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

Why can’t Los Angeles baseball teams win when they get to division series? Let’s hope they both prove me wrong by the time this is read by the two people that read it. On to music.

PICK OF THE WEEK

I’m gonna make this easy on myself. Go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow.

If you like music, than I’m sure you’ve heard of the band. It seems like they’ve been all over the place lately. They released an extremely popular album earlier this year with Veckatimest, they’ve been touring and playing at festivals nonstop all summer, and they’ve even got a song on the upcoming (and really good) New Moon soundtrack. But don’t let the fact that they seem to be the new kings of indie rock be the only deciding factor. Go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow at the Palladium because they just sound awesome.

I saw them earlier on this year at the Troubadour and I was floored. Their sound is just so melodic and tight. I couldn’t decide if I preferred hearing Dan Rossen or Ed Droste sing cause both sound so good. And the whole band’s ability to harmonize with one another and with the music just cannot be explained in words. Bottom line is you just gotta go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow.

So. I haven’t really said much about the band and I don’t think I have to. Hopefully I said enough with that first sentence (and the subsequent repeating of the statement at the end of every paragraph.). Go see Grizzly Bear tomorrow.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
10/19: Correatown w/Charlie Wadhams/Deerheart/The Hereafter at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More Correatown residency.)
10/19: Light FM w/His Orchestra/The Meeting Places/Lost Lake at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Light FM residency.)
10/20: Noah and the Whale w/Robert Francis at the Roxy. 8:00PM. $17. All. (Noah and the Whale are pretty fun.)
10/20: Why? w/AU/Serengeti & Polyphonic at the echoplex. 8:00PM. $15. All. (Why? are pretty cool.)
10/21: Choir of Young Believers w/Buddy/Make Moon at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (I’d go see these guys if I were you.)
10/22: Thee Oh Sees w/Fresh & Onlys/Dan Melchior at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (I’m a huge fan of Thee Oh Sees. You will be too once you see em.)
10/22: Liam Finn + Eliza Jane w/Jason Lytle/The 88 at the echoplex. 8:30PM. $16. 18+. (A little softer sound than the show going on upstairs at the echo.)
10/23: Ben Gibbard and Jay Farrar at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $26. All. (Playing songs from their Kerouac album.)
10/23: Kurt Vile and the Violators w/White Arrows/Under the Asbury at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Kurt Vile is starting to get more attention.)
10/23: Jeremy Jay w/Sea Lions/The Cigarette Bums at the Smell. 8:00PM. $5. All. (Jeremy Jay is weird.)
10/24: Abe Vigoda w/These are Powers/Mi Ami/Moses Campbell at the Smell. 8:00PM. $7. All. (Abe Vigoda at the Smell.)
10/24: Islands w/Toro Y Moi/Jemina Pearl at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $18. All. (This’ll be fun.)
10/24: Daniel Johnston at the Fonda. 8:00PM. $25. All. (The guy is kind of legendary now.)
10/25: Tegan and Sara at Orpheum. 7:00PM. $39. All. (I like what I’ve heard of their new album.)

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WHAT: Grizzly Bear
WHEN: Tuesday, October 20th @7:00PM
WHERE: The Hollywood Palladium
$$$: $26.50
Ages: All

Hey, y’all remember that whole Restaurant Week thing that DineLA was doing?

Were you saying to yourself, “Self,” you were saying, “this special offer of 3-course meals at a set price seems so good, but I just have not had the time to take advantage of such a finite window of deliciocity and/or foodcraftery.”

WELL GOOD NEWS IN CAPS LOCK.

DineLA has extended the Restaurant Week experience by adding a whole extra week of restauranty goodness.  Not every establishment will be participating in the addendum week, but check the list on October 17 and they will have it updated to let you know who is sticking it out.

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WHAT: Restaurant Week
WHEN: Oct 4-9, Oct 11-16, Oct 18-23
WHERE: Check the list
$$$: $16-44

I was at the Santa Monica Pier last night and noticed a GIANT blue and yellow tent had taken over most of the parking lot.  What could it be?  Cirque Du Soleil, of course!  Starting Friday and continuing through the end of November, Santa Monica will host Kooza, a circus spectacular that tells the story of “the Innocent, a melancholy loner in search of his place in the world.”

Tickets are a little pricey, but Cirque du Soleil is definitely worth the cost of admission.  If you’ve never been, take a second to look at the trailer…it’s the circus for grownups and without the smelly elephants.  You’ll see contortionists, charivari, highwire acts and more.

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WHAT: Kooza
WHERE: Santa Monica Pier
WHEN: Friday, September 16 – November 29th
$$$: Tickets start from $65.00