke overnight, but a few things are worth knowing as your day gets rolling, from the just announced Pride concert lineup to Oscar-week activity at West Hollywood Park and yes, as expected, continuing jumps in gas prices around town.
OUTLOUD Pride lineup drops
The lineup for this year’s OUTLOUD Music Festival at WeHo Pride dropped Thursday. Headliners include The Pussycat Dolls, JADE and Ava Max, with dozens of additional performers scheduled across the multi-day concert series at West Hollywood Park during Pride weekend in June.
The annual music festival has really become the centerpiece of WeHo Pride, drawing huge crowds. And not for nothing, kudos to the Outloud team for bringing the names! Kylie, Lizzo, Grace, Paris, Petras, Lambert and now Ava, JADE, and the Dolls. Gurrl, please. That’s hot. Tickets went on sale Friday morning. Get yours here here. Festival details are all posted here.
And remember! You have just a month left to sign up to be in the parade and/or festival. Details here.
Elton John’s Oscar party returns Sunday
Preparations are underway at West Hollywood Park for the Elton John AIDS Foundation Academy Awards Viewing Party, which returns Sunday for the 34th year.
David Furnish, Elton John’s husband, said this week the music legend is “battling on” and staying close to home with family after stepping away from touring. The annual event has raised nearly $124 million since it began and remains one of the most visible Oscar-night fundraisers in Los Angeles.
Elton John’s ties to West Hollywood run deep. Long before the Oscar-night fundraiser became a fixture at West Hollywood Park, the singer’s American breakthrough happened just a few blocks away. In August 1970, a then-unknown 23-year-old British pianist named Reginald Dwight took the stage at the Troubadour on Santa Monica Boulevard for his first U.S. performance. The six-night run helped launch his career in America and is still considered one of the most important club residencies in rock history. WEHOonline previously looked back at that connection in our story “Oh Elton, We Already Miss You.”
San Vicente Boulevard between Melrose Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard will close starting at 11:30 a.m. Sunday and remain closed until 5 a.m. Monday while the large event tent and security perimeter take over the park area.
Gas prices inch up around town
(Photo: WEHOonline)
If it felt a little more expensive filling up this week, you’re not imagining it.
Just last week, WEHOonline found regular gas ranging from about $4.39 at Mobil on Santa Monica Boulevard to roughly $5.19 at Chevron on North La Cienega Boulevard.
By Friday morning those same stations were showing higher prices. Mobil at 8380 Santa Monica Blvd. was listing regular at about $4.49. G&M and Speedway Express along Santa Monica Boulevard were both around $4.59. That’s up 20 cents in a week, Chevron on La Cienega had climbed to roughly $5.69 from $5.19 for regular.
Depending on the station, that’s an increase of roughly 10 to 50 cents compared with a week ago.
Influencer arrest reported
Sheriff’s deputies reportedly arrested social media influencer Fredrick Ballard in West Hollywood earlier this week on suspicion of brandishing an imitation firearm. Authorities have not publicly said where in the city the encounter took place or what prompted deputies to respond.
Details about the incident remain limited.
Warning about powerful new synthetic opioid
Health officials are warning about a synthetic opioid detected in California that may be significantly stronger than fentanyl. According to reports, drugs from the nitazene class are extremely potent and can dramatically increase the risk of overdose if mixed into other substances. Worse thing: it’s not detectable on test strips. Kids beware!
West Hollywood has supported harm-reduction programs in recent years, including free fentanyl-related safety resources and overdose-reversal medication through local initiatives.
Pride season is starting to take shape, Oscar weekend is arriving at West Hollywood Park, and drivers are noticing the difference at the pump. In other words, a pretty typical week in West Hollywood.
Happy Friday! (That never gets old)
thanks for this