Another LA Halloween: What To Do (For all ages and if you’re broke, or not broke yet.)

Photo credit: West Hollywood Costume Carnaval

Halloween isn’t just for kiddies with candy! You can find lots of ghoulish things to do around Los Angeles on a budget. If you like bar crawling alongside some of the most awesome and outrageous costumes in the LA area for FREE and ALL AGES then go to West Hollywood’s Costume Carnaval on October 31^st. The over the top event will be held on Santa Monica Blvd from Doheny to La Cienega (1 mile of fun!). Think of a giant train of people going down Santa Monica Blvd dressed in leather, as sexy bumblebees, pimps, school girls, zombies, maybe a giant penis or two, or even multiple Michael Jackson’s and just about any other costume you could contrive. 

As a veteran WEHO clubber it is most wise to get a taxi to the event and show up buzzed because there will be limited amounts of street parking (as blocks of Santa Monica Blvd. will be roped off) and extremely long lines for expensive drinks. If you want the best drink specials I recommend that you pay a visit to the always poppin’ spots like La Cantina and Trunks (Google it!). The best thing about this event is that there are three main stages devoted to music and there are other mini music spaces (PODS) throughout the carnaval.

WEHO Costume Carnaval Line Up:

Vaudeville Stage (@ Almont): Vaud & The Villains (18-piece ragtag house band), Silk Sisters Aerial Acrobat duo, Lux Lacroix (burlesque artist), Karis (hula dance artist), Eve La Dare Stilt Artist.

MC: Vaud Overstreet

Illusion Stage (@ West Knoll): Christopher Wonder (illusionist), Jacqui Kreisler (contortionist), Machina Candeo (fire dancers), Robert Baxt (macabre magician), Pasha & Vladamir (body balancers), Circus Troupe.

MC: Christopher Wonder

Arcade Stage (@ San Vicente): Jeffree Star, Powder, Crush 333, Coronation of the Carnaval Queen (Ricki Lake!), Carnaval Costume Contest.

MC Momma

Music Pod DJ Talent: Zen Freeman, Mia Morretti, Daisy O’Dell, Aaron Colbert, Unification Theory (visual artist), A Graffitti Painting Installation (visual artist).

For more information please check out the West Hollywood Costume Carnaval website here!

Photo credit: HARDFEST.com

If for some reason you have money in your pocket and you want to dance all night you should go to HARD Haunted Mansion. The tickets, going at $75 per night at regular admission and $135 VIP, will sell out! So get your tickets right now and here! Haunted Mansion is going to be ALL AGES and 2 nights long, starting Friday October 30^th and ending Halloween night! Bring money (expect $10-15/beer, $5/water bottle) and bring anything else low-key. There will be lots of costumes! Think women dressed in their sexiest costumes and men to be as trippily dressed or as scantily dressed as possible. Think glow sticks, candy kids, luminescent black lights, light shows, and dilated pupils all around. If you will be partaking in shenanigans (legal and illegal) PLEASE be safe! Get a designated driver or taxi! And remember – Peace, Love, Unity, and Respect! 

After such a massive electronic letdown like HARD Summer where the party got shut down before midnight by the 5-0 and because people were acting rowdy (because some young folks can’t handle their stuff) I think that HARD Haunted Mansion will definitely bring the cosmos to this party! They’ve got a lot to prove with the LA scene again, so I hope – no, I KNOW – that headliners JUSTICE and Deadmau5 will completely hypnotize and redeem the HARD name.  The music will not disappoint! 

HARD Haunted Mansion Line Up:

Friday:

HARD Stage

8:00 Franki Chan, 9:00 Danger, 10:00 A-TRAK, 11:25 The Bloody Beetroots, 1:00 2MANYDJS, 2:35 DEADMAU5.

Expo Hall

8:00 Staccato, 9:30 Harvard Bass, 10:45 Don Rimini, 12:15 Special Guest, 1:30 MIXHELL, 2:45 Special Guest.

Saturday:

HARD Stage

8:00 CLASSIXX, 9:00 Buraka Som Sistema, 10:10 MAJOR LAZER, 11:15 BASEMENT JAXX, 12:30 JUSTICE, 1:50 Special Guest, 3:00 MODESELEKTOR.

Expo Hall

8:00 PAPARAZZI, 9:00 Shinchi Osawa, 10:30 Steve Aoki, 12:00 CROOKERS, 1:30 Special Guest, 3:00 Zombie Nation.

**I am only attending Night #2 for Haunted Mansion so check back with our site for pictures and a review from HALLOWEEN NIGHT!!!**

In the meantime check out these links!

HARD MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/hardfest

Facebook for Gary Richards: http://www.facebook.com/destructo

Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/hardfest

Photo credit: HARDFEST.com

Eagle Rock Music & Arts Festival: Tastemaker of 2010

           Like the last eleven years the Annual Eagle Rock Arts & Music Festival is being held Saturday October 3rd from 5pm until 11pm FOR FREE (all ages)! Yes, FOR FREE! The street festival will commandeer six blocks of Colorado Boulevard in sunny and humid Eagle Rock, California. There will be three main stages (even more sub stages): Global/World, Indie/Emerging, and a Kids’ Stage. Just to let you know ahead of time, you should probably take public transportation like the Metro if you want to get there without having to hock over what’s left of your savings for parking. So, get there early, and get there smart. Save your money for the food booths!

And as with most music you have to weed out the stuff you don’t exactly vibe with and hang on to dear life to the ones you do mesh with. So, I hate to do it, but I’ve researched a lot of the artists on the bill and I’m only recommending you stop by certain live acts, which I entitle:  “My Faves By Stage”. The stages I look forward to the most are these six: Emerging, American Legion Hall, Kingsize Sound Lab, The Ship, Razorcake/Zocaloc, and South in the Park/Future Music Stage. Although I pride myself on my super human concert going abilities, I am merely still a mortal human so I can’t make it to each, but I will try to make it to a few of them. You gotta pick your battles people!

Drawing from past experience I take that each of these stages represent what the independent music scene in Los Angeles is all about -- variety. Some of last year’s performers turned this year’s Indie darlings include: Earlimart, Edward Sharpe and The Magnetic Zeros, Princeton, and Mika Miko. So because of past reputation you can bet your sweet headphones that this year’s diverse lineup’s gonna bring it and bring it for FREE.

My faves from the Emerging Stage are: Faraway Places, Fol Chen, Free Mortal Agents, and No Age. Faves from the American Legion Hall Stage are: Shakey Graves, Random Patterns, Bob Bruno, and Pocahaunted. Faves from the Kingsize Sound Lab Stage are: Andrew Lynch and Alaskan Summer. From the Ship Stage: WonderGround, Ovideo, The French Semester, Nico Stai, and of course The Happy Hollows. On the Razorcake/Zocaloc Stage are: The Ignorant, Carnage Asada, and Apples and Onions. Last and final of my favorites are on the South in the Park/Future Music Stage with: DJ Nobody, Jeremy Sole, and last but not least, Peanut Butter Wolf.

This event will be packed in waves since everyone is trying to find things to do for free nowadays. So please, be prepared for some musical and cultural interaction with your fellow Angelenos. Maybe meet up with a few friends for a bar crawl down Colorado Blvd or just get out in the sun for while, since you’re out of the office anyways and it still feels like Summer.  Make note of all these artists because you will definitely hear more about them in 2010…

Flyer By The Eagle Rock Center for the Arts

Listen to the bands beforehand:

Emerging Stage Faves:

Faraway Places - http://www.myspace.com/thefarawayplaces

Fol Chen - http://www.myspace.com/folchen

Free Moral Agents - http://www.myspace.com/freemoralagents

No Age - http://www.myspace.com/nonoage

American Legion Hall Stage Faves:

Shakey Graves - http://www.myspace.com/shakeygraves

Random Patterns - http://www.myspace.com/randompatternsmusic

Bob Bruno - http://www.myspace.com/bobbbruno

Pocahaunted - http://www.myspace.com/pocahaunted

Kingsize Sound Lab Stage Faves:

Andrew Lynch - http://www.myspace.com/andrewlynch

Alaskan Summer - http://www.myspace.com/alaskansummermusic

The Ship Stage Faves:

WonderGround - http://www.myspace.com/wonderground

Ovideo - http://www.myspace.com/ovideomusic

The French Semester - http://www.myspace.com/thefrenchsemester

Nico Stai - http://www.myspace.com/nicostai

The Happy Hollows - http://www.myspace.com/thehappyhollows

Razorcake/Zocaloc Stage Faves:

The Ignorant - http://www.myspace.com/theignorant

Carnage Asada - http://www.myspace.com/familiacarnageasada

Apples and Onions - http://www.myspace.com/applesandonions

South in the Park/Future Music Stage Faves:

DJ Nobody - http://www.myspace.com/nobodyelvin

Jeremy Sole - http://www.myspace.com/musaics

Peanut Butter Wolf - http://www.myspace.com/pbwolf

Comedy Wish List: Kevin Smith

Photo by View Askew

You better watch 'dem stitches in your side if they aren't done healing from Doug Benson's MMJ Tour! Because next up in the batting line is Kevin Smith at the Orpheum Theatre, October 24th. You know him from such films as Clerks (OG and roman numeral II), Mallrats, Chasing Amy (Affleck killed that movie, or maybe I just hate his character), Dogma (I changed my mind, think I just dislike Affleck), and most notably as Silent Bob in Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (heart). You can check out his IMDB here if you have to know all about his career. View Askew, his official website, shows that he'll be visiting 12 lucky audiences, making their ears fall off with sheer hilarity and opinionated rants. If you still can't wait to be apart of his methodical madness then go to his blog. Yes, I said blog. Don't worry, I just found out too! It's called, My Boring-Ass Life. And it doesn't stop there!!! Go to his MySpace. Ok, I'm done promoting. He can do that himself. Get your tickets from Ticket Bastard for $46.50-56.50 plus that handling fee they try to hustle you for. Good luck with trying to get into this dude. I say good luck because you're gonna get stoned and totally forget I told you about this and then you're gonna remember two days after or two hours before and shit your geeky self...but, if you arrive, arrive baked and don't forget the tickets! Don't forget about the SModcast! 


Click on the Comedy Wish List: Kevin Smith title up there to listen to a session of the SModcast.


xo

♪ Jill Avilez & Copernicus Rex @ The Good Hurt! Tonight!

This is my really REALLY good friend Jill's band and my friend Jay's band. Go and see both of them. They're amazing performers but even greater musicians! Come see the funkiest bunch of cats this side of the universe! Do it, and you will get FUNKED. 

Musicians: Jill Avilez, Leon LeDoux, Steve Horist, Tat Yang Koh, Ben Jindra, Jay Rubottom

Flyer posted by Jill Avilez

Check out the Jill Avilez Band here!!! 

Follow Jill Avilez on Twitta! @JazzMistress

Check out Copernicus Rex here!

Rock! xo

New Album Releases - Tuesday September 22nd ♪

To the people who want to know this information: I'm sorry it's late. I was on the world's longest bike ride yesterday and lost track of the days....

Sea Wolf - White Water, White Bloom - Indie/Alternative/Pop

MySpace/Website

Monsters of Folk - Monsters of Folk - Rock/Acoustic/Alternative/Beats

MySpace/Website

Noisettes - Wild Young Hearts - Soul/Rock/Pop

MySpace/Website

Mika - The Boy Who Knew Too Much - Pop/Power Pop/Alternative
MySpace/Website

The Pains of Being Pure At Heart - Higher Than The Stars EP - Indie/Rock/Alternative/Pop

MySpace/Website

Jalopy @ The Viper Room in October!

I've already seen them live at Genghis Cohen and they were amazing! Please go and show some support for these guys! Having a show at The Viper Room just screams that they're probably going to be playing really REALLY loudly.

Flyer art by @kidPEACE from kpeace designs

Follow Jalopy on Twitta! @JalopyMusic

Jalopy MySpace here!

♫ Jalopy & Friends - Genghis Cohen - 09/16/09

Genghis Cohen’s Fairfax 9ish pm – I walked through GCs big wooden door and made a bee line for the bar. After ordering a rum and coke from the smallest bar top on the block, I finally took in the scenery and the crowd. Maybe it just seemed crowded because everyone was trying to get a drink all at once or it was the buzz in the air surrounding Jalopy’s special guest, Samantha Ronson. While there was still enough personal space to go around, the group I was with quickly relocated to the concert room ($7 entry).

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

A fiery elegance and warm familiarity surrounded me when I walked into the room. The interior spoke volumes about the room. It was like the room said you’ve arrived to a Wednesday night music service and that we should get ready for an acoustic sermon. Jalopy & Friends began setting up instruments and took up nearly every crevice of the soap box sized stage (not the smallest, but close). The audience sipped their drinks ($6 beer on tap, $7 rum & coke, $9 scotch) and waited for the show to start.

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

Song by Song:

Luke, lead singer and guitarist, took to the mic and opened up the set with “When You Can’t Find Love”. The clear acoustic plucking and humble voice reminded me of Conor Oberst, Elliott Smith, and a little John Mayer. 


“Anne Marie” has this masculine vulnerability, but maintains this sense of honesty while being stubborn (circa Ryan Adams “When Will You Come Back Home”). 


The song “Cali Hustle” definitely got the Cali stamp of approval. I can’t find it anywhere on YouTube. So, if you’re reading this, members of Jalopy, please post footage of this song. 


During "Right Where You Begin” I noticed that there’s this really easy feel to the dynamics of the band. The acoustics of the room set the drums, bass, and guitars off! The audience could hear each layer of music delivered with a down-home crispness. 

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

“All I Need Now”, a Samantha Ronson song, was dedicated by the lead singer, “for my girl Samantha”. She looked on from inside the hallway and shyly and sincerely smiled. 


Samantha was the only one on stage for “Sometimes When You Win You Lose”. What I got from this song was that life and love always have their Catch-22s. And that while there is openness to life and to relationships that sometimes those two don't intersect. They just can't work out in that time and space. I like that Ronson’s voice isn't elaborate and can't be compared to let's say, Mariah Carey’s. She's in a whole other field, like Cyndi Lauper without the higher notes. 


“In And Out Of Love” was another audience favorite. Samantha's voice really made me sad, which is good, she was effective! The honesty and secrecy behind the song really made her simple acoustic style shine through. It's refreshing since we tend to associate the Ronson name with everything DJ, analog, and digital. 

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

“Days That Disappear”, was performed with Samantha on background vocals and accompanying guitar and Jordan from The Jury Pool provided the bass lines. Luke jokingly elaborated about what the song meant – “It’s about an uplifting time in my life”. 


The closer, Tom Petty’s song “Yer So Bad”, was covered by all of Jalopy & Friends. I had never heard the song before, but I’ve heard of Tom Petty, so this was a great way to really get to hear Jalopy’s influences. What a classic ending to an already flawless set. 

Visit the Jalopy Myspace

Follow them on Twitta! @jalopymusic

Photo by @kidPEACE from kpeace design

xo

Jalopy & Friends at Genghis Cohen Tonight!!!

Photo by Jalopy's Myspace

Come kick it tonight at Genghis Cohen [740 N. Fairfax Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90046] with me @juaNINJAxo and my friend @kidPEACE!

We'll get you the coverage for Jalopy & Friends [Samantha Ronson & The Jury Pool]...just look at this til' then and decide whether or not you'll get your lazy butt out and about on a Wednesday...

To get in: $7 (cost of drinks n' food separate)
9:30-11:30 pm
@ Genghis Cohen

Go here for YouTube video "In and Out of Love + Banter" by Jalopy with Samantha Ronson
Listen to Samantha Ronson's Myspace!!
Go and listen to The Jury Pool's Myspace!!

Jalopy Facebook Invite: "it is his love, it is his passion, it is his fault he didn't lock the garage."

♥ Mayer Hawthorne - Soul Brother

Photo by Mayer Hawthorne Myspace

Mayer Hawthorne is the pseudonym, stage name, of Andrew Mayer Cohen, a handsome and dapper young soul singer based in LA. Listening to his music on Myspace threw me back to the golden ages of crisp suits and Motown. He is an obvious Smoky Robinson lover - their voices are so similar it's freaky and a relief both at the same time. His backing band The County uses piano, and a string and a horn section! Pure awesomeness. Listening to his jams made me reminisce about the first time I ever heard the likes of The Four Tops, The Supremes, Smoky Robinson and The Miracles (Youtube: Cruisin'), and the Temptations (Youtube: Ain't Too Proud To Beg). I'm going to make a wild assumption and call Hawthorne the next big thing, and do I dare say that he's the Male Winehouse?! 


All I can say is that it takes a brilliant singer and intelligent musical ability to be able to help resurrect classic throwback soul jams with just one man, a voice, and his band.


Check out "Maybe So, Maybe No", "Just Ain't Gonna Work Out", and "Love Is Alright" on his Myspace to get your feet moving, hips swaying, and swagger on. 

Photo by Mayer Hawthorne Myspace

Or listen to his album "A Strange Arrangement"! I haven't yet, but I think I'll buy it first! (That doesn't happen often - buy first.)


Track Listing: 

1. Prelude
2. A Strange Arrangement
3. Just Ain't Gonna Work Out
4. Maybe So, Maybe No
5. Your Easy Lovin' Ain't Pleasin' Nothin'
6. I Wish It Would Rain
7. Make Her Mine
8. One Track Mind
9. The Ills
10. Shiny & New
11. Let Me Know
12. Green Eyed Love

Listen to this if you wanna get busy - 8 times out of 10 you're most likely getting it on, either that or you're just not doing it right! 


Go to Mayer Hawthorne's Website
Go his Myspace and listen!
Follow him on Twitta! @MayerHawthorne


Listen to this!