Happening Wednesday

MUSIC

Meat Puppets The proto-grunge trio may be long in the tooth (they formed in Phoenix more than 30 years ago) but they’ve lost none of their raw, musically diverse power over the years. Their 13th studio album, “Lollipop,” was released in April and leaves behind the band’s woozy blare for a newfound mellow and catchy tunefulness that steers toward folk and country rock. Detroit Bar, 843 W. 19th St., Costa Mesa. 9 p.m. $15. (949) 642-0600. detroitbar.com.

Design for Humanity Surfwear company Billabong hosts the appropriately beachy, hippie ensemble Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros on their last show of the year, to benefit VH1’s Save the Music campaign for music education. Paramount Studios, 5555 Melrose Ave., L.A. 7 p.m. $30. us.designforhumanity.com

BOOKS

A Ghost Story The spooky reading series Wicked Lit brings a little more gloom to June with a performance of Mark Twain’s “A Ghost Story,” adapted by Jonathan Josephson and directed by Paul Millet. The tale involves a stranded college student, things going bump in the night and unexpected comedy. Millennium Biltmore Hotel, 506 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. (also Thursday). Free, reservations recommended. (818) 242-7910. https://www.wickedlit.org.

Nicholson Baker The author of “The Fermata” and “Vox” has never been squeamish about lacing his books with raunch, but he has an unusually tender ear for the humanity and need exhibited in the many byways of sex. He’ll up the ante with his new novel “House of Holes” and discuss it with critic David Kipen. Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino. 4:30 p.m. $10. huntington.org.