Ladies and Gentlemen – a very exciting announcement. We at BoredLA just received word of the grand opening of The Greatest Party ever. Take a moment to digest this phenomenal news. Once you have, continue reading:

If you like getting your groove on (and you do, admit it), then you need to make a point to check out the newest dance factory in Hollywood. Opening tomorrow night, Fridays at Hwood promises a collection of the areas greatest DJs to get your booty shaking – some electric combination of indie, 90s, punk, electro, rock… as well as “A TRIO OF SUPER HOMIES TO COMPLETE VOLTRON.” Those capital letters weren’t a mistake, by the way! There’s also talk of a “secret guest,” which is always exciting. As usual – arrive early or miss out. This is bound to be a big night, so don’t wake up on Saturday kicking yourself for missing all the action.

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WHAT: Fridays at Hwood
WHEN: 9:30 p.m. until… who knows! (Probably 2 a.m.)
WHERE: The corner of Orange and Hollywood Blvd.
$$$: Free ninety-nine.

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!

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

Remember when Alice in Wonderland was just a really cool book? (A line stolen from the Twitterverse). No longer, my friends. Ah, well, embrace the blockbuster-Tim-Burton-Madness when it involves a Japanese cosplay cafe and an adult costume party. Next Saturday Royal/T will host an Alice-themed fashion show and a daytime party with lots of sweet treats. They’ve already had a few Alice-themed bashes that I, for one, wish I had attended. To keep your mind in Wonderland, the cafe will offer a $25 tea set starting March 5th, including playing card sandwiches, mini cupcakes with edible “eat me” notes, deep purple macaroons, and a green tea milk blend. Makes me want to throw my own tea party.

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WHAT: Alice in Wonderland Fashion Show/Tea Party
WHEN: Saturday March 6th
WHERE: Royal/T 8910 Washington Blvd, Culver City
$$$: open to the public

Sometimes we bring up the same galleries over and over again, mainly on the eastside. You hate us, sorry. It’s only because we adore them! But today we’re going to talk about another little gallery called Roberts & Tilton in Culver City. Tonight’s the opening reception for photographer Ed Templeton’s show The Seconds Pass. Every photograph in the exhibit was taken from his car while driving all over several countries. From cross-country road trips in America, Chile, and Australia, to taxi rides in Paris, Barcelona, Moscow, and St. Petersberg. It’s a really cool collection of the view of our world from the road. I’m sure there’s a bunch of different deeper meanings to it all, but I’m not going to pretend I know what they are. The photos are cool, the party will be fun as all openings are (free drinks by Kirin), so you should try and check it out! This exhibit will be on display until April 3rd.

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WHAT: Ed Templeton’s The Seconds Pass opening reception
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 26th @ 6pm-9pm
WHERE: Roberts & Tilton
$$$: Free

Break out your leopard print, top hats, and faux fur for this one because Friday night is all about the vixens and vamps at the downtown Venus in Furs & Femme Fatale party.  This Muzezon, Inc. journey, taking you back a few decades, will feature a runway show with hair and makeup by Hairroin Salon, body art by No.YTK, and live femme fatale models strutting their stuff to the best indie/electro beats by dj’s: Notorious Jen and Henry Strange.  Featured artwork includes: Pingping paintings, (pop-anime girly art), and Michelle Hinch photography, (recent contributor to Marie Claire: Tokyo), amongst other modern-day-heroine presentations.  Don’t miss the chance to take part in this Velvet Underground-inspired charade!  Donations are accepted at the door (CASH only!) in support of Haiti relief efforts, libations will be flowing, and there is a $5 secure parking lot from which a complimentary shuttle will escort you to all the fatale fun.

Calling all you jazz cats, and zoot-suit-wearing hipsters.  Saturday, we celebrate the yin to the femme fatale’s yang at the: Ode to the Lounge Lizard-A Cocktail Napkin Art Invitational.  Hosted by the E3rd Lounge in the heart of the downtown LA Arts District, this is second in the monthly Jerico Woggon-presented event series.  $10 gets you in the door, $5 with a shared recession tale (awesome = getting a discount to vent), and FREE admission will be granted to anyone brave enough to show up in an actual lizard costume (pictures, please!).  If this isn’t enough to draw you out already, there is plenty more where that came from: a blacklight art installation by Woggon himself, live painting by E3rd resident artist (and Little Tokyo art darling), Emmeric Konrad, and everything necessary to create your own cocktail napkin art for selling, trade, or a take-home flashback souvenir.

Moral of the story?  Whichever is truly the Leader of the Pack, both guarantee to be a swingin’ good time.

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WHAT: Venus in Furs & Femme Fatale & Ode to the Lounge Lizard
WHEN: Friday, Feb. 26th 9pm-4am & Saturday, Feb. 27th, 8pm-2am
WHERE: Catalyst Artist Collective (LOFT) & E3rd Lounge
$$$: Haiti relief donation-$10, CASH ONLY

According to Berlin-native and house-producer, DJ KAOS, the answer is YES!  In a rare U.S. appearance this Saturday night at the Chase Loft Series-February Edition, the dj heavyweight promises to keep the crowd movin and groovin’ until the wee hours to his own version of Chicago-inspired house and disco beats.

Presented by The Chase, EVFA, and MEO, KAOS will be joined by rockin’ resident dj’s: JaseFromOuterSpace and Klassique at Junglerush, a hidden indoor/outdoor venue perfect for late-night dalliances or just a fun night out of the oh-so-predictable Hollywood scene. True to its downtown roots and promotional prowess, this event is one not to be missed.

Annd….that’s not all!  The recession-style OPEN BAR will keep the conversation flowing, not to mention your glass full for a mere $15 until 11pm and $20 thereafter.  I don’t know how much YOU typically spend on cocktails a night, but let me tell you, this is a STEAL in my drink-infused world.

Whether this inspires you late-nighters to at least consider making it in the door before the price increase or you still run a little late due to a last-minute addition to the perfect outfit, $5 more is a small price to pay for fun on the run, so I say let the rationalization takes its natural course. After all, the party will be poppin’ ‘til 3am and if Italians really do do it better, it will be well worth the wait.

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WHAT: Chase Loft Series-February Edition
WHEN: Saturday, Feb. 20th, 10pm-3am
WHERE: Junglerush/EVFA, 542 S Alameda (Cross St. Palmetto)
$$: $15 before 11pm, $20 after with open bar, CASH ONLY

Photo nerds rejoice – Lomography is officially coming to LA.  Yeah, all the hipsters have been shooting lomo for a long time, but as of Thursday our beloved town will now be home to a Lomography store/gallery/embassy.  I’ve been using a fisheye #2 and a Holga for a while now and I can tell you how fun lomo cameras are.  They’re decidedly low-tech and you never know quite what you’ll get when you shoot a picture; light leaks and and warped shots are par for the course and part of the thrill of shooting is discovering what happened once you develop your film.

Lomography Gallery is holding a few days’ worth of events, which sound like they’re going to be a blast.  Check out the schedule below:

February 18th – 7 PM: Opening party with drinks (!), Mexican food, a mariachi band, dancers, etc.  Sounds like a good time.  The guestlist is limited, so rsvp to shopla@lomography.com and make sure you get on the list.

February 19th – 6-8 PM: Intro to Lomography. If you don’t know what I’ve been talking about in this post, check out the seminar to find out more about the history of Lomography and what people are doing with it now.  By the way, this is totally free!

February 20th – 1-3 PM: Meet the Lomo LC-A+. This one is $10 and includes a free loaner camera and a roll of film.  If you have your own LC-A+ and film, it’s totally free. Learn tips and tricks for shooting with this Soviet gem and go for a photo expedition throughout West Hollywood.

February 23rd – 1-4 PM: Analogue Love 101. Same as the LC-A workshop, bring your Lomo and get in free, or pay $10 for a loaner and a roll of film.  This workshop teaches you all the tricks out there to make the most of Lomography.  Again with a shooting expedition, I imagine.

February 25th -1-3 PM: Diana Dialogues.  Another $10 workshop, this time with the Diana camera.  More tips and tricks and then a shooting expedition.

If you check out any of these workshops, let us know.  We’d love to see your pictures!

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WHAT: Lomography in LA
WHEN: Events from February 18th-25th
WHERE: 7998 Santa Monica Blvd.
$$$: Free or $10

There are a TON of things to do in our wonderful city to celebrate the Lunar New Year! Frankly, the happenings going on around town are kinda cooler than regular new year’s festivities, if you ask me. Starting downtown at the Music Center, the Chinese song and dance stage show, Shen Yun Chinese New Year Spectacular, will be showing through the 14th. Tickets are at the cheapest $39 but take the Metro and you can save $9 on parking! Garden Grove is having their annual Tet Festival along Westminster Blvd. with dragon dancers, live music, dance performances, rides, and most importantly: food. Lots and lots of delicious, authentic Vietnamese food! From Friday to Sunday, this fest is only $5 a day and you can get more info on their website.

Back to the downtown area, more specifically, Chinatown, there will be an awesome scavenger hunt set up by Out of the Box Events. Teams of 6 will run around Chinatown answering trivia and finding hidden Chinatown secrets! It’s $25 to partake in the event and trust me, it is totally worth the money. These hunts are ridiculously elaborate and incredibly fun! A great way to kick off the new year! (Especially if you win!) Over in Monterey Park, the Chinese New Year Floral Street Fair and Lantern Festival will take place on Saturday, Feb. 20. Another festival with food and flowers, more food, and more flowers. This festival has free entry! More info here.

Oh, there’s more. Chinatown will be quite busy, because on February 20th and 21st, the Golden Dragon Parade will be taking place. Definitely try to take the Metro since parking will be extremely limited with all the streets closed offf! It’s a parade, so it’s free, but you can pay $25 for a grandstand ticket. Finally, even Olvera Street is joining in on the celebration, with the Chinese American Museum Lantern Festival taking place there on Saturday, March 6th. (Seriously, a whole freaking month of celebrations so you won’t miss out!) Lion dancers, acrobatics, music, dance, craft workshops, and more, all free. So yeah— uhh…. the lunar new year is way cool. Plus if you’re lucky, maybe you’ll get a little red envelope filled with hundreds of dollars! I definitely won’t be that lucky.

You know that bar we wrote about before in Silverlake, owned by the guy who brought us all the lovely Bigfoot Lodge? It’s called Stinkers, and if you haven’t heard of it, it’s closing, so you missed your chance to check it out. Personally, I thought the backends of skunks hung on the wall, spraying the crowd with a foggy mist was kind of funny, but I wasn’t a huge fan of the whole trucker theme. Skunks + truckers. I don’t get it. Well, it doesn’t matter anymore, because it’s all up for auction on February 9th! Maybe you will be one of the lucky few to get your hands on a skunk butt, or a skunk painting. There are plenty of cool trucker gadgets like a real working radio and a 1970s Trans Am hood. The official closing party is also happening in a few weeks, so make sure to send them off right with lots of drinking and smelly skunks. Maybe you’ll be able to show off your cool new stuffed skunk drinking a Colt 45? If you’re sad the bar is closing down, don’t be! The owner says it will only be shut down for two weeks while they revamp the place with a new theme! Jersey Shore, anyone?
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WHAT: Stinkers Closing Party & Auction
WHEN: Tuesday, February 9th & Monday, February 15th
WHERE: Stinkers
$$$: up to you

If you like Avi Buffalo and the Soft Pack (which you should), you can see them this Saturday at a free house party in Venice. Now, instilling yourself in what will surely be a boozy afternoon amongst good friends may be awkward, but you’re invited, so why the hell not? Oh yeah, there is a reason for the house party- it is being presented by FMLY (who also have a fundraiser this Wednesday) and FYF.

WHAT: House Party featuring Avi Buffalo and the Soft Pack
WHEN: Sat. Jan. 30th 1pm
WHERE: 1210 Appleton Way, Venice, Ca 90291
$$$: free

We post about the boys of ishowmyself a lot and their resident dance club- Temporary Spaces, but they do throw a good dance party if you’re looking for one. This Saturday should be no different, at their weekly “BIG” Saturdays at their new TS2 (Temporary Spaces 2) location on Melrose. I have yet to try out the new location, but I thoroughly enjoyed myself a time or two at the old location on Fountain Ave. so I have no reason to believe this would be any different. In fact, the way @iSHOWMYSELF twitters about it I would think it would be even better. It’s always free entry and there’s usually a drink special: this week it’s $5 drinks until 11pm and cheap Mexican food all night. I.D.E.A., LeDISKO, and Sean Patrick are also responsible for these dance nights.  If you can’t make it out this weekend, try it the next. Last weekend was ’90s night and I sort of really wish I had come out. I hear one of the boys was wearing puka shells?

WHAT: BIG Saturdays at Temporary Spaces
WHEN: Saturday 10pm-2am; every Saturday
WHERE: 4658 Melrose Ave (at Ardmore)
$$$: free entry; $5 drinks before 11pm

There you are. Sitting at your computer or smart phone. Racking your brain for something to do tomorrow night. There’s that party that your friend from high school’s second cousin is throwing in their apartment complex that will no doubt get busted at 11:30, and since you’re not on the inner circle of friends, you’ll be thrown out into the cold to drink the can of PBR you stole on the way out while listening to the radio, possibly crying. That doesn’t sound fun at all. Take my advice, start the new decade with something adventurous and go do something on this list!

GOOD HARD TIMES ART & MUSIC FESTIVAL

The Hear Gallery, Blow Up LA, and Automatico are teaming up with an absurdly crammed lineup of musicians, djs, artists, video installations, live art, catering, free giveaways from some of the sponsors, topped off with an open bar with admission from 8pm – 2am. There’s so much happening, I feel it’s wrong to highlight any one aspect. Just do yourself a favor and click that rsvp link (That one. Right there. Or the one just below this.) and look yourself.

WHAT: Good Hard Times NYE 2010
WHEN: 8pm – 5am
WHERE: Loft 265, 265 S. Main St. @ 3rd St.. 90012 (enter through back alley)
$$$: 21+: $25 8pm-2am, $15 8pm-11pm w/rsvp, $10 2am-5am
18+: $10 all night

THE STANDARD’S NEW YEAR’S EVE MASQUERADE PARTY

Poolside at The Standard Hollywood, ring in the new year with a performance from Fool’s Gold, an 11 piece eclectic Afro-pop band, DJs Prince Language, Asa Ransom, Valida, and DJ Pubes. Included in the $30 presale ticket price is a comlimentary champangne toast at midnight, with $5 Red Stripe specials all night. The perfect opportunity to bust out that unloved Mardi Gras mask from the back of your closet and go make out with strangers.

WHAT: New Year’s Eve Masquerade Party
WHEN: 7pm – 2am
WHERE: The Standard Hollywood, 8300 Sunset Blvd., 90069
$$$: $30 presale here, $40 day of

NYEROX ‘09

Dub Frequency and URB magazine are taking over The Roxy on Sunset, with a countdown (Hooray! Wait, isn’t everyone doing that?) and DJs like DJ Skee, Moke Posner, Dude Royal, and more. Sounds like a dance party! General admission tickets are $30, all you can drink well and beer tickets are $55, all you can drink premium tickets $100.

WHAT: NYEROX ‘09
WHEN: 9pm – 2am
WHERE: The Roxy, 9009 W. Sunset Blvd, West Hollywood
$$$: $30+

NEW YEAR’S EVE AT THE ROOSEVELT

If you’ve got the $140 for tickets, this sounds glamtamerous. A performance from Pharacyde, DJ Grandmaster Flash amongst others, and an erotic water ballet performance! The party is going to encompass the entire property, including the pool and all the rooms, with 4 separate stages set up, and a huge balloon drop at midnight. Entrance includes the open bar from 9pm -11pm. Be sure to get your tickets fast, they’re (allegedly) almost sold out.

WHAT: New Year’s Eve 2010
WHEN: 9pm – 3am
WHERE: The Roosevelt Hotel, 7000 Hollywood Blvd., 90028
$$$: $140

VENDETTA NEW YEAR’S EVE

Escape the new millenium and party like it’s 1920 with this prohibition era mobster themed party brought to you by LADEAD. With an eclectic mix of industrial, swing, electro, and jazz music coming from the DJs, this is sure to be the ultimate haunt for all you old school gangster types looking for a flapper to call your own. $20 for general entry at the door, $150 for VIP w/open bar and blackjack with suicidegirl dealers ($100 presale if you’re quick).

WHAT: Vendetta New Year’s Eve
WHEN: 9pm – 3am
WHERE: The Monte Cristo, 3100 Wilshire Blvd,  90005
$$$: $20 general admission/$150 vip

RED BULL NEW YEAR NO LIMITS

Then, of course if you’re not into all this club stuff and want to see someone possibly be maimed/dead by a crazy Evil Knievel stunt, Red Bull is sponsoring Travis Pastrana in his attempt to break the world record for longest jump over water down at the Pine Avenue Pier in Long Beach. The event’s free, but the parking may be a nightmare. Here’s a little assistance from Red Bull.

WHAT: Red Bull New Year No Limits
WHEN: 9pm is jump time
WHERE: Rainbow Harbor, Pine Avenue and Shoreline Drive, Long Beach, CA 90802
$$$: Free! $10 parking in most lots

Bon voyage, dear 2009! You were quite a kick in the pants. Should you feel like kicking your short term memory in the pants for the night, head on down to ye old Alvarado House in Echo Park tonight for an all night dance under sheets, stars, and low basement ceilings rager. Brought to you by the Hang The DJs crew, these parties do not disappoint. Outside is a tented backyard with video projections and Star Wars sheets, inside is a somewhat ramshackle house where you’d sooner assume to see haunted portraits of former owners rather than 100 club kids smarmily dancing and pounding on the ceiling.

This installment features DJs Ana Calderon, Knyfeprty, Aaron Castle amongst others, along with (more) free Colt 45 10 – midnight, cash bar the rest of the night. Be sure to bundle up with lots of layers since it’s primarily outdoors, however the indoor dance room does get pretty sweaty. And don’t plan on going to that early morning church service tomorrow. They look down on hangovers, so I hear.

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WHAT: HTDJs End Of Year Party
WHEN: Saturday, December 26th, 10pm – 4am
WHERE: The Alvarado House, 1027 N. Alvarado St., Echo Park 90026
$$$: $5

If you haven’t checked out an A&D wholesale vintage party, yet, you can still give it a try before the end of the year.  This Saturday, December 26th, roll down to East LA and roll up your sleeves to riffle through gigantic cardboard boxes overflowing with polyester, fringe, and pleather.  The kind folks of A&D provide all the hip kids who flock to the event with empty (and clean) garbage bags to stuff full of plaid t-shirts, multicolored high heels, belts, jewelery, and jeans.  The warehouse, or Boogy Den, has plenty of clothing for both guys and gals.

I’m sure there will be a DJ or a band to help you maintain the rhythms of consumerism.   All clothes and accessories are $1!  Drinks are free! They have hard A and beer.  Don’t forget to tip the bartender!  He’s the host’s (Deborah’s) husband, and he makes a mean tequila sunrise.  21 to drink, any age to get in.
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WHAT: A&D Vintage December Public Party
WHEN: Saturday, December 26th from 8pm – 2am
WHERE: Between Olympic and Washington
$$: $1 clothing, $10 cover (the invite doesn’t mention this $10, but i’m assuming it’s the same as in the past.  $10 = a very reasonable cover for such an event)

Wait, not literally. We are not holiday terrorists here. However, here’s a good reason to mix up a bad holiday sweater with some awesome sparkle shorts and dance dance dance those winter blues to a sweaty glint of a memory!

Saturday night, BlowUpLA rings in the spirit of the season with the aid of Jokers Of The Scene, Sleazemore, Goddollars, Dirty Dave, and more merry surprises to come! $5 before 11pm with an rsvp to www.blowuplaevents.com/holiday, $10 without, located downtown in some (most likely slightly creepy) warehouse where you have to enter through a back alley. How adventurous!

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WHAT: Blow Up LA – Holiday Edition
WHEN: Saturday December 19th, 10pm – 4am
WHERE: 263 S Main St. @ 3rd St., 90012
$$$: $5 w/RSVP, $10 without

So this isn’t technically the 12th day of Christmas, but it is in Ghettogloss land. Tonight is the final night of their holiday art show, and after 12 days of art work getting added to the list, this is the best night to attend! From 6pm-12am they will have a special closing party with Pullip dolls from Japan taking over. They are really creepy. Like, seriously, really freaking creepy. Look at those eyes! Imagine waking up next to one. Ok I will stop. Hopefully the art will distract you from said creepiness. Or maybe the Strawberry Shortcake Krispy Kreme & Egg Nogg reception? I vote yes.
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WHAT: Ghettogloss’s Twelve Days of Christmas
WHEN: Tuesday, December 15th @ 6pm-12am
WHERE: Ghettogloss
$$$: Free

Local female artisans gather their finest for a bash this Friday night. Presented by  Timmery of the 1981 Collection, the night will kick off with an exhibit featuring over 20 local underground artists and photographers, followed by a fashion show by several emerging fashion and accessory designers. All night long DJ Tessa Young will be spinning and at midnight CRAZE DOT COM will be putting on a performance.

Oh, but wait. The best part? There’s going to be a ton of booths by some of the participants. Not only do you get to support local artists, party, dance, but ALSO knock off some of that Christmas list! Legend has it that the event is sponsored by Honest Tea and Colt 45 (that colt sure does get around these days), so there will be quantities of both for free. Huzzah to shopping and malt liquor! Happy holidays indeed.

Located at Loft 4300, 4300 W. Jefferson Blvd, with a cover of $10 at the door or $7 presale through timmery@1981collection.com.

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WHAT: Sugar: A Feminine Look At Art
WHEN: Friday, December 11th, 8pm – 2am
WHERE: Loft 4300, 4300 W. Jefferson Blvd, 90016
$$$: $10, $7 presale

Remember last November, when Machine Project took over LACMA and made the already amazing museum about a billion times cooler? I do. And I remember that I was out of town and couldn’t go. And my friend won the scavenger hunt and got a free year-long membership to LACMA. And I was miserable. For those who missed out like me, and even for those who attended and want to relive it as much as possible, you are so in luck. Machine Project has created a book about that day called A Machine Project Field Guide to LACMA. It is filled with giant, colorful spreads of the 60+ projects that occurred during those ten hours of awesomeness. You can purchase the book here, (or download a free PDF of it), as well as attend the official book release party on Saturday at LACMA. The party will include performances by Fol Chen, J-Lep, The Douglas Lee, and a murder-mystery performance by Jessica Z. Hutchins and Dawn Kasper. Before the event starts, if you can get your free tickets from the box office at 6pm quick enough, check out a performance by Emily Lazy whose “Temples of the Mind” residency opens that same day. This is your last chance to relive that infamous day— until they do it again. (If anyone from Machine Project is reading this, PLEASE do it again!)

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WHAT: A Machine Project Field Guide to LACMA Book Release Party
WHEN: Saturday, December 5th @ 7pm-9pm
WHERE: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
$$$: Free

Celebrate Christmas (or whatever it is you celebrate) in indie style at L.A. Record’s annual party, held this year at Bedrock rehearsal space in Echo Park, which is, apparently, like Disneyland for musicians. The party is all ages, but there will be complimentary Jaguar Spirits tequila for those of age, in addition to an appearance by the Frysmith truck- aka LA’s version of poutine. But what the party’s really all about is the music, I guess, which includes performances by Abe Vigoda, the Soft Pack, and Leslie and the Badgers, in addition to numerous DJs and “pop-up” record stores. There will be an all-vinyl dance party (yessss), pictures with Santa, live screen-printing, and just about every other happening you can imagine at a hipster music collective. Plus free valet parking. RSVP now to get in free (with a donation of a child’s toy) and show up early because the Bedrock ain’t that big.

WHAT: L.A. Record Christmas Party
WHEN: Saturday Dec. 19th, 8pm
WHERE: Bedrock, 1623 Allesandro at Glendale/Alvarado
$$$: free with RSVP and toy donation

It’s finally here: easy, cheap access to East Los Angeles. I’m seriously ecstatic. To celebrate, Metro’s offering free rides and tons of events at several different stops. Little Tokyo/Arts District will feature live karaoke, a mini street fair with booths from neighboring restaurants and businesses, and plenty of family activities. Union Station will bring Christmas SUPER early (awkwardly so) with a visit from Santa and some carolers. Over at Mariachi Plaza Station, there will of course be live mariachi bands, tons of Latin live music, and Boyle Heights’ first ever block party and street fair. Included in the fair will be tons of delicious food, free giveaways, and local art exhibits.Finally, the East L.A. Civic Center Station will offer live Chicano rock, a farmer’s market, more food booths, family fun, cooking classes, and more. One can easily spend his or her day riding the Gold Line (for free, remember?) and checking out all these free activities highlighting L.A.’s diversity and it’s eagerness to change it’s transportation issues, one line extension at a time!

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WHAT: Metro Gold Line Extension Grand Opening
WHEN: Sunday, November 15th All Day
WHERE: East L.A.
$$$: Free