Michael Zampelli

The Los Angeles Derby Dolls' Tough Cookies became two-time champions on Saturday night when they challenged the previously-undefeated Swarm at the packed Doll Factory. Final score: Cookies 107 - Swarm 91....

The 15th annual Vans Warped Tour rolled into Home Depot Center in Carson for the final show of the long summer trek that showcases everything from old school punk rock to the latest screamo bands. It seems like a lot of the older punkers listed on the ads were missing in action, including TSOL, Flipper, Bad Religion, Fear, Pennywise, the Dickies and others. There were plenty of new-age punkers to pick up the slack though,...

Monday nights aren’t normally supposed to be notable. You’re supposed to go to work and catch up on the paperwork that you slagged off Friday afternoon and do your best to wear your stoic face, knowing you’ve got four more days of it. Maybe that’s why Monday night’s show at the Anaheim House of Blues featuring Peter Murphy proved to be a paradox.

Highlight of the show had to be extended mix of "Firestarter". Maxim Reality left the stage and Keith took over like a man possessed. If there were a portion of the show that could be compared to Rock and Roll this was it. I don't think anyone will ever compare Flint to any of Rock Music's great front men, but watching him standing in the middle of the stage and whipping the crowd into a frenzy, I couldn't help but think the pale skin and blond hair echoed a tougher, sharper version of Johnny Rotten.

The 26th Annual Long Beach Lesbian & Gay Pride Celebration happened over the weekend, and along with it came the Sunday parade that runs along Ocean Boulevard for a mile or two to the main event at the Marina Green Park and Rainbow Lagoon. Many of the participants are from family service organizations and churches, along with local businesses who dress up for a celebration of diversity. Thousands of locals lined the streets in what's...

Along with the world-class Indy Cars there were other races, including the Firestone Indy Lights, Team Drifting, Speed World Challenge and the American Le Mans Series that pits state-of-the-art BMW's, Acuras, Porsches etc. against one another. Huge crowds filled the stands on Sunday for the final event and were treated to some beautiful weather and intense competition as Dario Franchitti's Target car took the big prize.

Highly-anticipated sets by Metro Station, Fall Out Boy, Taking Back Sunday, the Deftones and dozens of others were delivered with great sound and clock-like precision as the two main stages ping-ponged back and forth, leaving only a few seconds of silence between acts. The artists followed through with great performances and plenty of reconizable hits and classics in the mix. Metro Station's "Shake It" and Ashes Roth's "I Love College" represented some of the current hits as nostalgic performances from the Deftones, Adolescents and Vandals dished up some old classics,

The multi-Grammy-winning rapper kept the crowd standing for the entire show by cranking out hit after hit, accentuated by elaborate stage pyrotechnics including fire blasts, smoke and plenty of amazing dancing.

The 28th Annual Ragga Muffins Festival in Long Beach was a celebration of the diversity of Reggae Music. From the classics by legendary performers like Michael Rose (formerly of Black Uhuru), the Wailing Souls and Lee "Scratch" Perry to the electronic doodlings of Heavyweight Dub Champion to the near Hip-Hop stylings of K'Naan, there was something for everybody. Despite the wide range of reggae stylings, the message was universal --- "Love One Another"! (Well, that...

Story by Sheri Zampelli Valentine's celebrations started early this week at the Mayan Theatre when Lucha Va Voom came to town with a "Super Sexy Show". There was something for everyone including female dancers the likes of Bonita Labelle and Cherchez Lafemme who shook their hips and tassle-covered breasts in synch with exotic music. There was Roxy Roulette, a man on a pogo stick who stripped down to his skiveys then took off three pairs...