Jeremy Oberstein

It's been exactly one generation since Wilco first formed from the ashes of alt-country mavens Uncle Tupelo. Fifteen years and seven albums later, through an often tumultuous and at times heartbreaking run, it seems Wilco has finally learned to relax. Gone is the tortured soul of lead singer Jeff Tweedy,... continue reading on LAist

Willow Geer (L) and Thad Geer (R), as Imogen and King Cymebline in the Theatricum Botanicum's run of Shakespeare's Cymbeline | Photo by Ian Flanders. Thirty-minutes before the opening performance of Cymbeline at Theatricum Botanicum, a quartet of Shakespearian carolers serenaded the soon to be audience. Dressed in their... continue reading on LAist

Wilco, from left: Glenn Kotche, Mikael Jorgensen, Jeff Tweedy, Nels Cline, Pat Sansone, John Stirratt | Photo by Autumn De Wilde As Wilco prepares to unveil its seventh studio album, the soon to be released "Wilco, (The Album)," the band is barnstorming across the U.S. and world. Earlier this... continue reading on LAist

There is something immensely comforting about residencies - month-long appearances by bands at a relatively small venue. By their very nature, they imply homeliness and a familiarity that is both welcoming and calm. The shows, for example, are almost always free and the headlining band, via their month stay, has... continue reading on LAist

At first glance, the pairing of Great Northern and Dears seems like an unlikely duo to grace the same stage. While Great Northern are based in L.A., The Dears call Quebec home; one features a female lead singer who exudes grace under fire, while the other is fronted by a... continue reading on LAist

The epicenter of the quake was in Lennox, 10 miles from Downtown Los Angeles Now, hasn't it just been too quiet in Southern California? Were you not just asking about when the next earthquake was going to hit? We have our answer. A 4.7 (originally estimated by sensors as... continue reading on LAist

The Heartless Bastards, featuring Erika Wennerstrom with drummer Dave Colvin (L) and bassist Jesse Ebaugh (R) I Photo via the band. Erika Wennerstromon is an enigma. Raised in Ohio, the lead singer of The Heartless Bastards now resides in Austin, where she writes the music she herself has trouble... continue reading on LAist

L.A. Times beat writer Dylan Hernandez (with blue lanyard around his neck) and other reporters interviewing Joe Torre at the Dodgers Spring Training complex in Glendale, Az. Dylan Hernandez, the 28-year-old Dodgers beat writer for the Los Angeles Times, is set to embark on his second full season covering... continue reading on LAist

Reason's NCAA picks, chosen mostly at random with absolutely no input from college basketball experts. Her name is Reason and she is not quite 10 years old. In fact, if you ask her, she'll tell you she is 9-and-a-half, which bodes well for her ability to keep a close... continue reading on LAist

Unlike Randy Wolf, I put a lot of stock in the sentimentality of Dodger history. To be fair, the newest Dodger starting pitcher and Southern California native clearly cherishes the memories of watching the 1970's Dodgers during his most formative baseball years as a teen pitcher at El Camino Real... continue reading on LAist

Dodger Thoughts blogger Jon Weisman Jon Weisman, like many of us, wears many hats. A former reporter for the Daily News, Weisman, 41, is now a full-time editor for Variety Magazine, Dodger blogger and father of three. By his own admonition, it is a tough balancing act made even... continue reading on LAist

Thousands of people wait to enter through a security checkpoint at 7th Street to attend the Inaugural celebration on the National Mall (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster) Left the house this morning at 6 a.m. (that's 3 a.m. in California). The streets were already teeming with inauguration goers. There was a... continue reading on LAist

A Metro fare ticket | Photo by Jeremy Oberstein/LAist With one day left until Inauguration Day, thousands of constituents fanned out among hundreds of congressional offices Monday to collect their prized Golden Ticket to today's swearing in. 240,000 tickets were handed out by Congress, but hundreds more pressed their... continue reading on LAist

View Larger Map LAist contributor Jeremy Oberstein is traveling east this weekend for the 2009 Inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama. What makes this trip different from the estimated two million slated to converge on the National Mall? He and two other Angelenos are making the trip by car, driving a... continue reading on LAist

View Larger Map In less than 24 hours, your LAist Inauguration 2009 correspondent will set off on a mad dash toward Washington, D.C., along 2,870 miles of this nation's most barren and beautiful landscapes. Through 10 states and four highways, I and two other Angelenos will drive toward a massive... continue reading on LAist

Tomorrow, Los Angeles's own Rep. Henry Waxman will begin his reign as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee when Congress inaugurates its 111th session. Waxman, who bested Detroit Rep. John Dingell in a congressional death match for chair of the powerful committee, faces a daunting shopping list... continue reading on LAist

At 45 years old, Charles Phoenix has achieved a sort of legendary status in Southern California and beyond. Though he is well known for his Disneyland tours of Los Angeles, Phoenix has toured this country in search of the kitschiest cities and most vibrant offenders of class. His travels have... continue reading on LAist

Hours after officials conferred the presidency upon Barack Obama, an agent of change in what could be a new era of American politics, millions around the state celebrated the win with a bittersweet tinge, recognizing that a majority of voters had dismissed the right of same-sex couples to marry. The... continue reading on LAist

LAist Editor Zach Behrens, from his Sherman Oaks polling place: "I have never waited more than a minute at this location but this looks like a 20 minute wait, maybe more. We'll see."... continue reading on LAist

Reader Gina Piccalo writes from Echo Park: Hi there. Just wanted to let you know - I waited in line for 30 minutes at the Allesandro polling spot alongside about 40 other (mostly hipster) neighbors. By 8:30, the machine that tallies the ballots had jammed and the polling staffer took... continue reading on LAist