Arts & Events: June 2009 Archives

The week Berkeley-bred rock singer-songwriter John Fogerty, best known for his time with Creedence Clearwater Revival, will be taking on a three-night stint at the Hollywood Bowl. Maryland-based singer-songwriter Bill Callahan will be headlining the Troubadour with Bachelorette in tow. Bellingham-based indie rockers Death Cab For Cutie are poised to perform with the Los Angeles Philharmonic at the Hollywood Bowl. And, lastly, local retro 60s soul act Fitz and the Tantrums will be gracing Spaceland for this week's edition of Club NME.

We're in the midst of a pretty dead week TV-wise and we're about to start a pretty dead month TV-wise. There is virtually no new programming this week and late night is in rerun mode. We guess this is why warm weather was invented. If you have some suggestions for programs to watch this week, please let us know. | SNL alum, Chris Kattan is getting his first series as a regular: the WB's "The Middle" which will air this Fall.

       

Wow! How bad of a release day is it when 12 Rounds and Jonas Brothers: The Concert Experience are the two high-profile releases? Ugh. For the first time in I don't know how long, I couldn't find 20 DVDs worthy of inclusion in this space. Two Lovers is probably the best pick, but it suffers from a surfeit of Gwyneth Paltrow. Maybe the most intriguing DVD out today is Transmorphers: Fall of Man. I'm sure it sucks, but any film that piggy-backs on the marketing largess of the rancid Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is aces in my book!

NewFilmmakers LA screens “Youth Knows No Pain + 5 Short Films” tonight at 6:30 pm at Sunset Gower Studios. At 7 pm, there’s a screening of Mitch McCabe’s documentary Youth Knows No Pain, followed at 8:45 pm by the short films: Old Dogs (Dir. Jonathan Fahn) Propel (Dir. Jay Gammill) The Dying Western (Dir. Michael Kortlander) A Kolor to Kill for (Dir. Tim Hall). Guest will have the opportunity to mingle with the directors and participate in an audience Q&A session. Tickets are a bargain at $6 which includes screening ticket and free open bar and appetizers all evening.

Tonight legendary English blues-rock guitarist and singer-songwriter Eric Clapton will be performing at Hollywood Bowl with Steve Winwood. Brooklyn-based buzz band Amazing Baby are poised to stop by Origami Vinyl early on in the evening. And, lastly, local country troubadours Leslie and the Badgers will be headlining Spaceland with none other than the Chapin Sisters and Olin and the Moon (LAist Interview) in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to Echo Curio, which we rarely do, to catch Best Coast, an LA-based pop project of Bethany Consentino of Pocahaunted along with Bobb Bruno. NY-based folk rockers Soft Black are slated to kick things off.

It's a pretty quiet week, as Cinefamily wrapped up their monthlong association with Comedy Death Ray, and lots and lots of folks are going out of town for the weekend. Still some great improv, stand up, and sketch out there so get involved folks. If you want to hear from me, want links to the best cat-related blog sites, or want me to hype anything hype-able, send all related correspondence to my robotic butler: J. Timms O'Mail-again.

CBS is counter-attacking NBC with "Project L.E.N.O.", an acronym that stands for Late Prime Enhanced News Opportunity, an aggressive multi-tiered local campaign to pump up their 10pm programming.

                

Through a nearly two-hour Wiltern set last week, in which they played two dozen songs from almost every album they've made, Wilco exemplified why their place in musical history is secure. Their set list showcased the strengths of every band member and featured plenty from their early days, the middle ages and a recent run of folk/rock experimentation. In short, there was something for everyone, which was quite necessary given the eclectic crowd of teenage listeners, twenty-something fans and older lovers of Wilco who might have been around since the Summerteeth days.

Joe Mathews, Irvine Senior Fellow at the New America Foundation, moderates a Zócalo forum tonight with former Gov. Pete Wilson at 7 pm at the RAND Corporation. When Wilson was governor, California’s education system was in shambles, interest groups had a tight grip on Sacramento, health care costs soared, and the economy just sucked. Sound familiar? "While Wilson may be best remembered for his more controversial stances—like supporting Proposition 187, which sought to refuse services to illegal immigrants; he also managed to pass budgets and break partisan stalemates, ultimately leaving his successor a budget surplus." In this program bluntly titled, "Was Pete Wilson Right?" Wilson himself will talk about the issues facing California today. Admission to the event is free, but reservations are recommended. There will be a hosted wine reception after the program.

Tonight East Sussex-bred singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt (LAist Interview) will be performing at Bordello with none other than Nicole Simone. Local indie pop outfit Castledoor (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6) will be closing out a month-long residency at Spaceland. And, lastly, Portland's own indie pop songstress Casey Dienel, or rather White Hinterland, is poised to grace Echo Curio. LA-based noise/punk outfit Mika Miko (LAist Review) are poised to headline the Smell. LAist favorites the Strange Boys (LAist Review, #2) are slated to kick things off.

       

Some ideas are so simple they are brilliant. People love to give a shout out to their hometown. People love cool t-shirts. MikeJames Clothing offers the chance to bring it all together with their Area Code t-shirts. Each shirt features an area code and a graphic outline of that state. In addition to several California area codes, the company has made shirts for Las Vegas, Austin, Seattle, New Orleans, Atlanta, Madison, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Boston, and New York. MikeJames Clothing company is co-owned by childhood friends Mike Kirschenbaum and James Starr.

To no one's surprise -- and to the great embarrassment of all Americans with a still-attached brain stem -- Transformers: Revenge of the Racist Robots That Suck Beyond Belief clobbered more deserving films at the box-office this weekend to the tune of $112M ($201.2M). Last week's champ -- the, in retrospect, ceaselessly brilliant -- The Proposal raked in an additional $18.4M ($69M) to top powerhouse The Hangover ($17.2M/$183.2M). After that it was the reliable Up ($13M/$250.2M) and newcomer My Sister's Keeper ($12M).

Tonight London-based neo-soul singer Adele will be performing at the Hollywood Bowl with LAist favorite Janelle Monae. Omaha-based indie rockers Cursive are poised to grace the Henry Fonda Music Box with Mt. St. Helens Vietnam Band in tow. And, lastly, early on in the day Silver Lake-based indie rock outfit Local Natives (LAist Interview) will be playing at the Echo with Saint Motel (LAist Interview) for this month's edition of Kidrockers. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Wiltern to catch French alternative rockers Phoenix. LAist favorites Amazing Baby are slated to kick things off.

They're just getting underway right now, but Food Forward, in partnership with SOVA & CSUN Hillel, will be out picking fruit at CSUN's Orange Orchard (Nordhoff/Lindley) until 4 this afternoon, and chances are they can still use a hand--well, your hands, actually. Get involved in this "Big Pick" event--the largest to date and open to volunteers of all ages--the harvested fruit is all donated to help feed the hungry. Get to CSUN to help out, or get in touch with them for future Pick events. [CSUN Map]

Tonight there will be a tribute to the legendary Swedish pop group ABBA at the Hollywood Bowl. St. Albans-based English rockers the Zombies are poised to grace the Wiltern with none other than the Yardbirds, who are, of course, noted for starting the careers of three of rock's most famous guitarists: Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page. Terry Lynn & John Hugo will be celebrating Jamaican music, performing songs from 2009's It Was Written at Loft Seven in Downtown. And, lastly, Austin-based instrumental rock outfit Explosions in the Sky (LAist Review, #2) will be performing at the Hollywood Palladium with local noise rockers No Age in tow. But we strongly suggest heading out to the Coliseum in Downtown to catch the final night of the 19th annual Electric Daisy Festival—the largest dance festival in North America, which could feature up to "200,000 dancing feet". LAist favorites Simian Mobile Disco are slated to headline.

There's plenty to do this weekend, like keeping cool inside the movie theatre or getting out and about around town. But with summer comes warm temps, long days, and festivals galore. There are a couple of such goings-on happening this weekend that you might want to check out.

Tonight from 7-11 p.m. head down to Chinatown to enjoy a free festival commemorating the anniversary of the establishment of “New Chinatown,” built when the original Chinatown enclave was taken over for the construction of Union Station. Actress April Hong and Comedian Ewan Chung will emcee the event featuring 40’s and 50’s era music and dancing to the music of the Pat Longo Big Band with vocalists Nancy Osborne and John-Eric Booth. There will also be casino games benefiting the Chinatown Service Center Youth Center, Chinese acrobats and martial artists, and a video presentation of historic photos. The event will also feature a salute to WWII Chinese American war veterans. It's free to check out, and a fun way to get out and see an important LA community and honor its history.

We have some great science fiction hitting us this weekend: tonight features "Virtuality" on FOX (by the creators of "Battlestar Galactica"), and tomorrow we have a new "Doctor Who" at 9pm on BBC America - Cybermen in Victorian England!!

If you know who Justin Rice is, you probably know him as the lead singer of Bishop Allen or his appearance in Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. Very quietly, though -- working mostly with friends -- he's put together an interesting film career. I had the great pleasure of not only seeing Harmony & Me a few days ago at the LA Film Festival (review here), but also had a chance to speak with Justin about the film, his other films and his music. Have a listen and make plans to see Harmony & Me when it screens again later this week. If nothing else, there's a Q&A afterward with the radiantly smart (and hot) Kristen Tucker (and director Bob Byington).

       

More than perhaps any weekend in recent memory, Americans are going to spend their money on the wrong movies starting today. The Hurt Locker is a vibrant, thrilling film about a bomb squad unit in Iraq. It ratchets tension so tightly you'll feel like you can barely breathe and features a star-making performance by Jeremy Renner. And yet it will likely be ignored by audiences. Similarly -- especially now given recent events in Iran -- The Stoning of Soraya M. is a film that everyone should see. Based on the actual murder of an Iranian woman falsely accused of adultery, it's a potent reminder of how little freedom still exists in the Islamic Republic.

All your friends know the Lowriders, but they may not know exactly where to find them nowadays. While there is a band, nominally called War, that performs “Spill The Wine”, "Why Can't We Be Friends" and “The Cisco Kid” around the world, its current incarantion is reduced to one original member, keyboardist Lonnie Jordan, who apparently leases the rights to use the name from the band’s old manager and producer, filling out the ranks with young players-for-hire.

LAist is stoked about the three-day style and design event Dwell on Design, taking place today, tomorrow, and Sunday. Exhibits, panels, and special events are taking place all over town, and while we're most excited about some of the on stage speakers and panels this weekend and tomorrow night's movie & mobile food event, things get underway today at the Convention Center for the Dwell on Design Exhibition, open to Trade and Dwell Conference Plus ticket holders only until 8 p.m.

Tonight Detroit-based soul singer Aretha Franklin, otherwise known as the "Queen of Soul," will be headlining the Hollywood Bowl. As always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) is poised to jam with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. If you're into classic guitars used by legendary musicians (Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, among others), then head on out to Guitar Center in Hollywood to catch the Guitar Center Legends Collection & Vintage Road Show—open to the public for a mere two days. And, lastly, San Franciscan indie rockers Papercuts will be performing at the Echo with none other than Port O'Brien and Sam Champion guitarist Sean Bones (LAist Interview) in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Coliseum in Downtown to catch the 19th annual Electric Daisy Festival—the largest dance festival in North America, which could feature up to "200,000 dancing feet". LAist favorites Thievery Corporation are slated to headline day one.

Although London-based multi-instrumentalist/singer-songwriter Ed Harcourt is hard at work recording his next album, he'll be playing a special one-night-only US gig at Bordello Bar on Monday night. Ever since his Mercury Prize-nominated album debuted eight years ago, Harcourt's music has consistently balanced the dark with the light--rock and pop with instantly hummable depth. His most recent release, an EP called "Russian Roulette," covers the emotional and musical gamut.

This weekend's Dwell on Design at the Convention Center features an extensive amount of activities, offering something for everyone, from mobile food to pre-fab homes, all in the name of sustainable design.

Mike Tyson is back. His documentary, Tyson, released in April won over critics and fans alike for it's brutal honesty. Earlier this month, the "Baddest Man on the Planet" was once again on the big screen in the surprise hit of the summer movie season, The Hangover, singing a Phil Collins tune and punching Zach Galifinakis. Today, gamers will find Mike on the shelves at their local retail stores as he graces the cover of EA Sports' Fight Night Round 4 alongside the "Greatest of All Time" Muhammad Ali.

              

Before diving into a review of the wonderful Paper Heart, allow me to relate an episode from last night's screening. I think it provides a key insight into the whimsical mind of Charlyne Yi. Following the screening, Charlyne and director Nicholas Jasenovec sat down for a Q&A. Ten minutes in, Charlyne excused herself to the restroom. Moments later, she returned. Except she didn't. A man dressed exactly like her entered the theater and continued the Q&A as her. It's just that sort of innocent guile that makes Paper Heart so winning.

Farrah Fawcett passed away today in Los Angeles at age 62. Although she gained a lot of notoriety from her role on "Charlie's Angels", a hugely popular swimsuit poster, and a disoriented appearance on "The Late Show With David Letterman" in 1997, Fawcett was a truly gifted actress (rent Extremeties or The Apostle) - rest in peace Farrah.

It’s not exactly shocking to hear that Elvis Costello’s latest album, Secret, Profane and Sugarcane, is a collaboration with bluegrass musicians. Costello’s taken so many leaps into alternate musical universes, it wouldn’t be shocking to hear he was working with anybody. Li’l Wayne, Herb Alpert, Placido Domingo, Michael Jackson, Ornette Coleman, the Broadway company of Rent - you name it, you can imagine it happening. But this particular diversion, as witnessed at Amoeba on Monday night, looks like one that could leave a lasting impression.

Ghettogloss' Last Event in Silver Lake Via an e-mail blast today, the art gallery Ghettogloss is moving to a new and improved location on Melrose. That means tonight is the last night to enjoy their Silver Lake location. They want fans to come by and have cocktail to toast their final days in the neighborhood. It goes from 8 p.m. to midnight. Also, their weekly Silverlake Art*Craft & Vintage fairs on Saturday will continue at its new location on Sunset and Micheltorena. More info on their events page.

Tonight Wilco (LAist Interview) will be concluding a three-date stint at the Wiltern with Okkervil River (LAist Review) in tow. San Franciscan alternative rockers Third Eye Blind are poised to perform at the Hollywood Palladium with locals Low vs Diamond. And, lastly, Detroit-bred electro-pop one-man band Deastro will be gracing Spaceland with Healamonster and Tarsier. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echoplex to catch local electronic mastermind Daedelus, who will be performing in celebration of the Friends of Friends label launch. Not only will local experimental electronic act Jogger be kicking things off, but LA-based DJ, hip-hop producer and the founder of hip-hop label Stones Throw Records Peanut Butter Wolf will be putting together an A/V set.

Taking place this Friday and Saturday is the Electric Daisy Carnival, a mega-rave on steroids, or "EDC" if you're in-the-know. USC's football team has been kind enough to take the day off and provide the Coliseum for the bash's main sage, the Kinetic Field. The rest of the stages will be spread around the Exposition Park grounds. A map of the grounds can be found on the EDC website. Remember kiddies, drink lots and lots of water and stay away from the brown acid.

If The Cottage’s proximity to Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles and Oki’s Dog is a deterrent rather than a boon, then I would caution you against setting foot in this unpolished gem of a dive bar. If, however, you are one of the elite few who crave trans fats and public humiliation in equal measure, then where the hell have you been, soul mate? Pull up a stool, plug that frown with a Miller High Life and prepare to be awed by the breadth of the bar’s song selection, the enthusiasm of the crowd and the lenience of the conspicuously posted “No dancing” policy.

First "Rap Chop," then "Jam Wow," and now "Press Hop." Thank you mad-mashup-genius Steve Porter.

Like many aspiring tranny space aliens, I worked Rocky Horror shows in college, and through many, many weeks of rehearsals have probably seen the show a dozen times. That being said, even though there are two shows every weekend down here, I've yet to see it in L.A. Now might be a good time to check out Midnight Insanity's show at the Warner Grand Theatre. Yes, it's all the way out in San Pedro, but it's cast-member Bill's 20th year with the show, which means lingerie night and the ghosts of Janets past (one of whom, Danielle, is tapped to be Fangoria's next Spooksmodel)! Once/if you wake up on Sunday, the party continues at Rockystock in Huntington Central Park, wedged between the public library & the bathrooms. Oh, Brad!

The true story of seven eight strangers picked to live in a spacious Ikea furnished home for the price of free in exchange for having their every move, mistake and makeout session taped returns tonight at 10 pm. For its 22nd installment, MTV's Real World decided to bring its confessional, cameras and cast of beautiful young people to the booze drenched beaches of Cancun.

We loved HBO's "Rome" and its Marc Anthony, James Purefoy, is playing the lead in NBC's "The Philanthropist" which premieres tonight. The series is getting major hype but we haven't received any screeners from NBC which makes us suspicious that the show isn't all its cracked up to be. Purefoy's involvement is enough to get us interested in the first episode - we know we can always switch over to "Gordon Ramsay's F Word" on BBC America if "The Philanthropist" falls short.

For the most part, eco-documentaries follow a pretty narrow pattern; either they’re well funded and a little boring or guerrilla style and probably a bit nauseating, but either way you’re supposed to be so outraged you get out of your seat and punch the richest asshole you can find. That’s the gist. But there’s often a disconnect between the images of the film and the actions of the audience because, ecologically, problems tend to be so big any given person feels powerless.

Drawings and paintings created by dozens of Ryman Arts program participants will be on display at the California African American Museum through July 12. Ryman Arts is a highly acclaimed, no cost, art program aimed at Los Angeles area teens and operating on the campus of USC. The program helps talented youth develop their artistic talents and evidenced in this exhibit. Free admission.

Tonight Nashville-based country singer-songwriter Emmylou Harris will be performing at the Greek Theatre with Patty Griffin in tow. New Jersey-bred singer-songwriter Pete Yorn will be ringing in his latest disc, performing to a sold-out crowd at the Roxy. And, lastly, Santa Ana-based indie rockers Aushua are poised to grace Spaceland for this week's edition of Club NME. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Henry Fonda Music Box to catch local heavy rock outfit ISIS (LAist Interview).

Big announcement from the academy today. No longer are days of five competing movies for Best Picture, but ten. “After more than six decades, the Academy is returning to some of its earlier roots, when a wider field competed for the top award of the year,” said Academy Motion Picture Arts and Sciences President Sid Ganis. “The final outcome, of course, will be the same - one Best Picture winner - but the race to the finish line will feature 10, not just five, great movies from 2009.”

This weekend is the return of the Dwell on Design conference and expo and one of the most exciting events on the schedule is Saturday's "A Night at the Movies." The evening includes screenings of two building-themed documentary films, and, for your tasting pleasure, the Square Meal on Wheels mobile "restaurant row."

It was all an accident. All he originally wanted to do was start a swimwear line with his girlfriend for kicks. Sean Bones had no intention of forming a reggae-influenced pop band or acting in a film, let alone shouldering the responsibilities of holding down the lead role. In fact he's not entirely sure how it all happened. One minute he was happily playing with his indie rock band, Sam Champion, in Brooklyn, the next minute he's got a movie, Wah Do Dem, premiering at LAFF and a reggae album dropping in July. How did this side project spiral into a brand new band? We caught up with Sean this weekend to find out.

James Zabiela’s first visit to Los Angeles in 2002 was intense. Trotting the globe with one of its most in-demand DJs, his job was to make 2,000 Sasha fans loose their minds. Thanks to the 21 year-old Zabiela, that’s exactly what happened at the sold-out Mayan Theater.

As we said a couple weeks ago, we went to France for a couple weeks where we didn't watch much French TV because, well, there really wasn't anything worth watching other than the French Open and Manchester United vs. Barcelona. Now our uneducated opinion has supporting proof: in 2008 only 13 of the top 100 scripted TV shows in France were actually French. American-produced TV programs took the biggest slice at 57. Who says we don't export anything?

I think we all learned that the United States is a melting pot of people and cultures and that it began that way and continues in that direction, in spite of recent immigration hassles. Award winning choreographer/director Keith Glassman has taken off from that fact and created Far From Home, a multimedia, interdisciplinary evening length piece he will premiere this weekend at Highways Performance Space in Santa Monica (June 26-27).

                     

If you didn't see Waltz with Bashir in the theater, you have the opportunity to correct that mistake today on DVD. It is rare that a film so perfectly combines a complex, powerful story with such dazzling visual technique. Concerned with lost memories surrounding the 1982 Lebanon War, this is a must-see film for any fan of cinema (or history for that matter). Confessions of a Shopaholic is not such a picture. Pink Panther 2 is not such a picture. Inkheart is not such a picture. Thankfully, both My Dinner with Andre and Last Year at Marienbad are.

              

The first Transformers was by every estimation a bad movie. Sure the effects were cool, even groundbreaking, but every other element of the movie was basically silly, if not frequently and insultingly stupid. Its sequel, Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen is significantly, significantly worse. Absent the mildly diverting discovery arc of the first film, the second one is literally nothing but uninspired set piece after uninspired set piece after uninspired set piece after uninspired set piece. And if you think this review is repetitive, try watching the movie.

Our city's film festival continues today with a fourteen screenings with more than half of them happening at 7:30 p.m. or 9:45 p.m. LAist Film Editor Josh Tate recommended Bronson and Public Enemies in his preview of the whole festival.

Tonight Wilco and Dinosaur Jr. will be doing their "thing," respectively. Québécois indie rockers Sunset Rubdown, which began as a solo project for Spencer Krug of Wolf Parade, will be headlining the Echoplex. LA's finest pop rockers the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3) are poised to grace On The Rox at the Roxy in Hollywood with the Boat People and the Picture. And, lastly, Sydney-based electro pop sensation Sneaky Sound System will be performing at Cinespace. But we strongly suggest heading over to your friendly vinyl vendor Vacation to catch local indie rock outfit Foreign Born, who will be ringing in their second full length to date—2009's Person to Person.

       

The Los Angeles region has many secrets and Channel Islands National Park is one of them. The group of islands off the coast of Ventura and Santa Barbara are easily seen from the crowded beaches of Malibu, but most of those beach goers have never been on the other side. And while it is one of the closest National Parks to the millions who live here, it is also one of the less accessible ones. Boats don't run as consistent as the ferry's to Catalina Island and the sometimes the costs (around $50 roundtrip and up, depending on which island you visit) stop many.

Remember the classic Griffith Observatory show when "the audience sat in dentist-like chairs so they could watch whirling laser beams dance on the domed ceiling to the classic rock tunes of Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side of the Moon,' Led Zeppelin and the Beatles"? Well, it's back, reports the Daily News in a feature today. But there are some changes, most notably with new technology and its new pedestrian friendly location at the Historic Vine Theater at Hollywood and Vine. And apparently, the popcorn glows in the dark.

                     

The circus is in town!! Don't miss this sexy, beautiful, and mesmerizing circus in the heart of Los Angeles.

There's so much great 'found' stuff going on this week, from the Found Footage competition courtesy of Cinefamily to the Found Magazine show at Largo. Add in some Kevin Nealon and some great sketch, and this week is really starting to look better than some of the decisions you made last weekend. Get AT ME if you want your ish hyped.

Insomniac's events have made people dance through their bedtimes since 1993. Never have they made insomniacs out of 100,000. That’s the goal for this year’s Electric Daisy Carnival, their largest annual event. Seas of people will dance away their economic woes in what should be the largest electronic dance music festival this city has ever seen.

Shows get their renewals due to their populaity right? Now there's a new tool for measuring the "online engagement" of TV viewers called the TV Fandex. The first week of Fandex measurement has shown that HBO's "True Blood" has the highest level of online engagement of any TV program, go figure. If the series stays as good as last night's episode, "True Blood" will rank very high for the rest of its season.

       

There was a belief a few years ago -- as cheap cameras and Final Cut Pro gained real traction within the filmmaking community -- that we were at the dawn of a cheap indie revolution. Affordability was going to allow new talent to finally be seen and recognized. In some cases that happened, but mostly this surge in access resulted in a colossal amount of dull movies. Thankfully, a micro-budget film still punches through occasionally and restores one's faith in the premise that you don't need a huge amount of money to make a good film.

DRINKING Bigfoot Lodge is celebrating their 10th Anniversary with a week-long party. They're rolling back the prices, so you can actually party like it's 1999. Help them celebrate by enjoying their "recession busting" special pricing. Heads up: if you really want to relive the glory of '99, check them out all week for other fun events like tomorrow's Knotty Pine Derby, and the return of music to the Bigfoot on Sunday, along with their Bloody Sunday crafty cocktail menu.

Tonight legendary English singer-songwriter Elvis Costello will be performing at Amoeba Music in Hollywood shortly after having performed an in-store at their San Francisco location. Amherst-based rockers Dinosaur Jr. will be taking on a two-night stint at the Troubadour. And, lastly, Chicago-bred alt-rockers Wilco (LAist Interview) will be kicking off a three-date stint at the Wiltern with Jonathan Wilson in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch the penultimate night of LA-based indie pop act Castledoor's (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6) month-long residency. LAist favorites Local Natives (LAist Review) are slated to kick things off.

              

At a time when Hollywood has scaled back significantly on Web video productions, .

              

Just south of Melrose, and around the corner from Munky King, is Japan LA, a store filled with a tribute to all things cute.

      

The streets of Pasadena were brightened this weekend by artists wielding colorful chalk, creating temporary masterpieces to delight visitors to the Paseo Colorado. There was the Joker, the Beatles, renderings of museum masterpieces, dames, soldiers, giraffes, and tribute to Harvey Milk, all created at the hands of talented artists. Blogger Ben Wideman has a shot of the Best in Show awardee, Arlou Somo's "Mucha," and all the winners are up for viewing on the fest's official website. LAist Featured Photos pool contributor noobphotog along with Flickr shutterbug okarol bring us these shots of some of the artists at work on their colorful creations...which, as is the temporal nature of chalk on sidewalk, don't linger long in real life.

       

After mostly being given up for dead as a legitimate box-office attraction, Sandra Bullock roared back to prominence this weekend as she carried The Proposal to a surprising box-office triumph ($34.1M). Last week's champ The Hangover had yet another powerhouse weekend ($26.8M/$152.9M) as did Pixar's wonderful Up ($21.3M/$224.1M). Sony probably had high hopes for Year One several months ago, but the pic disappointed in its debut ($20.2M). Lack of "funny-ness" and an abundance of "shitty-ness" seemed to be the culprits there.

This week Wilco (LAist Interview) will be taking on a three-date stint at the Wiltern with Jonathan Wilson and Okkervil River (LAist Review) in tow. Amherst-based rockers Dinosaur Jr. will be taking on a two-night stint at the Troubadour. San Franciscan alternative rockers Third Eye Blind will be performing at the Hollywood Palladium with locals Low vs Diamond. And, lastly, Friday and Saturday will mark the 13th annual Electric Daisy Carnival—the biggest dance festival in North America—which will take place at Los Angeles' own Memorial Coliseum. Thievery Corporation, Paul Oakenfold, STS9, The Crystal Method, Groove Armada, Paul Van Dyk, Infected Mushroom, Shiny Toy Guns, Boys Noize, Fake Blood and Shinichi Osawa, among many, many others, are all slated to grace this year's bill.

       

It would be almost impossible to imagine someone as improbable as Martin Strel. He is one of the rare man on this earth who is utterly unique. Allow me the indulgence of summarizing him in a few sentences. Martin is an overweight Slovenian man in his mid-fifties. Martin is essentially an alcoholic, typically drinking two bottles of wine a day. And -- here's the kicker -- Martin has swam the entirety of the Mississippi, the Danube and the Yangtze. At the beginning of Big River Man, Martin is preparing to become the first man to swim the Amazon.

But Cymbeline gets points for amalgamating all genres and Theatricum for putting on one of Shakespeare’s lesser known works. The cast, led by Willow Geer as Imogen and Mike Peebler as Posthumus, struck all the right notes with a golden touch of brevity and soul. Thad Geer, as King Cymbeline, overcame a stiff first couple of scenes to assume a commanding and royal presence while Aaron Hendry’s spot-on portrayal of the sly and duplicitous Iachimo was near perfect.

              

In the same way that Wag the Dog was about the Clinton sex scandals without ever explicitly being about the Clinton sex scandals, Armando Iannucci's In the Loop is a searing and hilarious shadow satire about the run-up to the West's collective misadventures in Iraq. Alternately howlingly mean and relentlessly authentic, it may be the funniest movie of the year, weaving a pastiche of profanity so inventive one can't help but marvel at it. Further, if there has been a better performance this year than that given by Peter Capaldi, I haven't seen it.

2009 marks the 200th anniversary of the death of Haydn. Here is a clip of recently deceased Rostropovich performing the Haydn D Major Cello Concerto. The LACMA hosts the last (for the 2008-2009 season) of its FREE Sundays Live concerts next Sunday with a program of Haydn and Mendelssohn, to cap off the year with one last celebration of their anniversaries. Expect duets and piano trios, at 6 PM this Sunday the 28th.

Tonight award-winning Nigerian musician Femi Kuti will be headlining the Hollywood Bowl with Santigold (LAist Review) and Raphael Saadiq (LAist Interview). Legendary punk rockers the Circle Jerks are poised to perform at the Key Club. And, lastly, Argentine folk songstress Juana Molina will be gracing the Make Music Pasadena Festival, which is set to take place at a variety of venues across Old Town Pasadena, with none other than Portland-based singer-songwriter Mirah. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Smell in Downtown to catch Portland-based electro-pop act Starfucker (LAist Review, #2). LAist favorites Captain Ahab, Atole and Halloween Swim Team are all slated to share the tiny stage.

              

The Thermals fit into this bizarre nebulous world that exists between rock and punk. They're a little too brash and uncut for rock and a little too soft for punk . I mean they've got a swan on their drum set for Pete's sake. (On their website their music is described as post-pop-punk, but God knows what that even means.) I would describe it as punk that people can get excited about without fear of a mosh pit or being clocked on the back of the head by a crowd surfer's shoe. Or alternatively, punk that parents would approve of. Sure their lyrics are dark and nihilistic , but hot dang those hooks are catchy.

600 local artists using 25,000 sticks of pastel chalk are turning the sidewalks of Pasadena into works of colorful art. This is the second and final day of the Chalk Festival...and when it's all over tonight, they're going to turn on the hoses and wash the artwork away. See it while you can! Head over to Paseo Colorado between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. Free.

A lot of what is often missing from sketch shows, as opposed to improv, is that organic moment of discovery. With lines, there’s security and safety... which explains why half the hosts of Saturday Night Live manage to make it through without looking like COMPLETE douches. If you want the dangerous side of scripted live comedy, you’re really going to have to look towards UCB’s show Sketch Cram, where they write and perform the show in only 12 hours. But that’s once a month and is wholly comprised of veteran writers and improvisors. Try doing a live show where you get your lines two hours before the lights go up, your teleprompters are only 50% reliable, and you’ve got a host performer for the evening who may not have ever done a sketch show in their life. And it has to be good. Sweating bullets yet? Good. Welcome to Fries On The Side.

Last week during the 9th annual Americans for the Arts convention the Public Art Year in Review panel revealed their 40 picks for the best public art works in the United States from 2008, which includes projects from 32 cities in 15 states. Five of those works are right here in the Los Angeles area:

One of the reasons I expect that I will never tire of going to the movies is that even when you think you know what you are going to get, you can still be surprised. I remember being dragged to see Galaxy Quest at the Cinerama Dome. Honestly, the only reason I went was because it was at the Cinerama Dome -- one of the great movie theaters on the planet. As for the film, I expected nothing. I mean, after all, it starred Tim Allen! Tim Allen? Pass. Naturally, I ended up loving the film and have seen it at least twenty times since.

Tonight Chicago-based alt-rockers Wilco (LAist Interview) will be headlining the newly-restored Fox Theatre in Pomona. Legendary English female rocker PJ Harvey will be performing to a sold-out crowd with John Parish at the Wiltern. Brooklyn-based indie pop act Chairlift (LAist Review), who gained popularity through those (goddamn) lurid Apple commercials, are poised to grace the Getty Center. And, lastly, French musical collective Nouvelle Vague, who are poised to release their third album of covers, appropriately entitled 3, will be performing at the Henry Fonda Music Box with Hawaiian singer-songwriter Sara Lov in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Hotel Café to catch Canadian indie folk singer-songwriter Julie Doiron.

Apartment 3 is putting on a "Fancy Yard Sale" where you'll find over 500 unique pieces of vintage all under $20. Shop among tons and tons of women's wear (vintage dresses, swimsuits,shirts, skirts, mini sweaters, and tops and men's wear, too...all for under $20 each. Groove to summer jams by Djs Rockwell, Tommy B & Bruce Leroy, and enjoy Hot Dogs by Frankenstand, free cocktails and delicious lemonade all day. 1-6 p.m. @Apartment 3 (4634 Hollywood Blvd 90027).

Blaine Campbell is a man on a mission - most of the time. For the last few years, when he hasn't been entertaining friends with his home-taped Christmas records and intermittent LA area live shows, he's been involved in politics (including working with former Mayor Hahn, and having been a 2004 delegate to the Democratic National Convention!). For now, politics has taken a backseat to art and finally, seemingly years in the making, Blaine's made good on the promise of his holiday records with the release of his first album, The Secret Snowstorm.

              

Last night Cirque Berzerk opened their big top flaps to an enthusiastic crowd. Lucky for us, they invited LAist to check out what is happening behind the scenes when they are getting ready to perform in their huge new tent. Cirque Berzerk is running through July 5th downtown at Los Angeles State Historic Park.

Weekend Edition Our thoughts are with the family of veteran newsman, Walter Cronkite, who is reportedly gravely ill. If you were a kid in the '70s, chances are that Cronkite is still the voice and face of the news to you. | The late night battle between Letterman and Conan is getting tighter. Conan still has a slight lead but this is rapidly closing and the two should achieve parity in the next few weeks but we're heading into summer which usually means viewers will spend a few less hours in front of the TV.

                     

Last Thursday, pornstar, entrepreneur, and radio host Belladonna was hostess to a foot fetish-themed party at her San Fernando Valley home. Filmed by her husband, business partner, and director Aiden for Evil Angel, the aptly-titled features an all-star cast of nine industry favorites and relative newcomers to the adult industry, including Kimberly Kane, Bobbi Starr, Adrianna Nicole, Lexi Belle, Alexis Texas, Alexa Jordan, Madison Ivy, Evie Delatosso, and Georgia Jones, with Andy San Dimas backing out at the last-minute as a precaution due to the HIV outbreak.

                     

I thought Sandra Bullock was done doing romantic comedies. Oh wait, The Proposal probably isn't very funny. Speaking of not funny, Year One is getting savaged. Is it really possible that the extraordinary Michael Cera has finally given us a true dud? Say it ain't so! Woody Allen has enjoyed a resurgence since the beyond awful Hollywood Ending (okay, Scoop sucked, too). Looks like that trend continues with Whatever Works. What a great hook Woody has for older, male actors -- make a movie with me and you'll kiss pretty, young actresses!

As Wilco prepares to unveil its seventh studio album, the soon to be released "Wilco, (The Album)," the band is barnstorming across the U.S. and world. Earlier this week, I spoke with Wilco's guitar wizard and Los Angeles native Nels Cline from the road, in Oklahoma City. Nels, one of the newest members of the group, splits his time between riffing with Wilco and his own avant-garde jazz band, the Nels Cline trio. We talked about his two musical worlds, his thoughts on Wilco before he joined the band and the bodily harm he does to himself on stage.

You know it's summer in LA when Highland in Hollywood becomes even more of a traffic nightmare than usual when the Hollywood Bowl "officially" opens. (We guess the annual Playboy Jazz Festival is the unofficial opening?) Tonight, there's a star-studded opening night gala with Dame Kiri Te Kanawa and Josh Groban, who'll be inducted during the 10th anniversary of the Hollywood Bowl Hall of Fame. The Hollywood Bowl Orchestra will be conducted by Thomas Wilkins, with guest performers Roger Daltrey, Angélique Kidjo, Frederica von Stade and Trisha Yearwood. Tickets are $17-$103.

LAist was at the 140 Character Conference in NYC Wednesday afternoon to learn about all things Twitter. Wyclef Jean was interviewed by Chris Sacca, formerly of Google, and we heard about how the recording artist uses Twitter and how it will shape the creation and distribution of his new album "Wyclef".

Tonight, as always, local multi-instrumentalist/producer extraordinaire Jon Brion (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be jamming with friends at the Largo at the Coronet. San Francisco-based singer-songwriter Ben Kweller will be headlining the El Rey Theatre with LAist favorites Local Natives (LAist Review). English/German indie rockers Art Brut are poised to conclude a three night stint at Spaceland with the Blood Arm (LAist Interview) in tow. And, lastly, San Franciscan indie rockers Lovelikefire will be gracing the Bootleg Theatre. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Wiltern to catch Brooklyn-based indie rockers Grizzly Bear. Fellow Brooklynites Here We Go Magic are slated to kick things off.

                     

Cirque Berzerk's extended run at the Big Top in the park opened last night to ooh's and ahh's from the 1,750 circus-goers in attendance.

On April 4th, two LA residents, Marcus Eriksen and Anna Cummins, set off an a 2,000-mile bike ride, the JUNKride, from Vancouver to Tijuana, to raise awareness and educate children and adults about the damage plastic is causing to our oceans.

       

Larry David plays Boris Yellnikoff, the “Woody Allen character” in the director’s latest film, Whatever Works. We’re not so much introduced to Boris as we are identified by him as he looks past the fourth wall to tell moviegoers in the opening scene that, “This is not the ‘Feel Good Movie of the Year.’ So, if you’re one of those idiots who needs to feel good… ehh… go get yourself a foot massage.” But don’t take his word for it.

In 1993, New Order performed "Regret" for BBC TV. Of course, that performance featured a cameo from Baywatcher David Hasselhoff, working hard, guarding his beloved Los Angeles County coast. Note that, in this video, no one drowned.

Ann Yu wins Weirdest Teenage Rebel Award hands down. When she was sixteen her parents banned her from the high school orchestra in Las Vegas because she was too dedicated to the violin. She would practice long into the night, making sure she always won first chair, and her parents had to fight with her to go to bed. By the time she was thirteen, Yu had acquired scabs on her chin due to her diligent playing. It got to be too much for them and they forbade her from playing the high school orchestra. Having acquired a driver's license, Yu joined a local rock band. "That's where the idea to be in a band sprung from. I realized you didn't need a whole orchestra to make music." All these years later, Yu is still just as passionate to her art. (Her parents have finally come around to the idea.) Her latest band, LoveLikeFire' s debut album will be out in August, but is already garnered some heavily positive praise from critics. Yu was kind enough to speak with us about her upcoming debut yesterday evening. Here is some of what was said.

                                          

The 15th annual Los Angeles Film Festival kicks off tonight at 7:30 pm with the premiere screening of Paper Man at the Mann Village Theater. The full festival begins in earnest the following morning as over 80 documentary and narrative features unspool in venues across the Westside. In addition to that, the festival features panels and seminars, coffee talks and poolside chats, short-film programs, music video showcases, live concerts and free screenings of such beloved films as Ghostbusters, Election and The Muppet Movie.