Arts & Events: October 2009 Archives

If you're looking for some Classical music to set the mood for your festive evenings, here are a few Halloween-y pieces. The clip above is the Ave Santani theme from the film the Omen by Jerry Goldsmith.

              

Last night Phish tore through the first two of eight sets which the quartet's scheduled to play during their three day "Festival 8" in Indio, California. The Halloween-themed bacchanal, taking place at the astonishingly beautiful Empire Polo Grounds (also home to the Coachella music festival), is a homecoming of sorts for Phish, which invented a new rock festival model in 1996—even before disgruntled audience members rioted at Woodstock '99 over the rapacious price of water. Phish was the first contemporary band to organize multi-day rock festivals which treated attendees like guests, not numbers. This novel approach inspired Bonnaroo, where Phish performed for the first time in June.

Regina Spektor emerged onto the stage of the Greek Theatre Wednesday night like a child at her first "grown up" party. Her flame-red hair hung in loose ringlets about her face, she wore a poofy white dress adorned with a cartoonish black bow, and her bright red lips suggested a slightly off-kilter leaning towards the naughty. When she spoke she seemed baffled and awed that so many people would don scarves and hats and sweaters to sit out under the stars on such a chilly October night just to see her. "Thank you," she repeated, when shouts of "I love you Regina!" or "Marry me!" or "Play 'Samson'!" gave her room to get a word in edgewise. But when she sang...

Tonight, much like last year, monolithic Parisian electro duo Justice will be headlining a Hard Haunted Mansion at the Shrine Auditorium that is sure to sate anyone who's craving a dance party. Local indie rock buzz band Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros (LAist Review) are poised to take on the Park Plaza Hotel with none other than DJ Shadow, Sea Wolf (LAist Interview, Review, #2, #3) and Little Dragon for KCRW's Masquerade Halloween party. And, lastly, LA-based rock outfit the Fuxedos will be throwing a Halloween party of their own at Spaceland. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Jensen Rec Center to catch Brooklyn's crown jewel, the erratic experimental indie rock collective known as Dirty Projectors (LAist Review). Stand outside and listen, go eat tacos at Tacos Arizas—just be there goddamnit!

Robert Englund has been involved in film and television for 35 years, other than his most famous creation, Freddy Krueger, he's been in television staples such as "Soap", "CHiPs", and "V" as well as movies like The Phantom of the Opera, Strangeland, and 2001 Maniacs. He's also been a director and is now an author with the release of his autobiography Hollywood Monster: A Walk Down Elm Street With the Man of Your Dreams, which tells the stories of his life in the business so far with anecdotes about everyone from Burt Reynolds to Johnny Depp. We talked with Englund about his book as well as his new web series, "Fear Clinic", which is available on FEARnet - with five new episodes this week, including one featuring teen heartthrob Lucas Till. Englund plays the notorious Dr. Andover who specializes in treating phobias with cures that might be worse than the ailment.

Per this event's host, Out of the Box, Los Angeles is the 7th most haunted city in the country. How does one measure this, do you think? Highest incidence of apparition sightings? Most vampire paraphernalia? Highest population of creepy people? We have no idea, but you can discover all there is to know about haunted Hollywood as you run between various hotels, theaters and secret locations on this hair-raising hunt. No EMF meters required, but a flashlight is recommended. Call 323.799.1374 to register.

                     

Earlier this month, local record label Manimal Vinyl (see our interview last year with its founder) held its 2nd Annual Manimal Festival at Pappy and Harriet's Pioneertown Palace. "In its second year, the two-day event showcases bands on Paul Beahan's record label... alongside musically bohemian peers," described Daiana Feuer from Papermag. "Manimal's experimental pop catalog -- which began most notably by releasing Bat For Lashes' record two years ago -- lends a unified voice to freak folk and its close cousins, many which are collected on yearly tribute albums to Madonna, The Cure, and in 2010, David Bowie. Manimal's focus mainly follows two streams: The ethereal, spooky soloist tradition [and] the dance beat, taking pop to strange outer space."

Los Angeles is a metropolis, a diversified city of 3.6 million with interests as varied as the neighborhoods that comprise its vast mosaic. Yet, one of the most persistent knocks against this town is its lack of interest in news and politics. Television news, what with its raging hard on for weather-related pieces and sex scandals, gives some life to those pernicious slanders. Print journalism's slow death also does nothing to dispel what may be a lack of interest in the news and the second largest media market in the nation now has one full time AM news station. Thankfully, for you news junkies out there, we have public radio and its weekly news show Left, Right & Center.

   

LACMA’s exhibit Heroes and Villains: The Battle for Good in India’s Comics, opened last month and features 53 paintings, works on paper, and vintage comic books that examines India’s divine heroes and heroines the genre of comic books.

Halloween Weekend Edition You will have plenty of Halloween options starting tonight with CBS covering all bases with "NUMB3RS", "Medium" and "Ghost Whisperer" (fans of the last two should check out this "Spirit of Friday Night" website) but don't forget oldies but goodies like Psycho on TCM at 9pm. Tomorrow there will be Halloween fare all over the place with scary movies on IFC, TCM, and AMC which will be running Night of the Living Dead back to back from 6pm until midnight. You can always check out Martha Stewart's TV options or consider one of these "True Blood" jack-o-lantern stencils for last-minute Halloween ideas.

Before introducing the band to the stage at Teddy's bar in the Roosevelt Hotel last night, Universal Music VP of Marketing Kim Garner told the crowd the upcoming act made her "excited about music again". Sure, cue the comparisons of Florence Welch to Kate Bush, Tori Amos, Annie Lennox or any other flame-haired songstress, but Welch, who performs with a backing band as Florence & the Machine, deserves her spot amongst the red-tressed legends.

       

I know that plenty of people are looking forward to seeing Michael Jackson's ghoulish This Is It. I am not one of those people. Have fun, weirdos! Has Jared Hess lost his mojo? Nacho Libre was a step down from Napoleon Dynamite and Gentlemen Broncos looks like another step down the ladder. I was never really a fan of the original Boondock Saints, so Boondock Saints II: All Saints Day is pretty low on my radar. Why reward a jerk-off like Troy Duffy with my hard-earned treasure? The best film of the week may just be The House of the Devil. Cue "unfortunately, no one will see it" meme. If you're looking for something good other than horror, give Skin your time and money. It stars the great Sam Neill. That should be reason enough to see it.

“I met and fell in love with a girl in Montreal while on tour with Irving, and just before signing with Dangerbird,” Church recalls. “And then, while touring behind the Sea Wolf record, I spent most of my time off in Montreal with her. Apart from "Wicked Blood" and "O Maria!," which I wrote in Los Angeles, everything on White Water was written in Montreal, holed up in our little apartment, a block away from the river. That was all of last fall, winter and spring, so I was very much influenced by that experience, and a lot of the record is set there in my immediate surroundings, along with remembrances of being home on the West Coast.”

Culture Clash--the Latino performance troupe that hilariously rips the U.S. melting pot--takes to the Royce Hall stage at UCLA tonight. For their 25th anniversary special, the Culture Clash boys are back in their hometown for a raucous party with an all-star guest list: Zack de la Rocha of Rage Against the Machine; the band Ollin; comedian Carlos Mencia; actors Edward James Olmos, Tony Plana and Lupe Ontiveros; and other special guests. They’ll preview their next project: "Palestine, New Mexico" and reprise hits from "Chavez Ravine." Tickets: $32-$60 ($15 UCLA Students) 

       

In addition to the Berlin Wall display, the building 5900 Wilshire Building across from LACMA opened another art exhibit today. Canstruction L.A. shows off works of art built from canned food by local architects, engineers, and designers. The free exhibit closes November 15th (Hours: Monday-Sunday 8 a.m.-6 p.m.) and that's when all those cans get donated to the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. Over the past three years, the event, previously housed in Sherman Oaks and then Santa Monica, has donated over 157,000 cans. As a visitor to the exhibit, you are encouraged to bring canned donations.

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. Legendary Boise-based indie rock progenitors Built To Spill will be concluding a two-night stint at the Echoplex. And, lastly, LA-based Cambodian rock outfit Dengue Fever (LAist Interview, Review) will be gracing the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Troubadour to catch British singer-songwriter Florence and the Machine. LAist favorites, local dance-infused rock duo IO Echo are slated to kick things off.

       

Thumbs up for the owners on this fun and bright display. Found in Sherman Oaks at Milbank and Tyrone.

The Twilight Zone, Rod Serling’s sci-fi TV anthology series celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The original series first launched on Oct. 2, 1959, and it led viewers into another dimension of space and time, full of time travelers, apocalyptic scenarios and other worldly cultures (that often-times weren’t as friendly as E.T.) 

Controversial topics like race relations, prejudice and questioning cultural norms were often addressed in episodes, with “the stranger,” aliens or demons standing in for oppressed groups. After five years and 156 episodes, the series ended. There were two attempts to revive the series, but they never really came close to Serling’s imagination.

After we poked fun at Adam Goldberg's video about Los Angeles, he wanted to prove his new movie's worth and give away a pair of tickets to tonight's 8 p.m. screening at The Landmark on Pico Boulevard. Goldberg, who stars in the film, and his co-star, Marley Shelton, will be there in person for a Q&A afterwards. Here's a little about the movie, titled (Untitled).

OK, so we are always posting photo essays of amazing food events like last weekend's LA Magazine's Food Event or last year's Great Chefs of Los Angeles And you are probably thinking to yourself, "Self, one of these days we are going to go to one of these amazing events. We deserve to drink champagne and eat adorable and delicious little bites too."

Whether you listen to classical music or not, we all know this famous music quotation: Da da da DUM! And when you hear it played by an orchestra, you're listening to it in the key of C-Minor. Does that matter? Why not some other key? Those questions and many others will be answered in an upcoming Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra's concert where music director Jeffrey Kahane and the orchestra will lead the audience on a "guided tour" of the inner workings of Beethoven's 5th Symphony before performing it in full during the second half of the program.

Tell us, have you watched "Cougar Town"? We've really tried to give this show a chance but the stilted dialogue and hollow stereotypes are starting to get to us: the whole "cougar" premise already seems tired and trite; the cast seems to be waiting for each line of dialogue to be stiffly delivered; and when is the increasingly frozen-faced Christa Miller going to be fed up with being cast as an insufferable harpy?

The monthly art walks in downtown bring out the large crowds, but that's not to say there are not a concentration of galleries elsewhere. Hence the return of the Silver Lake Art Crawl, now in its second year.

Last night Alice Cooper drove the Nokia crowd into a hysterical heavy metal sing-along on his Theatre of Death tour. It is just impossible not to sing along with "I'm Eighteen". But besides his musical ouvre, there are a few things that set Alice Cooper apart and give him such a rabid following. First and foremost, Alice is a showman. I mean besides being a singer. He gets decapitated, dragged all over the stage and abused by psycho Nurse Rosetta, impaled by a 6-foot long hypodermic, and hanged (a stunt that proved nearly fatal in England in the 80s). First and foremost, Alice is a showman. I mean besides being a singer. He gets decapitated, dragged all over the stage and abused by psycho Nurse Rosetta, impaled by a 6-foot long hypodermic, and hanged (a stunt that proved nearly fatal in England in the 80s).

Tonight at 7:30 pm, Zócalo and The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West present the program How Will Climate Change Transform L.A.? Moderated by Paul Wennberg, director, Linde Center for Global Environmental Science at the California Institute of Technology, the panel includes CalTech Professor of Environmental Science Tapio Schneider, UCLA Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Alex Hall, and Pulitzer Prize winning environmental writer Usha McFarling. The event takes place at The Huntington in San Marino. Free, but reservations are recommended.

We know that there's absolutely too much stuff to do this weekend. The classic horror film choices alone are amazing, so to make decisions even more difficult, REDCAT is screening the 1920 German expressionist classic The Golem with a live score by Brian LeBarton--better known as Beck's keyboardist and musical director--with special guest Carla Azar on drums and percussion.

Tonight legendary Boise-based indie rock progenitors Built To Spill will be taking on a two-night stint at the Echoplex. Local afro-centric indie pop act Fool's Gold are poised to grace the Westfield Century City for this week's edition of KCRW's "Sounds Around Town." And, lastly, Brooklyn-bred indie rock trio the Antlers will be stopping by Origami Vinyl early in evening and then jetting over to the Bootleg Theatre to perform with none other than Toronto-based folk rock outfit Timber Timbre. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch female-fronted Québécois indie rock outfit Land of Talk. LAist favorites, local indie rockers Eulogies (LAist Interview, Review, #2, #3) are slated to kick things off.

The world wide web hasn’t had a series aiming to help men dress like grown-ups. That is, until tomorrow, when Jesse Thorn and Adam Lisagor premier Put This On in Pasadena. The new web series hits their website on Monday. Typically when seen together, it’s been as the Monsters of Podcasting -- the Voltronesque live effort featuring both of their significantly downloaded podcasts. Lisagor’s You Look Nice Today is “a brilliant and highly acclaimed comedy podcast,” said Thorn.

Many people in Los Angeles consider a trip downtown as practical as visiting the moon, which may explain why it was never a big deal to Buzz Aldrin. "I used to come down to the Midnight Mission, I had a lot of friends working there," recalled the astronaut. Another charitable cause brought him back on Monday night, a fundraiser gala that generated over $300,000 for Virgin Unite and the Eve Branson Foundation. The charitable arm of Sir Richard Branson's empire supports social and environmental causes, including health care in rural parts of Africa.

In my experience there are two kinds of people in this world: those who LOVE The Boondock Saints and those who have never heard of it. I fall squarely into the Love It category. In the neighborhood where I grew up and went to Catholic Church and high school, everyone and their mother loves it, too. My friend Joanne’s mom is one of the most conservative women you’ll meet, so we were all shocked and amused when she said that it was “Pretty fucking great,” articulating her opinion in the vernacular of The Saints.

There was some great TV on last night, with "Sons of Anarchy" continuing to get back on track after some silliness a couple weeks ago. On the more depressing side of things, "Frontline" continued to remind us that we are still riding a unicycle on the precipice of economic disaster. Look forward to more stark details from PBS as Margaret Warner, correspondent for "The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer", is traveling in Pakistan with Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and will be reporting on the region tonight and all this week.

This is it! The weekend horror hounds have been waiting for all month - everyone & Bates' mother has a Halloween Event, all guaranteed to be a scream! Go old school with Noise-feratu, Downtown Independent & Summer Fun Time Society's live performance of ghoulish grandaddy Nosferatu, featuring hardcore bands Kill Kill Kill, 0rgan Music, 8-bit blooper WMX, and other artists so crazy they've been banned from the internet.

One of the great things about living in L.A. is that there is an endless stream of new events, performers and the like coming to town. Comedy is no exception to that phenomena. If you are in the downtown are tonight, head down to The Underground Comedy Lounge locate inside F Square Printing to catch some FREE comedy. Hosted by Martini & Jules, Wild Wednesdays - The Urban Comedy Experience features a variety of comedians in addition to other entertainment. Show starts at 8 PM and aside from being totally free, it is open to all ages. Be forewarned, however, as the show is completely uncensored.

Tonight Soviet-born pop folk singer-songwriter and pianist Regina Spektor will be headlining the Greek Theatre. Local country-infused folk, twin-sister duo the Watson Twins (LAist Review, #2) are poised to grace the Henry Fonda Music Box with none other than LA-based classical-violinist-turned-singer-songwriter Emily Wells. And, lastly, British rapper and 2009 Mercury Prize winner Speech Debelle will be performing at Spaceland, warming up the stage for eclectic Tel Aviv-based DJ crew Soulico. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch Washington, D.C.-bred indie rock outfit Le Loup. LAist favorites, Highland Park-based psych-infused synth pop act Random Patterns are slated to kick things off.

                     

Three Apples: An Exhibition Celebrating 35 Years Hello Kitty is in full swing. For three weeks, Royal/T will be filled floor to ceiling with Sanrio's favorite cat. Though the Hello Kitty stores in Little Tokyo and Hollywood Highland have plenty of cute things, fans are flocking to Royal/T to be part of the feline festivities.

Last Thursday night, an improbable collection of DJs, Douchebags and Dorks gathered in a posh Downtown penthouse for a sneak preview of DJ Hero, the latest entry in Activision's increasingly ginormous Guitar Hero video game series. The appetizers were exquisite, the ambiance (provided by actual, non video game playing DJs) was redonkulous, and DJ Hero, a game which finally does for knob twiddlers and air-scratch nerds what the main Guitar Hero series did for vicarious cock-rockers, was, well, pretty damn good in the same way that the Dead Sea is kind of brackish and Sir Paul McCartney has a couple of extra dollars lying around.

The AFI Film Festival starts this Friday and while there are many excellent films to choose from, we highly recommend The Messenger. The film stars Woody Harrelson and Ben Foster as U.S. Army officers assigned to the Army's Casualty Notification service whose duty is to deliver notification of death to the next-of-kin of fallen soldiers. We went to the New York City premiere of the film at the CMJ Film Festival and shot the video of Woody Harrelson and the film's director, Oren Moverman, answering questions from the audience about the film and their preparation for it.

              

As mentioned earlier this month, the family-friendly Kidrockers kicked off its second season at The Echo, hosted by comedians Matt Dwyer and Emily Maya Mills, with music by The Damselles & the TC4 and Quazar & the Bamboozled.

Since February, the Grammy Museum has hosted a special exhibit featuring some of Michael Jackson's glitzy clothes. It was scheduled to come down this summer, but following his death, the media storm jumped onto the museum--even Larry King did a live episode from there--and the exhibit turned into one of the city's various ad hoc memorial points (other ones included his Hollywood Star and the Encino family compound).

It's dance night again and we're asking you if you care. We want to hear from the lovers and the haters: should we keep listing new episodes of "So You Think You Can Dance" and "Dancing With The Stars" in our schedule or can we save that space for something else? 2 contestants from each show will be eliminated tonight BTW. --- TNT is again stepping up to the plate by funding a pilot to be executive produced by George Clooney.

       

This may be the twentieth time I've declared this in this space, but one more time can't hurt: watch Battlestar Galactica! It may not be the best show of the last ten years, but it's as good as any. How a floundering NBC never thought to scoop it up from its little Syfy sister and air it on the big network still astonishes me. Whatever Works isn't nearly as good as recent Woody Allen gems Vicky Cristina Barcelona or Cassandra's Dream, but it's good for a few laughs. Is Chris Hitchens the best damn debater on TV? Yep! Is three Monty Python DVDs in one week too much? Nope! Who would thought that The Big Lebowski would produce such an underground sensation? My money would have been on Raising Arizona or Miller's Crossing.

It's time to get into the winter spirit. Beginning this afternoon, an 8,000 square foot outdoor ice rink will open to the public in Santa Monica with the unveiling of a 45-foot ice sculpture in promotion of the Blu-ray disc and DVD release of Ice Age 3 Dawn of the Dinosaurs. Supposedly, the 133,000-pound sculpture of the character Scrat will break the Guinness World Record for Tallest Ice Sculpture.

Have you seen this yet? If not, don't worry. But just in case you need to hear Adam Goldberg explain how restaurants in Silver Lake suck (dude, we dig Edendale Grill's Secret 3-Cheese Delight, savvy?) and how Franklin Avenue is difficult to cross, here you go. Thankfully, Goldberg admits his bitching consists of "bourgeois problems" and that this is all in good fun. The vid is in promotion of his NYC-based flick called (untitled).

TECH* Tonight Girls in Tech LA presents a “Social Fashion & Beauty Summit Part Deux” tonight from 7-11pm at Live! On Sunset. There’s a panel discussion featuring women from the tech, fashion and beauty industries, followed by a cocktail party. Scheduled for tonight are: Nadine Jolie, founder/editor, Jolienadine.com and editorial director...

Tonight Québécois indie rockers Sunset Rubdown, which began as a solo project of Wolf Parade front man Spencer Krug, will be headlining the Troubadour. Local indie rock duo the Voyeurs (LAist Interview, Review) are poised to take on the Echo with none other than the Flying Tourbillon Orchestra (LAist Review, #2, #3). And, lastly, Highland Park-bred post-punk outfit Manhattan Murder Mystery will be taking on Bordello with the Health Club. But we strongly suggest heading over to Cinespace to catch British disco-infused rock trio We Have Band.

    

We are certainly in a sea change when it comes to media, but for every time someone has cried that the end is nigh, books, newspaper, film--whatever is on its deathbed in a given news cycle--continues to push ahead, continues to march on. In the case of Hollywood, YouTube, Netflix and OnDemad have continued to pull film out of the theater, a process that began with VHS and video rental, and deeper into the home. These media and formats may seem better suited for shorter work, yet feature-length films still reign supreme. But with studios tightening their purse strings...

It's a big night for downtown Los Angeles, more specifically L.A. Live. 6 p.m.: "This Is It," the Michael Jackson documentary, premieres (some wonder if some movie premieres will move from Hollywood to downtown. The movie 2012 will premiere here next week.). | 7 p.m.: Lakers and Clippers open basketball season at the Staples Center | 9 p.m.: L.A. Live's newest addition, Regal Cinemas opens to the public.

In conjunction with “The Bible Illuminated: R. Crumb’s Book of Genesis,”, which opened at the Hammer Museum last Friday, UCLA Live this Thursday is hosting a rare appearance of the famous cult cartoonist in a conversation with Françoise Mouly, The New Yorker's Art Editor. A little about Crumb, via UCLA Live: In the late ’60s, R. Crumb’s psychedelic comics—including the characters Fritz the Cat, Mr. Natural, Devil Girl and the popular Keep on Truckin’ cartoon— propelled him overnight to celebrity status in San Francisco’s burgeoning underground scene...

This week Soviet-born pop folk singer-songwriter and pianist Regina Spektor will be headlining the Greek Theatre. Legendary Boise-based indie rock progenitors Built To Spill are poised to take on a two-night stint at the Echoplex. British singer-songwriter Florence and the Machine will be performing to a sold-out crowd at the Troubadour. And, lastly, female-fronted Québécois indie rock outfit Land of Talk will be gracing Spaceland.

                     

Local singer-songwriter Angela Correa's band Correatown has held this month's Monday residency at The Echo, and tonight is their final show before embarking next month on a European tour. While this gallery features photos taken during their soundcheck with Eagle & Talon and The Voyeurs, see photos from the actual show at Web In Front.

So, Cinematic Titanic comes to Largo, and I can't believe you're reading this. You should be standing in line, peeing your pants because the ORIGINAL CAST of Mystery Science Theatre 3000 (MST3K) is making fun of some of the worst movies of all time. Pencil me in for Tuesday's show. In other news, some big names with recent Comedy Central stand up specials under their belts (Jo Koy, Greg Giraldo) are offering their comedic services in the greater Los Angeles area, while right here in town Rooftop Standup offers the best backdrop in all of comedy and Lenny Bruce lovers have a chance to give to a good cause AND walk away with some of his stuff. Amazing.

It was a hell of a week for old post-punk college-rockers in Los Angeles, what with former Husker Du guitarist Bob Mould at the Troubadour and Mike Watt of the Minutemen/ fIREHOSE playing the Redwood in the same five-day period that saw return visits from two of the major acts from Chicago’s legendary Touch & Go label. The Jesus Lizard and Butthole Surfers were two of Independent America’s most beloved bands, renowned for their abrasive, yet oddly classicist records and consciousness-altering live shows. Both rose to alt-rock prominence, got signed to major labels in the 1990s, occupied early-afternoon slots on the Lollapalooza main stage and received major endorsements from Kurt Cobain (a split single with Nirvana for the Lizard, a tour-opening slot for the Surfers), then lost the plot around the end of the decade. And both ended up in LA for reunion tours within a few days of each other.

A couple weeks ago we wrote about Microsoft's insidious sponsorship of Seth MacFarlane's November special, Family Guy Presents: Seth and Alex's Almost Live Comedy Show" on November 8th and it now appears that Microsoft can't handle MacFarlane's humor and has dropped the sponsorship. After Microsoft execs attended the October 16th taping, a Microsoft spokesperson stated "We initially chose to participate in the Seth and Alex variety show based on the audience composition and creative humor of 'Family Guy,' but after reviewing an early version of the variety show it became clear that the content was not a fit with the Windows brand." In a twist of reality the company is now behaving exactly like the John Hodgeman parody character.

Attention all young guys who are fond of older ladies: The first-ever California Cougar Convention hits town on November 6th [Press Release]. In addition to the fine assortment of mature women who enjoy the company of younger men, attendees can enjoy dancing, a RapidDating Mixer, a competition for the title of Miss Cougar California, and a keynote address from Lucia "Queen of the Cougar Jungle." For those who are uninitiated in the means and ways of this murky relationship jungle, may we offer these helpful Urban Dictionary entries to serve as tour guides...

Tonight at 8:30 pm, REDCAT hosts the world premiere of filmmaker Christine Panuska’s and spoken word artist Alberto Araiza’s Mosca and the Meaning of Life. The multimedia piece has animated characters leaping off the screen and joining a live performance. The program also includes other films by Panushka, as well as an excerpt of Biting the Pillow, a performance by Araiza. Both artists will be in attendance at tonight’s performance. Tickets: $9, students $7 and CalArts students, faculty and staff $5.

Tonight Olympia-bred dance-infused rock act the Gossip will be headlining the Henry Fonda Music Box. LA-based alt-rockers Olin & the Moon (LAist Interview) are poised to take on the Echoplex. And, lastly, Philadelphia's own jazz singer-songwriter Melody Gardot (LAist Interview) will be gracing the Troubadour. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown to catch Portland-based songstress Laura Veirs, who will be opening for Canadian singer-songwriters Tegan and Sara.

“A worse thing couldn’t have happened to a better guy,” said Adam Carolla of 31 year-old “Bald” Bryan Bishop’s inoperable brain tumor. “He’s one of the sharpest, brightest, smartest, nicest guys I’ve ever met.”

                     

This Saturday evening was the 10th annual Dia de Los Muertos event held at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. The celebration, with roots deep in Aztec and Mexican tradition, is a 9-day-long festival honoring the lives of the departed through decoration, the erection of colorful shrines, dance, costume, and processionals.

Okay, so it's not the Nick Cave you're thinking of, but perhaps equally as cool and interesting is Chicago-based artist Nick Cave who will bring 35 of his soundsuits for performances and an exhibit in the Fowler Museum in January. The idea was sparked by the L.A. Riots and has grown into a large collection of found-material armor, if you will, that erases the identity of the wearer, thus shielding against the world's prejudice. When worn, the friction of the materials used make sounds in movement. Reminiscent of African masquerade ensembles and Carnival costumes, dancers and choreographers will perform in them around the city.

       

In one of the rarest of rare occurrences, a movie in its fifth week of release finally clawed its way to the top of the box office. Paramount pushed Paranormal Activity into over a thousand new theaters and the gamble paid off handsomely as the horror sleeper raked in $22M ($62.4M) to easily win the weekend. Torture porn shit-show Saw VI endured a brutal debut as it pulled in a weak $14.8M (yay!) while last week's champ Where the Wild Things Are stumbled a bit in its second weekend ($14.4M | $53.9M). The formulaic Law Abiding Citizen ($12.7M | $40.3M) and the half-funny Couples Retreat ($11M | $78.2M) rounded out the top 5.

              

Don't get me wrong, I love me some indie rock. Dark stages populated with a handful of plaid-shirted and bespectacled gents with questionable hygiene pulling perfect amounts of distortion and fuzz out of a banged up Fender is my definition of a good time. But a girl needs variety to keep things interesting, and sometimes that means packing rap, sass, and style into 5 feet of lovely, aka Chicago's very own Kid Sister. Touring with DJ duo Flosstradamus in support of her November 17th album drop Ultraviolet, the lady with the Pro Nails had even the nonplussed bartenders doing a little head bob.

You know the feeling: It's when your stomach lands in your mouth at the apex of a rollercoaster. Watching the two guys work the “Wheel of Death” at Cirque du Soleil’s Kooza in Santa Monica on Thursday night elicited the same exact sensation.

Put those running shoes on for Halloween and dress up like a zombie this Saturday for the inaugural Zombiethon, a fundraiser for brain cancer research Oct. 31 from 4-6 pm at the Silver Lake reservoir. The family friendly event includes a fun run/walk around the reservoir and a zombie costume contest.

The Emerson String Quartet was named "America's Greatest Quartet" by Time Magazine. One of their most popular recordings is the Shostakovich String Quartet no. 8 in C Minor. It is recommended to listen to all five movements without rest, and you can listen to the next movement here.

There are many artists who have provided visual tributes to the grand dame of Sanrio's beloved character collection, Hello Kitty. Luke Chueh is one such artist, whose vision of the kitty turned out to have a lot to do with a bear. LAist found out a bit about Chueh's take on the icon and the meaning of his piece, which is part of the Three Apples space set up at Royal/T, where Hello Kitty's 35th Birthday is being celebrated through November 15th.

Tonight legendary Dublin-bred alternative rockers U2 will be performing to a sold-out crowd at the Rose Bowl with none other than the Black Eyed Peas. Canadian singer-songwriters Tegan and Sara are poised to take on a two-night stint at the Orpheum Theatre in Downtown. And, lastly, local indie pop outfit the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3) will be gracing Casey's Irish Bar & Grill. But we strongly suggest heading over to the newly opened Bedrock Studios (LAist Interview) to catch local prolific songwriter John Wood, who performs under the pseudonym Learning Music. LA-based singer-songwriter Evan Way of the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3) is poised to perform as well.

Head down to Olvera Street this evening to see the first night of nine that is the celebration of Dia de Los Muertos. See how the tradition of celebrating and honoring the lives of the dead is carried out in colorful displays. On the plaza you can experience face painting, street theater performances, strolling mariachi bands, Aztec dancers, puppets, ballet folklorico and other fun family activities. Dia De Los Muertos community altars will also be on display in the plaza and in the various shops on Olvera Street. Tonight, and every night through November 2, you can see a candlelight procession at 7 p.m.

    

Early this morning at midnight, over 7,000 runners could be seen racing through the streets of Los Angeles as part of the 2nd annual Nike+ Human Race. Bringing over 140,000 participants worldwide in over 27 cities, the goal of the event was to celebrate runners and unite them globally in the earth’s largest one-day running event. In Los Angeles this meant starting and finishing at the Coliseum and running the 5 or 10K through the Figueroa Corridor and on streets just outside of the USC campus. One dollar of every entry fee was donated to USC Football Coach Pete Carroll’s philanthropy,A Better LA.

The sound of Melody Gardot's voice feels like a swath of dramatic black and white, evoking images of film noir and mint juleps. In describing her demeanor and jazz-tinged music, words such as vamp, moxie, sass, and verve can't help but emerge. However, Gardot's easy delivery has been hard won. Six years ago, when her involvement with music was more of a flirtation, she was struck by a Jeep Cherokee while riding her bike.

              

Not 24 hours after the Twitterverse was abuzz with YΔCHT's stellar CMJ performance, the Portland, Oregon duo of Jona Bechtolt and Claire Evans could be found delivering their manifesto-driven laptop-pop to a sweaty crowd at last night's MFG-curated Discotheque party held at the newly opened Temporary Spaces Two.

Sanrio's adorable and iconic Hello Kitty is celebrating her 35th birthday, and as part of the worldwide party, Three Apples has opened up at Royal/T where the Los Angeles festivities are underway. Today happens to be "Super Fan Day" with hour after hour of Hello Kitty events for the enthused or HK-curious.

Tonight legendary English post-punk outfit Echo & the Bunnymen will be headlining the Nokia Theatre in Downtown. LA-bred Grammy Award-winning alternative rockers Weezer (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) are poised to headline the Hollywood Palladium. And, lastly, Chicago-based rapper Kid Sister will be gracing the Echoplex with none other than Chicago's own DJ duo Flosstradamus and the Very Best, a fledgling musical amalgam comprised of London based production duo Radioclit and Malawi-bred crooner Esau Mwamwaya. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Troubadour to catch Québécois indie rock act Islands. LAist favorite Jemina Pearl, lead singer of acclaimed Nashville-based garage rock outfit Be Your Own Pet, is slated to kick things off.

Nick Swardson, for those of you not familiar, is funnier than you. That’s pretty much all you need to know to enjoy his latest Comedy Central Special, Seriously, Who Farted?, as LAist was invited to do. Believe me when I say, if you have an even vague notion of who Swardson is before watching this special, you will be quite familiar with him once the hour is over. And if you are completely blanking on one of the best young funny men of this decade, don’t worry, he’s more than happy filling in those blanks for you.

Today Hollywood Forever Cemetery will hold its 10th annual celebration of Dia de los Muertos from 4pm to 11pm. Dia de los Muertos is an ancient Aztec tradition. On Dia de los Muertos it is believed that the veil that separates the living from the dead is lifted, allowing visits from departed loved ones. It is a celebration, not a day of mourning. Altars are erected with images of the dead, their favorite foods, marigolds, calaveras and paper cut-outs to welcome the dead back home.

For a dose of true local culture this weekend, consider this poetry festival hosted by the Pasadena Public Library. Now in its third year, this poetry powwow honors the most distinguished local poets from both the past and present, with guests reading not only their own poems but the works of their predecessors as well. The event will feature Laurel Ann Bogen presenting the work of Eloise Klein Healy, Ron Koertge presenting the work of Steve Kowit, and BH Fairchild reading Henri Coulette and Robert Mezey. 3 p.m., free.

Tonight at 10:00pm USA will be premiering their new dramedy "White Collar". At the premiere event this morning at Rockefeller Center in NYC, the TV Junkie had a chance to talk to stars Tiffani Thiessen, Matthew Bomer, and Tim DeKay. The series pairs master "white collar" criminal Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer) and hardened FBI agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay) on capers where they need to track down various corporate criminals...

Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant is the story of 16-year-old Darren (Chris Massoglia), an average high school student whose best friend Steve (Josh Hutcherson) gets into trouble when a traveling freak show comes to town. Trying to make things right, Darren trades in the normal life he had to become an assistant to an old vampire named Crepsley (John C. Reilly). First order of business is to become a vampire himself, but in doing so Darren unknowingly breaks a truce between the vampires and the vampaneze and manages to create his own worst enemy. He takes refuge in joining the Cirque Du Freak and makes friends with a snake boy (Patrick Fugit), monkey girl (Jessica Carlson) and bearded lady (Salma Hayek).

Weekend Edition The prediction that TV was fading into the fog of yesteryear as a medium seems to not be true (for the moment). Overall viewership of TV is up by 4% and the departure of the coveted 18-49 demographic seems to have been arrested. The Hollywood Reporter offers a breakdown, network by network.

Descriptions of Bedrock Rehearsal Studios sound like fevered pipe dreams of an aspiring musician. The kind you've probably had with your buddies while smoking on the back porch of some house party or in the backseat of a car on the way to a show. Conversations that go something along the lines of, "Dude, when I get enough money. I'm going to have my own recording studio. And there will be rehearsal studios with different themes. And a repair shop for when we break shit...

A year ago, LAist wrote about a group of energetic, young, indie filmmakers who, instead of taking the traditional route of trying to get their movies into film festivals, invented a new model of film promotion by putting together their own little film festival and taking it on the road, touring from city to city in a van, rock band-style.

                                          

As some of you may know, I am perhaps the world's greatest fan of John C. Reilly. Anything John does (including music), I see (and usually like). Unfortunately, Cirque du Freak: The Vampire's Assistant may test that theory. Not sure how to say this, but it looks...really, really stupid. Hilary Swank will definitely NOT win an Oscar for Amelia since she's not playing a boy/masculine character. Oh wait, yes she is. Go ahead and give her the Oscar now. I never really watched Astro Boy as a kid and probably won't start now.

       

PERFORMANCE Captured Aural Phantasy Theater is throwing together its Halloween Spooktacular tonight at tomorrow at 8 pm at the Alexandria Hotel, Palm Court Ballroom. The show is a live, retro-influenced variety show built around radio show-style readings of real old comic book stories. Vintage tales of horror such as 1954’s The Mad Hate of Dr. Zart and 1953’s I Married a Zombie! are performed live in a show that includes sultry singing, stunning visual art, short acts, prizes and live music. Tickets are $10.

We talked about inspirations behind their new album, See Mystery Lights, which is their first release on DFA. Primary among their inspirations are the bizarre and strange Marfa lights of Western Texas, which they themselves witnessed on multiple occasions.

Maybe the greatest thing about Grizzly Bear, the thing that everyone should know, is this: They are totally enigmatic and impossible to pin down. Of course, this is what makes them difficult to write about and even more difficult to consider what it is that makes this foursome so appealing.

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. Portland's own indie pop outfit Blind Pilot (LAist Interview) are poised to headline the Troubadour with none other than Rhode Island-bred folk act the Low Anthem (LAist Interview). And, lastly, local electro pop mastermind Bobby Birdman will be gracing Temporary Spaces 2 with Portland-based experimental electronic duo YACHT.

      

Just four lines into the LA stop on Roger Daltrey’s “Use It Or Lose It” solo tour - so named for the singer’s desire to keep his instrument in shape for a planned burst of activity from his “other” band, the Who, in the coming year - he seemed in danger of losing it... It was a nervous moment, especially with the knowledge that Daltrey’s ailing throat had forced a few last-minute cancellations during the Who’s 2007 tour. But he plowed on, muttering “we’ll come back to that one,” picked up an acoustic guitar, and led his band through a dramatically re-arranged version of “Who Are You.” Now in a more familiar vocal range, he managed to warm up and start belting it out. And from that point, through the whole two-hour show, everything was more than fine.

       

I don't typically review films via print, but Lars von Trier's latest body of artwork, Antichrist, wasn't really a typical film. It was more beautifully shot than some of the most gorgeous movies I've ever seen; it was scarier than any run of the mill horror film, and more disturbing than anything that's ever disturbed me in my life, in a very outside-of-the-spectrum of what-you-would-drop-your-jaw-at-because-of-its-astonishing-shock-value kind of way. I don't know what the normal protocol for revealing spoilers is in movie reviews, but to save you the trauma of reading about the things I saw in this film, I will leave them for your own viewing.

On this Sunday October 25th, The Art of Bleeding will perform their piece "The Spirits of Safety Show" at the California Institute of Abnormal Arts. With a mix of live performance, film, puppets, music, fake blood, sexy nurses, robots, gorillas and more, The Art of Bleeding will most likely shock and entertain with their humorous and bizarre antics. LAist caught up with Al Ridenour of The Art of Bleeding to get some more insight on the group and their work.

FOX has pulled "Dollhouse" completely from its November schedule. The series returns in December in a deathrow Friday slot. If this is truly the end of the show, it won't be the end of the line for Eliza Dushku, whose appearance in Hulu commercials has made her a very recognizable face - we hope to see her again soon.

                     

Monsters of Folk is one of the most honest super groups I've ever seen. What I mean is this: most super groups are so in love with their new project that they pretend that it is their only musical work to date and that the audience is solely there to hear that album. They get so wrapped up in this feeling that they refuse to play the hits that everyone came there to see. I'm pleased to report that Monsters of Folk, a group made up of Conor Oberst, Jim James, M. Ward, and Mike Mogis, did no such thing. They were fully aware that most of the people who packed the sold out Greek Theater were mildly curious about Monsters of Folk's debut but were mostly there to see Bright Eyes, My Morning Jacket, and M. Ward.

       

For a movie about robots, Astro Boy is surprisingly wooden. But that’s not to say it doesn’t have heart. Based on the work of Japanese comic book artist and animator Osamu Tezuka, this CGI version of what’s widely regarded as the first anime is largely faithful to the beloved character. First published in 1952 and animated in 1963, the future-set Astro Boy is the story of Dr. Tenma (voiced by Nicolas Cage), top scientist at the Ministry of Science whose son Toby (Freddie Highmore) dies in a tragic accident...

Banjoist Béla Fleck, Indian tabla player Zakir Hussain and bassist Edgar Meyer perform live together tonight at UCLA’s Royce Hall to promote their CD, The Melody of a Rhythm, which intertwine bluegrass, world and classical music. Tickets $38-$70. ($15 UCLA Students). The concert begins at 8 pm.

Tonight Mazzy Star front woman Hope Sandoval will be headlining the Mayan Theatre in Downtown. St. Louis-based singer-songwriter Jay Farrar, a veteran of not one, but two critically-acclaimed outfits—Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt—and Washington-bred indie rock god Benjamin Gibbard, who presumably needs no introduction, will be translating Jack Kerouac's prose into song and verse (?!) at Largo at the Coronet. And, lastly, Tennessee-based country/rockabilly trio Those Darlins are poised to grace the Silver Lake Lounge with none other than the exemplary Australian indie rock act known as the Grates. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Echo to catch San Franciscan experimental garage rockers Thee Oh Sees. Equally prolific San Francisco-based pysch-infused pop outfit the Fresh & Onlys are slated to kick things off.

       

One of the perks of visiting two of the outer islands in Channel Islands National Park is a trip to Painted Cave along the northwest coastline of Santa Cruz Island. The park's main transit vendor, Island Packers, makes a point of doing frequent stops during travels because the park is not just land based, but also miles of protected water in the Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary. Whales, dolphins and other sea life are often spotted, but one of the most popular attractions from a boaters perspective is Painted Cave.

Festival fanatics find an old standard turning about their head this week: "Hooray for Hollywood!" The Hollywood Film Festival features dramas, docs, mocks, horrors & even music videos. Highlights include The Upright Citizens Brigade (Wild Girls Gone), one of David Carradine's final roles (The Rain), North Korean defectors (Crossing), hipster murders (The Scenesters), Ugandan children (War Dance Returns), 30-year old "boy" scouts (Scout's Honor) & the worst Christian pop group in the world (Jesus People) - all in the Arclight's reserved-seat, caramel-popcorn splendor. But if, like yours truly, you've emerged from the Red Line to find yourself too lazy to walk down to Sunset, pop into the Egyptian for the Arpa International Film Festival. Arpa kicks off with Venezuelan spy-romance Venezzia (the most expensive Venezuelan film ever made) and continues with Armenian historical dramas and a ton of bizarre shorts. If sexy dolls, entomologists, Muslim stand-up, or Spanish gynecologists appeal to you, definitely stop by.