“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)

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

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)

Culver City is decadent and depraved! Well, no, that’s not entirely true, it’s actually kind of New Jersey suburb-ish and really rather pleasant… but on May 8th, there’s an underground festival going on that will set those earlier words in stone. That’s when the Mystikal Misfits, a hardy tribe of LA-based Burning Man fanatics, are throwing COLLECTION! – a dance party that promises such high levels of giddy debauchery, anyone who hopes to someday have a political career should avoid getting photographed there.

There will be mysterious cocktails.  There will be fire-dancing. There will be adorable, scantily-clad boys and girls running around in “Mad Max” gear and neon fur.  There will be a giant Twister board, for those of you who need a socially acceptable reason to get in compromising positions with aforementioned adorables. There will be amazing house and electro DJ’s, headlined by DivaDanielle tag-teaming with Todd Spero, spinning the kind of beats that will later have your doctor admonishing you to include less funkiness in your diet. There will be an aromatherapy booth, and classy dames selling cigarettes (not in the aromatherapy booth.) It’s being held at Mission Control, adjacent to Jefferson Ave and the 405, the exact building address of which is being kept under wraps until the night of the party — RSVP on the Facebook page to get all the details.

Culver City will never know what hit it.

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WHAT: Underground Burning Man dance party
WHEN: Saturday, May 8th, 9PM – 4 AM
WHERE: Mission Control
$$$: $15

Are you already feeling nostalgic for The Specials’ triumphant comeback performance at Coachella last weekend (or are one of those poor souls who missed it entirely, because you couldn’t afford a ticket/had other plans/were actually at Coachella but were busy having a mescaline-fueled existential meltdown inside a Port-a-John?)  Fear not — because Friday nights at La Cita are all about the Punky Reggae Party.  Housed in slow-slung joint with brothel-like lighting and arguably the sweatiest dance floor in downtown, La Cita’s weekend start-up shindig is where you go when you want to unashamedly skank to some Madness, Fishbone, The Sex Pistols, Sister Nancy, and of course, our dearly reunited Specials.  If the word “penance” can be used in relation to anything this much fun, consider it penance for all those terrible third-wave ska-punk albums you bought in the mid-90’s. (Get there early, this place fills up fast.)

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WHAT: Punky Reggae Party
WHEN: Friday Nights, 9 PM-2 AM
WHERE: La Cita
$$$: Free before 11 PM, $5 after

You’ve been staring at that little box on your calendar that reads “Sunday, April 25th” with a wish in your heart that just keeps nagging for an excuse to break out that can of aqua net, glitter tights, and those fun vintage 80’s clothes lurking in your closet that you haven’t quite had the nerve for yet. Taint that pure churchy glow that you were prancing around all day with by going to La Cita downtown for Erotic City! This week they’re having a live performance from Josie Cotton who will be performing her classics from the Valley Girl soundtrack along with some new material. Every week they have $3 brew, $4 well drink specials and entry is free, but be sure to RSVP.

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WHAT: Erotic City with Josie Cotton
WHEN: Sunday, April 25, 9:30pm – 2am
WHERE: La Cita Bar, 336 Hill Street, DTLA 90013
$$$: FREE all night long

Okay, okay, soooooo I’ve been a little MIA, I know.  BUT, now that the Spring Break/birthday madness (it was April 7th, for those of you who may have missed it) has subsided into a blissful memory, I’m fully prepared to make up for it.  Get ready for a ridiculous amount of awesome events right…n-o-w.

Start your weekend off early with a Thursday evening stop (still time to plan ahead for next week) at the Sassy City Chicks Fashion Bash sponsored by Gen Art LA and Sprinkles Cupcakes (yummy!). A sample sale of sorts, past designers boast of such favorites as: Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenburg, and Ella Moss. Too rich for your blood?  Not to worry.  For a mere five little ones, (when you sign up for free with Goldstar.com), you can purchase a VIP ticket that includes a swag bag full of designer goodies as well as complimentary spa services and cocktails.  If you’re really feeling lavish, book a pre-event Chevy Ride & Drive for an early ticket to fab-ville and be rewarded with more gifts and early entrance to stake your claim.

Boys: I’ve got something in it for you too (well…besides the free cocktails, of course): the venue. Four floors of amazing car history come to life at the Peterson Automotive Museum. Break off from the fashion madness and take a stroll amongst classic cars, hot rods, vintage bikes, and state-of-the-art machinery from your favorite flicks.  Admission to the museum is usually $10 on its own, so you’ll be getting in for half the price…at night (when the museum is usually closed), with drinks.  FREE DRINKS.

There.  That should get you started.  Now, get some rest, ‘cause this is just the beginning.

XOXO

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WHAT: Sassy City Chicks Fashion Bash
WHEN: Thursday, April 22nd 5:30-10pm
WHERE: Peterson Automotive Museum
$$$: $5 with Goldstar.com

“There’s something wrong with my ass — I need to shake it.”  This was the bound-for-immortality quote my friend delivered to me as we headed out to a Shade party last summer. And if there is ever a better reason to shake your ass in a grassy park on a Saturday afternoon, I have yet to find it.

The brainchild of LA-based DJ’s DivaDanielle and Porter Tinsley, Shade is a once-a-month “day party”, kicking off this Saturday from noon til sunset  in Woodley Park. It’s the kind of place where you’ll find yourself drinking strange libations with friendly strangers on picnic blankets in the afternoon sun; where you can go ballistic with squirt-guns during impromptu water-fights; where you can try your hand at hula-hooping or spinning poi (being met with, if you’re anything like me, hilariously mixed results); where you’ll watch silk-rope acrobats slowly gyrate in the trees, like an NSFW Disney cartoon; where DJ’s you’d normally have to venture out deep into clubland (or into Burning Man) to find, are happily spinning funky house and ghetto-tech to their hearts’ content. It’s one of those things that reminds out-of-towners why they moved to LA, and reminds locals why they love it here (and for me, why I ever got into event-blogging in the first place.) It’s a secret too good to keep.

Summer’s here. Stop dilly-dallying. Go shake it.

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WHAT: Daytime dance party in the park
WHEN: Once a month, Saturdays from noon til sunset
WHERE: Woodley Park
$$$: Free

About two months ago, I finally found the courage to bring my girlfriend home to meet the rest of my family for the first time.  Not being ones to pass over a veritable goldmine of comedy, my brothers set their sights on embarrassing me as much as possible in front of my relatively new lady-friend.

The tour of the house was your standard affair: this is the living room, this is our dog, this is a closet.  However when the tour group made its stop at my former room, it was already too late for me.  I stared with a perplexed look at a sign which read “Vampires and Werewolves only.  NO HUMANS ALLOWED” before opening my door and ushering my girlfriend in.

To my absolute horror, my brothers had replaced everything on my walls with Twilight posters and memorabilia.  New Moon lay half-read upon my bed and a white board presented several arguments regarding the great Edward/Jacob debate, as well as repeatedly had my name written with Edward’s surname.  Cutouts of my face were pasted over Bella Swan’s and on several of the posters, Edward Cullen’s lips were worn out to suggest that I had, in fact, kissed them off.

I had a lot of explaining to do.

What I’ve been trying to say in the past four paragraphs is that bedrooms are tangible representations of what we like and enjoy.  It was this fact that my brothers so expertly exploited to have my girlfriend now question my sexuality, and it is also this fact that Scion Installation L.A. Galleries is utilizing for our artistic enjoyment.

“Rooms”, curated by Roger Gastman, is a group exhibition that will feature 8 artists from ranging disciplines.  Each artist will create and sprinkle their own artistic style over a room with its own theme.  From Kime Buzzelli’s teenage girlpower room to Dueling VHS’ wood-paneled mancave, you’re sure to find something fresh and thought-provoking.

And here’s my present for reading this far: the reception is free with complimentary valet parking and an open bar.  The artists will all be present and happy to talk about their work, and even sell something to you if that’s your kind of thing.

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WHAT: Sweet art installation
WHEN: April 24 through May 15; Opening reception: April 24, 7-10PM
WHERE: Scion Installation Space
$$$: Free

This weekend, DrinkEatPlay gives you a way to drink as much as humanly possible while also maintaining a bit of class.

The LA Sake Festival is in its 2^nd year offering over 100 types of imported sake to sip and sample in every flavor, filter, and variety possible.  If you’re new in the sake game, introductory classes will be offered to help you bypass the sake-bomb phase.  For you connoisseurs, take advantage of the OPEN BAR mixologists to create a new version of your specialty sake cocktail, whether it be the oh-so-popular saketini or (for you intrepid souls) the tamagozake: the Japanese answer to eggnog.

It’s all happening this Saturday night, March 27^th at the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel.  Promising a bit of a Vegas vibe in a relaxed, yet upscale setting; this may just be your lucky night. Go organic or unfiltered, munch on some pairing-appropriate (or not so much) sushi roll and spicy noodles, and be sure to top off the night with a visit to the authentic karaoke booth and give the people what they want with a saucy rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody.

Oh!  And don’t let the $50 price tag scare you away.  Sign up for FREE with Goldstar.com and get twenty bucks off the all-inclusive door price.  Kampai!

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WHAT: LA Sake Festival
WHERE: Renaissance Hollywood Hotel
WHEN: Saturday, March 27th, 8pM-11PM
$$$: $50 ($30 if you sign up with Goldstar.com)

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.