As previously mentioned, former Beatle George Harrison (1943-2001) was honored with a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame outside Capitol Records, shortly before noon today. George is now the second Beatle to receive an individual star following John Lennon. He succombed to cancer near the end of 2001 at Paul McCartney’s house, right here in Los Angeles. Surviving wife, Olivia, and son, Dhani, accepted today’s honorary award on behalf of George.

IN THIS GALLERY: Hollywood Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Leron Gubler, Olivia Harrison, Dhani Harrison, Eric Idle, Paul McCartney, Los Angeles City Councilman Tom LaBonge, Jeff Lynne, Tom Hanks, Nancy Shevell.

Still to come: Tom Petty, the unveiling of the actual star, the footwear of your other favorite Beatle, full-on Beatlemania returns to Capitol, extensive event write-up and much more. Stick around.

UPDATE, 4/15: Full writeup now online.

Full gallery below.

»continue reading Silversun Pickups, Glass House, April 12, 2009

PHOTO: Eric J Lawrence Pumas the Crowd, World Folktronic Jazz Lounge, KCRW RadioActive @ Park Plaza.
Photo by Salvador Farfan.

Saturday
11 April 2009
KCRW Presents RadioActive: A Spring Dance Party at the Legendary Park Plaza Hotel

(The) Park Plaza was built in 1925 by the Elks to be used as lodge number 99. The building, done in the Neo-Gothic style, was created by renowned art deco architect Claud Beelman… Eventually, the Elks sold the building, and the building ended up being transformed into a luxury hotel, set perfectly then on the shores of what was a very glamorous MacArthur Park. (source)

Excitement in the elevator. We’ve parked on the sixth floor in a garage off Carondolet. The time is 925pm. Elevator fills. “Everybody ready for Schnabel?” I try valiently to work the crowd into something other than a sort of anticipatory silence. “It’s all about the T. See you guys there. I’ll be there!” A few giggles and clever remarks are thrown about and suddenly we are inside the gates, here, now, for RadioActive, the dance party being thrown by KCRW this evening featuring damn near every DJ on the Santa Monica station’s roster. The event is long sold out. And hey – even Kogi’s here! (OG; not Roja.)

»continue reading KCRW’s RadioActive Dance Party, Park Plaza Hotel, April 11, 2009

As previously announced, Outside Lands will return to San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park for year two, August 28-30, 2009. Tickets to the festival will go on sale this Sunday at 10am; headliners include Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews Band and Beastie Boys. Stay tuned to our calendar for further ticket purchasing info. Full lineup after the jump.

» Outside Lands 2008 photos by Sung

»continue reading Outside Lands 2009 Lineup Announced

PICK OF THE WEEK

Coachella Valley
Music & Arts Festival
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
April 17, 18 & April 19
Empire Polo Club
Indio, CA
Info
 
 
 
 

COACHELLA BANDS AT THE GLASS HOUSE!
	TV On The Radio w/ Free Moral Agents Tuesday April 14 Glass House, Pomona Info [ENTER TO WIN]
	Conor Oberst and The Mystic Valley Band w/ Deep Sea Diver & Pierre De Reeder Wednesday April 15 Glass House, Pomona Info [ENTER TO WIN]
	The Black Keys w/ Thee Makeout Party Thursday April 16 Glass House, Pomona Info [ENTER TO WIN]
	The Presets w/ The Golden Filter & GMO Monday April 20 Glass House, Pomona Info [ENTER TO WIN]

Bloc Party
w/ Menomena
Wednesday April 15
Hollywood Palladium
Info
[ENTER TO WIN]
 
India.Arie
w/ Laura Izibor
Wednesday April 15
Club Nokia
Info
[ENTER TO WIN]
 

Depeche Mode @ Hollywood and Vine (outdoors–free) Thu 4/23
Poncho Sanchez @ The Mint (KPFK 50th Anniversary) Tue 4/28
Aretha Franklin @ Hollywood Bowl Fri 6/26
The Church w/ Adam Franklin @ The Roxy Thu 6/11
Xu Xu Fang @ Viper Room Fri 5/8
The Von Bondies @ Viper Room Mon 6/15
Flash Express @ The Echo Fri 5/1
Spectrum @ The Echo Fri 5/8
Her Space Holiday w/ City Lights @ The Echo Thu 5/7
Jens Lekman @ The Echo Wed 5/27
Jens Lekman @ The Echo Thu 5/28
1990’s @ The Echo Tue 6/16
Constantines w/ Crystal Antlers @ The Echo Sat 6/20
Nous Non Plus @ Spaceland Sat 5/9
El Vez @ Spaceland Sun 5/10
Scout Niblett w/ The Lovetones @ Spaceland Thu 5/14
New York Dolls @ Henry Fonda Thu 5/21
The Veronicas @ Henry Fonda Tue 6/23
Extra Golden, Fool’s Gold @ The Echo Wed 5/13
Lucero @ Troubadour Fri 5/15
Milk and Honey @ Bar Lubitsch Tue 4/28
Remembering Charles Mingus @ Barnsdall (Zócalo panel & wine reception–free–RSVP req’d) Tue 4/28
Joe Lally (of Fugazi) @ The Smell Fri 5/1
Mike Doughty @ Hotel Cafe Tue 5/5
Mike Doughty @ Largo Wed 5/6
Mike Doughty @ Brixton South Bay Sun 5/3
Propagandhi @ Echoplex Sun 5/31
Garaj Mahal @ The Mint Thu 5/28
Pronto + Nels Cline @ The Mint Sat 5/16
Winter Flowers @ The Redwood Sat 5/23
Mike Stinson & Dave Gleason @ The Redwood Tue 4/21
Lords of Altamont @ The Redwood Fri 5/8
Lucero @ Alex’s Bar Thu 5/14
Big Whup, The Studiofix, Pizza!, My Pet Saddle @ The Smell Fri 5/8
War Paint, Exitmusic, VoicesVoices, Alexandra Hope @ The Smell Wed 5/6
Mika Miko w/ The Soft Pack @ The Smell (Mika Miko LP release show) Sat 5/9
Judas Priest @ Gibson Amphitheatre Sun 8/2
Metallica @ Honda Center Thu 12/10
 

TUESDAY
Craig David @ The Mint
Eleni Mandell @ The GRAMMY Museum
Kimya Dawson @ Troubadour
Mad Professor @ House of Blues
Mike Stinson & Dave Gleason @ The Redwood
TV On The Radio @ Glass House

»continue reading Losanjealous Concert Picks: April 13 – 19

Full photo gallery below.

»continue reading The Republic Tigers, Wiltern Theater, April 10, 2009

RESTAURANT NAME
Pho Minh

CLAIM TO FAME
No-nonsense pho with fragrant cinnamon broth that might not even need the requisite lime, chili, sprout and mint additions (you’ll add all four just the same; you know it, I know it)

»continue reading Under $10: Pho Minh, South El Monte

April 9, 2008. 12.29pm. Inglewood, CA. It’s a cool spring day, and DF sits magisterially at a table in in the shadow of the Fabulous Forum (now home to Faithful Central Bible Church, in case you were wondering what happens to LA sports venues when the sports teams desert them). DF is surrounded by seventeen empty box lunches. Some of these other pansies are looking a little green around the gills, but not DF. The reason for the occasion is an assignment to which DF consented some few days ago. The proffer came through to spend a couple hours checking out a bitchen & souped-up 2010 Ford Mustang and go on a ride-along with a real, live Formula Drift racer. Other Losanjealous writers begged off, fearful of death and/or dismemberment. But DF laughs at death, and he snickers at dismemberment. Serious injury rates a dismissive chuckle, while maiming gets a hearty, full-throated guffaw. You feel me.

Wait, DF, it’s great that you’re doing something insanely unwise and dangerous but what the hell is “Formula Drift”? Sigh. Okay, noobs, here you go:

»continue reading Fast and Spurious: Formula Drifting with Vaughn Gittin Jr. @ The Forum, 4/9/2009

This is what happens when an aged giggling neo-con with a bushy-yet-waxed mustache keeps buying you and two Icelandic sisters free beer at the Farmer’s Market, then you all stagger over to Sheddy’s and run into your neighbors, then you drag the party to El Carmen on Third to see a “Los Angeles Tequila Bar™” and neo-con giggles, mumbling “I can’t believe they let me in, I’m wearing shorts!” on a Wednesday evening when all you meant to do was watch the Dodgers and shoot the breeze. This fucking plate is what happens. I bet you didn’t even know they served a dish like this at Carney’s, did you. Amateur.

SCENE
Int. CARNEY’S Sunset Strip

SOUNDTRACK
“Hot Freaks”, Guided by Voices

She told me, liquor
I am a new man

“What can I get for you?”

“I’ll have, uh, a Derailer. And a chili cheese fry for good measure. Small fry.”

Hot freaks!

One eyebrow cocks. “Deeeerailer!” comes the cry. A line cook flinches. The guy on drinks stifles a laugh.
»continue reading Under $10 And Incredibly Shameful: Carney’s Derailer

HEADS UP
Depeche Mode @ Hollywood Blvd Between Vine And Gower Thu Apr 23 (FREE)

Hat tip to Oscar over at Scenestar, where I read the news this morning. Get your tickets @ 1iota now…or don’t. Tickets are not required, but purportedly will get you closer to the stage at this free streetside show.

Next up, to quote Victor and cite another blog we read in one fell swoop of acknowledgment:

Can’t believe the city signed off on this. Clearly they did not learn anything from the depeche mode riots of 1990 – see:

http://franklinavenue.blogspot.com/2009/03/retro-friday-las-depeche-mode-debacle.html

The 1990 news clips on Mike’s blog above are priceless; do have a look. See you up on the boulevard April 23, and remember when filling that flask of yours: Everything counts in large amounts.

Beverly @ Stanley 4/8/09

Times are so tough even Sign Bandit is strapped for cash. Won’t you give a Wolverine’s Daughter comic book-owning, gigantic ass-loving Michael-Jackson-alike some dough today? He likes Marley, yo.

PREVIOUSLY IN CRIES FOR HELP AND ATTENTION
» That Goofball With The Hand-Lettered Melrose Signs Is At It Again
» For Sale on Melrose: Wolverine’s Daughter, 2 Books, Taco Bell, Thundercats, Movies, Money…My Heart

The above undulating party pavilion will debut at Coachella, April 17. Sung just pointed me to this amazing-looking thing; come buy me a drink inside it in nine days’ time. Won’t you? We can toast the designers to a Beirut soundtrack.

The design that the students produced should hold its own. With an undulating lattice that supports a array of light fixtures, it will be unveiled on the festival’s opening day next week, April 17. We’ll update with pictures of the installation as we get them. (src)

» Coachella Debuts Undulating Party Pavilion Designed by SCI-Arc Students (Fast Company)

HEADS UP
KXLU Fundrazor @ Regent Theatre Sat Apr 11

KXLU, our very own Loyola-Marymount-based bastion of independent radio, needs your help now more than ever. Times are tough, sure, but your donation means more than you realize. This Saturday you’ll get the chance to have an absolute blast downtown, all while donating $10 to the station.

We also have a free ticket to give out. Yes, just one ticket, since this is a FUNDRAZOR. Fourth person to email me right here wins this ticket, a $10 value which should make you feel only slightly guilty for waltzing into a fundraising event absolutely free of charge. At the very least, go find Matt Strasser, KXLU’s Music Director, and put a quarter in his pocket you lousy cheapskate. (Just kidding about the lousy part.) Event details follow.

KXLU FUNDRAZOR
HELP KEEP FREE-FORM RADIO ALIVE!

Saturday, April 11th, from 5:00 pm until 2:00 am
The Regent Theatre
448 S. Main St. downtown
$10

What to expect:

• Live sets by Rainbow Arabia, Foot Village, vOICESvOICES, The Happy Hollows, Kill Kill Kill, Devon Williams, Meho Plaza, Blank Blue and Combat!
• DJ sets by Jimmy Tamborello of Dntel, Professor Cantoloupe, Fred of Demolisten and Michael Stock of Part time Punks
• Artwork
• Raffles
• Food and merchandise sold by independent vendors
• Record swap and sale. Bring 5-10 records to swap (for your own benefit) and get 5 free raffle tickets!

All that and much more. Keep eyes tuned to KXLU.com for updates, and we’ll see you there.

So what did you do last Friday eve, dear benighted homies? Let me guess: it was another joyless attempt at something like merriment, with the ingesting of the lite beer and the watching of low-end entertainments. Well, that’s all well and good for you hoi polloi, but DF is—as all well know—a class act all the way, and he prefers pursuits of a more refined order come the week-end.

And what, you are doubtlessly tearing your hair out wondering, is the high-brow divertissement of choice for DF? Well, I’ll let you Joe Six-packs and Sally Housecoats in on the secret just this once, in the limited hope of bringing some modicum of culture to your beer-besotted, clock-punching, watching-reruns-of-Roseanne-without-a-shred-of-irony lives.

To wit, DF spent last Friday at the Los Angeles Natural History Museum (NB, ignoramuses: “history” is the study of the past, and a “museum” is a place where the past is stored upon being extensively taxidermied) for the NHM’s “First Fridays” series. The LA NHM’s FFs are a feast for the enlightened gourmand, a gut-busting smorgasbord of heady lectures, edifying tours of the collection, and live music-related fun-havery. Here are the facts, in all their intellectually sophistimacated glory.

»continue reading Getcha Freaky Friday On: First Fridays @ Natural History Museum, 4/3/2009

HEADS UP
Dengue Fever @ Echoplex Thu Apr 9

Dengue Fever, everybody’s favorite Los Angeles/Long Beach-based ’60s Cambodian Khmer pop group named after a debilitating disease, hits the Echoplex this Thursday night. On tap, a screening of the documentary Sleepwalking Through the Mekong and a live performance. (By this point you undoubtedly know the doc focuses on the band’s journey to, and performance in, Cambodia.)

Lucky you! We have some DVDs to give out at this time. First three people to email [redacted] with a full name and valid mailing address win the goods.(UPDATE: That was fast. Never underestimate the power of a tweet) Everybody else, see you in Echo Park Thursday, where you can presumably pick up your own non-free copy right after the movie shatters your preconceptions about international travel, and just before the band shatters your preconceptions about Cambodian Khmer pop as filtered through the Port of Los Angeles and shaken, then stirred, in steamy Echo Park, the world’s melting pot.

Top photo by SUNG

» Three Questions For Dengue Fever (Just how long is Zac’s beard?)
» Dengue Fever @ Knitting Factory, 8/14/07 (by Sung)
» Dengue Fever (myspace)

ABOVE: A plateful of Austin BBQ tangentially but not directly related to the massive list of bands below

Now that it’s mid-April I think we’re nearly done rolling out our SXSW ‘09 content. Just in time for Coachella. Huzzah! After the jump, a list of the bands I personally enjoyed in Austin this year, alpha by artist. (G’head click through, you know you’re curious.)

»continue reading The Big List of Bands Ryan Saw @ SXSW 2009