Heads up people. Former “Space Ace” guitarist and gifted graphic designer Paul “Ace” Frehley (Did you know? Frehley designed the KISS logo!) will play the Sunset Strip Music Festival, Saturday (Viper Room to be precise) and will be at the GRAMMY Museum downtown, come Monday (he’s got a new album coming out Tuesday). This is your big chance to see Ace, Freely:

On Sept. 14, 2009, The GRAMMY Museum will host legendary rock guitarist Ace Frehley as he discusses his new album, Anomaly (Bronx Born), the day before its release.

“As a Museum designed with the music fan in mind, we are thrilled to offer a chance to hear from one of rock’s most beloved guitarists in such an intimate way,” said Executive Director Robert Santelli, who will conduct the interview. “Since this is Ace Frehley’s first record in twenty years, we’re excited that he chose to share his music here first.”

»continue reading Last Minute Ticket Giveaway: Ace Frehley @ GRAMMY Museum (Q&A) (Monday)

One more quality festival to add to the ever-growing September pile:

Continuing a community-wide tradition, FilAm ARTS presents the 18th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (FPAC), on September 12-13, 2009 at Point Fermin in San Pedro. Widely known as Southern California’s largest and longest-running Filipino cultural celebration, FPAC will feature performances by a diverse line-up headlined by the premiere Filipino American comedian, Rex Navarrete; Geologic, of the rising hip hop group the Blue Scholars; MTV’s America’s Best Dance Crew Season 2 finalist, Supreme Soul; YouTube sensation, AJ Rafael; and pop vocalist Ashley Robles.

This year, FPAC introduces its first-ever Martial Arts Village, featuring IMB Academy, and South Bay Martial Arts Club to name a few. FPAC also includes the return of popular, annually-anticipated events and activities, such as the Balut Eating Contest, the annual vegetable competition, FPAC Tinikling Dance Battle, Pinoyvisions Films, the youth Ati-Atihan parade, arts and crafts by Pilipino Artists Network members, and of course Filipino and Asian cuisine and shopping at the Marketplace by the Sea.

Key takeaway: Balut Eating Contest. See you there.

» 18th Annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture (official site)

Twin stacks of oranges give scale to this frightening fruit display leaning diagonally against an exhibit hall wall. Dozens more of the number one juice fruit and marmalade main ingredient are wrapped in turquoise tissue surrounding a soaring bat, perched owl, and startling wicked witch with big hands. Her teeth look like apples, her perfectly placed nose mole, a lime. FAIR FAIR WARNING: if you gaze into her eyes too long you may be cast under her spell. LOOK AWAY NOW!

At least I think this is a tissue and fruit collage craft project extravaganza. What else could it be? Whatever it is it’s workin’ for me! Whoever had the good sense to take this slide just barely let us know that the sponsor of this scary display is Pomona Fruit Exchange. The sign is half cut off on the upper right. Considering the fact that, historically speaking, Pomona is the Roman Goddess of fruit; the wicked witch display is an odd choice of motif. But apparently the judges didn’t think so. A blue ribbon hangs on the witch’s left shoulder. Witchipoo is a winner!

Speaking of the Los Angeles County Fair: yes, its that time of year again, fair time. And if you really want an Americana experience of the HIGHEST order I suggest you attend. But attend with purpose because there is a TON to see.

»continue reading Charles Phoenix’s Slide of the Week: Witch of Fruit, LA County Fair, Pomona, CA, 1960

Review below.

»continue reading FYF Fest Presents: Save Our State Parks, Los Angeles State Historic Park, September 5, 2009

Fiestas Patrias California
Olvera Street Plaza, Downtown LA
10a-10p Saturday, Sept. 12
10a-9p Sunday, Sept. 13

September 12th is fast approaching. Are you stuck with no plans for Mexican Independence Day? Are you worried that once again all your friends will be celebrating with their cooler compadres and you’ll be crying into your flan alone… again? Fear not, friends, because you can be at the social gathering of the season and celebrate Mexican Independence Day with Los Angeles at the Fiestas Patrias California festival! This September 12-13th, come enjoy musical performances, food, rides, and family-friendly activities. Best of all: it’s free!

» Fiestas Patrias California (official site)

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

UPCOMING AT THE SANTA MONICA PIER

Centennial Celebration: September 9, 2009

Movies On The Pier: Fridays, September 11 – October 2

Taste of Santa Monica: September 13, 2009

Day of Peace: September 20, 2009

Summer ‘09:

One song clearly transcended the pack. No matter where you were or what you were doing, chances are very high you heard this song sooner or later. It gobbled up radio time. Television time. Ended up on the decks at the clubs and the poolside Bar-B-Qs. Piped its way into the dressing rooms at Ross Dress For Less, helped you choose wine while shopping at Vons and was used liberally for car speaker testing material down the way at Best Buy. Filled your head. Got you moving. You literally could not escape it. Mayhap you hate it now, or pretend to, but the fact remains that it’s very likely that you loved this song at one point. Prior reader guesses have all been taken with some merit, sure, but the Song of the Summer, 2009 (SOSD ‘09) has not yet been mentioned by name. Said song contains but eight letters:

» Ask Losanjealous: What’s the Song of the Summer, 2009?

PICK OF THE WEEK

Cass McCombs
w/ Girls
Thurs 9/10
Bootleg Theater
Info
 
 

Natalie Cole
w/ Hollywood Bowl Orchestra
Wed 9/9
Hollywood Bowl
Info | [ENTER TO WIN]
 

Camper Van Beethoven
& Cracker
Thurs 9/10
El Rey Theatre
Info | [ENTER TO WIN]

Flogging Molly
w/ Hepcat
Sat 9/12
Greek Theater
Info | [ENTER TO WIN]
 

The Dan Band
from Old School and The Hangover
Sat 9/12
Club Nokia
Info | [ENTER TO WIN]

 
Calvin Harris
DJ set
w/ Them Jeans & Paparazzi
Sat 9/12
Vanguard Hollywood
Info | [ENTER TO WIN]

Old School Jams w/ Lisa Lisa, Ready for the World, Klymaxx, Soul Sonic Force, Kurtis Blow, Peanut Butter Wolf, Egyptian Lover & more
Sun 9/13 | Greek Theater
Info | [ENTER TO WIN]

Manimal Festival – Day One @ Pappy & Harriet’s (High Desert) (Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros, Hecuba, Rainbow Arabia, We Are The World, Fool’s Gold, Alexandra Hope, Corridor) Sat 10/3
Manimal Festival – Day Two @ Pappy & Harriet’s (High Desert) (Chairlift, Warpaint, Polyamorous Affair, Rio En Medio, VoicesVoices, Other Lives) Sun 10/4
School of Seven Bells w/ Warpaint @ Troubadour Mon 10/5
Kaskade @ The Palladium Fri 10/16
Snow Patrol @ The Wiltern Mon 10/19
Kurt Vile and The Violators @ Spaceland Fri 10/23
Peaches w/ Men @ Glass House Mon 10/26
Pelican @ Troubadour Wed 10/28
Glassjaw @ Mayan Theatre Wed 11/11
Glassjaw @ Glass House Thu 11/12
Fu Manchu @ Troubadour Wed 11/11
Girl In A Coma @ Troubadour Sun 11/1
White Rabbits @ El Rey Mon 11/2
The Hidden Cameras w/ Gentleman Reg @ Spaceland (Club NME) Wed 11/18
Gil Manteras Party Dream w/ Abe Vigoda, Lovvers, An Albatross & Le Face @ Spaceland Sat 11/14
Headlights w/ Anni Rossi, Pomegranates @ Spaceland Fri 11/13
 

TUESDAY
AC/DC @ Honda Center
The 88 @ Spaceland

»continue reading Losanjealous Concert Picks: September 7 – 13

Prelude. How was your summer, dear readership? What’s that you say? It was good, with the sunny days and the outdoor recreation and the grill-cookouts and the friendly friends? Well, that’s great. I’m happy for you. Oh, and how was DF’s summer, you want to know? Why, how very kind of you to ask. Let’s see, how do I put this? How about en Francais: it blew le chunks. And to translate from the French for you goddamned philistines, that’s how the frogs say that DF’s summer was as about as enjoyable as eating an enormous, hairy elephant-ass sandwich with an XL plate of steaming kittykat feces on the side, all washed down with a 64oz tankard of yeti snot.

Ahem. To explain for those of you who have been living under a rock and/or failing to read regular DF-related updates on the justifiably popular blog “All DF All the Time”, DF (due, predictably, to a perilous combination of inebriation, clumsiness, and pure unadulterated idiocy) experienced a truly spectacular dual fracture of his left tibia and fibula back in mid-June and spent the rest of the summer largely horizontal and in various stages of massive discomfort and/or Vicodin-induced haze.

So it’s been a shut-in couple of months for DF, but his recovery is well under way and at long last it’s time for him to make his crutch-tastic debut, complete with comically pronounced limp. And what better place to re-introduce the world to the new, hobbled DF than the Doll Factory, where the Fight Crew will try to break their loooong regular season losing skid against the Varsity Brawlers, who are looking to win for the first time in their (admittedly short) history? In other words, derby people, it’s time to bring out the gimp!

»continue reading Bring Out the Gimp: Fight Crew v. Varsity Brawlers, 8/29/2009 @ the Doll Factory

Every now and again people turn to us for advice:

dear losanjealous,

i am writing to ask your help in identifying the song of the summer, 2009.

do we give it to “she wolf”?

i feel like throwing in the towel.

thanks in advance,
eric

Lupine-themed songs and performers peaked mid-February 2007, Eric. Return to the site next Tuesday (that’s your Labor Day Week Monday) for your answer. Meantime: readers, feel free to postulate and throw your own submissions into the comment section (but please, don’t make me flesh out a voting poll).