This Friday night, the Alex Theater in Glendale will host an event celebrating the anniversary of a revival. Nuggets, first released fifty years ago as a vinyl 2-LP set, is a seminal collection of seemingly unconnected bands, all of whom came to a brief prominence in the mid 1960s through records on primarily small, regional labels. Some, like the Nazz’s Todd Rundgren, became legends in the coming years but plenty of others broke up, maybe without ever making an album, and vanished from the public eye. Those singles were the bands’ entire existence, and sounded like it. Taken together, they define and exemplify an aesthetic – a shared vibe more than a style – that was eventually known as Garage Rock, and which came back around right in time to nourish the first generation of punk rockers.
You can draw a straight line from the excitement of the Seeds and Chocolate Watchband to the New York Dolls, Blondie, Ramones and Patti Smith Group, the latter of which included Nuggets compiler Lenny Kaye as its guitarist. And it’s just as easy to connect those dots to Jack White, the Black Keys, and all kinds of acts up through current acts like the Darts and the Schizophonics. It’s a simple, straightforward, American kind of thing, and the number of bands in the pile of forgotten singles good for at least one all-time classic turns out to be staggeringly high. A five-LP version of Nuggets hit stores on the last Record Store Day and immediately sold out Continue reading →
“I believe in a cruel God
who created me in his image
and who in fury I name.
From the very vileness of a germ
or an atom, vile was I born.
I am a wretch because I am a man,
and I feel within me the primeval slime.
Yes! This is my creed!
…I believe the just man to be a mocking actor
in face and heart;
that all his being is a lie,
tear, kiss, glance,
sacrifice and honour.
And I believe man the sport of evil fate
from the germ of the cradle
to the worm of the grave”
-Iago
Boy, those opera people sure are DRAMATIC! Everything in the best operas gets rendered at a thousand percent, every emotion manipulated masterfully with the maestro sculpting every moment of sound. While there are many operas that really “do that opera thing”, perhaps none does it quite so intensely as Verdi’s Otello, opening at the LA Opera tonight and running through June 4.Continue reading →
“AmnesiA” (Cult Epics, 2001) Photographer Alex (Fedja van Huet) abandons his faltering career – too many visions of a past trauma interrupting the shoots – and joins his twin brother Aram (also van Huet) at their mother’s home, which appears to be a junkyard for old cars. There, past conflicts are dug up and revisited, including the truth behind their father’s violent end. Questions abound in “AmnesiA” – who is Carice van Houten (“Game of Thrones”), the mysterious hitchhiker (and pyromaniac) who joins Alex? Why is Aram’s arm in a sling? What’s going on with Mom (Sacha Bulthius), who keeps mistaking Alex for his father? – but you aren’t getting easy answers (or any answers, really) from director Martin Koolhoven, whose focus is on creating unnerving visuals through gloomy color palettes and a disorienting structure marked by gaps in action and information. The parade of weird behavior holds attention whenever Koolhoven’s style threatens to upend it, with the lion’s share of the bizarre shouldered capably by van Huet and van Houten. Cult Epics’ Limited Edition two-disc Blu-ray includes an 4K restoration of the film, as well as commentary by Koolhoven and van Huet; Koolhoven and van Houten are also interviewed together or alone in new and archival featurettes. Two projects by Koolhoven for Dutch TV – “Suzy Q,” about an Amsterdam teenager determined to break into Mick Jagger and Marianne Faithful’s hotel room in 1967, and “Dark Light,” about a man held hostage by a woman on a farm – are also included.
Sparrow Italia at Hotel Figueroa. Photo credit: Noble 33.
This Sunday, May 14, is Mother’s Day. If your mom lives in LA, why not show her your appreciation by treating her to brunch or dinner? Make it a Mother’s Day to remember with the help of our list below.
DTLA’s Redbird is more than a culinary treasure. Housed in what was the rectory of the 19th century St. Vibiana’s Cathedral, it’s also one of LA’s architectural gems. This Mother’s Day, Redbird’s Chef Neal Fraser and his team will serve up dishes like Cinnamon Crunch French Toast with creme fraiche ice cream and maple syrup; Ricotta Cavatelli with English peas, maitake mushrooms, black truffle, and pecorino; and Basque Baked Eggs with Short Rib. Brunch is $65 for adults, while the special children’s menu is $21 for kids ten and under. Dinner is also available ($75 for adults, $21 for kids), with options like Bacon Wrapped Saddle of Rabbit and Green Gazpacho. More information.
Recently recognized by “Food & Wine” as one of The 15 Best Hotels for Food in the U.S., DTLA’s gorgeously restored Hotel Figueroa is a relaxing, resort-like getaway. Opened in 1926, Hotel Figueroa is home to Sparrow Italia, which offers a unique, decadent, Italian-inspired dining experience. Sparrow Italia’s Mother’s Day brunch menu includes Caprese Frittata, Spring Pea & Fava Toast, and the Amore Di Mamma Cocktail Special (mezcal, ocho reposado, cocchi americano, Luxardo maraschino, Giffard Peche, lemon, strawberry cordial, and strawberry gold dust). Mom can enjoy this same cocktail special at dinner, along with options including Spring Risotto, Pistachio & Herb Crusted Rack of Lamb, and Spaghetti All Ubriaco (with crispy duck prosciutto). While you’re there, explore the hotel’s famous coffin-shaped swimming pool and “In Her Image,” a world-class artistic showcase from artist Erica Everage. You can make reservations here.
If you’re thinking about a local getaway for Mother’s Day, why not head to the historic Colony Palms Hotel in Palm Springs? Its restaurant, The Colony Club, is helmed by Executive Chef Michael Hung (Faith & Flower, Viviane). Dine al fresco while enjoying views of the swimming pool and the San Jacinto Mountains or in the glamorous, Art Deco-inspired dining room. The Mother’s Day brunch menu includes dishes like Brioche French Toast, Avocado Toast, Baked Cage-Free Eggs, Egg White Scramble, East Coast Breakfast Sandwich, and more. Sip on a brunch cocktail such as the Prickly Pear Bellini, a Mimosa, or a Bloody Mary. More about the venue here. Continue reading →
The Alice Bag Band performs this Thursday, May 11, at Alex’s Bar in Long Beach, a rare appearance since Alice’s departure from Los Angeles in 2021, and her only So. Cal show. The line-up includes several other area favs including The Groans, Cosmic Kitten and D.J. Dia (aka Radio Realness).
Thursday, May 11: Alice Bag Band, The Groans, Cosmic Kitten and D.J. Dia, Alex’s Bar, 2913 E. Anaheim Street, Long Beach, CA 90804; doors open at 8:00pm; must be 21+ for entry; tickets $15 presale or $20 day of the show; parking lot available and street parking nearby.
fifty years ago I had a job on the other side of this hatch tying papers for the l.a. times using these cranker-type tying machines to get up the money to buy my first bass, a $100 kay copy sort of a gibson eb-3 from this place called “chuck’s sound of music” which was upstairs in the southeast corner of the park western plaza, right nearpeck parkin my pedro town which is where I met d boon three years before this which was the reason I got this bass cuz I was using a guitar w/just four strings… I had only seen pictures of basses and didn’t know they had bigger strings, I thought they just had fewer of them like a tonto! man, am I a slow learner…
