RSS FeedsA snapshot of L.A. and O.C. beaches and events, from north to south.
Critics' PreviewsAnn Powers Times Pop Music CriticMichael Bublé Donning the classic sharp suit of the Rat Pack, but not strictly adhering to the musical approach those duds suggest, this Canadian crooner avoids the clichés of mainstream pop and offers something worth reviving: genuine singing skills presented with an entertainer's flair. Santa Barbara Bowl, 1122 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara. Today-Fri., 7:30 p.m. $59.50-$95.50. (805) 962-7411. Also Sat. at Honda Center, 2695 E. Katella Ave., Anaheim. 8 p.m. $59.50-$95.50. (714) 704-2500. >>EventsTODAYGriffith Park Night Hike Check out the other kind of Hollywood night life on one of the Sierra Club's two-hour hikes through Griffith Park. Wear comfortable shoes and meet at the Upper Merry-Go-Round parking lot. Griffith Park, 4800 Carousel Drive, L.A. Tue.-next Thu., 6:45 p.m.; indefinitely. (213) 387-4287. >>Kid StuffTODAYSarah Burningham The author of "How to Raise Your Parents: A Teen Girl's Survival Guide" will present and sign her new book. Book Soup, 8818 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood. 7 p.m. (310) 659-3110. >>SEALED WITH A KIIS: Miley Cyrus followed up her unfortunate underwear-flashing episode by disrobing even further for Vanity Fair, so if you want to remember the teen starlet when she kept her clothes on, catch her headlining Ryan Seacrest's popsplosion Wango Tango along with Snoop Dogg, Pitbull, the Jonas Brothers and a panoply of artists featured on your little sister's bedroom walls. And speaking of starlets who've suffered through unfortunate incidents, Lindsay Lohan guest-hosts the annual shindig mounted by KIIS-FM (102.7). 6:30 p.m. Sat., Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre. $40-$200 (sold out). (949) 855-8095 >>
COVER STORY
Of all SoCal's sun-drenched playgrounds, Huntington Beach is the only one called 'Surf City USA.' >>
CANYON CLUB >>
IF DIRECTOR Paul Lazarus had had his way, there would have been no "Of Mice and Men" opening at the Pasadena Playhouse this weekend. >>
IN THE post-Sept. 11 world, images and impressions of Islam in the Western media have often been synonymous with extremism. To temper this, the UCLA Film and Television Archive is offering "Visualizing the Sacred: Islam on Film," an attempt to present a more inclusive look at the religion. "Obviously Islam and images of Islam in the media are a big issue these days," notes programmer Paul Malcolm. "It's just been overwhelmed by the focus on terrorism and radicalism. . . . These films show the other side of Islam and the Muslim experience." >>
When does the yo-yo -- the most analog toy this side of jacks-- play as a dynamic and contemporary diversion? When it's a diabolo -- the oversize, spool-shaped approach that evolved from 12th century Chinese yo-yos. Diabolists -- who actually have nothing to do with the worship of Satan -- live like pop sensations in Asia. Or at least they get adulation and sport the sorts of shiny, zany outfits that we stateside associate with stardom. >>
GIVING A small physical theater troupe a name like "500 Clown" is sort of like describing a car engine in terms of its horsepower. In "500 Clown Frankenstein," the Chicago-based trio combines acrobatics, improvisation, period costumes and an unwieldy set to test the extremes of Mary Shelley's classic horror story in the ring of the Orange County Performing Artscenter's Samueli Theater this weekend. >>
BOOK EVENT
On May 12 at Vroman's, and May 13 at Book Soup >>
SpinTODAYChristopher Lawrence at Tentation Lawrence may not hail from Holland, but the California resident can certainly hang with the big boys of Euro-trance and progressive house when it comes to working crowds into a frenzy. 10 p.m., 4647 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. $25. (949) 660-1010. >>FIRST LOOK
Sliders, steak and wine in Hermosa Beach >>
WHILE IT'S possible that you might feel like popping into Lounge 1020 after bowling a perfect game at the AMF Bowling Square Lanes upstairs, it's probably not advisable. The heady mix of warm lighting, powerful cocktails and Zen-inspired interiors may make for strange bedfellows, but it apparently does the trick for a respectable if modest cross-section of Arcadia's sizable Asian American population. Just leave the league shirt -- but definitely not your credit card -- at home. >>
Two shows at the Topanga Canyon Gallery and Tracy Park Gallery in Santa Monica seek the unspoken. >>
POP MUSIC
The Israeli singer-songwriter is a "mishmash" of cultures and influences >>
Show Mom some love. Yes, your own mom, of course. But how about one of the talented and hardworking chef mamas around town as well. >>
SCREENING ROOM >>
BUZZ BANDS >>
MY FAVORITE WEEKEND
Dog behavior specialist >>
Critic's PreviewS. Irene Virbila Times Restaurant Critic5-for-5 Wine Socials at NeoMeze NeoMeze in Old Town Pasadena offers a contemporary take on the Middle Eastern custom of meze. Tuesday through Thursday from 6 to 8 p.m., sommelier David Haskell (late of Bin 8945 in WeHo) selects five wines for $25 and pairs them with small dishes at $5 each. NeoMeze, 20 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena; (626) 793-3010; www.neomeze.com >>NIGHT LINES >>
A READER RATES FOR US >>
It might seem odd to celebrate failure in light of today's scorching-hot art scene, but that's just what the folks at the Los Angeles-based Journal of Aesthetics & Protest did with their latest book, "Failure: Experiments in Aesthetic and Social Practices." >>
THE ENABLER
If you took the key ingredients of stuffwhitepeoplelike.com, put them in a candlelit, windowless wood-and-brick room and surrounded them with willfully disheveled types who are stoked to finally purchase a tangy Belgian ale east of Virgil and north of Beaudry, you'd get recently made-over El Prado in Echo Park. >>
STRETCHING BOUNDARIES >>
CAN WE GET A 'L'CHAIM'? >>
REAL LIFE >>
FLICKA KEEPS IT CASUAL >>
TOPICAL, AS USUAL >>
ARTFUL CONSTRUCTS >>
ONLY A DAY AWAY >>
CHEFS EAT >>
HANDS ON DINING >>
THE PARK >>
FILL IN THE BLANCA >>
A VERY NICE NIGHT >>
Car Show
NICE RIDES >>
A SPECIAL VOICE >>
'TUDE SWEET >>
The resurrection couldn't last forever, and this weekend "Jesus Christ Superstar" closes at the Attic Theatre. Although his material sometimes outstrips the limitations of the small space, director Derek Charles Livingston does a Herculean task in this intermittently unwieldy but nonetheless rigorous production of Tim Rice and Andrew Lloyd Webber's 1971 rock opera, spearheaded here by the marvelous Scott Charles (pictured) in a dazzling eponymous turn. 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat., ends Sat. Attic Theatre & Film Center, 5429 W. Washington Blvd., L.A. $30. (323) 525-0600; www.attictheatre.org >>
CUBAN GROOVIN' >>
NEW IN TOWN >>
TRANCE'S TOP NAME >>
STAND-UP COUNTS >>
SHEAR DELIGHT >>
ROUGH STUFF >>
If you want to get into The Guide's mix and let people know what they're missing out on -- or what they should miss -- send your own Underrated and Overrated ideas to theguide@latimes.com. >>
ONLINE RESOURCES >>
Critics' PreviewsAnn Powers Times Pop Music CriticDoes It Offend You, Yeah? These hilarious British electro-punks like to climb the rafters during their shows. (Yo Majesty headlines.) El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. today. $17. (323) 936-6400. >>EventsTODAYGriffith Park Night Hike Lace up your hiking boots and come see another kind of night life at one of the Sierra Club's fun and instructive two-hour hikes. Wear comfortable shoes and meet at the Upper Merry-Go-Round parking lot. Griffith Park, 4800 Carousel Drive, L.A. Tue.-next Thu., 6:45 p.m., indefinitely. Free. (213) 387-4287. >>Kid StuffTODAYAdventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog Activities include sliding down a nine-foot hound's tail, filling Clifford's jumbo bowl with bones (using a conveyor belt) and hunting for treasure at T-Bone's Beach. Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Today-Sun., 10 a.m. $9.95 children 3-17; $12.95 adults; Free children 2 and under. (714) 542-2823. >>NOON >>
COVER STORY
Stagecoach? The Grand Ole Opry? It's a long way from 'Idol.' >>
2 P.M. >>
CANYON CLUB >>
Staff writer Randy Lewis sorts out the festival, hour by hour: >>
DERRING-DANCE >>
Puerile provocation or Swiftian satire? Let critics debate the merits of "¡Ask a Mexican!," Gustavo Arellano's witty, profane and occasionally edifying OC Weekly column. We're more interested in the Guatemalan-baiting, tamale-loving Mexican's thoughts on Cinco de Mayo. For those who still want answers, Arellano will be presenting the book based on his column at two appearances this weekend. >>
An odd couple is at the center of Israel Horovitz's "Park Your Car in Harvard Yard," opening in Long Beach's International City Theatre >>
THE SCENE SETTER
Inside Burbank's newest fine-dining option >>
The L.A. artist, with large mixed-media works at LACMA, will show video works exploring female archetypes at SB London. >>
Now in its 24th year, the festival features more than 160 films. >>
The cult Adult Swim program wraps up a 13-city tour with two shows at the Echoplex. Watch out for the flying pizza. >>
The proposed logo for this year's Ojai Storytelling Festival -- an old grandmother in a rocking chair relating a story to wide-eyed children at her feet -- didn't work for Brian Bemel, the festival's artistic director. >>
SpinTHURSDAYBad Boy Bill at Tentation Chicago hard house DJ Bad Boy Bill knows how to keep the party moving, drawing heavily on his hip-hop background as he cuts up raucous dance tracks with a house edge. $20. 4647 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. (949) 660-1010. >>The acclaimed violinist, who will be performing at the Ventura Music Festival, enjoys contrasts in her life. >>
SCREENING ROOM >>
BEVERLY LAUREL HOTEL >>
BUZZ BANDS >>
FAVORITE WEEKEND
Author >>
This Week: DIY-ine >>
NIGHT LINES >>
There are dozens of photography shows worth visiting at >>
In "Million Dollar Baby," Hilary Swank's boxer character waited tables at On the Waterfront Cafe in Venice. Her character may have punched your teeth down your throat for looking at her sideways, but On the Waterfront offers a better choice of things to pour down your gullet, namely, a frosty, wheat-laced Erdinger hefeweizen or a tangy Bitburger pilsner. >>
Each spring, the Glutton solemnly renews her vow to eat more delicious smoked meats. And any serious L.A. barbecue odyssey has to begin in the Crenshaw district. >>
Critic's PreviewS. Irene Virbila Times Restaurant CriticBastide Now open for lunch Tuesday through Friday, the lavender-scented garden promises to be the most romantic lunch spot in town. Walter Manzke is turning out a three-course prix-fixe menu (with choices) for $38. Bastide, 8475 Melrose Place, West Hollywood. (323) 651-5950. >>LONE STAR STATE OF MIND >>
FROM THE VAULTS >>
CHILI CON CARNAGE >>
LIGHT UP THE NIGHT >>
TURNING BACK THE CLOCK >>
WE ARE THE DANCE >>
SEASON OF SUSTAINABILITY >>
PIANIST OF NOTE >>
THE RHYTHM IS GONNA GET YOU >>
DOUBLE DIPPING >>
LATIN PARTY FAVOR >>
AWARD OF ENDEARMENT >>
SADDLE RANCH SOUTH? >>
MAXIMUM MINIMALISM >>
BRIDGE TO GLITZ >>
Openings, GalleriesTODAYDave McKenzie: Screen Doors on Submarines Video, performance, sculpture and installation exploring the ways people use public space. The Gallery at REDCAT, 631 W. 2nd St., L.A.; ends June 15. (213) 237-2800. >>EventsTODAYLos Angeles Antiques Show Over 60 antique and fine arts dealers will be participating; also lectures, book signings, tours and more. Santa Monica Airport's Barker Hangar, 3021 Airport Ave., Santa Monica. Today-Sat., 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-5 p.m.; ends Sun. $15 daily admission includes catalog; opening night, $150 and up. (310) 559-9334. >>Before her visa expires, the rapper is enjoying NYC . . . and playing at Coachella. >>
PopTODAYAgent Orange The delightfully crusty old-guard punk band performs with special guests the Curs and Brain-Dead Rejects. Crash Mansion, 1024 S. Grand Ave., L.A. 8 p.m. $12-$15. (213) 747-0999. >>Kid StuffTODAYAdventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog Visitors get a chance to board Birdwell Island ferry for a journey that will bring them to meet Clifford's owner Emily Elizabeth as well as Clifford's canine friends Cleo, T-Bone and Mac. Activities include sliding down a nine-foot hound's tail, filling Clifford's jumbo bowl with bones (using a conveyor belt) and hunting for treasure at T-Bone's Beach. Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Today-next Thu., 10 a.m. $9.95 children 3-17; $12.95 adults; Free children 2 and under. (714) 542-2823. >>THINK the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival is all about roughing it? Think again. >>
THE question is less about what the five panelists of "Surf Culture: Shooting the Tube" are going to talk about Sunday and more about what they'll have time to talk about. Like a lot of offerings at this weekend's sprawling Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, this panel is more of a sampler platter of food for thought than a full-course meal. >>
CANYON CLUB >>
KNOWN for many things, celebrated American playwright Tennessee Williams often gets overlooked for one -- his 1961 opus "The Night of the Iguana." >>
FIRST LOOK
A new hot spot in the old Santa Fe Railroad station >>
Two gallery shows find inspiration in the proverbial light bulb. >>
Times pop music critic Ann Powers dishes on the six sets she won't miss at this weekend's Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. >>
ASK Sia who she's most excited about seeing at Coachella this year and the singer-songwriter brings up Prince before making a startling confession: "I don't listen to music. I'm such [an idiot]. I like the Carpenters and Elvis. Is Robyn playing? Dolly Parton?" >>
Call it chai's breakout moment. The spiced aromatic tea, once confined to cups and saucers, is now appearing in all sorts of unlikely places. >>
CARMEN CIMINI'S destiny was charted in the basement of the family house, circa 1970, in Syracuse, N.Y. There, assorted paisans from his Italian American clan spent cacophonous weekends cooking, drinking vino, playing pool and socializing. Grandma Antoinette commanded the kitchen with an iron fist, barking orders to young Cimini and the other cooks. It was within that animated scene that Cimini's attraction to cooking was cemented. >>
Dancer, Los Angeles Ballet >>
IF you're a writer, spring is the time to venture out of the solitude of your dark cave (and your procrastination-friendly Internet connection) and experience the sights and sounds of real people! Let the creative energies of these L.A. cafes stir your juices: >>
Newport Beach Film Festival has a dash of Disney. >>
FRESH IN THE BOX >>
SpinSATURDAYRye Rye at Check Yo' Ponytail DJ Frankie Chan's under-attended Check Yo' Ponytail bimonthly might be going away, but the club will go out with a bang Saturday, when Baltimore teenage rap sensation (and M.I.A. protégé) Rye Rye (born Ryeisha Berrain) performs. The Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park. 9 p.m. $20. (213) 413-8200. >>SCREENING ROOM >>
BUZZ BANDS >>
To find out what the L.A. art scene was like when I was born, I leafed through Art in America recently and found a 1963 commentary by Jules Langsner, which said, "In the space of a half-dozen years, the state of the Los Angeles art community has changed from the nuts who diet on nutburgers to a living and vital center of increasing importance." >>
DIG THOSE GARDENS >>
A downtown Latino beer hall next door to Grand Central Market recently confirmed the Enabler's faith in love. >>
WE'VE come a long way since the days when disabled children were separated from their peers and shunted off to special schools. Now inclusiveness is the name of the game, with many LAUSD classrooms harmoniously integrating disabled youngsters with their classmates for a more positive and expansive approach to education. >>
NIGHT LINES >>
CUPCAKE CORNER >>
A CLOSER LOOK >>
THE SHORT STORY >>
KATRINA GETS PERSONAL >>
GET ANIMATED, EH? >>
CHEFS EAT >>
NEW IN TOWN >>
BELGIAN DANCE INVASION >>
SADDLE UP >>
COMING UP ROSES >>
FOOD GONE FRESH >>
The moving vans are pulling up in front of "Brownstone" this weekend. The Laguna Playhouse presents the world premiere of Catherine Butterfield's trio of stories about restless women who inhabit the same Manhattan brownstone over different decades. Deborah Puette is a standout as a 1930s Hepburn-esque heroine trying not to love the man her father picked for her. Pictured: Gino Pesi and Laurie Naughton. 8 p.m. Thu.-Fri., 2 and 8 p.m. Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., ends Sun. 606 Laguna Canyon Road, Laguna Beach. $25-$65. (949) 497-2787, Ext. 1; www.lagunaplayhouse.com >>
"Of Mice and Men" is headed back to the bookshelves after Sunday. It would probably take less time to read John Steinbeck's classic novella than to sit through the Banshee's stage version, but don't let that dissuade you from catching this solid production, which features several performances of lean, laconic beauty and powerfully smoldering emotion. (Pictured: Andrew Leman, left, as George and Sean Branney as Lennie.) 8 p.m. Fri. and Sat., 2 p.m. Sun., ends Sun. 3435 W. Magnolia Blvd., Burbank. $18. (818) 846-5323; www.theatrebanshee.org >>
ON HOLIDAY >>
UNCORK AND RELAX >>
SPEARS IN SEASON >>
SHAPE UP >>
COVER STORY
What's that whisper under the urban din? It's nature beckoning us . . . >>
PopTODAYEels Intense dysfunction in the nuclear family is one of the driving wheels of Eels' gripping music, and these concerts marking the star-crossed Los Angeles group's 10th anniversary will provide a window into that world. The "opening act" is a screening of "Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives," a BBC documentary about leader Mark Oliver Everett's efforts to discover the soul of his late father, a brilliant but distant physicist. El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., L.A. 8 p.m. $29. (323) 936-4790. >>EventsTODAYGriffith Park Night Hike In need of a jolt of nature? The Sierra Club leads fun and instructive two-hour hikes through Griffith Park. Wear comfortable shoes and meet at the Upper Merry-Go-Round parking lot. Griffith Park, 4800 Carousel Drive, L.A. Tue.-next Thu., 6:45 p.m.; indefinitely. (213) 387-4287. >>Openings, GalleriesTODAYGroup Show: Functional: Art & Artists LA Artcore Brewery Annex, 650A S. Avenue 21, L.A.; ends April 27. (213) 617-3274. >>Kid StuffTODAYAdventures with Clifford the Big Red Dog A special exhibit that explores the world of Clifford the Big Red Dog and his animal friends. Visitors get a chance to board Birdwell Island ferry for a journey that will bring them to meet Clifford's owner Emily Elizabeth as well as Clifford's canine friends Cleo, T-Bone and Mac. Activities include sliding down a nine-foot hound's tail, filling Clifford's jumbo bowl with bones (using a conveyor belt) and hunting for treasure at T-Bone's Beach. Discovery Science Center, 2500 N. Main St., Santa Ana. Today-next Thu., 10 a.m. $9.95 children 3-17; $12.95 adults; Free children 2 and under. (714) 542-2823. >>PICTURING THE GREATEST: In 1974, photographer Howard L. Bingham followed Muhammad Ali to Zaire for the world heavyweight boxing championship. During their eight-week visit, Bingham chronicled moments public and private, including the boxer's interactions with local villagers, resulting in a series of iconic images that encapsulate the spirit of the irrepressible athlete. The photographer is scheduled to be present at Saturday's opening of "Howard L. Bingham: Rumble in the Jungle," which will feature as many as 40 prints from the famous series. Opens Sat., M+B, 612 N. Almont Drive, West Hollywood. Closes May 31. (310) 550-0050; www.mbfala.com >>
The beloved animated feature about an elephant ridiculed for his big ears plays at the Billy Wilder Theatre on Monday. >>
Forget calculus, spelling bees and chess. With the exception of Dungeons & Dragons, no pastime so exemplifies nerdiness as the ability to solve a Rubik's Cube. So it's a bit surprising, even disappointing, to learn that solving the Cube doesn't require the intellect of Albert Einstein or a "Rain Man"-like facility with numbers. >>
Celebrating Earth Day all around SoCal>>WHILE it's been more than 100 years since the height of Dutch imperialism, don't think the Netherlands has given up on its dream of global domination. >>
Two new gallery shows dip their feet in the beautiful waters of Venice Beach. >>
THE SCENE SETTER
LASTING 60 years is no small feat for a restaurant, especially in and around Los Angeles, where the fever of unchecked reinvention burns white-hot. That's why when brothers Chris and John Bicos bought Gus's Barbecue -- a casual dining institution in South Pasadena -- they were careful to tip their hats to its rich history. >>
THE AVALON >>
Ateenage girl in civil rights-era Chicago wrestles with popularity, bullies, Christian piety and a fluttering of lesbian feelings for her school nurse. >>
SpinTODAY16 Bit Lolitas at Tentation This Dutch duo creates crisp electro-house beats that rarely exceed 128 BPM but get crowds moving from Miami to Malaysia. Also: Opening for Sander Kleinenberg on Saturday at the Avalon. 10 p.m. 4647 MacArthur Blvd., Newport Beach. $20. (949) 660-1010. >>SOMETIMES, it takes a polar bear to make a musical work. >>
SCREENING ROOM >>
ACTRESS >>
Garden parties>>This week: Hot wings >>
BUZZ BANDS
The Norwegian power trio kick out brutal scuzzbucket jams. >>
NIGHT LINES >>
Due to hardship, nearly every culture has at some point been forced to use every part of the animal, to transform subpar ingredients into something approaching edible (cabbage stew, offal, casseroles). But the worship of starch is a uniquely Colombian art; a typical meal might feature potatoes, yuca, plantains, rice and arepas -- thick discs of cornmeal (think tortillas on steroids). >>
The Enabler keeps waiting for Footsies in Highland Park to be colonized by the same collar-popping troglodytes who made the downtown bar scene practically untraversable. If Highland Park is the New Downtown (which the existence of Cinnamon Vegetarian might indicate), then it should be time to start writing obituaries for places like Footsies, where you can fall in a beery pit that you won't emerge from for days. >>
Pablo Neruda remarked that "a bibliophile of little means is likely to suffer often. Books don't slip from his hands but fly past him through the air as high as birds, as high as prices." >>
MODERNITY CAN BE SCARY >>
FROM MARKET TO PLATE >>
LITTLE TOYKO COMES TO O.C. >>
START YOUR ENGINES >>
BUTTERFLIES ARE FREE >>
NO LOVE FOR PALM TREES >>
HAHN, PACIFIC SYMPHONY REPRISE >>
WOMAN IN THE LEAD >>
WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE >>
JAPANESE CINEMA MEETS THE O.C. >>
A MARK MORRIS DANCE CLASSIC >>
BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WORSHIP >>
ACCEPTABLE IN THE '00s >>
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