Hollywood High Forever: Mitski’s Residency Shines a Fresh Light on the Famed School’s Rich Show-Biz History

Home Music News Apr 4, 2026 4:46pm PT Hollywood High Forever: Mitski’s Residency Shines a Fresh Light on the Famed School’s Rich Show-Biz History By Chris Willman Plus Icon Chris Willman Senior Music Writer and Chief Music Critic ChrisWillman Latest Hollywood High Forever: Mitski’s Residency Shines a Fresh Light on the Famed School’s Rich Show-Biz History 13 minutes ago U2 Releases the Band’s Second Six-Song EP of 2026, ‘Easter Lily’ 2 days ago Tzruya ‘Suki’ Lahav, Original Bruce Springsteen Violinist Who Played on ‘Jungleland’ and Toured With E Street Band, Dies at 74 2 days ago See All Chris WIllman/Variety When Mitski wraps up a five-night residency at Hollywood High School this weekend, it will conclude an engagement that follows in a very limited tradition of rock or pop stars doing shows in the school’s 1,900-seat auditorium, preceded most famously by Elvis Costello in 1978 and Morrissey in 2013. But in a broader sense, the run of concerts can be seen as a reinforcement of the 123-year-old school’s epic history of almost certainly being the learning institution most associated with the entertainment industry, including but not limited to a list of alumni that can nearly read as a who’s who of  20th century show-biz greats. The fact that the school’s mascot and teams are the Sheiks — named after Rudolph Valentino’s pop-culture-shaking role in 1921’s “The Sheik” — is just one small piece of evidence of how much Hollywood High has been entwined with the industry that also informally bears the Hollywood name. Related Stories J.K. Rowling Says 'I’m So Happy' With HBO’s 'Harry Potter' Series Right After Celebrating the Olympics for Banning Trans Women From Female Events