Friday, November 20, 2009

End o' week musings

And what a week it was!


Friday I was feeling under the weather, but still made it to see "Baby It's You!" at the Pasadena Playhouse. The show was fantastic- filled with great music and costumes to die for. I highly recommend checking out the show and making it a date... even your mom would be happy to go with you.


Saturday I felt even worse, so I spent the bulk of it in bed. I slept and slept and slept, so I know I was fighting off the creeping crud. I took it easy Sunday too because I wanted to get better quick.





After work on Tuesday I took my mom to the grocery store and she convinced me to go in on a turkey with her for Thanksgiving- you figure out who's cooking the thing. She almost escaped me down the boxed stuffing aisle, but I stopped her and said that if I'm cooking, I'll do it my way, which is with as much fresh stuff as possible. I'm going to make oyster stuffing, mashed potatoes with onions and cheese and steamed asparagus (or other yummy veggies). I did concede to a can of cranberry sauce and I'll probably buy a loaf of fancy bread to round out the meal.


I haven't decided on pie or ice cream or ice cream cake-- any suggestions?? And of course there will be wine ... or perhaps my special guy's favorite blend of rum and pineapple juice. Gotta take the edge off when you're cooking for mom!


Thursday my friend called me to offer me his tickets to see "HMS Pinnafore" that night at the Covina Performing Arts Center, as he had become ill and could not attend. He called the box office and made arrangements so my mom and I could go in his place.


My mother enjoyed the show quite a bit, although she thought much of the acting lacked personality. The singing and music was terrific, the staging and acting not so much. In fact, it was kinda high schoolish. I was very disappointed with the show, as it didn't meet the supposed caliber of the venue nor the not-so-cheap ticket price. (OK I didn't have to pay for my tickets, but my friend would have probably been disillusioned as well).



Maybe it's just me and I'm too much of a purist when it comes to theater, but there were quite a few distractions in the show. The orchestra was set toward the very back of the stage and were seated with their backs to us. The first half of the show was done like a sloppy rehearsal. During the overture , the stage crew set up and moved chairs, swept the floor and made other noise and then the cast rambled on and across the stage, talking and goofing around. It ticked me off because I wanted to hear the music.


The operetta continued with the "director" stopping the "cast" in places, aside arguements between people and other assorted things to make the audience feel as if we were watching a real rehearsal. Well, whenever I've done a show, we were supposed to be quiet and respectful of what was going on on the stage, so this was pretty much bunk and just downright annoying. The second half was a bit better. It was done like a real performance with everyone but the leads in basic black, yet the orchestra still had their backs to us.


The biggest standout of the show was the actress playing Buttercup- she was phenomenol. She could sing, dance and act and not overact - she was perfect!

Tonight I am planning to visit the holiday boutique at the La Fetra Center, 333 E. Foothill Blvd. in Glendora. It is open until 9 p.m. tonight and 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday. There will be craft items and baked goods for sale, as well as a $5 and under table. My friend Linda does copper enameling and makes candy and has some items there. She scooped it out yesterday and told me that there are many nice items that would make good gifts.

I am also hoping to make it out to the Buccaneer in Sierra Madre to catch Adam Marsland's Chaos Band. The show is free and the drinks are cheap, so consider coming out tonight.



Saturday I will be learning how to make candy during a class at A&J Cake in Glendora. I'm doing it for a story, but Linda (see above) is so convinced that I will get hooked that she brought me a roll of waxed paper to get me started! After class, I'm taking my mother to the Altadena Senior Center to see the Crown City Community Orchestra in concert.




Sunday is the No Doo Dah Day party at the American Legion in East Pasadena with Snotty Scotty & the Hankies. It starts at 2 p.m. and if I'm not too tired, I will head down to the Altees.net launch party in Hen's Teeth Square in Pasadena. It's for 7 p.m.-1 a.m. and will feature art, music, shopping, food and more.

Next week holds even more adventures I'm sure!



In rotation this week: Emilie Autumn, Contessa Black, Grant Langston and assorted other bits and pieces.




Photos we got 'em: Two pet pics from my e-mail inbox, a photo of one of the minipig from Pennywell Farm painting and the Integratron and a dance still from my desert adventure.



Thought o' the week: Make joy. I'll be honest, from just after Halloween through New Year's Day I fight depression. This time of the year makes me very sad and is very hard for me. A lot of personal pain led to this and I'm not going to dwell or elaborate, as that isn't my point today.


Instead of sulking, I try to spend this time of the year thinking about others. I try to be extra nice and thoughtful with my words and actions. When shopping for gifts, I take the time to try to select something that will mean the most to the recipient and often something they can definitely use, whether it's movie tickets, hand cream or dog treats. It makes me feel good to do this and I can't help but smile and hum as I wrap the items.


Not every gift is big and expensive. I usually buy a lot of little things to give to co-workers and other people who have touched me in some way. Something small enough to say you're special to me, but not big enough to make them feel obligated to run out and buy me a gift. After all, it's not what you'll get, it's the giving that counts.

And the giving doesn't have to be a present, it can be time, a shoulder to lean on and smile to share. No matter how you are feeling this time of year, think of others and make joy and it will warm your heart.

Keep on rockin'
Mickie















Crimbo the Clown launches dating chaperone, party mascot and anti-Santa services

Weird L.A. entertainer Crimebo the Clown expands his community services with blind dates, hen parties and Xmas events

WHAT: Crimebo the Clown launches internet dating chaperone, bachelorette party mascot and anti-Santa Claus services

COST: $150 flat rate for a one hour appearance, $50 for each additional hour, $300 plus tips for 5-hour bookings. Mileage fee included if destination is more than 15 miles from 90027 ZIP code.

WHERE: Crimebo is available for bookings throughout metro Los Angeles.

Of all the peculiar performers who call L.A. home, there's really no one quite like Crimebo the Crime Clown. Thank Beelzebub for small favors!

Created as an occasional sidekick on Esotouric's creepy true crime bus tours (Pasadena Confidential, Halloween Horrors), Crimebo (aka actor and voiceover artist Michael Perrick) soon took on a life of his own and began booking appearances at birthday parties, where he'd share from his Big Book of Horrible Crimes with a grisly list of all the nastiest things that happened on the birthday boy or girl's special day through history. But annual birthday appearances weren't enough for Crimebo's rabid fans, who pepper him with increasingly bizarre demands. To satisfy his twisted public's need for more Crimebo -- and Crimebo's need for more folding green stuff -- here are several new community services direct from Crimebo to you, described in the evil Clown's own words.

CRIMEBO'S BACHELORETTE PARTY TAG-A-LONG
Crimebo says: "Hey Ladies, looking for that special touch to make your last night as a single gal truly unique? This very affectionate clown will show you a wild night of pony rides, crime skits (where the bride-to-be can be the torso), and adult balloon blowing. I'll also follow you around as you visit strip clubs and get sloshed, fend off mashers, and keep you and your girlfriends out of trouble. And maybe in a few months, you can call me again and I'll be doing baby showers!"

CRIMEBO'S INTERNET DATING CHAPERONE SERVICE
Crimebo says: "Did you just make a date with a stranger from the internet and don't know how to break the ice? Let me do it! My crime clown chaperone service will make that sorta scary first meeting a memorable experience in gut-wrenching laughter. Let me rate your date with Clown Fear Factor: Are they scared of balloons? Are they bothered by non-utensil dining? Are they fit enough to run away? This creepy clown with a heart of gold will be standing to look after your sad drunk butt if the date goes bust, or to take photos to commemorate the night if things go well. And remember: I am very,very discrete."

CRIMEBO'S CHRISTMAS PARTY MAGIC
Crimebo says: "Are you tired of the same old 'ho ho ho' from guys in stuffed red suits? This Christmas, forget about Santa and invite me to come down your chimney (or in your sliding glass patio door when nobody's looking). I guarantee that I'll steal your holiday hearts with my soulful caroling and rude Yule tidings. All the little boys and girls can take turns sitting on my lap begging for holiday gifts, and then I'll give them a lesson in recession economics when I explain why they're not getting any of it. And the fun continues as I drink up all the eggnog. For an unforgettable holiday celebration, and the strangest photo ops your living room has ever seen, you want my Christmas Crime Clown service, exclusively available during the holiday season."

The 2009 edition of the classic oddball local guidebook "L.A. Bizarro" raves" Crimebo the Clown is like the adoptive love-child of James Ellroy and Emmett Kelly... Though some may believe that Crimebo's schtick is strictly for grown-ups, we would book this clown for a kid's party in a heartbeat. Nothing will put mollycoddled children in line quicker than seeing photos of Bukowski's nose and learning the grim fate of the Black Dahlia from a wiseguy in greasepaint."

For your very own life-changing Crimebo the Clown experience, just call him up with a date, time and information about your event, and he'll do something to make your special day unforgettable. That can be a good thing or a bad thing, but we promise, it won't be like any other party entertainer you've ever seen before.

For a sneak peak at Crimebo in his element, hop on Esotouric's Pasadena Confidential Crime Bus Tour, operating every few months and next scheduled on Saturday, December 5. In addition to a fascinating tour of some of Pasadena's most peculiar and notorious crime scenes, you'll participate in a special Pasadena-themed production by the interactive performance troupe The Crimebo Players, then follow the clown out onto Suicide Bridge for stunning views down into the gorge that claimed dozens of lives.

For more info on Crimebo the Clown, visit http://www.crimebo.com

For more on Esotouric and the Pasadena Confidential tour, visit http://www.esotouric.com

Strike Anywhere to tour with Four Year Strong

Having just returned home from headlining the Bridge Nine Records Tour (with label-mates Polar Bear Club, Crime In Stereo, and Ruiner), Strike Anywhere is proud to announce plans to share the road with Four Year Strong at the start of 2010.

Praised as "a band that can turn a room full of strangers into a family" (Ink 19), Strike Anywhere will meet up with Four Year Strong, This Time Next Year and Title Fight in Vegas on January 27th, and spend the next two weeks on the road with this phenomenal line up. Tour dates can be found below.

One of the most influential melodic hardcore bands of our time, Strike Anywhere, released their Bridge Nine debut, titled Iron Front this past October. The band’s incredibly solid career has spanned ten years all across the globe; releasing four critically acclaimed albums while remaining a staple in the underground music scene since their inception. Strike Anywhere’s latest effort is thirteen songs of their own brand of fast and melodic punk rock.

While slightly heavier and noisier than their previous releases, Iron Front features accessible songs that address global and personal issues like human rights, war, politics, and police brutality. Be sure to catch Strike Anywhere performing songs from ,Iron Front, which has been hailed as "...the strongest record in the quintet's career " by the Washington Post-Express.

Strike Anywhere Tour Dates w/ Four Year Strong, This Time Next Year, and Title Fight
1.27 @ The Farm- Las Vegas NV
1.28 @ The Troubadour- West Hollywood CA
1.29 @ Some Sidestage- San Diego CA
1.30 @ Chain Reaction- Anaheim CA
1.31 @ Bottom Of The Hill- San Francisco CA
2.02 @ Kilby Court- Salt Lake City UT
2.03 @ Marquis Theatre- Denver CO
2.05 @ House Of Bricks- Des Moines IA
2.06 @ Triple Rock- Minneapolis MN
2.07 @ Reggie's Rock Club- Chicago IL
2.08 @ Magic Stick- Detroit MI
2.09 @ The Madhatter- Covington KY
2.10 @ Grog Shop- Cleveland OH

Shimmy Showcase Sunday

November 22: Shimmyshowcase presents the 6th annual “RAQS THE CASBAH” with Alexiis. Rollin" down the street, you hear your favorite song on the radio and you think to yourself, "I wanna dance to THAT!" This All-Star show Features LA Tribal, Tribe of Astarte, Brandi, Denise, Freya, Mahalia, Perizad and Alexiis, as they raq it to some mighty fine booty shakin', funktastic, soul-riffic tunes. Come early...seats will move fast for this show!

Contact us at Shimmyshowcase@yahoogroups.com if you’d like to perform! (See below for program and theme details.)

Everyone is invited to this cozy haven for a relaxing evening among friends. Select your favorite beverage, hot or cold, from an assortment of coffees, teas, smoothies or juice; add to that a tasty sandwich or pastry; and then seat yourself alongside our magic carpet to enjoy some really great dancing at NO cover charge!

The SHIMMY SHOWCASE begins at 7 p.m. at the I-CANDY COFFEE in Long Beach (1708 E. Broadway -- 562-437-3785).

Below is our upcoming schedule for the next several Sundays at the I-Candy Coffee in Long Beach. If you are a dancer interested in performing at an upcoming showcase, please check out the schedule below for open dates and then email us at
shimmyshowcase@yahoogroups.com
with the dates on which you'd like to perform.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UPCOMING SHOWCASE CALENDAR
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

November 29: No Shimmyshowcase – Happy Thanksgiving!

December 6: Saviya celebrates her birthday month by presenting “Gypsy Fire” with guest dancer (and fellow Sagitarian) Jheri and her troupe JJ & the Habibis. Come join this kumpania of lovely dancers as they party like gypsies on an evening of Rom inspired dance.

December 13: As the holiday season gets into full swing, Xandra welcomes duo Raks Bahlam and trio Kalista, Azira, and Tahira. Adding to the fun will be male dancer Siraj. These dancers will share their seasonal good will with the wonderful patrons of I-Candy as only belly dancers can do--through shimmies and undulations.

December 20: Another great Shimmyshowcase year closes out with Alexiis bringing you the always-popular Mid-Winter’s Dream Shimmyshowcase. Guest Dancers Rachel, Kalila, Sarah, and IrinaXara will express their seasonal or holiday dreams in the form of dance. Please join us for this year-end celebration of the holidays in dance!

December 27: DARK

January 3: DARK (Happy New Year!)

January 10: As the new year gets underway, and the cheerful goodwill of the recently ended holiday season fades, Shimmyshowcase returns to I-Candy Coffee with an apropos theme-- Post Holiday Blues! Coordinator Saviya and guest dancer Kamar will enthrall with their creative coupling of Blues music to bellydancing. So, if you’re feeling a little down after all the year end parties and gatherings and dreading the bills that follow, come on down to I-Candy Coffee and treat yourself to some mighty fine dancing to some great American style music! Dancers who would like to perform for this evening are encouraged to contact us at Shimmyshowcase@yahoogroups.com as we expect spots to fill up fast!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Please allow time for parking to avoid missing any of the fun. Since street parking around I-Candy Coffee is scarce, we recommend you try the perimeter of Bixby park located two blocks west of I-Candy Coffee at Broadway and Cherry. Please try to arrive before 7:00 PM (earlier if you’re a performer!) as we try not to start the show until everyone has settled with a tasty beverage.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
for additional information, please visit our website at: www.ShimmyShowcase.com

We look forward to seeing you soon at the Sunday Shimmyshowcase!

Glendale Youth Orchestra concert Dec. 8

The Glendale Youth Orchestra, under the baton of conductor Brad Keimach, will play the first concert of its 21st season at 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 at the historic Alex Theatre in Glendale with soloists (and twin sisters), pianists Julia and Katherine Park. The Park sisters are also a violinist and a cellist respectively in the Glendale Youth Orchestra.

The program will feature Dvorak’s Slavonic Dance opus 46 #8, Mozart’s Concerto No. 10 for 2 Pianos, K. 365, Haydn’s Symphony No. 104 in D Major (“London”), and Mozart’s Symphony No. 39 in Eb Major, K. 543.

A silent auction to benefit the orchestra will take place in the upstairs mezzanine of the theater beginning at 7:00 pm.

Tickets are $10.00 and may be purchased from the Alex Theatre Box Office. Tickets for students, children, seniors, and for those in groups of 15 or more cost $8.50 each. Call 818-243-ALEX, or visit www.alextheatre.org.

Formed in 1989 by a group of Glendale music lovers and school teachers, the Glendale Youth Orchestra now attracts talented young musicians in the sixth grade through college from all over Los Angeles and Ventura County. Auditions for membership in the orchestra are ongoing, and may be arranged by calling the Glendale Youth Orchestra at 818-321-3083. For more information visit www.glendaleyouthorchestra.com.

The historic Alex Theatre is located at 216 North Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 91203.

Visit www.alextheatre.org for more information.

Pasadena Master Chorale performances Dec. 11 and 13

Pasadena Master Chorale – “Christmas with the Pasadena Master Chorale”

Program of Christmas favorites including sacred classics, beloved secular tunes, celebrated choruses from Handel’s Messiah, and traditional carols

Friday, December 11, 2009 at 7:30 p.m.
First Congregational Church; 464 E. Walnut Street, Pasadena, CA. 91101

Sunday, December 13; at 4 p.m
Altadena Community Church, 943 E. Altadena Drive, Altadena, CA. 91001

Artistic Director and Conductor:
Jeffrey Bernstein

Tickets: $10

For more information, call 626.208.0009 or visit
www.pasadenamasterchorale.org

Covina Women's Connection to host holiday sing along

Covina Women's Connection invites you and your friends to join us for a Holiday Sing Along. The luncheon is $16.00 inclusive and will be on Tuesday, December 8, 2009 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at The Covina Bowl, 1060 San Bernardino Road.

It will feature Associate Professor Sauni Rinehart and your story of "The Greatest Gift."

Reservations are essential and can be made by calling Kay (626) 919-8079 or Joan (626) 337-5651.

Wine and Cuisine Tasting gala coming to Sierra Madre

Stroll through a luxuriously aristocratic European villa lately? Sample cuisine from dozens of world-class chefs? Cleanse your palette enjoying wines from the grapes of select vineyards throughout California?

You might know we are describing our upcoming 40th Annual Wine and Cuisine Tasting gala. This event of the season will again be held at Alverno’s historic Villa in Sierra Madre, Friday evening, February 19th, from 7:00 – 9:30pm.

New to this year’s celebration will be our early bird premier from 6-7pm.

Highlighting this special event will be an oenologist who will cultivate our awareness of fine wines. Special food, premium wines, door prizes, live music, a distinctive badge and early access to our main event will transform you into a bon vivant connoisseur.

Sponsored by the Friends of the Sierra Madre Library, tickets will be available beginning December 15th at: Sierra Madre Public Library, The Bottle Shop, Arnold’s Frontier Hardware, Iris Intrigue, Charcuterie, Savor the Flavor and Sierra Madre Books. They will also be available on line at www.SierraMadreLibraryFriends.org. Tickets are $60 each for the main event. And $80 gets you into the main event AND the early bird premier. Tickets are limited so purchase your tickets early.

All funds raised enable the library to add new acquisitions and additions to collections, support library services and programs, and make improvements to the building and grounds.

The Alverno Villa is a duplicate of the Villa Collazzi located on the outskirts of Florence, Italy. The Villa was built in "pure" Italian Renaissance style in 1922 and is nestled at the foot of the beautiful San Gabriel Mountains in the picturesque City of Sierra Madre. It is approximately one and a half miles north of the 210 freeway on Michillinda Avenue.

Fiesta Movement Celebration to feature free performance by Parachute

The Fiesta Movement Celebration featuring music by Parachute (latest single “She is Love”) is on December 1st at Hollywood Palladium. Ford will be revealing the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta for the first time ever.

You must register on the guestlist for free admission: The Fiesta Movement Celebration

Come out and be a part of the fun!

When: December 1st from 8pm-Midnight PST

Where: Hollywood Palladium (6215 W Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles - map)

Fiesta Festivities Include:
Sneak peak of the 2011 North American Ford Fiesta
Fiesta Movement Awards
Performance by Parachute
DJ set featuring DJ Pesce

To add your name to the guest list visit:
fiestamovementcelebration.eventbrite.com

And to check out the goods on the Ford Fiesta: www.fiestamovement.com

CAKE releases ringtone of new song

CAKE--one of the most principled, enduring, self-reliant, and best-selling artists in post-alternative rock--will debut their second ringtone of the recently recorded song titled “Federal Funding” today.

The multi-platinum iconoclasts are currently in the midst of recording their sixth studio album and sharing the results with their listeners first, via a series of six free ringtones. Each ringtone is based on a song from the group’s upcoming album and is only released to CAKE listeners who are members of the band’s mailing list. Every six weeks, a new ringtone from a recently recorded CAKE song will be sent out to all of the group’s mailing list members up until the new album launch during Spring 2010. To sign up and download the new music, visit: http://cakemusic.com/cgi-bin/dada/mail.cgi/list/cakeusa2/.

Says trumpeter VINCE DIFIORE: "The next ringtone that we are offering comes from the song 'Federal Funding.' We approached this song at a time in the album process when we were fired up and joining forces most vigorously." Adds lead vocalist JOHN McCREA, "’Federal Funding’ is a song we had lying around for quite a while. Now seemed like a good time to release it."

CAKE’s new project is being written, rehearsed and recorded entirely with solar power. The group--who were recently honored as one of the top 10 “greenest” bands on the planet in a special issue of Billboard--teamed with Borrego Solar to convert their entire Sacramento recording studio into solar power. The innovative group documented their break away from the city’s energy grid, as illustrated by this video of CAKE’s solar conversion: www.cakemusic.com/solar.html. The group’s decision to record their forthcoming album entirely with solar power was made for both artistic and environmental reasons.

www.cakemusic.com

About CAKE:
Founded in 1992 and reaching worldwide attention on the strength of their platinum albums Fashion Nugget and Prolonging The Magic, as well as the gold-certified discs Comfort Eagle and Pressure Chief. CAKE has been cited by Rolling Stone as creators of “a modern pop that is both mechanized and organic...highly developed and virtually unique.” Highlights in recent years range from raves for their latest studio album Pressure Chief (2004), and a subsequent compilation of unreleased tracks B-sides and Rarities (2007)--self-released on the group’s own Upbeat Records--to major success in concert, including multiple runs of their self-founded ‘Unlimited Sunshine’ tour and solo dates in large theaters and arenas worldwide. CAKE reissued their first album, Motorcade of Generosity (Upbeat Records), on June 9th as an enhanced CD. The re-issue includes previously unavailable video footage and limited edition decal. The 180g vinyl version of the album features limited edition poster art and sold out in two days.