Well, I was tied up with NAMM last week and didn't have a chance to write last Friday. But it's a new month and time to get back to the basics of life in LA. It's Super Bowl weekend (come on Ravens!), and I'm looking forward to a really great game - I guarantee the winning team will be led by Coach Harbaugh. Where are you watching the Big Game? Hosting friends or heading out to a sports bar? Other than the game, there are so many things to do in this town. Here's a few to consider when planning your weekend and the week ahead:
Reading is always a great escape, and our local bookstore, Skylight Books is one of the best around. There are quite a few author events this week. Here's the schedule: Tonight at 7:30 p.m., Peter Hook will discuss and sign Unknown Pleasures, with special guest Simon Reynolds. Tomorrow night at 5 p.m., Pen Center USA presents The Rattling Wall. Then at 7:30 p.m., Kim Askew and Amy Helmes will read from Exposure. On Wednesday at 7:30 p.m., Dana Goodyear will read from The Oracle of Hollywood Boulevard: Poems. Finally, on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., Jerry Stahl will read from Bad Sex on Speed and the Heroin Chronicles. Take some time and enjoy this jewel of Los Feliz, where you can catch up on some great reads and do some early Christmas shopping.
It's never a bad time to catch a movie, and this weekend is no exception. This weekend, at the Vintage Cinemas Los Feliz 3 you can catch three Oscar contenders: "Silver Linings Playbook" or "Beasts of the Southern Wild," screening at 1:30 p.m., 4:10 p.m., 7:35 p.m. and 9:450p.m., or "Zero Dark Thirty," screening at 1:50 p.m., 5:15 p.m. and 8:45 p.m. Over at the Vintage Cinemas Vista Theatre, Django Unchained continues, screening at 1:30 p.m., 5:10 p.m. and 8:45 p.m.
For all you theater lovers, come and support the Hollywood Fringe Festival at their first annual Benefit at the scene of last year's Fringe Central (6314 Santa Monica Boulevard, right next door to Theatre Asylum). Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door, and the night includes games, entertainment, silent auctions and the chance to help raise funds for this annual Festival. Doors open at 7 p.m. on Saturday night, and the event runs until 2 a.m. Oh yeah, there's a bar inside!
Plenty of plays out there for all you theater lovers. Check out www.plays411.com and www.Goldstar.com for discounts and listings. Make sure you take the time to see Happy Face Sad Face at the Lillian Theatre - it's amazing. Also amazing is the Thirty Minute Musical presentations of Top Gun and Showgirls, playing at the Celebration Theatre (7051 Santa Monica Boulevard) for the next three Fridays and Saturdays. This show always sells out, so don't wait. Get your tickets early.
There are great venues in town to catch the latest indie music. Don't miss these great shows this week:
At the Hotel Cafe, catch the residency of Sweetwater & the Satisfaction at 9 pm. each Saturday in February. On Friday, don't miss the solo show for Amie Miriello (So&So) at 8 p.m. On Saturday, it's Brittney Bouchard at 8 p.m. Then on Monday night at 9 p.m., it's The Soul of John Black. American Idol's Kris Allen hits town for two shows on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7 p.m. Jake Newton follows him at 9:30 p.m. on Tuesday.
Over at WitZend in Venice, catch NBC's The Voice star Justin Hopkins in his final LA solo show at 11 p.m. tonight. If acapella is your thing, don't miss a full night of fun on Sunday night, beginning at 7 p.m. Then on Wednesday night, it's Ryan Dilmore at 7 pm., Dawn Mitschele at 8 p.m., Marc Beauregard at 9 p.m. and Me and Mr. Cassidy at 10 p.m. Finally, don't miss David Ryan Harris at 10 p.m. on Thursday.
For all the of Verona fans, they will be playing a special show at the Satellite in Silver Lake on Monday night at 11 p.m. Details here.
If you enjoy the outdoors, don't forget about the local farmers' markets on Wednesdays from 12-6 p.m. at Barnsdall Park and on Sundays from 10-4 p.m. at the Post Office. There's also a farmer's market at the Autry Museum in Griffith Park on Saturdays from 10-5 p.m.
Don't forget iTunes, ReverbNation and YouTube - be adventurous and be the first to discover new talent - then share it with us all.
For more great options, check out this week's LA Weekly and click on the Music tab.
Have a great week, enjoy Los Feliz and Griffith Park, and we'll catch you soon with an update. Please feel free to drop me a line at lamusiccritic@yahoo.com with any comments, suggestions or questions. Also drop me a line if you or your group or business has an event you'd like to promote. I'm happy to spread the word for you.
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