Discontented with Citysearch’s firm declaration that Backstage Bar and Grill in Culver City is the best venue in Los Angeles, 2009 – and blatantly throwing mud in the eyes of the 53% of NBC Los Angeles readers’ votes for the Troubadour earlier this year, MyFOX Los Angeles now poses the verysame yet apparently never-tired question in an online post-Labor-Day poll: What’s the best venue in Los Angeles? Choices at press time include:

• Alex Theatre (Glendale)
• The Glass House (Pomona)
• Thousand Oaks Civic Arts Plaza (Thousand Oaks)
• Crash Mansion (Note: no longer in business; formerly downtown, Los Angeles; last known booking occurred roughly one year ago. Do not let this dissuade you from voting for Crash Mansion)
• Awakenings Coffee House (Lomita)
• Haugh Performing Arts Center (Glendora)
• The Canyon Club (Agoura Hills)
• World Famous Goodfellas (Rancho Cucamonga)

Plus a few places in Los Angeles just for good measure, what the hell. So, which is it, LA? Get out the vote! (Note: You must register at MyFoxLA before voting for Crash Mansion, T.O. Civic Arts Plaza, World Famous Goodfellas Rancho Cucamonga or any of the other venues not actually in Los Angeles above for best venue, Los Angeles.)

» LA’s Best Live Venue Citysearch Poll: Spazio Restaurant or Plan B?
» Citysearch Amps Strange Factor in Local “Best Venue 2009″ Lists
» Venues the Losanjealous editorial staff attend regularly may be found here

Hey, Kids! It’s Music Blog Demographic Gut-Check Departmental Survey Time! Today’s polling background from over Curbed way:

Just a month ago, the Lofts at Cherokee Studios, a 12-unit Pugh + Scarpa-designed building launched its official web site, floorplans and all. Now the building, built on the site of the old Cherokee Studios (where Sinatra and Bowie recorded), has launched its blog and announced it’s creating a “Platinum Showcase.” Developer REthink has partnered with four architects to each create a loft that will pay homage to the musicians who recorded on that site. Rogerio Carvalheiro will design a loft that honors David Bowie, interior designers Kristin Casey and Rick Rifle will design for Frank Sinatra, Lori Dennis & Brook Casey will pay tribute to Alice Cooper, and Jennifer Siegel’s Office of Mobile Design and Sandra Sharma are designing a penthouse suite in homage to 30 Seconds to Mars. Wait, huh? How did 30 Seconds to Mars sneak in there with Sinatra, Bowie and Cooper?

Beatles producer George Martin once called Cherokee Studios the best recording studio in America. The recording alumni list published by the studio itself reads like a who’s who of late 20th century music…Devo, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Public Enemy, Stevie Wonder, Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, The Who…with all those guys waiting in the wings, why exactly in hell the 30 Secs To Mars Hot Topic-suffused Penthouse design again, guys? Has Jared Leto already signed on to purchase the goddamned thing? We understand they helped raise some money for Habitat – and no fooling, that’s great – but seriously, the penthouse alongside Sinatra? User poll time! This is your chance to passively tell owner Bruce Robb and designers Jennifer Siegel and Sandra Sharma, by way of a random pointless music blog poll, which artist you’d really like to see that Legendary Cherokee Studios penthouse paying tribute to come October. Don’t snooze.

»continue reading Which Cherokee Studios Music-Themed Penthouse Do You Crave The Most?

Citysearch! Where did we go wrong? Following yesterday’s playful post on Losanjealous you’ve now removed all 20 hilarious listings from your Best Los Angeles Venue 2009 As Voted By Local Readers On July 29, 2009 list, declaring no winners and nonchalantly advising that I “take a look at another city.” Fine, I’ll look at other cities, though I really do live in Los Angeles. Lessee…hrmm…ah yes, here we go. Chicago now has a #1 best venue and two #2 best venues for 2009 as declared by Citysearch readers, but nothing further, and New York officially has a four-way tie for eighth-best venue of 2009 as declared by Citysearch readers – 8th place being between The Bowery Electric, Bowery Ballroom, S.O.B.’s and Sutra Lounge.

Red herring. That shit just does not help me locally, guys. Declaring “no victor” is an open-faced, glove-across-the-cheek, spit-on-the-feet insult to each and every establishment that calls itself a venue in our fair city. I call on you now: Where should I go if I am seeking the Best Live Venue in Los Angeles, 2009? Where should I turn? What dark, alcohol-suffused, scuffed-floor club, and/or posh restaurant, shall claim the victor spoils for 2009? Who’s getting that coveted wall plaque? You still make those nifty plaques, right!? Help! I’ll continue to hang on to my Zagat Nightlife (2005 edition) until I get some answers.

UPDATE, 228pm: Later That Same Day: Citysearch now firmly declares Backstage Bar and Grill the Best Live Venue in Los Angeles, 2009 as chosen by its readers. Congrats to BB&G, who are followed by Roxy, Rusty’s Surf Ranch, The Draft Bar and Grill, Echo, and a four-way tie for sixth place featuring V Lounge, Air Conditioned, Spaceland and Hotel Cafe. Whither Sgt. Pepper’s Dueling Piano Cafe In Long Beach and Plan B Gentleman’s Club Down On Pico in this mostly normal list? Sigh.

We do not wish to discuss the Microsoft-Yahoo deal announced today, opting instead to point out a timely issue directly affecting our readership: namely, the Best Live Music Venue In Los Angeles title. To bring you up to speed, NBC conducted a Best Live Venue In Los Angeles poll not long ago. Now, it’s Citysearch’s turn to bat. And bat they do! In the current Citysearch poll, the top four live music venues in Los Angeles are Shore Ultra Lounge in Long Beach, The Draft Bar and Grill in Studio City, Plan B in “that one Mr-Cecil’s-Ribs-themed stretch of West LA Pico” and Spazio Restaurant in Sherman Oaks.

Say What?

The curious top ten list continues: Sgt. Pepper’s Dueling Piano Cafe (Long Beach), Rusty’s Surf Ranch (Santa Monica Pier), Cabana Club (Tinseltown proper), Backstage Bar & Grill (Culver), Zanzibar and the Roxy. Ah, #10! Finally a venue we’d consider legitimately worthy of the running. Say what you will about the Citysearch audience and its dwindling vitality, they have definitely heard of the Roxy. (Aside to Citysearch: We fully understand you had no room on this list for the Hollywood Bowl, guys, but did you really have to leave off Applebee’s West Covina as well?)

»continue reading Vote Today for LA’s Best Live Venue in Citysearch Poll: Spazio Restaurant or Plan B? Only 13 Hours Left!

Anybody who reads this site with any sort of regularity no doubt knows my passion for pointless surveys and user-generated polls (more examples here, if you must). As such, it thrills me to no end to now direct you to our colleagues over at NBC Los Angeles who, in a new (presumably and hopefully recurring) feature titled “The Golden Local”, ask their readers which of the following rock venues deserves the title Best Local Venue: Spaceland? Or Doug Weston’s Troubadour? You have but 14 hours left to cast your vote at press time; get over there and be heard right now, and don’t forget to list the reason why you’re voting for who you’re voting for. One of our recent favorites:

SMOKE SAYS
The Troub will sell me smokes, but Spaceland will let me Smoke my Smokes inside; as a Smoker, I appreciate being surrounded by Smoke and increasing to the overall Smokiness of the Smoked Air.

» Best Live Music Venue Poll (NBC Los Angeles)

If you haven’t yet heard the news, the AP has claimed copyright infringement against Los Angeles-based Wrestlemania fan and graphic artist Shepard Fairey for his iconic “HOPE” poster depicting Barack Obama. Turns out Fairey used an AP photo originally taken by Manny Garcia as the basis of his 2008 poster without credit or prior permission (the artist had made this admission prior to recent litigation). The Associated Press now wants to see cash and credit; Shep is claiming Fair Use. While awaiting feedback and insight from various legal professionals regarding this debate, we now turn to you, dear reader, to weigh in on this pressing legal quandary…
»continue reading The Great Associated Press vs Shepard Fairey Obama Hope Poster Debate

Live, in person, fresh out of the oven, here are the official tallies of our 2008 end-of-year reader polls. Discover within our readership a rampant love for Megapuss, Aziz, Aziz feat. Megapuss, Megapuss feat. Aziz, Little Joy, Thom Yorke, Stoniest slices in town (sic), Andy Walo and Fleet Foxes.

Once more for the new folks: All of our polls contained reader-submitted choices (no fooling! “Nothing” won fifth best album with 97 votes). Further, multiple votes were actively encouraged for the sake of good competition. (What a mistake.) In other words if something looks off, don’t blame us. Have fun, don’t be sore losers but do feel free to discuss your votes, and keep your eyes peeled for the individual breakdowns – to be posted soon – wherein you can see all choices, all votes, all polls. For the analyst in you, each entry is followed by the number of votes, and then the percentage of the total vote in parentheses.

Without further ado…

Best Los Angeles Concert 2008
»continue reading Losanjealous Reader Picks 2008: The Official Results

PHOTO: Aziz Ansari warms up the Orpheum by SUNG

Oh, ha ha. He’s in third place at press time. If he wins top honors you have only yourself to blame (or thank). Get out the vote! You have until December 31.

Today in Rampant Speculation: Sunset Junction 2008 set times are alive and kicking. If you haven’t been paying attention, the lineup looks great (Broken Social Scene, !!!, Black Keys, Beachwood Sparks, Cold War Kids, Kinky, local blog faves Voxhaul Broadcast et al).

But what’s this!? On Sunday, August 24, “4:10 TBA/Aug. 17″ will be taking the Bates Stage just before the reunited Beachwood Sparks. Who the dickens could this be!? We turn now to you, faithful reader, for a comprehensive – nay, exhaustive – analysis of the possibilities, one of which will ultimately be announced by the organizers on August 17, a mere week before show time. Who’s touring? Who’s in town or near town during that time? Vote for your best guess or add it to the list if it’s not already there.

UP THE JUNCTION
» 2007 Sunset Junction Street Fair
» Sunset Junction 2007: The Pity Party
» We Played Some Festivals Recently
» Canadian Coffee Break: The Street Fair Season
» Blonde Redhead @ Sunset Junction, 8/18/07
» Sunset Junction, Saturday: One Perspective
» Sunset Junction Options Juiced, Elongated

Wesley Snipes is being sentenced for tax evasion today. He faces up to three years in jail and a massive fine. Will he do time?

In the defendant Wesley Snipes, the court is presented with a wealthy, famous and inveterate tax scofflaw. If ever a tax offender was deserving of being held accountable to the maximum extent for his criminal wrongdoing, Snipes is that defendant. (Govt sentencing rec via CNN)

Did you watch Rock of Love 2 this year? Of course you did. Pathetic. I did, too. The show is over, and there’ll probably be a third season. So did you pull for Ambre? Daisy? Destiney? A different contestant? It matters not. What matters is the cat fight that took place during Sunday’s reunion show (Heather assaulted Daisy), and while we unfortunately have neither the time nor patience to work up a good Venn diagram to better categorize our contestants for your educated wager, we do still wish to open the books and place our bets on who would’ve won that fight, had it run its course. We’re talking real Jerry Springer stripper fisticuff action here. You can read all about the bout here if you missed the program, but really, you probably need only turn on VH1 at any given time in the next couple of weeks in order to catch a rebroadcast (hint: it’s on right now). Incidentally, the VH1 blog links beneath this poll are priceless if you watched any portion of the show whatsoever. Do give them a look.

VOTE AGAIN

» Touch My Backstage Pass Again: Behind the Scenes of the Rock of Love 2 Reunion
» The Celebreality Interview – Daisy’s Fighting Words
» The Celebreality Interview – Heather’s Fighting Words

Should Presidential Candidate Rudy Giuliani lose the primary in Florida today, chances are high that his “trophy” wife may drop out of the 2008 race to become First Lady of the White House of the United States of America tomorrow morning. Will she bow out, forcing our staffers to round up a bunch of fair use photos of “Judi on the campaign trail” to run with the announcement? Readers weigh in! (Latest FLA polling info from CNN)

VOTE AGAIN

FURTHER READING: TROPHY FIRST LADY DROPOUTS
» Elizabeth Kucinich, Trophy Wife of Dennis Kucinich, Bows Out Of First Lady Race
» Jeri Thompson, Trophy Wife of Fred Thompson, Bows Out Of First Lady Race

As previously noted (does 30 minutes ago really merit a “previously”? -ed) the LA Weekly lovingly “sound mapped” Tom Petty this week. The question must be asked: Whose map would we like to see next?

VOTE AGAIN

Add a choice if need be. Vote as often as you like. Also: Have a great weekend.