If there's one night you really have to dig down and pony up for the rock it's New Years Eve. Don't ask us why. So today we will put the ticket prices next to each event so you don't get sticker shock when you make your last minute plans. Although the best value appears to be down in the OC, factor in 1) you have to go behind the orange curtain 2) you better get a hotel room 3) you will meet some people who will be there solely to see the lead singer of Dishwalla "perform".

Blondie, Violent Femmes, Soul Asylum, Everclear, Brett Michaels, Buckcherry, Berlin, The English Beat, Thomas Dolby, The Knack, The Tubes, Tommy Tutone, The Romantics @ OC Fair and Expo Center ($85)

Flaming Lips, Gnarls Barkley, Cat Power @ Galen Center ($55)
The Killers @ Paramount Studios ($125)
Giant Maximus - Armin Van Buuren, John Digweed, Sasha @ Downtown LA ($85)
Lyle Lovett @ Disney Concert Hall (two shows 7:30p, 10:30p $53 - $150)
Erykah Badu @ House of Blues ($125)
The Sounds @ Roosevelt Hotel ($100)
REO Speedwagon @ Canyon Club ($68 plus you have to buy dinner)
DJ Quik @ Vault 350 ($50)
Autolux, Dead Meadow @ Little Radio ($50 and include free booze all night)
Mickey Avalon @ Roxy ($50)
Metal Skool @ Key Club ($40)
Wild Child @ Whisky ($20)
Chavez @ Spaceland ($20)
Pop Levi @ Echo ($5)

photo by Andy Carvin

If you're over 30, and closer to 40 (if not older) tonight is your night...

REO Speedwagon @ The Canyon
Blondie @ Key Club
Hepcat @ House of Blues
Mikey Dread @ The Joint
The Gears, Squiddo @ The Scene
Adolescents, Agent Orange @ Galaxy Theater
James Intveld @ Joe's Great American Bar & Grill
The Knitters, Anne McCue, Steve Holberg @ Safari Sam's
Feed the Kity, Chris Paul Overall @ Viper Room
Royal Jelly @ Forty Deuce

In a city so cultured that it boasts not one, but two excellent community college radio stations, Los Angeles doesn't play when it comes to our entertainment dollar.

We've seen it all, most of it was eh, and we're barraged daily by opportunities to see major stars perform so when Joey Lawrence, Lisa Rinna, Drew Lachey and Joey McIntyre, along with 2006 winner Emmitt Smith and loser Mario Lopez, we weren't surprised when people wouldn't pay more than $15 to sit in the cheap seats of Staples tonight. Nor were we surprised when there was so little demand for this half-Staples event.

Could it be because LA didn't even want to see Emmitt when he was a football player either? Update: Frisco seemed to like it.

Mynx; plus, Jenna Riot, Diamond Beats @ Mr. T's Bowl
Blvd., Pop Noir, Blackmarket, Princeton @ The Echo
My Revolver, Killing California, Anglo Jackson @ Alex's Bar
Super Plexi, Still Don’t Know, Hollywood @ Whisky
Onesidezero, Aviatic, Red Snow, Ed @ Roxy
Karisa Winett, Freg Stephens @ The Gig
Faux Foe, Living Dolls @ Lava Lounge
Sally Kellerman @ Genghis Cohen (8pm)
Electric Funeral @ House of Blues
The Southerners, Adjoa @ Viper
Stone Vengeance @ Malibu Inn
Humdinger @ The Mint
Phix @ Fais Do-Do
X Ray @ Safari Sam's

The Delta Spirit @ Spaceland (free)
Bright Light Fever @ Safari Sam's
Ioma, Gabriel's Falling, Moxie Tribe, 4 Star Tribe @ Viper
The Hellzaboppers @ Joe's Great American Bar & Grill
Matu, The Elevaters, Shakespeare, Solomon Cole @ Temple Bar
Digital Fridge, Echoes of a Boundless Life, Cat Fur @ The Scene
Plastic Fate, How I Became Invisible, Natasha Lewis @ Cat Club

Coming up...
Wed: Los Lobos @ House of Blues
Fri & Sat: The Knitters @ Safari Sam's
Saturday: Blondie @ Key Club
Saturday: Adolescents, Agent Orange @ Galaxy
Saturday: REO Speedwagon @ The Canyon

New Years Eve:
Flaming Lips, Gnarls Barkley, Cat Power @ Galen Center (win tickets)
Erykah Badu @ House of Blues
The Killers @ Paramount Studios
REO Speedwagon @ The Canyon
Mickey Avalon @ The Roxy
The Red Elvises @ Rusty's Surf Ranch
DJ Quik, 2ndIINone, AMG @ Vault 350
The Sounds @ Hollywood Roosevet

Blondie, Violent Femmes, Soul Asylum, Everclear, Buckcherry, The English Beat, The Romantics, The Knack, The Tubes, Tommy Tutone, Thomas Dolby, The Colour, @ OC Fair

photo by arabella

Backbiter, The Bob Lee (Black Sabbath Christmas songs), Hot for Chocolate @ Mr. T's Bowl
Kingdom of Ozzy, Seventh Son, Automatic Hotel, Compound X @ Paladino's
Jews & Mexicans, Jet Fuel, Big Tone, Black Fuzz, Space Fuzz @ The Scene
Scissors for Lefty, Last American Buffalo, The Bloody Heads @ Spaceland
Gliss, The Oohlas, The Secret 6, Pop Levi @ The Knitting Factory
The Reyes Brothers w/ Mellow Man Ace and Sen Dog @ Whisky
The Blind Boys of Alabama Christmas Show @ Disney Hall
KNACDC (live heavy metal karaoke) @ Alex's Bar
Slick Rick @ The Vine Street Lounge
Royal Crown Revue @ The Bordello
The Vandals @ House of Blues
Royal Jelly @ Forty Deuce
Quetzal @ The Echo

photo by yblue98

If you are all done with your blatant consumerist pursuits (i.e. Christmas shopping) and you need some karmic balance and a chance to voice your dismay about the current state of immigration reform and the government's decision to send more troops to Iraq, this afternoon's your chance. Get thee to Hollywood & Highland--no, not to pick up a last minute bottle of smellgood at Sephora for your cousin Shayna--but to join in a protest organized by the March 25th Coalition and the International Action Center-L.A. today at 4 p.m.

Although at first thought it might seem a bit off to put together a protest on what will most likely amount to be the busiest shopping day of the year, at second glance it makes perfect sense; sometimes we get so caught up in the presents and treat-eating and parties that we lose sight of the fact that we can be voices for change. So if you're so inclined, tune up your best chanting voice and limber up your sign-carrying muscles, and join in the fray at the corner of Hollywood & Highland this afternoon.

Special Screenings & Limited Releases
Jean-Luc Godard's Two or Three Things I Know About Her opens for a week-long run at the Nuart in West L.A.

Saturday at 7:30pm The American Cinematheque screens a real, live 70mm print of Lawrence of Arabia at the Aero in Santa Monica. See this movie on the big screen the way it was meant to be seen!

Major Releases
The Good Shepherd & The Good German -- I cannot tell these two films apart to save my life. One is about murder and mistresses, and one is about spies and secrets. One is directed by Robert DeNiro, and one is directed by Steven Soderbergh. One is set in 1950s America, and one is set in post-WWII Berlin.

Letters from Iwo Jima -- Clint Eastwood's companion piece to Flags of our Fathers

Night at the Museum -- Ben Stiller whores himself out for what looks to be another family friendly piece of shit

Rocky Balboa -- Rocky Fucking Balboa!

Venus -- Is you haven't gotten your Peter O'Toole fix from Lawrence of Arabia, you can watch O'Toole play an old, old man who falls in love with a stroppy, young lass

Sepultura, Sworn Enemy, Diecast @ Whisky
X-Clan Toy Drive @ Temple Bar
Ozomatli @ House of Blues
Tigra @ Silverlake Lounge
Los Abandoned @ Pershing Square (free, 8pm)
Smegma, Nels Cline, Polar Goldie Cats, Dinosaurs With Horns @ The Echo
The Woolly Bandits, Sons and Lovers @ Knitting Factory
The Bolides, Forcefield On @ Alex's Bar
The Watkins Family Hour @ Largo
The Cave Singers, Moonrats @ Spaceland
Naked & Shameless, Evil Maria @ Lava Lounge
Profusion, Bernards Millions, Tin Horn @ Viper Room
Tha Alkaholis, Leggo, Suspects, Camp Billy @ Key Club
Warner Drive, My Evolution, The Dares, The Bourbon Saints @ The Troubadour
Bastard Ass, ARM, Outtastepp, Politikal Dekline, Fester Youth @ Cobalt Cafe
The Return, Le Mue Le Pur, Last Writes, Coke vs. Bills @ On The Rox
The Foundation, A Third Wish Granted, Allrise, The Purple Gang @ Safari Sam's

Bonus:
Jane Wiedlin, Donita Sparks - Rock n Roll Bingo @ Crane's 1611 N. El Centro Ave., Hollywood

If Dracula were a fairy Godmother, her name would be the American Red Cross. Sure, she does deplorable things like misappropriating financial contributions during times of horrific crises. But, she also does good things, like providing blood to 3000+ hospitals across the country.

Let's focus on the good right now because December is a very rough time for the blood supply. Donations slow down as schools and businesses close for the holidays, but the demand for blood remains unchanged -- every two seconds someone needs blood.

It seems sort of duh when you think about it, but healthy donors are the ONLY source we have for replenishing the supply. And currently only five percent of eligible donors donate. That’s fairly disgraceful. Don’t be stingy with your bloods. You can make more.

Oh, you don’t like needles? I see. Do you like being in a hospital where there isn’t enough blood to treat you for whatever it was that was so serious that it sent you to the hospital?

Don’t be skurrd of the needles, weenie. These volunteers prick people all day; they’re good at it. The whole thing usually takes less than an hour and you will potentially be saving another human being’s life.

Plus, FREE Cold Stone for anyone who presents to donate in the month of December. You could also win $500 (raffle in January). Some of the drives are being held at Cold Stone locations around the greater LA area, but you’ll get a tasty voucher no matter where you donate.

Click here to find a donation center or blood drive near you.
Call 1-800-Give-Life (1-800-448-3543) to make your appointment.

Cold Stone Blood Drive Locations:

12/22 Santa Clarita

12/22 San Clemente

12/23 Anaheim Hills

12/26 Rancho Santa Margarita

12/28 San Pedro

12/29 Orange

12/29 Moreno Valley

Photo by Chris Brookes via Flickr

It's CalArts lore -- and most likely true -- that Tim Burton, an alumnus of the art institute in Valencia (now a neighborhood in the later incorporated City of Santa Clarita), based the setting of Edward Scissorhands on the dichotomy between the blessed cookie-cutter Mormon Los Angeles bedroom suburb and the psychedelic Playboy-rated party art school on the hill. Even today, while Santa Clarita has become more diverse and the school has become less liberal (well, in terms of orgies at least), the juxtaposition is still there.

You're too "out of the box" a man told me on the Red Line subway ride after the dance version of Scissorhands at the Ahmanson when I told him that Matthew Bourne has never excited me as much as Alvin Ailey did or how it didn't interest me in the same way Merce Cunningham can. Of course I liked it "weird", I went to CalArts just like Tim Burton and after four years of composing music for dancers' avant-garde movements, it trained my appreciation for dance a bit differently then the general audience's.

However, as the WeHo man on the subway pointed out, Bourne is for the masses and I agree with that. As everyone left the theatre, they carried a smile that felt like it would take them to the water cooler the next day. And after a standing ovation that forced the cast three bows (maybe it was four), you knew LA was in love.

While I always enjoy my time watching a Bourne dance, I do find his strength in telling a story through movement is like no other. You do not need to see the movie before seeing the dance unless you want to see the small variations in the story. Every emotion and character trait is smacked in your face without saying a word.

In all, Edward Scisscorhands is visually beautiful. From the solid dancers on stage to the Valencia-esque vanilla skies, Bourne will pour LA denizens in and out of the Ahmanson theatre with ease. If it isn't already sold out, best to act fast.

Photo by Bill Cooper

The Farm
If you are done with traditional theatre with stage/actor, seats/audience, tonight is a good night to break that mold. The Farm is an ongoing series of evenings of new, short plays written and directed by local writers and performed in unusual, site-specific settings. This installment includes pieces specifically written for the loft spaces at Bedlam on 6th Street by some of Los Angeles' edgiest writers; an original dance piece created especially for the space by Collective Static; and a live soundtrack by the ground-breaking musical duo Brain Garden.

TONIGHT: 9 p.m. at The loft spaces at Bedlam, 1275 East 6th Street (east of Alameda) Los Angeles, CA 90021. Street parking available and a $5 donation is recommended.

Naked Rhythm
If you like lots of drums and if you like lots of world music, the place to be tonight is The Derby. Naked Rhythm has played private concerts for celebrities like Sting (who endorsed their latest album, Frequency), Robert Downey Jr., The Black Eyed Peas and now it's time to play for LA.

TONIGHT: 11:00 p.m. The Derby, 4500 Los Feliz Blvd. (corner of Hillhurst) Los Angeles, CA 90027. 21+/$10

We got into Machine Project last weekend when we geared up to check out their Object-fied music event, and now we're ready to get in even deeper with them.

Deep frying, that is.

This weekend, Machine Project is hosting their second annual Fry-B-Que, which is all about the glorious communal spirit that only immersing edibles in wicked-hot oil can bring about. The deal is you bring stuff to fry (go traditional and do some potatoes, or go all county fair and bring Twinkies and avocadoes) and hang out with some fine-frying friends. Admission is free, with a $5 charge for all-you-can-fry privleges. Don't worry, their "fryolater technicians" will be standing by with flame-retardants and frying tips if needed. LAist urges you to BYOA--A for apron, of course.

Saturday Dec 16th 7-10pm
The Machine Project
1200 D North Alvarado Street
213-483-8761

Wolfmother, Pink Mountaintops @ Hollywood Palladium
Starsailor, Taylor Hicks, The Like, Peter Himmelman, Lisa Pompaneau @ The Roxy
Fair to Midland (System of a Down's Serj Tankian) @ Whisky
PF Sloan ("Eve of Destruction", "Secret Agent Man") Largo
Twisted Sister, Van Stone @ House of Blues
Vince Gill @ The Wiltern
Lemonsun, Satisfaction, Astra Heights @ The Echo
Lamps, Pierre de Reeder, Junia May & the Hymns @ El Cid
Emma Burgess, Holly Palmer @ The Hotel Cafe
Stephenson Ranch Davidians @ Silverlake Lounge
Horse Feathers, Nik Freitas @ The Scene
Mark deCarlo ("Studs") @ Highland Grounds
The Now People @ Spaceland
Spank Rock @ Safari Sam's

Happy Birthday Create:Fixate! You are 5 years old!

And TONIGHT, in honor of this momentous anniversary, KCRW and The Onion are presenting a massive, one-night-only, art exhibition extravaganza called “Alive in Los Angeles.”

In true Create:Fixate style, this event will include unique, live painting, musical happenings, experimental sculpture, interactive photography, multi-medium displays, t-shirt screen printing, and video installations.

Come early with the fam. Come late with a date. All humans welcome.

SATURDAY, December 9
Create:Fixate -- Alive in Los Angeles (Five year anniversary celebration)
1530 Ivar Ave., Los Angeles, CA 90028
Preview : 4pm - 7pm : $5
Event : 7pm - 2am : $15
(310) 590-7199
www.createfixate.com

Photo by mickipedia via Flickr

If you are not willing to take us up on 365 Plays/365 Days, but are still brimming at the seat to do something other than club it or have a Netflix night, here are two options for tonight and tomorrow.

Friday
We last met John Tejada at Minimalist Jukebox in the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Tonight, he celebrates the 10-year birthday of his record label, Palette Recordings. Presented by Robotnik, Compression will bring together Tejada and Justin Maxwell performing together, Arian Leviste and Daniel Bell (aka DBX; 7th City)

At King King. It starts at 9:00 p.m. and ends at four in the morning, you can get in free if you arrive before 10:00 p.m. or $15 before midnight by e-mailing compression18 (at) robtronik (dot) com before 5 p.m. tonight. Otherwise, it's $20 at the door if there's still room available. Check it out at www.compressionla.com

Saturday
Now onto something completely different. Sound artists Liam Mooney and Bob Bellerue will be performing at The Machine Project. Liam is a must see. Whether he is playing vacuums on drums or throwing metal pipes on the floor, it's always somehow tasteful and brings a smile to the face.

As for Bob, it's just best to copy and paste: "With a background in punk / acid rock, Balinese and Javanese gamelan, and Tibetan Buddhism, he creates extreme sonic experiences to affect awareness and is a specialist at playing things the wrong way and making non-musical instruments sound good."

The free event begins at 8 p.m.

Photo of John Tejada by jp tech girl via Flickr. Photo of Liam Mooney by Wild Don Lewis.

Pershing Square has once again transformed into a frozen wonderland of twisted ankles and bruised tailbones.

This lovely, downtown park spends most of the year as a grassy knoll and concrete potty, but for a few brilliant weeks during the deep freeze of our LA winter, it becomes a glorious, outdoor ice skating rink for the entire city to enjoy.

Hockey clinics, open-air movies, community and family events and live music make this a destination for approximately half a million spectators and skaters each year. The rink is open 7 days a week through January 15th (including Christmas Eve and Christmas Day) and each skate session is 60 minutes. Added bonus, they resurface the ice after each group. Check the schedule for session hours.

Tonight, “Very Be Careful” will be playing a FREE show at 9pm to kick off a series of free Thursday night concerts, co-sponsored by Silver Lake’s musical tastemaker for the tragically hip and johnny-on-the-spot for all things indie, Spaceland Productions, and the L.A. City Department of Recreation & Parks. This weekend, check out the Winter Holiday Festival.

Pershing Square - "Downtown On Ice”
532 South Olive
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(213) 847-4970

$6 Skate Session (discount if you take the Metro)
$2 Skate Rental

Photo by Greg Headly via Flickr

Say it with me… Mary J Blige… Doesn’t it just roll off your tongue with a perfect cadence? Clearly it does to the nominating committee of the 49th annual Grammy Awards. Miss Dancerie is up for 8 golden gramophones, Roxy sweethearts RHCP are nominated for 6 awards, JT is hoping to bring sexy back, Bob Dylan probably doesn’t give a shit that "Modern Times" was passed over for Album of the Year, and I can only imagine that the Dixie Chicks are chomping at the bit to give their special brand of censor-worthy speeches for any of their 5 nominations.

For a complete list of hopefuls in all 108 categories, check out the Grammy website, and weep for the future.

Now where did I put that short list...

Photo by andre via Flicker

Primus, GOGOL BORDELLO @ Palladium
Panic! at the Disco, Bloc Party @ Long Beach Arena
Jon Lovitz @ Laugh Factory
Storm Lee, Shane Mack @ Genghis Cohen
Amos Lee, Mindy Smith @ El Rey
Slightly Stoopid, Pepper @ Wiltern
Tralala, Jim Noir, Annuals @ Spaceland
Waz, Greg Johnson, Jake Coco @ The Hotel Cafe
Disco Biscuits @ Roxy
DJ AM @ LAX
Freshwater Collins, Phillip Sace @ Viper Room
The Colour @ The Troubadour
Mike Stinson, I See Hawks in L.A., Gina Villalobos @ The Scene
Monsters Are Waiting, Deadly Syndrome, Low vs. Diamond @ Safari Sam's

The New Cars, Persephone’s Bees @ House of Blues
Gob Iron @ The Troubadour
Roger O'Donnell (The Cure), Christopher Willets, Haley Bonar @ Spaceland
Spank Rock, Debonair Samir, DJ C-Town @ Safari Sam's
Death Cab for Cutie, Jenny Lewis & the Watson Twins @ Bren Events Center
The Cops, Dead Ponies, Tsk Tsk @ The Scene
Nova Kayne the Great @ Lava Lounge
Wirgo, Garrison Starr, John Eddie @ The Mint
Brandi Shearer, Elizaveta, Marina V, Serena Ryder @ The Hotel Cafe
The Fabulous Miss Wendy, Ekphrasis, Damn Hippie Freaks, The Dizzys @ The Gig
Master Slave, The High Violets, Black Tales, Lady Sinatra @ Silverlake Lounge

The live music scene is so slow today that it's a perfect night to sing some classic tunes. Lucky you, over at the Echo several bands are going to crank out their favorite Smiths & Morrissey songs: Lavender Diamond, the Moon Upstairs, the Sharp Ease, the Tyde, Winter Flowers @ The Echo

Corinne Bailey Rae @ Roxy
James Torme @ The Hotel Cafe
Gary Allan, Jack Ingram @ House of Blues
Chupa Cobra, Fangs on Fur @ Mr. T's Bowl
Mariee Sioux, Casual Fog, The Hills, Kings & Queens, Lee Bob Watson @ Spaceland

...And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead, Blood Brothers @ Henry Fonda
Black Eyed Peas, Ciara, Danity Kane @ Staples Center
RZA (pictured) @ Key Club
Bob Forrest @ Silverlake Lounge (5:30pm, Happy Hour people!)
The Dickies, Agent Orange @ The Knitting Factory
Imogen Heap @ The Wiltern
American Music Club @ Spaceland
Anita Baker @ Gibson
The Fray @ The Troubadour
Fu Manchu, Open Hand, The Substitutes @ Viper Room
The Delgado Brothers @ Cafe Boogaloo
Sara Hickman, Rick Shea @ McCabe's
Tally Hall @ The Echo
Kings & Queens of Jackson Street, Savoir Faire @ El Cid
The Royal Fever, Red Snow, The Mercenaries, The Highest Account @ Roxy