In the 80s, every punker's bedroom wall was papered with flyers from gigs. There were a few bands that always seemed to be at the bottom of the flyer - perpetual openers. Sin 34 was one of those bands. From 81 - 84 they were always there at the major shows, usually somewhere near the bottom of the flyer. They broke up a year before I got to know drummer Dave Markey, guitarist Mike......

Liquid Kitty's annual punk rock BBQs have been such a success, this Sunday they are hosting a special Winter BBQ. What better to chase away the rain than with colorful drinks and hard-core thrash? Some dogs on the grill? Done! And all for the low, low, price of FREE. Liquid Kitty's BBQs are famous for reuniting long-lost 80s classics and this one is no exception. This year is marked by the return of old-school locals,......

Fie upon those who wish downfall upon the Westside! We shall smite thee with our flaming elven sword. (That's how we talk to LAist staffers who aren't behaving; nothing whips a writing team into shape like a little dangerous elf talk.) We will now stop being nerds and give you incentive to visit the Westside. Here are some more happy hour specials that'll make you wish you lived on the beachier side of life.......

The Tangier is hosting Shark Aid and it has nothing to do with saving those sometimes nasty sea dogs. Aaron Finely, a local sound engineer and musician (Rexaquarium, Kennedy, Joe Lies) was attacked by a shark last October, losing a good chunk of his leg. The medical bill is quite steep, so his friends set up this benefit concert to help out (story via Metromix). Lucky for Finely, his friends play great music. Tonight:......

Metal Skool with Kelly Clarkson Wu-Tang Clan @ House of Blues The Signatures, DJ BAD @ Temple Bar Capt. Jeffrey & the Chumbuckets, The Phil Friendly Trio, Darren Stout @ Safari Sam's Devils Playground @ The Bordello LA Jones @ Blue Dog Happenin' Harry & the Hap Tones All Star Band @ The Cat Club The Big Manny Band @ Liquid KItty Metal Skool, Handsome Devil, Eject, Coda Vesta @ Key Club Sumitra @......

2006 Performance of Unsilent Night in SF Unsilent Night @ Pan-Pacific Regional Park Tori Amos @ Nokia Theatre Spank Rock, LA Riots, Steve Aoki @ LAX Ingrid Michaelson @ Hotel Cafe Listing Ship, The Harpeth Trace @ Spaceland Bad Kitty Project @ Lighthouse Cafe The Evangenitals @ Mr. T's Bowl Wayne "The Train" Hancock @ Safari Sam's Ne-Yo @ The Wiltern Part Time Punks @ The Echo Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid Kitty The Spazmatics......

"Knights of Cydonia" - Muse (One of the best videos of the year because we can relate to it via Guitar Hero 3 and we love Western themes. That and it's a great song.) Abstract 3's Armenian Folk Jazz @ The Baked Potato Muse, Feist, Jimmy Eat World, Modest Mouse, Silversun Pickups, Spoon, The Shins @ Gibson Amphitheatre at Universal Citywalk The Cult, The Cliks @ House of Blues - Disneyland Heavy D @......

I am thankful for… Thanksgiving - even though I think it’s a stupid holiday, and I pretty much hate all the food associated with it - for giving me the opportunity to spend the day with family that I love and actually enjoy being around. I am thankful every day that I am able to make a living being creative and doing something I love. (Except for when I’m on strike) I am thankful......

Kelly Clarkson @ Gibson Mika Miko, Jay Reatard, No Age, The Strange Boys @ The Smell Rademacher, Earlimart, Tigers Can Bite You, Karabal Nightlife @ Spaceland Nickel Creek @ House of Blues Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid Kitty The New Christy Minstrels @ Cerritos Center......

Liquid Kitty's 11th Annual Halloween Bash Saturday, Oct 27th 6pm-2am 11780 W. Pico Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90064 (Between Bundy and Barrington) 310-473-3707 Come celebrate Halloween in style with the strongest drinks and one of the best DJs in town. Costume contests. Blue Mask Halloween Party Saturday Oct 27th Doors at 9pm At Mr. T’s Bowl (5621 ½ Figueroa, Highland Park, Ca. 323-256-7561) With: Backbiter Thrills and chills in Highland Park with The Motorcycle......

For the fifth year in a row, Liquid Kitty on Pico has won Citysearch's title of Best Martini in LA. Liquid Kitty harkens back to LA's dark, Chandleresque side, with dim lights and strong drinks. It reminds me of both the rat pack martini bar Olive, and a little bit of Yee Mee Loo's, an historic Chinatown bar. The Hollywood speakeasy feel is enhanced by the lack of any kind of sign out front with......

If you are on the Westside and thinking pastrami, you are probably thinking about Johnnie's on Sepulveda. If you are in South Los Angeles and you are thinking pastrami, you are definitely thinking about Johnny's on Adams. That's Johnny's with a "Y". Two blocks East of Crenshaw, Johnny's is conveniently located just a few blocks off the 10 freeway. This neighborhood stand has been serving up giant, monolithic pastrami dips since 1956. Even though......

The Go! Team - "Grip Like a Vice" The Go! Team @ The Echo The Eagles, Dixie Chicks @ Nokia Theatre Bobby Vinton @ Cerritos Center Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid Kitty First Wave Hello @ Troubadour Boys Like Girls, All Time Low, The Audition, We the Kings @ House of Blues Pierced Arrows, Jail Weddings, Devon Williams @ Spaceland The Go! Team - "Junior Kickstart"......

Rufus Wainwright @ Hollywood Bowl Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid Kitty Def Leppard @ Irvine Meadows The Richard Thompson Band @ Royce Hall The Randies, Girl in a Coma @ Alex's Bar Medeski, Scofield, Martin & Wood @ House of Blues Pitbull, Akwid, Amanda Perez, Crooked Stilo @ Sports Arena Velouria, Swords of Fatima, Third Grade Teacher @ Mr. T's Bowl 5 O’Clock Somewhere, Welldiggers Banquet, The Horsepainters @ The Echo Tijuanos, Monte Negro, Fitter,......

Korn - "Falling Away From Me" Korn, Evanescence, Atreyu, Flyleaf, Hellyeah, Trivium, Droid @ Verizon Wireles Amphitheater M.D.C. @ The Airliner Wanda Jackson/Hollywood Showdown @ The Knitting Factory Beyonce @ The Staples Center The Spazmatics @ Dragonfly Girls Who Rock night @ The Temple Bar Part Time Punks night @ The Echo The Big Manny Band @ Liquid KItty......

For many of us who live east of La Brea, Liquid Kitty is the Westside bar. On Sunday, they held their sixth annual Punk Rock BBQ. Swarms of old-school punks spilled from the super-packed watering hole and out onto Pico, where grills, crammed with hot dogs, hamburgers, and sausage sent smoke wafting high in the hot summer air. Inside, $2 Pabst Blue Ribbon and free music kept the crowd bopping and fist-pumping, and screaming......

John Fogerty, Blind Boys of Alabama, Lowrider Band, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers, James Cotton, others @ Doheny Blues Festival, Dana Point Topanga Banjo and Fiddle Contest featuring Tom Ball & Kenny Sultan, Molly’s Revenge, Peter Feldmann & The Very Lonesome Boys @ Paramount Ranch Embrace the Hate Festival starring Demoncy, Nokturne, Sumeria, Crimson Moon, Incursus, Tenebrous, Legions of Asatroth, Ashdautas, Infinitum Obscure @ Knitting Factory Backbiter,......

Lamb of God, Trivium, Machine Head, Gojira @ The Wiltern The Groovy Rednecks @ Cinema Bar DJ Steve Aoki, DJ AM @ LAX Doc Severinsen Orchestra @ Cerritos Center (3pm) Maze w/ Frankie Beverly @ Grove of Anaheim Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid KItty Another Day Late,Slander, Neverwonder, Red Hot Roxy, Plans to Leave @ The Mint Yes Me To Death, Kissing Cousins, Lyra, The Front, The Color Turning @ The Scene......

Chingy, Lil Scrappy, Lloyd, Cherish, Le Toya, E-40, Rick Ross, T.I. @ Gibson Amphitheater Lucy Lawless @ Roxy Al Kooper @ McCabe's canceled The Whispers @ Grove of Anaheim Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid KItty Jettson, AM Sessions, The Steve Carson Band, The Relay @ Viper Room Talkdemonic, Carolyn Edwards, Candypants, Jeff Merchant, The Sexies @ Spaceland The Nihil, Partial Failure, Joe Finley, Sterocell, The Placebo Effect @ Whisky A Gogo......

Devo, Flock of Seagulls, Bow Wow Wow, Dramarama @ Grove of Anaheim Scritti Politti @ Roxy Pere Ubu @ UCLA Royce Hall Honky (Butthole Surfer JD Pinkus) @ Alex's Bar Banyan (Stephen Perkins, Mike Watt) @ The Mint The Bonebrake Syncopators (X's DJ Bonebrake) @ The Derby Carlos Guitarlos (Of Van Halen's "Top Jimmy" fame) @ Liquid KItty Fright Night, Friday the 13th @ New Beverly......

Roger Waters @ Hollywood Bowl Mariah Carey, Busta Rhymes @ The Pond of Anaheim L.A. Guns, The Cauze @ Whisky Peter Tork @ The Coffee Gallery Backstage (Altadena) Mort Sahl @ McCabes The Black Seeds @ The Vine Street Lounge Two Ton Boa, Thrones, Bipolar Bear, Knight Rider @ The Smell Clear Static, Rome to Paris, Lylah @ Key Club Califone, The Heavenly States @ Spaceland Gil & Jer's Soul Explosion @ Liquid Kitty......

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Blood Brothers @ Hollywood Palladium Donna Summer @ Fairplex Pomona Carlos Guitarlos @ Liquid Kitty Mojave 3 @ McCabe's Taj Mahal @ Vault 350 Adamski @ John Anson Ford The Trashies, The Mormons, The Guilty Hearts @ The Scene Polus, Mezzanine Owls, Benny Strange @ Spaceland photo by godknows via Buzznet......

James Ellroy (reading) @ Skylight Books A Tribe Called Quest @ Wiltern Willie Nelson, Ryan Adams, Neko Case @ Hollywood Bowl Tracy Lawrence @ House of Blues Polyphonic Spree @ The Henry Fonda Carlos Guitarlos @ The Liquid Kitty Jews & Mexicans @ Mr. T's Bowl La Traviata @ Dorothy Chandler Bonnie Raitt @ Santa Barbara Bowl Megadeth, Lamb of God, Overkill @ Hyundai Pavilion photo by the slow wonder via flickr......

The Cramps, Hank Williams III, Drive By Truckers, Dave Alvin, Candye Kane, Nona Hendryx, Richard Street @ Sunset Junction The Smithereens, Susanna Hoffs & Matthew Sweet, The Minus 5, Jefferson Starship (minus Grace Slick) @ House of Blues Faster Pussycat, Stephen Adler, Bang Tango @ Safari Sam's Gotan Project, Zero 7 @ Hollywood Bowl Minion, Hot Wired, Searh Tea, Rock Beats Paper @ Viper Room Nevermore, Agent Steel, Scarred, Cage, Nuclear Winter @ Knitting......

Unless otherwise noted, all shows are free of charge. SUNDAY, 11/13 The Angeli Duo perform for LACMA's Sunday Live series. The concert begins at 6 PM in LACMA's Leo S. Bing Theatre. For info, call (323) 857-6234. Catch acoustic blues from Nathan James and Ben Hernandez at Café Boogaloo. The show starts at 8 PM. Call (310) 318-2324. Jazz saxist Louis Van Taylor performs at Hal’s Bar & Grill at 8 PM. For information,......

Unless otherwise noted, all shows are free of charge. SUNDAY, 10/30 Songa Lee-Kitto, Su-a Lee, and Chie Nagatani perform for LACMA's Sunday Live series. The concert begins at 6pm in LACMA's Leo S. Bing Theatre. Call (323) 857-6234. New Valley Symphony Orchestra performs Puccini’s La Bohème with vocalists from Opera of the Foothills and L.A. Lyric Theater at 1:30pm. The show is not free, but the proceeds benefit free concert series at Forest Lawn’s......

Music is the best elixir to kick the proverbial autumnal malaise. Don't let the shorter days or dipping mercury get you down. Check out these free local gigs instead. SATURDAY, 10/1 DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White of Part Time Punks continue their residency at MOCA. The show starts at 6pm. It's free with general museum admission. Call (213) 621-1734. The Groovy Rednecks play at S.W. Hill Country at 6pm. Call (323) 256-2500. Sean......

Autumn officially starts this week... what better way to chase away the 5-degree temperature fluctuation than some hot music? Unless otherwise noted, all performances are free. SATURDAY, 9/17 Listen to Molly Howson & the Grits, Bucksworth, Skeeter Truck, Kingsizemaybe, Soda & His Million Piece Band, King Straggler, and 50 Cent Haircut at the Third Street Farmers Market at 3pm. For details, call (323) 933-9211. DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White of Part Time Punks......

The days are getting shorter, but that's no excuse to stay at home. Have fun without emptying your pockets. Unless otherwise noted, all performances are free. SATURDAY, 9/10 Shakti Foundation presents a program of classical Indian music and dance at the Torrance Cultural Arts Center at 6pm. Call (310) 781-7171. DJs Michael Stock and Benjamin White of Part Time Punks continue their two month residency at MOCA at 6pm. Kinky takes the stage at......