This weekend in L.A.: DeLorean, Helen Stellar, more

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[Birthday greetings to Rivers Cuomo, who hits the big Four-Oh on Sunday …]

My top 5 reasons to leave the house this weekend that don’t involve Kustom culture or Bill Cosby:

DeLorean, the hotly tipped synth-wielding kids from the coast of Spain, play the Echo tonight. Have a taste of “Stay Close.” Oh, and Wait. Think. Fast open.
‣ The best anthemic rock band in these parts, Helen Stellar, headlines Spaceland tonight, supported by U.K. quartet the 22-20s.
Mayer Hawthorne gets all soulful at the monthly Saturdays Off the 405 (6 p.m.) at the Getty. [see below for more budget-friendly shows]
‣ Folky/bluegrass folks Rose’s Pawn Shop celebrates the release of their new album “Dancing on the Gallows” Saturday night at Spaceland.
Leslie & the Badgers and Eleni Mandell team up Sunday night at McCabe’s.

Strapped for cash? Read on:

Other fun freebies: Imaad Wasif and IO Echo tonight at Space 15 Twenty; Dunes’ record-release show tonight at Vacation Vinyl; Go West Young Man’s residency at the no-cover-charge Casey’s Bar downtown; Hot Hot Heat at One Colorado in Pasadena at 7:30 p.m. Saturday; Moses Campbell and Big Whup at Origami Vinyl on Saturday evening; and, for something completely different, Hexham Heads and Future Ghost at the Ghost Hunters of Urban Los Angeles’ (holy cow, that spells GHOULA) “Spirits With Spirits” show at the Aztec Hotel, 311 W. Foothill Blvd., Monrovia. Should I wear black?

More? See my roundup on LA Weekly’s West Coast Sound.