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 Jon Burgerman |
Cultural Stimuli in LA
Issue 119: landslide flavor
Every so often nature gives us a nice reminder of its power: moving castles down the street, causing mountains to rupture, and stranding people in trees. Luckily, we have nice cozy clubs and theaters to take shelter in when the mad action starts. So if the sky turns the color of dirty blood and the floor starts shaking, don't worry — just hold steady, grab your gang, try to adapt, and keep spreading it!
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flavorpill is an email magazine covering a hand-picked selection of music, art, and cultural events — delivered each Tuesday afternoon.
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Read Jonathan Safran Foer's New York Times bestseller Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, the novel that's got people talking (and arguing) nationwide. Find out why Salman Rushdie calls this new novel from the author of Everything Is Illuminated, "An exceptional achievement." Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. Visit www.theprojectmuseum.com to learn more. |
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| MUSIC: Rock 'n Rave |
Kasabian
| when: |
Tue 6.7 (8:30pm) |
| where: |
Henry Fonda Theatre (6126 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 323.464.0808) map |
| price: |
$15 |
| links: |
Event Info | Kasabian |
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If you've become a bit dazed by the astonishing number of quality bands once more emerging from the UK, Kasabian are here to slap you across the face with a clear reminder that the British are still coming. Endearingly named after Manson family member Linda, the Leicester, England-based four-piece revives the spirit of Madchester's baggy scene; its beat-based rock rave-ups recall the glory days of the Stone Roses and Happy Mondays, while also echoing the poppier side of modern-day Primal Scream and the Cooper Temple Clause. Kasabian's self-titled debut has already scored enough stateside success to snag them a string of dates with Oasis and Jet this fall, but tonight they're running the show — something that's worth getting used to. (DL)
Note: Mad Action and the Colour open.
 Where is Linda Kasabian's last known residence? The 11th and 20th correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| READING |
David Sedaris: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim
| when: |
Wed 6.8 (7pm) |
| where: |
Vroman's Bookstore (695 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, 626.449.5320) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Event Info | David Sedaris |
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If, to paraphrase Jon Stewart, the re-election of George W. Bush means that much of the country doesn't care for Will & Grace, who knows what it means for David Sedaris. Regardless, the wildly popular author has little trouble selling books, tickets to readings, or seats at The Book of Liz, the play he wrote with his sister Amy. If anything, Sedaris' autobiographical essays speak directly to the screwed-up machinations at the core of all relationships — the eccentric quirks that come to characterize life partnerships of all kinds. (DC)
Note: Numbered tickets will be handed out to customers at the central information desk as soon as the first person arrives for the signing. Ticketholders will then be asked to return for the actual line-up at 4pm. Two ticket limit per person.
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| MUSIC: Indie Rock |
Sleater-Kinney
| when: |
Wed 6.8 & Thur 6.9 (9pm) |
| where: |
Henry Fonda Theatre (6126 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 323.464.0808) map |
| price: |
$18 |
| links: |
Event Info | Sleater-Kinney |
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On "Jumpers," a track off Sleater-Kinney's new album, The Woods, Carrie Brownstein and Corin Tucker deliver a deliriously bittersweet paean to California — a tale of those who leap to their deaths off the Golden Gate Bridge. Like the album as a whole, the tune signals a new musical direction for the Pacific Northwest rockers, who are now unafraid to take a harder, deeper plunge. With gorgeous lyrics, shifting song structures, and a maturity that transcends their '90s Portland punk days, SK's new opus is a sign that their revolution is far from dead. Tonight's show at the Fonda promises to showcase what makes the band better and louder than the rest, and give an intriguing taste of what lies ahead. (JH)
The Woods producer Dave Fridmann used to play bass for which upstate New York band? The first three correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the Wed 6.8 show, while the 12th, 13th, and 14th each win a pair to the Thur 6.9 show.
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| ART: Opening |
David Meanix: Second Nature and Louie Metz: That Golden Age
| when: |
Thur 6.9 (5-9pm) |
| where: |
Bert Green Fine Art (102 W 5th St, 213.624.6212) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Bert Green Fine Art |
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David Meanix combines elements of photography and sculpture to expand the boundaries of both mediums and create something entirely new. By photographing, reshooting, and physically restructuring the images themselves, Meanix creates a world that hovers behind the looking glass. Sharp visitors are sure to recognize his work as having "played" art student Claire Fisher's portraits on Six Feet Under. Painter Louie Metz is more old school; evoking a classic style with his use of oil paint and fine brushwork, he infuses portraiture, interiors, and landscapes with stark urbanity and a Hopper-esque psychological flatness, to create a terrible, irresistible beauty. (SND)
Note: Exhibit continues through Sat 8.13 (Tue-Sat: 12-6pm).
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| FILM: Premiere |
Howl's Moving Castle
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From the ever-fertile imagination of Academy Award winning director Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) comes the next must-see anime flick. An 18-year-old girl named Sophie is transformed into a 90-year-old woman by a strange curse cast by the Witch of Waste. In order to reverse the curse, she takes passage on a flying castle, encountering a myriad of strange characters in a world that's half a child's dream and harsh wartime reality. Already a blockbuster in Japan, the American theatrical release features voice dubbing by Emily Mortimer, Christian Bale, Lauren Bacall, and Billy Crystal. (JCF)
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| ART: Opening |
Park Studio: Figuring feat. Alex Donis, Gronk, Ruby Osorio, and Artemio Rodriguez
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These four acclaimed Latino artists work in different media, but they all insist on strengthening ties with community youth through fine art education. Park Studio sent each one to a studio for a two-week program, and this exhibition includes work by the 30 students mentored during that period. The artists addressed identity expression in various forms, with results that are often astonishingly insightful — even prescient — as well as beautiful. Also opening tonight are two smaller shows: in Project Room 1 is Pots, experimental clay sculptures from expressionist painting master Roger Herman, and in Project Room 2 is Jill Bonovitz's Penetrable Vessels, a meditation on the empty space hidden inside objects. (SND)
Note: Exhibition runs through (Tue-Sat: 11am-6pm)
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| MUSIC: Avant Popera |
Dirty Projectors
| when: |
Fri 6.10 (8pm) |
| where: |
TIMBREspace (1706 1/2 W Sunset Blvd, Mezzanine Level) map |
| price: |
$5 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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The prolific and wildly ambitious Dave Longstreth takes his Dirty Projectors to new conceptual heights on his self-described "glitch opera," The Getty Address. Longstreth's warbly falsetto croon (think Antony) hovers over a sparse and pristine collage of female choral parts (think Arvo) and a cello octet (think Stravinsky), supplemented by saxophone, Far Eastern woodwinds, and smatterings of guitar and percussion. The libretto weaves a narrative that conflates the fall of the Aztec Empire with a contemporary political, social, and environmental landscape, all while spinning Cremaster-worthy allusions (check Longstreth's manifesto for an extensive explication). Tonight's stage accommodates pedal steel, trombone, upright bass, and keys, in addition to variations on the aforementioned album arrangements. (JL)
Note: Sequences from a forthcoming animated film version of Address are manipulated live and projected throughout the show.
What was the name of Thomas Edison's motion picture projector, created in 1896? The 12th and 13th correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| MUSIC: Indie Pop |
Pinback
| when: |
Fri 6.10 (8pm) |
| where: |
Avalon Hollywood (1735 N Vine St, 323.462.8900) map |
| price: |
$16 |
| links: |
Event Info |
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While touring through the Deep South a few weeks ago, Rob Crow was in panic mode. The final chapter of the Star Wars saga was opening the same night his band, Pinback, was playing in Atlanta, and he still didn't have tickets. Crow could be construed as a bit of a nerd, having a near unhealthy obsession with sci-fi (the band is named for a character in John Carpenter's Dark Star), and while Pinback's fuzzy pop may be brainy, it's anything but esoteric. Tonight, they unleash their brand of emotionally mature geek-rock on LA. (SB)
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| MUSIC: Undie Hip-Hop |
Scribble Jam 10 Year Anniversary Tour
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What was once just "the largest annual hip-hop event in the Midwest" (according to Slug of Atmosphere), is now also the best nationwide hip-hop tour, bringing together the original four key elements of the lifestyle — DJing, aerosol art, break dancing, and MC battles — under one roof. Entering its tenth year, Scribble Jam marks this milestone by putting the battles on the road for 13 US dates. Headliners include Glue, Blueprint, and Mr. Dibbs, but expect the regional MC battles to provide plenty of action, as well. (QH)
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| MUSIC: Post-Punk |
Kaiser Chiefs w/ OK Go
| when: |
Sat 6.11 (7:30pm) |
| where: |
Avalon Hollywood (1735 N Vine St, 323.462.8900) map |
| price: |
$20 |
| links: |
Event Info | OK Go |
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When the dapper lads from the Leeds-based Kaiser Chiefs started out a few years back, they were known as Parva, and relied on a self-professed Strokes pose and serious Radiohead canoodlings. Presented with a chance to reinvent after the collapse of their label, Mantra, they dropped the faux-garage pomp in favor of a bouncier, mod-influenced sound, building up to the critically lauded Employment, and touring with Bloc Party and the Futureheads. "Every Day I Love You Less and Less" is currently topping the British charts, and judging by the critical kudos from rock royals Paul McCartney and Roger Daltrey, their straight ahead na-na-na Brit-rock is hard to shake. Chicago-based power-pop outfit OK Go joins this dangerously potent lineup. (RS)
Note: Jason Falkner also opens the show.
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| MUSIC: Avant Psych |
Gang Gang Dance w/ Bloodlines and Tiffany Anders
| when: |
Sat 6.11 (8pm) |
| where: |
The Troubadour (9081 Santa Monica Blvd, W Hollywood, 310.276.6168) map |
| price: |
$12 / $10 advance |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Gang Gang Dance's new album God's Money is an absolute stunner and the best Kate Bush record since Hounds of Love. Comprised of current and former members of New York bands like Cranium, White Magic, and Angelblood, GGD recall the shattered skronk of the no-wave era-free jazz and noise, most notably — but also reject the No New York set's daunting claustrophobia, instead sprawling like kudzu, their tentacles hoarding everything from Kitaro's new age consciousness (the trippy "Egowar") to tweaked trip-hop ("God's Money V"). Bloodlines and Tiffany Anders face the unenviable task of opening. (YS)
Which half of Genesis is the bigger Kate Bush fan, having worked with her on several tracks? The ninth and tenth correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| MUSIC: Post-Punk Chamber Pop |
The National w/ Menomena
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Cincinnati-bred and Brooklyn-based, the National have a way of sneaking up on you. On the surface, they're a languid exercise in cool, with singer Matt Berninger conversationally crooning poetic non sequiturs while the band maintains steady restraint. Then, all of a sudden, the melody overtakes you like a rag of chloroform and you find yourself smiling and singing along, because behind the deadpan delivery is a lush landscape of emotive chamber pop. Opening is the very experimental and very strange Menomena, who often depend on a homemade computer program called Deeler. Check out their HTML-from-hell website for proof of their insanity. (JCF)
Note: Talkdemonic also open.
Bryce Dessner of the National moonlights in what other Brassland Records band? The first two correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| DJ |
Carlos Mendoza w/ Toddley
| when: |
Sat 6.11 (10pm-4am) |
| where: |
King King (6555 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood, 323.960.5765) map |
| price: |
$15 / $10 before 11pm |
| links: |
Event Info | Carlos Mendoza |
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King King brings Seattle grandmaster Carlos Mendoza of the LawnChair Generals back down to LA tonight, to lord over the dancing masses at Balance. Rising quickly through the DJ ranks since 2001, this turntable mogul and producer put out some of the hottest house and deep-house tracks of 2004, and is quickly burning his brand into 2005. By refining West Coast and classic house with his ear for a tight bass line, Mendoza's been expediting his claim to fame — and by all techno accounts, he's doing it right. (KH)
Which LawnChair Generals track did Derrick Carter and Mark Farina drop on their Live at Om mix? The 15th and 17th correct answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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Adapt feat. John Beltran and J. Boogie
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Join LA's underground elite at Adapt, a landmark celebration of diversity in dance with a consummate lineup sure to turn the heads of anyone with a soul and an ear. John Beltran of Detroit blesses the main stage with a soulful blend of worldly beats, while M3's tricky mess of SF-styled house keeps 4/4 heads on their feet. In the lounge, hip-hop don Wyatt Case throws feel-good, conscious grooves, while Jeremy Sole takes a trip through the rarest Afro-funk, and leftfield mistress Lillyanne creeps in with a dirty blend of glittering, lo-fi gems. (AM)
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| STAGED READING |
Matt Pelfrey's An Impending Rupture of the Belly
| when: |
Sun 6.12 (11am) |
| where: |
Theatricum Botanicum (1419 North Topanga Canyon Blvd, Topanga, 310.455.2322) map |
| price: |
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| links: |
Event Info |
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Topanga Canyon's version of Shakespeare in the Park takes place in the Will Geer Theatricum Botanicum. In addition to a rich summer season of the classics, the Canyonites have introduced the Seedlings series, a Sunday morning program of plays in progress, presented as staged readings in the theatre's picturesque outdoor garden setting. This morning's fare is LA playwright Matt Pelfrey's latest work, An Impending Rupture of the Belly — a dark comedy of a put-upon suburban man who finally has enough, and fights back with a strength and viciousness he didn't suspect he possessed. (SND)
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| MUSIC: Avant Bar Rock |
The Hold Steady w/ United States of Electronica
| when: |
Mon 6.13 (7:30pm doors) |
| where: |
The Troubadour (9081 Santa Monica Blvd, W Hollywood, 310.276.6168) map |
| price: |
$10 advance |
| links: |
Event Info |
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The Brooklyn-based Hold Steady combine upbeat piano playing, rocksteady drumming, and piles of crunching guitar riffs; what sets them apart from dozens of other similar-sounding bands, however, is the delivery and wordplay of livewire/singer Craig Finn. Laying down lyrics with a thick slacker drawl, Finn tells rambling, energetic stories of heartbreak and redemption. He also nails the nigh-impossible task of injecting religion into pop music without sounding preachy or prissy. Songs like "Your Little Hoodrat Friend" and "How a Resurrection Really Feels," both off the new album, Separation Sunday, are catchy, driving, pop-rock gems. (PCS)
What do you think a resurrection might feel like? The two most intriguing answers each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| MUSIC: Post-Industrial |
Meat Beat Manifesto w/ Dub Trio
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While their name may conjure images of your local top-knotted tech-head sporting a t-shirt emblazoned with eviscerated flesh and a mechanical skeleton, Meat Beat Manifesto are much closer to James Brown than Trent Reznor. Besides, the band name has more to do with leader Jack Danger's veganism than any violent goth fascism. Though their roots are in the industrial scene, MBM have evolved into breakbeat junkies, ditching repetitive machine clicks and bangs and replacing them with sampled live drummers. Accompanying them on tour are the echo-friendly Dub Trio, who boast a gaggle of gadgets to boost their warped, King Tubby-inspired neo-dub reggae. (JCF)
What's your personal manifesto? The two most creative responses each win a pair of tickets to the show.
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| FESTIVAL |
Grassroots Film Festival
| when: |
Now through Thur 6.9 (schedule) |
| where: |
The Vine Theater (6321 Hollywood Blvd, 323.463.6819) map |
| price: |
$8 / $10 day pass |
| links: |
Event Info |
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Don't miss the tail end of the first-ever Grassroots Cinema festival. Through Thursday, the fest showcases the sweat, blood, and tears that go into the creation of very low-budget cinema. With originality and true independence as their driving force, the ten films featured were all shot on either digital video or super-8 film, and completed by a one-person production company. Not to be missed are Breadbasket, a disturbing tale about male eating disorders; Chopping Block, a mockumentary about a dysfunctional family feuding over a chunk of wood; and No Gray Twilight, a silent documentary about rodeo riders shot on super-8 black-and-white. (MG)
Which four Danish filmmakers created the Dogme 95 collective and manifesto? The first five correct answers each win all-access passes to the festival, as well as DVDs and soundtracks of the films being screened.
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INDIE UPDATE: Loose Record |
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A clever play on words, but don't believe the misnomer — nothing in the indie world slips past the team at Loose Record. The web-based pub combines (mostly) indie record reviews with interviews and tour dates sorted by band, venue, or city — handing you back those hours wasted on venue sites and long-winded rock reviews (kinda like another online rag we know). The boundless ambition at Loose Record even fuels a ticker tape of breaking rock news, so word of festival mayhem and frontman meltdown gets to readers ASAP. The focus, though, is really on the live component, and previews of upcoming shows are a specialty of Loose's. Check out what's not to be missed for that evening, then click on the blog of Loose's leading man for last night's rowdy recaps. (ELM)
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CD REVIEW: Ellen Allien, Thrills |
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Bpitch Control
Released June 2005
$14.99 (Amazon)
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As Bpitch Control's roster becomes more varied, pegging the label's personality to founder Ellen Allien becomes less tenable — but her propulsive Thrills still anchors the divergent strains of techno, electro, and hip-hop that make Bpitch one of Berlin's most consistent imprints. Gone are the pop flirtations of 2003's Berlinette; her third LP is her darkest and hardest yet. The tones of Allien's eBay-scavenged Arp 2600 lend the album its nervous, buzzing energy, while pummeling, overdriven beats pave the way through the rave's grittiest hours.
Berlinette drew listeners into Allien's melodic web, and her mix CDs proved her rhythmic dexterity, but Thrills' hypnotic séance fuses the two into a virulent strain of techno that outshines most of her peers — in gloomy, purplish blacklight. (NP/PS)
 Ellen recently appeared on the cover of which San Francisco-based magazine? The fourth correct answer wins a Thrills prize pack.
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STREAMS: BBC Collective |
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The BBC Collective is one of the web's finest places to get a helping of modern-day culture in all its forms. From reviews of the latest music — be it East London grime or shimmering power-pop — to literature and streaming video, the Collective has it all. And best of all, it's interactive; allowing you to comment on and discuss the content with fellow members. This week, check out Maxïmo Park performing an in-studio, an oral history of Chicago acid house, and a feature on NYC urban artist Neck Face. (CJN)
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Maxïmo Park: In-session (Post-punk)
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Various artists: The Legacy of Chicago Acid (Chicago acid house)
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Feature: Neck Face — Saviour of Street Art
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| Header Design: |
| Meteor shower | Jon Burgerman |
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| Editors: |
| Indiana tornadoes | Dan Chamberlin | | Hurricane George | Shana Nys Dambrot | | Montezuma's revenge | Josh C. Forbes | | Mount Krakatoa | Jocelyn K. Glei | | Phil Spector | Paul Laster | | Monsoon | Doug Levy | | Pompeii | Jake Lancaster | | Red tide | Sascha Lewis | | Locusts | Mark Mangan | | Drought | Colin J. Nagy | | Freezing rain | Lauren Ragland | | Avalanche | Philip H. Sherburne | | American Idol | Peter D. Stepek | | Rush week | Toby Warner |
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| ABOUT US |
| flavorpill LA is a free weekly mailer covering music, arts, and cultural events in LA. All listings are pure editorial, never paid advertisements. No money is accepted from venues, artists, or promoters. Read more about us, and spread it... |
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| FEEDBACK |
| Please let us know what's on your mind, any and all feedback — comments, questions, ideas, or rants. |
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| EVENT SUBMISSIONS |
| To let us know about an upcoming event that you think belongs here, please email us at events. |
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| Contributors: |
| Northridge quake | Sean Biehle | | Malibu mud slide | Hilary Craven | | Exxon Valdez | Josh C. Forbes | | Mt. St. Helens | Menaka Gopinath | | Wildfire | Kate Hewitt | | Hurricane Hank | Julian Hooper | | Flash flood | Quanah Humphreys | | Rush-hour 405 | Phineas Jackson | | Heat wave | Eric J. Lawrence | | El Nino | Amanda M. | | Fashion Week | Elizabeth L. McDonald | | Kevney's Chaotic | Allen S. Moon | | 2004 Election | Steve Nalepa | | Yankees v Sox | Nick Parrish | | Saddleback fire | Dan Rossiter | | Brimstone | Jeff Safran | | Punk'd reruns | Richard Sharp | | Cyclone | Michael Shawver | | Dingo raid | Patrick C. Sisson | | Prom | Yancey Strickler |
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Production: |
| Smiting | Anjuli Ayer | | Rip tide | David Morrow | | GWAR concert | Sander-Martijn Milks | | Squirrel attack | Sameer Shah | | Quicksand | RJ Valeo |
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© 2005 Flavorpill Productions LLC. All rights reserved.
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