OK.

So I know the pick of the week music wise was to see The Clientele (which you should all go do tonight!), but this event goes far beyond just music.

On Saturday, March 6th (tomorrow..or today I guess, depending on when you’re reading this..) you should all head over to the echoplex for “Chickens In Love: An 826LA Benefit Show“. It’s hosted by Dianna Agron from GLEE and there will be live performances by The Submarines, The Pity Party, Summer Darling, and special guest Thao Nguyen. Tickets are $15 and the event is an all day thing, going from Noon till 7PM.

Along with the music the mini-fest is gonna feature a DJ set by the Origami Vinyl dudes, punk rock hair dos from The Hive Hair Shop (interesting..), accessories for sale by local designers, the Grill ‘Em All food truck, and more. You can also place an order to purchase the Chickens In Love LP at the show.

Chickens In Love is an album/event benefiting 826LA, which is a non-profit organization which aims to help young kids write creatively and essentially want to write. (You can find out more about them here.) Basically the album is twelve songs written by students at 826 and performed by LA based bands, including She & Him and Tim and Eric. Sponsors include Origami Vinyl and FILTER magazine, so you’re sure to have a good time.

The album portion of the event also happens to be a fundraiser. From now till April 30th, head over to the online pledge site thing, and make a monetary pledge for your favorite student song. You can pledge as much as you want, as many times as you want, for as many songs as you want. The most popular song will get the 826LA Gold Record! (Wow!).

The event is pretty important, as it’s the biggest fundraiser of the year for 826LA, so come out, have a good time, listen to some music, and show your support!

_____________________________________________________

WHAT: Chickens In Love
WHEN: Saturday, March 6th from noon till 7:00PM
WHERE: the echoplex
$$$: $15
Ages: All

It’s getting close to that time of year again, duderinos.

No, I’m not talking about the long days of summer, I’m talking of course about Lebowski Fest, Southern California’s premiere celebration of All Things Dude Related.

This year’s fest takes place beginning on April 2^nd at The Wiltern for The Big Lebowski Movie Party. The festival continues through the 3^rd for a day of bowling at Cal Bowl.

So grab your white Russian and share your favorite quotes and more with other fans of the movie… but this isn’t Vietnam – there are rules. Tickets are a must, and they’re available online via Ticketmaster. Though you can get a 2-Day Achievers Pass, you also have the option of picking up tickets for the individual day events as well. You should probably get yours in advance, unless you want to be the only one polishing your bowling shoes outside of the lanes.

__________________________

WHAT: Lebowski Fest
WHEN: Friday April 2^nd // Saturday, April 3rd
WHERE: The Wiltern // Cal Bowl
$$$: $19.99 // $25.00 // $39.99 for a weekend pass. Tickets available here.

Celebrate all things Jewish this weekend at the Jewlicious Festival 6.0. Yep, ya heard. Whether you’re Jewish or not (or if you just love a potato latke or two), you can attend this celebration and meet some folks, hear some music, chow down, and I guess….get Jewlicious on yo’ ass? There are special guests (speakers, artists, presenters, etc) and it all goes down in Long Beach. FYI: Jewlicious is one of the largest Jewish sleep-overs that isn’t a sleep-away camp. Everyone brings a sleeping bag or air mattress (the event is in the Alpert Jewish Community Center). All Jewlicious-related inquiries may be answered here. Just don’t expect Matisyahu to be there (but expect many other intriguing bands).

__________________________

WHAT: Jewlicious Festival 6.0
WHEN: Friday Feb. 19-21
WHERE: Long Beach
$$$: $36 for students, $75 for non-students

More Valentine’s festivities coming ‘atcha: first up, David Lynch’s Wild at Heart screening at the Downtown Independent at 10:30pm on the 14th for $10 or $25 for two tickets and two beers! Next, the 3rd Annual Lovers and Strangers Valentine’s Art and Music Festival at the Echoplex, presented by the Hear Gallery, Solid Gold, and Everyday. Four bands will perform, lots of DJs, artists, catering by Bold Tacos, photobooths, and live documentary filming. Takes place the 13th at 8pm, 18+, $8 before 10pm, $10 after. Finally, City Sip LA (that tiny wine bar on Sunset in Echo Park known as “wine for the people”) is hosting a beer tasting on V-day featuring 8 beers, cheese, and chocolate for $35 per person. Shouldn’t be too hard to get laid with that combination. 4:30pm-6:00pm. Enjoy the so-called holiday.

*this is by no means an all inclusive roundup

WHAT: ways to celebrate Valentine’s Day
WHEN: Feb. 13th-14th
WHERE: the Downtown Independent, CitySip LA, the Echoplex
$$$: $8-$35

Probably the most well-known food critic, Jonathon Gold of LA Weekly, is hosting his magical Food & Wine event at the end of February. The Los Angeles Gold Standard 2010 is your one-stop shop for 40 of the most delicious LA restaurants. Included with the $60 entry fee you get to taste food from restaurants like Mozza, Jitlada, Angeli, Ludobites, Hungry Cat, Ciudad. Even low key places like Wurstkuche, Let’s Be Frank, and Kogi will be there. On top of that the wine, beer, and spirits are included. It’s not about focusing on LA’s fanciest restaurants, it’s all about the quality! With the VIP entry, you gain entry to the venue an hour before the rest of the crowd and get to leave with a special gift bag while supplies last. It’s going to be crowded but I’m assuming the venue is bigger than last year and they’ve reorganized it so less people complain and more people will be able to focus solely on the eating. Not only will you eat very well, you can meet some of your favorite chefs. Everyone in the foodie world is sure to be there, so get your tickets while they’re still available and prepare your stomach for an intense day of eating!
_______________________
WHAT: LA Gold Standard 2010
WHEN: Sunday, February 28th @ 12pm-5pm
WHERE: Peterson Automotive Museum
$$$: $60/VIP $80

Interested in street food but don’t hit the streets enough? Street Food Festival is for you. Let the street vendors come to you in one convenient location so you can try all the food trucks your co-workers have bragged about and even sample a thing or two you may have seen on Bourdain. In my humble opinion, this kind of thing defeats the purpose of randomly stumbling upon something unique and delicious and to-be-eaten-with-hands, but I guess convenience is key for most fully-functional adults in the world. LA’s first street food fest is not just a food truck fest- no, no, no- there will be authentic LA street food like coconut fritters, Korean chicken wings, and everything you can imagine from a traditional taco truck, as well as vendors from LA’s Breed Street, like barbecoa and pancakes. There will also be vendors of inedible delights like UniqueLA’s pop-up mini-mart, a DIY den to make your own Valentine’s, a Valentine’s food truck themed photo booth, live entertainment, beer and wine bars (hallelujah), and a bike valet. Man, that’s one jam-packed street fest. Of course, the food trucks are the stars of the show- including The Buttermilk Truck, Grilled Cheese Truck, Sweets Truck, Fresser’s, Frysmith, Slice Truck, Flying Pig, Fishlips, many more and hopefully Coolhaus (can you tell which one is my fave?)!! So hit up those beer/wine bars heavily so that you can eat in full denial. It would make an odd Valentine’s date, but an interesting one at the very least.

*Update: Tickets are $5 at the door or presale. Maximum of 60,000 peeps can attend, so get there on time! I’m confused because some places say they are “giving away tickets” but as I far as I can tell you don’t need tickets.

WHAT: LA Street Food Festival
WHEN: Saturday Feb. 13th 11am-5pm
WHERE: LA Center Studios, 500 S Beaudry Ave
$$$: 5 entry + cash for vendors

Well, go to the the City Labs Community Service Fair on Saturday and find out.  50 local non-profit groups will be there to let you know more about their organizations and to give info on how you can help.  It looks like there will be a really diverse mix – everything from guerilla gardening to helping kids and pets – so take a look.

If improving your karma isn’t quite enough for you, the $5 admission also gets you a drink, a raffle ticket for items from UNIQUELA local designers, and free workshops from YourDailyThread, 826LA, and Causecast (all of whom should learn how to use spaces in their names…).
_________________________________________________
WHAT: Community Service Fair
WHEN: Saturday, January 23rd from 11-4
WHERE: California Market Center’s Penthouse
$$$: $5 suggested donation

I know it sounds a little strange, but Machine Project’s Fungi Fest 2010 starts on Saturday.  For a week, the good folks at Machine Project will be celebrating all things mushroom-related (if you want to sound like an expert, the word is mycology).  It seems like the main events are on the 16th and the 21st.

• Saturday, January 16th- Meet at 8 at the Machine Project for fungus-related activities and mushroom flavored Scoops.  Not sure about mushroom ice cream, but the rest sounds fun!
• Monday, January 18th – Public meeting of the Los Angeles Mycological Society at the Museum of Natural History.
• Thursday, January 21st – Mushroom dance and mushroom-themed short films.
• Saturday, January 23rd – Guided mushroom walk in the morning and then harvesting and cooking mushrooms in the evening.

I honestly can’t tell whether this will be awesome or ridiculous, but it’s worth a shot for all the adventurous souls out there.

__________________________________________

WHAT: Fungi Fest 2010
WHEN: January 16th – 23rd
WHERE: All over LA
$$$: Free…I think

I used to only associate Olvera Street with 4th grade field trips and tourists. But it’s actually a pretty sweet street. Tons of food, culture, music, history, people-watching… not a bad way to spend an afternoon.

As some of you know, LA was basically birthed on Olvera Street. Since 1781, although with some changes along the way, the street has stood the test of time. Although this place is cool, I wouldn’t say it’s a street to frequent every Saturday, but it’s definitely something you should check out if you haven’t been in a while or at all. On such a tiny street, it’s hard to imagine the plethora of shops, vendors and restaurants squeezed in here. I honestly don’t know any names of the shops, but you can find some pretty weird and tacky cliche Mexican items in each and everyone of them. A lot of the items tend to be in all the stores as well, so you can easily spot the cheapest option. I don’t know about you, but I love tacky useless items. They make great gifts or stocking-stuffers as well. It’s like what you’d find in Mexico, except a bit pricier, and even tackier.

Then there’s, to me, the stand out food stops on the street when you get sick of shopping and spending your money on luchador masks and multi-colored ponchos (Remember? Tacky cliche Mexican items?). Simple, easy, and delicious, Cielito Lindo, or ‘The Taquito Place’. Fresh and crispy filled with meat and spice, these guys are super cheap and so tasty. A couple taquitos will only set you back a few dollars. And go with the avocado sauce. Any place with avocado sauce is OK in my book. Oh and get prepared for a bit of a wait during peak hours. The line can get long, but they’re working hard back there and are able to serve everyone in a timely fashion. For dessert? Mr. Churro’s all the way. Honestly, the name is such a turn-off, and you better be damn good at making churros if that’s going to be the title of your restaurant. Lucky for this place, their churros are pretty great. They have your regular everyday churros but for the more adventurous they’ve stuffed their churros with custards and jellies and chocolate and more. A regular churro here is $2 and a stuffed is $3. They’re big and delicious so don’t be turned off by the price because you can find cheaper churros. They probably won’t taste as good! It’s also a regular bakery with Mexican pastries and fun Dia De Los Muertos inspired sweets.

What’s great about this place is the very communal vibe. Although many are tourists, there are a lot of locals who frequent this street everyday whether it’s to hang around the plaza or catch some great authentic music. This post may seem a bit short but trust me, this street is packed with stuff to keep you entertained for hours, but it’s more about the experience versus a cool art gallery or a hip record store. It can be fun, it can be tasty, it can be interesting (if you do a history tour of the street or pueblo), hey, it might even be boring, so all you can do is go check it out and decide for yourself! No car? Don’t want to pay for parking? It is literally across the street from Union Station. So nice. Head there on February 2nd for their cool event Fiesta de la Candelaria. The festival has taken place for the last 10 years here, commemorating the “Purification of the Blessed Virgin and the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple”. There will be a procession of kinda creepy dolls dressed elaborately to depict the baby Jesus in the temple, as well as tons of candles and more. Anyway– there’s always something to check out here, that’s why Olvera Street is this week’s Sweet Street!

Want to suggest a sweet street? E-mail us!

Oh no! Herps are attacking the city! Fear not, you did not fall into a cheesy sci-fi flick from the 1950’s. For something to do a little off the beaten path, wander off to Pomona for the Reptile Super Show happening this weekend! There’s probably going to be all sorts of strange critters you never would have guessed existed outside of your dreams, and it’s the perfect opportunity to cure your best friend of their ophidiophobia. Maybe you’ll even find a little scaly buddy of your very own to take home!

_________________________________________________

WHAT: Reptile Super Show
WHEN: Saturday, January 9th, 10am – 6pm and Sunday, January 10th, 11am – 5pm
WHERE: Pomona Fairplex, 1101 W. McKinley Ave., Pomona 91768
$$$: $9 for adults, $5 for kids

Get a sneak peak of this year’s Renaissance Pleasure Faire at The Egyptian Theatre. The courtyard will be “magically transformed into an Elizabethan village with food and merchants, performers and craft demonstrations”. There will also be fine clothes, fun games, toys from Hallowed Tree, and traditional music that is sure to make you laugh and have a merry old time. As with the regular faire, this sampling will be filled with villagers, knights, kings, and queens! To top it all off, the theatre will show the award-winning animated film, The Secret of Kells at 1pm, and end the day at 5pm with a double-feature of Excalibur (1981) and Knightriders (1981).
_____________________________

WHAT: Renaissance Faire Sneak Peak + Appropriately themed films
WHEN: Saturday, January 9th @ 12pm-7pm
WHERE: The Egyptian Theater
$$$: $7-$11

Santa Ana is a trek, but if you’re a fan of indie design and supporting local artists, it might be a trip worth making this Sunday.  From 11-5, the owners of the awesome vintage store, The Road Less Traveled, are hosting a craft fair featuring the work of lots of local artisans — all with an eco-friendly twist.  If the photos from past events are any indication, the selection looks amazing and there will also be yummy food and fun music.  This would be a great opportunity to get started with your holiday shopping, so get some cash from the ATM and drive down south.

________________________________________

WHAT: Patchwork Indie Arts and Crafts Festival
WHEN: Sunday, November 15 from 11-5
WHERE: 2202 North Main Street
$$$: Looks are free

This Saturday, The Bigfoot Lodge’s little sister, Bigfoot West over on Venice Blvd. is getting into the holiday spirit and hosting a Rocktoberfest all afternoon. The event boasts “bands, brats, and Octoberfest beer”, with live music, BBQ from Uncle Creepo (whaaa?), & a bunch of tasty beers like Beck’s Oktoberfest, Jack’s Pumpkin Spice Ale, Hoffbrau Munchen, Spaten Oktoberfest, Hacker-Pschorr, & Weihenstephaner. I haven’t been to this space yet, but from the looks of it, it’s still got it’s kitschy decor that draws an audience from all around to the Eastside location. Definitely a step in the right direction compared to their Stinker’s endeavor… eh.
________________________
WHAT: Rocktoberfest
WHEN: Saturday, October 17th @ 12pm-8pm
WHERE: Bigfoot West
$$$: Free entry

Okay, I think the title of this post pretty much says it all.  You want to go already, right?  In case you’re not convinced, here are a few more mouthwatering details:  For six hours on Sunday, October 11, the Pasadena Center will be overrun with more than 16,000 square feet of gourmet chocolate and wine.  That’s more than a third of an acre of chocolate.  And you don’t have to just stare longingly at the chocolate and wine; you can actually taste it (not sure if you can lick it off models in the flyers, but let’s not get greedy).

There’s only one problem with this chocolate nirvana: I work on Sundays.  So that means one of you loyal BoredLA readers needs to go and bring back some delicious goodies for me.  I’ll call it my commission for turning you on to the event in the first place.

______________________________________________

WHAT: Los Angeles Chocolate Salon
WHERE: Pasadena Center
WHEN: Sunday, October 11 from 11-5
$$$: $20 presale, $25 day of

Gold Dust, a monthly country night at Footsies, is officially the pre-party for Saturday’s awesome, free Eagle Rock music fest. All girl DJs will spin classic rock/country/southern rock all night brought by music blogs When You Awake and Halcyon Magazine. Tonight is special because Eagle Rock Fest DJs will be there, including Leslie of Leslie and the Badgers and Ashley Jex, who is serving as MC of the festival. So check it out to prepare for this weekend’s festivities, which if you aren’t planning on going you totally should. In a few months I’m sure you’ll be glad you saw No Age, Happy Hollows, Pocahaunted, Dusty Rhodes and the River Band, etc for FREE right here on their home turf.

WHAT: Pre-Party/Gold Dust
WHEN: TONIGHT, Thurs. Oct. 1
WHERE: Footsies 2640 N. Figueroa
$$$: no cover

The equinox has passed, summer has officially burned into fall, and that means it’s time for another seasonal massive rave. And since the nights are now longer than the days, it may be to your advantage to try a nocturnal lifestyle.

This weekend brings us the Nocturnal Festival, a large scale festival-style rave that offers six stages of music, as well as rides, art installations, and other goodies specifically designed to blow your mind a little bit. The whole thing is outdoors, inconveniently located in beautiful San Bernadino, at the NOS Events Center. It’s in its fifteenth year, so you know these guys can throw a party. Strange to think that they were doing this crazy stuff all the way back in 1995, when I was just learning how to write in cursive.

Well if you can make the trek, my bet is that it will be worth it. After all, everyone knows the prettiest rave girls go to the raviest raves. If my father wasn’t coming into town this weekend I might consider joining you, but I’m not sure he would necessarily approve of the things we occasionally do when the sun goes down.

—————————————-

WHAT: Massive rave
WHEN: This Saturday, September 26th 5pm-4am
WHERE: NOS Events Center, San Bernadino
$$$: 60

This Sunday is the 25th Abbot Kinney Festival where over 100,000 people will most likely be eating, drinking, and partying. There will be plenty for the kiddies as well as the adults, with rides, live music, and of course, a big green influence in all areas. This region is known for it’s environmental awareness, and the festival is sure to reflect that. They’ve even got bicycle valet stations set up for the event! All of your favorite local spots will be involved in the festival, with doors wide open for guests to check out art, eat their food, and buy cool clothes. Escape the heat and head to the coast for a fun Sunday festival!
___________________________

WHAT: Abbot Kinney Festival
WHEN: Sunday, September 27th @ 10am-6pm
WHERE: Abbot Kinney Blvd.
$$$: Free

Does the phrase “Ooh La La” conjure up images of hot french girls in sexy outfits dancing to amazing french dance music reminiscent of Daft Punk? Well it should, because OohLaLA Fest this Wed.-Fri. is all about the French music scene, dance beats included. The first night, at The Music Box at the Henry Fonda, will feature Sebastian Tellier, Gonzales, and folk duo Cocoon. Thursday features lounge/Cabernet cover tune maestros Nouvelle Vague doing a tribute to 80’s film soundtracks and Emilie Simon (pictured). Friday you’ll be able to get your dance right with some of the leading DJs from France’s “dance touch” scene, as in the scene that spawned Daft Punk. I wonder if Cocorosie is going to make an appearance since they’re playing the Music Box tomorrow night? Either way French people are, like, way ahead of the curve, so you should probably check this out if you’re a music/dance aficionado.

________________________________

WHAT: OohLaLA fest presented by KCRW/GoldenVoice
WHEN: Wed, Thurs, Fri Sept. 23-25 7pm
WHERE: The Music Box @ Henry Fonda
$$$: 25/day; 65/3-day pass

Next weekend, Long Beach is going to be overrun with pirates and shellfish.  You heard me right: pirates and shellfish.  It’s the Lobster Festival at the Port of Los Angeles.  Everything about the festival sounds ridiculously amazing.  In addition to daily pirate raids and more lobster than you could ever hope to eat (over 15 tons, if we’re getting specific), there will also be a Kiss cover band made up entirely of midgets and a parade of dogs dressed like crustaceans.  Seriously, what’s not to love?

Oh, and for you veg-heads out there worried that LobFest will suck because you don’t eat animals, fear not.  If you go to the salad bar at Ports ‘O Call Restaurant, you get into Lobster Festival free with your receipt.  Sounds good to me!

_________________________________________

WHAT: Port of Los Angeles Lobster Festival
WHEN: September 18-20
WHERE: Port of Los Angeles
$$$: $7 admission with the coupon you print out on their website, $17 for a lobster meal

If you’ve tried Greek food, you already understand why Greek Fest is going to be so delicious.  If not, you’re in for a happy surprise.  If you head over to the Santa Sofia Cathedral on September 11th, 12th, or 13th, you’ll be in for some great Greek dancing and music and mind blowing Greek food.  Yum!

The best night to go is Zorba Night on Friday.  Not only will you be able to get in for free, but you can join guest hosts Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson at the Zorba Happy Hour starting at 5 PM.  I’m not quite sure what that means (or if Hanks and Wilson will even be there), but it sounds promising.  Also, you’ll get to meet a bunch of living statues, which look pretty crazy — like ancient versions of the gold man on Venice Beach.

_________________________________________________

WHAT: L.A. Greek Festival
WHEN: September 11, 12, and 13
WHERE: Santa Sofia Cathedral
$$$: Free on Friday, $5 Saturday and Sunday