Southwest Airlines is building up quite the track record for kicking passengers off planes based on rules that seem to be created on the spot. Within the past year and a half, they've booted Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong for wearing baggy pants, and Kevin Smith for taking up too much space in his seat. more ›

When you send out a press release about a "secret" gig, things aren't so secret anymore. Such is the case with Green Day, the chart-topping rockers who are expected to play a teeny-tiny club-sized benefit show in Costa Mesa Thursday night. more ›

As hard as it may be to believe, punk rockers Green Day have been around for over two decades. Since their rise to prominence in the early 90's and onward, their sound grew to define a generation and with each change in the soundscape and musical environment they have not just survived but thrived. Their latest round of success is no different as they are riding the wave of last year's smash release 21st Century Breakdown and the current Broadway adaptation of 2004's American Idiot. As they wind down nearly two years of constant touring and sold out venues worldwide, Billie Joe Armstrong and Co. made sure that Southern California and the greater Los Angeles Area (ok it was really the OC) were treated to one more of their patented rock and roll extravaganzas. more ›

Tonight Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand are poised to perform with Green Day at the Forum. Nashville-based alternative rock super-group the Dead Weather are poised to take LA by storm, playing at the Wiltern with none other than Tyvek. And, lastly, local indie rockers Army Navy (LAist Interview, #2, Review) will be performing at the Troubadour with the Shys and Eastern Conference Champions. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland (surprise!) to catch Highland Park-bred rock outfit Mellowdrone. LAist favorites White Arrows are slated to kick things off. more ›

This week Nashville-based alternative rock super-group the Dead Weather will be taking LA by storm, playing both the Wiltern and the Mayan Theatre with none other than Tyvek. Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand are poised to perform with Green Day at the Forum and then by themselves at the Hollywood Palladium. Legendary Brazilian psychedelic rock act Os Mutantes will be performing at the Echoplex. And, lastly, NY-based experimental folk rock outfit Akron/Family will be taking on the El Rey Theatre with Howlin' Rain and Lucky Dragons. more ›

Tonight legendary East Bay punk rockers Green Day will be headlining a sold-out show at the Henry Fonda Music Box. Local hip hop duo Brother Reade (LAist Interview, Review) is poised to grace Space 15 Twenty with none other than Illa J, the younger brother of late producer James Yancey (aka Jay Dee, J Dilla). And, lastly, LA-based indie rockers Fol Chen will be headlining the Echo with Kárin Tatoyan and Wait.Think.Fast in tow. But we strongly suggest heading over to Spaceland to catch the phoenix that rose from the ashes of Page France, Cumberland, Maryland-based indie folk act Cotton Jones. LAist favorites the Parson Red Heads (LAist Review, #2, #3) are slated to kick things off. more ›

The Roxy is leading the way as a club using web 2.0 to promote what it does best -- good times with good music (their use of Twitter has huge genius potential). This above photo is from their Flickr page, a great way for any organization to publicly document what they do. more ›

Okay, so in case you haven't heard, Green Day now has a new side project to tack onto the list, right smack under The Network. (You remember the Fembot song. Billie Joe's vocals did sort of give them away, but it was still exciting.) This one was reportedly leaked in a Green Day blog (are we talking "The Idiot Club" or what? I can't get in there, you have to pay), and is titled Foxboro... more ›

So I'm sort of a musician and a writer, albeit aspiring, who after feeling like a misfit among yuppies that I continually ran into in the South Bay where I grew up, was thrilled to finally make the move into L.A. a couple years ago, specifically Koreatown and then Los Feliz. Finally, I was free to wear whatever the hell I wanted to wear, and not get hostile looks from people (I once wore an American Idiot shirt in Manhattan Beach, frankly just because I needed to do laundry, and received glares from every soccer mom I passed. ...Because Green Day are sooo controversial). Finally, I was not the only person alive who had heard of The Kinks. Finally, there were other options for live shows than hardcore punk and reggae. (I'm not dissing either; it was just limiting.) more ›

Last night I headed to Silverlake to see The Like at Spaceland. Z, Charlotte, and Tennessee have been playing together for about six years now. They started playing together when they were fifteen and are finally old enough to order drinks at the venues where they perform. As I watched them debut a series of new songs, it got me to thinking about how many kids I meet in LA that love rock music. Seventh... more ›

I don’t believe in spoilers, I just believe in me. And Homer. While The Simpsons have never faded from public view, the last few years have seen their franchise popularity wane ever so slightly; their eighteen year marathon hitting something of a plateau. So when I first heard murmurs of a feature film, my worst fears surfaced -- What if no one cares about The Simpsons anymore? What if the entire campaign gets ignored... more ›

Last night we went to the Knitting Factory’s punk rock cover band night. Going to all-ages shows with little modern punks always trips me out. I don’t mean Green Day punks or whatever the hell they are calling punk this week. I mean kids who put on a costume of what we were wearing back in 1981. They mix it up with some new wave and metal crap that would have branded them a poseur... more ›

Monday Night Football brought some love to New Orleans the day after yesterday as the city re-opened the Super Dome. It was an emotional evening that was kicked off by some pretty amazing musical performances including a medley by U2 and Green Day which really got interesting after the 4-minute mark, so bear with Green Day...... more ›

In the mid 80s LAist pumped gas at the Union 76 on Santa Monica and Beverly Glen right near Century City. more ›

If you are the type to look for great music at a low price called free, where were you last Monday? There was not only 4 hours of music; there was free pizza (a gift from The Lashes in the middle of their set) and a guy in a monkey suit telling horrible jokes of loneliness that actually might make you laugh (or maybe not). more ›

After a long day, there is just something about going to see a jam band that this little Laister loves. Trade in those hipster duds, layered clothes, clunky jewelry, tucked-in boots for a little cordoroy and Birks. Drink a micro-beer. Check out all the boys in their Patagonia and Ben & Jerry’s long-sleeved T-shirts. Close your eyes and just sway to the music man. At least that was the scene Thursday night at the Phix show at The Knitting Factory. As in get your PHIX of PHISH. Yes a cover band, one of the best and very much worth your time. Who knew there were so many hippies with one-hitters in Hollywood? Brought out the Vermonter right from my little heart. more ›

Sample these tracks and let us know what's in your iPod playlist this week.

Los Angeles playwright John Glore is the author of The Company of Heaven and On The Jump, among other works. His most recent piece, Preludes and Fugues, is currently playing at the Son of Semele ensemble theatre in Silver Lake. (Laist reviewed it here.) Preludes and Fugues explores the pathological, bizarre and beautiful dreams of four frustrated musicians the night before a concert. Glore has had his plays produced nationally, including at South Coast Repertory, Actors Theatre of Louisville and Berkeley Repertory Theatre. He was the dramaturg for Center Theatre Group from 2000 to 2005 and before that was the literary manager at SCR for 15 years. He has recently become the Associate Artistic Director of SCR. more ›

TUESDAY more ›

Tuesday is the biggest day of the week for audiophiles. We're like kids in
a candy store. In the spirit of that dizzy euphoria, we're launching our weekly
guide to what's hot and what's not. Since LAist is an online entity, our primary
focus on Tuesdays will be digital downloads. Why? We think digital is the
future of music. For instance, Warner Music recently announced plans for a
digital label, dubbed Cordless; Apple, Cingular and Motorola teamed
up to make ROKR; and iTunes now
offers digital liner notes for many of the albums in its catalogue. If video
killed the radio star, then digital music is the successor to the aging MTV.


What's Hot:

The best-selling digital singles this week were Kanye
West's Gold
Digger,
Fall Out Boy's Sugar,
We're Goin' Down, Black Eyed Peas' My
Humps,
Missy Elliot's Lose
Control and Green Day's Wake
Me Up When September Ends.*


Online Exclusives:

Over at iTunes, you can pre-order Fiona
Apple's long-awaited Extraordinary
Machine, Sheryl Crow's Wildflower, Franz
Ferdinand's You
Could Have It So Much Better, and Depeche
Mode's Playing
The Angel. If you purchase the Depeche Mode album, you're also
eligible for an exclusive pre-sale for their forthcoming tour.


What's New:

• Blonde from Fargo released Only in It for the Blondes.
• Valentin Ceja released Valentin Ceja y Su Rock 'N' Banda.
• George Clinton released Best of George Clinton Live.

As proud punks at heart, Green Day have never shied away from speaking their minds. Their new single Wake Me Up When September Ends is no exception. The Bay Area band and KROQ favorite is causing waves with an artsy, anti-war music video. [watch: Quicktime 7 | Windows Media] more ›

If you're an Angeleno brave enough to venture outside in the cold tomorrow, there are good times to be had. more ›