Archive for the 'Must see' Category

LA Taco’s 2012 List of Things To Do for Día de los Muertos in the Los Angeles Area

Published on October 26, 2012 in 2012, Art, Chicana, Chicano, Chicano Bands, Chicano Cultural Treasure, culture, dance, Day of the Dead, Dia de los Muertos, DJ, Downtown Los Angeles, East LA Bands, East Los Angeles, East of the Eastside, Easy on the pocketbook, Events, Family, Free, Good for kids, Good for the soul, Great deal, history, hollywood, L.A. Cultural Events, LA, LA Bands, LA Musicians, Latina, Latino, Latino Bands, live entertainment, live music, long beach, Los Angeles, Mexican American, Mexican American Bands, music, Must see, Take the metro, What to do, What to do this weekend?, What to see, Where to go, Whittier and Who has a book in their pocket?. 0 Comments
LA Taco 2012 Dia de los Muertos Guide

The Best 2012 Dia de los Muertos Guide, Los Angeles

 

Sheezz Louise! They did it again. Erick Huerta writing for L.A. Taco has come up with another fantastic list of the Dia de Los Muertos/Day of the Dead things to do in the Los Angeles area. If you want to celebrate the holiday, there is bound to be something on the list that suits your taste.

Many of the notable eastside musical acts will be playing the area at the events including Ozomalti, Upground, Las Cafeteras, Queztal, Quinto Sol, La Santa Cecilia, Very Be Careful, and El Vez as the MC for the event in Grand Park

So without furthu ado, click the link below to open up the possibilites….

THE BEST 2012 DIA DE LOS MUERTOS GUIDE TO EVENTS HAPPENING IN LOS ANGELES AND BEYOND!

 

Culture Collide Festival – Bands from Around the Globe Converging in Echo Park on 10/4 -7.

Published on October 1, 2012 in bands, comedy, culture, L.A. Cultural Events, Latino Bands, live entertainment, live music, Los Angeles, music, Must see, not to be missed, Stuff Chicanos Like, Uncategorized and What to do this weekend?. 0 Comments

Culture Collide Line Up 2012

 Ready for some FUN? Bands from all over the world are going to converge in Echo Park on October 3 -6, 2012, and play their hearts out at Filter Magazine‘s Culture Collide. This local festival  is a great way to discover new music and catch a listen to the sound of our collective heart beat. For 20 bucks, you get a wristband that grants you access to all the fun, exploration,  and international camaraderie.

The festivities begin on Wednesday, October 3 with the Kick Off Party featuring DJs at Taix on Sunset for an eclectic night of music. The DJ’s include members of Montreal, School of Seven Bells, Penguin Prison (live DJ set with vocals), and others.

You can see the bands play on the big stage at S.O.TERIK’s Sunday Block Party, or catch many of them in  intimate local venues during the week. The festival also has a Comedy Collide portion in partnership with the UCB Theater.

Where are these bands coming from, you ask? They are flying in from Brazil, Canada, Peru, United Kingdom, Hungary, Mexico, Thailand, Estonia, France,  and about 15 other far out lands. Some of the bands are big stars in their home countries, but relatively unknown to us in the US.

Below is a map of the venues and the bands playing each day. Visit CultureCollide.com for more information.

 

The Eastside Band Quetzal is Back with a New Album “Imaginaries”

Published on February 28, 2012 in 2012, CD Release Party, Chicana, Chicano, Chicano Bands, culture, dance, East LA Bands, East Los Angeles, Events, Good for the soul, L.A. Cultural Events, LA Bands, LA Musicians, Latino Bands, live entertainment, live music, Los Angeles, Mexican American, music, Must see, not to be missed, Son Jarocho and The band Queztal. 0 Comments

Imaginaries from the band QuetzalWe are overjoyed that Quetzal is back! Not only are they back playing in the local area, but Quetzal has a strong new album that will keep your toes a tappin’ and your mind a thinkin’. Quetzal’s  latest album, Imaginaries, was be released on February 28th, 2012. This album blends the Veracruz traditional sounds of son jarocho with modern rock and R&B sounds to create a fusion that is very Los Angeles and features tracks in both English and Spanish.

If you haven’t heard Queztal before, you are in for a treat. You can sample four of the new tracks now from Imaginaries at SmithsonianMag.com. The available tracks are the title track ”Imaginaries,” “Tragafuegos (Fire Breathers),”  ”Dreamers, Schemers,” and the beautiful “Todo lo que tengo (All That I Have). After you get a taste of these tracks, we are sure you will want to support Quetzal and buy the full album on iTunes or on Amazon. These Eastside artists are nourished by their music, but they need food to survive.
This album, Imaginaries, is the first release in association with Smithsonian Folkways Tradiciones/ Traditions, known for releasing culturally relevant music of the United States.
From their website:

Smithsonian Folkways Recordings is the nonprofit record label of the Smithsonian Institution, the national museum of the United States. We are dedicated to supporting cultural diversity and increased understanding among peoples through the documentation, preservation, and dissemination of sound. We believe that musical and cultural diversity contributes to the vitality and quality of life throughout the world. Through the dissemination of audio recordings and educational materials we seek to strengthen people’s engagement with their own cultural heritage and to enhance their awareness and appreciation of the cultural heritage of others.

Our mission is the legacy of Moses Asch, who founded Folkways Records in 1948 to document “people’s music,” spoken word, instruction, and sounds from around the world. The Smithsonian acquired Folkways from the Asch estate in 1987, and Smithsonian Folkways Recordings has continued the Folkways commitment to cultural diversity, education, increased understanding, and lively engagement with the world of sound.

Quetzal is also back playing locally.  To keep up with all things Quetzal, follow them on Facebook. at Facebook.com/QuetzalEastLA.

John Leguizamo’s “Ghetto Klown” at the Montalban Theatre in Hollywood

Published on October 3, 2011 in 2011, comedy, culture, Goldstar, Good for the soul, hollywood, Latino, Must see, not to be missed, once in a lifetime event and Take the metro. 0 Comments Tags: .
John Leguizamo’s back with the new show “Ghetto Klown” at the Montalbán Theater in Hollywood. This is Leguizamo‘s fifth stage show. He has appeared in movies like Carlito’s Way and Moulin Rouge, voiced Sid the giant sloth in Ice Age, and even had his own variety show on TV for awhile.

Leguizamo puts on a great show. Joke after joke, he feeds off the energy of the audience and takes them to some of his happiest and darkest moments. You can feel the bond he has with his audience who react to him divulging moments in life portrayed in such a raw manner. How many of us are capable of looking at ourselves so closely and then show others what we see?

In the late nineties, he was the first Latino to have a one-man show on Broadway. He is a very young pioneer — young enough to dance much of the way through a 2 1/2 hour show.

As a testament to the show, I expected to take a picture of the show for this post, but by the time I remembered about the picture, the show was over. The picture above is from the Ghetto Klown Facebook page.

Go see it, you’ll enjoy it.

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John Leguizamo in “Ghetto Klown” at The Montalbán Theatre
1615 N. Vine St., Hollywood (about a block from the Sunset/Vine Metro stop)
Performances till October 16, 2011.
Tickets: $40-$95
For more information visit ghettoklownonbroadway.com.

(Psst! Some good deals can be found at this the link below, enjoy!)
http://www.goldstar.com/events/los-angeles-ca/ghetto-klown

Dengue Fever, Kinky, 40 other major acts, and YOU performing at the free Make Music Pasadena Festival

Published on June 10, 2008 in bands, best of 2008, Community Building, culture, Easy on the pocketbook, Events, Family, For Lovers, Free, free - oh yeah - free, Great deal, history in the making, impress her, impress him, innovative, L.A. Cultural Events, LA, live entertainment, live music, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Free Events, make music pasadena, music, Must see, not to be missed, pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, sgv, Southern California, Take the metro and weekend event. 0 Comments Tags: , .

On Saturday, June 21, 2008, from 11am till 10pm,  Pasadena, Califonia will be transformed into a rosy musical free-for-all!

Make Music Pasadena will have stages in Old Pasadena, One Colorado, the Playhouse District, the Armory Center for the Arts, and Memorial Park to celebrate World Music Day. The festival will be featuring internationally acclaimed bands like Dengue Fever, Kinky, Nortec Collective presents Bostich + Fussible, and the Raveonettes. It will also share the love with amateur musicians that are encouraged to perform in the streets.
Seriously!

The mission of Make Music Pasadena is to “encourage the community to Make Music where ever and how ever they can”. The ExperienceLA website announcing the event adds:

Along sidewalks and on street corners, in alleys and building lobbies, parks and courtyards, strains of Beethoven’s 5th blends with a Zeppelin guitar riff and a Coltrane saxophone solo as Pasadena becomes home to MAKE MUSIC PASADENA – A Fete de la Musique event.
On Saturday, June 21, 2008, the longest day of the year, Old Pasadena and the Playhouse District will become a musician’s playground.

 A musicians playground…hmmm…I think it is time to dust off that guitar and practice knock, knock, knocking on Pasadena’s door. If not the guitar, bring the camera – the city is sure to be a great big photo op.

This is another great festival situated close to a Metro Rail station (Memorial Park stop). They will even have the Pasadena ARTS Buses shuttling people for free along the festival route.

See the full schedule of the day’s events HERE.

For more information, visit MakeMusicPasadena.org

 

 

See Jackson Browne at 2008 Lummis Festival – for free!

Published on May 25, 2008 in bands, comedy, culture, dance, Events, Family, Food, Free, free - oh yeah - free, history in the making, L.A. Cultural Events, LA, Los Angeles, music, Must see, not to be missed, Southern California, Stuff Chicanos Like and weekend event. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

The third annual Lummis Day Festival will feature, music, puppet shows, dance, poetry, crafts and great food on June 1, 2008 from 10:30 am  till 7:30 pm. The festival will take place in Sycamore Grove Park, located at 4900 N. Figueroa St. in Highland Park.

The festival gets its name from Charles Fletcher Lummis, the one of the first librarians of the City of Los Angeles, the first City Editor of the Los Angeles Times, founder of the Southwest Museum, and famous walker (he walked from Cincinnati to Los Angeles in 1884).

This year’s festival will feature a performance by the legendary artist Jackson Browne. Browne lived many years of his life in the area. A singer-songwriter known for his classic albums — For Everyman, Late for the Sky, and The Pretender — he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. He also co-wrote the Eagles’ hit song “Take it Easy” with Glenn Frey. Jackson Browne is scheduled to perform at 6 pm.

Other acts scheduled of note to appear are Carlos Guitarlos, Mariachi Divas, Chapin Sisters, Cava, and  Culture Clash. CLICK HERE for the full schedule.

Although there is plenty of free parking, take the Metro Gold Line and save some money on gas. The Southwestern Museum stop is a short walk to the festival.

For more information, LummisDay.org.

 

Tierra, War, Malo, Little Willie G, Thee Midniters, Mariachis, and fireworks to celebrate the East L.A. Civic Center Grand Opening

Published on May 6, 2008 in Art, bands, Chicana, Chicano, Chicano Cultural Treasure, Community Building, culture, East Los Angeles, Easy on the pocketbook, Events, Family, Free, Good for kids, history in the making, L.A. Cultural Events, LA, Latina, Latino, Los Angeles, Mexican American, music, Must see, not to be missed, once in a lifetime event, Southern California, Stuff Chicanos Like and weekend event. 0 Comments

This should be a great free event.

The East L.A. Civic Center Grand Opening will be on Saturday, May 10th, 2008 from 9am till 10pm.  The concert starts at 5pm.

The East Los Angeles Civic Center is located at 4801 E. Third St. in East Los Angeles.

For more information, see Supervisor Gloria Molina’s website or this article from the LA TIMES.

 

Free music, art, & dance at the new LATC to kick off SPRING ON SPRING

Published on April 14, 2008 in after work deal, Art, bands, best of 2008, Chicana, Chicano, culture, dance, Easy on the pocketbook, Events, Free, free - oh yeah - free, Good for the soul, Great deal, great place to meet friends after work in los angeles, Groundbreaking performances, impress her, impress him, innovative, L.A. Cultural Events, LA, Latina, Latino, live entertainment, live music, Los Angeles, Los Angeles County Free Events, Mexican American, music, Must see, not to be missed, Southern California and Stuff Chicanos Like. 0 Comments

 

At a time, when ticket prices for live entertainment are more expensive than ever, the New Los Angeles Theater Center will start off their ”Spring on Spring” programming with a free event featuring dance, music, food, and art. The great thing about the full Spring on Spring series of over 15 events is that no single event is over 12 bucks. Even better, 50 bucks will buy a pass for all the events.

The free kick-off event, Fresh Paint, will be Friday, April 18, 2008 at 9 pm. This should be a fun night with a variety of performances. The night will feature music by Cita La Muñeca Rota, Ricardo Ochoa, and the rock cello player Semyon Kobialka. There will be krump dancing by Buckworld One. The Art adorning the walls will be from the famous Chicano artist GRONK & the pop artist William Deutsch and to round out the party spirit, D.J. Original Bozak will use his turntables to make you move.

The New LATC is located at 514 S. Spring Street, in dowtown Los Angeles. 

All this is free, but reservations are required. To reserve a place, send an email to Kick-Off@THENEWLATC.com.

For more information, visit TheNewLATC.com.

 

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Stephen Hawking to discuss black holes at Caltech in Pasadena – free admission!

Published on April 7, 2008 in Astronomy, Easy on the pocketbook, Events, Free, impress her, impress him, Information few people know about, innovative, Los Angeles, Must see, not to be missed, once in a lifetime event, pasadena, San Gabriel Valley, sgv, Southern California, Space, Stars, Stuff Chicanos Like and the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning?. 0 Comments

Image of black hole from the NASA website

This is your chance to be in the same room with one of the greatest minds on the planet.

Professor Stephen Hawking will be discussing using a black hole as a door to a different universe on Wednesday, April 9, 2008 at 8:00 PM at the Beckman Auditorium at the California Institute of Technology. Caltech is located at 332 South Michigan Avenue in Pasadena.

This event is free. No reservations are required. We would recommend getting there EARLY  to get one of the 500 coveted seats in the auditorium that will be allocated on a first-come, first served basis.  This talk will be geared as much as possible for a general audience.

The black hole is one of the most interesting phenomema in the universe. The theories associated with the black hole’s ability to warp time have led some to believe that through black holes, one can travel back and forth in time. CLICK HERE to listen to a great segment from This American Life for a great story that revolves around black holes.

More about Stephen Hawking from the Caltech website:

Stephen Hawking holds the Lucasian Professorship at Cambridge University (the professorship once held by Sir Isaac Newton) and is the Sherman Fairchild Distinguished Scholar at Caltech. For the past 45 years he has been a world leader in research on black holes, the birth of the universe, and the nature of space, time, and gravity.

For more information about this event, visit:
http://events.caltech.edu/events/event-5301.html

 

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Zócalo presents a talk by Luis Valdez at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre

Published on March 17, 2008 in Chicana, Chicano, Chicano Cultural Treasure, culture, Easy on the pocketbook, Events, Food, Free, free - oh yeah - free, Good for the soul, Great deal, great place to meet friends after work in los angeles, history in the making, hollywood, La Bamba, Latina, Latino, Los Angeles, Los Feliz, Mexican American, Must see, not to be missed, once in a lifetime event, Southern California, Speaker Series, Stuff Chicanos Like, Zocalo cultural forum and Zocalo lecture series. 0 Comments Tags: .
Zócalo presents a vibrant series of programs that feature thinkers and doers speaking on some of the most pressing topics of the day. Bringing together an extraordinarily diverse group of Angelenos, Zócalo–”Public Square” in Spanish–seeks to create a non partisan and multiethnic forum where participants can enjoy a rare opportunity for intellectual fellowship. 
Image from the Zócalo website

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE FULL LECTURE

A Great talk with Luis Valdez in a cool theater. Afterwards, delicious food and drink, great people hanging out in a comfortable environment, and the chance to meet one of your heroes – all for free.

We are describing a special program to be presented by Zócalo on Monday, April 7, 2008 at 7:30 pm at Barnsdall Gallery Theatre. The Zócalo forum is an incubator for magic. We have seen some inspirational, shocking, and hurt-your-sides funny talks that will stay with us forever.

Luis Valdez is one of the most important Chicano artists alive today. What’s more, he will be speaking at the 30th anniversary of the premiere of his landmark film, “Zoot Suit.” The talk will be moderated by Oscar Garza, Editor-in-Chief, Tu Ciudad Magazine.

Reserve a seat ASAP by CLICKING HERE. Try to get to the theater doors about a half hour early (trust us on this one; your RSVP doesn’t guarantee a seat).

Barnsdall Gallery Theatre is located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd.

More about Luis Valdez and Zoot Suit from the Zócalo website:

Thirty years ago, the Mark Taper Forum presented the world premiere of “Zoot Suit,” a musical about a dark chapter in 1940s L.A. Written and directed by Luis Valdez of El Teatro Campesino, the groundbreaking production marked the first time a major American theater had explored the Mexican-American experience. The Taper was rewarded with record-breaking crowds, including many Mexican-Americans who were setting foot on the Music Center grounds for the first time. The play went on to a brief run on Broadway, and then was filmed for a theatrical release. Valdez went on to direct the highly successful “La Bamba” (1987), which showed Hollywood that there was an audience for Latino stories.

For more information about this and upcoming events, visit Zocalo.org

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