Try hard and you might get this hang loose feeling from checking out the Hawaiian Fest in Northridge Photo by bhollar via Flickr Annual Northridge Ho Olau lea (Hawaiian Fest) Say Aloha to the the 50th state with a taste of the food and fun of Hawaii. Lots of Hawaiian shirts and grass skirts, vendors with all sorts of goods, fresh floral leis, loads of food (shaved ice!!!!), and beer. Luckily it won't be......

The Flight of the Conchords play two sold-out (boo!) concerts this weekend via their MySpace page There are two upcoming music fundraising events of interest. At King King on Sunday, Ben Lee, Crash Kings and DJ David Roberti will all play a benefit concert to raise funds for a school that will serve the children of the Tashirat Orphanage and the impoverished children in the surrounding community of Tepoztlan, Mexico. Enough funds need to......

This week's Sepulveda Blvd explosion took the life of firefighter Brent A. Lovrien, and as the LAFD mourns the loss along with Lovrien's friends and family and the city at large, the sacrifice so often made by our firefighters is on many minds. Prior to this week's tragedy, a fundraising event to benefit Fire Family Foundation, which is a non-profit organization that provides "financial assistance to Firefighters, their families and charities that support the fire......

Sunday's Grammy Awards weren't just about honoring the best in music, they were also about supporting environmental awareness and conservancy. And the The Recording Academy® hoped to set the precedent with getting the Grammys to go green. The show itself was produced to have a reduced environmental impact, which, according to their press release, meant that in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) and......

Photo by Ned Raggert via Flickr Those of you still looking for something to do this weekend, who also want to somehow combine this weekend-something-doing with music, leftist politics and dancing are in luck. The feisty internet agitators at Kill Radio are holding another fundraiser, this one at the Echo Curio, Saturday night (January 26 if you're nasty) at 9 PM. For a small donation (just 5 to 10 rapidly devaluing American Dollars,) you'll......

The week in Los Angeles bookish events from Monday, January 7th - Sunday, January 13th. Readings, signings and bookish events this week include Andy Summers, Jami Attenberg, Judith Freeman, Alice Fulton, J.A. Jance and Robert Gottlieb....

After playing Signor Adolfo Pirelli in the recent movie release of "Sweeney Todd", it looks as Sacha Baron Cohen (of Borat fame) might be becoming a choice pick for directors, or maybe just the soup du jour. Steven Spielberg is making an adaptation of the "Trial of the Chicago 7" and Cohen is to be cast as the "self-identified Jewish Road Warrior, communo-anarchist, social and political activist," Abbie Hoffman. The co-founder of the Youth International......

Last night Spoon played alongside Kool Keith at the Henry Fonda Theatre. Need I say more? Oh and it was for a great cause! Both artists rocked out to raise money for the non-profit organization Creative Commons. This was the third time they've held a CC Benefit. Prior CC Benefits featured David Byrne, Gilberto Gil, Girl Talk, Diplo, and Peeping Tom. I had no idea who was opening this special event until I arrived......

Up for a little do gooding and want to meet some good people along the way? Check out Philanthro Productions event at the Cabana Club tonight. Called "STRUT: A PARTY AND FASHION SHOW BENEFIT FOR CAMP HEARTLAND," it's $15 donation at the door. Philanthro Productions is a new company that is working on engaging people to find out how to give back while still having fun. So they throw events around town, you have......

We were all emotionally affected by Hurricane Katrina. And I'm sure we are all frustrated by the lack of progress in rebuilding New Orleans. But like me, you are probably wondering, "What can I do about it?" Well, right now, you can buy a CD or a download. Enjoy some rightous music while doing what's right. Our New Orleans: A Benefit Album This is one of my favorite CDs of all time, with every track......

Quotes of the week: “There are two kinds of people in this world, the givers and the takers. The takers eat better, but the givers sleep better.” – Danny Thomas "A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle." - Benjamin Franklin “The time is always right to do what is right.” – Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Good Art California Design Biennial 2007 August 19 – September 30, 2007 Pasadena Museum of......

The biggest international benefit concert since Live8 Live Aid of all time is ON. The 24-hour affair began around 10 p.m. PDT Friday and concludes late Saturday in Jersey. And we must rock because... why? Whelp... Al Gore said so. Yes, the former Veep who let some derelicts pickpocket his presidency before performing an Academy Award-winning PowerPoint presentation in An Inconvenient Truth is taking green global. Why not turn "can rock 'n' roll save......

I’m a pepper, you’re a pepper, he’s a pepper, she’s a pepper, wouldn’t you like to be a pepper too... Happy, Happy Birthday Dr. Sgt. Pepper, you psychedelic, rock and roll, definitive sonic buffet, you. Download: The Beatles - Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [MP3]......

Richie Hass Benefit featuring: Potion Box, Present Tense, The Freda Rente Band, The Adz, Backbiter, The Amadans, The Richie Hass Band, Vinnie Golia, The BellRays, Mike Watt & the Missingmen, The Marc Mylar Mob, Joe Baiza's Congress, Saccharine Trust, Carey Fosse, The Atomic Sherpas, Fatso Jetson @ Safari Sams 4pm-midnight TV on the Radio @ Henry Fonda Theater Sweet Honey in the Rock @ Royce Hall Fishbone @ Malibu Inn Goo Goo Dolls @......

O.J. to Auction Book Rights After a long string of controversies and cancellations, rights to O.J. Simpson’s If I Did It will be auctioned off on April 17, according to Los Angeles authorities. Freeing the slaves - in Los Angeles Tales of modern day slavery, in LA. And none of these people work for Disney. Benefit Concert For the Midnight Mission The Malibu Performing Arts Center (MPAC) was the place to be on March......

About once a month here in LA there will be a night of rock that is perfect. A night where you really should do yourself a favor and take advantage of the overflowing monkey cup of killer tunes happening in our own backyard. A night so filled with great music that if you don't go outside and listen to the music you should really ask yourself why you a) read this blog b) have......

What happens when you're skateboarding, hit by a car, severely injured and undergo four brain surgeries? In the case of dancer Kim Hagen, tonight a bunch of artists and musicians throw a benefit to help pay off nearly a million dollars in medical bills. If your you, ten bucks gets eight hours of live music, DJ's, and registered for some nice door prizes (like wine tastings, gift certificates and a good bottle of tequila.)......

Morris Day & The Time, SOS Band @ Grove of Anaheim Silverchair @ El Rey Dave Alvin @ McCabe's Torture Garden @ Ivar Mana @ Gibson East of Fairfax, The GGB, MC Bander, Velveteen Robot @ The Gig The Last, The Chairs of Perception, EKUK @ Safari Sam's (6pm) The Knights of the New Crusade, The Shruggs, The Traditional Fools, The Lateenos @ Mr. T's Bowl Yes Me to Death, Veer Right Young Pastor......

In honor of the the 16th International Los Angeles Photographic Art Exposition (aka Photo L.A.) being this weekend I thought I would make sure every photographer, novice to pro, knows about the event. So, here are some details: LOCATION: Santa Monica Civic Auditorium 1855 Main Street Santa Monica, CA 90401 HOURS: Opening Reception hosted by Graham Nash to benefit the Elton John AIDS Foundation Thursday, January 18th, 6 - 9pm Public Hours: Friday, January......

Gay Santiago High student sues principal for outting her - CBS2 Another Denver pastor, buddy of Ted Haggard, resigns for being gay - Seattle PI Orange Line is ruining the Streets of San Fernando - Daily News Bob Barker will fork over $300k (and that ain't peanuts) to move an LA Zoo elephant to a sanctuary - NBC4 Farrah Fawcett has completed treatment for her anal cancer and will now bring aid and tips......

Jagshemash! Borat is a hit. It's getting rave reviews, grossing millions, and definitely the most quotable thing we've seen in ages. But Borat seems to have missed most of the -ist cities, and we were all wondering how the film would have been different if he'd made his way around the world on the -ist tour. In Shanghai, Borat would be observing Inane Learnings of Penis Photos for Make Benefit Glorious Flat World of......

As fall settles in and another calendar page gets turned, thoughts turn from bbq's and vacations to holidays and the realization that '06 is coming to an end. With all that going on, with change in the air, we wonder what is it that made that makes the -ists ponder? Phillyist is concerned that the war on Trans fats could affect it's beloved cheese steak sandwiches, something for which we should all be concerned.......

LAist knows that there's tons of great places to get your grub on in the city, but that many of our budgets don't necessarily afford us the luxury of checking them out. We also know that we're fortunate enough to be able to dine out, but that there's plenty of folks for whom a meal is not a given. Today kicks off two weeks of opportunities for dining out at reduced prices at some......

A Love Ends Suicide - In the Disaster (Metal Blade) Alice Donut - Fuzz (Howler) Audioslave - Revelations (Epic) Beyoncé - B'Day (Columbia) Goatwhore - A Haunting Curse (Metal Blade) Grizzly Bear - Yellow House (Warp) Hem - Funnel Crowd (Nettwerk) Honkytonk Homeslice - Honkytonk Homeslice (digipak; Sci Fidelity) Horse the Band - Pizza (EP; Koch) Iron Maiden - A Matter of Life and Death (EMI) Jars of Clay - Good Monsters (Essential) Jucifer......

God, we're so sick of Snakes on a Plane that we want to kill anyone and everyone that makes a "something on a something" joke. But then we realized that there was no way we could ever win this fight, and, hell, if you can't beat them, we might as well join them. And with that, you have the theme of this weeks' Gothamist network post. Austinist makes it easy for us, with Candidate on......

Tonight 6/26 Tsar, Hawksley Workman - Spaceland (free) T.I. - House of Blues Corinne Baily Rae - Troubador Metal Skool - Key Club Soccer Mom - Viper Tuesday 6/27 Mike Watt (dj set) - Amoeba (free) Be Your Own Pet - Troubador Beck, Jamie Lidell - Wiltern Les Claypool, The Coup - Avalon Slick Rick - House of Blues Flogging Molly - Molly Malone's Hawksley Workman - Temple Bar Il Divo - Greek Wednesday......

Mon 5/22 - Architecture in Helsinki / Tussle @ Troubadour (Sold Out) –Melbourne, Australia’s Architecture in Helsinki are an eight piece indie band. Pitchfork gave their last album an 8.8 and compared them to Fiery Furnaces. They seem like really nice kids and their fanbase keeps growing everytime they play LA. San Francisco’s Tussle makes instrumental dub-dance-indie-electronic music. Download Tussle’s “DiscoD'oro - Munk Remix” Tues 5/23 - George Clinton and Parliament @ House of......

Fri 5/19 - Kelley Stoltz / Irving / The Little Ones @ the Echo ($10) – This is a very strong lineup for the indie pop fans. San Francisco’s Kelley Stoltz put out an overlooked album earlier this year on Sub Pop. He sounded great at the Echo in February, but his set was cut short by a DJ night. Hopefully he won’t be rushed tonight. He writes songs that are informed by all......

We know that by Sunday you may be dog-tired, but this might be the thing to drag you out for one last show. It's a benefit for 4-year-old Fyn Stec, who's been diagnosed with a rare form of liver cancer. Five bands have rallied to help his parents foot the bill for his treatment. There's Listing Ship (pictured) which combines arty songwriting with gorgeous vocal harmonies and an excellent all-girl string section. Death House......

Our best pictures are of The Sugarplastic but we left the Great American Smokeout Benefit Show last night most impressed with Space MTN. Dina Waxman's sad songs about loss and past relationships gone bad mixed with her deadpan banter in between songs were oddly appropriate for this night of jokes and music centered around that most hilarious of subjects: Cancer. The evening began with a short speech by a Doctor from Kaiser Permanente who......