Arts & Events: February 2010 Archives

Last year, Lori Gottlieb's wrote a controversial Atlantic article, "Marry Him: The Case for Settling for Mr. Good Enough." Being with Mr. Alright is better than alone, she posits. In another Atlantic article, radio commentator Sandra Tsing Loh concluded that marriage was overrated. The two NPR correspondents will discuss modern love and marriage with Sinai Temple's Rabbi David Wolpe. It should be a lively conversation, to say the least. The Writers Bloc event begins at 7:30 pm at Temple Emanuel in Beverly Hills. Tickets are $20. more ›

Tonight recent Grammy Award-winner, Chapel Hill-bred folk singer-songwriter and father of Rufus, Martha and Lucy, Loudon Wainwright III will be headlining the Largo at the Coronet. French musical collective Nouvelle Vague are poised to grace the Henry Fonda Music Box. And, lastly, local folk troubadour Ferraby Lionheart (LAist Interview, Review) is poised to take on the Bootleg Theater again—this time around with LA-bred electro pop singer-songwriter Evan Voytas in tow. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the El Rey Theatre to catch Tulsa-based indie pop songstress St. Vincent (LAist Interview, Review). Sweden's own husband-and-wife duo Wildbirds & Peacedrums are slated to kick things off. more ›

This week has a bunch of good stand ups, including two special Bill Maher shows that are selling like things that sell well. Hotcakes? Not hardly. There's also a large amount of fantastic indie improv, be it at the iO West Loft, Room 101, Crashbar or out at Westside Comedy. Simply put, there's just no reason for you not to be pumped about this week in comedy. more ›

The news is out that the Super Bowl was the most watched program ever and that the remnants of The Who are the most embarrassing senior citizens ever. Viewers were also generally very unimpressed with the commercials that ran during the show and while a lot of people think "so what" let's not let them get away with that. more ›

When we were sent an early copy of Marisa Matarazzo’s first book Drenched: Stories of Love and Other Deliriums, the title, the naked woman swimming on the cover and the gimmicky Valentine’s Day release date made us a little dubious of its contents. Would it be a Harlequin-eque bodice ripper? Or another innocuous but banal attempt at chick lit? more ›

Quentin Tarantino is in person tonight at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood for a double-feature of his films: Pulp Fiction at 6 pm, followed by Inglorious Basterds. There’s a moderated discussion following each film with director Tarantino. Tickets are $11 and student/senior are $9. more ›

Tonight local blues-infused indie rock duo Rumspringa (LAist Review, #2) will be opening up the second night of Red Arrow Messenger's free residency at the Bootleg Theater. LA-based alternative rockers the Useless Keys will be gracing the Echo once more. And, lastly, bicoastal electro-pop singer-songwriter Guy Fantastico will be performing at the Silver Lake Lounge with LA-based indie pop outfit HAIM. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch the second night of Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton's (LAist Interview) month-long residency. more ›

After seven weeks as King of the World, Avatar was knocked from its perch by the maudlin Dear John. The phony love story brought in an obscene $32.4M in its debut weekend to best the Pocahontas rip-off ($23.6M | $630M). From Paris With Love disappointed in its first frame ($8.1M) while Edge of Darkness collapsed in week two ($7M | $29M). The Tooth Fairy -- to America's eternal shame -- is holding up well ($6.5M | $34.3M) more ›

This week British indie rockers Editors will be headlining the Wiltern with none other than Brooklyn-bred indie rock trio the Antlers in tow. Tulsa-based indie pop songstress St. Vincent (LAist Interview, Review) is poised to perform to a sold-out crowd at the El Rey Theatre. Eagle Rock-bred indie rock outfit Princeton (LAist Interview) will be continuing their month-long residency at Spaceland. And, lastly, experimental English indie rockers Wild Beasts will be embarking on their first North American tour, stopping through the Troubadour. more ›

Watching St. Vitus romp through their twenty-five year old catalog in front of a big crowd of foaming-at-the-mouth headbangers at a warehouse in Downtown LA last week was not just a reminder of days gone past, but a delivery of some kind of justice for a band that forged the genre of Doom Metal without many people even noticing at the time. But during their twenty years of absence, they’ve built up a following. They are truly one of those groups that only sold a few records in their day, but inspired every single person that bought one to start a band. “This is the best LA audience Vitus has EVER played to,” said guitarist Dave Chandler early in the set, and if you were around at the time they invented that stuff, it’s not hard to believe it. more ›

As part of their current partnership exhibition at LACMA, The Fruit of LACMA, which assembles work in several media (painting, photography, and decorative arts) to examine the haunting persistence of fruit in art, Fallen Fruit will be giving away free fruit trees today at Noon at the Museum. (They suggest you get there early to get in on the giving.) This public fruit-tree adoption, officially launches EATLACMA, the museum's year-long series of food-related talks, performances, exhibitions, and other events on culture, art, politics, and eatables. more ›

There’s a decent chance that, instead of reading this, you’re hibernating until tomorrow’s Super Bowl. And you know what? You can’t be blamed for that. Contemporary news media makes it practically impossible to focus on anything else, and that’s just the way big advertisers would like to keep it. So, you could sit in front of your TV tonight and anxiously await the State of Freeney’s Ankle Address while being bombarded with Powerade commercials. Or, for $5, you could move the party to your computer and get 5 hours of live streaming Dane Cook content, courtesy of Ustream. more ›

Tonight LA-based Cambodian rock outfit Dengue Fever (LAist Interview, Review) will be performing at the El Rey Theatre, sharing the stage with legendary ska outfit Hepcat and the Lions for KCRW's Haiti Relief Concert. Brooklyn-bred alternative rock sextet They Might Be Giants are poised to take on not one, but two shows at Largo at the Coronet. And, lastly, Brooklyn-based folk rock troubadour Langhorne Slim (LAist Review, #2) will be gracing McCabe's Guitar Shop in Santa Mon Mon. But we strongly suggest heading over to the Smell in Downtown to catch Brooklyn's own punk rock trio Vivian Girls. LAist favorites, lo-fi pop act Best Coast are slated to kick things off. more ›

Today Echo Park offers its parking lots, driveways, intersections and pretty much any other concrete space available to become part of "Art Hop," the festival that turns this neighborhood's sidewalks into what the organizers are calling an "artistic landscape." Sprung up on Echo Park Ave. you'll find chain link fence galleries, driveway theaters, intersection musical performances, outdoor movie screenings, parking lot concerts and much more. Near the intersection of Delta St. 12 - 6 p.m. more ›

With advance tickets selling out two weeks ago and people lined up yesterday before noontime (and in the rain no less!) to buy the remainder, interest in last night's edition of First Fridays at the Natural History Museum, with performances by Warpaint and Yeasayer, was at a near-record pace. It was the most ambitious project yet for Spaceland Productions, who set up a whopping 14 videocameras, four of which were also used for the live webcast via Stickam, and two RED ONEs converted for shooting in 3D. more ›

Yes, a football game happens on Sunday and we feel we've already written enough about the Anti-Choice/Anti-Gay Bowl and the dang thing seems to occupy every other moment on the TV anyway. It's our job to point out the not-so-obvious and this weekend, one of those items happens to be the broadcast premiere of a documentary called What's On Your Plate? on Planet Green on Saturday at 7pm (and Sunday at 11am). more ›

In case you haven't heard, this weekend is Super Bowl Sunday. If you are looking for big crowds, big drink specials and even bigger TVs, check out our picks for a few parties around town. Call Rush Street in Culver City to make reservations for Sunday and you are guaranteed a comfortable seat to watch the game and order up their gigantic burgers. The restaurant/bar is comprised of two stories with two bars and two patio decks... more ›

Ordinarily, the radiant, slightly goofy presence of Amanda Seyfried would have me rushing to the theater (as it will in the case of the randy Chloe), but the noxious presence of Channing Tatum will keep me away from the awful Dear John. Can someone please explain Nicholas Sparks to me? He's still writing? Really? I'm sure it will suck, but From Paris With Love looks like a hell of a lot a fun. Jonathan Rhys Meyers is completely out of his depth, but Travolta is usually -- and counterintuitively -- rock-solid when he plays a bad ass. Does it get more matter of fact than Frozen? Kids get stranded in the cold and bad things ensue. There's your movie! more ›

Chalk Rep’s Twelfth Night opens tonight at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Shakespeare’s classic comedy of mistaken identity integrates indie folk rock and a high fashion sensibility. The play runs weekends through Feb. 28. Tickets are $30, but there are pay-what-you-can performances on Super Bowl Sunday at 7 pm and Sat., Feb. 13th at 2 pm. more ›

Tonight Old 97's front man Rhett Miller will be headlining the Troubadour with none other than local alt-country troubadours Leslie and the Badgers. LA-based electronic mastermind Daedelus is poised to take on the Echoplex with Nosaj Thing. And, lastly, Philadelphia-based rapper and singer Amanda Blank will be performing at the Avalon in Hollyweird. But we strongly suggest doing whatever it takes to get into the Natural History Museum to catch Brooklyn-based buzz band Yeasayer, who will be performing for this month's edition of First Fridays. Local indie rockers Warpaint (LAist Review, #2, #3) are slated to kick things off. more ›

On Wednesday night, singer-songwriter and actress Kate Voegele performed a sold-out show at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood (also on the bill that night were Josiah Leming, Terra Naomi, and Joey Degraw). Now a Los Angeles resident, Voegele noted how great her return was to the venue, not unlike Katy Perry a year ago. more ›

Have you ever wished "The Vagina Monologues" was a musical? Do you wish "Glee" was comprised solely of left-wing feminists? Then have we got the show for you! Written by Katie Goodman (author of "Improvisation of the Spirit") and & Soren Kisiel, Broad Comedy is a show chock-full of political and social satire set to a bouncy beat. more ›

The TV Junkie Plan: @aots, "Community", "Parks and Recreation", "The Office", "30 Rock", "Important Things with Demetri Martin", "The Sarah Silverman Program", "Chelsea Lately", Letterman, Fallon (Hot Chip performs). more ›

The new wild Up musical ensemble debuts tomorrow night at Jensen's Recreation Center in Echo Park, under the direction of 26-year-old Christopher Rountree. The evening will traverse a musical timeline that begins with J.S. Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto" (1721) and ends with Radiohead's "In Rainbows" (2007). This 24-piece musical collective also seeks to bust the mold of classical music equating to serious stodginess. more ›

Howard Zinn was going to speak at SMMoA about his new documentary, The People Speak, which uses dramatic and musical performances of diaries, letters and speeches by everyday Americans to give voice to those who fought for social change. But since his death last week, the event has become a tribute to Zinn instead. The 8 pm event is now full, but a stand-by line opens at 7 pm (seating is not guaranteed). Admission $25; $10 SMMoA members. Proceeds from the event will go to support the Educational Fund of The People Speak, a charitable initiative which brings this powerful documentary into schools and communities free-of-charge. more ›

Having returned from touring Europe with electronic music sensation Deadmau5, nightlife photographer Drew “Rukes” Ressler (LAist Interview | website | email) brought his lenses back to Los Angeles for a few fun nights at Avalon and the Wiltern. And, yes, he brought the fish eye. Check out more nightlife galleries with Rukes on LAist. more ›

Tonight Rhode Island-bred bluegrass singer-songwriter/guitarist Dave Rawlings, who is best known as bluegrass troubadour Gillian Welch's longtime musical partner, will not only be performing at Amoeba Music, but at the Troubadour as well. LA-based folk rock singer-songwriter Imaad Wasif is poised to grace Spaceland with none other than Dead Meadow front man Jason Simon and Mockingbirds, which contains members of local post-rock act Red Sparowes. And, lastly, LA-based alt-country outfit Horse Thieves will be taking on the Echo. But we strongly suggest heading over to Largo at the Coronet to catch LAist favorite, English folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling. more ›

Those who made their way to Golden Apple yesterday for the latest comic release would have found neighbor Gallery 1988 in full swing preparing for tonight's Glass Hat opening reception. The exhibition of artists from Portland's Grass Hut Art Collective will feature works from Grass Hut members Bwana Spoons, Martin Ontiveros, Le Merde, Apak, Justin "Scrappers" Morrison, and Arbito, as well as affiliate artists Shanggs, Shawn Wolfe, Gargamel, David Horvath, Kiyoshi Nakazawa and John Black. more ›

As far as we know, they don't Twitter, but this is a savvy old-school complement to the growing stock of food trucks out there. The Miracle Bookmobile, which travels around the state accepting donations and giving away and books for free is currently in Los Angeles and will be making a scheduled appearance at Barnsdall Arts Park, according to Lucinda Michele at Metblogs. more ›

It's not very often that local songstress supergroup The Living Sisters, comprised of Lavender Diamond's Becky Stark, Eleni Mandell, and The Bird and the Bee's Inara George, perform live, so it's little wonder that they drew a packed house on Tuesday night at the Bootleg Theater as part of Ferraby Lionheart's month-long residency. "Their sweet songs imbued with the cadences of doo-wop, classic country, and folk evoke a nostalgia for the pure and simple songs of last century," noted West Coast Sound last December, reporting that they "...have recorded an album with Vanguard Records that should be released in March." more ›

Sunday's Super Bowl looms in the minds of many who are already planning how many beer and snack runs they will have to make between now and gametime to be adequately provisioned. Also looming is the broadcast of the "Focus on the Family" anti-abortion ad during the game, featuring Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow and his mother. Huffington Post reveals that, while Focus on the Family had to lay off almost 300 people, they somehow managed to come up with the $2.5+ million to run the anti-abortion ad (not including production costs). On the flip side, CBS won't take any amount of money to run progressive pro-choice ads or gay-rights advocacy. more ›

Frank Henenlotter is the J. D. Salinger of exploitation cinema - a few game-changers and he's gone. Sure, Brain Damage (about a hallucinogenic space worm), Frankenhooker (a romantic retelling of Frankenstein with dismembered hookers) and the Basket Case series (horror-comedies starring homicidal siamese twins) may not be required reading at your local high school, but his latest, Bad Biology, is required viewing at your local Cinefamily. It's a black-humored, black-hearted love story, with an oversized genitalia, an overabundance of clitorides, and more mutant babies than a playdate with Trig Palin. And if that's not enough to get your butt in the seat, Frank himself will make a rare in-person appearance. He'll also be at Burbank's Dark Delicacies earlier in the day, in case you want two signatures before he disappears again. more ›

First hand accounts of what life was like in the old Soviet Union are getting scarcer by the day and are even more so if one is interested in specific historical periods, such as when the infamous Soviet ruler Stalin was in charge. Tonight, the Los Angeles Central Library does its part to keep history alive by hosting a conversation between Suzi Weissman, Professor and Chair of Politics at St. Mary's College, and author/Professor Emil Draitser. Titled Shush! Growing Up Jewish Under Stalin, the discussion revolves around tales of day-to-day life in a Stalinist-era Soviet Union from the perspective of a Jewish child. more ›

Tonight Wilco guitarist Nels Cline (LAist Interview) will be performing at the Mint. Georgia-bred electronic producer/musician extraordinaire Guillermo Scott Herren, otherwise known as Prefuse 73, will be headlining the Troubadour with none other than San Diego-bred DJ the Gaslamp Killer in tow. And, lastly, local indie rockers Red Cortez (LAist Review, #2, #3, #4) will be performing at the Bootleg Theater. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch Ann Arbor's crown jewel, a relatively diminutive post-afrobeat outfit by the name of Nomo (LAist Review, #2). LAist favorites Orgone, a proficient funk troupe that stunned us at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle a few years back, are slated to kick things off. more ›

Homeless musician Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, the subject of the book and film The Soloist, has recorded his first album, and today LA Times columnist and longtime advocate of Ayers Steve Lopez tells the story of the tenuous process. more ›

Nothing can eclipse tonight's premiere of the final season of "Lost" on ABC. The real show starts at 9pm (2-hours long) but it's preceded by a rehash/review "Beginning of the End" show at 8pm in an attempt to refresh your brain (good luck). more ›

All stand-up comedians are comedy writers (so long as their material is original,) but not all comedy writers are stand-ups. A few shows around town spotlight the gap between the two. On such stages, comedy writers read their works and the result a laughing audience. You might've caught such a show at iO West, UCB, or Pinata (at the Bang Comedy Theatre.) more ›

While I still prefer the original theatrical version to Milos Forman's 2002 director's cut, it is still a slam-dunk buy on Blu-Ray today. For those who haven't seen any cut of Amadeus I highly encourage you to Netflix | Redbox | Piratebay it today! And, yes, this means you, Aerish! Zombieland wasn't anything great, but damn if it wasn't a fun time. And does it feature the best cameo ever? Everything about House of the Devil screams 80s horror flick so it only makes sense that it is available on VHS. Hilary Swank typically shows peerless judgment when selecting a film role. Uh, not this time! Jennifer Aniston, on the other hand, usually picks bad parts in bad movies. And she's done it yet again! Adam is worth a look if only because you get to spend a couple hours in the presence of the magnificent Rose Byrne. Hugh Dancy was a tad affected, though, don't you think? more ›

Chamber Music Palisades (CMP) is holding a concert tonight at St. Matthew’s Parish in the Palisades. The concert features guitarist Marth Masters in a program that features Piazzolla’s Histoire du Tango and Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess. 8 pm. Other guest artists include: Roger Wilkie, violin, and John Walz, cello, who’ll appear with CMP Co-Founders/Co-Artistic Directors Susan Greenberg, flute, and Delores Stevens, piano. 8 pm. Tickets are $25; students with ID are free. more ›

Tonight the Shins front man James Mercer will be joining an all-star cast at the Wiltern to benefit Haiti. Local folk troubadour Ferraby Lionheart (LAist Interview, Review) is poised to take on the Bootleg Theater with local singer-songwriter Willoughby in tow. And, lastly, Highland Park's own experimental rockers Seasons will be performing at the Echo with none other than Highland Park-bred post-punk outfit Manhattan Murder Mystery. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch LAist's favorite local singer-songwriters Mia Doi Todd. more ›

This week Brooklyn-based buzz band Yeasayer will be headlining the Natural History Museum with none other than local indie rock outfit Warpaint (LAist Review, #2, #3) for this month's edition of First Fridays. Ann Arbor's crown jewel, a relatively diminutive post-afrobeat outfit by the name of Nomo (LAist Review, #2) are poised to grace Spaceland with Orgone, a proficient funk troupe that stunned us at Bumbershoot Festival in Seattle a few years back. English folk singer-songwriter Laura Marling will be taking on Largo at the Coronet. And, lastly, Brooklyn's own punk rock trio Vivian Girls will be performing at the Smell in Downtown with LA-based lo-fi pop act Best Coast in tow. more ›

We feel that viewers have really lucked out with not only getting "Men of a Certain Age" but with the chance to really explore it more as the series has been renewed for another season. "Men of a Certain Age" airs on TNT on Mondays at 10pm but it seems like a show that might never have been as the pilot of the was shot almost a year and a half ago. It began airing just after Thanksgiving, a strange date to premiere, and it played through most of the holiday season while other shows tend to go on hiatus. more ›

Welcome back from a week of giving to the needy. Now it's time to give solely to yourself, and the greatest gift is the giggles! Get out and see some fantastic improv and sketch shows, even though stand up is ruling this week's calendar (in particular, the network of Improv comedy clubs is just going bonkers - Brea, Irvine, Ontario, and Hollywood all have great line-ups). As always, if you've got a hot tip on a great show, let us know. more ›

A highlight of the interminable 52nd Annual Grammys was Stephen Colbert's award, his first Grammy, for the soundtrack to his hilarious holiday special, "A Colbert Christmas: The Greatest Gift of All." His monologue was the most intelligent banter of the night - it was all downhill from there. From the out of tune singing, to an inability to self-censor for a broadcast audience, a confusing 3D experience, and, the very weak "mosh pit" stage design (3 or 4 "Jersey Shore"-style fist-pumpers?), Tinseltown scored an #epicfail with those and countless other "why?" moments. more ›

Better off Dead celebrated its 25th anniversary at the Aero Theatre in Santa Monica yesterday. In attendance was director “Savage” Steve Holland along with a coterie of stars including Diane Franklin (French exchange student Monique), Curtis Armstrong (snow snorting best friend Charles De Mar), and E.G. Daily (the intoxicating singer at the dance). Sadly, John Cusack, who some think landed his breakout role in this movie, was not in attendance. The rest of the cast, however, provided sometimes illuminating and always funny commentary during the film. more ›

REDCAT presents Paul Chan’s Waiting for Godot in New Orleans: An Illustrated Lecture tonight at 8:30 pm. The artist/activist gives a stirring live presentation about the community art experiment he spearheaded in New Orleans in collaboration with the Classical Theatre of Harlem and the public arts group Creative Time. “Chan and his colleagues staged five site-specific performances of Waiting for Godot in the Katrina-devastated neighborhoods of Gentilly and Lower Ninth Ward, playing to large crowds of local residents for whom the classic Beckett-penned lines rang with fierce immediacy.” Tickets: $9, $7 students and $5 for CalArts students, staff and faculty. more ›