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LAist recently got the opportunity to sit down with Marc Canter, author of "Reckless Road; Guns n' Roses and the Making of Appetite for Destruction." Not only is he still best friends with Slash, but his family owns the infamous Canter's Deli on Fairfax. Over a cup of coffee and some delicious treats from the bakery, we talked with Marc for almost three hours about L.A. in the 80's, his amazing collection of memorabilia, and the rise of one of the best rock bands to come out of Los Angeles. more ›

In order to inspire you to get those last-minute cards in the mail today, here are four very personal holiday messages to and from your favorite musicians. more ›

Earlier this week I made a right turn out of a parking lot in order to avoid waiting a lifetime to make a near-impossible left turn. I found myself on a quiet side street in lovely Toluca Lake, and eyeballed my trusty GPS navigation screen in order to see if the road I'd taken would connect me through to a street I knew would hook me up with Riverside Drive and send me on my way home. more ›

"No, you were just going out of town for the weekend, and I thought, 'What do you do when your girlfriend goes out of town?', you know." more ›

I'm as guilty of this as anyone. I love the city but routinely bitch about the lack of snow or wide open spaces (C'mon, I'm from Minnesota. What is Christmas without a foot of snow to contend with? Over the river and through the woods and all that). So, in the spirit of the holiday, here are 5 things about Los Angeles I'm thankful for. more ›

Ninitendo Wii demonstration units at the 2007 E for All Expo at the Los Angeles Convention Center Nintendo extended an invitation for a female writer from LAist to meet Perrin Kaplan , VP of Marketing for Nintendo at the E for All Expo. I sent my R.S.V.P. and planned to check out the latest games and technology that Nintendo has to offer. Now I should tell you that I know next to nothing about... more ›

Tony, or by his Flickr sobriquet manmadepants, submitted this amazing photo to our Featured Photos Pool. In his own words...I swear on my life this is 100% real. I was walking down the street looking for stuff to photograph and this guy is just sitting outside a coffee shop with this 80 year old woman and he is taking these little sofa things out of a bag. Then he opens another compartment in the... more ›

So I went to see Band of Horses and Dinosaur Jr. a week ago at The Wiltern, mostly to see the former because they have become one of my all time favorite bands, Everything All The Time certainly one of my desert island albums. But I was also excited to see Dinosaur Jr., because, although I have to admit I never heard much of their music, "Feel The Pain" is actually one of my... more ›

Former protégé of super producers The Neptunes, Vanessa Marquez has sang alongside big names like Justin Timberlake, Usher and Nelly. Marquez, best known as the female voice on Timberlake's hit single "Rock Your Body" is on her own and looking to make a name for herself. The Rialto native, who takes the stage tonight at the National Orange Show Fairground in San Bernardino opening for Omarion and Marques Houston, took some time out from a... more ›

A recent study put out in the September issue of Geology has concluded that the Los Angeles basin is in a 1,000 year seismic “lull”. Meaning the era we are living in has smaller and less frequent earthquakes than the Los Angeles area normally has. (Normal referring to the average for the last 12,000 years) more ›

Our feet can all breathe a sigh of relief knowing that this one is behind bars! And our eyes can rejoice at what may possibly be the winner of the greatest mugshot ever! The amazing Smoking Gun has done it once again: more ›

Life is confusing, shrinks are expensive and complaining will make you unpopular. Ask Jen instead. Dear Jen, I own a very successful business, have two kids and a husband and donate much of my time to a charity that I’m very passionate about. The problem is that I’ve always thought of myself as a traveler, it’s truly one of my favorite things to do, but I recently realized that I haven’t left the country... more ›

I was angry and hurt. I said some things I didn't really mean. I used words like "hate" and "twits." I take it all back. The production company that used my street and forced the towing of my car is going to reimburse me. Yesterday I contacted the city and they directed me to FilmLA (as did several LAist readers' comments -- thank you), who gave me the name and phone number for the... more ›

As Guest Day Editor, Siel, a.k.a Green LA Girl, will be joining LAist with a few posts throughout today. Read her interview here and check out her site. Drinking and driving isn't cool -- Which is why I made the logical decision to ditch the car a few months ago. Now, not only can I drink all I want most nights, I also have a few hundred extra bucks for my drink budget each month.... more ›

What in the world is going on? On Tuesday night the Dodgers give up 15 runs to the Phillies, and now on Thursday night the Mets get 13. I was going to write off Tuesday’s game as a fluke. It happens, and the Dodgers just had to forget it and move on. Now I sense some bells starting to ring. Prozac gave up eight earned runs in only three innings pitched. Actually the only... more ›

Now I’ve refrained from saying this, but I’m afraid now is right time for it. more ›

Thomas Suriya of Taos, New Mexico had never painted a mural before, or even a portrait. and yet in 1983 he busted with an iconic Hollywood mural on his first try. Now 24 years later he has returned to LA to give "You are the Star" a touch up. Thanks to a grant by the Hollywood Arts Council, 59-year-old Suriya is back in town to put some life back into a mural that has been... more ›

Free to Be… You and Me is a cult classic for many kids of the 1970's. Gwyneth Paltrow even credits this film as one of her inspirations to become an actor. Hey man, whatever floats your boat. First released in November 1972, and later in 1974 as a television special, "Free to Be...You and Me" featured songs and stories to illustrate and define core values such as individuality, tolerance, and happiness with one's identity. more ›

Throw-The-Kitchen-Sink-In-It Pizza: with Vodka Sauce, Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Garlic, Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Basil, Parmesan, Caramelized Onions, and Olives We've gotta admit, Mozza was great, but Lord knows we can't eat like red-headed Italian kings every day. In fact, even ordering pizza every night tends to add up: $20 per pizza per day for two people over one week? That's over $140, even if you eat the leftovers for breakfast! It's enough to make us want to...I... more ›

Hey, remember when we were all like "Hey LAist peeps! We're moving to Hollywood! In only thirty days! YEAH BABY!" and everything was going great and we got some good tips on movers (Delancey Street) and neighborhoods? And if you'd asked me if thought I was going to be able to make it by July 1st I'd be all like "YOU KNOW IT!!!" Yeah, well, as of eleven o'clock this morning, that was how... more ›

5:09 - Cue Vegas-style dancers and an old people's choir singing songs that are deliberately bleeped out. 5:06 - Sarah on Paris Hilton: "To make Paris Hilton more comfortable in jail, I hear they're going to make the bars of her cell out of penises." Big laughs. "I just worry she'll snap her teeth." Even bigger laughs. Cut to a very unamused Paris Hilton. 5:05 - Sarah announces that Paris Hilton will soon be... more ›

Sex is something that drives us, empowers us and gets us into really stupid situations with people we have no business seeing naked. Jen Sincero is the bestselling author and sexpert with the carnal knowledge you need. Ask her your questions (all are posted anonymously). Cuz there's no such thing as being too good in bed. Dear Jen, I'm 22, pretty, smart, witty and completely fabulous. I've been dating my current boyfriend for almost a... more ›

Every week in Living in Sin, Jen Sincero provides advice to LA's sexually confounded. You can see her column in print in the LA Alternative Press, or have it sent to you every week by signing up for her newsletter. Ask Jen your questions: all are posted anonymously. Dear Jen, I am a 34 year old straight male and I've been dating a woman for just over a year who is 16 years older... more ›

Kirt Kingzett is a real estate broker who is also an actor. If you are lucky enough to have HD cable and watch INHD, he is the co-host of a show called Beer Nutz where they travel the country drinking beer for you. Now that he's back, his car got stolen. 1. Getting your car stolen is obviously not fun. Tell us your not-fun story. A day at the Bitch Beach. So I wake... more ›

Hillary Carlip is a handful. She's an author, juggler, entertainer, and all around prankster. She's just published "Queen of the Oddballs," her memoir about about growing up at celebrity's edge in Hollywood. Independent booksellers selected the book as their Book Sense Pick for May. more ›

Dear Jen, more ›

How many times does this have to happen before someone--like me--snaps? more ›

20 musicians. One composer. 4 months to create, a year to rehearse, and one night of performance. more ›

Readers of the LA Weekly may already be familiar with the party photographs taken by Mark Hunter AKA Mark The Cobrasnake. Mark seems to frequent all the spaces where the young like to frolic and documents their fun on his website thecobrasnake.com. Click through his site, you may see someone you know doing something they shouldn't... more ›