Nervous puts it all out there

While the Release Series presents a reading in a nightclub, Nervous brings a variety show to Stories Books and Cafe. There’s another twist: At the behest of host Deenah Vollmer, “these terrified artists will share something [that] no one has ever seen them share before.” True, there’s something comforting about seeing a singer, or an author on tour, recite their greatest hits, but while practice makes perfect, it can also get a little stale. Nervous, on the other hand, is intentionally discomforting and potentially electrifying: April’s installment featured a protest song by multi-hyphenate artist Charlyne Yi, a reading from Believer features editor James Yeh and a body-paint performance piece by musician Samira Winter. (You don’t see that every day.) Tuesday’s edition features songwriter Jeffrey Lewis, Emmy-winning comedy writer Scott Jacobson and many more brave souls prepared to sweat for your amusement.

7:30 p.m. Monday, May 27, at Stories Books and Cafe, 1716 Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles. Free.