Monday, February 28, 2011

Art show in Pasadena in June calling for entries

EXHIBITION STATEMENT & CALL FOR ENTRIES

PASADENA: A Cultural Mosaic
An Exhibition Celebrating the City’s 125th Birthday
June 4 – July 2, 2011

Opening Reception: Saturday, June 4, 2 – 6 P.M.

The Folk Tree 217 S. Fair Oaks Avenue Pasadena, CA 91105
(626) 793-4828 (626) 795-8733
www.folktree.com

From June 4 – July 2, 2011, The Folk Tree presents the juried exhibition Pasadena: A Cultural Mosaic. This juried show is being held in conjunction with Happy Birthday Pasadena – Celebrating 125 Years, the City’s official 125th anniversary celebration to be hosted by Pasadena Museum of History on June 11, 2011. The opening reception for the show is scheduled for Saturday, June 4, from 2 – 6 P.M.

In 1886, Pasadena became the first independent incorporated city in Los Angeles County. However, the cultural history of the area extends back much farther. It was once occupied by the Hahamogna Tribe of Native Americans, and today the San Gabriel Valley is considered one of the most diverse regions of the country, reflected in the richness of its traditions and the contributions made by its various ethnic communities.

The Folk Tree invites artists to submit work in a variety of media reflecting or inspired by the many cultures that have contributed to Pasadena’s history and clearly relating to some aspect of the city. The goal of this show is to recognize the influence all these groups have had on the area, both historically and in contemporary society (for example, through images related to festivals and rituals, landmarks, people, the landscape, architecture).

The Selection Committee consists of the following individuals:
Rocky Behr, Owner,The Folk Tree;
Michelle Mills, Staff Writer, San Gabriel Valley Newspaper Group, and 31st Occasional Pasadena Doo Dah Parade Queen;
Gail Mishkin, Gallery Director, The Folk Tree;
and,
Ardis Willwerth, Director of Exhibitions and Programming, Pasadena Museum of History.

The Folk Tree, a store/gallery near historic Old Town Pasadena, is the outgrowth of owner Rocky Behr’s fascination with travel and the art and culture of indigenous people, particularly of Mexico and Latin America. Since opening in 1986, The Folk Tree has specialized in folk art of the Americas. A separate gallery within the retail space hosts changing exhibitions featuring local artists throughout the year.

The Folk Tree is located at 217 South Fair Oaks Avenue, minutes walking distance from the Gold Line’s Del Mar station, and just south of Old Pasadena. Hours are: M-W, 11-6; Th-Sat, 10-6; Sun, 12-5.

For more information and to receive a submission form, please call 626/795-8733 or 626/793-4828.

Cherry blossom festival at Descanso Gardens March 19-20

Cherry Blossom Festival, March 19-20: Descanso Gardens, 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge. Descanso unveils a new Japanese-themed festival tied to the blooming of its beautiful cherry trees. Witness a traditional Japanese tea ceremony Saturday at 11 a.m., 12:30 and 2 p.m. There will be a Japanese cooking demonstration at 11 a.m. Sunday. Take a guided tour of the Gardens’ seven flowering cherry trees at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. both days. Cherry trees will be available for purchase. The Camellia Lounge will sell a signature cocktail created especially for the festival, as well as bento box lunches on both days. Free with admission: $8 adults, $6 senior/students and $3 children 5-12.

About Descanso Gardens: Established as a public garden in 1953, Descanso Gardens is located at 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge, near the interchange of the 2 and 210 freeways. The Gardens are open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except Christmas Day. Parking is free. Admission fees are $8 for adults; $6 for seniors and students with I.D.; $3 for children 5 to 12, and free for members and children 4 and younger. Fees for classes and programs include Gardens admission. For information, call (818) 949-4200 or visit www.descansogardens.org. Descanso Gardens is accredited by the American Association of Museums.

Catharae's belly dance party in La Verne Sunday

Once again, we are having a fun, dance party - and you're invited....

Come sign up and dance, or just kick back and enjoy yourself!

Bring your friends, or family; stay as long as you like. Invite other dancers you know too. The more the merrier!

We meet Sunday, March 6th. Hours run from 12:30p to 5:00p. Door cost is $5, and you get your first raffle ticket for free. The schedule of dancers changes all day, so enjoy!

The room is just lovely - and has a formal stage, tables of vendors, a potluck table for lunch.

It is tucked into the corner of the Civic Center, in the city of La Verne, not far from the 210 freeway.

We have a great stage, perfect for your performance, perfect to watch. Grab a short dance cd, your favorite costume, and sign up to dance. Our stage is elevated, and can hold about 6 dancers easily, so bring the whole troupe! If you have more, there's plenty of floor space in front of the stage.

Ooops - forgot to add dance time is limited to 10 minutes max, thanks!

We, once again, have invited our videographer, Sarah, back by popular request. Now's your opportunity to capture your own performance on dvd - could come in handy, for getting more gigs.... And, it's always fun to see yourself dancing! You can sign up with her the day of the event OR start early, and call for arrangements, pre-event. Call for prices - she's so reasonable....

Bring your potluck dish, and join us for the lunch buffet. Always a surprise, and always delightful! As usual, we provide you with paper goods, and beverages. Usually, we have treats for carnivores, herbivores, and just plain hungry dancers. Bring what you like to eat!

Let's not forget the vendors.... You'll find new costumes, used costumes, jewelry, accessories, drums - pretty much most things a dancer wants and needs. At these prices, you can take home a treasure chest full! We already have some sellers lined up to entice you with their wares.

Finally, we will have a fun time raffling off items that our vendors have chosen for your pleasure - another way to get a little giftie to take home.

Quite a bargain - all this entertainment, fellowship, and goodies for the low, low admission of $5 - less than the price of a movie (and don't even think about popcorn!) So, come join us - watch a variety of styles, a variety of experience, and share the experience of bellydancing.

www.catharae.com
a wild young woman, but a wild old woman is an uncontrollable force" - Dorothy Sayer

Barry Big B Brenner performances this week

Barry Big B Brenner
Milk Cow BLUES this week at . . .

TUESDAY NIGHT
MARCH 1st from 8:30-11:30pm
Sonny McLeans
2615 Wilshire Blvd.
SANTA MONICA
(310) 449-1811
http://www.sonnymcleans.com

THURSDAY NIGHT
BURGERS, BEERS & BLUES
MARCH 3rd from 6-9pm
&
SUNDAY MORNING
BLUES BRUNCH
MARCH 6th from 11am-2pm
Firefly Bistro
1009 El Centro Street
SOUTH PASADENA
(626) 441-2443
http://www.eatatfirefly.com

For a complete COLOR Listing of Big B’s Upcoming Blues Shows, Go to...
http://www.myspace.com/barrybigbbrenner/shows

http://www.facebook.com/BigBBrenner
http://www.bigbbrenner.com
http://www.youtube.com/bluesriff

Jazzy Jam in Pasadena May 14



Jazz returns to Pasadena's Central Park!

Save the date, tell a friend, and don't miss this great one-day benefit concert...

For additional info, http://www.jazzyjampadadena.com/

Hope to see you there!

Pasadena Playhouse benefit gala April 1

The Pasadena Playhouse (Sheldon Epps, Artistic Director and Stephen Eich, Executive Director) announced today that their annual fund-raiser entitled PREMIERE GALA: OPENING NIGHT will be held at The Pasadena Playhouse on Friday, April 1, 2011 at 7:00 p.m.

The theatre's auditorium will transform into a spectacular Grand Ballroom for the special event. Board Chair Michele Dedeaux Engemann and The Playhouse Board of Directors will lead the charge for this magnificent Premiere Gala complete with festivities that will include cocktails, dinner, dancing, merriment and live entertainment.

"We are pleased to be able to celebrate the great Pasadena Playhouse in an unique and extraordinary way. Our plan is to turn the auditorium into a Grand Ballroom and invite all the ghosts of audiences and artists of the past to celebrate with us. It promises to be one of the great nights in the theatre," said Stephen Eich, Executive Director of The Pasadena Playhouse.

"This has been an incredible year for The Pasadena Playhouse and I cannot think of a better place to celebrate our journey, except in our beautiful and wonderful theatre," said Michele Dedeaux Engemann, Chairman of the Board of The Pasadena Playhouse. "Together with the Board, we encourage our community and friends to join us at our Premiere Gala and help support our ongoing mission to bring great artistry to our stage."

Corporate, patron, underwriting and other sponsorship opportunities are available.

For more information on the Gala sponsorship or ticket information, please contact the Development Office at 626-921-1156 or blewis@pasadenaplayhouse.org.

Sky Saxon estate sues for royalties

SKY SAXON, the singer and songwriter behind the 1960s garage-rock band The Seeds, died in June 2009. However, for most of his career and to the end of his life, he received no royalties at all from his record company or his music publishing company. The reason? According to those companies, Saxon sold his artist’s and producer’s royalties in 1973 for $350, and his music publishing royalties for $250. Despite repeated requests over the years from Saxon, and, recently, his widow, the companies have flatly refused to pay any royalties at all, and the matter is now in litigation in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Saxon signed a record deal in 1965 with GNP Crescendo Record Co., Inc., a Los Angeles-based company that specialized in jazz recordings, run by Gene Norman, a former concert promoter and disc jockey. At that time, he also signed a music publishing deal with Neil Music, Inc., which is a sister company of GNP. The Seeds and Saxon went on to have hits in 1965 and 1966 with “Pushin’ Too Hard,” “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine,” and “Mr. Farmer.”

But for 37 years, since 1973, GNP and Neil Music have stubbornly refused to pay Saxon, or his heirs, any royalties whatsoever. These companies maintain that Saxon signed away all of his royalties, forever, based upon three minor transactions: A $500 payment for “Pushin’ Too Hard” in late 1972, a loan for $250 in mid-1973 (that Saxon did not pay back), for all of Saxon’s other songs, and a loan for $350 from late 1973 (that Saxon also did not pay back), for all of Saxon’s record and producer’s royalties.

The Estate has brought a lawsuit against GNP and Neil Music for rescission of Saxon’s record and publishing deals, and for royalties for the past four years. In response, the companies (which are now run by Neil Norman, son of Gene Norman) have taken the position that the three petty deals from 1972 and 1973 are “buy-outs” of any and all royalties forever. The Estate has asked the court to set aside these three transactions, on the grounds that they are so oppressive and unfair that they should be void, as a matter of public policy, that is, “unconscionable.” “Unconscionable” contracts are deals that are so oppressive and one-sided that they literally “shock the conscience” of the court and of civilized society, or which have no place in the legitimate business world. In that the alleged “buy-outs” fit that description exactly, the Estate has asked the court to set them aside. The Estate has also asked that on account of the 37-year failure of GNP and Neil Music to pay any royalties, that the original 1960s deals be rescinded, and the Estate be given back all of the musical properties.

In recent years, GNP and Neil Music have exploited Saxon’s songs and recordings to a substantial extent. “Can’t Seem to Make You Mine” has recently been used in a commercial for Axe Body Spray. “Pushin’ Too Hard” has been used for numerous film and television projects, as have other songs by The Seeds. The songs have been covered over the years by numerous artists, including The Ramones, Johnny Thunders, Billy Corgan, Garbage, Alex Chilton, Murder City Devils, and Yo La Tengo.

The motion to determine the issue of unconscionability will be heard on March 8, 2011. A legal brief filed by the Estate on February 22, 2011, which gives more information, background, and legal authority, is also available.

Brahms on tour now

BRAHMS Premiere "Repeat It" Video On Stereogum
US Dates W/ Asobi Seksu, Starfuc*er, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Superhumanoids, The Joy Formidable, Fujiya and Miyagi & Warm Ghost
Click Here To Watch "Repeat It" Video On Stereogum

Tour Dates

Feb 24 - Glasslands - Brooklyn, NY
Feb 25 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA *
Feb 26 - Casa Del Popolo - Montreal, QC *
Feb 27 - Horseshoe Tavern - Toronto, ON *
Feb 28 - Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL *
Mar 17 - Street Entry Minneapolis, MN *
Mar 3 - The Palace Lounge - Missoula, MT *
Mar 4 - Chop Suey - Seattle, WA *
Mar 5 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC *
Mar 6 - Doug Fir Lounge - Portland, OR *
Mar 8 - Bottom Of The Hill - San Francisco, CA *
Mar 9 - Troubadour - Los Angeles, CA *
Mar 10 - Soda Bar - San Diego, CA
Mar 11 - Neon Reverb Festival - Las Vegas, NV
Mar 12 - Detroit Bar - Costa Mesa, CA &%
Mar 13 - Trunkspace - Phoenix, AZ &%
Mar 16-19 - SXSW (check sites for full details soon) - Austin, TX
Mar 20 - The Mink - Houston, TX !
Mar 22 - The Earl - Atlanta, GA ~
Mar 23 - Casbah - Durham, NC
Mar 24 - Rock and Roll Hotel - Washington, DC #+

* Asobi Seksu& Starfuc*er
% Unknown Mortal Orchestra! Superhumanoids
~ The Joy Formidable
# Fujiya and Miyagi
+ Warm Ghost

http://www.myspace.com/brahmsisaband

Electric Forest festival 4th of July weekend in Michigan

Live music pioneers The String Cheese Incident (3 performances) and the trailblazing Dutch DJ Tiësto will top the bill at the inaugural Electric Forest at the Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan on June 30 through July 3, 2011. Tickets go on sale Saturday, March 5 at noon EST at www.electricforestfestival.com

Also on the bill are Bassnectar, Pretty Lights, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Stephen Marley, Shpongle Presents The Shpongletron Experience, Railroad Earth, Laidback Luke, JJ Grey & Mofro, Excision, The New Deal, EOTO, Emmitt-Nershi Band, Skrillex and many more.

Electric Forest is also excited to introduce the festival’s first annual Saturday Afternoon Special - a mid-festival event within the event - featuring very special guests, legendary American rock band REO Speedwagon. A complete list of confirmed artists follows. More acts will be announced in the coming months.

For Electric Forest’s inaugural year, the musical line-up - and in many ways, the festival itself - is an evolution of the headliner’s most spirited and theatrical past live events. With a diverse and inspired program of influential bands and artists, both established and new, in every genre, it’s evident that a similar creative force is propelling Electric Forest forward as has pulled along The String Cheese Incident for so many years. It’s the force of imagination and rectitude.

As The String Cheese Incident’s Keith Moseley explains, “For SCI, we’ve always tried to honor our many musical influences, both individually and as a collective, and then do it in the most celebratory way. This festival definitely feels like the ultimate manifestation of all that energy, and the location, well, you just can’t beat it.”

Indeed, Electric Forest is graced with one of the country’s most beloved festival sites. Hosted at the one-of-a-kind Double JJ Resort in Rothbury, Michigan, the unique site offers trails, forests, fields, lakes and beach fronts, and even on-site lodging, bars and eateries. In addition, Electric Forest patrons can take advantage of the resort’s many amenities including a 60,000 square foot indoor water park, an 18-hole championship golf course, swimming pools, horseback riding, and more.

The festival’s unrivaled GOOD LIFE VIP experience promises something for all budgets and tastes, from camping and RV spots, to log cabins and homes, to resort hotel-style suites – all located on the festival grounds.

Brought to life by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events, Electric Forest promises to emerge as a new breed of U.S. music and camping festival. In addition to almost 60 musical performances, look for state-of-the-art, jaw-dropping light displays, intricate and earthy artful touches, and everything in between.

As festival producer Jeremy Stein of Madison House Presents explains, “Our goal is to seamlessly integrate music with art, and we are proud to host a conscious and involved festival community at such an amazing festival site. The site’s Sherwood Forest will be bigger and better than ever.”

Electric Forest will make sustainable practices a priority, as with all MHP events. Continue to visit the Electric Forest website for ongoing updates.Electric Forest’s complete list of confirmed performers is as follows:
The String Cheese Incident (3 Shows)
Tiësto
Bassnectar
Pretty Lights
REO Speedwagon
Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros
Stephen Marley
Kaskade
Shpongle Presents The Shpongletron Experience
Railroad Earth
Laidback Luke
JJ Grey & Mofro
Excision
The New Deal
EOTO
Emmitt-Nershi Band
Skrillex
Karl Denson’s Tiny Universe
Toubab Krewe
Bonobo (DJ Set)
Beats Antique
Big Gigantic
Chiddy Bang
Eskmo
Lettuce
Eliot Lipp Paper Diamond
The Infamous Stringdusters
Zion I & The Grouch
Greensky Bluegrass
Feed Me
The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
The Beautiful Girls (Acoustic)
12th Planet
The Pimps of Joytime
Rubblebucket
Archnemesis
Emancipator
Break Science
The Macpodz
Vibe
SquaD
Euforquestra
The Hood Internet
Lynx
Two Fresh
KRAZ (DJ Set)
The Treasures
Steez
SuperDre
Panic Bomber
Dragon Wagon

Additional acts to be announced in the coming months.

Tickets on sale Saturday, March 5 at 12:00 noon EST at www.electricforestfestival.com and at 1-888- 512-SHOW (Open Mon-Sat 9am-9pm CDT).

Electric Forest is produced by Madison House Presents and Insomniac Events.
www.electricforestfestival.com

Lions!Tigers!Bears! to release album in April

Lions!Tigers!Bears! has launched a pre-order for their upcoming Tragic Hero Records debut, Shallow Waters, Endless Depth out April 26 on Tragic Hero Records. The album can be pre ordered individually or fans have a choice of various bundles that include some killer new Tees! Head over to http://www.merchconnectioninc.com/collections/lions-tigers-bears now to check out the goods!

Based out of Southern California L!T!B! started with like minded individuals who wanted to create music they were passionate about. Over the past two years the group has polished off the sound they set out to achieve. With dedication and determination L!T!B! has come a long way since. The band’s debut album Shallow Waters, Endless Depth was produced by Casey Bates (Chiodos, Foxy Shazam, A Skylit Drive).

Watch for Lions!Tigers!Bears! on The Artery Young Guns Tour with The Air I Breathe, Ten After Two, Scarlett O’Hara and The Plot In You, starting April 1st!


For tour dates, to hear music, visit:

www.facebook.com/LionsTigersBearsBand
www.myspace.com/lionstigersbearsmusic
www.facebook.com/tragicherorecords www.myspace.com/tragicherorecords www.youtube.com/tragicherovideo www.twitter.com/tragicherorec

Mayhem Festival kicks off July 9 in San Bernardino

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL, the heralded hard rock and metal event of the summer, is swiftly becoming the heavy music fans’ summertime rite of passage. Tickets are on sale NOW for ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL’s stop in Boise, Idaho (Nampa) on July 13th, 2011 at the Idaho Center Amphitheater. Fans can purchase their Idaho Center Amphitheater festival tickets at www.ictickets.com or by phone at 1-208-442-3232.

The venue is offering a very special “Get Off Your Ass” ticket promotion which offers buyers of the first 1,000 tickets a $29.50 ticket price with a 3D laminate and front of line access. The second batch of 1,000 tickets will be sold at a special $35 price, and the third batch of 1,000 will be sold at a $39.50 price. All other advance tickets will be sold at the price of $45, and the day-of-show price is $49.50. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL fans in Idaho and surrounding areas should make sure to take part in this limited time offer!

Right now, fans can head to the official ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL website at www.rockstarmayhemfest.com or to the official Facebook page to watch an exclusive video message from KINGDOM OF SORROW vocalist Jamey Jasta. Be sure to watch the video to learn more about KINGDOM OF SORROW on ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL and some exclusive insider information about Jamey Jasta and his summer plans with HATEBREED.

“I can't wait to tour again with Mayhem Fest,” states KINGDOM OF SORROW frontman Jamey Jasta. “The line up is killer, the vibe is awesome and every day I get to connect with swarms of metal and rock fans. It's going to be a great summer!”

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL will make a 26 date trek across the country beginning on July 9th at the San Manuel Amphitheater in San Bernardino, California. Tune in to www.rockstarmayhemfest.com and www.livenation.com for up-to-date ticketing information.

This summer’s mainstage artists, DISTURBED, GODSMACK, and MEGADETH, will be joined by a ferocious mix of the best hard rock and metal artists of today. For the first time in festival history, through their success, IN FLAMES, MACHINE HEAD and TRIVIUM have grown through the ranks to now perform on the mainstage in rotating slots throughout the tour. This year sees the return of festival veterans DISTURBED, MACHINE HEAD, TRIVIUM, and SUICIDE SILENCE. The JAGERMEISTER stage will feature UNEARTH, KINGDOM OF SORROW, RED FANG, and the winners of JAGERMEISTER Battle of the Bands. The Extreme Stage will spotlight SUICIDE SILENCE, ALL SHALL PERISH and STRAIGHT LINE STITCH.

The 4th annual ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL will also feature ROCKSTAR METAL MULISHA JUMP TEAM, the World’s Greatest Freestyle Motocross team. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL attendees can enjoy a plethora of festival activities, including perusing vendors, attending autograph signing sessions and a slew of other interactive activities that enhance the concert experience. It's a 10 hour trip to heavy nirvana.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL is produced by Rockstar Taste of Chaos organizer John Reese, Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman and Creative Artists Agency. The trio has made the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL a standout on the summer concert circuit by following the proven model of utilizing sponsorship to deliver a lower ticket price and an enhanced concert experience. This year sees them joining forces once again with ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK as the title sponsor.

“Metal is ALIVE and WELL in 2011,” states tour producer John Reese. “Each year the tour gets bigger and better and 2011 is no exception. This group of artists this year are going to apply a big, bad, metal shellacking for the fans across the USA and Canada.”

“ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL 2011 is a true mix of molten veterans and smoldering up-and-comers, who are bringing their A games and giving the fans nothing less of an amazing day,” adds tour producer Kevin Lyman.

In 2008, the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL bulldozed onto the scene and quickly made itself known as the preeminent summer destination for the hard rock and metal community. ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL boasts the most powerful artist line-ups in heavy music. Artists who have performed in ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL’s past include hard music legends SLAYER, SLIPKNOT, MARILYN MANSON, KORN, ROB ZOMBIE, LAMB OF GOD, HATEBREED, CANNIBAL CORPSE, BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE, MASTODON, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and many more. All have pummeled the stage, while delivering the intensity and heaviness that fans have grown to expect year after year.

See below for all current tour dates. When viewing, fans should take notice of the line-up changes on the San Bernardino, Mountain View and Montreal dates. On July 9th in San Bernardino, CA, Cartoon Network/Adult Swim’s metal cartoon phenomenon DETHKLOK will perform in the place of MEGADETH, and colossal Bay Area thrash kings TESTAMENT will perform in the place of IN FLAMES. TESTAMENT will also perform in the place of IN FLAMES on the July 10th Mountain View, CA date. MEGADETH will not be appearing on the Montreal, QC Heavy MTL date. Other bands will be announced for Heavy MTL soon.

Go to www.heavymtl.com for further information.

ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL TOUR DATES:
7/9 - San Manuel Amphitheater - San Bernardino, CA (Los Angeles, CA)
7/10 - Shoreline Amphitheatre - Mountain View, CA (San Francisco, CA)
7/12 - White River Amphitheatre - Auburn, WA (Seattle, WA)
7/13 - Idaho Center Amphitheater - Nampa, ID (Boise, ID)
7/15 - Desert Sky Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ
7/16 - Hard Rock Casino Albuquerque Presents The Pavilion - Albuquerque, NM
7/17 - Comfort Dental Amphitheater - Englewood, CO (Denver, CO)
7/19 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheater - Maryland Heights, MO (St. Louis, MO)
7/20 - Riverbend Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
7/22 - Comcast Center - Mansfield, MA (Boston, MA)
7/23 - Parc Jean-Drapeau - (Heavy MTL) - Montreal, QC /www.heavymtl.com
7/24 - Comcast Theater - Hartford, CT
7/27 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ
7/29 - First Niagara Pavilion - Burgettstown, PA (Pittsburgh, PA)
7/30 - Jiffy Lube Live - Bristow, VA (Washington DC)
7/31 - Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ
8/2 - Virginia Beach Amphitheater - Virginia Beach, VA
8/3 - Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion at Walnut Creek - Raleigh, NC
8/5 - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre - Tinley Park, IL (Chicago IL)
8/6 - DTE Energy Music Theatre - Clarkston, MI (Detroit, MI)
8/7 - Verizon Wireless Music Center - Noblesville, IN (Indianapolis, IN)
8/9 - Zoo Amphitheatre - Oklahoma City, OK
8/10 – Gexa Energy Pavilion - Dallas, TX
8/12 - Aaron's Amphitheatre at Lakewood - Atlanta, GA
8/13 - 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre - Tampa, FL
8/14 - Cruzan Amphitheatre - West Palm Beach, FL


For more information on the ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL, visit www.rockstarmayhemfest.com.

Rod Piazza & the Mighty Flyers benefit concert for arts education April 16 in Cerritos

Singer and harmonica master Rod Piazza and his band The Mighty Flyers headline "An Evening of Sweet Blues," a benefit gala and concert to support the Friends of Arts Education at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts (FAE) on Saturday, April 16.

The evening offers two opportunities for enjoyment. The gala package includes a hosted reception and silent auction, followed by an elegant dinner catered by Choura in the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts' theater and a live auction hosted by Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe. The gala continues with a full performance by award-winning Blues veteran Rod Piazza & The Mighty Flyers.

A concert-only option is also available. Tickets for the gala are $160 per person, while tickets for the concert-only option are $45-$35.

The Gala begins at 5:00 p.m. For patrons choosing the concert-only option, the concert begins at 8:30 p.m.

Tickets for the Gala are on sale now at www.friendsofaecc.com or by calling (562) 916-1272.

For those wishing to purchase tickets to the concert, call (562) 467-8818, or go online to www.cerritoscenter.com.

Musink, tattoo convention & music festival, March 4-6 in Costa Mesa


MUSINK:
FOURTH ANNUAL TATTOO CONVENTION & MUSIC FESTIVAL
INVADES SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA NEXT WEEKEND

FRIDAY, MARCH 4
SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, BIOHAZARD & CKY

SATURDAY, MARCH 5
THRICE & CIRCA SURVIVE

SUNDAY, MARCH 6
THE USED & HOT WATER MUSIC

WHAT: MUSINK, the three-day festival, which begin in 2008, returns to the OC FAIR & EVENT CENTER next weekend to celebrate its fourth year. The tattoo convention & music festival showcases tattoo artists from across the global, as well as, both iconic and contemporary bands from punk, hardcore and metal.

Headliners for the 2011 MUSINK Festival include Suicidal Tendencies, Biohazard, CKY, Thrice, Circa Survive, The Used & Hot Water Music.

WHY: MUSINK features top renowned tattoo artists from around the globe. Over 200 tattoo artists are confirmed for this year’s event including: Robert Hernandez, Bob Roberts, Jack Rudy, Robert Atkinson, Megan Hoogland, Gil Montie, Gold Rush Tattoo, Juan Puente, Mark Mahoney, Paul Stottler, Shawn Barber, Kim Saigh, Corey Miller, Kore Flatmo, Bob Tyrrell, Grant Cobb, Oliver Peck, Baba Norm, Kari Barba, Sid Stankovits, Tony Hundahl, Steve Byrne, Nikko Hurtado, Troy Denning, Matt Simmons, Amy Nicoletto, Rick Walters, Tennessee Dave, Big Gus, Mike Shea, Vic Back, Myles Karr, Davide, Adrian Willard and many, many more.

The Active Ride Shop will be present at the festival this year. The Active Ride Shop features Active team riders: Slash, Figgy, Collin Provost, The Nuge, Theoitis Beasley, Jordan Hoffart, Anthony Schultz and many more. Skaters can bring skateboards and join team riders on the Active Army street course and enjoy raffles, contests and free giveaways all weekend.

MUSINK 2011 will also feature the Sullen Angel “Miss Musink” contest which will take place live on the festival grounds. Also on tap for 2011: tattoo contests, seminars, fine art exhibits, professional skateboarding contests, lifestyle vendors, a car show and other fun activities onsite.


WHEN:

Friday, March 4 (2:00pm-11:00pm)
Saturday, March 5 (12:00pm-11:pm)
Sunday, March 6 (12:00pm-10:00pm).

WHERE:

OC Fair & Event Center
88 Fair Drive,
Costa Mesa, CA 92626

Arabs Gone Wild comedy tour coming to LA

The Arabs Gone Wild stand-up comedy tour - which played to sold-out shows last year across the US - heads out on a five-city tour from March 19 through April 1 with shows in Chicago, Dearborn, San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles. The shows are part of The Arabs Gone Wild Comedy Revolution Tour 2011.

“We named this year’s tour The Comedy Revolution Tour in light of what is going on in Middle East and because we are hoping to cause a comedy revolution in the US, ” jokes co-headliner and co-producer Dean Obeidallah.

The show will tackle everything from politics to pop culture as well as “Arabs issues” like “Arab time” (why Arabs are always late for everything) to “Dating while Arab,” with an overall goal of using comedy to combat negative misconceptions and Islamaphobia.

“You don’t have to be of Arab heritage to enjoy the comedy; the jokes are written for everyone to understand – even ‘white people,’” quips co-headliner Maysoon Zayid.

“Arabs Gone Wild is not just a stand-up show, it’s a party,” adds co-headliner Aron Kader. T

he tour features three headlining comedians: Dean Obeidallah who was one of the stars of the critically-acclaimed Comedy Central Axis of Evil stand-up TV special. He has also appeared twice on ABC’s The View, as well as on CNN, PBS, Fox News, and he serves as the co-producer of both The Amman Stand-Up Comedy Festival – the Middle East’s first and only annual stand-up comedy festival - and the annual NY Arab-American Comedy Festival. (www.deanofcomedy.com )

Palestinian-American comedian Maysoon Zayid has appeared in the hit movie You Don’t Mess with the Zohan, as well as PBS one-hour special Muslim Comics Come of Age, Comedy Central’s The Watch List, MTV and is the co-producer alongside Dean of the annual NY Arab-American Comedy Festival. (www.maysoon.com )

The third headliner is hilarious Arab-American comedian Aron Kader, one of the stars of Comedy Central’s Axis of Evil stand-up TV special. He has appeared on Comics Unleashed with Byron Allen, CNN and has performed comedy across the Middle East. (www.aronkader.com )

Special guest Arab-American comedians will join the tour in each city. For more details, please visit: www.arabsgonewild.com.

The tour is produced in association with the NY Arab-American Comedy Festival. (www.arabcomedy.org )

Tour Dates:

March 19, 2011- Chicago Center for the Performing Arts
7:30 and 9:30 p.m.
777 North Green Street, Chicago, IL 60642
Tickets: 312-733-6000 or http://theaterland.thundertix.com

March 20, 2011 - The Henry Ford Community College Auditorium
7 and 9 p.m. 5101 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/154523

March 24 through Sunday, March 27, 2011 - Cobb’s Comedy Club
Thursday – Sunday 8 p.m., with additional 10:15 p.m. shows Friday and Saturday 915
Columbus Avenue, San Francisco, CA 94133
Tickets: 415-928-4320 or http://www.cobbscomedyclub.com/calendar.html

March 31, 2011 - The Comedy Store La Jolla/San Diego
8 p.m.
916 Pearl Street, La Jolla, CA 92037
Tickets: 858-454-9176 or http://www.comedystorelajolla.com/buy-tickets.html

April 1, 2011 - The Comedy Store LA
8 and 10 p.m.
8433 Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Tickets: 800-838-3006 or http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/158221

Pianist Pauline Yang in Manhattan Beach March 19

Piano Recital by Pauline Yang

When Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

Where Trinity Lutheran Church
1340 Eleventh Street, Manhattan Beach, CA
(3 blks east of Sepulveda & 1 blk south of Manhattan Beach Blvd.)

Admission Free, donations appreciated.

www.PalosVerdes.com/TLCmusic/TLCMBs2.htm

Los Angeles Electric 8 in concert in Rolling Hills Estates March 13

"Second Sundays At Two" concert series presents
Los Angeles Electric 8
Classical Music Electric Guitar Ensemble

When Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 2:00 p.m.

Where Rolling Hills United Methodist Church
26438 Crenshaw Blvd.
Rolling Hills Estates, CA 90274
(NE corner of Crenshaw & PV Drive North)

Admission Free, donations appreciated

www.rhumc.org/music.asp#20110213

The Lonely Forest at The Echo March 10

THE LONELY FOREST
Thursday - 3/10/11 8PM @ The Echo - Los Angeles, CA
with: Kisses, Summer Camp, The Tellers

THE LONELY FOREST is a band on the rise. Long regarded as an up-and-comer in the Pacific Northwest, the band recently collaborated with Death Cab For Cutie guitarist/producer Chris Walla to take the anthemic, poppy earnestness of Jimmy Eat World and transform it into a sound that's both playful and emotionally gripping. Hailing from the small town of Anacortes, Washington - singer/guitarist/keyboardist John Van Deusen, guitarist Tony Ruland, drummer Braydn Krueger and bassist Eric Sturgeon - are set to release their newest album Arrows on March 22 via Trans Records - Chris Walla’s newest imprint.

"The Lonely Forest proves to me," says Walla, "In a time full of throwbacks and references and meta-references, that nothing can beat a focused, bulletproof guitar rock band with amazing songs. I didn't start a label for nothing."

View the video for the song "Turn Off This Song and Go Outside," which can be found on Arrows:
http://www.mtvmusic.com/artist/null/videos/559903/turn_off_this_song_and_go_outside

Esotouric Pasadena Confidential crime bus tour in March

March Madness with L.A.'s weirdest clown Crimebo's Art Walk tour and Pasadena Confidential crime bus

WHAT: Crimebo the Clown celebrates March Madness with an Esotouric bus tour of Pasadena Confidential (3/19), a Downtown Art Walk walking tour (3/10), and discounts on bizarre birthday phone greetings (March 1-31)

TOUR #1: Crimebo's DOWNTOWN ART WALK GALLERY TOUR departs from outside the historic Alexandria Hotel at 501 S. Spring Street, Los Angeles on Thursday, March 10, 7:30pm. Cost $10 (cash). Pre-reservation suggested at the linkbelow - http://www.crimebo.com - For glimpses from one of Crimebo's past sold out Art Walk walking tours, see this video link -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6_4-fJVF60

TOUR #2: Esotouric's PASADENA CONFIDENTIAL CRIME BUS TOUR with guest star Crimebo the Clown is Saturday, March 19, 12pm-4pm. Tour departs from Fair Oaks and Arlington Street, Pasadena. Cost $58, which includes coffee and cookies. Pre-reservation suggested at the link below -http://esotouric.com/pasadena

In March, the strangest clown in town, Crimebo, will be rolling out his moldy red carpet as he celebrates March Madness with two incredibly strange history tours and his best price ever on birthday phone greetings. All March long, Crimebo fans can purchase a "Birthday Crime Phone Call" for a friend, loved one or mortal enemy, for the discounted price of just $15.

The unforgettable call from the gravelly-voiced Crimebo features amazingly bad jokes, a selection of horrifying crime statistics from the day of their birth, and the creepiest version of "Happy Birthday to you" imaginable. This special offer is good for birthday greetings all year long, as long as the call is reserved and paid for in March 2011. To schedule a Crimebo call, visit http://www.crimebo.com, click on "bookings" and call or email your request.

Also in March, Crimebo offers two very special personal appearances for fans who want to get up close and personal with the character that the "L.A.Bizarro" city guidebook proclaimed "L.A.'s Best Clown.

"First up on Thursday, March 10 is the long-awaited return of Crimebo's incredibly popular Downtown Art Walk Gallery Tour, a snide insider's guide to the crimes, history and creative expression that makes Art Walk afavorite destination for urban explorers. At 7:30pm, tour guests will meet their personal crime clown guide outside the historic Alexandria Hotel at the corner of 5th & Spring Streets, in the heart of Gallery Row. For the next two and a half hours, they will follow Crimebo through streets of Downtown LA while he regales them with horrific stories of Downtown crime history, leads them on lively gallery visits, makes inappropriate remarks about the artwork and Art Walk attendees, and blows incredibly strange balloon animals and weapons ­ and yes, every guest can have a creepy Crimebo balloon to take home.

The cost of the Art Walk walking tour is $10 andreservations are recommended. To reserve, visit http://www.crimebo.com and click on "bookings," then call or email. Sneak a peek at a previous Crimebo Art Walk tour at the link below -
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6_4-fJVF60

Then on Saturday, March 19, Esotouric, the eclectic bus adventure company whose offbeat tours expose L.A.'s secret history, offers its popular, occasional PASADENA CONFIDENTIAL tour, a true crime bus adventure delving deep into the weird and horrible past of one of L.A.'s most exclusive suburbs. Making a special appearance on this tour: it's Crimebo the Crime Clown capering as only Crimebo can.

Tour guide Kim Cooper, who also researched and wrote the tour, says, "I believe every neighborhood gets the crimes it deserves, and Pasadena's darkside is suitably rife with rocket scientists driven mad by their work, wealthy eccentrics spoiling their pet chimps and bears, seemingly respectable families misbehaving behind tall hedges and a general air of genteel psychic decay.

"Crime fiends will enjoy a four-hour guided luxury bus tour to the darkest recesses of Pasadena history, with vintage photos and film clips show to set the scene. From celebrated cases like the Robert Kennedy assassination (Sirhan Sirhan was a local Pasadena resident), "Eraserhead" star Jack Nance's strange end, black magician/rocket scientist Jack Parsons'death-by-misadventure and the 1926 Rose Parade grand stand collapse, to fascinating obscurities, the tour's multitude of murders, arsons, kidnappings, robberies, suicides, auto wrecks and oddball happenings provide an alternate history of Pasadena that's as fascinating as it is creepy.

Crime Bus passengers will tour the old Millionaire's Row on Orange Grove, boggle at the shocking Sphinx Murder on the steps of the downtown Masonic Hall, thrill to the misadventures of one very poorly-behaved (but beautifully dressed!) chimpanzee and discover why people named Judd and rocket scientists should think twice before moving to Pasadena. They'll also enjoy the offbeat charms of Crimebo the Crime Clown as he leads passengers out onto Suicide Bridge for a personal look down into the gorge that tempted dozens of tormented souls to their demise.

Riders on this eye-opening, funny and informative tour will forever see Pasadena in a new light. It is highly recommended for natives and newcomers alike, crime and history buffs and anyone who likes to seek out the unexpected.

Upcoming Crimebo the Clown personal appearance schedule
Thurs March 10- Downown Art Walk Gallery Tour
Sat March 19 - Pasadena Confidential crime bus tour

Upcoming Esotouric bus tour and special event schedule
Sat Feb 26 - Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: The Lowdown on Downtown-The Secret History of Los Angeles
Sun Jan 27 - LAVA's Sunday Salon at Clifton's Cafeteria (free, info at lavatransforms.org)
Sun Jan 27 - Charles Bukowski's Downtown L.A. walking tour (free, info at lavatransforms.org)
Sat March 5 - Hotel Horrors & Main Street Vice crime bus tour
Sat March 12 - Eastside Babylon crime bus tour (weekend package available)
Sun March 13 - Blood & Dumplings crime bus tour (weekend package available)
Sat March 19 - Pasadena Confidential crime bus tour
Sat April 9 ­ John Fante's Dreams from Bunker Hill (weekend package available)
Sun April 10 - Haunts of a Dirty Old Man: Charles Bukowski's L.A (weekend
package available)
Sat April 16 - The Real Black Dahlia crime bus tour
Sun April 17 - Trace: inside the world of Lynne Herold, Criminalist (info at lavatransforms.org)
Sat April 23 - In A Lonely Place: Raymond Chandler's L.A.S
at April 30 - Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: Route 66 (weekend package available)
Sun May 1 - Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: South L.A. (weekend package available)
Sat May 14 - Weird West Adams crime bus tour
Sat May 28 - Crawling Down Cahuenga: Tom Waits' L.A.

For more on Crimebo, visit http://crimebo.com/

For more info on Esotouric, visit http://www.esotouric.com

Esotouric's Richard Schave, Kim Cooper, Joan Renner and Crimebo the Clown (Michael Perrick) are proud members of LAVA - The Los Angeles Visionaries Association. http://www.lavatransforms.org

Ronnie Spector and Jon "Bowzer" Bauman on PBS special March 5

Rock and pop legends Ronnie Spector (of The Ronettes) and Jon “Bowzer” Bauman (of Sha Na Na) team up to host a celebration of the best-loved songs from the late 1950s and early 1960s in an all-new MY MUSIC concert event. ROCK, POP & DOO WOP (MY MUSIC) offers emotion-packed performances when it airs on March 5, 8 p.m. on PBS SoCal; for encore airings throughout the month, visit www.pbssocal.org for more information..

Highlights: For the first time in four decades, pop-rock royalty Ronnie Spector is able to sing on TV the biggest hits from her days as the star of The Ronettes: “Be My Baby” and “Baby I Love You.” History is also made when La La Brooks performs “Da Doo Ron Ron (When He Walked Me Home)” and “Then He Kissed Me,” two girl group classics from The Crystals and songs on which Brooks sang lead vocals on the original recordings. The beloved Jay Black, formerly of Jay & The Americans, renders his show-stopping smash “Cara Mia” and Len Barry makes a rare appearance to offer his #1 hit “1-2-3.” The Orlons hit the stage with“The Wah-Watusi” in tribute to the Philly teen dance music of American Bandstand era in the early 1960s.

“This show is also unique in that we've been able to acquire lost footage from archives around the world that hasn’t been seen since originally aired,” says My Music creator and executive producer TJ Lubinsky. “Included are anthems like ‘Get A Job’ by the Silhouettes and ‘Book Of Love’ by The Monotones.” Also featured is an original performance by Johnny Maestro & The Crests (before Maestro formed The Brooklyn Bridge).

Featured songs and performers:
· “Yakety-Yak”/“Charlie Brown” – Carl Gardner’s Coasters
· “Can't We Be Sweethearts” - The Cleftones
· “Silhouettes” - The Rays
· “I Love You So”/ “Maybe” – The Chantels
· “Blue Moon” – The Marcels
· “Step By Step” - Johnny Maestro & The Crests
· “Rhythm of the Rain” – John Gummoe (of The Cascades)
· “Book Of Love” – The Monotones
· “A Little Bit Of Soap” – The Jarmels
· “A Thousand Stars In The Sky” - Kathy Young
· “Lovers Concerto” – Barbara Harris & The Toys
· Platters’ Greatest Hits - Sonny Turner (medley: “Only You,” “Great Pretender,” “Twilight Time,” “Harbor Lights,” “Magic Touch,” “My Prayer,” “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”)
· “1-2-3” - Len Barry
· “Wah-Watusi” - The Orlons
· “Venus in Blue Jeans” - Jimmy Clanton
· “Will You Love Me Tomorrow” - Shirley Alston Reeves (original lead singer of The Shirelles)
· “Cara Mia” - Jay Black (originally with Jay & The Americans)
· “Baby I Love You” - Ronnie Spector
· “Be My Baby” - Ronnie Spector
· “Da Doo Ron Ron” - La La Brooks (originally with The Crystals)
· “Then He Kissed Me” - La La Brooks (originally with The Crystals)
· “Get A Job” - The Silhouettes
· “Looking For an Echo” - Kenny Vance & The Planotones

David Foster & Friends on PBS March 7

Maestro to the stars David Foster, who has collaborated with some of the greatest superstars in music, returns to Great Performances with several of his favorite artists for a magnificent night of music: HITMAN RETURNS: DAVID FOSTER & FRIENDS is scheduled to air Monday, March 7 at 7p.m. on PBS SoCal; for encore airings throughout the month, visit www.pbssocal.org for more information.

Filmed at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, ““HITMAN RETURNS”, the follow-up concert to the hugely popular 2008 Hitman: David Foster & Friends, is an all-star celebration featuring even more chart-topping stars and music from the 15-time Grammy Award-winner’s extensive career catalog.

Foster’s high profile friends on this occasion include All-4-One, Martina McBride, Charice, Natalie Cole, Earth, Wind & Fire, America’s Got Talent sensation Jackie Evancho, Lara Fabian, Ne-Yo, Michael Bolton, pedal steel guitar virtuoso Robert Randolph, Chaka Khan, Kenny Loggins, Seal, Ruben Studdard, and Donna Summer, performing songs either written, produced or connected to Foster over the course of his prolific musical career.

The evening offers a succession of showstopping solos, from both veteran performers and newcomers, the latter category represented in spectacular fashion by 10-year-old phenomenon Jackie Evancho’s renditions of Andrew Lloyd Webber’s “Pie Jesu” and Puccini’s “O Mio Babbino Caro,” and “Glee” star Charice’s soulful “All By Myself.”

Foster -- who has been nominated for an unprecedented 45 Grammy awards, won two Emmys and was an Oscar nominee -- has discovered and nurtured the careers of megastars such as Josh Groban and Michael Bublé. He has also created chart-topping hits for legends Andrea Bocelli, Barbra Streisand, Celine Dion, Madonna, Whitney Houston, Chicago, Michael Jackson, Earth, Wind and Fire & Chaka Khan.

Song Rundown (as of press time):

David Foster “Winter Games”
Kenny Loggins “Heart To Heart”
Chaka Khan “Through the Fire”
All-4-One “I Swear”
Natalie Cole / Ruben Studdard “When I Fall In Love”
Jackie Evancho “Pie Jesu”
Jackie Evancho “O Mio Babbino Caro"
Martina McBride “We’ve Got Tonight”
Michael Bolton / Seal Medley “When A Man Loves A Woman / It’s A Man’s World”
Chaka Khan “I’m Every Woman”
Earth Wind & Fire Medley “In The Stone / September / After The Love Has Gone”
Lara Fabian “Caruso”
Ne-Yo “Miss Independent”
Charice “All By Myself”
Ne-Yo, Charice, Robert Randolph “Earth Song”
Lara Fabian / Michael Bolton “The Prayer”
Donna Summer / Seal Medley “Unbreak My Heart / Crazy / On The Radio”
Donna Summer “Last Dance”

The concert was produced by THIRTEEN for WNET and WBR (Warner Bros. Records) for PBS broadcast on Great Performances, and will also be released this March as a concert CD/DVD on 143/Reprise Records.The telecast was directed for television by David Horn, and produced by Mitch Owgang. Bill O’Donnell is series producer; David Horn and David Foster are executive producers.

Great Performances is funded by The Starr Foundation, The Philip and Janice Levin Foundation, Joseph A. Wilson, public television viewers and PBS.

Le Tigre on Tour DVD to be released in June

Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it will release the highly anticipated film Who Took the Bomp? Le Tigre On Tour on DVD June 7. The film, which is set to premiere at this year’s SXSW Film and Music Festival, follows electronic feminist icons Le Tigre on the This Island tour across four continents and ten countries.

Supported by a community of devoted fans and led by outspoken Riot Grrrl pioneer Kathleen Hanna (Bikini Kill), Le Tigre confronts sexism and homophobia in the music industry while tearing up the stage via performance art poetics, no-holds-barred lyrics, punk rock ethos, and whip-smart wit in this edgy and entertaining documentary.

Directed by Kerthy Fix (Strange Powers: Stephin Merritt and the Magnetic Fields) WHO TOOK THE BOMP? LE TIGRE ON TOUR features never before seen live performances, archival interviews, and revealing backstage footage with these trail-blazing artists.

Le Tigre took over the world with their “electronic feminist punk.” What began as a fun project became one of the most relevant bands of the last decade.

Ignoring the constrictions of both the mainstream and the underground, the band has never believed that fun and intelligence couldn’t coexist. They have demystified electronic music, critiqued government policies, and celebrated female and queer artists all while dropping roller-skate jams that make everyone dance.

The film is a look into their world and a document of their thrilling multimedia performances.

Friday, February 25, 2011

End o' Week Musings

One more week gone from the calendar... gee, how time flies!


It started raining last Saturday afternoon and I fretted about going out. I was planning to see Dramarama at the Brixton in Redondo Beach, but wasn't looking forward to the drive. As the time to hit the road crept closer, the rain seemed to be easing off, so I put on my glitter and a warm jacket and put the key in the ignition.



It turned out my drive was well worth it. Dramarama was amazing on stage and even better because it was a club where you could easily find a place to watch them perform. I managed to get right up to the stage! The band was polished and comfortable and obviously having a lot of fun. They also had a good amount of fans in the crowd, who sang along with every number.

Also at the show was Daryl Hernandez, who runs the House of Rock kids' band program at the Fret House in Covina and Al Bane, a rock fashion designer. It was nice to hang out with these guys, as we had a good chat.


After the show, the members of Dramarama wasted very little time in the dressing room and came out to mingle with the crowd. Lead singer John Easdale came over to shake my hand and made me laugh.

"I know you, you're the Doo Dah Queen, right?" John said.


When I replied "yes," he responded that he didn't recognize me at first because of my glasses. I'm still giggling about the incident because John's the big star in the room, yet he treated me like the celebrity. And I guess that says a lot about what a nice man he is too.


Sunday my Elizabethan band (Danse Macabre/Ad Hoc Consort) director Bob held a party so all the players could meet each other and have a jam. We nibbled on pizza and brownies, while sipping soda (or beer) and talking. After a bit, Bob set up a huge movie screen in his living room and got the popcorn going-- we're talking serious popcorn here too, as he has a proper concession stand popcorn popper, complete with butter-salt, a hot butter dispenser and popcorn cups. And let me tell you, that's some of the best popcorn I have ever eaten!


We settled in our seats and Bob went upstairs to start the show. With a loud womp sound (something you'd expect to hear from a UFO), he started up his pipe organ (I know, a pipe organ in a person's home, believe me, I couldn't make up stuff this good). Then the film began, it was the Laurel and Hardy comedy, "Two Tars," about two sailors and all the trouble they get into on leave. Bob had an entire musical score for the movie, which he played, along with sound effects, such as a train chugging, car horns, ship bells and more. Very, very cool!



After the film, we all went upstairs to the music room and jammed on some of our music for the Renaissance Faire. It was a nice party, for sure.



Monday was pretty much a wash, as all my plans were skewed. The happy part of my day was going with my mother to the mall, where she had fun shopping and we could get a nice walk. My special guy had given me a gift card for Macy's for Valentine's Day, telling me to pick up some jewelry to wear when I perform at the Ren Faire (he wasn't sure what was appropriate, as there are attire guidelines we have to follow). My mom helped me pick out a necklace that looks very tribal and old, something I could have picked up traveling or from a traveler coming through the town. I also bought a pair of silver earrings that are suitable for Faire and anytime.



Tuesday, I was back at Bob's for rehearsal, but there was only four of us, so we focused on what Will the mandolinist wanted to work on. There was also a number I was having trouble with, so we tried a few different approaches with the percussion until we found a good match.


Before I left, Bob gave me a recorder and a few pages of instruction and told me to give it a try. I've never been too good with wind instruments, maybe it's my asthma or maybe it's just me, but I promised to fiddle around with it.

Last night it was time for more Tahitian dancing. I really like this new number- it's fast and has a lot of sharp moves, plus you have to be on the beats, so it's a good challenge.

Tomorrow I'm planning to go to McGinty's Gallery at the End of the World (http://www.galleryattheendoftheworld.com/ ) in Altadena for it's closeout sale. I hate to see the space go, but it's the right thing for Ben at this point in time. I hope I can find a good memory and maybe a few items from his racks of vintage clothing. The sale continues on Sunday, so stop by and get a deal.


Sunday I'm going to take my mom to see Los Fabulocos featuring Kid Ramos at the VFW in Industry. I love their Cali-Mex grooves and I'm sure my mother will enjoy them too.

In rotation this week: Joan Baez, Tim Curry, Misery, Dramarama and Dirty Dave Osti.

Photos we got 'em: A silly pet photo and a couple of (cell phone) shots of Dramarama bassist Mike Davis rocking out on stage.


Thought o' the week: Find inner peace. As you know, I've been dealing with some big issues in my life and have tried to remain optimistic and open to change. I have now been channeling those attributes into a feeling of inner peace.


When life gets crazy, it's easy to get riled up and even angry at the world, but that's pointless and not very useful. The way you react to a problem directly affects your stress level, which affects your attitude, health and more. The best tact is to chunk things down into smaller pieces that you can deal with, that way you keep focused and lessen the opportunity for a bad decision or mistake.


It is also important to find places in your life where you get a break from the craziness, such as a good book, a long soak in the tub, a dance class, a walk in the sunshine or whatever puts pause in your day. During these times, reflect on how you feel inside-- I'll bet it's pretty good. Now remember that feeling and when things begin pushing on you, take a deep breath and try to return to that quiet place before you react. This also works for getting you down off the ledge, as I say. You know, that point where you're beginning to feel overwhelmed. Just pause and relax a minute, it will clear your brain a bit and calm your nerves.


Do you know your spot of inner peace? Find it and

Keep on rockin'
Mickie






Theatre 360 to present "The Jungle Book" in Pasadena

JUNGLE BOOK—
Theatre 360 in Pasadena, an award-winning children’s theatre company, performs
“The Jungle Book.”
Shows on
March 4 and 5 at 7:30 p.m.;
March 6 at 2 p.m.;
March 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.;
March 13 at 2 p.m.
Theatre 360, 75 N. Marengo Ave., Pasadena.
For tickets and information contact 626-577-5977 or www.theatre360.org

SkallyWagz in Torrance Saturday

Ahoy Mateys!

Come on out this Saturday Night, February 26th, to Zina's in Torrance and Rock Out with the SkallyWagz! Zina's is always a blast and the clientele is totally cool! We always have an excellent time there so come down and join the party!

Hope to see you all there!
Joe and the SkallyWagz

Zina's is at 4525 Calle Mayor, Torrance.

For more info please visit www.skallywagz.com.

Poly Styrene battling cancer

Poly Styrene Statement:
It comes as a huge shock to all those who know Poly Styrene and X-ray Spex that Poly has been diagnosed with cancer, she is currently undergoing various treatments in her battle with this illness. She is devastated that she cannot commit to any live dates at this stage, but her album remains a very positive force in her current journey. Poly has been tweeting about her illness and will continue to keep in touch with fans:

"It's been a bit of a battle fighting this cancer but hey ho I'm still alive, Luv Poly x".

She also recently added via Twitter “Hoping & praying I can fight this cancer. Thank u all 4 ur positive vibes, I'm overwhelmed, ur keeping me in the land of living. Luv Poly X”

www.poly-styrene.com
www.twitter.com/poly_styrene
www.facebook.com/polystyrenemusic


Poly Styrene
Generation Indigo
(April 26, Future Noise Music)

At the end of 2010, Poly Styrene, the unforgettable frontwoman and iconic face of the seminal band X-ray Spex announced her return to the music scene by releasing a free download of alternative festive anthem ‘Black Christmas’. Poly’s reggae tinged track took on the commercialism that has infected the holidays and served as a reminder of how much we need her voice. Along with her ahead-of-their-time sound and vocal styling, her lyrics have been amazingly prescient. A true musical; and fashion rebel, Poly Styrene has returned at her most thrilling.

“Black Christmas” was just the beginning of what Poly Styrene has in store. The forthcoming album ‘Generation Indigo’ is due on April 26 through Future Noise Music and was produced by Youth (The Verve, Killing Joke, The Fireman, Edwyn Collins).

X-ray Spex may have only been around for a couple of years but their star shone brightly. Poly Styrene’s return is highly anticipated; she remains a genuine icon and one of the premier influences on the Riot Grrrl and Britpop scenes. Currently, a new set of young American bands like the Yeah Yeahs Yeahs, The Gossip and countless others recognize her fiery, irrepressible presence. With her great self-styled image, brilliantly sharp lyrics and powerful presence, Poly’s indomitable spirit still inspires.

After reforming the band for a one off show at The Roundhouse, Camden in 2008, Poly was persuaded to start writing a solo album. Armed with a record’s worth of songs, Poly met Youth who added his own epic style to the tracks. The resulting LP kicks off with the mighty, power-pop of ‘I Luv Ur Sneakers’, and maintains the quick pace with forthcoming single ‘Virtual Boyfriend’ - before then moving into dubstep territories on the title track ‘Generation Indigo’.

The album takes in everything from neo-X-ray Spex punk rock on ‘Thrash City’ and ‘L.U.V’ to the Trojan-reggae infused grooves of ‘No Rockefeller’, ‘Code Pink Dub’ and ‘Colour Blind’ whilst one of the stand out songs, ‘White Gold’ attests to the power of Poly’s soaring vocals.

The forward looking ‘Generation Indigo’ showcases Poly’s humorous musings on pop culture, the internet and fashion whilst also tackling heavier subject matter (war and racism) with her politically aware and intelligent lyrics.

‘Generation Indigo’ is a fantastic return to form for Poly and a welcome comeback for her fans. With her never-failing ability to connect with her audience regardless of the year and their age, Poly Styrene’s remarkable voice sounds as vibrant and innocent as ever.

Neko Case to tour in support of new album

Neko Case, the velvet-voiced New Pornographers and solo songstress, sings on half of The Dodos’ upcoming fourth LP, No Color, so it’s only natural that she would decide to share a new track from the record with her Twitter followers, right? Only she chose one of the few songs that she doesn’t sing on, her favorite fingerpicking-frenzied cut “Don’t Stop”, which is the beautiful and bouncy close to No Color. Check out Neko’s tweet, and listen to the song over at Stereogum or through the Frenchkiss-approved download link below.

Neko’s Tweet:
http://twitter.com/nekocase/status/40835431721340928

Listen To And Download The Dodos’ “Don’t Stop” from No Color [Frenchkiss Records]:

http://stereogum.com/646601/the-dodos-dont-stop/mp3s/

http://www.frenchkissrecords.com/dodos_dontstop.mp3

No Color will hit stores on March 15th via Frenchkiss Records in the U.S. (Wichita in Europe) and was produced by John Askew, who also produced the San Francisco duo’s impressive Frenchkiss debut Visiter. Earlier this month, The Dodos launched an exclusive pre-order for No Color on their website. There are several pre-order packages of No Color available, including standard digital, CD, and gatefold Vinyl format.

In addition, the band is offering a deluxe option that includes CD, vinyl, an exclusive silk-screened poster and limited-edition No Color t-shirt. Each package comes with an instant download of “Black Night,” and a download of No Color in DRM-free 320kbps MP3 or Apple Lossless format, delivered directly to your inbox on March 15th.

Pre-order No Color & Get An Immediate Download Of “Black Night” Now:
http://www.dodosmusic.net

No Color Track List:
1. Black Night
2. Going Under
3. Good
4. Sleep
5. Don’t Try And Hide It
6. When Will You Go
7. Hunting Season
8. Companions
9. Don't Stop

In other news, the band will be on tour in North America and Europe all this spring. The band is also running ticket giveaways in each city they’ll be playing in over the coming tour from their Facebook page. Fans need simply comment on the date of the show they’d like to attend, and a random winner will be chosen to receive a pair of tickets for every date (with the exception of festivals). Speaking of festivals, the band announced their full SXSW itinerary this morning. All Austin shows are included in the full list of tour dates below.

Enter To Win Tickets To Upcoming Dodos Shows:
http://www.facebook.com/dodosmusic?sk=app_123966167614127

US + European 2011 Tour Dates
03-10 Reno, NV - Lincoln Lounge
03-11 Las Vegas, NV - Beauty Bar
03-12 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
03-13 Phoenix, AZ - The Duce
03-14 Santa Fe, NM - Warehouse 21
03-16 Tiger Mountain and Noise Pop Present - Brooklyn vs. the Bay Day Party at Red Eye- 5:10pm-6pm
03-16 French Kiss Night Showcase at Parish- 1am-1:45am
03-17 Under the Radar Day Party at Flamingo Cantina - 12:45pm-1:30pm
03-17 Pitchfork Party at East Side Drive Inn- 3:30pm-4pm
03-18 Food Panel at Convention Center 11am-12:30pm-
03-18 Brooklyn Vegan Day Party at Swan Dive & Barbarella- 5pm-5:45pm
03-18 Orchard Night Showcase-at Cedar Street Courtyard- - 10pm-10:45pm
03-19 AOL Pop Up Show- at secret tba location- 1pm- location tbc until 24 hours beforehand
03-19 Mess With Texas Outside Festival at East Side Drive Inn – 4:15pm-4:45pm
03-21 Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
03-22 Omaha, NE - Waiting Room
03-23 Minneapolis, MN - Cedar Cultural Center
03-24 Fargo, ND - Aquarium
03-25 Winnipeg, MB - West End
03-26 Saskatoon, SK - Amigo’s
03-28 Calgary, AB - Republik
03-29 Edmonton, AB - Starlite
03-31 Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw
04-01 Victoria, BC - Sugar
04-02 Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo
04-04 Seattle, WA - Neumo's
04-05 Portland, OR - Doug Fir
04-07 San Francisco, CA - Filmore
04-08 Los Angeles, CA - El Rey Theater
04-09 San Diego, CA - Casbah
04-27 Spain, Donostia - Gazteszena
04-28 Spain, Vigo - University
04-29 Spain, Madrid - El Sol
04-30 Spain, Barcelona - Plaça de la Odissea (Free Outdoor show)
05-02 Grenoble, France - Le Ciel
05-03 Milan, Italy - Salumeria Della Musica
05-04 Rome, Italy - Circolo Degli Artisti
05-05 Ravenna, Italy - Bronson
05-06 Aarau, Switzerland - Kiff
05-07 Munich, Germany - 59-1
05-09 Berlin, Germany - Magnet
05-10 Hamburg, Germany - Prinzenbar
05-11 Cologne, Germany - Blue Shell
05-12 Nijmegen, Holland - Doornroosje
05-13 Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
05-14 Brussels, Belgium - Botanique Festival
05-16 Vendome, France - La Chapelle Vendome
05-17 Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
05-18 Paris, France - Divan du Monde
05-19 London, UK - Scala
05-20 Manchester, UK - Deaf Institute
05-21 Glasgow, UK – Arches

For More Information:
http://www.dodosmusic.net/
http://www.facebook.com/dodosmusic
http://www.twitter.com/dodobrainworms
http://www.myspace.com/thedodos
http://www.frenchkissrecords.com/

Pink Floyd Experience in Cerritos April 2

The Pink Floyd Experience

Theater: Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts
12700 Center Court Drive, Cerritos

Date: Saturday, April 2, 2011, 8:00 PM

Ticket Prices: $73/$58/$43/$28

Ticket Information: Tickets are available only at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts* Ticket Office, at www.cerritoscenter.com , or by calling (562) 467-8818.

Wahnder Lust to release double album

The latest and greatest Los Angeles super group has finally arrived, erupting with talent and nearly limitless potential. Kim Manning and Lantz Lazwell on vocals, keyboards, and guitars, lead Wahnder Lust who is preparing to release an epic double disc album.

This compilation loaded with grooving rock riffs, funky beats, and inspired tag team vocals features thirteen tracks from Kim Manning's "I am Good People" and thirteen tracks from Lantz Lazwell's "Awakening."

It is no surprise that this writing and touring machine, Wahnder Lust, is building fans from coast to coast.

Manning and Lazwell's extensive professional experience shine through on the recordings, as the bouncing, infectious rhythms wash over you like a wave crashing onto the Santa Monica shore. It doesn't take long for Wahnder Lust to effectively invade your mind, injected with incredibly catchy beats and vocal styles paired with pumping bass lines and smooth guitar effects to consistently keep the songs interesting.

Born in Ponca City, Oklahoma, the alluring Kim Manning became a musical sensation through a near decade as a featured vocalist for George Clinton and the P-Funk Allstars. With years of international touring under her belt, her energetic and versatile performances has drawn fans in throughout the world. Kim has also been seen on television shows as The Grammy Awards, The David Letterman Show, Jay Leno, The Craig Furgesson Late Night Show and VH1's Flavor of Love. Her magnetic voice can be heard on albums alongside such greats as Snoop Dogg, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and recently Sly Stone.

After quickly becoming an influential force in the local Sacramento, California music scene, Lantz Lazwell relocated to Los Angeles where his career exploded to new, burgeoning heights at lightspeed. Drawing comparisons to Jimi Hendrix, Jack Johnson, and Stevie Wonder, Lazwell took home the LA Music Award for Best Rock Vocalist in 2007, and joined the all-star lineup of Trulio Disgracias which included members of Fishbone, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and his future Wahnder Lust partner, Kim Manning.

Wahnder Lust defines funky musical inspiration that eases your mind and energizes your soul, sure to simultaneously satisfy fans of multiple genres. After successful performances at the House of Blues, San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, SXSW, Steel Bridge Song Fest in Sturgeon Bay and various nationally recognized hot spots, these road warriors will continue to hit venues across the country.

Keep an eye out for tour dates in your area and the new album release in late 2011.

For more information please visit:
www.soundclick.com/wahnderlust
www.wahnderlust.com

Skold to release new album

"Sometimes I wonder if I've been preparing my whole life for this album. I'm curious if people will actually 'get it'," so says SKOLD's influential musical mastermind Tim Skold about ANOMIE, his first album in 15 years. "It really is completely self indulgent wankery, but that goes for just about every record I've ever liked. I don't want people to expect anything from me, I promise only to remain defiantly and completely untrustworthy."

What can be trusted beyond a reason of a doubt, however, is that Anomie which gets released on Metropolis Records on May 10, 2011, is a monumental affair - an aggro aural mindmelt that has been hoped for and expected by fans for the last decade and a half. The album is set for release either as a 12-track CD or digital download
(pre-order link: http://tinyurl.com/skold-standard)
or as a digital deluxe version with two bonus tracks
(pre-order link: http://tinyurl.com/skold-deluxe).

As an extra special bonus to the Metropolis mail order, the first 1,111 pre-orders will receive a super exclusive hand-numbered and autographed Anomie postcard.

A multi-instrumentalist whose historical footprints include stints with Shotgun Messiah, KMFDM, MDFMK, OhGr and Marilyn Manson plus numerous remixes, Tim Skold as SKOLD released the legendary self-titled debut in 1996, and Anomie is its official and very long-awaited follow-up.

"To me, Anomie definitely feels like a continuation, but since I spent a lot of time doing other things, it is, for all intents and purposes, a new beginning," Tim continues.

A fully self-sufficient recording entity, SKOLD is a very personal project and Anomie was something that fulfills his own personal desires.

"I really like the word 'anomie' and think it applies to me both on a personal and creative level but most of all I think it describes my music and how I make my music. There is absolutely no collaboration on this album whatsoever. The 'drummer' (me) hates the 'guitar player' (me). The 'singer' (me) refuses to do more than one take and the 'bass player' (me) is out doing other shit while the 'Producer' (me) really just wants to kill them all. It's a very sick affair."

Kicking off in the down and dirty minor chords with a searing electric guitar and sneering, gutteral vocals, "(This Is My) Elephant" harkens exactly what SKOLD is best known for - it is the perfect re-intro back to his psyche.

"There's just something about starting an album with a five minute, heavy monster with an acoustic guitar and bass solo ending," he says of the track.

When asked about all the different textures and feelings of the album, he replies,"It really wouldn't surprise me if it was diagnosed as Schizophrenia but as you know, some of us prefer labeling the whole thing as Anomie. I pull both sound and inspiration from many different places. It is only when I step away and get a broader look at the album I realize just how much stuff is on there. I seized the opportunity and went as far as I could. From an artistic perspective, it is very decadent."

The first single "Suck" is a majestic march, spewing out lyrics of dominance and pure snark, down to its NSFW anthemic chorus. From the guitar stomp of the "Becoming" to the angsty yearning of "The Hunger" to the midnight dance beats of album closer "Deserve," Anomie is an album of rhythm and melody as it is about primal urges and psychosexual underpinnings.

"I try to make music that is not derivative but still uphold some of the fundamental rock 'n' roll values," he says. "I never thought about blazing any trails or to be pioneering for the sake of it but on the other hand I'm not afraid to experiment a bit and try ways of making music that strays from the norm."

anomie: [an-uh-mee] –nouna state or condition of individuals or society characterized by a breakdown or absence of social norms and values

Since his last solo album in 1996, Tim Skold production and composition fingerprints have been impressed in accomplishments like Marilyn Manson's #1 Billboard charting album The Golden Age of Grotesque (featuring the Grammy-nominated song "mOBSCENE"for Best Metal Performance) and the critically acclaimed Eat Me, Drink Me. In 2009, SKOLD collaborated with KMFDM on the appropriately titled album SKOLD vs. KMFDM.

Anomie will be released on Metropolis Records on May 10, 2011. The first single "SUCK" will be released as an 8-track EP on April 10, 2011 , including remixes from 16volt, Front Line Assembly, Combichrist and Bitteren Ende and three new non-album tracks "I Will Not Forget", "Bullets Ricochet" and "A Dark Star" which garnered validation by accolades of TV placement in shows like NCIS and FlashForward, and through rabid fan consumption.

ANOMIETRACK LISTING
01 (This is my) Elephant
02 Suck
03 Black Out
04 Angel of Noise
05 Satellite
06 Becoming
07 The Hunger
08 Here Comes the Thunder
09 And Then We Die
10 Miserably Never Ever
11 Tonight
12 What You See Is What You Get

Digital Deluxe Bonus Tracks:
13 Polka Dot Dress
14 Deserve

http://www.skold.com/
http://www.facebook.com/skoldofficial

Whispering Pines, Old Californio & The Stone Foxes at the Mint March 11

Pasadena-based, Old Californio will be bringing their unique brand of a West Coast California sound that was realized with their 2009 release, Westering Again, a record steeped in the very best of folk and country rock. They will be previewing songs from their upcoming June 2011 release, Sundrunk Angels, bringing you guitar-driven melodies, four-part harmonies and as rock journalist Domenic Priore describes the music, "psychedelic bounce and in-the-pocket, ethereal jams".

The roots-bluesy band, The Stone Foxes, are touring in support of their 2010 release "Bears and Bulls". The Bay Area four-piece consisting of brothers Shannon and Spence Koehler, Aaron Mort, and Avi Vinocur are influenced by the greats of the late 60s and early 70s like The Band, Bob Dylan, and Led Zeppelin and will be delivering great song writing, warm guitars, a nut-tight rhythm section, and the occasional blues harp riffs to the stage.

LA-based band, Whispering Pines, have several descriptions attached to their music including the drawn out "Hippie-folk-Southern-Jam". What the music boils down to is a soulful, authentic Rock, drenched in boisterous piano, southern rock guitar licks, blazing harp solos and drum and bass grooves that will make you boogie. Praise for Stone Foxes' Bears and Bulls:“ The four San Franciscans in The Stone Foxes have an energetic style that’s rooted in swampy, foot-stomping blues-rock. Their freshly released sophomore album, Bears and Bulls, tackles ambitious arrangements with diverse mo ods ranging from acoustic twang to thunderous electric-guitar riffs.” - NPR

To learn more:
http://www.thestonefoxes.com

http://www.oldcalifornio.com

http://www.inthewhisperingpines.com

Show Info:
Friday, March 11
@ The Mint
(7:00 PM doors) / 21+$10.00 / $13.00 day of show
9:00 Whispering Pines/ 10:00 Old Californio/ 11:00 The Stone Foxes
http://www.themintla.com/show/detail/39468
6010 West Pico Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90035
Phone: 323.954.9400

"Out of the Vinyl Deeps: Ellen Willis on Rock Music" due out in May

OUT OF THE VINYL DEEPS: ELLEN WILLIS ON ROCK MUSIC
by Ellen Willis
Edited by Nona Willis Aronowitz
Foreword by Sasha Frere-Jones
Afterword by Daphne Carr and Evie Nagy
University of Minnesota Press 272 pages May 2011
ISBN 978-0-8166-7283-7 paperback $22.95
ISBN 978-0-8166-7282-0 library cloth $69.00

Out of the Vinyl Deeps is a collection of rock criticism by Ellen Willis, a cultural critic famous for her column Rock, Etc. that ran in the New Yorker from 1968-1975. While most discussion of pop criticism at that time focused on the work of influential male writers (Richard Goldstein, Robert Christgau, Greil Marcus, Lester Bangs, etc.), Willis was writing for a larger audience than almost any other critic making her one of the few women to break into a predominately male rock criticism scene.

The book includes pieces on David Bowie, the New York Dolls, the Velvet Underground, Joni Mitchell, Stevie Wonder, Janis Joplin, Elvis Presley, and many others, as well as the groundbreaking essay on Bob Dylan that got her the job at the New Yorker. Willis only wrote about the moments and people she was drawn to, not necessarily those that others thought were important and popular, making this anthology less a survey of 60s and 70s rock music than it is Willis's picks for the most culturally valuable, influential, or fascinating artists and moments of that time.

Not only is Out of the Vinyl Deeps a look at Willis's immensely layered writing career, it's a belated recognition of a true cultural phenomenon and claims her rightful place in rock n' roll history.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Ellen Willis (1941–2006) was a groundbreaking radical leftist writer and thinker whose true loves were rock music, feminism, pleasure, and freedom. She was the first pop music critic for the New Yorker and an editor and columnist at the Village Voice. She wrote for numerous publications, including Rolling Stone, the New York Times, the Nation, and Dissent. She was the founder of the Cultural Reporting and Criticism program at New York University, and she published three books of essays, Beginning to See the Light, No More Nice Girls, and Don’t Think, Smile.

Nona Willis Aronowitz has written about women, sex, music, technology, film, and youth culture for publications such as the Nation, the New York Observer, the Village Voice, and Salon. She is coauthor of Girldrive: Criss-crossing America, Redefining Feminism.

Sasha Frere-Jones is a staff writer for the New Yorker.

Daphne Carr is editor of the Best Music Writing series.

Evie Nagy is an associate editor at Billboard Magazine.

For more information, including the table of contents, visit the book's webpage:
http://www.upress.umn.edu/Books/W/willis_out.html

Eric Benet to star in "Trinity Goodheart"


Eric Benét has joined the cast of Trinity Goodheart, a feature film based on an original screenplay by Rhonda Freeman-Baraka centered around a 12-year old girl on a mission to reunite her disjointed family. Production is set to begin March 1st on location in Charlotte, North Carolina. The announcement was made today by producer Rick Eldridge.

Trinity Goodheart is being produced by Eldridge (The Ultimate Gift) through Eldridge’s ReelWorks Studios. Joanne Hock, an award-winning cinematographer, has been tapped to direct. The film will have a limited theatrical release and has been acquired by GMC TV for all broadcast television rights.

Mr. Benét stars opposite child actor Erica Gluck (The Game), who serves in the title role of Trinity.

Trinity Goodheart (Gluck) is an exceptionally gifted 12 year old girl who is raised by her free-spirited musician father Jeremy (Benét). When Trinity is visited by an angel who leaves her a pendant that belonged to her long-lost mother, Trinity concludes her mother is in danger and needs her help. Against her father’s wishes, Trinity begins a journey to reunite her disjointed family and, in the process, teaches them the value of love, faith and forgiveness.

Eric Benét made his solo recording debut with 1996’s True To Myself and has remained a force on the R&B charts ever since with numerous #1 hits, awards and critical acclaim. The three-time Grammy® nominated artist released his latest album, Lost in Time, in November 2010. As an actor, Mr. Benét appeared in 2001’s Glitter and on television in the series’ “Half & Half” and “For Your Love.” Trinity Goodheart is Mr. Benét’s first major acting role.

ReeWorks Studios is an independent production company founded in August 2009 by Rick Eldridge and Christopher Cates. Eldridge has produced a variety of projects including The Ultimate Gift, Bobby Jones-Stroke of Genius, the feature length documentary Running the Sahara and the award-winning animated series’ “Hermie and Friends” and “Gigi”.

GMC (http://www.watchgmctv.com/ ), the fastest-growing network in television and the number one digital network in perceived value (source: BETA Research), is America’s favorite channel for uplifting music and family entertainment. In 2010, The Parents Television Council™ awarded its Entertainment Seal of Approval™ to GMC for being “an authentic family-friendly cable network.” GMC was the only television network to receive the highly coveted honor last year.

GMC can be seen in nearly 48 million homes on various cable systems around the country, on DIRECTV on channel 338 and on Verizon FiOS on channel 224.

Nigel Tufnel joins Steve Vai in setting online guitar lesson record

Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai is attempting to break a Guinness World Record. In conjunction with the Berklee College of Music, Vai will try to teach the world's largest online guitar lesson on March 3. Vai is a Berklee alum and the main page to the event is here:
https://www.berkleemusic.com/vai-live

Spinal Tap's Nigel Tufnel is doing his part to break the record, as well. The guitarist is making sure excitement about the event goes to 11, with a video promoting Vai and the guitar lesson, which will take place at 1:30 p.m. Eastern time.

Vai will focus on developing guitarists' personal technique and will also take questions toward the end of the 30-minute lesson. Check out what Tufnel said about the event in the video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=Kjb5rCI0c8s

For more information on Steve Vai, please visit
http://www.vai.com

The Bloody Beetroots releases remix album

After selling out venues across the world as The Bloody Beetroots Death Crew 77, Sir Bob Cornelius has announced the release of his first collection of remixes, Best Of… Remixes (Out Now, Dim Mak).

Since the Bloody Beetroots project began turning heads back in 2007, Sir Bob has amassed a series of impressive remixes, ranging from his cascading remix of The Chemical Brothers “Dissolve” to the reworking of The Refused’s “New Noise.”

Spanning 18 tracks, plus five digital-only cuts, these remixes are available in one package, available now and including his work with Robyn, MSTRKRFT, Vitalic, The Whip (download The Beetroots' remix of "Muzzle #1" HERE) and Tiga. Full tracklist below.

Since the project’s debut four years ago, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo has pushed the boundaries of dance music, incorporating elements from disparate genres and styles that range from the drive of hardcore punk to sweeping arrangements drawn from Rifo’s time studying Chopin, Beethoven, and Debusey.

From “Butter” to “Cornelius” to the Steve Aoki assisted “Warp 1.9,” The Bloody Beetroots’ early singles dominated clubs across the globe, paving the way for the group’s debut full-length Romborama. The album was a star-studded affair that featured guest appearances from everyone from Justin Pearson (The Locust, All Leather) and Vicarious Bliss to The Cool Kids and J*DaVeY. The record was followed by the Spares of Romborama Series, which included Xmas Vendetta and The Domino EP.

Touring the globe with his partner in crime Tommy Tea, the project earned a reputation for his sweaty, two man DJ sets. Last year, The Bloody Beetroots further expanded his setup, reimagining the poject's music as The Bloody Beetroots DeathCrew 77. A dramatic step forward for him , The Bloody Beetroots became a live band with Rifo on guitar, bass, and synths,Tommy Tea on controllers, and The Beetroots’ newest member Edward Grinch on drums.

The Bloody Beetroots Best Of… Remixes Tracklisting:
1. Goose – "Can’t Stop Me Now"
2. Tiga – "Mind Dimension"
3. The Whip – "Muzzle No. 1"
4. Robyn – "Cobrastyle"
5. Goose – "Black Gloves"
6. Sound of Stereo – "Heads Up"
7. U-God – "Stomp Da Roach"
8. Shitdisco – "72 Virgins"
9. Etienne de Crecy – "Funk"
10. Hervé featuring Marina Gasolina – "Baseball Bat"
11. Proxy – "Who Are You"
12. The All American Rejects – "Gives You Hell"
13. Captain Phoenix – "Pistols And Hearts"
14. The Toxic Avenger – "Escape"
15. Aston Shuffle – "Stomp Yo Shoes"
16. MSTRKRFT – "Bounce"
17. The Chemical Brothers – "Dissolve"
18. Etienne de Crecy – "Welcome"

Digital Only Bonus Tracks:
19. Zoo Brazil & Adam Sky – "Circle Jerk"
20. The Bloody Beetroots & Steve Aoki Feat. Refused – "New Noise"
21. Goose – "Everybody"
22. Micky Green – "Shoulda"
23. Vitalic – "Second Lives"

Wake Up Lucid at Origami Vinyl in LA today

“Paint Your Lips” is the latest single from “Sugar,” the new EP by Wake Up Lucid.

http://www.fanaticpromotion.com/projects/wakeuplucid/mp3/wakeuplucid-paintyourlips.mp3

Recently, the Los Angeles Times featured the band (read it HERE) which was followed by the “Sugar” record release show filled with fans at L.A.’s Bootleg Theatre. Wake Up Lucid is now preparing for a residency every Monday in April at Silverlake venue, The Silverlake Lounge. For those who can't wait, see Wake Up Lucid live tomorrow February 25th, when the band plays an in-store at Origami Vinyl in Echo Park.

L.A.’s Wake Up Lucid (Ryan Baca and his two cousins Ian Baca and Jamie Baca) have quickly burned their names into the rock and roll conscience of Southern California with an old school brew of savage blues, heavy rhythm, and the kind of down home sincerity long lost to corporate Nu-Metal, how-to-play-guitar videos, and ten thousand dollar “vintage” guitar amps.

In the two years since Wake Up Lucid’s inception, the band has already gained recognition from Rolling Stone, Performer, My Old Kentucky Blog and many others. Following up their 2009, all-analog EP “Look Alive People,” Wake Up Lucid is back with a new EP entitled “Sugar,” once again tracked live at the famed Village Recorder Studios.

Currently, Wake Up Lucid is already back in the studio tracking for an upcoming debut full-length.

Wake Up Lucid
Sugar
(S/R, Out Now)
Track Listing:

1. Broke Down House
2. You & I
3. Paint Your Lips
4. Sugar
5. Red Lights

Wake Up Lucid Live

02/25 Los Angeles, CA @ Origami Vinyl In-Store
04/04 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
04/11 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
04/18 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge
04/25 Los Angeles, CA @ Silverlake Lounge

Candy Golde to release EP

With more than 100 years of accumulated rock ‘n’ roll history as a foundation, Candy Golde is the Midwestern musical collaboration of Nicholas Tremulis, Bun E. Carlos (Cheap Trick) John Stiratt (Wilco) and Rick Rizzo (Eleventh Dream Day). The distinctive blend of blues groove, power pop, Americana and alternative shows itself in the self-titled 5-song Candy Golde EP, to be released by Ten O Nine Records on May 11.

Mastered by Ivan Julian of Richard Hell and the Voidoids, CANDY GOLDE contains four originals including the single “Trouble’s Coming Down” and a cover of Paul Simon’s “Boy in the Bubble,” and will be available as limited edition 10” vinyl and digital download. From the opening track,“The Hold Steady,” which invokes a little INXS and a lot of crunchy, synthy ‘60s rock, to the slower, somber sway of “Why and Where,” the sense of musical authenticity is evident, as is the empowered songwriting that comes with age, experience and an unencumbered recording environment.

Tremulis is the seasoned troubadour, his lyrics bursting with stories of the streets and his vocals spewing soul. Tremulis (with the Nicholas Tremulis Orchestra) has shared the stage and studio with Keith Richards, Billy Corgan, Marianne Faithful, Mavis Staples, Ronnie Spector, Los Lobos, The Neville Brothers, Steve Earle, Bonnie Raitt, Ian Hunter, David Johansen and long-time cohort Alejandro Escovedo.

Carlos’ unmistakable robust, solid drumming provides the backbone of Candy Golde. In addition to almost forty years with Cheap Trick, he is involved with a myriad of projects from marching bands to the recent Tinted Windows. He also guested at the smash Waltz charity series put on by Tremulis, backing up Jeff Tweedy and Gary Louris (Jayhawks).

Stirratt’s dexterous bass muscle was developed in fifteen years with Wilco. He is the only founding member, alongside Jeff Tweedy, to contribute to all the band’s releases which have garnered 6 Grammy nominations and a Best Alternative win for A GHOST IS BORN in 2005. Stirratt is also in The Autumn Defense (with fellow native New Orleansian/Wilco member Pat Sansone) and records with his sister Laurie Stirratt.

Rizzo, co-lead singer of Candy Golde, is known for his signature dazzling guitar notes and moves in Eleventh Dream Day. On the strength of its continued fervent underground fanbase and critical acclaim, the band just released its tenth record, and continues to perform live. Rizzo also records with Tara Key for Thrill Jockey Records.

Candy Golde will be debuting live at SXSW at Club de Ville, 11pm on Friday, March 18. The official record release party and performance is April 29 at the Double Door in Chicago.

For more information, please visit Candy Golde at
www.candygolde.com,
Facebook fan page www.tinyurl.com/4g9tqfy
and www.myspace.com/candygolde.