Or maybe I should clarify… Get *Le* high.

So maybe you’ve seen those ads that vaguely suggest a human form suspended in a fog of splendor.  They usually have names like Zumanity and Ka and Mystere and The Beatles: Love.  I just know I couldn’t come up with any of those fancy show titles.  I also know that I could never do anything that those crazy Cirque people do… or could I?

Le Studio in Culver City offers classes in the aerial arts, including trapeze, lyra-hoop, silk, hammock, swing set, hand balancing, and contortion.  These classes are open to kids (age 3-15) and adults (16+), so all of our 3-year-old readers out there can finally get out on the town and get their aerobatics on!  I’ll tell you this, if at the tender age of 3, a contorted Marksy was able to suspend his body from ceilings, I would have had days worth of groundings for finding new ways to terrorize the adults in my life.   Ah, the free flying days of youth.

Regardless of how you plan to use these newly found powers of gravity manipulation, a great way to get a taste of what the program has to offer is by checking out their theatrical in-house performances.  This Friday & Saturday, they are hosting a scripted show called Re-Wired, a play that “takes a close look at the inner wirings of human beings and what makes them incapable of achieving their full potential.”

The show has genuine pro Cirque performers and if you have ever seen a Cirque show or ever wanted to see one, then this is a great opportunity to catch another performance or start down a new, amazing path of aerobatic discovery.

Buy tickets through their website.

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WHAT: Theatrical acrobatics!
WHEN: Friday, Aug 6 & Saturday, Aug 7 – 7:30 pm
WHERE: Le Studio, Culver City
$$$: $25

The Twilight Dance Series at the Santa Monica Pier is the most fun you will ever have ignoring a band. This is not to say that the bands aren’t worth your attention (track down Kokono #1, a Congolose dance-trance outfit that rocked the stage earlier this month.) But they’re up on the pier, and the real action is down in the sand…

As the sun sinks, the beach becomes checkerboarded with picnic blankets as revelers stake their claims. Sangria gets sipped from plastic cups; tendrils of sweet smoke drift past, hinting that your neighbors may be engaging in the deplorable practice of smoking marijuana; laughter flows. Unlike the Hollywood Bowl, where the sound-system overpowers conversation and the rows of seats provide a semblance of privacy, the Twilight series seems almost designed to help you meet the people around you. Pretty soon, you’re surrounded by no-longer-strangers and doing the merrily unsteady barefoot-in-the-sand dance.

This Thursday, they’ll be featuring Kailash Kher, an Indian pop-folk singer who fills stadiums back on his native subcontinent despite vaguely resembling the little brother in Spy Kids. It’s spacey, kick-off-your-shoes music, a nice fit for a setting lit by the lights of a ferris wheel. Get there early, the beach fills up quick.

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WHAT: Weekly concert series on the beach
WHEN: Thursday evenings, 7 pm
WHERE: The Santa Monica Pier
$$$: Free

I was sure that there was a Heathers joke to be had in that headline (”Teen Tetricide — Do It”), but you can’t win ‘em all.

ANYWAY.

This Saturday at 8 PM, the underground Echo Park gallery Pehrspace is hosting the opening night of Tetricide, a month-long exhibit of old-school-video-game-inspired artwork. It’s going to be wall-to-wall 8-bit awesomeness, with an emphasis on “interactive and experiential” pieces, with more pixelated imagery than you can swing a flaming arm of fire at. Featured artists include such avant-garde luminaries as J.R. Baldwin (known for creating the “Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas” board game, which I suppose makes him like the Parker Brother who doesn’t get invited to family reunions anymore) and Sam Yurick (a genre-jumper known for rapping over laptop beats while wearing a homemade Spiderman costume, amongst other great feats of what-the-fuckery.) They’re even hosting the premier of director Felix Lee’s “Back to the Future the Ride” music video, and although I have no idea what that means, I’m deeply intrigued.

The place is extremely difficult to find, detailed directions are here. Plus, it’s free. (Power-ups not included.)

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WHAT: Old-school-game-inspired art show
WHEN: Saturday, July 10th, 8 PM – Midnight
WHERE: Pehrspace
$$$: Free

Recently, some altruistic genius sat down and thought to himself: “What are the things that Angelenos love above all else? What common ground do we share in this sprawling multicultural metropolis of ours?”

Hmmm. Hauling ass in our cars around Dash buses that are going 11 mph and taking up two lanes? Sure, we all dig that.  Burning shit down whenever the Lakers win/lose? That’s something we can get behind. Rooting for each other’s failure? Yes, but mostly in Hollywood. Bitching about the lack of carpool lanes on the 405 like a fat guy who thinks that buying bigger pants is the answer? Hallelujah, we are one. But those are all surface traits. If you really want to dig deep into what unspoken bonds unite as brothers and sisters in the City of Angels… then I have four words for you.

Outdoor movies. Food trucks.

And starting this weekend, the good people at the Outdoor Cinema Foodfest will bring those two timeless LA infatuations together. All summer long, they’ll be screening classics like The Big Lebowski, The Breakfast Club, Pulp Fiction, and The Princess Bride (as well as The Hangover, for anyone who wants to get their drink mickey’d by that movie’s legions of backwards-white-baseball-cap-wearing fans), all while serving victuals from such mobile luminaries as The Grilled Cheese Truck, Canter’s, The South Philly Experience, and Nom Nom’s.

This Saturday they’ll be showing Swingers, one of the all-time great love letters to this town, that rare movie about a flash-in-the-pan subculture that still remains funny, poignant, and truthful for years (sixteen years, oh my God) after its release. Insert “you’re so money” joke here.

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WHAT: Outdoor movies + food trucks
WHEN: Saturdays, all summer, doors open at 6:30
WHERE: Grand Hope Park
$$$: $8

Hey all, you asked for this. What, you say? It’s best described as a screening of 10 short films featuring interactive elements (Phantom of the Opera style sing-a-long anyone?) Some of the films include: A lascivious magician that makes husbands disappear and then beds their wives, The awkward moments after an inter-racial swingers party, Paula Deen facing off against the Busch Bean’s Golden Retriever, A tribute to porn’s greatest boom operator, A tickle fight that goes on for too long, and at least one of the films feature Michael Cera and Elaine Carroll. How are you not intrigued? This Saturday there will be a screening of these gems at Synchronicity Space; the event is the culmination of General Delight’s creative output thus far. General Delight is, well, click on the photo and read for yourself. Oh yeah, and, open bar!

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WHAT: General Delight; new video works, comedy and otherwise screening/reception

WHEN: Saturday June 26th, Screening @ 8:00pm; reception to follow
WHERE: Synchronicity Space, 4306 Melrose Ave
$$$: gratis

“The difference between being ‘naked’ and being ‘nekkid’ is, that when you are naked, you have no clothes on. However, when you are nekkid, you have no clothes on and you are up to something.” — Tom Robbins, “Skinny Legs and All”

This Saturday, happening in 70 cities and 20 countries across the globe, is World Naked Bike Ride day — a world-wide celebration of all things bicycle and body-image. Anyone with a bike and a willingness to go balls-out (or, y’know, whatever-out) is welcome to join. And as part of my quest to make the unsuspecting civilians of Los Angeles see things they can’t unsee, I too will be participating. Ladies, please, CALM YOURSELVES.

Is nudity mandatory? Not at all — this thing is “bare as you dare.” (Although for anyone who’s seen me with my shirt off, it’ll be more like “bear as you dare”– zing!) Everyone’s going to meet in Echo Park at 1:30 PM for a body-decorating party, with the ride leaving at 4 PM sharp. It’ll be a medium-paced 13-mile loop around the East Side, ending in a barbecue/after-party at a to-be-disclosed location. (Please say “Pat Robertson’s house”, please say “Pat Robertson’s house.”) RSVP on Facebook to get ride directions and info.

We’re gonna get a medal for this one, kids.

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WHAT: World Naked Bike Ride Day
WHEN: Saturday, June 12th, pre-ride at 1:30, ride at 4
WHERE: Echo Park (rsvp for details)
$$$: Free

The Venice Beach Carnevale will not be televised. Nor will it actually be held in Venice; apparently, tonight’s hedonistic costume contest/dance-party/annual gathering of LA’s freaky people has somehow gotten too insane for the uptight streets of Venice Beach and has been moved to a secret location around Jefferson/Sepulveda. (If this were a grindhouse movie, the announcer would now solemnly intone: “It‘s a party so wild they had to move it to Culver City… where life is cheap!”)

Ok, let’s take a step back and think about this for a moment — how, exactly, does one get kicked out of Venice? Have you been there lately? You could walk around with a severed head and tourists would still ask to take pictures with you. Last time I was hanging out on the boardwalk, a guy in a leopard-print vest and bootie-shorts tried to sell me some meth, as well as (I am not making this up), a live, 5-foot python. Anyway so now I’ve got all this meth and a live python and my friends no longer like to come over. Point that I’m making here, people, it takes a lot to get your ass 86′d from Venice Beach. This event deserves your consideration.

Will there be a full-size intergalactic pirate ship known as the Space Wench to gallivant around? There will be. Will there be floor-shaking beats from the likes of Fatfinger, Todd Spero, and divaDanielle (who I’ve pimped so many times on this site, people are are going to sooner or later think I’m involved in some kind of payola scheme?) Bet your ass. Will there be a masquerade costume contest that lands somewhere between Salvador Dali and Eyes Wide Shut? Most definitely. Will there be a certain amount of public nudity? Yes ma’am. Will there be acrobats and fire performers and go-go dancers? What do you think this is, the Republican National Convention? (Ok, bad example.) Just remember to come in costume — “exotic and erotic attire encouraged.”

And if you want to get in, RSVP here today to get the address and final details for tonight.

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WHAT: Carnevale masquerade party
WHEN: Saturday June 5th, 8:30 PM – 3:30 AM
WHERE: Culver City (RSVP to get address)
$$$: $15 (or $35 for VIP/open bar)

Apparently, the glee-club nerds grew up to be sexy.

Meet the Silverlake Chorus — a choir group described by its founding member Sam Rader as “warm-hearted Angelenos gathering to create harmonies aplenty while wearing oversized glasses and skinny jeans.” They’ve got no backing band, no choreographed dancing, no Broadway showboating  — but what they do have are lush, all-vocal covers of indie staples like Beck and Regina Spektor (and for all five of you who saw MacGruber, that was them singing the opening theme.) They’re making their splashy debut this Friday at El Cid. Good times are sure to be had by all.

Joining the plethora of talent onstage will be underground stalwarts Alex Lilly (Obi Best), Joaquin Pastor, Pi Jacobs and John Gold. Also performing (and producing their upcoming album) will be Ben Lee, the demon responsible for such Up-With-People-by-way-of-Guantamo-Bay atrocities as “I Love Pop Music”, and  “I’m A Woman Too.” This man needs to get got. However — we cannot hold that against the group at large. Get out to El Cid, people. Gleefulness awaits.

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WHAT: The Silverlake Chorus
WHEN: Friday, June 4th, 8 pm
WHERE: El Cid
$$$: $10

In a world where Blockbuster Video is getting slaughtered by Netflix, Red Box, and my cousin Tito who sells DVD’s out the trunk of his 1996 Nissan Sentra (email me, I’ll hook it up), it takes an LA institution like Laser Blazer to thrive. Formerly co-joined with Kevin Smith’s comic shop Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash (before Smith went off to make his documentary about gun owners with Down Syndrome) Laser Blazer is an old-school, brick-and-mortar movie-aficionado haven, with regulars ranging from Benicio Del Toro and Laurence Fishburne to Matt Groening and Jonah Hill (even Michael Jackson used to stop by back in the day.) Think Amoeba Records, but less overpriced and with fewer people who look like this hanging around. I love it; it’s like the barbershop from Barbershop for geeky film guys.

Another reason to love it: this Saturday at 2 PM, the brilliant internet sketch group Derrick Comedy — creators of such genius bits as a self-defense video made for sociopaths and a 24 parody that somehow manages to be more ridiculous than 24 – will be at the store for a Q&A and a DVD signing. They’ll be autographing copies of Mystery Team, their debut comedy that blew up the Sundance Film Festival and plays like a mash-up of Encyclopedia Brown and Superbad. (Watch the trailer; do not watch it at work.)

You’ll also get a chance to high-five the guy who could (if there is any justice in this world) become the next Spiderman. Team-member Donald Glover, of NBC’s hilarious Community, has just become the center of a Betty White-style internet campaign to make him the star of the Spidey reboot. (My two cents: Peter Parker is from Queens. Tobey Maguire would get his ass kicked in Queens. Donald Glover would not. Edge – Glover.)

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WHAT: Derrick Comedy DVD signing
WHEN: Saturday June 5th, 2 PM
WHERE: Laser Blazer
$$$: Free

If you haven’t noticed, the food truck world is a little oversaturated at the moment; the next generation of LA’s food truck scene involves not only edible delights, but art, technology, and fashion as well. Welcome the Summer Fling Truck- a crazy conglomerate of Blood Is the New Black t-shirts (check these out- they are pretty rad- www.bloodisthenewblack.com), I Make My Case- a division of case-mate, and Coolhaus- custom-made ice cream sandwiches. What the hell could be better than T-shirts and ice cream sold from a truck at a summer shindig? Nothing, I say. The T-shirts are seriously awesome and designed by various artists especially for the Summer Fling truck, and the ice cream sammies, as I’m sure you’ve heard by now, are phenomenal, with custom flavors like chocolate cookies + red velvet ice cream, oatmeal cookies + black truffle pistachio ice cream, and chocolate cookies + dirty mint chip ice cream (rawrrr).

This Saturday kicks off the lunch of this particular Summer Fling (maybe you’ll meet yours at the party- holla), at a mobile pop-up shop at Nomad Gallery from 8pm-12am. There will be a live performance by Dunes, DJing, live screenprinting, and of course Case-Mate, Blood is the New Black, and Coolhaus products!

As Natasha Case of Coolhaus says: “Taking the ‘taco truck’ or ice cream truck concept and co-opting it into mobile fashion could inspire other industries to go mobile as well. We are speaking to our Echo Park community and showcasing all of the creativity that is coming from this area.”

Come kick off the summer in style and ice cream; I’ll be there.

WHAT: Summer Fling Launch Party
WHEN: Sat. June 5th 8pm-12am
WHERE: Nomad Gallery 1993 Blake Ave, Los Angeles, CA 90039
$$$: RSVP here http://bloodisthenewblack.com/summerfling/

Because what’s more punk rock than romping around the notoriously kitschy redwood forest themed bar, Bigfoot Lodge? Hanging out in an alley contemplating disestablishmentarian notions you say? Poppycock! (Or perhaps you’ve simply become bored that your only other social options on Tuesdays are being stuck in Hollywood, pretending to be pretentious. Bleh! That’s not punk rock at all!)

Starting this Tuesday, Some Nerve, the new bi-weekly punk rock n’ roll themed night invites you to take a few hours off from your anarchy planning to go have fun dancing around with Smokey The Bear while drinking cheap Colt 45. They’re on special (when are they not?) along with other drinks sure to unleash your wilderness rock monster. The various music providers of the evening (commonly referred to as “DJs”) include Helleion, Jacob Safari, and TNT, along with the roaming photographic stylings of Shadowscene, so don’t forget to get that studded leather jacket and mohawk in tip top shape!

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WHAT: Some Nerve punk rock n’ roll party
WHEN: Tuesday, June 1st – 9pm – 2am
WHERE: The Bigfoot Lodge, 3172 Los Feliz Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90039
$$$: Free!!!

Two years ago, a gang of spirited young hooligans armed with MP3 players invaded Mann’s Chinese Theater to hold a very public dance-party. The invasion started quietly, done in plain sight, everyone simply mingling and pretending to examine celebrity handprints outside… until 10:07 PM, when everyone busted out earphones like gunslingers in a Robert Rodriguez movie and danced their ass off to whatever was on their Ipod — a silent, joyous collision between flash-mob and discotheque. There was also a conga-line at one point.

Tourists were mystified. Employees were stymied. Security was unable to stop laughing, even as they escorted us out. Undeterred, the party continued, West Side Story-style, down to Hollywood and Highland, where street performers, celebrity impersonators, and random passerby joined in on the festivities. (A guest appearance was made by several stone-faced, video-camera-brandishing members of the LAPD.) Footage of all this epic-ness is available right here.

Anyway — this year, rather than hold our party at some Hollywood tourist trap, we’re instead going for a prized LA institution, something this city holds near and dear, a place where regular folks go to peacefully shop, dine and take trolley-rides. That’s right, kids: we’re gonna storm The Grove.

Meet-up point is in front of Pacific 14 Movie Theater, by the fountains. Get there by 10 PM. Come ready to boogie in public (do what you need to do here, guys.) Mingle, act normal, do not attract attention from civilians. Headphones go in at exactly 10:07 PM, and then we dance like lunatics until security shows us out, at which point we respectfully go find a new “dance floor” elsewhere and repeat.  Afterparty at The Kibitz Room bar at Canter’s.

RSVP on Facebook here.

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WHAT: Mobile Dance-Club Party
WHEN: Friday, June 18th — dancing starts at 10:07 PM, sharp
WHERE: The Grove, in front of movie theater
$$$: Free

Ok. So maybe I forgot to write this post yesterday because I was playing Risk. Can you really blame me? I didn’t think so.

PICK OF THE WEEK
Alright. This is going to be relatively short. When I heard Voxtrot’s first two EPs, Raised by Wolves and Mothers, Sisters, Daughters & Wives, I was an instant fan. Any band writing solid songs that give off a Smiths vibe is going to impress me. A year or two later, they released their self titled LP, and while it wasn’t up to the caliber of those first two releases, it wasn’t that bad. They definitely had much greater potential, but with the pressure they were faced with from their instant success, they did the best they could. It wasn’t my favorite, but it did get me excited for future albums.

Well Voxtrot is breaking up. I’m not too happy about it, but it’s happening. They did, however, just embark on one last small 8 show tour that’s passing through LA on Thursday the 27th. I think we all owe them a good send off. I know these guys are all great musicians and are capable of great things. While I wish they stuck together and gave it another go, I’ll trust that this is the right decision and will look forward to their various other projects, like an opening band playing for Thursday’s show, The Black.

The bottom line is that we need to show the guys in Voxtrot that Los Angeles enjoyed their music over the last 5+ years. And if you just recently heard of them, now is your only chance, so make it count. Go crazy, have fun, and give them a night to remember.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/25: The Airborne Toxic Event and Amnesty International w/Red Cortez at the echo. 8:30PM. $30. All. (It’s a benefit show for the Neda Project.)
5/26: Nada Surf w/Telekinesis at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $20. All. (I’m a pretty big fan of Telekinesis.)
5/26: Baths w/Poirier at Airliner. 10:00PM. $10. 21+. (Low End Theory.)
5/26: The Horse Thieves w/Jack Ladder//Moris Tepper//Amanda Jo Williams at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (This should be a fun night of music.)
5/26: Dragonette w/Evan Voytas//White Arrows at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (A dancy/chill night at the echo. I saw Evan Voytas a week or two ago and was pretty impressed.)
5/27: Spectrum w/The Meek//Cannoneers at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (Kind of experimental. Also has some ex Spacemen 3 members.)
5/28: The Parson Red Heads w/Or The Whale//Olin and the Moon//Whispering Pines at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $7. 21+. (Don’t pass up an opportunity to see The Parson Red Heads.)
5/28: Frog Eyes w/Mount St. Helen’s Vietnam Band at the echo. 8:30PM. $12. 18+. (Carey Mercer’s band. Good stuff.)
5/28: Plants & Animals at Origami Vinyl. 6:00PM. Free. All. (Watch a live show, buy some records, and hang out.)
5/30: Miike Snow w/Canon Blue at El Rey. 8:00PM. $30. All. (Great live show. I’d be here if I were you.)
5/30: Dead Rock West//Funeral Club//Viki Hill//Tippy Canoe at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)
5/30: DJ Jose Maldonado at Smiths/Morrissey Nite at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

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WHAT: Voxtrot Goodbye, Cruel World Tour
WHEN: Thursday, May 27th @ 8:30PM
WHERE: the echoplex
$$$: $15
Ages: 18+

There are way too many shows this week that could be featured. You should probably be out every night soaking in the wonderful musicians that all happen to be here at the same time. Some big names are sold out, but there’s still plenty to do. Most of me wants to write about the Frightened Rabbit show on Sunday, but…

PICK OF THE WEEK
I can’t honestly pick anything else this week other than Future Islands. This trio out of Baltimore has been around for about four or so years now and have just released their second album, In Evening Air, two weeks ago on Thrill Jockey. I heard the album a few months back and had enjoyed it, but now I can’t stop listening to it. I play it at least once a day.

Often associated with Wham City (the Baltimore collective made famous by Dan Deacon), these guys aren’t necessarily something you’d expect to see in a typical band. They don’t have a drummer or guitarist. It’s more or less a synth, keyboard, bass, and vocals. This minimalist approach doesn’t take away from the songs though, as they are all full and vibrant, and incredibly emotional. Singer Sam Herring’s voice is so soulful, he could make anything sound good. Think a poppy Tom Waits singing in kind of an 80s synthpop band. That’s Future Islands.

They’ll be playing Friday the 21st at Synchronicity and Saturday the 22nd at The Smell. And guess what! The show on Saturday is with our pals Superhumanoids! And Pizza!! I can’t really stress the potential awesomeness of seeing a show featuring Superhumanoids, Pizza! and Future Islands. It could be one of the best things you do all year. So you better do it.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/17: The Like w/Jail Weddings//Gestapo Khazi//Starfucker at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The Like continue their residency.)
5/17: Sweethead w/Earthlings?//Sean Wheeler and Zander Schloss//Red Fang at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (More of the Sweethead residency.)
5/18: Jonathan Richman featuring Tommy Larkins at the smell. 9:00PM. $15. All. (You can’t really go wrong with Jonathan Richman.)
5/18: Rory Erickson w/Okkervil River at The Music Box. 8:00PM. $30. All. (This should be a good time.)
5/18: 60 Watt Kid w/Voicesvoices//Pizza!//Tan Dollar at the echo. 8:30PM. $5. 18+. (Good group of local acts.)
5/19: Caribou w/Toro y Moi//Dublab DJs at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (The new Caribou album is wonderful.)
5/19: Baths residency at the Airliner. 10:00PM. $10. 18+. (Low End Theory.)
5/20: Massive Attack at the Wiltern. 7:00PM. $50. All. (The first two dates are sold out. There are still some tickets for this one.)
5/20: Shout Out Louds w/Freelance Whales//The Franks//DJ Daisy O’Dell at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (Check out our friends The Franks play on the big stage. Fun!)
5/21: The National at the Wiltern. 8:00PM. $22-$30. All. (A lot of buzz around these guys after their new album.)
5/21: Shadow Shadow Shade at Bootleg. 10:00PM. $10. 21+. (Band formerly known as Afternoons.)
5/21: Shout Out Louds w/Freelance Whales//DJ Daisy O’Dell at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $20. All. (No Franks this time, but still a good time.)
5/21: The Drowning Men w/The Pity Party//The Franks//The Damn Sons at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Catch The Franks here if you missed em. The Pity Party is always a good act to catch too.)
5/22: Clem Snide w/Heliogoats at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (I’m liking what I’m hearing of their new stuff.)
5/23: Frightened Rabbit at The Music Box. 7:00PM. $15. All. (They’re from Scotland. Anything else? They also make good music.)
5/23: Groovy Rednecks w/The Cheatin’ Kind//Robert Black at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)
5/23: Geneva Jacuzzi w/Soft Metals at the echo. 10:00PM. $5. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

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WHAT: Future Islands
WHEN: Friday, May 21st @ 8:00PM (with Foot Village, Robedoor, and Lower Dens) and Saturday, May 22nd @ 9:00PM (with Pizza!, Superhumanoids, and Lower Dens)
WHERE: Friday is at Synchronicity and Saturday is at the smell
$$$: Friday is either free or $5. Saturday is $5.
Ages: All

The Shangri La Hotel in Santa Monica has been keeping secrets from us. For years, its hidden rooftop bar, Suite 700, was only open to guests; this was, of course, back at a time when people had “money” to do things like “stay in hotels” and “not eat sandwiches made of actual sand.” (Apparently, the place had an outdoor group shower going on for a while, a prospect which made me wonder if Joe Francis had secretly incorporated the hotel into his empire of douchery.)  No matter — as of this week, Suite 700 has thrown open its doors to the unwashed masses.

The inside is nothing special — obscured color-lights, “Miami Vice” bad-guy furnishings, half-decade old Justin Timberlake songs pumping on the stereo, short-backed chairs that make you so uncomfortable they could have been designed by Andy Kaufman, a halfway decent dirty martini – but the outside deck is the joint’s saving grace.

Go at sunset and you get a gorgeous view of the coast, with Ocean Ave traffic slowly melting into the ant-like procession up the PCH.  Go after dark and watch the neon-flashing rungs of the Santa Monica Ferris Wheel glow like a distant dance-party.  The wood-burning fire pit will send you home smelling like a campfire, lending the whole experience an “Entourage meets Boy Scout Camp” kind of feel.  (Now there is a show I would watch, mainly to confirm certain suspicions I have about men in their 30’s who still live together.)

Suite 700: more fun than watching The 700 Club while high.

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WHAT: Rooftop bar in Santa Monica
WHEN: 5 – Midnight, 7 days a week (later on weekends)
WHERE: Shangri La Hotel
$$$: Between $8 and $10 a drink

If ever you’ve wondered what would happen should the coy, kittenish call of the feminine psyche were exposed, and displayed; pulled and prodded in every which way, screws and nails sent to do the dirty work of holding it all together, today (errrr…tomorrow) is your lucky day.

Edgar Varela Fine Arts has a new home and, true to their audacious nature, are opening with a bang.   Ashley Gibbons’ Coquettish Modernisms is, by words of the artist: “…a soft space with fabric to provoke hard dialogue…to explore issues of sex, intimacy, female form, function, style, and gender roles.” Layers upon layers of these intimate menageries (aka: panties!) are revealed to “…highlight and personify the dichotomy of a woman’s role”, while also “convey(ing) mood, priority, and function to the individual woman.”

In simple terms: frilly fantasy and modern individualism have collided into something you can admire, talk about, and buy while mingling with other hot-headed artistic types such as yourself.  Oh, and there will be wine.  The yummy, organic, FREE (my favorite!) kind.

Exhibiting a mix of established as well as up-and-coming artists, you might know EVFA from their previous location (just a hop, skip, and a jump from the Little Tokyo Arts District), if not for their creatively imposed art/music-related events.  With years of expertise and a natural flair for knowing what people want, visiting EVFA means you are just as likely to run across a scruffy Eastsider you’ve seen play the El Rey as you are the CEO of an entertainment company.  Either way, you will meet those you would like to meet again, listen to music you wish you could Shazam, and be surrounded by artwork you may just be able to rationalize purchasing with this month’s rent money.

Be there or be square.

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WHAT: Coquettish Modernisms by Ashley Gibbons
WHEN: Wednesday, May 12th, 5pm-9pm
WHERE: Edgar Varela Fine Arts: 102 W. 5th Street, LA 90013
$$$: FREE (But…bring your rent money, just in case)

Do you ever find yourself getting nostalgic for stuff that never happened to you?  Be honest — when the song “American Woman” by The Guess Who comes on your car radio, do you imagine yourself in 1971, cruising along in a t-top Camaro with summer winds blowing through your feathered hair? Do you watch Mad Men and secretly long for a day when it was appropriate to drink multiple martinis at work? Ever seen an old gangster flick and then wondered about the logistics of buying a Tommy-gun? (Spoiler alert: they’re legal!)

If you answered “yes” to any of those, have I got the place for you: The Cicada Club, a frozen-in-time throwback to the swing era, situated in the art-deco sumptuousness of the Oviatt Building on Olive St. This place has a 1940’s ambiance so all consuming, it renders time machines obsolete.

Originally built, according to the website, in 1928 as a “top-of-the-line haberdashery” (no doubt the envy of all those other wack-ass haberdasheries frontin’ up in the 213 at the time), the club features live big-band music every Sunday night, a sprung-wood floor populated by some of the most graceful swing-dancers you’ll ever lay eyes on, and a gin menu that could make W.C. Fields weep in ecstasy. (They also do a fixed-price dinner, but it’s A: reportedly not that great, B: overpriced at $50 per person, and C: requires you to interact with the Cicada waiters, who I generally found to be grouchy ass-clowns.)

My advice: skip the food, grab a sloe-gin fizz, and find someone to swing with. It doesn’t matter if you’re any good; I have houseplants that are better dancers than some of the people out on that floor. (In fact, some of those people’s names rhyme with “Me.”) But that’s the wonderful thing about this place — it’s utterly egalitarian. The crowd ranges from early 20’s to late 60’s; black guys in Andre 3000 outfits rub shoulders with white dudes in pin-stripe suits and Asian girls in evening gowns. Even the 12-piece orchestra is delightfully all over the map, featuring someone who looks like a well-fed old rabbi on the bass, a young fella in a do-rag on the clarinet, a heart-stoppingly beautiful redhead trumpet player, and a Morgan Freeman lookalike for a front-man who I believe possesses the most genuinely joyful smile I’ve ever seen on a human being.

Keep in mind: the other thing that truly unites the crowd (besides a love of all things post-war) is the dress code. Cicada Club requires a jacket/tie/dress shoes for guys and evening gowns for gals — dress like you were going to The Edison, in other words. And remember, the next time you find yourself wishing you were alive in an era when the drinks were two-fisted, the music was big, the dames were classy and the guys were… well, off fighting Hitler for the most part — this is the place you come.

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WHAT: Ultra-immersive 1940’s swing-dancing club
WHEN: Sunday nights, 6PM – 11 PM
WHERE: 617 South Olive Street
$$$: $10’s at the door, $8-$12 a drink

Anyone go to First Fridays last week? How bout Mono, or any other concerts? Let us know!

PICK OF THE WEEK
Not many people seem to know of The Besnard Lakes, which is a shame. We can change this, however, when we all see them at the Troubadour this Thursday along with LA indie rockers Happy Hollows.

I was fortunate enough to see The Besnard Lakes at SXSW, and I can attest to their awesomeness. Like a lot of other dream rock/shoegaze bands out there today, they bring more of a wall of sound vibe to their live shows. The melodies and guitar solos and all that are still there, but live, they are louder and generally more noisy. This provides for a great live experience, as you’re getting the best of both worlds. The loudness coupled with their Beach Boysesque vocal harmonizing results in some pretty great music. Another way to describe the band is to tell you they’re from Montreal. While they aren’t as crazy as some of the other bands to come form that scene, it should give you a general idea of the kind of music we’re dealing with.

Opening for The Besnard Lakes are the lovely Happy Hollows, a band you should all show up early for. I’ve seen them a couple times around town and they always give it their all. Singer/guitarist Sarah Negahdari puts an incredible amount of energy into each song, smiling all the way through. They’re kind of a guitar-driven indie rock band that like to have fun at their shows. You couldn’t ask for much more. So check them and The Besnard Lakes out Thursday night. What a fun night out!

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/10: The Like w/The New Fidelity//Bloodbath at the echo. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The Like begin their residency.)
5/10: Sweethead w/Ashes Divide//Normandie//Dead White Underbelly at Spaceland. 8:30Pm. Free. 21+. (It’s the Sweethead album release party.)
5/11: Fuck Buttons w/Sun Araw//Infinite Body at the Troubadour. 8:00PM. $15. All. (I’ve heard Fuck Buttons are great live.)
5/12: Evan Voytas w/Bell Gardens//Superhumaniods at the echo. 8:30PM. $7. 18+. (Superhumanoids! If they have a show, you know it’s gonna be on here.)
5/12-13: Ben Folds w/Kate Miller-Heidke at the Music Box. 8:00PM. $35. All. (It’s Ben Folds. Click here for the 12th and here for the 13th.)
5/13: Ninjasonik w/Weave! at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (Interesting punkish hip hop music. Think The Death Set.)
5/13: Jakob Dylan & Three Legs at the Wiltern. 8:00PM. $25-$45. All. (Interesting new band for Dylan, featuring Neko Case.)
5/14: Turin Breaks w/Hard Drugs//Lucy Schwartz at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (It’s an acoustic set.)
5/14: Flying Lotus w/Ras G//Samiyam//Dr. Strangeloop//Kutmah//Jeremiah Jae at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $20. 18+. (Flying Lotus is great live. And his new album is blowing up.)
5/15: Annuals w/The Most Serene Republic//What Laura Says at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $12. 21+. (A bunch of great bands.)
5/15: Flying Lotus w/Ravi Coltrane//The Gaslamp Killer//Gonjasufi//Matthewdavid at the echoplex. 9:00PM. $20. 18+. (Pick your day. I feel this will be more crowded thanks to Gaslamp.)
5/16: Sea Wolf at The Autry. 7:30PM. $15. All. (Guess Spaceland Productions is putting on a show at The Autry Museum.)
5/16: Xeno & Oaklander//Epee Du Bois//Frank Alpine at the echo. 10:00PM. $8. 18+. (Part Time Punks.)

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WHAT: The Besnard Lakes w/The Happy Hollows
WHEN: Thursday, May 13th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: Troubadour
$$$: $12
Ages: All

In the great pantheon of Films From The 80’s That You Remember Fondly But Have No Idea What Actually Went On In Them, it’s hard to beat Flight of the Navigator.  (The Dark Crystal and that one where Kurt Russell sexually exploits an amnesiac are also high scorers.) The touching tale of friendship between a boy a spaceship that looks like something David Bowie might use as a vacation home has had remarkable psychological staying power for anyone born in the Reagan era. And this Sunday, anyone who wants to indulge some childhood nostalgia has a perfect excuse — the environmental fund-raising group Who Will? We Will! is doing a screening of Navigator at Cinespace in Hollywood, and every dollar they make plants a tree for the Global Releaf program.

You can RSVP on Facebook here, the first 50 people in the door get free popcorn. Plus, there’s a full bar, to help you deal with the fact that you’re watching a movie about a spaceship voiced by Pee Wee Herman who won’t let you pee in privacy. (”I don’t leak, you leak.  Remember?”)

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WHAT: Charity screening of an 80’s kiddie-classic
WHEN: Sunday, May 9th, 5:30 PM
WHERE: Cinespace
$$$: $10

Summer is right around the corner. That doesn’t have much to do with concerts, but I thought I’d mention it. When the sun goes down and you’re rested from a long, relaxing day at the beach, why not check out some live music?

PICK OF THE WEEK
Initially, I started this post with a blurb about how the pick should have been tonight’s sold out Broken Social Scene show at The Music Box or First Fridays with The Tallest Man on Earth (which is also kind of sold out). As I wrote about “the alternative”, however, I realized it actually was a better pick than either of those. So here’s your legitimate pick of the week; a show I definitely don’t think you want to miss.

Post rock is an interesting genre helmed by bands like Sigur Ros, the newly reunited Godspeed You! Black Emperor, and Mogwai. I am a fan of the music as it relaxes me and is pleasing to the ear, but I’ve never been to a live show. The genre is characterized by noisy and melodic, (mostly)instrumental rock music. Not sure how that translates to the live show, but I promise a good place to find out is Friday night at the El Rey with Japanese post rock band Mono.

They’ve been around since 1999 and have released five studio albums, giving them a pretty large catalogue to check out if you’re curious. Even with all the albums under their belt, they consider themselves more of a live band and attempt to create an “unforgettable” live performance at shows. Their music is influenced by various musical styles, from shoegaze to minimalism to classical. Listening to their 10-15 minute long tracks puts you in a kind of trance, with fast paced, noisy ups and slow, melodic downs. I can’t imagine the emotions brought out by the live versions. That is reason enough to be there Friday. Fortunately, that isn’t all you’re in store for.

Opening for the post rock band are the indie rockers from Glasgow, The Twilight Sad. With Scottish bands like Frightened Rabbit and We Were Promised Jetpacks popping up lately, The Twilight Sad have gotten kind of mixed in with the crowd. In my opinion, these guys are the best out of that ’scene’. Lead singer James Graham describes their sound as “folk with layers of noise”. The recordings have a dreamy/indie rock vibe with layer upon layer of sound and a singer with a heavy Scottish accent. Their live shows, however, are supposed to be noisier and create that wall of sound you get with other noise/shoegaze bands. Go early and see these guys play.

You’re in for a pretty fun night at this concert. You’re getting two international bands known for their intense live shows at the same place. Bring some friends, drink some Scotch, and maybe even wear some earplugs.

OTHER SHOWS TO LOOK OUT FOR:
5/03: Sweethead w/The Damn Sons at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (The start of the Sweethead residency. Something a little different.)
5/03: War Tapes w/Dimmer//Jack Ladder//Future Ghost at Silverlake Lounge. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (War Tapes begin their residency.)
5/04: Broken Social Scene at Amoeba Hollywood. 6:00PM. Free. All. (If you don’t have tickets to their Monday night show, this could be fun. You have to show up EARLY though.)
5/04: Oh Darling w/Actress//Dirt Bird at Spaceland. 8:30PM. Free. 21+. (Fun indie rock. And it’s free!)
5/05: Pacha Massive w/Wait. Think. Fast.//Clorofila at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $10. 21+. (I’m a fan of Wait. Think. Fast. Party time!)
5/05: Dosh w/White Hinterland//The Baths at the echo. 8:30PM. $10. 18+. (Never seen Dosh solo, but his albums are great and he rocks out supporting Andrew Bird.)
5/05: Eluvium w/Bell Gardens//Benoit Pioulard//Whale Fall at Bootleg. 8:00PM. $10. 21+.
5/06: Flying Lotus at Amoeba Hollywood. 7:00PM. Free. All. (Saw this guy not too long ago and was blown away.)
5/06: Spirit Vine w/Hocus Pocus//My Pet Saddle//Roughed Up Folk at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $5. 21+. (Good local lineup.)
5/06: Spindrift w/Nurses//Magic Mirror at the echo. 8:30PM. $8. 18+. (Spindrift have an interesting, western sound.)
5/07: The Janks w/Veil Era//Fim//Woolen at Spaceland. 8:30PM. $8. 21+. (Come check out some friends play some good music.)
5/07: The Tallest Man on Earth at Natural History Museum. 5:00PM. $15-$40. All. (I think tickets to the show are sold out. You can still get in if you buy an annual pass though.)
5/08: Warpait w/Priestbird at Bootleg. 10:00PM. $10. 21+. (Go see Warpaint.)
5/08: Los Campesinos! w/Signals at the El Rey. 8:00PM. $22. All. (Fun British band. Apparently if you bring your mom you get in free?)
5/09: Les Savy Fav w/We Barbarians//LA Ghost at echoplex. 8:30PM. $18. 18+. (I’ve heard amazing things about the Les Savy Fav live show.)
5/09: Dave Gleason and the Golden Cadillacs w/Mojo Monkeys//The Coals at the echo. 5:00PM. Free. All. (Grand Ole Echo.)

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WHAT: Mono w/Twilight Sad
WHEN: Friday, May 7th @ 8:00PM
WHERE: The El Rey
$$$: $20
Ages: All