Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Support local music at Mr. T's Bowl in Highland Park

Thursday, Feb. 9

"56" - Bands and DJ's that Rock



Friday, Feb. 10

Below The Surface Productions Presents DJ's and Bands
www.Facebook.com/818oz



Saturday, Feb. 11

9pm - The Vim Dicta
www.facebook.com/thevimdicta?sk=app_178091127385
10pm - Craters
http://soundcloud.com/cratersband
11pm - Captions
www.myspace.com/youlikecaptions
12am - Twin Owl
http://soundcloud.com/twinowlmusic
1am - The Orange Rev
www.facebook.com/theorangerev?ref=ts&sk=app_204974879526524




Mr. T's Bowl

www.mrtsevents.com

http://mrtsbowl.tripod.com

http://prem.calendars.net/mrtsbowl - CALENDAR

Upcoming concerts from Nederlander week of Jan. 31

Below are the on-sales for Nederlander Concerts this week. For a complete schedule please visit www.nederlanderconcerts.com.



City National Grove of Anaheim



The Fenians

ON SALE Fri., Feb. 3 @ Noon

SHOW DATE Sat., March 17 @ 8:00 PM

TICKET PRICES: $25.00 / $22.50



Avalanche Tour featuring Shinedown

Plus special guests Adelitas Way / New Medicine

ON SALE Fri., Feb. 3 @ Noon

SHOW DATE March 27 @ 7:00 PM

TICKET PRICES: $29.50 / $32.50 (day-of-show)





Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena



Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band

ON SALE Fri., Feb. 3 @ 10:00 AM

SHOW DATE April 26 @ 7:30 PM

TICKET PRICES: $100.00 / $67.00

Amezaiku at AM2's anime con June 15-17 in Anaheim

AM2 ANNOUNCES MORE FUN FOR ATTENDEES WITH ITS MATSURI SUMMER FEST 2012

The Rodin of Lollipop Returns and Brings the Ancient Candy Making Art of Amezaiku to this Summer's Most Anticipated Anime, Music and Manga Convention in Southern California, June 15-17, 2012 in Anaheim, California! Get your Passports Today and Experience the Difference!

The ancient folk art of candy sculpting, Amezaiku ("sweet candy craft"), is one of the most beautiful art forms that involves delectable edibles in which only a few master performers
exist in the world. One of these masters is Shan Ichiyanagi aka the Rodin of Lollipop will be attending this summer's most anticipated animation, music and manga events, AM2, Summer Festival to the delight of attendees. More info can be found at www.am2con.org

With a large palette of boiling corn syrup and a variety of precision tools,
Shan utilizes highly choreographed gestures and flourishes as he dips,
molds, pinches and pulls at the jewel-toned "goo" while it cools and hardens
into astonishingly intricate sculptures of fantastic animals and objects
that are worthy of almost any mantel. While he has sculpted well over 100
different objects, Shan can sculpt any object his audience can think of. A
unique and appealing candy sculpture can be magically made in less than 5
minutes as you watch with fascination!

"Fans are in for a real treat," states Chase Wang AM2 representative,
"Shan is an amazing artist that will create some of the most beautiful
pieces of edible art. Come check out one of the few remaining masters of
candy art. Get your Passports today and experience the difference!"

Attendees can avoid the anticipated huge lines at autographs, premiere
screenings, workshops, main events, concerts and panels by purchasing a
Passport fast pass for the event. The Passport fast pass will also provide
holders with premier seating options at Main Events and at Concert events as
well as major discounts with theme parks, retailers and local restaurants.
Bypass the lines and get your Passport today and experience the difference!

AM2 current activities include Exhibit Hall, AMV's, Arcade, Summer Festival,
Behind the Voice Actors Studio, Masquerade, Dances, Fashion Shows, Table
Top, Console Gaming, Workshops, Panels, Concerts and more!


Follow us on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/AM2Con

Follow us on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/AM2Con

About AM2
Located in Anaheim, California ­ AM2, established in 2010, is a multi-day (3
days) 24 hour event with no general attendance/badge purchase requirement
and is aspiring to be a key meeting place for fans that share a common
interest in Asian music, Animation/Anime, and Comics/Manga. Nominal fees
are charged for certain activities that attendees choose to participate in.
AM2 will be held on June 15-17, 2012 at the Anaheim Convention Center in
sunny Anaheim, California. More information can be found at www.am2con.org

Mrs. Nelson's launches Young Writers Contest

Mrs. Nelson's in La Verne will be holding our annual Young Writers Contest February 1 to March 15. The first place winner of each age group receives a $50.00 gift certificate to the store!


We also have some events coming soon:


02/09- Valentine Storytime and Craft. 4:00. $15.00 lets you plant your own "pot of love" and a valentine gift from us!

02/21- Katherine Applegate here at the store at 5:00. She has written, The One and Only Ivan. Katherine, along with her husband Michael Grant, are known for the popular Animorph series.

02/24- Marissa Meyer will be here at the store at 5;00. She has written a wonderful Young Adult book called Cinder. A new twist on the Cinderella tale!


Mrs. Nelson's Toy and Book Shop

(909) 599-4558

www.mrsnelsons.com

Wearable Art Connection event Feb. 18 in Claremont

THE WEARABLE ART CONNECTION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAwww.wearableartconnection.org

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Presents“ART TO WEAR FOR ALL OCCASIONS” - NICK COMANSATURDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2012

WAC all day program meetings are quarterly: free to members, $10 non-members,
$5 students. The meetings are on the 3rd Saturday of February, May, August and November.

See the website for complete program info: www.wearableartconnection.org

THIS MONTH: SATURDAY FEB. 18, 2012
VENDOR MARKET 9:00-10:00 a.m.
BUSINESS & REPORTS 10:00 – 10:30 a.m.
SPEAKER PRESENTATION 10:30 – Noon
LUNCH Noon – 1:00 p.m.
AFTERNOON PROGRAM 1:00 – 4:00 p.m.

LOCATION: Alexander Hughes Center, in the Padua Room, 1700 Danbury Road, Claremont, CA 91711, (909) 399-5490. Directions: From the 210 freeway exit at N. Towne Ave and go south (away from the mountains). Turn left at the first light onto Scripps Drive. Right onto Danbury Rd. The center is on your left about 100 yards from the corner. From the 10 Freeway exit at N. Towne Ave and go north (towards the mountains). Turn right onto Syracuse Drive then left onto Danbury Road. The center is at the northern side of the park on your right. Parking is free.

MORNING PROGRAM – 10:30 - NOON: “ART TO WEAR FOR ALL OCCASIONS” - NICK COMAN
What is "Art to Wear" and is it appropriate for all occasions? Absolutely! This lecture centers around the current "Art to Wear" scene, and through lecture, slide and actual garments, we will discuss the do's and don'ts of ATW in social situations, and how things have changed over the years with the steady rise of "disposable clothing". Nick is a FIDM graduate.

AFTERNOON PROGRAM – DIANE RICK’S STUDENT’S FASHION SHOW
Diane Ricks’ Student Fashion Show: This is a not-to-be-missed event. Come and invest your time ohhing and ahhing at the marvelous wearables the students have concocted after Diane inspires them to even greater powers of creation. Diane Ricks is a popular and creative teacher filled with a repertoire of skills teaching silk screening, dye and paint methods, and variety of sewing techniques. Her students will present their works of art in this free style fashion show. Feast your eyes on the vibrant colors and varied textures of the luxurious garments.

THIS MONTH’S WORKSHOP: FEB. 19 & 20 (2 DAY)
NICK COMAN – ART TO WEAR FROM THE BOTTOM UP
How many of us make amazing tops, vests, tunics, jackets and just to slap on a pair of jeans or black pants because that's all we have? Wouldn't it be nice to actually have an entire outfit, something that looks and feels cohesive? In this two-day workshop, you will have the opportunity to produce a custom pattern for a pair of pants that fit. Then we will take that pattern and alter it into a number of different styles, with details that will reflect back on you as an artist. We will talk about and actually create patterns for "Bifurcated Garments" that take your unique sense of style from your head all the way to your ankles (shoes are not included but they will be discussed!)

WORKSHOP LOCATION: Pasadena
COST PER DAY: $60 for members, $70 for non-members

Workshop Contact: Leslie Strollo: leeandleslie@verizon.net

*****See WAC website for supply list - www.wearableartconnection.org *******


1. COMING EVENTS: 2012

Speaker List:

Feb – NICK COMAN - ART TO WEAR FOR ALL OCCASIONS

May – LINDA SCHMIDT – FLAMBOYANCY RISING FASHION SHOW

2. WAC ANNUAL CHALLENGE - TBA

3. WAC-NEWS SUBMISSION GUIDELINES -

WAC has a 24 page newsletter that is published quarterly: February, May, August & November.
Email deadline is the 14th of the month before publication.
WAC NEWSLETTER EDITOR: Sarah Jackson - jackson.sb295@yahoo.com
Check the WAC website for exhibitions, contest, events, etc. www.wearableartconnection.org

We are happy to list your events in our calendar. Please indicate WAC NEWS as the subject heading and indicate the topic area: Book/Magazine Reviews, Calendar, Workshops, Exhibitions, Shows, Tours, Opportunities, Competitions, etc.

4. ABOUT WAC

WAC PROGRAMS ARE QUARTERLY:

3rd SATURDAY IN FEBRUARY, MAY, AUGUST, NOVEMBER

Locations vary with each meeting. Meeting Cost: non-members - $10, students $5, free to members. Membership - $40 annually, $20 newsletter only.

Contact Membership Chair: Diane Ricks: bobbydi@charter.net

Adrian Smith & Mikee Goodman release album

Iron Maiden guitarist Adrian Smith & former SikTh front-man Mikee Goodman have joined forces for a brand new studio project PRIMAL ROCK REBELLION, and their debut album, ‘Awoken Broken’,

will be released in the U.S.A. on April 17, 2012 through Spinefarm Records…




VERY OFTEN, musicians – especially established ones – like to remain within their musical comfort zone, preferring to walk the tried an’ tested path rather than breaking out in search of pastures new. Primal Rock Rebellion don’t fit that bill.



The brainchild of Adrian Smith and Mikee Goodman, UK musicians with different stories to tell, this is a fresh new project that manages to be both reassuring and unexpected at one and the same time…



On the one side, there’s Adrian, a key member of the Iron Maiden set-up, a band he first joined back in 1980; and since that time, Maiden has gone on to become one of the biggest hard rock bands the world has seen, playing to vast and staunchly committed crowds all over the world, opening exciting new doors in parts of the globe many people will never even have heard of! Their last studio album, ‘The Final Frontier’, hit the No 1 slot in over 28 countries!



With Maiden’s reputation having been forged through their ability to blend well-crafted vocal & guitar melodies with the sheer brute force of prime heavy metal, it will surely come as no surprise that the debut Primal Rock Rebellion album, Awoken Broken, delivers fully on both fronts, but with an extra nod to the underground, the alternative and the downright edgy – an aspect of the music that is enhanced from start to finish by the presence of one-time SikTh frontman / lyric-writer / spoken word maestro, Mikee Goodman.



With SikTh now universally lauded as one of the major inspirations of the new Djen movement, it’s perfect timing for Mikee to return to the music scene in full force, following that band’s decision to take

a break after their second Death Of A Dead Day album back in 2006; Mikee’s unique vocal approach – an arresting, signature blend of spoken word plus a wide variety of vocal tones (some dark and disturbing, others that owe a debt to the world of animation) was very much a part of what made SikTh stand out from the chasing pack, and fans will be delighted to know that his key vocal mannerisms have been both retained and honed for Primal Rock Rebellion, in a form tightly bound to the structure of the songs themselves.



Yes, there are spoken word elements, and yes, there are more extreme vocal moments peppered throughout the tracks, but generally speaking, this is a more mature and experienced Mikee, showcasing a strong, melodic voice plus an impressive vocal range, using the more ‘adventurous’ end of his repertoire as a way of providing contrast and effect.



In essence, Primal Rock Rebellion is the meeting of different minds, different mentalities and different musical backgrounds, but the end result is very much a cohesive, self-produced whole… albeit one that reflects the individual talents of the musicians involved: Adrian provides the guitars, the bass and the advanced song-writing skills – the sense of drama, of light and shade, of music designed to stir the senses, all of them.



Right from the start, it’s been very much a labor of love…



Adrian: “It was great working at my own pace and in my own studio with no time constraints. I think during the making of this album I went around the world twice with Maiden, working on the project in between. In the process, it allowed for a bit more of an experimental approach.”



Meanwhile, Mikee goes head to head with this renowned player as a full writing & production partner, adding new (sometimes surprising, often experimental) layers to the tracks, and ensuring that the music glistens with an inherent contemporary sheen.



Mikee: "Adrian inspired me in many ways. I learnt the importance and the power of choruses in songs. Adrian also gave me a lot more belief in myself melodically. I think we pulled each other out of our comfort zones, creating something fresh and exciting along the way. We co-produced the album together, and the whole recording process was very relaxed – no deadlines, just honing the songs naturally as we recorded them, a new experience for both of us.”





IN ADDITION to the Primal Rock Rebellion pair, there are backing vocals on three of the tracks (delivered by Tarin Kerry, discovered by Mikee while he was acting as producer for a band she was in), viola on the bulk of the songs (provided by Abi Fry of Bat For Lashes), plus original SikTh member Dan ‘Loord’ Foord on drums.



Awoken Broken was produced by Adrian and Mikee, and mixed by Simon Hanhart, whose previous credits include everyone from Tin Machine to Saxon. The album features 12 tracks top to tail, and it will be available in digi-pak CD and digital download. The track-listing runs as follows:-



1. No Friendly Neighbour 4.53

2. No Place Like Home 3.06

3. I See Lights 4.59

4. Bright As A Fire 6.21

5. Savage World 3.38

6. Tortured Tone 5.08

7. White Sheet Robes 5.16

8. As Tears Come Falling From The Sky 0.47

9. Awoken Broken 4.58

10. Search For Bliss 4.13

11. Snake Ladders 4.43

12. Mirror and the Moon 5.04





Those who like their music with power, passion and the occasional twist ‘n’ turn will certainly be in for a double-headed treat! You can hear and download for free the album track ‘I See Lights’ by simply going to www.primalrockrebellion.com. Keep checking the website for further announcements coming soon about this exciting new collaboration.

Kevin Wall to partner with Tadasana Fest April 20-22 in Santa Monica

Kevin Wall, producer of the most watched concerts in history—including the opening concert for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Live Earth: the Concerts for a Climate in Crisis and Live 8—is now partnering with the Tadasana Festival. The first person to ever win an Emmy for an interactive event has joined forces with Tadasana founders Fabian Alsultany and Tommy Rosen to help spread the teachings of yoga and the beauty of international music at this groundbreaking gathering on the Santa Monica beachfront over Earth Day Weekend, April 20-22, 2012.



“With Fabian and Tommy we have an opportunity to set the gold standard as we launch our first major urban yoga and music festival,” says Wall. “We will bring together the best mix of yoga, music and environmentalism and spread the message throughout the community.”



“I am incredibly excited to be working with Kevin as our influence on the cultural landscape will be much greater,” says Alsultany. “With Kevin’s help we are going to be able to produce an event that points towards where global cultures are heading. This expression has never been put forth in the way that Tadasana offers. Kevin Wall is enabling Tommy and I to express this vision as we have always dreamed it.”



Wall has been an expert in high-profile events since his early days in Indiana playing DJ at his parents’ popular roller-skating rink. To date he has produced over 300 concerts, including Bob Dylan's 30th Anniversary Concert Celebration featuring Eric Clapton and George Harrison, Michael Jackson’s The Dangerous Tour in Bucharest and special events for Prince and Elton John.



He is best known for his activist work, however. Helping raise awareness of important social and political events remains Wall’s greatest inspiration, evidenced by his creation of Live Earth after watching Al Gore’s unprecedented survey of climate change, An Inconvenient Truth. Live Earth concerts were held on seven continents and reached an audience of two billion. Wall has also been a part of other important activist events, including Amnesty International: Human Rights Now, and as a producer of the Inaugural Green Ball, sponsored by Al Gore and hosted by Van Jones.



All of this consciousness-raising work makes him the perfect partner for Tadasana Festival, which brings together a host of international influences through the celebratory mechanisms of yoga and music looking to forge a healthier, happier and more progressive 21st century global culture.



“We are thrilled that Kevin Wall has partnered with Tadasana Festival,” says Rosen. “We’re ecstatic that he sees the global calling for this kind of transformative event, which combines yoga, world music, environmentalism, and the lifestyle of health and wellness. Our partnership signifies a positive evolution within the yoga industry and gives the festival significant leverage in producing events internationally, with the intention of unifying the global yoga and music communities.”



Tadasana Festival is unique in that it pairs the most respected yoga teachers with some of the top world and spiritual musicians in every class taught. A number of names on the Tadasana Festival roster are immediately recognizable: Shiva Rea, Seane Corn, Elena Brower and Kathyrn Budig are among the most highly regarded yoga instructors of today. Pairing these teachers with international music luminaries, such as Karsh Kale, Hassan Hakmoun, Cheb i Sabbah, Vieux Farka Toure’, Idan Raichel, and Vishal Vaid, is revolutionary. For the full schedule of yoga classes with their musical pairings please see http://www.tadasanafestival.com/yoga-schedule.



Tadasana Festival is taking place on April 20th through 22nd beachfront in Santa Monica at 2600 Barnard Way, Santa Monica, CA 90405 near the corner of Ocean Park Blvd and the beach. For more information on festival please go to http://www.tadasanafestival.com.

2 Bears album out today



Today sees the US release of The 2 Bears’ debut album, Be Strong, which is available on vinyl and CD from the DFA store, and digitally via iTunes. In celebration of the full-length release, the Bears are sharing a new mix, “Whatever The Weather,” which premiered on Spinner RPM. The mix features new tracks from DFA labelmates Factory Floor, as well as tracks from Armand Van Helden, Henrik Schwarz, Gino Soccio, Davina and more. You can still snag the first free single from the album, “Work,” via DFA’s Soundcloud too!

A London record through and through, Be Strong ducks and weaves to the myriad sounds of the city, as The 2 Bears pursue the perfect party record. Raf Daddy – aka Raphael Rundell – met Joe Goddard (taking time out from his day job as one fifth of Hot Chip) through a party scene that saw them share deck duties at the legendary Greco-Roman parties. Upon venturing into the studio in an attempt to replicate some of the records that they’d lost themselves in the night before, Raf found himself laying down vocals over Joe’s skipping, bassomatic backing tracks safe in the knowledge that they’d soon be replaced by someone with sweeter, more melodious tones. In the end, it was Raf’s voice that characterized and personalized The 2 Bears.

Over its ten tracks, Be Strong conjures up that elusive spirit of the dancefloor without pretension, and with ultimate precision. It’s a soul record in that it’s from the soul, wearing its imperfections with pride. It’s a dance record in that it’ll get you off your seat. It’s a London record in that it couldn’t have come from any other city in 2011, echoing the glorious schizophrenic sound of a late night cab ride listening to a radio with a mind of its own.

With minimal effort and maximum respect from their peers, tracks began to be hammered in clubs and on radio by the likes of Andrew Weatherall, Erol Alkan, Pete Tong and Annie Mac. This summer’s Bear Hug EP cranked things up yet another notch with Chris Moyles giving the track some early morning airings and Elton John and Paul McCartney declaring themselves fans.

Opeth, Mastodon and Ghost to tour



This is one tour that rock fans will be talking about for years to come and if you miss it, you'll be terribly sorry. Opeth and Mastodon will be embarking on a co-headline tour this spring, which kicks off April 4 in Portland, Maine and runs through May 12 in Atlanta, Georgia. It's the first time these two titans of progressive and forward-thinking hard rock have hit the road together and it's going to be one for the ages. Ghost will serve as the opener of the tour, which has been christened the "Heritage Hunter."



About the tour, Opeth frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt, in his trademark deadpan wit, stated, "We're touring North America together with Mastodon soon. Nice! One of the very few metal bands of today that I genuinely like. Good people too! Ghost are coming with us as well, and they are one of the hottest new bands to come out of Sweden in recent years, and I dig them too. I sound like an old fart, don't I? Well, I am.”



He continued, "Yet, am I right in thinking that this tour, this line up, is pretty decent? Would you all agree? Not complete s---, is it? Hope to see y'all out there! What are we playing? Not sure yet, but considering the company, maybe we'll have to pull out the big guns from time to time. In order to keep up, I mean."



Opeth released Heritage in September 2011, garnering critical acclaim from Rolling Stone ("a career record that reimagines prog as actual rock 'n' roll"), Pitchfork ("a pretty, well thought out collection"), AV Club ("wholly absorbing"), Decibel (which featured the band on the cover, in somewhat of a tradition for the band and the magazine), PopMatters ("Opeth still continues to make especially phenomenal music") and more.



Dates for this momentous trek are as follows. Pre-sale ticketing begins on February 1, with public on sales to follow on February 3.



April 4 – State Theater – Portland, ME

April 5 – Orpheum Theater – Boston, MA *

April 6 – Metropolis – Montreal, QC *

April 7 – Sony Centre – Toronto, ON *

April 9 – Electric Factory - Philadelphia, PA

April 10 – The Dome – Wallingford, CT

April 11 – Roseland – New York, NY

April 13 – Riviera Theater – Chicago

April 14 – Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI

April 15 – Stage AE – Pittsburgh, PA

April 16 – TN Theater – Knoxville, TN *

April 18 – Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK

April 19 –Palladium – Dallas, TX *

April 20 – Backstage Live – San Antonio, TX *

April 21 – Concrete Street – Corpus Christi, TX *

April 23 – Fillmore – Denver, CO *

April 25 – House of Blues – Las Vegas, NV

April 26 – Gibson – Hollywood, CA *

April 27 – Fox Theatre – Oakland, CA *



April 28 – Grand Sierra Resort – Reno, NV

April 30 – Paramount Theater – Seattle, WA *

May 1 – Orpheum – Vancouver, BC *

May 3 – Edmonton Events Centre – Edmonton,AB *

May 4 – MacEwan Hall – Calgary, AB

May 5 – The Odeon – Saskatoon, SK

May 6 – Burton Cummings – Winnipeg, MB *

May 9 – The Fillmore – Washington, DC *

May 10 – The Fillmore – Charlotte, NC

May 11 – House of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC *

May 12 – Masquerade Music Park – Atlanta, GA



*Denotes Opeth close the show

Jerry Joseph & the Jackmormons to release album and tour

For more than 30 years, Jerry Joseph has been strapping on a guitar and chasing down truth, understanding and soul with tenacity and resonant skill. Joseph is the archetypal musician’s musician - something that’s resoundingly clear on his sweeping new double album Happy Book, to be released March 20, 2012 on Response Records. Look for Joseph and his band to tour this spring in support of the album’s release. The list of currently confirmed tour dates is listed below – with many others still to be announced.

Captured with muscle and blood by Joseph’s longtime trio The Jackmormons, Happy Book presents Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons at their most diverse and confident; it’s a record with a wide swing that dexterously moves from whisper closeness to Technicolor expansiveness. Produced by Joseph’s former Little Women band mate Gregg Williams (Dandy Warhols, Blitzen Trapper), Happy Book is an emotional and sonic wallop fueled by the tightest, tastiest playing the Jackmormons have ever captured in the studio. “After 17 years, this album brings together a lot of things I’ve always wanted on a record,” explains Joseph. “This sounds like a band that’s been together 17 years and has evolved along the way.”

Happy Book incorporates horns and other choice elements from guests - Jenny Conlee-Drizos and Chris Funk (The Decemberists), Eric Earley (Blitzen Trapper), Dan Eccles (Richmond Fontaine), Wally Ingram, Little Sue Weaver and Paul Brainard - into The Jackmormons’ tight-knit chemistry to create an expansive work that captures Joseph’s startlingly broad musical range in a roughly graceful, swiftly intoxicating way.

The currently confirmed list of tour dates for Jerry Joseph & The Jackmormons is as follows:

Friday, March 16 Dante's Portland OR
Saturday, March 17 Player's Bar and Grill Bend OR
Sunday, March 18 Sam Bond's Garage Eugene OR
Wednesday, March 21 Great Northern Bar Whitefish MT
Thursday, March 22 The Palace Missoula MT
Friday, March 23 - Saturday, March 24 Whiskey Jack's Big Sky MT
Friday, April 6 - Saturday, April 7 The Mint Los Angeles CA
Wednesday, April 11 Moe's Alley Santa Cruz CA
Thursday, April 12 Cafe du Nord San Francisco CA
Friday, April 13 Mystic Theatre Petaluma CA
Saturday, April 14 Humboldt Brews Arcata CA

Additional dates to be announced.

www.jerryjoseph.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com
www.twitter.com/CosmoSexSchool

Cab Calloway saluted on PBS Feb. 27

Cab Calloway: Sketches premieres nationally Monday, February 27 on PBS (check local listings)


Preview videos & connect with other cultural icons at

http://pbs.org/americanmasters



"Hi de hi de hi de ho!" Charismatic music and dance pioneer Cab Calloway (12-25-1907 - 11-18-94) is an exceptional figure in the history of jazz. As a singer, dancer and bandleader, he charmed audiences around the world with his boundless energy, bravado and elegant showmanship. Calloway was also an ambassador for his race, leading one of the most popular African American big bands during the Harlem Renaissance and jazz and swing eras of the 1930s-40s. American Masters celebrates "The Hi De Ho Man's" career and legacy during Black History Month with the new documentary Cab Calloway: Sketches premiering nationally Monday, February 27 at 10 p.m. (ET/PT) on PBS (check local listings). In the New York metro-area the film airs Sunday, February 26 at 8 p.m. on THIRTEEN.



Emmy-winning filmmaker Gail Levin explores Cab Calloway's musical beginnings and milestones in the context of the Harlem Renaissance and segregationist America using archival footage, animation based on caricatures by famed illustrator Steve Brodner and French cartoonist Cabu, and interviews. The animated Cab dances alongside Matthew Rushing, choreographer/principal dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater (Uptown), who explains how modern Calloway's movements were and his impact on hip-hop. Additional interviewees include Calloway's daughters Cecelia and Camay; grandson and Cab Calloway Orchestra bandleader Chris "Calloway" Brooks; horn player Gerald Wilson; and The Blues Brothers (1980) director John Landis and band members Steve Cropper, Lou Marini and Donald "Duck" Dunne. The film introduced Cab and his music to a new generation, when he acted and performed as The Blues Brothers's mentor, Curtis.



"I am especially delighted to bring Cab Calloway to younger audiences -- and he does become quite alive through the inventive animation in this film," says Susan Lacy, American Masters series creator and executive producer. "He, and his era, are such a vital part of our musical cultural heritage -- and such an energetic one!"



"This film is not just another biopic in the sense of interviews and recollections, but a reinvigoration of the whole Calloway presence -- a reprise of a timeless virtuoso," adds Levin.



With The Cotton Club -- where Blacks could perform but not attend -- as his home stage, Cab became a star of New York's jazz scene, and then a household name with his signature song "Minnie the Moocher." Despite its tragic, taboo subject matter, the song broke into the mainstream and was even used in Max and Dave Fleischer's Betty Boop cartoon of the same name, along with Cab's dance moves. Breaking the color barrier with this "hi de ho" hit, Cab was one of the first Black musicians to tour the segregationist South. He published a Hepster's Dictionary of his jive slang in 1938, starred in films including Stormy Weather (1943) with Lena Horne and Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, and played Sportin' Life -- a role George Gershwin modeled on him -- in a 1952 touring production of Porgy and Bess, making "It Ain't Necessarily So" an enduring part of his brand. With his zany theatricality -- scat singing, jive talking, zoot suit wearing, straight-hair, head-shaking, and backslide dance (a precursor to Michael Jackson's moonwalk) -- Cab transcended racial specificity on his own terms.



To take American Masters beyond the television broadcast and further explore the themes, stories and personalities of masters past and present, the companion website (http://pbs.org/americanmasters) offers streaming video of select films, interviews, essays, photographs, outtakes, and other resources.



In 2011, American Masters earned its eighth Emmy Award for Outstanding Primetime Nonfiction Series in 11 years. Now in its 26th season, the series is a production of THIRTEEN for WNET, the parent company of THIRTEEN and WLIW21, New York's public television stations, and operator of NJTV. For nearly 50 years, WNET has been producing and broadcasting national and local documentaries and other programs to the New York community.



Cab Calloway: Sketches is a co-production of Artline Films, ARTE France, and AVRO, in association with Inscape Productions and THIRTEEN's American Masters for WNET. Gail Levin is director and executive producer for Inscape Productions. Jean-François Pitet and Gail Levin are co-writers. Olivier Mille is producer for Artline Films. Susan Lacy is the series creator and executive producer of American Masters. This program is made possible in part by the support of CNC, PROCIREP, ANGOA, and SACEM.



American Masters is made possible by the support of the National Endowment for the Arts and by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Additional funding for American Masters is provided by Rosalind P. Walter, The Blanche & Irving Laurie Foundation, Rolf and Elizabeth Rosenthal, Cheryl and Philip Milstein Family, Jack Rudin, Vital Projects Fund, The André and Elizabeth Kertész Foundation, Michael & Helen Schaffer Foundation, and public television viewers.

Two exclusive music videos are now available on the American Masters website featuring famed illustrator Steve Brodner creating caricatures of Cab Calloway set to Cab's music as seen in the new documentary Cab Calloway: Sketches premiering nationally Monday, February 27 at 10pm (ET/PT) on PBS (check local listings) in honor of Black History Month:



1) "Everybody Eats When They Come To My House"
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/cab-calloway-sketches/steve-brodner-sketches-cab-to-everbody-eats-when-they-come-to-my-house/1964/



2) "Minnie The Moocher" -- At the end Brodner's completed sketch comes alives and dances alongside Matthew Rushing, choreographer/principal dancer of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/cab-calloway-sketches/steve-brodner-draws-cab-calloway-to-minnie-the-moocher/1966/

Punk Rock Bowling & Music Fest May 25-28 in Vegas

14th Annual Punk Rock Bowling and Music Festival

Announces First 5 Bands: Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise, the Adicts and the Briefs



3 Days of Festivals + 4 Nights of Club Shows

+ 2 Days of Bowling + Texas Hold ‘Em + Pool Parties

= Biggest Punk Rock Party of the Year!



This Year’s Event to Take Place Memorial Day Weekend

May 25-28th in Downtown Las Vegas



More Bands To Be Announced Soon!



A sneak peak at some of the confirmed bands to perform in downtown Las Vegas over Memorial Day Weekend (May 25-28):

Rancid, NOFX, Pennywise, the Adicts, the Briefs

More bands to be announced soon!!

NEW THINGS ARE HAPPENING FOR PUNK ROCK BOWLING 2012!!
Punk Rock Bowling was started back in 1999 as a way to bring the independent music community together for an annual party. It has since grown into a 3 day festival in downtown Las Vegas that brings out fans and bands alike from all over the world. Make no mistake, this is a PUNK ROCK festival that features some of the best bands over the past 35+ years, from the old school pioneers and classics to mainstays and up and comers. Founders Shawn and Mark Stern of BYO Records and seminal SoCal band Youth Brigade have been heavily involved in the PUNK ROCK community since the late ‘70’s and spend countless hours scouring their record collections, memories and abilities to reach out to old friends and new to put together an amazing line-up every year.

This is a 3 day outdoor festival starting in the late afternoon and featuring 8 great bands each day on Saturday, Sunday and Monday celebrated with 5,000 of your close personal punk rock friends. And if that’s not enough, their will be 4 late night club shows each night in smaller more intimate surroundings featuring more great bands as well as some special surprises. All in all, over 60 bands will perform throughout the weekend.



HOTELS:
Most of our hotels will be located downtown this year. Punk Rock Bowling has struck a deal with some of the best hotels in the downtown area. Our main hotel will be the Golden Nugget, while the pool party hotel will be the Gold Spike. Our budget hotel is the Las Vegas Club. PRB rates are now available! Book your room early, these deals will not last.


BOWLING:
The tournament is expanding! In an effort to accommodate more bowlers and to eliminate night bowling, for the first time PRB will be bowling in two different locations. Buses will be provided to shuttle bowlers to each bowling alley from downtown. If you want to bowl, you have a great chance this year since we are expanding. Just sign up on the wait list by going to punkrockbowling.com.

For more information, visit: www.punkrockbowling.com

Lamb of God guitarist auctioning guitar to benefit Myotonic Dystrophy

Heavy metal fans now have a chance to own a piece of musical history and help find a cure for Myotonic Dystrophy (DM). LAMB OF GOD lead guitarist Mark Morton has donated the custom-designed and autographed Jackson guitar from his personal collection, and the strings and LAMB OF GOD guitar picks he used to record four of the songs from the band’s album Wrath, to the Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (MDF). All proceeds from the sale of the guitar will support research into treatments and a cure for this devastating disorder.



This auction will be run through eBay MissionFish. Bidding begins at 5:00 PM PST on Wednesday, January 25, 2012 and ends at 5:00 PM PST on Saturday, February 4, 2012.



Three-time Grammy-nominated LAMB OF GOD has been helping MDF raise funds for DM research since 2009, when Randy Blythe (lead vocals) donated his Grammy nomination medallion as an auction item. Randy and Mark support MDF in honor of their friend Todd Stone, an MDF board member who has two young sons who are living with the disorder. In the last decade, great success has been achieved in DM research and potential breakthroughs are on the horizon. Your successful bid for this one-of-a-kind guitar will help make those breakthroughs a reality. Bid now!





eBay auction: http://www.ebay.com/itm/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=270901495975



Or our site where the video is available:
http://www.myotonic.org/community/latest-news/lamb-of-god-auctions-autographed-guitar/

Jay & the Americans and The Association in Cerritos March 9

Jay & The Americans and The Association

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

Date: Friday, March 9, 2012, 8:00 PM

Ticket Prices: $63/$51/$41

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.

Arboretum invites you to cook with Xanh Bistro Feb. 8

Fresh: Celebrating The Table

Cooking at the Arboretum

$45 members / $50 non-members

Pre-registration required; please call 626.821.4623



XANH BISTRO with Chef/Owner Haley Nguyen

A Vietnamese Experience



Wednesday, February 8 from 3-5pm at the Arboretum

301 North Baldwin Ave., Arcadia, CA 91007



Join us for a very special cooking class here at the Arboretum featuring dishes from Xanh Bistro, voted one of the best Vietnamese restaurants in Orange County. The jewel-like beauty of the dishes suggest that some elements might be drawn from beyond the realm of traditional Vietnamese cuisine. But Haley, who has owned other restaurants in the past, and also teaches classes on a variety of Asian cuisines at the International Culinary School at the Art Institute of California, insists her repertoire remains firmly within traditional borders. www.xanhbistro.com



MENU:

Fresh Rice paper rolls with crab meat, jicama, cucumber, pickled daikon carrots, basil, served with lime, cilantro vinaigrette

Sizzling rice crepe with pork, mushroom and bean sprouts served with lettuce & mint

Seared sea bass with green mango & lemongrass rice

Tapioca pudding with baby banana.



Los Angeles County Arboretum & Botanic Garden

301 North Baldwin Avenue

Arcadia, CA 91007-2697

Phone: 626.821.4624

Jill.Berry@arboretum.org

www.arboretum.org

Radiohead book to be released in USA

EXIT MUSIC

The Radiohead Story

Updated Edition

by Mac Randall

Available for the first time in North America: the best book on Radiohead

On sale March 6, just in time for Radiohead’s U.S. tour



Radiohead doesn’t play by the rules of rock stardom. When conventional wisdom urges a turn to the right, Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood, Ed O’Brien, Colin Greenwood, and Phil Selway unfailingly turn left. Despite this, or perhaps because of this, Radiohead has become one of the world’s most famous bands, unique in style, themes, and ability to connect to a loyal fan base.

But Radiohead’s journey to fame over more than a decade has been fraught with tension. As the quintet continues to search for sounds that haven’t been heard before, each new album and tour is a potential crisis point, threatening to split the band apart. Through it all, the consummate outsiders have revealed little about themselves. “You should never assume that people are paying attention to you because of who you are,” bassist Colin Greenwood once said. “Nobody knows who we are, and I hope they never do, on one level, obviously.” But Exit Music: The Radiohead Story ($19.99, Backbeat Books) by Mac Randall uncovers the details behind their songs.


Since the first edition of this book eleven years ago, Radiohead’s audience continued to grow, their albums regularly debuted at the top of the sales charts, and the music industry began looking to them for artistic hints. Acts like Travis, Coldplay, Doves, and Muse took their inspiration from different phases of Radiohead’s career. This edition also includes coverage of the band’s recent studio album, The King of Limbs.

Exit Music: The Radiohead Story is a record and product of its time. No one can say what Radiohead will do next. That is what makes them such an exciting band to listen to and read about. Their story so far will whet your appetite for the many surprises that are undoubtedly still to come.

Mac Randall is editor in chief of Music Alive! and Teaching Music, the magazine of MENC, America’s National Association for Music Education. He was formerly the senior editor of Musician and Guitar One magazines. In his over 20 years as a journalist and critic, he has written about music of all genres for publications including Rolling Stone, Mojo, Q, Vanity Fair, Details, and the New York Times. He lives in New York City.

March 6, 2012 $19.99 Paperback 6” x 9” 9781617130472 320 pages B&W and color photo inserts



Backbeat Books
http://www.backbeatbooks.com/
http://www.facebook.com/backbeatbooks
http://www.twitter.com/backbeatbooks
http://onstageandbackstage.wordpress.com/

Adelet to return to live stage at Grammy Awards

Current GRAMMY® nominee Adele will make her much anticipated return to the live stage on the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards (www.grammy.com ). This will be her first time performing live in nearly five months since being forced to cancel a sold-out U.S. tour to undergo surgery on her vocal cords. Music's Biggest Night® — hosted by two-time GRAMMY winner LL COOL J — takes place live on Sunday, Feb. 12 at STAPLES Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8 – 11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Dial Global, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube at www.youtube.com/thegrammys. Additional performers, presenters and special segments will be announced soon. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy®'s social networks on Twitter and Facebook: www.twitter.com/thegrammys , www.facebook.com/thegrammys.



"I'm immensely proud to have been asked to perform at this year's GRAMMY Awards," said Adele. "It's an absolute honor to be included in such a night, and for it to be my first performance in months is very exciting and of course nerve-racking, but what a way to get back into it all."



Two-time GRAMMY winner Adele has six nominations: Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year and Best Short Form Music Video for "Rolling In The Deep"; Album Of The Year and Best Pop Vocal Album for 21; and Best Pop Solo Performance for "Someone Like You."



Previously announced performers for the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards include Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson; Glen Campbell with The Band Perry and Blake Shelton; Coldplay and Rihanna; Foo Fighters; Bruno Mars; Paul McCartney; Nicki Minaj; and Taylor Swift. Aldean, The Band Perry, Minaj, and Shelton will perform on the GRAMMY telecast for the first time, while Adele, Campbell, Clarkson, Coldplay, Foo Fighters, Mars, McCartney, Rihanna, and Swift are returning to the GRAMMY stage. LL COOL J has hosted "The GRAMMY Nominations Concert Live!! — Countdown To Music's Biggest Night" since its inception in December 2008, and this is his first time hosting the annual GRAMMY Awards telecast.



The 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy®. Ken Ehrlich is executive producer, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.



Established in 1957, The Recording Academy is an organization of musicians, producers, engineers and recording professionals that is dedicated to improving the cultural condition and quality of life for music and its makers. Internationally known for the GRAMMY Awards — the preeminent peer-recognized award for musical excellence and the most credible brand in music — The Recording Academy is responsible for groundbreaking professional development, cultural enrichment, advocacy, education and human services programs. The Academy continues to focus on its mission of recognizing musical excellence, advocating for the well-being of music makers and ensuring music remains an indelible part of our culture. For more information about The Academy, please visit www.grammy.com. For breaking news and exclusive content, follow @TheGRAMMYs on Twitter, like "The GRAMMYs" on Facebook, and join The GRAMMYs' social communities on YouTube, Tumblr, Foursquare, GetGlue, and Instagram.

'Ring of Fire' in Riverside Feb. 17 and 18

MC COY RIGBY ENTERTAINMENT & FOX OPERATOR BILL MALONE OF FX ARTS are thrilled to announce the third in its brand new “Broadway Series” of shows, with the songs of one of the most iconic figures in the history of music, RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH, with musical direction by Jeff Lisenby, choreography by Jane Lanier and directed by and starring from the original New York production, Jason Edwards. RING OF FIRE will open on Friday, February 17, 2012 and perform for three performances only through Saturday, February 18, 2012 at the Fox Riverside Performing Arts Center, 3801 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside.


RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH uses the music of the man to bring to life the joys and sorrows of this music legend. Says Jason Edwards, the show’s director and star, “RING OF FIRE is the only theatrical show Mr. Cash ever gave his approval for and endorsed. The show’s concept was never to have someone impersonate Mr. Cash, but to get underneath his image and present what he was trying to say in his lyrics. And to select performers who in some way might convey the essence of his southern style and roots.”


RING OF FIRE: THE MUSIC OF JOHNNY CASH boasts a cast of ten performers and musicians, all nationally recognized for their work. Joining Edwards onstage is Kelli Provart, longtime Southern California theatre mainstay and recent Ovation Award nominee; Broadway veteran Troy Burgess; and recording artist Trenna Barnes. They join a gathering of musicians with generations of experience in the theatre, concert, and recording worlds. Together they weave a musical portrait of Johnny Cash, culminating in a concert that will both move and exhilarate.

RING OF FIRE will open on Friday, February 17, 2012 at 8pm and will also perform on Saturday, February 18 at 2pm & 8pm.

Tickets are available through Ticketmaster or at the Fox Performing Arts Center Box Office which is located at 3801 Mission Inn Avenue in Riverside.


Ticket Prices range from $30 - $65.


The Box Office is open Monday -Friday from Noon to 6:00 PM, Saturdays from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM and on all show days from 10:00 AM to Show Time.

The Box Office Phone number is: 951-779-9800.

THE SEASON CONTINUES WITH:

MISS SAIGON- May 11, 2012 – May 12, 2012

PETER PAN – June 29, 2012 - July 1, 2012

Herb Ritts exhibit opens at Getty Center April 3

Herb Ritts (American, 1952–2002) was a Los Angeles-based photographer who earned an international reputation for his unique images of fashion models, nudes, and celebrities. From the late 1970s until his untimely death from AIDS in 2002, Ritts's ability to create photographs that successfully bridged the gap between art and commerce was not only a testament to the power of his imagination and technical skill but also marked the synergy between art, popular culture, and business that followed in the wake of the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and 1970s. On view at the J. Paul Getty Museum at the Getty Center, April 3–August 26, 2012, Herb Ritts: L.A. Style explores Ritts’s extensive photographic career, including a selection of renowned and previously unpublished photographs, as well as his directorial projects. A major portion of the works in the exhibition was newly acquired by the Getty Museum through purchase and in the form of a generous gift from the Herb Ritts Foundation.

“Through hard work and an imaginative vision, Herb Ritts fashioned himself into one of the top photographers to emerge from the 1980s,” says Paul Martineau, curator of the exhibition and associate curator of photographs at the J. Paul Getty Museum. “This exhibition will reconsider and broaden our understanding of Ritts’s career, particularly in the areas of fashion and figure studies.”

By the mid-1980s, Ritts’s aesthetic had coalesced into a distinctive style. His creative output was enormous, and he appeared to be able to switch gears effortlessly between his jobs in fashion and portraiture and his personal work with the nude. After shooting a commercial job, Ritts often took advantage of the location, props, and models to make his own pictures. To accommodate his growing business, Ritts established a studio in Hollywood and assembled a creative team of assistants, stylists, and printers who strove to exceed his high expectations. Like his contemporaries, Ritts rarely printed his own work. Through a pain staking selection process, he editioned his best pictures and had them printed in gelatin silver or platinum, varying the papers, levels of contrast, and tone to realize his artistic vision.

Ritts’s portraits of celebrities such as Richard Gere, Britney Spears, Mel Gibson, and Madonna introduce the exhibition. His anti-glamour style of portraiture made celebrities look more natural and allowed them to reveal inner qualities, making them more accessible to fans. By the late 1980s, Ritts’s reputation as a shaper of fame made him a celebrity in his own right, and the iconic status of such photographs as Richard Gere, San Bernardino (1977) and Madonna, Hollywood (1986) made a photograph by Ritts a rite of passage among Hollywood insiders.

The exhibition continues with Ritts’s fashion photographs, many of which drew inspiration from painting, sculpture, film, and the work of such leading fashion and portrait photographers as Richard Avedon, Horst P. Horst, George Hurrell, Irving Penn, and Louise Dahl Wolfe. Ritts had an extraordinary ability to synthesize and incorporate these influences into a new and easily recognizable style. As hundreds of magazine spreads demonstrate, Ritts kept top fashion editors happy by providing dazzling pictures designed to sell clothes along with others that simply celebrated beauty. Ritts also made use of locations around Los Angeles and especially loved Southern California’s natural light. For instance, Ritts harnessed the forces of nature, strong sunlight and gale-force wind in Versace, Veiled Dress, El Mirage (1990) to create an unforgettable image that communicates feminine strength and beauty.

Turning to Ritts’s work with the nude, the exhibition examines how Ritts—along with his contemporaries Robert Mapplethorpe and Bruce Weber—provoked a radical change in how the nude was depicted. His forte was an ability to analyze the body from a variety of angles and create compositions that abstracted it in ways that communicate strength and poise. Working mostly outdoors, Ritts enjoyed relating the body to the natural world and rendered his nudes with a verve and elegance that became the dominant hallmarks of his pictures. In Man with Chain, Los Angeles (1985), model Tony Ward is seen bending at the waist, as if struggling under the chain’s massive weight. The extraordinary sense of movement is not only forward but also upward in a tortuous S-curve that has been long associated with the dramatic, writhing bodies of seventeenth-century Baroque painting and sculpture.

Ritts’s work also includes portraits of well-known athletes and dancers. In the exhibition are a series of photographs of the critically acclaimed American dancer and choreographer Bill T. Jones. In these photographs, Ritts captured Jones while he danced, framing him against a pure white background, making his muscled body look like a piece of sculpture. He also photographed famous athletes including Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, and Olympic gold-medalist Greg Louganis. For Louganis’s portrait Ritts positioned the diver on a makeshift pedestal and placed a low spotlight on him. The carefully arranged pose and lighting show off Louganis’s muscled torso and back, while the prominent shadows recall the mysterious aura of film noirs of the 1940s.

Although Ritts had no prior experience with film, Madonna convinced him to direct his first music video for her song “Cherish” (1989), which is included in the exhibition along with other music videos and commercials. Ritts enjoyed the creative challenge that film presented, allowing him to extend the sense of movement so important to his still photography to the moving image. From 1989 until 2002, Ritts directed thirteen music videos and more than fifty commercials. Some of his music industry clients included Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, and Shakira, while his commercial clients were mainly fashion and cosmetic companies such as Chanel, Lancôme, Estée Lauder, and Calvin Klein.

Ritts’s intimate portraiture, his modern yet classical treatment of the nude, and his innovative approach to fashion brought him international acclaim and placed him securely within an American tradition of portrait and magazine photography that was begun by Richard Avedon and Irving Penn.

Herb Ritts: L.A. Style is organized by the J. Paul Getty Museum and curated by Paul Martineau, associate curator of photographs. Following its showing at the Getty, the exhibition will be on view at the Cincinnati Art Museum from October 6 to December 30, 2012 and at the John and Mable Ringling Museum of Art in Florida from late February 2013.




About The Herb Ritts Foundation


The Herb Ritts Foundation was established under directives set forth by the artist. The charitable purposes reflect Herb Ritts’s beliefs and commitments during his lifetime. The Foundation offers support to organizations which reduce the impact of HIV/AIDS and provide awareness, assistance and care for those affected by HIV/AIDS. The Foundation also promotes Mr. Ritts's great passion for photography through offering assistance to institutions and educational programs that advance the art of photography.



RELATED PUBLICATION


Herb Ritts: L.A. Style


Paul Martineau

With an essay by James Crump


A seductive collection of portraits and nudes from the famed fashion photographer is beautifully reproduced in this handsome volume.


Hardcover, $59.95

The Getty Villa
17985 Pacific Coast Hwy.
Pacific Palisades, CA 90272
www.getty.edu

Monday, January 30, 2012

Super Bowl commercial to see!



This Sunday is the big game and I'm planning to watch, especially the commercials and one ad in particular. My drummer Ric Sarabia is starring as the Sand Man in the Kia commercial.

For a little tease, visit http://www.kia.com/

There you can see him scampering across the screen and click on a sneak-peek video featuring a Victoria's Secret model and Motley Crue.... Sounds like a sweet dream for sure...

Now, I just need to garner an invite to a good Super Bowl party!

Ben Vega single release party Feb. 10

“A Year Ago” Single Release Party:

February 10th, 2012, 8:00pm. Streaming on the Internet will be a release party for the new music single of R&B/Soul singer Ben Vega. This southern California native is using the power of the web to share his music with more people across the U.S. By visiting www.Facebook.com/BenVegaMusic or www.YouTube.com/BenVegaMusic on February 10th, 2012, everyone could be a part of an exciting event. Ben Vega will premiere his new single “A Year Ago”, which will be available on CDBaby.com, iTunes and Google music. He will also answer questions that are submitted via his Facebook and Twitter, he will discuss his history as an artist, and there will be special guests of fellow musicians that appear on the recording.

Ben Vega has been performing for years in so Cal. He has appeared from Hollywood nightclubs, to street fairs in the Inland Empire, to Orange County charity events. Singer, songwriter, pianist, and now producer, Ben wears many hats all in the pursuit of his music. Formerly a jazz artist, Ben is taking a new direction in his career by substituting jazz standards to his original written songs. He still holds true to “his” sound by using rock guitar with big band horns.

Ben Vega, inspired by a relationship, has written his first self-produced single titled “A Year Ago”. Looking back on the then and now, recognizing the everyday life can be two separate worlds of one man. This song was written after a two-year relationship ended and remained in Ben’s journal until now. Ben is now excited to take one of his most powerful songs and bring it to life for the world to enjoy.

Artists from several So Cal groups lend their talents for this tune. Adrian Vega Jr., former lead guitarist of the Disrepair, performs an emotionally expressive solo. Adrian Vega Sr., lead trumpet player of the 3 Generations, provides an ending that captures the essence of this song in a heart throbbing fashion. Also on the track is Roman Arreola, bassist of the Beerman, supplying the perfect groove to the song, making the sound uniquely Ben Vega. Both Adrian senior and junior are father and brother of Ben, a musical family line that Ben is proud of.

Visit www.Facebook.com/BenVegaMusic and www.twitter.com/BugzBenny for more info on Ben Vega and to submit questions to be aired at the “A Year Ago” single release party.

Barry Big B Brenner performances this week

Barry Big B Brenner
this week at ...
********* ********* ********* *********
Sonny McLeans
TUESDAY NIGHT
JANUARY 31st from 8:30-11:30pm

2615 Wilshire Blvd.
SANTA MONICA
(310) 449-1811
http://www.sonnymcleans.com

********* ********* ********* *********
Wednesday
Braille Institute of Los Angeles
Noon Time Concert
********* ********* ********* *********
Firefly Bistro
THURSDAY NIGHT
BURGERS, BEERS & BLUES
February 2nd from 6-9pm

1009 El Centro Street
SOUTH PASADENA
(626) 441-2443
http://www.eatatfirefly.com

********* ********* ********* *********
Herzog Wine Cellars
SATURDAY NIGHT
FEBRUARY 4th from 7-9pm

3201 Camino Del Sol
OXNARD
805-983-1560
http://www.herzogwinecellars.com
********* ********* ********* *********
Firefly Bistro
SUNDAY MORNING
BLUES BRUNCH
FEBRUARY 5th from 11am-2pm

1009 El Centro Street
SOUTH PASADENA
(626) 441-2443
http://www.eatatfirefly.com

********* ********* ********* *********

For a Complete List of Big B’s Upcoming Shows,
Go to...
SHOWS http://www.myspace.com/barrybigbbrenner/shows
FACEBOOK https://www.facebook.com/BigBBrenner
YOUTUBE http://www.youtube.com/bluesriff
WEBSITE http://www.bigbbrenner.com

The Huntington to celebrate Chinese New Year Feb. 4 & 5

Visitors can experience the beauty of Chinese music, dance, and culture at a Chinese New Year festival on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 4–5, at The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens. Celebrating the Year of the Dragon, the festival gets under way Saturday at 11 a.m. (grounds open at 10:30 a.m.) with an exuberant performance by dragon and lion dancers on the lawn near the north entrance to the Chinese Garden. Other activities will include mask-changing performances (bian lian), painting and calligraphy demonstrations, noodle pulling, musical performances, children’s book readings, martial arts, and more. Visitors on Saturday can also purchase freshly cut flowers—a traditional way to celebrate the Chinese New Year. Activities on both days will be ongoing until 4 p.m.

The Huntington’s Chinese Garden, Liu Fang Yuan, the Garden of Flowing Fragrance 流芳園, will be one of the focal points of the festival. Inspired by the traditional scholar’s gardens of Suzhou, China, this breathtaking landscape features a large lake, tile-roofed pavilions, stone bridges, a tea shop, and native Chinese plants set against a wooded backdrop of oaks, redwoods, and pines.



Program Highlights (except where noted, activities are offered both days)

Dragon and lion dancers

11 a.m., 1 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Martial arts & Qigong

11 a.m. & noon

Musical performances

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chinese brush painting demonstrations

11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Calligraphy demonstrations

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Chinese landscape painting

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Children’s book reading and signing:
Oliver Chin, Year of the Dragon

11:30 a.m. & 12:30 p.m.

Noodle pulling

11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m. & 3:30 p.m.

Martial arts

12:30 p.m. (Sunday only)

Tai chi demonstrations

12:30 p.m. & 2:30 p.m. (Saturday only)

Mask changing (Bian Lian)

2 p.m. & 3 p.m.

Flower market

All day (Saturday only)

Penjing display (miniature trees & rockery)

All day




All festival activities are included with general admission to The Huntington: $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students (age 12–18), $6 youth (age 5–11), and free for children under 5. The group rate is $14 per person for groups of 15 or more. Members are admitted free. For additional information call (626) 405-2100 or visit www.huntington.org.



East West Bank is the corporate sponsor of the event. Additional funding provided by the Justin Vajna Memorial Fund for Educational Programs in the Chinese Garden.



About The Huntington

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens is a collections-based research and educational institution serving scholars and the general public. More information about The Huntington can be found online at www.huntington.org.



Visitor Information

The Huntington is located at 1151 Oxford Rd., San Marino, Calif., 12 miles from downtown Los Angeles. It is open to the public Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from noon to 4:30 p.m.; and Saturday, Sunday, and Monday holidays from 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Summer hours (Memorial Day through Labor Day) are 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Closed Tuesdays and major holidays. Admission on weekdays: $15 adults, $12 seniors (65+), $10 students (ages 12–18 or with fulltime student I.D.), $6 youth (ages 5–11), free for children under 5. Group rate $11 per person for groups of 15 or more. Members are admitted free. Admission on weekends and Monday holidays: $20 adults, $15 seniors, $10 students, $6 youth, free for children under 5. Group rate $14 per person for groups of 15 or more. Members are admitted free. Admission is free to all visitors on the first Thursday of each month with advance tickets. Information: 6264052100 or www.huntington.org.

Tribute bands in La Mirada Fridays beginning March 2

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is thrilled to present the latest and greatest in its Friday Night series of happenings, TRIBUTE FRIDAYS 2012, featuring some of the most amazing tribute bands around and this time paying homage to the music of Aerosmith, Bruce Springsteen, Elton John and Billy Joel! TRIBUTE FRIDAYS dates are Friday, March 2 and Friday, March 9 at 8pm. The lobby bar will open for Happy Hour at 6:30pm. Party on!

TRIBUTE FRIDAYS 2012 will include:

AEROMYTH / THE RISING
Tributes to Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen
March 2 - 8pm
$10 - $40

AEROMYTH has become known as the top Aerosmith Tribute band worldwide! Performing all over the USA and International dates such as Mexico, Canada, Honduras, The Dominican Republic and El Salvador since 2002. Chris Vandahl does an amazing portrayal of Steven Tyler, including all of his dance moves, costumes, stage show and amazing recreation of Tyler's outrageous vocals!


Chris Vandahl is often mistaken for Steven Tyler, being stopped for photos and autographs in public places such as airports and malls. Not only does AEROMYTH have an amazing Steven Tyler look alike, but all band members really look and sound like the Aerosmith band members they portray as band members, walk, talk, act, perform, and look like AEROSMITH.

In fact at a recent Aeromyth performance at the Key Club in Hollywood, Dave Navarro was quoted as saying, "I thought I was hearing an Aerosmith Album!" Performing all of their greatest hits, from classic songs such as "Walk This Way," "Sweet Emotion," and "Toys," to more current hits like "Dude Looks Like A Lady," "Jaded" and "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing."

THE RISING is a brotherhood of friends, some with ties that date back nearly two decades. Much like Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band, they take the stage more like a gang, than a band. They collectively roll up their sleeves and go to work, night, after night. They were all cut from the worn denim of blue-collar towns, and paid musical dues playing dive bars, and juke joints. What you hear is the musical truth. What you see is the embodiment of friendship, and what you feel is the “spiritual healing,” that can only be supplied by a great rock ‘n’ roll band. 
 The word "tribute" is defined by Webster’s as such: “Something given, done, or said to show gratitude, honor, to praise.” 
Honor must come with responsibility, and that responsibility is to maintain the honor you bestow. It would be easier to kind of, sort of care, or take a bunch of short cuts, and pretend you are respecting an artist, and more importantly their fans. The Rising does not pretend.

Their passion is real. Their talent is real. Their blood, sweat, and tears are real. There are no pre-recorded tracks, or pretend playing. There is no make-up, or make believe voices. The band uses all of its collective power to hold true to the artistic vision, to both honor the artist, and the fans.

Performing songs spanning the nearly five decades of Bruce Springsteen's catalogue; from "Greetings From Asbury Park" through Springsteen's 2009 release "Working On A Dream", they deliver each song with the same power, heart, and soul as Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. 

C'mon up to The Rising - the "House-Rocking " "Earth -Shaking", "Heart-Stopping", tribute to Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band.

PIANO 2 PIANO LIVE!
Tributes to Elton John and Billy Joel
March 9 - 8pm
$10 - $40

PIANO 2 PIANO LIVE - The Tribute to Sir Elton John & Billy Joel Show is a night of hit songs, energetic performances, outrageous costumes, and true Rock and Roll at its finest!

Tribute Artist David James (Billy Joel), and Jeffrey Allen (Elton John) capture both artists in their high energy, interactive rock ‘n’ roll show.

Just like the original tour, each artist performs a solo set with their incredible rock ‘n’ roll band then joining together on stage, Piano to Piano rockin’ out respectively to their greatest hits…also adding funny performance bits, sing-a-long parts, and spontaneous humor.

Jeffrey and David through their performance, capture Sir Elton John and Billy Joel through the years starting in the 70‘s to current day. Jeffrey is especially known for his captivating entertainment prowess and his unbelievable recreation of Elton’s outrageous costumes; David, for his dazzling fast and furious finger work showing what a monster piano player Billy Joel really was with songs like Root Beer Rag and Angry Young Man. See you there Honky Cat!
TRIBUTE FRIDAYS 2012:

AEROMYTH / THE RISING • March 2, 2012 • 8PM
Tributes to Aerosmith and Bruce Springsteen

PIANO 2 PIANO LIVE! • March 9, 2012 • 8PM
Tributes to Elton John and Billy Joel

Ticket prices for TRIBUTE FRIDAYS at LA MIRADA are $10 - $40; Tickets are now available by calling the Box Office at 562-944-9801 or 714-994-6310 or online at www.lamiradatheatre.com.

LA MIRADA THEATRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS is located at 14900 La Mirada Boulevard in La Mirada. Parking is free.

Vitello's to celebrate Black History Month with music

In celebration of Black History Month, Upstairs at Vitello’s Jazz and Supper Club announces the following special tributes:


MELENA’S NATIONAL BLACK HISTORY MONTH TRIBUTE
Thursday, February 2 – Melena in performance with Jorge Carbonel- drums, Jorge “Sawa” Perez –bass, Jeff Goodkind-Piano, Louis Van Taylor-Sax/Flute, Brian Schwartz-Trumpet. Showtime is 8 PM/ Tickets are $15.


Saturday, February 4
Melina’s Percussion Workshop – Buffet luncheon and Networking/Bring your instruments! 11:30 a.m.registration, 12 – 2 PM Workshop – Tickets $30.


Melena,, known as one of the top female percussionists of our time, has mastered the traditional rhythms that have traveled from Africa to Cuba, to the dance floors of America. Her Afro-Cuban sound is a conversation of melodies which she plays with fierce passion on Congas, Timbales, Bata Drums, and Shekere. She is an artist who exemplifies the sound of legendary players from the past, to the modern sound of today and has performed with legendary artists such as Barry White, Stevie Wonder, Macy Gray and Julio Iglesias. Melena also conducts Master Classes nationally and internationally and will be conducting a special workshop at Vitello’s sponsored by the International Society of Black Latinos, ISBL, Rhythm Tech and Vic Firth,. All ages are welcome to this special afternoon event.




A VERY SPECIAL EVENING! JUDY McHUGH PRESENTS AN EVENING OF JIMMY McHUGH MUSIC SALUTING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
Wednesday, February 29, Showtime 8 PM, Tickets $20


John Proulx – piano/vocals, featuring Sherry Williams – voice, Chuck Berghofer—bass,
Joe LaBarbera–drums, guest appearance by Deana Martin (god-daughter of Jimmy McHugh).


What do all of the following popular songs have in common?
“I’m In the Mood for Love”, “On the Sunny Side of the Street”, “I Can’t Give You Anything but Love, Baby”, “Let’s Get Lost”, “Don’t Blame Me”, “When My Baby Walks Down the Street”, “I Feel A Song Coming On”, “It’s A Most Unusual Day” , “I Won’t Dance”, “(This is) A Lovely Way to Spend an Evening”, “I Can’t Believe That You’re in Love with Me”, “Cuban Love Song” and about 250 other outstanding tunes that everybody knows and loves. All of them were penned by one of the most prolific songwriters of the 20th century, the late, great Jimmy McHugh. He was a rehearsal pianist in Boston who headed for New York, wrote revues for The Cotton Club, created sparkling Broadway shows, then came west to Hollywood where he contributed to some of the best movie musicals of the ‘30’s and ‘40’s. While working for Mills Music Publishing as a song-plugger in the early 20s, Jimmy met Walter Brooks, a highly successful Producer of African American Musicals at the Famed Cotton Club in Harlem. He was hired on as an in-house songwriter at the popular Club. Jimmy McHugh was the only white man employed at the Cotton Club and became a fore-runner and spear-head for The Black Movement! He introduced Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters, and discovered a 16 year old dancer in the chorus, Lena Horne, who he mentored as a singer! The rest, as they say, is history. Duke Ellington, always gave McHugh credit for this introduction……

Jimmy McHugh died in 1969 but his music will live as long as singers want to sing! The composer’s grand-daughter, Judy McHugh, is a fan and supporter of Upstairs at Vitello’s jazz concerts. Jimmy McHugh Music’s Salute to Black History Month will feature performers John Proulx , piano & vocals, Chuck Berghofer bass, Joe LaBarbera drums Sherry Williams, vocals. Vocalist Deana Martin, goddaughter of Jimmy McHugh will make a guest appearance.

'The Science of Magic & Illusion' in Pasadena March 2

Bob Friedhoffer will present The Science of Magic and Illuion on Friday, March 2, at 7 p.m. in Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium.



Art and science come together as Friedhoffer performs one feat after another, and proves that our senses can truly be fooled. Obvious, but amazing, tricks our mind plays on us are revealed. Friedhoffer answers questions, such as: how are people really fooled by magic? Is it principles of physics, chemistry or biology? Or is it the science of our mind, psychology and neurology?



Tickets to this performance are priced at $15; youth (high school age and younger): $10.00 (unreserved seating). Senior rush tickets will go on sale for $10.00, beginning one-half hour before the performance (subject to availability). Tickets can be purchased at the Caltech Ticket Office, 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena.



Parking for Beckman Auditorium is located at 332 S. Michigan Ave., Pasadena (south of Del Mar Boulevard). For further information, call the Caltech Ticket Office at (626) 395-4652.

http://www.events.caltech.edu/

Arcadia Chamber offers all access pass to events

The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce has launched a first-of-its-kind All Access Pass that provides a hugely-discounted, single-purchase, year-round admission to all Chamber events, as well as the biggest and best local entertainment activities, and more.



In addition, 10% of the cost of each All Access Pass will be donated to local non-profit groups, potentially generating thousands of dollars for member organizations that sell the Pass as a fundraiser.



The Chamber’s All Access Pass, offered exclusively to Chamber members, provides admission to high-profile annual Chamber events such as The Taste of Arcadia, the Citizen of the Year/Installation Dinner, monthly Networking Breakfasts, quarterly Ambassadors Business Lunch Connections, the annual Planning Conference, and Business Mixers.
That’s more than 20 annual Chamber events with a total value of more than $400.


In addition, the new All Access Pass also gives cardholders admission to the following:

· * The Pasadena Pops concert ticket at Arboretum: one performance - up to $96 value

· * CalPhil concerts at Santa Anita Park – $50 gift card, good for one or two admissions

· * Arcadia Blues Club: approx. 90 admissions to regular $10 Friday/Saturday shows - $900 value

(Two additional tickets available for the price of one.)

· * Renaissance Pleasure Faire: adult season pass - $125 value

· * Arcadia Fitness Center: 10 free visits valued at $15 each - total value $150

· * Los Angeles County Arboretum: 50% off $75 family season pass - $37.50 value


That’s hundreds of admissions each year with a combined value of approximately $1,700.

The Chamber’s All Access Pass for all of these admissions is available to members for only $250, and allows holders to pay only once for dozens of tickets that they would otherwise buy separately.



Moreover, a donation of $25 will be made to any non-profit member group pre-approved by the Chamber for each and every $250 All Access Pass sold by the organization.

To purchase a ticket, to add your organization to the approved list, and for additional information, contact the Chamber at 626-447-2159.



Membership in the Chamber is $115 for residents and non-profit organizations; $185 for home-based businesses; and starts at $260 for traditional businesses.

The Arcadia Chamber of Commerce is celebrating its 90th Anniversary of Creating Community Pride Through Business since 1921.

Conduits to release album



CONDUITS: DEBUT S/T LP (TEAM LOVE, 3/20), US TOUR W/CURSIVE

HEAR "TOP OF THE HILL" MP3 http://www.riotactmedia.com/mp3/01%20Top%20of%20the%20Hill.mp3







The music scribes and bloggers that have already caught on to the band Conduits have all enjoyed bandying about the word "shoegaze" like a ball of yarn when talking about the band.

It's an understandable and easy shorthand for a group that prefers darker, dreamier sounds carried to the apex by a female vocalist who sounds haunted and enraptured. And it's a descriptor that this Omaha-based sextet wouldn't necessarily mind as they do list Jason Spaceman (Spiritualized, Spacemen 3), Beth Gibbons (Portishead), and Slowdive among their varied musical inspirations.

Truth be told, though, shoegaze only scratches the surface of what's behind the music of Conduits. These aren't affected youth staring at their guitar pedals and hoping that the audience in front of them would just go away. This is music that pulses and crackles with energy and incident.

But let's not get too far ahead of ourselves. Let's talk about how this all started.

The original Conduits demos were the creation of JJ Idt and Nate Mickish, two guitarists already busy in the Omaha music scene with their anxious pop and rock outfits. Working together, the pair found much more to express than just inner angst. They were aiming for soundscapes that embraced drones, psychedelia, and a fervent rhythmic punch. And the more they played the more they heard a female voice filling in the empty spaces in these songs.

Enter Jenna Morrison. Best known for her work as a member of indie rockers Son, Ambulance, Morrison brought that rare combination of attainability and remoteness (think: Gibbons, Hope Sandoval, Trish Keenan, Sandy Denny) to her vocal performances. It was the perfect element to help spark these already tempestuous creations into full-blown blazes.

The band - rounded out by bassist Mike Overfield, keyboardist Patrick Newbery, and drummer Roger Lewis - has taken off like a shot since those first demos. They've secured a number of amazing support slots in their hometown, sharing the stage with acts like The Hold Steady and The Appleseed Cast, as well as doing a short, well-received jaunt opening for Bright Eyes.

Now, Conduits is looking to take on the rest of the U.S. and beyond with the release of their debut self-titled album. The eight-song dreamscape flows with a cinematic ambition. Songs like "Top of the Hill" and "Limbs and Leaves" provide the soundtrack for slow motion dance scenes, while "Last Dirge" and "Misery Train" are all fast edits and racing hearts.

The point here is for you to stop starting at your own feet, and cast your eyes towards Conduits. Enjoy the spectacle. Get caught in the whirlwind of sound and ideas. Move with them.

Blues Traveler CD retrospective to be released

Over the course of their illustrious 25-year career, Blues Traveler have sold more than 10 million combined units worldwide, played over 2,000 live shows in front of more than 30 million people, and, in “Run-Around,” had the longest-charting radio single in Billboard history, which earned them a Grammy® for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. A television favorite, they have been featured on Saturday Night Live, Austin City Limits, VH1’s Behind the Music and they hold the record for the most appearances of any artist on The Late Show with David Letterman.



On March 6, 2012, Hip-O Select/Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) releases Blues Traveler: 25, a 2-CD retrospective that spans the first 25 years of the band’s incredible recording career. 25 features a total of 29 tracks including a newly recorded cover version of Sublime’s “What I Got,” their greatest hits, B-sides, unreleased demos and rarities— among them a remix of “Run-Around” by acclaimed electronic producers Gunslinger, and excerpts from the band’s online concept album Decision of the Skies: A Traveler Tale of Sun and Storm.



Remarks vocalist John Popper, “In a quarter century, through every possible kind of high and low, through every dream realized, through every hope dashed, always there was a return to that dedication and belief in the music and in each other. On behalf of all of Blues Traveler, I am privileged to express how honored we are, how deeply proud we are to share with you the first of our quarter-century celebration and appropriate look back at some favorites you may find familiar as well as rarities that for some reason or another have yet to see the light of day. In our hearts we view this as a time to step back to look at what we’ve done. We hope you will share that experience with us with as much satisfaction as we have had in bringing it to you.”



Originally from the suburbs of New Jersey, Blues Traveler moved to New York in the late ’80s where they became an integral part of a new wave of artists coming up in the jam-band scene, packing clubs like Nightingale’s, Wetlands and Mondo Cane. The band’s live reputation landed them a deal with A&M Records and over the years they released a string hit albums including their 1990 self-titled debut; 1991’s Travelers & Thieves; 1993’s Save His Soul; the platinum selling Straight on till The Morning; and their massive, 1994 multi-platinum breakthrough release Four.



Disc one of Blues Traveler: 25 features the band’s biggest hits and staple tracks representing all nine of their studio albums. Included are their No. 1 hit single “Run-Around,” and their top 20 hit “Hook.” Both songs were taken from 1994’s Four which climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard 200 and has now sold over six times platinum. Other tracks featured are the No. 4 hit single “Carolina Blues” from 1997’s Straight on till Morning, which reached No. 11 on the Billboard 200; the band’s first top 20 hit “But Anyway” plus “Gina” and “100 Years” taken from their 1990 self-titled debut; “Amber Awaits” and “After What” from their top 50 album Bastardos!, an album produced by former Wilco member Jay Bennett; the hard-rocking, Led Zeppelin-esque track “How You Remember It” and “You, Me And Everything” from their most recent 2008 release, North Hollywood Shootout; plus a new 2011 recording of Sublime’s “What I Got” which is only available on this two-CD set.



Disc Two of 25 is a collection of rarities including B-sides, unreleased demos and studio tracks. Featured are early demo versions of “But Anyway” and ”Trust In Trust” recorded in 1988; the quirky “The Poignant and Epic Saga of Featherhead and Lucky Lack” which was recorded in 1993 but never made it to an album; the unreleased studio track “Demon” which was written in 2000 during a songwriting session in Austin; plus the tracks ”12 Swords,” “The Sun and the Storm” and the 20-minute odyssey “Traveler Suite,” all taken from their 2000 concept album Decision of the Skies: A Traveler Tale of Sun and Storm, which was originally only made available as a download through the band’s website.



As Blues Traveler prepares for the next 25 years, they are currently in the studio putting the finishing touches on their tenth studio album. They are about to embark on a nationwide tour celebrating 25 years of making music, and Blues Traveler: 25 offers a glimpse into the evolution of one of the most beloved artists to come out of the jam-band scene.



Disc 1-Greatest Hits

1. Run-Around

2. Hook

3. The Mountains Win Again

4. But Anyway

5. You, Me and Everything

6. Amber Awaits

7. After What

8. Back In The Day

9. Girl Inside My Head

10. Carolina Blues

11. Let Her and Let Go

12. Gina

13. 100 Years

14. What’s For Breakfast

15. NY Prophesie

16. Unable To Get Free

17. How You Remember It

18. What I Got (bonus track)



Disc 2-B-sides/Unreleased

1. The Demon

2. The Poignant and Epic Saga of Featherhead and Lucky Lack

3. Blue Hour

4. Trust In Trust

5. Didn’t Mean To Wake Up

6. But Anyway’88

7. Random Amounts

8. Twelve Swords

9. The Sun and The Storm

10. Traveler’s Suite

11. Run Around (Gunslinger Remix) (bonus track)

'Sex & the City Zoo' benefit for LA Zoo Feb. 12

"SEX AND THE CITY ZOO 3," a wildly romantic Valentine's Day event celebrating animal mating, dating and cohabitating, is presented by the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association (GLAZA) on Sunday, February 12, 2012, 5 pm, in the Zoo's Witherbee Auditorium. The lighthearted, adults-only affair begins with a reception featuring tempting desserts, alluring wines and "animal walk-abouts," which include chats with keepers and the chance to observe small animals up close. Then, the heart of the evening is a provocative presentation – with audience participation -- by Zoo veteran Jason Jacobs, who offers insights about relationships in the animal kingdom. "Sex and City Zoo 3" climaxes with an optional four-course dinner at Reggie's Bistro inside the Zoo. Proceeds from the fund-raiser, the third annual, support the Zoo’s mission of wildlife preservation and conservation.

Jacobs, L.A. Zoo's director of public relations and marketing, has worked in zoos since he was 13 years old and describes himself as "coming of age amid a menagerie," adding, "Spending almost every day of my life in a zoo for more than twenty years and has given me a unique perspective on the birds and the bees." He promises a humorous and enlightening evening.

Dinner guests receive a long stem rose per couple and a glass of house champagne or sparkling wine per person. The meal begins with an "Amuse" course of Fresh Watermelon, Dungeness Lump Crab and Micro Cilantro; followed by a selection of Artisan Breads served with Sundried Tomato Tapanade, then a salad course of Grilled Fresh Costa Rican Hearts of Palm, Lola Rossa Lettuce and Oven Roasted Campari Tomatoes with Passion Fruit Dressing. The three Entrée Choices are Peppered Filet Mignon, Yukon Gold Potato Pave, Cabernet Truffle Reduction; Herb Grilled Fresh Atlantic Salmon, Du Puy Lentils, Baby Fennel, Port Wine Shallot Sauce; or Italian Risotto, Saffron, Grilled Local Vegetables, Vermouth Cream. Dessert is a special "Chocolate, Chocolate, Chocolate" dish. Iced tea and sodas are included, and guests may purchase Napa Valley Wines: Cabernet, Chardonnay, Merlot, Zinfandel.

"Sex and the City Zoo 3" is generously sponsored by Whole Foods Market West Hollywood, with chocolates provided by Madécasse.

For nearly five decades, the private, non-profit Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, founded in 1963, has funded exhibits, plant and animal species conservation, capital projects, and education and community outreach programs at the Los Angeles Zoo, an international leader in the preservation of endangered species and a conservation center for the care and study of wildlife. GLAZA also builds and invests endowment funds and operates five essential departments on behalf of the Zoo, including development, publications, membership, volunteers and oversight of the Zoo's food/retail concessions. There are currently 72,000 GLAZA member households representing more than 300,000 adults and children, the largest membership base of a cultural organization in Los Angeles, and a volunteer corps of over 700.

The Los Angeles Zoo is located at 5333 Zoo Drive, Los Angeles, CA 90027, in Griffith Park at the junction of the Ventura (134) and Golden State (5) freeways.

Tickets are $25 per person for GLAZA members, with the dinner option an additional $65 per person, and $35 per person for non members, plus an additional $75 for the dinner option. (Adults only, age 21 up.) Seating is limited, and reservations are required by February 8. Call 323 644-6042 for reservations. www.lazoo.org

The Lumineers to release album and tour

Denver band The Lumineers are proud to announce the release of their self-titled debut album, out on April 3rd via Dualtone. The band's style of emotive, powerful folk-rock has garnered comparisons to Edward Sharpe and Mumford and Sons, and is in line with Dualtone's history of supporting talented folk acts. The album was produced and mixed by Ryan Hadlock (Foo Fighters, Ra Ra Riot, Metric) at Bear Creek Studios, with additional mixing by Kevin Augunas (The Black Keys, Cold War Kids, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros) at Fairfax Recordings, and follows the band's eponymous self-recorded EP that was released earlier in 2011.



The Lumineers will be touring in support of the debut, beginning in March and playing through the end of April. The tour will start along the West Coast with stops in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle, and will run through other major markets including Chicago, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia. For a full list of tour dates, please see below.

The Lumineers were formed by Wesley Schultz and Jeremiah Fraites in New York. Their story begins in 2002, the year Jeremiah's brother and Wesley's long-time best friend, Josh, died from a drug overdose at 19. Amidst the loss and grief, Wes and Jeremiah came together and found solace in music, writing songs and playing gigs around New York. After battling the city's cutthroat music scene and impossibly high cost of living, the two decided to expand their horizons. They packed everything they owned and headed for Denver, Colorado. It was less a pilgrimage than act of stubborn hopefulness.

The first thing they did in Denver was place a Craigslist ad for a cellist, and the first person to respond was Neyla Pekarek, a classically trained Denver native. As a trio, they began playing at the Meadowlark, a gritty basement club where the city's most talented songwriters gathered every Tuesday for an open mic and dollar PBRs. Neyla softened Wes and Jeremiah's rough edges while expanding her skills to mandolin and piano. And so The Lumineers sound took shape; an amalgam of heart-swelling stomp-and-clap acoustic rock, classic pop, and front-porch folk.



The Lumineers Tour Dates

Wed-Mar-21 - San Diego, CA @ The Casbah

Thu-Mar-22 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hotel Café

Sat-Mar-24 - San Francisco, CA @ Café Du Nord

Sun-Mar-25 - Santa Cruz, CA @ The Crepe Place

Thu-Mar-29 - Eugene, OR @ Axe & Fiddle

Fri-Mar-30 - Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios

Sat-Mar-31 - Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern

Sun-Apr-01 - Vancouver, BC @ Media Club

Wed-Apr-04 - Boise, ID @ Neurolux

Thu-Apr-05 - Salt Lake City, UT @ The State Room

Fri-Apr-06 - Bellvue, CO @ Misawaka Indoors

Sat-Apr-7 - Boulder, CO @ Shug's

Mon-Apr-09 - Ames, IA @ The Maintenance Shop

Wed-Apr-11 - Minneapolis, MN @ 7th Street Entry

Thu-Apr-12 - Madison, WI @ The Frequency

Fri-Apr-13 - Chicago/Evanston, IL @ SPACE

Tue-Apr-17 - Burlington, VT @ Higher Ground Lounge

Wed-Apr-18 - Northampton, MA @ Iron Horse

Thu-Apr-19 - Fairfield, CT @ StageOne

Fri-Apr-20 - Berklee, MA @ Café 939 (festival)

Sat-Apr-21 - Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg

Sun-Apr-22 - Vienna, VA @ Jammin' Java

Tue-Apr-24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brendas

Thu-Apr-26 - Chapel Hill, NC @ Local 506

Fri-Apr-27 - Nashville, TN @ The Basement

Sat-Apr-28 - St. Louis, MO @ Blueberry Hill

Sun-Apr-29 - Kansas City, MO @ The Record Bar


www.thelumineers.com