Sam Kim

Every Summer the number of outdoor concerts increase significantly. Why not? It's beautiful outside. In Marina Del Rey, they hold classical and popular concerts every Thursday and Saturday. This Thursday we have the opening ceremonies including two pre-concert events Trooping the Colors and a Water Show on the main channel. The highlight of this concert is USC professor Marek Szpakiewicz performing the Elgar Cello Concerto in E Minor. According to our all-powerful all-knowing editor, "you'll...

This title was bestowed upon the Luther Burger by Real Life comics. Inspired by an episode of the Boondocks, a few brave souls from the heart of the Valley undertook the monumental task of creating and eating a Luther Burger. It consists of one pound of ground beef, cheese, grilled onions, and five strips of bacon. Sounds over the top? Replace the buns with Krispy Kreme donuts and you've got yourself a Luther burger. And...

This is a difficult movie to market without a red-band trailer, due to the subject matter. The Wackness is this summer's "it" indie movie. It's got all of the typical elements you'd see in an indie film; it's the coming-of-age story of an apathetic and depressed graduate (Josh Peck) who meets and falls in love with a carefree girl (Olivia Thirlby). This chance encounter allows him to experience a whole slew of emotions he...

the Rabbit of Seville, with a "cameo" by Leopold Stokowski This week we revisit some classic cartoons at the Hollywood Bowl. It pairs the Los Angeles Philharmonic and Looney Tunes characters as it incorporates the music and the cartoons live on stage. This is the final performance of the show before 2010 when they present a new 20th anniversary edition. It includes the Rabbit of Seville and What's Opera Doc? This is a fun...

part 1 of "Rhapsody in Blue" from Fantasia 2000 The California Phil is one of the many great orchestras in the Los Angeles area that offers varied and exciting programming in the Ambassador and the Walt Disney Concert Hall throughout the year. They open up their summer season with a concert at the Arboretum, a beautiful botanic garden located in the heart of Arcadia. The Arboretum is a 127-acre park which includes the famous...

One of the most exciting things to do in the summer is to go see some shows at the Hollywood Bowl. It has a variety of classical and popular shows and has been known to bridge the gap between the two genres with their collaborations between artist and orchestra (Remember this?). This season marks the end for Salonen as a music director and has added two talented conductors Bramwell Tovey and Thomas Wilkins. This season...

The Classical Pick of the Week segment has returned from a brief hiatus to bring you news about the LA Opera's new production of Tosca. With all the elements of a great Hollywood movie (love triangle, obsessive love, backstabbing, dramatic ending) Tosca has become one of the most frequently performed operas of our time. It has been considered the "greatest film score of all time" and has only four more performances left as they...

Interesting interview with Menotti Go next weekend to UCLA to see the Medium, an opera by Gian Carlo Menotti, who sadly passed away last year. Seating is extremely limited, but you guys are in for a treat because its playing four days in a row, it's FREE, and it's in English. You can also join us in our dubious distinction as the oddest group of people ever (see the comments). The opera is structured...

If Wagner was still alive today, he would have just celebrated his 195th (!) birthday yesterday. His influence was felt by many including Baudelaire, Freud, Joyce, Nietzsche, and any/every important contemporary of his. Some recent adaptations in mainstream media that come to mind include a terrible Tristan + Isolde movie and Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy (based off of Wagner's Ring cycle). For me most memorable tribute to Wagner comes from a not-too-recent...

As the seasons for many reputable music groups come to an end, there are fewer options to choose from every week, so feel free to spare yourself of any extra stress and check LAist for any news on upcoming concerts. Hope you are all managing to keep yourselves busy and not counting down the days until the Hollywood Bowl season begins. We are revisiting the Disney Hall once more, which has been prone to several...