Category Archives: Music

August 12, 2010

This Weekend: Kawaii Sales, Bloomfest LA, Blue Palms Beer Party

Written by Caroline on Crack in Art, Beauty & Fashion, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Music, Nightlife, Recreation, Shopping & Sales
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Whoa, there’s wayyy too many things going on this Saturday, it’s so intense. Too bad I gotta pack for my move.

Friday, August 13

L.A.M.B. & Harajuku Lovers Sample Sale LA
For the first time ever in LA, Gwen Stefani’s two lines, L.A.M.B. and Harajuku Lovers, will be available at a sample sale. Normally her stuff is wayy too expensive for me to even consider, being “designer” and all but at this sale, everything will be up to 75% off. Kawaii bags, rocker-style clothes, hot shoes. RSVP here. BTW, credit cards only.

  • Friday, 8am-8pm; Saturday, 10am-6pm. Siren Studios, 6063 West Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood (map).

Saturday, August 14

Rilakkuma Weekend
More kawaii stuff! A whole weekend with photobooths, djs, free gifts, Sapporo beer, food trucks and a pop-up store curated by JapanLA owner Jamie Rivadeneira. Even Umami Burger gets kawaii’d up as all four of its locations will be themed for the promotion through August 22. For the fan party on Saturday, the first 100 guests get goody bags and Lil’ Rae cakeballs.

  • Saturday, 11am–11pm; Sunday, 11am–7pm. 7326 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Bloomfest LA 2010
Jonesin’ for more art after tonight’s Downtown LA Art Walk? Fortunately for you the Arts District will open the doors of its cafés, galleries, performance venues, and 40 studios for this summertime event. Tour the lofts and galleries after checking out the live bands, booths and food trucks at the nearby Bloomfest street fair. After party will be at e3rd from 11pm to 2am.

  • 12pm-11pm. Arts District, 714 Traction Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Blue Palms Brew House’s 2nd Anniversary Party
This Hollywood beer haven is celebrating its 2 years with a 200-pound pig, a 400-pound rib roast, 30-plus beers on tap, a cigar lounge and live music. For $40 you get 10 tastings of delicious brew like The Bruery’s barrel-aged Coton, 10-month aged Allagash Curieux, and even special limited kegs from Alesmith, New Belgium and Greenflash.

  • Doors open 2pm. $40. Blue Palms Brew House, 6124 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

John Cusack Double Feature: Better Off Dead and One Crazy Summer
“Gimme my 2 dollars!!!” Growing up, I loved these movies. Such great one-liners, including that one with the relentless paperboy going after his fee. And who could resist poor John Cusack, the adorable loser of these ’80s movies? Special guests will show up at the end of the screenings. No, not JC, although maybe. Rather, the writer/director of the films Savage Steve Holland as well as Curtis Armstrong, Bobcat Goldthwait and more.

  • 7:30pm. $12. The Cinefamily, 611 N Fairfax Avenue, Los Angeles (map). (323) 655-2510.
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August 5, 2010

This Weekend: 3-Story-High Hangover, Mall Hype, Free Cupcakes

Written by Caroline on Crack in Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Movies, Music, Nightlife, Shopping & Sales
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I’m going up north for another edition of 24 Hours of Lemons but I’m not leaving you blind. In addition to Saturday’s KBBQ cook-off you’ve got these events.

Thursday, August 5

BreadBar Hatchi Mix: Comme Ca’s Cedilla — A Suite of Cocktails
Max Seaman and Jeff Knudsen, the mixology team at Comme Ca in West Hollywood, are featured in this month’s edition of Hatchi Mix. They’ll serve up eight cocktails for $8 each. Yummy-sounding concoctions like Hot Pepper Smash with rye, lemon, honey, Serrano chile and mint and Sergio Leone with tequila, Campari and Sweet Vermouth. Classics like Penicillin and Bloody Mary will also make an appearance.

  • 6-10pm. BreadBar Century City, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Friday, August 6

Santa Monica Place’s Grand Opening Celebration
Finally! The Santa Monica mall is back. AND it’s so new and improved that it’s now an outdoor mall, complementing the 3rd Street Promenade nicely. Celebrate at this all-day party which kicks off with a morning ribbon-cutting ceremony and ends with happy hour on the gorgeous Dining Deck where KCRW music director Jason Bentley will be spinning a two-hour set! And throughout the day there will be live music and retailer-hosted events from the likes of Bloomingdales, Disney and Charlotte Russe.

  • Starts 10am. Santa Monica Place, 1453 3rd Street Promenade, Santa Monica (map).

Saturday, August 7

OC Foodie Fest’s Pub & Grub
I know this is a bit beyond my jurisdiction but the OC is having its own “Foodie Fest” on August 28. And in anticipation of that, it’s throwing a special preview party this Saturday at Proof Bar in Santa Ana where presale OC Foodie Fest ticket holders will get a sneak peek of the OC food trucks attending the food fest as well as get to enjoy an Azunia Tequila tasting, giveaways and music. If you haven’t bought your tickets yet, you can do so at this event for a discounted price!

  • 7-10:30pm. Free. Proof Bar’s parking lot, 215 N Broadway, Santa Ana (map).

Win $500 at Westfield Culver City for Being the Most Stylish Shopper
Yeah, I thought this sounded weird and am not really sure how a “stylish shopper” would dress. But maybe just show up like you’re dressed for the Oscars and strut your stuff on the red carpet at the mall while the hosts of weekly entertainment show, On the Red Carpet, provide the running commentary, and you can’t lose. Participant photos will be posted on the mall’s Facebook page. The winner, who will be chosen by a panel of judges, gets a $500 gift card for the Culver City mall. Easy peasy.

  • 12-4pm. Westfield Culver City, 6000 Sepulveda Boulevard, Culver City (map).

SusieCakes Celebrates Its 4th Birthday
To celebrate its 4th birthday, SusieCakes will be giving out a free box of four mini cupcakes to the first 100 customers to show up between 1 and 4pm. If you miss your chance for the freebie treat, the cupcakery will offer retro-priced goodies like 40-cent cookies!

Outdoor Cinema Food Fest Presents: The Hangover
OMG my fave Vegas movie EVER! I can’t imagine how much more awesome it’s going to be on a three-story-tall outdoor movie screen! Couple that with food trucks like Fishlips Sushi, Nana Queens and Don Chow Tacos, and you have one swinging good time.

  • 6-11pm. $8. Exposition Park, 700 Exposition Park Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

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July 29, 2010

This Weekend: Savor Los Angeles, Sergio Mendes, Chefs Night Out

Written by Caroline on Crack in Cupcakes, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Music, Nightlife, Sweets
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Wow, we’re in August already? Where did the summer go? Well for the last weekend of July (sigh), you’ve got lots of food fests and sweets. You know where my mind is.

Friday, July 30

Savor Los Angeles
I never get sick of eating sweets and after every meal there’s always room for dessert so I’m SO excited about this Savor event. Guests with insatiable sweet tooths will be able to taste samples from yum purveyors like Babycakes NYC, Frosted Cupcakery, N’Ice Cream and more! There will also be free champagne, Intelligentsia coffee and a cheese and fruit bar to mix things up. But it’s not just about eating, you can dance to the dj and commemorate the moment in the photobooth.

  • 7-10pm. $35 general, $50 VIP. Miauhaus Studios, 1201 S La Brea Avenue, Los Angeles (map).

Saturday, July 31

Sergio Mendes and Morcheeba at the Hollywood Bowl
No better way to pass a chill summer evening than with some Brazilian tunes courtesy of Sergio Mendes. Just thinking about it makes me want to chair dance as I type this. Fix yourself up a canteen of Caipirinha and bring some takeout from Café Brasil and you have yourself a breezy Brazilian partay in the Bowl. British trip hop band Morcheeba sets the chill and groovy tone of the evening as the opening act. If you can’t make it on Saturday, there’s always the earlier Friday show.

  • 8:30pm. $15-$156. Hollywood Bowl, 2301 North Highland Avenue, Hollywood (map).

Sunday, August 1

Win Tickets to Taste of Beverly Hills By Tweeting To Eat
Want to attend the Taste of Beverly Hills food fest but don’t have the $500 for a weekend pass? Well, if you follow TOBH’s Twitter starting August 1st through the 15th, they’ll post a daily “Culinary Clue” (Twitter hashtag #CCTOBH) about a participating chef. And on August 16, the first person to send an email after 4pm to TweetToEat@TheTasteofBeverlyHills.com with all 15 correct chef names will win TWO free weekend passes to the event (not including the Thursday 90210 party, though).

Cupcake Camp OC
This cupcake gathering hopes to attract 500 cupcake fiends for a good cause, plus some cupcake noshing and competitions. Every cupcake fan is invited to participate, whether it’s baking and bringing their donation of at least 50 of their own fabulous cupcakes or buying cupcakes. You don’t have to be a pro and if you like cupcakes baked from a box mix that’s all right, too! Personally I was considering submitting a Cake Doctor creation: Mexican chocolate cupcakes with spicy chocolate cream cheese frosting. Yum!

  • 3-6pm. Suggested donation: $10. Atrium Hotel, 18700 MacArthur Boulevard, Irvine (map).

Wally’s 7th Annual  Central Coast Wine & Food Celebration
You can’t go wrong with an event where you can taste about 150 Central Coast wines from wineries like Qupe, L’Aventure and Tablas Creek and partake of signature dishes from the likes of Comme Ca, AOC, Osteria Mozza and Bouchon. What a swank evening. Proceeds will go to The Michael Bonaccorsi Scholarship Fund at the UC Davis Department of Enology.

  • 12-4pm. $95. Wally’s, 2107 Westwood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

8th Annual Restaurant Awards: Angeleno’s Chefs Night Out
For another fancy foodie good time, check out Angeleno’s Chefs Night Out Event & Awards. The event will honor some of our city’s best chefs like Josef Centeno, Ludovic Lefebvre and Michael Voltaggio as well as offer culinary demos and wine and spirit samplings all under the beautiful fig tree at the Fairmont Miramar in Santa Monica.

  • 4:30-7:30pm. $95 general, $150 VIP. Fairmont Miramar Hotel, 101 Wilshire Boulevard, Santa Monica (map).
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May 20, 2010

This Weekend: Silver Lake Jubilee, Rebecca Minkoff Sample Sale, The Bruery Party

Written by Caroline on Crack in Beauty & Fashion, Dining, Los Angeles, Music, Nightlife, Recreation, Shopping & Sales
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Damn this weekend is going to be so fun. Festivals, sales and, more importantly, a beer celebration.

Friday, May 21

Rebecca Minkoff LA Sample Sale
At this sample sale, get the same hot handbags that you see Hollywood starlets toting around on TMZ for 50-70% off. How is that possible? These babies are samples from past and current seasons and overproduction. And if you manage to spend over $700 you get 10% off. Cash and credit cards only.

  • Friday-Saturday 10am-7pm. Confederacy, 4661 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

LA Weekly LA Weekend
Comic book burlesque, J Gold discussing the finer points of hot dog meat and a slap booth featuring Lucha VaVoom’s Poubelle Twins. Sounds like a party you need to be a part of, right? This two-day event brings together all that’s right and good about our city, combining speaker panels, food, art, politics and theater in the Saban Theatre. Proceeds go to benefit the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center in Watts.

  • Friday-Saturday. $12.50 each day. Saban Theatre, 8440 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Saturday, May 22

Silver Lake Jubilee
Remember when Sunset Junction was cheap and humble? Well that’s what this new, neighborhoodie, eco-friendly music and art fest is. It will feature over 35 musical acts for only $5! There will even be a mini microbrew fest inside with two beer gardens hosted by Good Microbrew and Firestone Walker Brewing Company. Enjoy food from 30 food trucks and browse the wares of local vendors.

  • Saturday-Sunday 10am-10pm. Myra Avenue between Fountain Avenue and Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

The Bruery’s 2nd Anniversary Party
OMG I’m SO excited about this one. One of my fave SoCal breweries is celebrating its 2nd bday and they’ll not only have tastings of their standard and limited release brew but will also release their 2nd Anniversary Ale, Coton, which you can buy a bottle of at the party. Guests will also get stuffed on Seal Beach’s Beachwood BBQ and The Bruery’s own Liege waffles. The celebration is split into four 3-hour sessions with tickets costing $40 (includes 10 beer tasters) or $20 for the designated driver.

  • Saturday-Sunday. Tickets: $40. The Bruery, 715 Dunn Way, Placentia (map).

Sunday, May 23

4th Annual Flavors of Los Angeles
This culinary gala isn’t a food fest where you walk from table to table sampling a bunch of random dishes — not that there’s anything wrong with that. This one features renowned chefs who design and prepare their five-course menu table-side, complete with paired wines and a specially designed table setting for a table of 12 guests. Featured chefs include Top Chef Michael Voltaggio, Drago Centro’s Celestino Drago, Rivera’s John Sedlar and more. Proceeds go to benefit the American Liver Foundation.

  • 5pm. Tickets: $250. City National Bank Plaza, 555 South Flower Street, Los Angeles (map).
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November 13, 2009

Nerding Out to Microbrewed Beer and Vintage Devo

Written by Food Marathon in Dining, Los Angeles, Music, Nightlife
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Devo photo by Andrew Youssef

By Food Marathon

To guest blog for Caroline one must drink. I’ve spent a good portion of the last 10 years drinking, so I feel comfortable reporting in a semi-professional capacity in Caroline’s absence. She was also part of the blogger mashup marathon series. Although food is my main interest, I enjoy music and alcohol in second and third place. All three were equally present last week when I went on a mini beer marathon before the Devo concert.

The night started at Golden State because Jason tweeted that they “just got a keg of Beer at Golden StateAvery Dugana IPA…a beer you will NOT see everywhere.” I also saw on Twitter that they had pumpkin eggnog gelato from Scoops. Thank you, Twitter, for keeping me updated about things I didn’t know I needed, but I shouldn’t live without.
We ordered Avery’s limited release IPA — billed as “a Double India Pale Ale, brutally bitter, dank, piney and resinous ale designed for those seeking a divine hop experience.” It actually was wonderful despite the intense description. The fragrant aroma far outweighed the bitterness, the pine flourished and the dankness was comforting more than frightening.

We also had an AleSmith Grand CRU. It’s “tremendously intriguing, complex flavors play upon the palate shifting from sweet to tangy to hoppy.” The candied fruits stand out in this one, smooth and in perfect complement to the sweet potato fries (which were suggested by Jason).

Golden State BurgerWe finally tried Golden State’s burger, which is definitely one of the better ones in L.A. I think I liked Umami’s better, but it also was covered in chilis.

For dessert we tried four flavors of Scoops’ gelato: white chocolate hazelnut, chocolate Earl Grey, pumpkin eggnog, raspberry tiramisu. It was as good as it sounds.

Next up was Blue Palms Brewhouse, as Jason recommended an IPA there that could rival the Avery Dugana. Blue Palms also shares a wall with the Music Box at the Henry Fonda, which is where we were seeing Devo perform their first album in its entirety. Yes, that’s equal parts food nerd and music nerd, for those keeping track.

Unfortunately they were out of the Sculpin IPA, a beer that seems to be phenomenal based on the reviews. Instead I Blue Palms Brewsmade the mistake of ordering the Green Flash West Coast IPA. It didn’t even come close to the Dugana. It was bitter, sour and heavy.

At the concert the beer options weren’t as sophisticated, so I went with an Amstel Light. It actually wasn’t terrible after the Green Flash…but I probably will get lynched by the beer nerds for saying that.

The show was terrific. The 40-something Devo geeks were out in full force and regalia. Many fans wore their infamous red energy dome hats, some even donned the full yellow suit. Despite their AARP-eligible ages, Devo still put on a high-energy, well-coordinated show. The tours are in connection with Warner Bros’ deluxe re-release of their albums Are We Not Men? and Freedom of Choice. The tour continues throughout the country for the rest of November.

DEVO

I don’t care if you call me a nerd. It was fun.

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November 5, 2009

This Weekend: Free Concerts, Year-Old Stinkers, Billion Dollar Babes

Written by Caroline on Crack in Beauty & Fashion, Dining, Lists, Los Angeles, Music, Nightlife, Shopping & Sales
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If you’re not hitting the Great Chefs event this weekend or that infamous Cougar Convention, here’s a bunch more for you to do.

Thursday, November 5

Vanity Room Clothing Drive
Clean out your closet for a good cause, free cocktails and the chance of winning a Hobo Wallet. My fave party frocks store is having a clothing drive for used clothes that are in good condition to support the local Salvation Army tonight. In addition to all of the above, you’ll also get 10% off any full priced item.

  • 6-10pm. Vanity Room, 13217 Washington Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Friday, November 6

Half Off Everything at Luna Park
You read right. For whatever reason, if you print out this picture and present it to your bartender or server with the check at Luna Park on La Brea, you get 50% off your entire bill for lunch and dinner regardless of the size of your group. Sweet!

  • 11am-6pm. Luna Park, 672 S La Brea, Los Angeles (map).

Billion Dollar Babes LA Sale at Petersen Museum
The Billion Dollar Babes Sale is back where you can score up to 85% off original retail on over 40 designer labels like DVF, Chloe and Gucci. When you RSVP through 944 magazine you get free admission to the VIP event on Friday and that means early access to those discounted Jimmy Choos! Cash and credit cards only. RSVP required.

  • VIP Friday, 12pm-9pm; Public Saturday, 9am-5pm. Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Boulevard, Los Angeles (map).

Kia Soul Collective Free Concerts including Silversun Pickups
Enjoy free concerts all weekend thanks to the Kia Soul Collective — Janelle Monae, Diplo, Fool’s Gold, Pink Dollaz. And if you test drive the new Kia Soul you get a pair of tickets to see the Silversun Pickups on Sunday night. But since tickets are limited and on a first come first serve basis, get there early to secure a pair. Test drives start on Friday at noon. Must have a valid driver license to drive.

  • Friday-Sunday, 12-8pm. Free. Siren Studio @ Orange, 1050 N. Orange Drive, Hollywood (map).

Sunday, November 8

Stinkers’ One-Year Anniversary
Trucker-themed bar Stinkers is celebrating its one-year anniversary. There will be drink specials, there will be DJ Ladyfingers spinning punk, rock and soul and swag for party-goers. Think air-fresheners for your semi as well as hats and T-shirts.

  • 7pm-2am. 2939 W. Sunset Boulevard, Silver Lake (map). (323) 661-6007.

Tuesday, November 10

Milagro Tequila and Cigar Tasting at Pink Taco
They call it a tasting but actually there will be an open bar! So for $30 (advance) you get all the tequila you can handle and get to enjoy live DJ sets while smoking hand-rolled cigars and noshing authentic Mexican appetizers on the restaurant’s patio. For advance tickets, either call the manager at the restaurant or email rsvp [at] pinktaco.com with your full name, phone number and number of tickets.

  • 7-10pm. $30 advance, $35 day of. Pink Taco, 10250 Santa Monica Boulevard, Century City (map). Advanced reservations: (310) 789-1000 or rsvp [at] pinktaco.com.

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October 5, 2009

Review: Thom Yorke Show at the Orpheum

Written by Caroline on Crack in Los Angeles, Music
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Now, I rarely, if ever, do this but I’ve asked my brother, G, to do up a review of the Thom Yorke concert at the Orpheum in Downtown L.A. last night. G’s a huuuge Radiohead/TY fan so I know he’d do an awesome job of covering it.

Thom performed some of his old solo songs and several new ones often accompanied by his new band which consists of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, Beck/Elliott Smith drummer Joey Waronker, Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Mauro Refosco and even Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea.

Anyway, take it away, G.

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