EDIT: I was in a rush to put this up before I left for work, so neglected to mention that one of the people responsible for (and featured in) the video above is a friend of mine. I also neglected to quote his response to the feedback that he's gotten about this: Who says the Religious Right are the only folks who get to cherry-pick the Bible?
This, folks, is why I love my friends.
I came across this clip from So You Think You Can Dance on a friend's blog this morning. He'd titled the post "Ouch" so I was expecting some sort of epic injury-inducing collision.
As is turns out this is an entirely different, though perhaps even more painful, type of "ouch:"
I totally have a new favorite local band, and its name is Bob Knows Best. From the website:
The band’s original songs have earned them comparisons to Weird Al Yankovic, They Might Be Giants, Barenaked Ladies, Tenacious D, and Flight of the Conchords. . . The Mission of Bob Knows Best, or BKB for short, is to expose the band's listeners to a selection of songs to quench their diverse musical thirst and put a smile on their faces at the same time. BKB can take you to the funk of the 70’s, the vaudevillian sounds of 1910, the country flavor of yesteryear and then back to the rock sounds of today.
Shy Guy and I went to see them on Friday night and we had an absolute blast. Not only are the band members extremely talented musicians, but the songs are catchy and funny as hell they put on a great show. I highly suggest that you click on over to their MySpace page and listen to a few tracks; you'll be glad you did.
I know I'm late to the party here, but this is some of the funniest shit I've seen in quite some time:
Many thanks to The Fireman for sending me this little gem and brightening up what was otherwise an awful day.
Dear KROQ,
Are you trying to prevent people from buying tickets to this year's Acoustic Christmas? That's the only possible explanation I can think of for the convoluted way in which you've handled the event.
First, there was the overblown buildup to the announcements of each night's line-up. Normally I would have been out right there, but the line-ups were so good that I begrudginly agreed to stand by for purchase information.
Next came the ruling that tickets would only be available to KROQ Street Team members. I seriously resent being forced to sign up for your marketing vehicle in order to spend my money on your event, but fine - I gritted my teeth and signed up to get spammed.
Then there was the interminable waiting for ticket information. Acoustic Christmas is this weekend, but on-sale information wasn't sent out until about twenty minutes ago. KROQ used to be above that type of false, unnecessary hype but not anymore, it seems.
At last, the ticket information. Great! Except for three little things:
1) The tickets go on sale at 5pm and 6pm tomorrow. When most adults are, you know, WORKING or driving home from working. Hardly a good time to be in front of a computer. But I guess it's ok since the server will no doubt get overloaded within 10 minutes and lock most people out anyway.
2) Then there's this little gem: Sales to this event will be restricted to residents of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties. Residency will be based on credit card billing address. Orders by residents outside Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura Counties will be canceled without notice and refunds given. What? Why?
3) And finally: $187.00 a pair? Seriously?
So... I jumped through all of your freaking hoops only to be told that tickets will be outside my budget and go on sale at a time that I can't possibly hope to be in front of a computer to make my purchase (even if I could afford it). Awesome.
KROQ, WTF are you thinking?
No love,
Me
P.S. I'd also like to add an extra-special "Fuck you" to Ticketmaster for charging people $2.50 MORE for printing their tickets at home. Because somehow using my printer, and my ink, costs Ticketmaster more money? Right.
Words cannot describe how much I love this photo and its caption.
(Thanks, Jason!)
This morning I left my house feeling chipper and fabulous. The sun was shining, my outfit was cute, I'd finally installed an adapter to allow me to listen to my iPod in my car, and I had free bagels to look forward to at work. Life was pretty darn good.
I pulled into the gas station to fill up my tank and, when I hopped out of my car, I was pleased to notice that I'd managed to line my gas cap up almost perfectly with the pump (I usually undershoot it a bit). I grabbed my wallet out of my purse, turned to pay, and promptly smacked myself in the back of the head with my door as I swung it closed. The impact was so startling that tears sprang to my eyes and for a split second I had no idea what had happened.
Then the (cute) guy at the pump across from me burst into laughter. Thanks, jerk.
Ahem.
In other news, it occurred to me this morning that I have been dreadfully remiss in not pimping Sound & Fury's current show, Cyranose! Your last two chances to see it are tomorrow and Saturday so get thee to Club Fais Do-Do! Personally, I'll be there Saturday!
Dear MTV,
You fought a hard battle to resuscitate the VMAs. Really, you did. After watching your ratings tank for the last couple of years, you decided to put all your chips in on one last hand with a new location, new format, and new categories. A valiant effort.
However, I think it's safe to say that you lost that hand; it's time to back away from the table and head back to your hotel suite to sleep it off. Maybe when you wake up, it will all have been a bad dream.
Your first mistake was signing Britney up to open the show. Not only has she not had an album out since 2004, she's a complete trainwreck. Unsurprisingly, she wandered through her choreography and mumbled through her lip-sync, looking slightly confused and lost in the bright lights the whole time. She was painful to watch, but it was moderately entertaining to watch the audience members try to keep a straight face when the cameras panned across them.
Your second mistake was Sarah Silverman. As has been proven countless times before, she is not funny when she's put in any kind of hosting situation. Scripted comedy? FIne. Stand up? Fine? But she is not good at hosting and you people need to stop making her try. Plus, did she really need to do so many Britney jokes? The audience was already squirming from Britney's performance, the tired old jokes about her cooch and her kids were totally unnecessary.
Your third mistake was the new categories. "Monster SIngle of the Year" essentially translates to "Most Overplayed Song of the Year" and "Quadruple Threat of the Year" is just... stupid. Stop it. Just stop it.
There were some mistakes on the technical side too. Please fire whoever designed the seating arrangement. It should never take a winner more than 45 seconds to get to the stage; watching Beyonce squeeze her way between tables didn't exactly make for compelling television. If you insist on having the tables that close together so they can be danced on later, at least have the good sense to put the nominees at the front and on the outside edges so they have some hope of getting on the stage to accept their awards in a reasonable amount of time.
Also, please fire your Graphics department. The robotic nomination packages got old really, really fast.
All that being said, there were some highlights. Chris Brown gave an absolutely phenomenal performance (which should have opened the show) and Justin totally gets a round of applause for asking (twice!) that you "play more damn videos." The suite parties were way more entertaining than the main show and hey, at least now we know the title of the next Indiana Jones movie. But a handful of highlights does not a good show make.
I realize that I'm dating myself with this question, but do you remember when the Video Music Awards were about, I don't know... music? And videos?
Yeah, neither do I.
Perhaps next year you'd like to refresh everyone's memory?
No Love,
Me
Life is Beautiful
Sixx:A.M.
You can’t quit until you try
You can’t live until you die
You can’t learn to tell the truth
Until you learn to lie
You can’t breathe until you choke
You gotta laugh when you’re the joke
There’s nothing like a funeral to make you feel alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?
I know some things that you don’t
I’ve done things that you won’t
There’s nothing like a trailer park to find your way back home
I was waiting for my hearse
What came next was so much worse
It took a funeral to make me feel alive
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?
Just open your eyes
Just open your eyes
And see that life is beautiful.
Will you swear on your life,
That no one will cry at my funeral?
As I was driving home tonight, enjoying my favorite guilty pleasure*, I heard the following dedication:
Girl: Hi, this is Jessica and I want to make a dedication?
Karen: Yes Jessica, what can we play for you?
Girl: Um, I Will Always Love You?
Karen: And who do you want to dedicate that to tonight?
Girl: To Justin. I just want to tell him that I love him and that I'll never leave him.
Karen: Ah, are you two having some problems?
Girl: No, I just want to tell him that because I love him and we have an amazing relationship.
Karen: ... OK Jessica, I'll be happy to play that for you. Justin? This one's going out just to you. It's I Will Always Love You by Whitney Houston here on "Love Songs on the KOST."Please
Gee, Jessica, which part of the song do you think will show Justin your unwillingness to leave his side? The part that says So I'll go, but I know I'll think of you every step of the way? Or the part that says So good-bye. Please, don't cry. We both know I'm not what you, you need?
People, please. THINK before you make a song dedication, will you? Listen to ALL the lyrics, not just the freaking chorus.
Sheesh.
-----
*I know, I know - Karen Sharp is more annoying than Paris Hilton. But the romantic in me likes the fact that there's an entire radio show dedicated to telling others how much they're loved, or treasured, or missed. It restores some measure of my faith in humanity.
The L.A. Times did an article on Joy Nash this morning. When she posted on her blog that she was going to be interviewed, I admit that I was skeptical - the L.A. Times is not known for its balanced reporting, especially on anything entertainment, image, or style related.
This article, however, is FABULOUS.
I love that it's The Mirror story, the daily style item.
I love that the writer understands Joy's project isn't about reforming America, but about reforming "fat people's attitude toward themselves."
I love that the article is entirely positive; there's not one snide comment in the mix.
Still don't know what all the fuss is about? Go here to watch A Fat Rant.
A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
enough money within her control to move out and rent a place of her own even if she never wants to or needs to...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
something perfect to wear if the employer or date of her dreams wants to see her in an hour...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...
a youth she's content to leave behind....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a past juicy enough that she's looking forward to retelling it in her old age....A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE .....
a set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
one friend who always makes her laugh...
and one who lets her cry...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a good piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in her family...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
eight matching plates, wine glasses with stems, and a recipe for a meal that will make her guests feel honored...A WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ....
a feeling of control over her destiny...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to fall in love without losing herself...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to quit a job,
break up with a lover,
and confront a friend without ruining the friendship...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
when to try harder...
and when to walk away...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that she can't change the length of her calves, the width of her hips, or the nature of her parents..EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
that her childhood may not have been perfect...
but it's over...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she would and wouldn't do for love or more...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
how to live alone...
even if she doesn't like it...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
whom she can trust, whom she can't, and why she shouldn't take it personally...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
where to go...
be it to her best friend's kitchen table...
or a charming inn in the woods...
when her soul needs soothing...EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...
what she can and can't accomplish in a day...
a month...and a year...
Oh yes friends, it's that time of the month again, time for BootieLA, and this month we're rockin' the super special Cinquo de Mayo edition!
Be there, or be square!
Remember, if logic were all there really was to the world, then surely all men would ride sidesaddle.-Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Women Who Run With The Wolves
The Mighty Jimbo is for sale, and he's cheap! From his website:
My Flickr page has been pretty damn busy lately. And, I might add, pretty damn good too.
Modesty - never my strength.
Sure, I used to entertain the masses with drama and debauchery from OC and beyond. Now I just take cute pics of kids and dogs and sunsets and stuff.
But they are GOOD cute pics of kids and dogs and sunsets and stuff.
Want some cute pics of your kids or dogs or sunsets and stuff? You can either buy mine (Cheap, I say, CHEAP!) or hire me to take some for you. Really, I just want the experience, so for a few bucks and maybe some good beer, I'll point the lens in your general direction.
A man has to support his debauchery somehow. Plus, he has the cutest dog on the planet and you wouldn't want that dog to go without biscuits, would you? Of course not.
Oh, and the photos? Gorgeous.
Go. Look. Buy photos. I bought three!
(A special note to SoCal folks who are planning weddings: he does those, too.)
via Quirkee's interview with PostSecret's Frank Warren.
|
Last night, I was lucky enough to score a ticket to see Edward Scissorhands at the Ahmanson Theater. It's good to have friends on tour!
Choreographed by Matthew Bourne (best known in the US for his all-male interpretation of Swan Lake), Edward Scissorhands isn't the movie brought to stage but rather a wonderful re-imagining of Burton's gentle hero. The children and teenagers in the crowd are always a good indication of a show's success; it was wonderful to hear so many gasps, silences, and squeals of glee as the story unfolded. |
I confess, even I wanted to squeal when the topiaries came to life and danced around Edward's garden.
There are many "Oooh" moments, but dance aficionados will watch Edward & Kim's final Pas de Deux with rapt attention - just the mechanics of choreographing it are stunning.
After spending so much of my life in the theater it's often difficult for me to lose myself in shows, but I was perfectly at ease in Bourne's world. Edward Scissorhands seemed to me the perfect combination of fantastical entertainment and heart-achingly poignant story telling.
TV star? Check. Asshole paparazzi? Check. Random run-in with well known actor friend? Check. Just another Tuesday night in the tiny village that is Los Angeles.
In a fit of grown-up recklessness Teece, Tag and I decided to go see The Prestige last night. A movie? On a week night? Try to contain your shock.
Since Teece was stuck at work dealing with a last minute clusterfuck project, I volunteered to fetch Tag so she could finish up and go straight to the Arclight. Tag had never before experienced the Best* Movie Theater Ever, so we killed some time exploring all that the Arclight has to offer. We contemplated crashing the private party that had taken over the upstairs bar, but ultimately decided that Teece might be a smidge cranky if we abandoned her in favor of free booze. Loyal to a fault, we are.
Having successfully resisted the siren call of easily accessible and cost-free beverages, we wandered back to the lobby and promptly ran into a former co-worker of mine who was also seeing The Prestige. When she admonished us to "hurry up" as she headed for the theater, Tag and I realized that the movie was slated to start shortly and there was still no sign of Teece.
Uh oh.
A quick call confirmed that she was just on her way out of her office. In North Hollywood. Crap. So, we agreed to leave her ticket at the Guest Services counter and pray for speedy traffic (at the end of rush hour on a Tuesday) and Tag & I headed into the theater to find our seats... directly in front of Former Co-worker and two rows in front of Eric McCormack. Apparently, he's good friends with the people sitting a few seats down from us.
Welcome to Los Angeles, Tag.
After managing to perform the nigh impossible task of getting from her desk in North Hollywood to the Arclight in under twenty minutes, Teece slid into her seat just as the lights were dimming during the final preview. Mental note: buy that girl a drink. We breathed a collective sigh of relief and settled in to watch what turned out to be a fantastic movie.
Dark. Twisted. Gorgeously designed & shot. The Prestige is Christopher Nolan & Christian Bale at their finest; I can't wait to see it again.
By the time the movie was over, the private event at the Arclight was in full swing and the lobby was swarmed with a mish mosh of chatting celebrities, mildly annoyed locals, and wide-eyed tourists. I remember thinking to myself that it was odd the paparazzi wasn't swarming the courtyard with so many picture-worthy faces inside.
Ten minutes later as I was about to start backing out of my parking spot, an enormous black pick-up truck screeched up behind me and the driver leaped out, camera in hand. He didn't even bother to turn off his headlights or close his door, simply flew down the stairs and started snapping pictures of whoever was trying to come up them, five other photogs hot on his heels.
I briefly considered getting out of my car and dragging the asshole paparazzo back up the stairs to move his truck. Then I considered "accidentally" ripping off his driver's side door as I backed out of my parking spot. Instead (in a decision that required GREAT maturity on my part), I finagled my car out of its spot with a textbook 46-point turn and drove down to report the guy to the manager of the parking structure.
Then I headed home, and promptly saw a well-known actor friend of mine walking down Cahuenga Blvd with his brother and sister-in-law. I flagged them down and pulled over to chat for a minute. Our conversation was cut short, however, by a photographer who spotted Actor Friend and dodged across four lanes of traffic to try to snap a picture of him leaning into my car (Scandalous!). Actor Friend grimaced and told me he'd call me later before grabbing the other two and diving into a nearby club. Have I mentioned how much I loathe the paparazzi? I took great pleasure in watching the bouncer convince the photog that following Actor Friend into the club would not be in his best interest.
Yep, just another Tuesday night in Los Angeles.
-------
There has been some debate on the award of the title "best" to the Arclight; some maintan that Austin's Alamo Drafthouse is, in fact, the best movie theater. Though I am intrigued by tales of the Drafthouse's themed events and Mystery Sinus Theater, I'm sticking with my hometown favorite for now.
Sen. Rick Santorum (R-PA) explains the Iraq war by citing Lord of the Rings:
As the hobbits are going up Mount Doom, the Eye of Mordor is being drawn somewhere else. It’s being drawn to Iraq and it’s not being drawn to the U.S. You know what? I want to keep it on Iraq. I don’t want the Eye to come back here to the United States.
Happiness is a Warm Gun would like to rebut the Senator's assessment:
okay, no. it's like this: the shire was attacked on 9/11 by sauron. the drunken redneck leader of the hobbits decides to blow up middle earth, randomly. the eye of mordor is drawn to the hobbits, killing EVEN MORE people uselessly. the people of middle earth and the hobbits start to realize that this doesn't make sense, but by this time the eye has created total chaos everywhere it has followed us, so the only course of action is to leave middle earth the way it is and to GO AFTER THE ORIGINAL PEOPLE WHO CAUSED THIS SHIT. but the media in middle earth and its government are too focused on keeping frodo and sam from getting married to actually do anything useful.
(quote via metaquotes)
This bumper sticker has never seemed more appropriate.
I downloaded John Mayer's new album, Continuum, from iTunes this weekend and I am in awe; I've had it on repeat for two days. John Mayer has said of this project "CONTINUUM is not a shot in the dark, it's not a guesstimation. This is the first endeavor in my entire life, music or otherwise, that I did not cop out for a second on." His focus & devotion shows in every track.
This album is intelligent, complex, and soulful without being overbearing. There is no unecessary noise here; as in many visual art forms, the "negative space" in these songs is just as important as the positive. The lyrics, too, are direct and uncluttered - a straight shot to both the heart and the mind.
is there anyone who ever remembers
changing their mind from the paint on a sign?
is there anyone who really recalls
ever breaking rank at all
for something someone yelled real loud one time?
oh, everyone believes
in how they think it oughta be
oh, everyone believes
and they're not going easily
belief is a beautiful armor
and makes for the heaviest sword
like punching underwater
you never can hit who you're trying for
some need the exhibition
and some have to know they tried
it's the chemical weapon
for the war that's raging on inside
oh, everyone believes
from emptiness to everything
oh, everyone believes
and no one's going quietly-John Mayer, Belief
Continuum is undoubtedly Mayer's finest work to date. I'm loking forward to watching, and listening, as his music continues to evolve.
Dear Cathy Gould,
I know you are outraged that Madrid's Fashion Week has banned unhealthfully-thin models, but I call foul on your accusation that these measures will harm the careers of "naturally gazelle-like" models.
No such species exists "naturally." Do you see the model pictured in the article linked above? She has no breasts, no ass, and her collarbone, sternum, ribcage, and humerus are all clearly visible. That's not natural.
Allright, maybe three or four women on earth maintain such a slender physique due to genetics, but the rest maintain it through a variety (or combination) of absuses: drugs, eating disorders, extreme exercise. That's not natural either.
This is not about discrimination; this is about the fashion industry taking some measure of responsibility for the "ideal" that it presents to the world. You cannot parade these women around as the absolute pinnacle of fashion & grace and then act surprised when millions of young women and girls destroy their health emulating them. Is it entirely the fault of the fashion industry? Of course not, but that does not mean that your industry is blameless.
This is also not about censoring the designers' creativity. If clothing designers are so concerned that the artistry of their design will be ruined by human curves, I respectfully suggest that they change careers. Perhaps a perfectly smooth, flat, canvas would be less offensive.
Or, they could always send their creations down the runway on an army of mechanized mannequins - all of the personality with none of those pesky human flaws!
The fact is that runway models are now so far removed from the "average" woman as to be ridiculous. No one is suggesting that designers start creating clothes for 5'7" size 14s (though I'd love to see that) and sending them down the runway; this is simply a move towards projecting a more healthful image of women. If we're going to objectify, why would we pick a sickly-looking target?
Madrid is not alone; the Mayor of Milan has already said that she will campaign for a similar ban at Milan's Fashion Week. It won't be long before this new, more healthful version of the runway model spreads throughout the industry.
Your only course of action is to grit your teeth, suck it, up, and order a few sandwiches for your models.
Best,
Amandarin
The downside of working in my industry during Awards Season (the roughly six month span between when the Emmy nominees are announced and when the Oscar statuettes are awarded) is that almost all of my waking hours are sucked up by work.
The upside is that, thanks to the insane number of overtime hours, I can earn a week's salary in the space of a day and a half. I will clock about 70 hours by the end of this week, but I'll be paid for almost 100.
Too bad I won't have time to spend any of that money until March...
After yesterday's big nasty meeting, the Gunslinger and I needed to keep ourselves from killing anyone unwind, so we decided to head to the Arclight to see The Illusionist.
What an incredible film... dark and lush and mesmerizing. And who knew that Jessica Biel can act? I think the Village Voice says it best:
Beautifully acted and handsomely mounted, this gorgeous period piece is an intelligent and intriguing exploration of "the dark arts" -- less dependent on mere hocus-pocus than on the convincing journey of the soul undertaken by its hero.
Have seen it once, I'm now eager to see it again so that I can better appreciate the nuances in the script and directing.
(And, you know, so I can ogle Edward Norton some more.)
In other news... if you're free this evening, you must take yourself to Bar Keeper in Silverlake for the opening of Teale Hatheway's new show - this series of paintings focuses entirely on Los Angeles bar architechture. Don't worry if you can't get there tonight, though; her paintings will be on display until October 15th!
Superheroes fill a gap in the pop culture psyche, similar to the role of Greek mythology. There isn't really anything else that does the job in modern terms. For me, Batman is the one that can most clearly be taken seriously. He's not from another planet, or filled with radioactive gunk. I mean, Superman is essentially a god, but Batman is more like Hercules: he's a human being, very flawed, and bridges the divide. -Christopher Nolan
Is it 2008 yet?
Heath Ledger to play Joker in The Dark Knight.
Two of my favorite actors in one film from my favorite superhero franchise? Woohoo!
Again, Christopher Nolan says it best:
Our challenge in casting the Joker was to find an actor who is not just extraordinarily talented but fearless. Watching Heath Ledger's interpretation of this iconic character taking on Christian Bale's Batman is going to be incredible.
Can'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'twaitcan'tWAIT!
It was so vitally important that you have this realization, all the voices in your head got together and had an intervention. We put up a nice big writer's block so you'd realize that everything is actually okay. Also, you need to stop playing with the nifty toys at Typepad and just start writing again. It's fine to write your geek news stories -- which, I can tell you as a critic, are actually pretty entertaining -- and it's fine to play and write about poker. But that is not your purpose, so budget your time and energy appropriately, and get back to telling stories.If only my Inner Critic was so helpful! Unfortunately, she seems more intent on singing annoying song lyrics in my head at the top of her lungs to drown out the dulcet tones of my Muse.
It's 1:30pm and I'm staring down the barrel of a 4-day weekend... clearly, my brain is already on vacation.
Therefore, rather than any sort of serious post, I'd like to offer up a little funny for your Friday: excerpts from Disorder in Court, "a collection of verbatim exchanges from the halls of justice, where defendants and plaintiffs, lawyers and witnesses, juries and judges, collide to produce memorably insane comedy."
So, where are YOU going to be tomorrow night?
There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened. -Douglas Adams
If human beings don't keep exercising their lips, he thought, their mouths probably seize up. After a few months' consideration and observation he abandonded this theory in favor of a new one. If they don't keep on exercising their lips, he thought, their brains start working. - Douglas Adams
Happy Towel Day Everyone!
The following video might be the funniest thing ever to be posted on YouTube and Judson Laipply just might be my new hero:
Thanks Adri for the link!
Consider this your official reminder:
Tonight is Free Rum Friday at Ivar - come rock out with Out From Underneath and drink all the free Bacardi you can hold until 11pm.
Can you think of a better way to celebrate the end of your work week than by sucking down free booze while watching an amazing band perform?
I don't think so.
See you there!
Looking for something to do Friday night? Want to rock out to killer music while drinking your weight in FREE Bacardi?
Then do I have news for you...
Out From Underneath will be performing This Friday, April 7 at Jen Laskey's Body Rock at The Ivar!
Doors open at 9:30pm and OUT FROM UNDERNEATH takes the stage at 10pm. BodyRock, a Redlight Promotions event, features new artists and will include a set by DJ Adrian, of Bootie fame, and a midnight hip-hop dance show. There will be an OPEN BACARDI BAR until 11pm. The Ivar is located at 6356 Hollywood Blvd (enter on Ivar) in Hollywood and cover is $15 if you mention the band's name at the door.
Come for the awesome music and free rum, stay for the party! (Or, if you've had a long week, be on your way home by 11:15pm!)
These guys are amazing musicians and great friends; it would mean a lot to me to see them play to a packed house. Come on out, and bring your friends!
Email me if you have questions or need more info.
Hear sound clips at OutFromUnderneath.com or on their MySpace page.
Full press release behind the cut:
I have newfound respect for Pink.
I was listening to her interview on the Today Show this morning (since the migraine that kept me home from work was already more awful than any I'd had before, I figured I might as well try to catch up on the news while I was lying around praying for death) and I was impressed with her eloquence and grace. She refused to agree that her song "Stupid Girls" targets specific starlets, but rather said that she was "using highly publicized examples to illustrate a general concept." Nothing but class in that answer. Then, when Matt Lauer asked her what she thinks about the fact that so many people label her as and "angry" or "bitter" pop star, her response (essentially) was that by calling her "angry & bitter" rather than "assertive or opinionated," people can dismiss her message rather than think about it.
And then she performed "Stupid Girls." Right on.
Of course, I had to enjoy the juxtaposition of Pink's performance with a segment on "liposculpture" wherein a 28 year old woman raved about what a good idea it was to spend 15K just so she could have better defined abs. I can only hope that it was intentional, that somewhere a Today Show staffer was chuckling at his own sense of irony.
One of the last things that a Stage Manager does at the end of the day is send out the show report... a document which details the peculiarities of the day's performance. It's often very difficult to tactfully explain some of the things that happen onstage and I miss the laughs that show reports usually provide.
Now there's an entire website devoted to the highlights of theatrical show reports. My favorite entry?
Show: Xena Live: Episode II, Xena Lives!!! The Musical! (About Face Theatre, Chicago)My heart cries for the poor guy even as I laugh hysterically at the mental image.
Notes: 1 hour prior to opening night curtain, an urgent call is received from the stage manager’s boyfriend informing the producer that the stage manager is too ill to call the show. Ms. Shmucker (yes, that’s her real name, she’s the producer) was already drunk at that time and had never seen the entire show, nor had she ever heard it called before. Just when everything was going to fall apart, the sound engineer tripped on an electric cable and erased the entire contents of the digitizer, which had not been backed up due to last minute changes. I, the 18 y.o. ASM was left with the task of preparing the show and the cast. 3800 cues later Xena saved the evening. Every cue was wrong. No need to keep track..
Slight change.
TOMORROW.
8pm.
The best part about this show (besides the awesome music)? It's FREE!
Be there.
So, what's a girl to do after four awesome but exhausting days at her new job?
Go out and party like a with rockstars, of course!
Sickboy called me as I was driving home from work and reminded me that Out From Underneath, new friends of ours and my new favorite band, had a gig tonight. Never one to turn down the possibility of good music in the company of good friends, I raced home to change my clothes and get to their show. The short notice meant that I was very late, but it was so worth it.
This. Band. Kicks. Ass.
My big pet-peeve with the alt-rock scene at the moment is that it's saturated with homogenous, uninspired bands who are more concerned with their faux-hawks and sunglasses than they are with making music. The result? A deluge of self indulgent bands all screaming inconsequential lyrics against the same three power chords and percussive noise.
Not so with Out From Underneath.
There's something inherently real about these guys, an honesty and heart to their music that I attribute to OFU coming up through the Seattle music scene rather than the L.A. one - the songs just hit you. Out From Underneath reminds me a bit of Incubus... even though they rock (hard), their songs are actually melodic. Their music is tight and intricate with no gratuitous kick-banging or guitar-screeching. Their lyrics are interesting and well written. And the vocals, though raw and dynamic, are also distinctively lyrical.
Simply put: OFU is the real deal, and they rock. Even the jaded waitresses and bartenders were rocking their heads when the band was performing last night... that almost never happens.
OFU is playing at Dragonfly on Tuesday night (Feb 28) and if you're in the Los Angeles area you MUST come. I know it's a Tuesday night, but they're playing early (8pm) so there will still be plenty of time to go home and get your beauty rest before work the next morning.
Be there or be square!
I entered a couple of haikus in Breakup Girl's Valentine's Day Haiku Contest and one of them is up for review right now!
You should go rate it so that I can move on to the next round and get a chance to win fame and fortune lots of cool schwag.
One of Hilary's is up, too, so you should rate hers also!
When I love a movie, an anticipatory, anxious feeling wells up in my chest within the first ten or fifteen minutes. It's the same feeling I used to have as a child when I laid awake in bed on Christmas Eve; I want the movie to hurry up and unfold so that I can enjoy it and go back for seconds. (In rare cases, I have been known to turn around and see a movie again just moments after seeing it for the first time.) I don't get that feeling very often and I've enjoyed plenty of movies without ever having had it, but the films that do move me that way always stand out in my memory.
Last night, I treated myself to a double feature of Walk the Line and Brokeback Mountain at the Arclight (best movie theater ever). Both of them sent those flutters and frissons of excitement shooting through me.
I've been a fan of Johnny Cash ever since my father introduced me to his music when I was little... I can still picture my Dad putting At Folsom Prison on the record player and closing his eyes as he sang along to "Folsom Prison Blues" and "Jackson." Though I was too young at the time to understand the subject matter, I loved the rhythm of the music and the deep, gravelly sound of Cash's voice.
Having read Cash's autobiography I was anxious to see his story depicted on screen and I was not disappointed. Though the narrative treads a bit lightly in parts (secenes of his addiction, though visceral and raw, were not nearly as harrowing as Cash's real struggle), it is overall an honest, uplifting, and compelling movie. Phoenix's grasp of Johnny Cash's character is almost uncanny in its realism and Witherspoon is flawless as the imperfect, insecure youngest daughter of the Carter legacy. And who knew that the two of them could sing? Outstanding. I left the theater inspired, and humming "Ring of Fire."
Brokeback Mountain was an alltogether different experience, which I will explain behind a cut lest I spoil it for those of you who have not seen it (my apologies to those of you on the RSS feed who won't have the luxury of the cut):
Glasses on glass shelves
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