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Issue 290 |
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Your cultural event guide
Here's a snapshot of our favorite things to do in Los Angeles this week. |
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Los Angeles
Sep 17-22, 2008
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Shock swept the nation's literati this week at the news of David Foster Wallace's tragic death. A hero to many, Wallace reinvigorated the American novel (and, frequently, the political essay) with a swashbuckling imagination, darkly funny worldview, and expansive sense of scholarship. Recently, Wallace also embraced his role as teacher and mentor — not at a high-profile Ivy League school, but at the small-but-ambitious Pomona College, where he made a real difference in the lives of aspiring authors. His insight will especially be missed this election season, but you can help keep his legacy alive by getting out there, participating, and above all, paying attention — and, of course, reading his brilliant, cynical body of work.
- Shana Nys Dambrot, Managing Editor
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SPECIAL FEATURE
Register to Vote!
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As you may have heard, there's an election coming up in November. If you're contemplating voting for the first time, or just re-registering in a new state, now's the time to take action. Here's a state-by-state guide to voter registration that will help make your voice heard.
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READING
Irvine Welsh
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Wednesday Sep 17 (7pm)
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Los Angeles Public Library (630 W 5th St, 213.228.7000)
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FREE
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Drugs! Sex! More drugs! It's been well over a decade since Trainspotting worked its insidious way into mischievous hearts and minds the world over. It was enough to infuriate Bob Dole and give Britain's booming "chemical culture" its bona fide scribe: Irvine Welsh. In subsequent novels, such as Filth, Glue, and Porno, Welsh addressed the titular concerns while revisiting deeper themes of friendship and loyalty amid housing crises and cultural uncertainty in working-class Scotland. These undercurrents are readily apparent once you get used to the narrative trickery and unforgivingly transliterated Scottish dialects. After dabbling as a playwright and film director, Welsh now returns with Crime, a new novel about, well, breaking the law.
- Nicholas Nauman
[Info Source]
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ART
Victor Gastelum: Xacto Mundo
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Wednesday Sep 17 (noon–6pm)
More times»
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| where: |
Overtones Gallery (12703 Venice Blvd, 310.915.0346)
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| price: |
FREE
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Victor Gastelum upholds the grand California tradition of elevating street-art tropes to gallery-level heights with the spray-paint stencil multiples in Xacto Mundo. The Long Beach-based artist plays on his urban roots, employing images that reference car culture, blue-collar living, punk rock, violence, and his own Mexican heritage. Gastelum's a busy man: he's illustrated for everyone from F*cked Up + Photocopied to the New York Times magazine. Gastelum was also the first album-cover artist for Southwestern indie rockers Calexico, whose mix of grit, polish, and pathos is an appropriate analogue to his design.
- Ashley Tibbits
Note:
There is an opening reception for this exhibition on Sat Sep 20 (7-10pm).
[Info Source]
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PERFORMING ARTS: Comedy
Charles Phoenix's Retro Southern California Slideshow
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Thursday Sep 18 (7:30pm)
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Petersen Automotive Museum (6060 Wilshire Blvd, 323.930.CARS)
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| price: |
$10
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The invitation "Wanna come over and watch my slideshow?" doesn't typically generate mass enthusiasm — unless it's being extended by Americana guru and "histo-tainer" Charles Phoenix. The Californian collector/orator dishes up an action-packed visual journey that celebrates SoCal kitsch and takes advantage of the full-color glory of Kodak film. Appearing on-screen: mid-century car culture, Knott's Berry Farm, Disneyland, Hollywood in its heyday, "space-age suburbia," and the desert romance of martini-soaked Palm Springs. All this combined with Phoenix's showman spirit, vibrant suits, and signature style add up to one unforgettable evening. If you've ever wondered about the history of Bob's Big Boy Combo, your curiosity is satisfied tonight.
- Julian Hooper
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson
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Thursday Sep 18 (8:30pm)
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The Echo (1822 Sunset Blvd, 213.413.8200)
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| price: |
$7
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The recent overload of whiskey-soaked, cigarette-stained folkies notwithstanding, there's still something to be said for the virtues of darkly atmospheric Americana. And Oregon-bred, Brooklyn-incubated strummer Miles Benjamin Anthony Robinson (he's not big on brevity) is hardly wanting for credibility. His recent debut was produced by Grizzly Bear's Chris Taylor and features Chris Bear, Daniel Rossen, and TV on the Radio's Kyp Malone. It's not surprising: Robinson borrows from his buddies' bands, building mid-tempo rockers around heavy strums, acoustic plucks, erratic yelps, and lyrics penetrating enough to strip the paint off a coffee-house wall.
- Andrew Phillips
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Man Man w/ Crystal Antlers
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Friday Sep 19 (8pm)
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| where: |
Echoplex (1154 Glendale Blvd, 213.413.8200)
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| price: |
$17 / $15 advance
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Step right up! The traveling Man Man circus is back in town. Yes, Honus Honus still bellows like a carnival barker over proggy sea shanties full of xylophone and brass, but fans of 2006's Six Demon Bag might be surprised by the band's subdued follow-up, Rabbit Habits. As cuts like "Whalebones" and "Poor Jackie" show, Man Man's teary waltzes and New Orleans dirges have grown more solemn than before. Long Beach's own Crystal Antlers open with a set of psyched-up noise jams worthy of similar revelry.
- Stephen Gossett
[Info Source]
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PERFORMING ARTS: Dance
Backhausdance
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Friday Sep 19 (8:30pm)
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| where: |
The Ford Theater (2580 E Cahuenga Blvd, 323.461.3673)
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| price: |
$25
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Jennifer Backhaus, artistic director of LA's own Backhausdance company, reps hard for her city by premiering a new work, and trotting out an audience favorite, Sitting in January. Flush with lyricism and a keen sense of musicality, Backhausdance's exuberantly styled productions are balanced by clean, polished lines and flourishes that linger in the air after they are executed. For the unveiling of The Woeful Maladies of Ennui Manor, Backhaus bolsters her reputation for wise thinking by pairing the piece with live music from the Robin Cox Ensemble.
- Allen Moon
[Info Source]
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ART: Architecture/Design
DCA Style Launch Party
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Saturday Sep 20 (6–9pm)
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| where: |
North Spring Gallery (648 N Spring St)
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| price: |
FREE
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Cynthia Wylie and Delia Cabral — the ladies behind the X-Large Clothing label and contemporary gallery DCA Fine Art, respectively — are celebrating the launch of their genre-blurring line of interior elements. As it happens, DCA Style's designers are all painters, and it's from that perspective that they have created an eclectic line for the boho-chic home. Wylie designed the artisanal tiles, and Cabral chose the company's original paint-chip palette. Bogdan Dumitrica tackles avant-garde embroidery; David Schoffman reinvigorates the textile aisle; and, in an especially high-profile instance of art/design crossover, Alejandro Gehry creates a series of modified vintage wallpapers which combine elegant, nostalgic tones with coolly modern compositions.
- Shana Nys Dambrot
[Info Source]
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ART
Create:Fixate: AMP: Art. Music.Politics
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Saturday Sep 20 (7pm–2am)
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Create:Fixate (613 Imperial St, 310.590.7199)
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| price: |
$15 before 10pm / $20 after
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A longstanding fixture of the LA arts scene, Create:Fixate presents artwork with an agenda this Saturday (the eve of International Peace Day) at the brand-new Premiere Events Center. Create:Fixate brings together ambassadors of politics, art, music, and activism — including the Onion, NextAid, Press for Democracy, and Healthcare for All — to present two warehouses full of socially aware art, complemented by music from local DJs and musicians. Show highlights include global graffiti star Mear One, political-art collective Yo! What Happened to Peace?!, and DJ Jeremy Sole's Musaics, of Afro Funke and KCRW fame.
- Amanda Moshier
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
Goldfrapp
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Sunday Sep 21 (8pm)
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| where: |
Orpheum Theatre (842 S Broadway, 877.677.4386)
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| price: |
$35 / $30 advance
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On Seventh Tree, Goldfrapp's newest release, the sound is sweet and slow, an imaginative soundtrack to a somber summer day in the '70s. Lush, simple ballads like "Clowns" and stand-out track "Cologne Cerrone Houdini" recall the band's eerie orchestral debut, Felt Mountain, while the cheeky track "Happiness" is a clear nod to the electro-disco output that followed. Altogether, it's an arresting, beguiling record that grows on the listener with each playback, and Alison Goldfrapp and crew always translate their recorded material into enchanting live performances.
- Tanya Feldman
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Hip-Hop
Del Tha Funky Homosapien
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Sunday Sep 21 (8:30pm)
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Key Club (9039 W Sunset Blvd, 310.274.5800)
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| price: |
$20
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With beats beamed down from the Parliament mothership, Del Tha Funky Homosapien's discography is the soundtrack to an intergalactic sock hop. In a genre where even partying can be political, Del's fly-by-night, sly-by-day rhymes pack a punch, even if the closest we get to proselytizing involves chastising the "Style Police" and lessons on how to make a dollar out of 20 cents. His cousin Ice Cube produced his 1991 debut, I Wish My Brother George Was Here, yet the Oakland native's playful jabs sounded G-rated compared to Cube's acerbic assaults. Now that Del's long-awaited fifth official album, The 11th Hour, has found a home on forward-thinking label Definitive Jux, he has even more reason to keep the party going.
- Matt Sussman
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Rock/Pop
The Raconteurs w/ the Kills
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Monday Sep 22 (7:30pm)
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| where: |
Greek Theatre (2700 N Vermont Ave, 323.665.5857)
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| price: |
$40 - 45
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Nashville supergroup the Raconteurs are more than the sum of their parts. Their latest record, Consolers of the Lonely, isn't unlike their last: full of deft arrangements combining Jack White's soulful voice, Brendan Benson's equally skillful songwriting, and the indie-pop polish of the Greenhornes' Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler. Despite their amazing resumes, the bandmembers never transcend their individual roles, with every bass line and guitar riff as engaging and capable as any one of their acts.
- Joe Blankholm
[Info Source]
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PERFORMING ARTS: Spoken Word
The Moth LA GrandSLAM: Crossing the Line
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Monday Sep 22 (8pm)
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| where: |
King King (6555 Hollywood Blvd, 323.960.5765)
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| price: |
$12
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Judgment-based reality TV shows — the kind where you have to wait until the following week to find out who gets kicked off — pale in comparison to an event where you can listen to funny stories, vote for your favorites, and enjoy instantly satisfying results. Despite being a competition, the Moth StorySLAM series fosters the same sense of camaraderie among LA storytellers that it did for East Coasters in its original NYC incarnation. Tonight, Human Giant's Rob Huebel hosts, and Molly Ringwald sits on the judging panel.
- Shana Nys Dambrot
[Info Source]
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ART
Ian Francis: Together Forever
| when: |
Wednesday Sep 17 (11am–6pm)
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Kinsey/DesForges Gallery (6009 Washington Blvd, 310.837.1989)
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| price: |
FREE
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The brilliantly brash British phenom Ian Francis returns to Kinsey/DesForges for his second solo show. Once again, the artist presents visceral, even garish, large-scale works that are highly expressionistic — think Francis Bacon or Willem de Kooning — yet include just enough figurative elements to make them accessible. Juxtaposing allegorical tendencies with an abstract style that leaves vague, but lasting, impressions of lust, anguish, and violence, Francis keeps viewers hanging somewhere between logical narratives and emotional experiences that have been displaced from their story lines.
- Ashley Tibbits
[Info Source]
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ART: Photography
Pipo Nguyen-Duy: The Garden
| when: |
Wednesday Sep 17 (noon–6pm)
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| where: |
Sam Lee Gallery (990 N Hill St, 323.227.0275)
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| price: |
FREE
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Sam Lee Gallery follows up its dynamic group exhibition I AM I A KILLER with Pipo Nguyen-Duy's cyclical photography project, The Garden. Behind his camera, Vietnamese-born Nguyen-Duy waits — and waits some more — as he follows the transformation of a single greenhouse through successive states of abandonment and flourish. He captures the brittle, twiggy remains of winter, the verdant shoots growing under the warm summer sun, and the various objects — such as an old automobile — that inhabit the space. In his ambitious, finely executed endeavor, Nguyen-Duy stimulates the senses and imposes a powerful emotional narrative on a structure that might otherwise be seen as little more than an empty container.
- Phil Kropoth
[Info Source]
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MUSIC: Soul/R&B
Tribute to James Brown feat. Bootsy Collins & the Hardest Working Band
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Saturday Sep 27 (9pm)
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House of Blues Sunset Strip (8430 W Sunset Blvd, 323.848.5100)
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| price: |
$45
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He played riotously energetic shows up until the end, so it was hard to believe it when James Brown died the Christmas before last. To honor the man who invented funk, redefined what it meant to perform in the 20th century, and added as many catchphrases to the pop vernacular as Dr. Seuss did to children's literature, no less a Brown scholar than Bootsy Collins has put together a tribute tour. He provided the ultra-vital bass to that other bastion of funk, Parliament/Funkadelic; now Bootsy plays with the Hardest Working Band, the Godfather of Soul's own dedicated orchestra. You will dance.
- Nicholas Nauman
[Info Source]
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About Us |
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Cultural Partner
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Editors
MANAGING EDITOR
Shana Nys Dambrot
PRODUCTION EDITOR
Nick Earhart
SENIOR EDITORS
Jake Lancaster
Doug Levy
CONTRIBUTING EDITORS
Allen Moon
Jorge Barriere
Julian Hooper
Steve Nalepa
Andrew Phillips
Lisa Rosman
Ashley Tibbits
Phil Kropoth
IMAGE EDITORS
Adda Birnir
Tom Starkweather
PUBLISHERS
Sascha Lewis
Mark Mangan
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Flavorpill Los Angeles
All events featured on Flavorpill LA are pure editorial — we never accept paid promotions or advertisements. If you know about an upcoming event that you think should be covered in Flavorpill LA, email us a press release at la_events at least two weeks prior to the event and we'll consider it.
To learn more about our staff and policies, see the credits and about us pages. If you'd like to respond to our editors about a listing published here, or have a general inquiry, please email la_feedback.
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