Koga

"It's one of the shows I actually enjoy attending," blogged Bobbi Starr. "There's no pretension there and people are there to have a good time. The fact that there's an awards show and that you might win a heart-shaped wooden trophy is a secondary, possibly tertiary, concern. The awards usually unwind like this: the assorted members of the porno-American community slowly make their way to the venue, hang out by the bar, become increasingly drunk and by the time the show starts, no one pays attention."

Winner reaction was one of elation among many, tempered by humility. "'This is so amazing. I can't believe I won Female Performer of the Year,'" Andy San Dimas told XBIZ. "'I'm just happy to be doing what I do. I just showed up and did my best. I'm kind of speechless to be honest, but this is a great day,'" Male Performer of the Year winner Tommy Gunn confided.

Earlier this month, the local adult business publication XBIZ held its ninth annual XBIZ Awards at the Hollywood Palladium. Hosted by Jesse Jane and comedian Whitney Cummings, the show awarded 106 prizes in five categories (Movies & Production, Web & Tech, Pleasure Products, Retail & Distribution, and Special Recognitions).

Thousands of miles, 12 set visits, 4 award shows, 2 conventions, 2 colleges, and 1 benefit. Those were the statistics for LAist last year in covering the adult industry, headquartered in the San Fernando Valley.

This past Saturday, the Third Annual Manimal Festival was held at Pappy and Harriet's Palace in Pioneertown near Yucca Valley, with performances by Diva (BlackBlack, Pocahaunted), Halloween Swim Team, Religious Girls, Gangi, Kenneth Pattengale, Sister Crayon, Dreamtapes, Love Grenades, Dante vs. Zombies, Afghan Raiders, Papercranes, Swahili Blonde, Aska (Moonrats), The Like, Amanda Jo Williams, Juliette Commagere, St. Clair Board, TEARIST, and Jeffertiti's Nile.

There's no question that FYF Fest promoter Sean Carlson can assemble a musical lineup that arguably rivals or even surpasses many of the longstanding festivals, including the Sunset Junction Street Festival. But will this year's problems be resolved next year?

"This year we hit a few growing pains. We can and will overcome these issues and continue to organize this festival that supports independent music in Los Angeles," FYF Fest promoter Sean Carlson wrote in an e-mail sent last Thursday to his e-mail list.

Earlier this month, the seventh annual FYF Fest took place at the LA State Historic Park near Chinatown, and while the numbers -- 37 bands across three stages with 17 comedians and an estimated 20,000 attendees -- are impressive, the consensus among many was how disorganized the event was, as exemplified by tweets like "FYF = fuck you fans fest," "Almost 3 hours to get into @FYFFEST = FAIL," "@FYFFEST is like a hipster concentration camp," "Hey @fyffest maybe you wouldn't run out of water if you let us bring some inside. It's only 95 degrees. Jus sayin'," and "Fuck lines fest more like @FYFFEST."

Dengue Fever at the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival -- also see photos from 2008 (Koga/LAist) Last weekend, the 12th Annual Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival (aka "LobsterFest") was held at the Ports O'Call Village in San Pedro. As Losanjealous noted, this festival is the only one of the three held this month that has programmed their live musical entertainment beyond tribute bands, and this year's edition, curated by Mr. Shovel from...

John Doe confers with Exene Cervenka after a cruise ship interrupts their set at the Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival -- also see photos from Saturday (Koga/LAist) As mentioned previously, the 12th Annual Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival (aka "LobsterFest") was held last weekend at the Ports O'Call Village in San Pedro. For Kevin Bronson from Buzz Bands, the highlight of Sunday's musical lineup -- consisting of Devon Eisenbarger, Tijuana Panthers, Walking...