Nokia Theatre

COMEDY A long way removed from a puzzling early career that found him sarcastically hosting the frat-tastic MTV dating show "Singled Out" in the '90s, Chris Hardwick has developed into a solid comic talent with his popular Nerdist blog and podcast, which made the leap to television on BBC America earlier this year. This live podcast taping will deliver more nods to comic books and further tributaries of nerd culture with guests Jonah Ray and Matt Mira. Nokia Theatre, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., L.A. Sat. 7:30 p.m. $16.50-$26.50 http://www.ticketmaster.com .

Alejandro Sanz doesn't do irony. Earnestness flows like extra-sweet sangria from the Spanish singer-guitarist. Sincerity suffuses his raspy voice, a fine, soulful instrument that he showcased to striking effect during his Wednesday-night concert at the Nokia Theatre. In many of his songs, Sanz is a man alternately liberated by, and imprisoned in, dramatic passions and anguished hopes. This flamenco-tinged belter and multiple Latin Grammy Award winner is one of the few performers alive who could make Neil Diamond sound like David Byrne.

Fresh off wins at the Golden Globe, SAG and Academy awards, talk show host and comedian extraordinaire Mo'Nique is bringing her spring show to Los Angeles. This bold, brassy stand-up show is perhaps the exact opposite of her role in "Precious." She will be joined by cast members from her BET show, including Rodney Perry and Tone-X. Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court. 8 p.m. Fri. $39.50 - $69.50. (213) 763-6030. www.nokiatheaterlalive.com.

Juanes will perform two songs on a special "Latin Night" edition of ABC's "Dancing With the Stars. " The multiple Grammy- and Latin Grammy-winning Colombian rockero , who has just released his memoir, "Chasing the Sun," simultaneously in English and Spanish, will perform a Spanish-language song set on the TV program on April 29. Juanes also will be starting his Loud and Unplugged tour this spring, including a May 25 engagement at L.A.'s Nokia...

Pop radio takes a victory lap at the KIIS FM Jingle Ball, a round table of dance-friendly hit makers with David Guetta, Lady Gaga, Sean Paul and other FM staples. Bring earplugs for all the screaming. Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court, L.A. 5:30 p.m. Sat. $80.25-$150.25. nokiatheatre.com.

R. Kelly had already been onstage for half an hour Friday night at Nokia Theatre when he announced that it was time to say what was on his mind. “I [conceived] three kids listening to my own music,” sang the R&B star in apparent improvisation over a midtempo vamp by his eight-piece band. “You did it," he sang. "Why can't I?” The idea: If Kelly's audience has used his music as an aphrodisiac -- a service he's been providing for 20 years without interruption -- then shouldn't he be entitled to the same privilege?

Pity the hapless dude who thought he was getting a lap-dance from Dara of the South Korean pop group 2NE1 on Friday. The singer dragged him up from the audience onto the Nokia Theatre stage during the single “Kiss,” and plonked this twentysomething white guy -- who looked as if he might actually crumple from petrified delight -- in a chair facing the stage. Dara, with her Skrillex-inspired haircut and pixie-thug getup, leaned come-hither close, surely about to crib a classic R&B stage-seduction move.

The Emmy Awards are moving from the venerable Shrine Auditorium to the new Nokia Theatre in downtown L.A. The Academy of Television Arts & Sciences signed a 10-year deal with Anschutz Entertainment Group to stage the annual Emmys show at the 6,500-seat Nokia, starting with this year's show on Sept. 21. The Emmys' after-show Governors Ball will be held next door at the Los Angeles Convention Center.

Leonard Cohen, 78, jogged onto the stage of Nokia Theatre like he'd run in from the parking lot. The singer-poet, wearing a hand-tailored suit, a bolo tie strung around a cleanly pressed shirt and a black fedora, stood before the microphone to begin with “Dance Me to the End of Love” at precisely 8 p.m. Surrounding him was a six-piece band that included not only bass, percussion and keyboards, but a three-man string army that offered texture via...

Nothing endears Mexican diva Paquita la del Barrio to her fans more than the knowledge that, like them, she has suffered in life. Despite having recorded more than 30 albums that have sold a collective 20 million copies, Paquita manages to convey the attitude of a woman scorned but still bravely smiling through her smeared mascara. When Paquita belts out a ranchera, then turns to male members of her audience and asks, "Are you listening to me, you good-for-nothing?," there's an obvious camp value.

Quiet storm standard-bearers 94.7 The Wave presents a Smooth Night Out led by the mirror-glossed sound of saxophonist Boney James. Spencer Day, Norman Brown with Kirk Whalum and others will also be on board for a funk and R&B-infused evening that flirts with jazz in the way that vermouth flirts with a martini. Nokia Theatre at L.A. Live, 777 Chick Hearn Court. Sat., 8 p.m. $45-$89.50. http://www.ticketmaster.com .

A memorial service for Lakers owner Jerry Buss is scheduled to be televised live Thursday at 3 p.m. PST by Time Warner Cable's SportsNet and Deportes channels. After the memorial at the Nokia Theatre, the networks are to offer further coverage of Buss, including reflections from some who attended the service. Chris McGee is to host the telecast from Time Warner Cable studios, and Lakers play-by-play announcer Bill Macdonald is to report live from the Nokia. Ricardo Celis is to be the host on Deportes, with Adrian Garcia Marquez and Francisco Pinto at the Nokia.

It's impressive enough for a charismatic guy with a British accent, a pirate's hat and an acoustic guitar to bring a theater full of excited teenage girls to a frenzy of screams worthy of Justin Bieber or the Beatles, as Ed Sheeran did on Sunday night.  But at the Nokia Theatre on what the 22-year-old described as his biggest American gig to date (on his birthday, no less), Sheeran achieved a more amazing feat. Using a crowd control method he dubbed “the universal shush,” the supremely talented artist asked this hormonal mass to remain quiet for the softer songs.

Ed Sheeran had plenty to be proud of Sunday night at the Grammy Awards, where the English singer-songwriter's "The A Team" was nominated for song of the year. Not only that, but Sheeran performed the tune - a sympathetic ballad about a troubled woman who turns to drugs and prostitution - on the telecast as an intergenerational duet with Elton John. Reflecting on the experience the day after the ceremony, however, Sheeran seemed less than satisfied. The problem wasn't that he'd lost the award to "We Are Young" by Fun., but that he'd attended Justin Timberlake's late-night post-Grammy concert at the Hollywood Palladium.

Planning on tuning into the Grammys on Sunday to see what on earth a collaboration featuring Rihanna , Bruno Mars and Sting will look like? Or perhaps how Justin Timberlake 's return to the stage will shape up? Or maybe even who will walk away with album of the year? Who are we kidding? Of course you will. But, will you join the Grammy party four hours before all that to watch the awards and performances that won't be part of the big show? For those of you attuned to awards in categories such as album notes, jazz and recording packaging, this is the show to watch.

If you're getting excited about the annual Grammy Awards scheduled for Sunday night, you can dress the part with the new Grammy Label collection of tanks and T-shirts that is scheduled to launch in Los Angeles on Wednesday. Grammy Label makes luxury basics each season, under appointment by the Recording Academy, drawing inspiration from music and musical artists. A portion of proceeds from sales of the clothes is earmarked to pay for musical instruments for Grammy Camp , a summer program that brings teens together with professional artists.

KIIS' Jingle Ball is an annual winter pop explosion that this year features Taylor Swift, Kesha, Justin Bieber and your usual suspects of top 40 singles fare (along with a smattering of electronic dance music stars like Zedd, Afrojack and YouTube denizen Psy). Proof positive that pop radio is maybe the most omnivorous space in music right now. Nokia Theatre, 777 Chick Hearn Court, L.A. 6 p.m. Sat and Mon. $85.25-$185.25. nokiatheatre.com.