Have you always wanted to be famous, but know you don’t have what it takes to become a star (i.e. a sex tape where Ray-J pees on you?) Fear not — because on April 24th, we’re all getting famous. No, this does not involve guns, put those down. STOP THAT.

Full disclosure: I’m one of the guys throwing this event. Now here’s how it works: we meet at noon in front of the WME building, where we run a winding, three-mile obstacle course through Beverly Hills. Hidden throughout the course will be packs of photographers. Your goal is to make it to the finish line without them getting a picture of your full face.

Scattered along the way will be hidden caches of “identity concealers”, i.e. low-brimmed hats and those sunglasses that put a black bar over your eyes. (We were going to offer ski masks, and then remembered ski masks + sprinting through Beverly Hills in broad daylight = “Officer, these cuffs are too tight.”)

Got a camera and the ability to be sneaky? We want you. Got a pair of running shoes and a well-developed flight sensibility? We want you. (Costumes are also encouraged.) The race starts at noon, but paparazzi are required to show up at 11 AM so we can get you vultures in your respective hiding places.

Afterward, in a stirring tribute to something that would totally happen in real life, the celebrities and the paparazzi will meet up for a beer at the Writer’s Bar in the L’Ermitage Hotel.

Be sure to RSVP for the event on Facebook.

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WHAT: Celebrities Vs. Paparazzi footrace
WHEN: April 24th, noon-1 PM (Paparazzi to meet at 11 AM)
WHERE: Starting at the WME building
$$$: Free

You might remember the Swap-o-Rama-Rama people from the Renegade Craft Fair and they’re back.  Today from 12-5, bring a bag of you unwanted clothes and Halloween costumes and leave with as many clothes/costumes as you can carry.  It’s a great chance to freshen up your wardrobe and recycle the stuff you don’t wear anymore.  Plus, there will be free silkscreening, Halloween applique and felting stations.  Don’t have anything to silkscreen?  That’s fine; Yelp will be giving away totes.

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WHAT: Halloween Swap-o-Rama-Rama
WHEN: Saturday, October 10 from 12-5
WHERE: Venice Center for  Peace with Justice and the Arts
$$$: $5 with a bag of clothes, $10 without

Chilly in the mornings and the evenings but blistering during the day? Could only mean one thing: October in LA.

• Take out the old bike and cycle around Pasadena for Art Night!
• Celebrate VEGGIES at Compassionate Cuisines KILLER party! (joke)
• Pasadena is crazy this weekend, it’s even hosting the Chocolate Salon!
• 15 galleries will be showing off their awesome work at Barnsdall Park for the Beyond Eden Art show.
• Starve yourself to prepare for the last week of DineLA!!!
• Start decorating for Halloween with help from Craftiness.
• Channel your inner-middle-school punk phase self and head to the Part Time Punks Festival this weekend.
• Get street food with out waiting in line in front of a taco truck & go to Street via Bored & Hungry.
• Speaking of streets, the Sweet Street this week is 2nd Street in Little Tokyo to be exact!
• Bored & Thirsty showcases The Smoke House for this week’s go-to bar spot.
• Be cheap like everyone else and score awesome deals with the LA App, Groupon.

Last year the Municipal Art Gallery hosted “East Of Eden,” which was a showcase of local galleries in East LA.  With the huge success of 2008’s fair, this year they are renaming it “Beyond Eden” and including over 15 galleries from all over Los Angeles.

In addition to the works from galleries inside, there will be an “Artist Village” featuring live paintings from artists selected by the participating galleries.  In addition to live painting there will be performance art by Cannibal Flower, installations from the Machine Project, and live screen printing by the P.U.M.A. Project.

All of this great fun and art will be taking place Friday through Sunday at the ever lovely Barnsdall Park, with beautiful views of the city.  If past Barnsdall events are any indication there will probably be some tasty food trucks there too.

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WHAT:Art Fair at the Barsdall Art Park
WHEN: October 9, 10, 11, 2009
WHERE: LA Municipal Art Gallery at Barnsdall Park
$: FREE!!!

Eagle Rock Music Fest go ok on Sat? I went for a little, but it was mostly just to browse and wander. I didn’t actually get to see any of the bands perform. How was No Age? The Happy Hollows? Any other band? Moving on, we have yet another festival to look forward to this weekend.

PICK OF THE WEEK
The festival taking place this weekend (Sunday to be specific) is a little different than the ones we’ve been attending lately. Sunset Junction and Eagle Rock took place along a whole strip of a street. There were booths and festival food and bars open and all the fun things you’re used to seeing at “festivals”. The F Yeah Fest took place in a big open park, yet another common take on what a festival is known to look like.


On Sunday, however, the festival will take on a bit of a different feel (think last years F Yeah). The 2nd Annual Part Time Punks Festival will be held inside both the echo and the Echoplex. I have no idea why I built up the location of the event for so long (probably just to fill space on this post) but let’s get down to business. Why should you go.


You should go to see The Raincoats. Forming in the late 70s, they were the second ever all girls punk band, and were loved by Kurt Cobain. Their sound is more post-punky, which is kind of more experimental punk (think punk with synths and a pop twist). The PTP Fest marks their first ever appearance in Los Angeles, something you don’t really want to miss.


You should also go to see Section 25. Another post-punk band from the late 70s, Section 25 are playing the city of Angels for the first time as well. They are truly innovators of the post-punk genre, even if they were originally typecast as a Joy Division clone. They blend a kind of techo sound into their music, heavily influenced by the German Krautrock movement.


Stepping into the modern, more recent side of things, you’ll also be hearing from a lot of up-and-coming bands in the punk, indie, electronic spectrum. One’s that I’m personally excited about are Abe Vigoda (formerly representin the Inland Empire!), Rainbow Arabia, and Crystal Stilts. You get a kind of noise punk vibe from Abe Vigoda, a kind of worldly electronic sound from Rainbow Arabia, and a low-fi garage rock feel from Crystal Stilts. A nice eclectic mix to get you excited. While not familiar with some of the other bands playing the festival, I’m sure more are acts to get excited about.


If all that music isn’t enough for you, you’ll also be getting DJ sets by the likes of Gang of Four (yet another post-punk band) members Hugo Burnham & Dave Allen, so things can’t get much better. All in all, things are set for a great Sunday afternoon and night. I bet you can’t wait.


Don’t forget! wembley [at] boredla [dot] com

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
10/05: School of Seven Bells w/Warpaint/Phantogram at Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (Great couple of bands.)
10/05: Light FM w/We Barbarians/Tigers Can Bite You/Queen Kwong Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Light FM residency.)
10/05: Correatown w/The Voyeurs/Eagle & Talon/Bandito Royale at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+ (Correatown residency.)
10/06: Dr. Dog w/Jeffrey Lewis/Everest at The Fonda. 8:00PM. $18. All. (Dr. Dog and Everest. Awesome.)
10/06: Robyn Hitchcock and the Venus 3 w/The Parson Red Heads at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $20. 21+. (Robyn Hitchcock has kind of an unground following. I’m a fan.)
10/07: Jack Penate w/Miike Snow at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Should be a nice, mellow show.)
10/08: A Hawk and A Hacksaw w/Damon & Naomi/The Grizzly Owls at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (A Hawk and A Hacksaw are wonderful.)
10/08: Har Mar Superstar w/Brother Reade/Kesha at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (This should be a fun show.)
10/09: Metronomy w/Destructo/Fool’s Gold at The Roxy. 9:00PM. $13.50. All. (Fun.)
10/10: Polvo w/The Moon Upstairs/Modern Memory at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $15. 21+. (Math rock.)
10/11: Sunny Day Real Estate w/The Jealous Sound/Dead Country at The Fonda. 8:00PM. $23. 18+. (I’m gonna be so angry at myself later for not seeing these guys. It’s sold out btw.)

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WHAT: Part Time Punks Festival
WHEN: Sunday, October 11th @ 2:00PM till 2:00AM
WHERE: the echo & Echoplex (enter at Echoplex)
$$$: $25
Ages: 18+