Michael Zampelli

Story: Sheri Zampelli Saturday night's Los Angeles Derby Dolls bout was an unfolding series of unique derby experiences. Yes, there was the normal spectacle: Krissy Krash and Tara Armov taking skaters to the rail, jammers slipping through the pack and plenty of falls in the infield. The announcers set a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek tone and the DJ pumped out a high-energy soundtrack. However, this weekend's conclusion was so unusual that first-time attendees probably thought it was...

LA's own Rosemary's Billygoat manage to be unique in a city that's seen it all. On Saturday night at the Doll Factory they displayed their over-the-top theatrics, reminiscent of Gwar, the Residents or Peter-Gabriel-era Genesis. Their outrageous showmanship combined with their infatuation with all things Satanic results in an eye-opening and ear-shredding experience. The electric chair, pizza of death and casket stroller are not all that make Billygoat so special. The music... the songs... the...

The Kings were riding a comfy 3-0 lead late in the second period on Thursday night, and were ready to cruise to a victory, but they didn't account for Anaheim's Bobby Ryan. The rookie who began his season in the minors and was called up in November put on a clinic, scoring a hat trick (three goals) against Kings goaltender Jonathan Quick in the span of 2:21 to set a new franchise record and also...

The Kings newest goaltender, Jonathan Quick, continued his stingy ways during his fifth NHL start by holding the Atlantic Division leading Philadelphia Flyers to just one goal on Saturday night. Scott Hartnell scored the lone tally for the Flyers three minutes into the middle period, but was matched by rookie Wayne Simmonds during a Kings' power play late in the period. The game stayed tied through overtime and resulted in a shootout. The Kings traded...

Is it Christmas?...

by Sheri Zampelli "It's about time the Jews win," said a roller derby fan while leaving Saturday night's match between the L.A. Ri-Ettes and Santa's Little Helpers. The L.A. Ri-Ettes are "A-team" skaters chosen from the Los Angeles Derby Doll league. They adopted a Jewish theme for the evening wearing blue t-shirts and sporting a star symbol with a skate in the middle. Fans and Derby Doll volunteers put stickers with menorahs and dreidels on...

Loud neon fashions and iconic 80's skaters including Tony Hawk and Christian Hosoi collided head-on for a nostalgic day at the Quiksilver Headquarters in Huntington Beach on Saturday. Skating legend Tony Hawk participated in his first competition in eight years and showed that hasn't lost a step by winning the contest with style. Not just style, but class, as he forfeited his $1,980 winnings by giving $200 to each non-placing competitor. There was a fashion...

The ESPN Zone in LA Live is the newest establishment in the entertainment complex adjacent to Staples Center that continues to evolve. As the adjoining massive Ritz-Carlton high rise is being covered with mirror-like glass, the various clubs and eateries in it's shadow are opening one by one. The Nokia Theater was first, and more recently Club Nokia and the chic Lucky Strike bowling lanes opened their doors. ESPN Zone sits on a prime location...

by Sheri Zampelli Fans lined up outside Fingerprints in Long Beach an hour in advance for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to jam with a rock star. Meanwhile, Rivers Cuomo and his Batman-suit clad sound engineer, Ken, poured over fine details of the event such as drum-set placement and the ultimate height at which to hang the dry-erase board for the set list. Cuomo scrawled a headline across the top of the board: "Rivers Cuomo - Home...

The Los Angeles Kings new alternate jersey was revealed on Saturday night as the Kings faced the Colorado Avalanche at Staples Center. The team will wear the jerseys for limited number of home games this season. The new look is silver and black with a simple bold logo that harks back to the old Gretzky heyday from the 80's. One good thing about the striking new logo is that, with the prominent "LA" featured, nobody...