Live music for your Memorial Day weekend

By Todd MartensFeatures Columnist

May 24, 2012 5:56 PM PT

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The Pop & Hiss run-down of the weekend’s top shows has returned. Plans can be resumed.

Thursday-Monday

• Lightning in a Bottle Festival @ Oak Canyon Ranch. This long-running dance event blows up the festival-within-a-festival that is the Do Lab’s little bass-thumping pocket of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. Over four days in Silverado (the event begins Thursday and runs through Monday), the Lightning in a Bottle Festival collects electronic music, world music, performance art, magic shows and environmental activism in one tidy package. Be prepared to camp, and don’t miss Sunday night headliner Bassnectar, which connects the groove-based dots between punk rock and hip-hop. Oak Canyon Ranch, 5305 E. Santiago Canyon, Silverado. A full weekend pass is $240; a two-day pass is $185; and a one-day pass is $100. Tickets and more information.

Satuday-Sunday

• The Jubilee @ 4000 Santa Monica Blvd. With the Sunset Junction street fair now history, Silver Lake’s Jubilee has the spotlight all to its own. The festival is now in its third year, and organizers have put together its strongest lineup to date, with two days of music that’s as close to a who’s who of local music that one will likely find this year. If you haven’t already, now is the time to catch up on the excitable punk rock of FIDLAR and the hip-hop-inspired soul of Aloe Blacc, and to get to know the toe-tapping pop-rock of La Sera, garage rockers the Allah-Las and the moody melodicism of No. Get there when gates open for the latter on Sunday, and rest assured there’s plenty more to discover. The Jubilee, 4000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles. Daily admission is $20; a weekend pass is $35. Tickets and more information.

Sunday-Monday

• The JazzReggae Festival @ UCLA. Now in its 26th year, the festival is a dependable destination for sun, Rasta vibes and all the art you talk yourself out of buying when taking a stroll down the Venice Boardwalk. Sunday is the more eclectic of the two days, as it’s dedicated to those artists willing to jam. Though Bobby Womack had to cancel due to health concerns, Saturday’s headliners are still worth the trip to Westwood. Bluesman Gary Clark Jr. is an ace guitarist and an ardent student of the genre, and the Roots, as evident by last year’s ‘Undun,’ are making some of the most adventurous music of their career, using hip-hop as a jumping-off point in jazz, soul and gospel. Monday is more squarely aimed at reggae fans, with Don Carlos and Shaggy among those getting top billing. The UCLA Intramural Field, 405 Hilgard Ave, Los Angeles. Tickets range from $29 to $60. Tickets and more information.

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-- Todd Martens

Pop & Hiss

Todd Martens

Todd Martens is a features columnist at the Los Angeles Times who writes about theme parks and West Coast Experiences, among other topics. Martens joined the Los Angeles Times in 2007 and has covered a mix of interactive entertainment as its game critic and pop music as a reporter and editor. Previously, he reported on the music business for Billboard Magazine. Martens has contributed to numerous books, including “The Big Lebowski: An Illustrated, Annotated History of the Greatest Cult Film of All Time.” He continues to torture himself by rooting for the Chicago Cubs and, while he likes dogs, he is more of a cat person.