a Guest Blogger

Believe it or not, Halloween's right around the corner. Isn't that right Mr. Bones? / Photo by Atwater Village Newbie via LAist's flickr pool. by Mindy Magaña It's almost the end of October in LA LA land and we know you're counting down the days until Halloween! Here are some festivals to help you prep for the Great Pumpkin's arrival: Enjoy the last night of Diwali 2008. The Indian New Year Festival of Lights...

While The Ting Tings were headlining the Wiltern Tuesday night, LAist left the multi-act show being mesmerized by Santogold, the funky lady-pro from Philly who stole the show. Three preceding acts were all in enjoyable in their own right: LA-based Low v. Diamond, who were definitely worth showing up early for; Alice White, whose soulful croonings stirred the growing cattle crowd; and indie-pop's married twosome, Mates of State. But after these great opening acts,...

We want to make sure you pack your schedule with as many cool events as possible this October...so here's a few festival picks for this weekend. PasadenART Head down the 134 and cultcha yourself at this cleverly named event...you get to see Pasadena + Art. The three-day event kicks off this Friday with 'Art Night' where 11 museums in the area open their doors after hours, free to the public. The weekend includes live rock,...

September is here, which means a slew of great residencies around town are launching their first week. That's right, people. Rock shows for free! What a magical concept. In a town where there are so many great acts to go and see the LAist will try and guide you through the best of the best. This week we're featuring Olin and the Moon an amazing up and coming local alt-country act. Blending classic gritty country...

Photos and post by Matt Cohen Thousands of die-hard fans packed Rainbow Lagoon Park on Saturday and Sunday for the 29th Annual Long Beach Blues Festival. Blues lovers were treated to performances by legends Chuck Berry, Taj Mahal, Pinetop Perkins, and other headliners on the main stage, while local favorites Johnny Mastro & The Mama's Boys, The Average Johnsons and The Robert Francis Band and more kept the vibe alive on the second stage....

Submitted by Brooke Burton/Food Woolf Bar Pintxo, the Spanish love child of Chef Joe Miller (of Joe's in Venice) offers tapas and main courses just seconds away from the beach. With the help of a few glasses of crisp Spanish wine (try a zesty Albarino or a salty Txakolina by the glass), a plate of grilled whole shrimp in a rustic, garlic and citrus sauce (gambas al ajillo) or lamb chops in a chorizo crust...

Saint Motel plays at Spaceland tonight | Photo by skampy via Flickr It is not often you see a gaming trophy being hoisted onto the stage of the Viper Room. Staring deep into the eyes of a dead deer, I asked the young man standing in front of me again, "You said you shot this yourself?" Lead singer A/J Jackson just smiled at me and joined his band mates, lugging some small trees on...

Photo by Emily Ibarra via RX Bandits' MySpace The RX Bandits, everybody's favorite progressive/reggae/rock band from Long Beach, are back in town. Playing two nights at the Troubadour, this is the perfect opportunity to whip out your dancing shoes and skank your way onto the dance floor. Their explosive live show will blow you away. I first saw them when I was sixteen and haven't gotten over it since. We caught up with Steve...

LA is the home of the strip mall. You can't go more than a two blocks without finding a slab of concrete sprinkled with a mash-up of unrelated storefronts and an ethnic restaurant that delivers its country's culinary traditions in Styrofoam and plastic containers. For the person whose recycling container holds more to-go containers than grocery bags, there will always be another Los Angeles strip mall ethnic restaurant to try. But for those of us...

Going to the Warped Tour is kinda like a combination between going to Disneyland and Las Vegas in the same day. A crowd of people, young and old converged upon Home Depot Center in Carson for the final show of the tour then scattered in all directions once the gates opened. The choices included watching a live band at one of nine stages or visiting one of many swap meet style vendor booths to buy...