Mayra Langdon Riesman: A Remembrance

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I’d waited a while to write this up. Until I was ready. Since today would have been her birthday, this is it. I know more younger people than I’d like who passed away last year (and this) but Mayra’s passing—at merely 64 from complications of Parkinson’s Disease—was a particular blow and one I’ve yet to really process.

I met Mayra Riesman during my early days at Sundance. I was seated next to her at a dinner party at the Stein Eriksen Lodge, you know: the restaurant where you can order elk, wild boar, rattlesnake, and I think at the time, even bear. We were the guests of a film client of mine willing to foot the bill for twelve or so people at $300 a seat. She was a legit guest. I was just the minder. Those were the days.

We hit it off, not just because I was a publicist and she was a journalist, but because she was witty, cynical, well-traveled and knew a hell of a lot about movies. She also wore bangs before hipsters did but after Patti Smith did. And by and by, she hired me to write for and PR her web site, Film Scouts. The site still exists, and is hosted somewhere, and still resides at http://www.filmscouts.com.

In the days of internet 1.0, Film Scouts was the shit. It had great writing and superior technology for the time. Mayra had a character—an early bot really—called Jerry the Usher, who helped users navigate the site and recommended movies.

I got to go to Cannes a few times with Mayra and her team. Most of the time we just reviewed movies, edited movie reviews from others and wrote long diary entries and essays (one of mine, “Cannes Ham,” is reproduced below), but at other times we did remarkable things, like broadcast a live show by Aerosmith on a proto-broadband service called the Mbone and as rarely, stream movies online. Another time, we brought a bona fide therapist along with us, Dr. Robert Binder. I am pretty sure we were the only media outlet with a therapist on call. He wrote goofy/serious pieces about coping with Cannes mentally, and users could book him for $150 an hour for private sessions. We got to fly a vintage biplane over the Croisette with roll-down windows, leather seats and a Hamilton clock on the instrument panel.

I think Mayra got her diagnosis in 2000. She was in early stages of the disease when I came into New York to host the 20thAnniversary screening of American Werewolf in London. She was going to cover it, and she and I met for breakfast at the Hudson Hotel on the morning of September 11, 2001.

Halfway through—and spoiler alert: this passage parades my profound ignorance of normal human behavioral cues—I noticed the hotel service had become distracted and desultory. Finally, I asked someone why everyone had stopped paying attention to their duties. Their reply: a plane had just crashed into the World Trade Center. Mayra suggested we go up to my room to follow the news on TV. Turns out the real thing was visible from the roof.

My staff were downtown at the Soho Grand. After the towers fell, singed papers from the buildings blew up against their windows before wafting to the sidewalk. Mobile phone service was spotty, but I got through to Universal, the event hosts, who suggested we “wait to see how the day plays out” before canceling the screening. Later, they all left town. Mayra lived on Beekman Place, a few blocks from Ground Zero. Mayra wanted her medication. Mayra had cats. And her husband Michael, a music supervisor and conductor, was overseas. We were on our own.

Mayra proposed we go to the nearest hospital and volunteer. That was Roosevelt Hospital. We show up there and ask for Mayra’s medications, and ask if they needed a hand. “What are your skills?” They asked. “I’m a web mistress,” she said. “I’m a publicist,” I added. “The best thing you can do,” they told us, “is stay out of the way, and maybe even stay out of the building.”

So we made our way downtown. We took the subway as far as 23rdStreet, and had to walk from there. The city was in a daze and in shock, and everyone had stopped working and packed the local bars as we walked down the Bowery. It would not be an exaggeration to say we bar-hopped our way toward the disaster zone. Before too long the streets were blocked too, and Mayra and I talked our way into the car of an EMT (a hopped up, sapphire blue 60’s Chevy Chevelle coupe, I recall), who took us the rest of the way. Bless that guy.

In her building, the power was still on. Mayra checked all the servers and other tech in the apartment. Nearby, another building in the Trade Center complex collapsed and blew a wall of dust up the street, enveloping a local reporter in front of her production van who we watched from the window. We filled the bathtub with water for the cats and got out of there—walking all the way back up to 58thand Broadway with one stop on Houston Street to contemplate the end of the world with nameless acquaintances.

Mayra and I worked on one development project together after that, a reality show concept called I Cannes Direct. The idea was to start ahead of the Festival with a dozen contestants, who’d be whittled down through the script and development process to a few finalists. They would actually start making movies during the festival, with their vanquished fellow contestants serving as the crew. By Cannes’ end, there’d be one finished movie left standing, collaborated on by ALL the contestants.

Mayra was personally and professionally very, very generous to me and others. She had a friend—Karsten something, who has sadly passed away as well—who was in charge of marketing for Mont Blanc. So I was treated to a pen designed for signing treaties and a glorious watch. She was aware of my timepiece fascination too—and gave me not only Mont Blanc swag but a one of a kind family heirloom pocket watch and a travel alarm clock from the 60’s; you know, the leather-clad case kind that folds the clock inside. Sadly, I lost all but the travel alarm to a burglary last summer. Sorry Michael.

On another occasion, she gifted me a spanking new HP laptop, at a time when they cost quite a bit of dough. However, we could never get the computer started. It was somehow fried before I could ever boot it up for the first time. So we returned it and HP sent me another. After that one befell the same fate—some sort of pre-boot failure, HP told her she couldn’t give them to me anymore because they thought I was somehow messing with them to kill them or that I had such bad energy it happened by itself. But she tried. Later, she gifted me one of the first iPads. I still have it, though it’s been relegated to a digital recipe book, basically.

Things. They travel with you a short distance, twining their physical presence and function with memories, which disconnect from your timeline and travel along on their own after the objects leave your possession. I tried to keep that from happening with Mayra, but as time went on I did see less of her owing to both geography and circumstances; the last time was a gallery opening maybe six years ago. But Mayra formed a deeper connection in my life, and while I don’t get to travel on this plane with her any longer, her memory, and our shared memories and my gratitude for them, get stronger as the years go by. Godspeed Mayra, on your birthday today, you are remembered with love and gratitude.

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Top Tens! A Look Back at 2017 in Music

The Two Tens On Repeat

Top Tens? The TWO TENS!

What a year in music 2017 was. The pundits have said this year heralds the age of hip hop. Why? This was the year that hip hop cut itself loose from its roots from bangerz “in da club” to branch out in tempo, composition, realization and instrumentation to become, more than any other musical genre, so much more than a genre. Collaborations between hip hop and indie artists led the way. Starting with this year’s Grammy nominations, hip-hop’s dominance has gained recognition with the mainstream audience (and fusty NARAS members). And hip-hop artists headlined formerly indie music festivals and held festivals of their own.

We present here some playlists from our Knitting Factory News’ staff and, while we might be late to the party, we’re definitely AT the party. A look back. Spotify playlists linked to each of our lists for your enjoyment!

Sampha

Sampha

Saeli Eshelman 

1. Washed Out: “Hard to Say Goodbye,” Mister Mellow
2. Sampha: “Plastic 100 Degrees C,” Single
3. Thundercat: “Bus in These Streets,” Bus in These Streets
4. Sza: “Doves in the Wind (feat. Kendrick Lamar),” Crtl
5. LCD Soundsystem: “Other Voices,” American Dream
6. The xx: “Say Something Loving,” I See You
7. Kendrick Lamar: “YAH,” Damn
8. Drake: “Madiba Riddim,” Single
9. Father John Misty” “Total Entertainment Forever,” Pure Comedy
10. Grapetooth: “Trouble,” Single

Ariel Pink Dedicated to Bobby Jameson

Ariel Pink–Dedicated to Bobby Jameson

Victoria Miller

1. Ariel Pink, “Feels Like Heaven,” Dedicated to Bobby Jameson
2. Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, “Over Everything,” Lotta Sea Lice
3. Father John Misty, “Dying Man,” Pure Comedy
4. Rostam, “Bike Dream,” Half-Light
5. Mondo Cozmo, “Automatic,” Single
6. Slowdive, “Sugar for the Pill,” Slowdive
7. Toro Y Moi, “Girl Like You,” Boo Boo
8. Chicano Batman, “Freedom is Free,” Freedom is Free
9. Real Estate, “Darling,” In Mind
10. Belle & Sebastian, “We Were Beautiful,” How to Solve Our Human Problems, Part 1

Lee Ranaldo Electric Trim

Lee Ranaldo–Electric Trim

Justin Long, Knitting Factory Entertainment (Albums, but we made him a playlist)

1. JD McPherson: Undivided Heart & Soul
2. Lee Ranaldo: Electric Trim
3. Jane Weaver: Modern Kosmology
4. Kamasi Washington: Harmony of Difference
5. King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard: Flying Microtonal Banana
6. Foxygen: Hang
7. LCD Soundsystem: American Dream
8. Photay: Onism
9. Dream Syndicate: How Did I Find Myself Here
10. Peter Perrett: How the West Was Won

Chaz Budnick Meets the Mattson 2

Chaz Burnett Meets the Mattson 2–Star Stuff

Henry Eshelman

1. Mr. Jukes (feat. Charles Bradley): “Grant Green,” _From Gold Stars Comes Silver Dew_
2. Tyler the Creator, Frank Ocean: “911/Mr. Lonely,” _Single_
3. Arcade Fire: “Creature Comfort,” _Everything Now_
4. Chas Bundick meets The Mattson 2: “JBS,” _Star Stuff_
5. Michael Kiwanuka: “Cold Little Heart,” _Cold Little Heart_
6. Elbow: “Magnificent (She Says),” _Little Fictions_
7. Chicano Batman: “Friendship (is a Small Boat in a Storm),” _Freedom is Free_
8. Grizzly Bear: “Mourning Sound,” _Painted Ruins_
9. The War on Drugs: “Holding On,” _A Deeper Understanding_
10. Seun Kuti and Egypt 80: “Black Times (feat. Carlos Santana),” _Single_

Holiday Christmas Clearance:

Even though we choked the post with holiday music last time around, we missed these two: Jeremih and Chance the Rapper’s deluxe edition of 2016’s mixtape with ten new tracks. Download it for free from Soundcloud here. Meanwhile, Amazon released twenty more songs in as a follow up to 2016’s sprawling Indie For Christmas playlist.It features exclusive tunes from everyone from the Lemon Twigs to Best Coast to Mexican Institute of Sound. It’s NOT free.

Happy Holidays to all and to all a good night!

Happy Holidays Cat

Hoppy Hallidays to You! Music of the Season

Well, it’s the holidays, and with it comes a deluge of music, special events and performances surrounding the celebrations. And holiday music, like golf pants, can either be colorful, kitschy fun or excruciating, pencils-in-the-ears nonsense that can drive listeners from the room. That is to say, it’s wildly subjective. So here, presented to both cheers and groans, is my, along with Snapback’s  James Katalbas’ ruminations on holiday music, starting with Mariah Carey and possibly the most successful holiday record of all time.

This month in hip hop history: Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” makes the top music charts two decades after its release (the accompanying video has almost 340 million views).

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The holidays go better with bunnies!

Born March 27, 1970, Mariah Carey may be most well recognized for her beloved old school Christmas smash, “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” This hit has made the charts every year since its release, and continues to do so decades later. Her song has been more successful than any other non-traditional Christmas song!

This old school piece has been so well received that admiring fans have even dubbed Mariah Carey the Queen of Christmas. Mariah Carey admits that she loves the holiday season to an abnormal extent, but humbly rejects the title of Queen of Christmas.

Although there is another, earlier song known as “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” Mariah’s version uses entirely different lyrics and music. Her producer programmed almost all of the instruments you hear in the background of the song.

Although the music video shows Mariah and her husband frolicking through a winter landscape, the song was actually produced in August. At the time, neither she nor her producer had considered that the song had even a remote chance of becoming popular, and the producer claims the day of its release made no lasting impression on him. He was wildly surprised to see how successful it has become.

It’s great to hear Mariah belt out those high notes every winter season, but we’d love it even more if she would make a comeback!

–James Katalbas

And lest anyone scoff at this, hip-hop bible Complex agrees with him.

Well, in case you think we’re just going to drop that bomb and let it sit there, here’s some other holiday records we have in a dusty corner of the hard drive or a box under the stereo that run the gamut of style and substance (leaving out perhaps everyone’s favorite, Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”)

Leon Redbone Christmas IslandIf you ever wanted to know what it sounds like when the artist doesn’t move their lips when singing, then 1988’s “Christmas Island” by jazz blues legend Leon Redbone is the holiday record for you. Amazon’s Martin Keller writes, “…Leon Redbone has kept much of America’s blues and jazz music alive with his foggy baritone voice and understated manner. And that’s what you get on Christmas Island; mostly popular standards, with the exception of “That Old Christmas Moon,” “Christmas Ball Blues,” and “Kitty Cats’ Christmas,”–a captivating calypso original penned by Leon and Blake Redbone. Dr. John joins in for a soulful and lively rendition of “Frosty The Snowman,” while Redbone dutifully covers both “White” and “Blue” Christmas, “Let It Snow,” and “Winter Wonderland.” But a highlight you won’t want to miss is his version of “Toyland,” sung with what can best be described as Redbone passion, embracing dashes of longing, nostalgia, and pleasure as deep as the voice that breathes life into a song about every kid’s Christmas fantasy.” Redbone wasn’t done with this record though; He and Zooey Deschanel also recorded the charming “Baby it’s Cold Outside” for the soundtrack of 2003’s holiday classic, ELF.
Guns N Roses Appetite for Christmas    We_wish_you_a_metal_xmas_and_a_headbanging_new_year_us
I googled “Red Hot Chili Peppers Christmas” and surprise, surprise, there was a result: their version of “Deck the Halls” as a bonus track from 1994’s “Out in LA.” Of course, YouTube started to build a playlist, beginning with Guns n’ Roses’ “White Christmas” and moved on to Metallica’s “Carol of the Bells;” AC/DC’s “Jingle Hell’s Bells;” Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Christmas Time Again;” and Kiss’ “White Christmas,” I had to quit after that. Twisted Sister and Bad Religion have whole albums. If your tastes run in this direction, skip this nonsense and just get your hands on “We Wish you a Metal Christmas (and a Headbanging New Year).”

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I’ve had a soft spot in my heart all my life for Canadian folk rock activist Bruce Cockburn. He’s the guy we wish we had at Stand up for Standing Rock. Anyway, his holiday record is unique for fresh takes on classics and both tub thumping and earnest tunes you’ve never heard of and might not recognize, in English, French and Spanish. Fun fact: do you know what a luthier is? Don’t click yet…OK. It’s someone that makes guitars. Thanks Wikipedia.

Frank Zappa Santa

I think the reason perhaps that contemporary artists–ranging from Arcade Fire to Frank Zappa (if you can count his “Xmas Values”)–have had such a hard time with holiday music, is that the singers of the 30’s-60’s say, from big band to Rat Pack cut such a deep furrow that those that followed simply fell in and disappeared. From the pre-war baritone growl of Louis Armstrong to the booze-soaked croon of Dean Martin, these artists bring the of irony, nostalgia and hep cat swing to the genre in a way that’s very, VERY hard to follow.

Christmas Cocktails Volume 2

Ultra-Lounge Christmas Cocktails Volume 1 and 2. So, my copy of this 2-disc set, given to me by record exec Phil Sandhaus, actually has a real faux leopard-print cover and came with a matching Santa hat. It’s out of print so you’ve got to scour record shops or the internets to get this one. Vol. 2 is the best with the standout track “Baby it’s Cold Outside” by Dean Martin.

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Christmas with the Rat Pack We agree with Complex on this one, too: ” Sammy Davis Jr. is the real star of this album. The one-eyed black Jew could do it all better than anybody. When he gets done tearing up “Jingle Bells” there’s really no need for anybody else to sing the song ever again.”

Croon and Swoon Vol. 2. Again, second time’s the charm for some of these discs. Standout track here is “Santa Baby” by the cat so hep she played an animated one in “Emperor’s Got a New Groove,” Eartha Kitt.

Nothing beats Satchmo for holiday tunes. There’s probably a dozen compilations featuring Louis Amrstrong, but I picked this one because our favorite, Christmas in New Orleans, is the opening track and it’s a nice remaster of an older pressing of the record.

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Finally, we all have perennial favorite holiday songs and one of mine is “The Little Drummer Boy.” It’s sappy and saccharine, but complicated musically, and here’s a very cool jazz version of it from Kenny Burrell. But it’s best known for the performance by David Bowie and Bing Crosby. Recorded in 1977, it’s one of the first mashups, really, where Bowie sings one song and Bing Crosby since another. To quote John Cage, “for your convenience, we performed them together.”

–Henry Eshelman

The Federals say, “Goodbye and Good Riddance: 2017”

Fires, floods, hurricanes, politics, ugh. We don’t think we’re too far out on a limb to say most people won’t be sorry to see 2017 go. What we DO have to be thankful for is the indomitable nature of the human spirit, on display in countless acts of heroism, charity and generosity, locally and globally. As the Wizard of Oz once said, “Where I come from, they call these people….good deed doers.”

So let’s celebrate them. Get your glitter on and head to the The Federals for champagne and sweet and sour goodbyes to 2017. Straight up: our partners at Snapback, who help program both Federals and who contributed the Mariah Carey tribute above, made this sick video to promote it.

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The Federal Long Beach is offering a 3 course prix fixe dinner package for $65 that includes one select alcoholic beverage and champagne toast at midnight. Menu items include Creamy Pumpkin Spiced Soup, Pan Seared Pacific Sea Bass, Braised Short Rib Osso Buco, Herbed Goat Cheese Stuffed Breast of Chicken, and Warm Almost Flourless Chocolate Cake. After dinner, head underground for dancing at The Federal Underground nightclub dance party, featuring three rooms of music and the DJ’s that bring us SOLE SATURDAYS, DDouble & Jeffccee. Advance tickets $20 here

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Meanwhile at The Federal in North Hollywood, a party horse of a different color is hosting a slew of treats. Their special New Year’s Eve Menu will be featuring a Crab Hot Pot, House Smoked Pork Belly, Wild Salmon, Prime Rib, and Chocolate Brioche Bread Pudding.  Then head upstairs for the our hottest dance night with Snapback DJs! Cost of entry includes entrance to our Upstairs Club plus party favors and champagne toast at midnight. There will also be a VIP Open Bar held in their exclusive speakeasy, Salon, and it includes appetizers, party favors, admission to the nightclub and champagne toast at midnight.

Tickets three ways, here.

 

 

 

 

Jesse Malin and Alejandro Escovedo at the Federal Underground, Long Beach February 22.

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The Federal Underground is one of those unique intimate venues that, when you see a show there, you feel a little a part of a secret tribe. It has an old-school underground industrial feel with Edison lamps at the end of steel girders as chandeliers, and an exposed staircase with metal grilles below the banisters. There’s a SHINING-style blood-red hallway backstage that leads to a speakeasy deep in the basement. The band green room, poorly hidden from the audience, is INSIDE a vault with a 10-foot diameter door that must weight several tons. It’s in this environment that hundred fifty or so indie fans and South Bay and OC punks gathered for Alejandro Escovedo and Jesse Malin’s Long Beach leg of their ongoing tour.

My wife always says about art and artists, “They are not ‘like’ anything; they are themselves!” I continue to disagree. Escovedo is like a Latin Nick Cave and he hates comparisons with Tom Petty. What if I like both (and I do)? His lyrics are piercing and incisive, his styles span genres from roots to country to punk to rockabilly, and like Nick Cave, he’s a tortured soul who wants to share his pain. But as far out on the edge he goes, there’s an accessibility to his performance and music that’s…well, like Tom Petty. So there.

Jesse Malin’s an iconoclastic performer who’s played solo, with punk and rock bands, and just about everybody else. He’s famous for performing tribute shows featuring Lou Reed and most recently, The Rolling Stones’ Goats Head Soup. Here, he stuck to his own compositions with a keyboard accompanist. Tunes included “All the Way from Moscow,” and the punky “Black Haired Girl.”

The audience is as much a part of these shows as these performers. There’s a communion between them that drives the show. Malin in particular, whose confessional patter between tunes drives the likewise confessional nature of his performance. At one point he told a long story about how his mom essentially caught him playing guitar at some VERY early age (he fronted a hardcore band at age 12 that couldn’t get one booking because he couldn’t recruit a drinking audience).

Escovedo’s set interspersed classics from his repertoire but featured numerous cuts from his first new album in four years, Burn Something Beautiful. He was joined for the set by Aaron McClendon on bass; Sean Peters Austin drums and Jason Victor on guitar.

His second tune “Horizontal” had hints of Tom Petty in it (!), singing “I wanna go where you go and that’s all right.” He went on to the urgent and energetic “Sunday Morning Feeling” then offered up two audience favorites; the first, “Castanets,” featuring a 50’s roots rock guitar and punkabilly beat with the clap/sing along refrain, “I like her better when she walks away.”

He introduced “Sally Was a Cop,” saying “This song goes out to Donald Trump.” This was a long, loping arrangement with a martial, almost Irish beat underneath the screaming guitar work. It features his favorite vocal toy, a big metal police dispatcher’s microphone. There’s a terrific audience video of the whole nine-minute song here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LVH1dYAziw. He then brought things downtempo with “Suit of Lights.

Though Escovedo has one song called “I Don’t Want to Play Guitar Anymore,” his performance certainly belied that sentiment, because his axe, emblazoned with a picture of Joe Strummer, was put through its paces on rhythm and lead, on power chords and piercing melodies. At one point in “Johnny Volume,” he leads a chugging messy psychedelic guitar program. He swished his hands across the strings and dissolved it into fuzz–a ten minute jam with numerous crescendos, even windmilling at times.

“Burnt a hole in my jeans/I want to be your man/I want to be everything I promised you.” Across his set, Escovedo’s deeply cynical but hopeful lyrics paint a picture of a self acknowledging, flawed man who yearns for acceptance and redemption. He combines David Lynch’s dark vision invoking the memory of his late brother and the hope of true believers on “Sensitive Boys.”

He performed his first encore, “Chinese Rocks,” with Jesse Malin back on stage and rather than describe it, I’ll simply point you to the second remarkable bootleg video of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiFPTLOH3Hs. He wrapped up the set with Leonard Cohen cover “Boogie Street,” lending his guitar to Malin’s accompanist and brought the audience down a funky boulevard of broken dreams and a thousand kisses.

Photos by Paul Neuman here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/8akmas8h8kfmb44/AAAVi7RADHo49oGYjes_dWLda?dl=0

–Henry Eshelman

 

Tiki No? Yes! Locals Appreciation Night December 21 with Open Bar 9-10PM!

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At the southern margins of the Arts District on a fairly nondescript block of Lankershim Bl. with a stereo shop across the road sits Tiki No, North Hollywood’s living ode to Tiki culture.

Formally launched in 2009, Tiki No’s transition from an existing dive bar called Match actually started a year earlier. The addition of the fireplace and patio was done along with extensive work by designer “Bob the Bamboo.” Hand carved totems, bamboo cabanas with thatched roofs set the scene for a Tiki oasis. Owners Jeffrey Best and Kenneth Jones painstakingly scoured for Tiki masks, statues, illuminated blowfish and travel trunks that double as shelving behind the bar. Kenneth himself torched the burnt panel walls on the patio. The bar keeps evolving: the latest additions are two giant Tiki god cutouts, castoffs left at the bar, which Jones is currently bedazzling for outdoor display.

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Tiki No balances true old-school—featuring authentically re-created cocktails from the dawn and golden age of the Tiki movement—alongside contemporary creations from the mind of proprietor Simon Jones, a blunt-talking Brit who has had a relationship with owners Best and Jones going back 20 years. Simon has built and been a part of Beauty Bar Hollywood, Star Shoes, Vineyard and Skinny’s Lounge North Hollywood. When offered a chance to be part of Tiki No, he says, “I jumped, to bring Tiki No to forefront of the culture and respecting those two fine men that bought this slice of happiness to North Hollywood.” Among his many qualifications, Jones relates, “I have an extensive Hawaiian shirt collection and antique bar equipment.”

The menu—curated by mixologists Damian Windsor and Jason Bran—is a living history of the exotic tropical drink. While it’s not surprising that legendary Trader Vic’s is responsible for two of the cocktails in Tiki No’s canon—the Mai Tai and the Eastern Sour—and that Don the Beachcomber gave them two—The Navy Grog and the Zombie—other drinks come from as far away from the South Pacific as Egypt (The Suffering Bastard), Malaysia (The Jungle Bird), and, well, Benihana New York City (The Happy Buddha). Tiki No’s modern signature cocktails include the Coconut Mojito (coconut run, coconut water, mint, and lime); the Lychee Luau (gold rum, silver rum, lychee liqueur, Pineapple, lemon and falernum); and the Toasted Marshmallow, (overproofed rum, “fluffed” vodka, Licor 43, falernum, apple, lemon and cinnamon).

“I have always been a Tiki fan,” Jones explains. “I love the kitsch, passion and attention to detail in the cocktails. I was also Lucky enough to live opposite The Royal Hawaiian in Laguna Beach for several years– where the Chief Lapa Lapa was created.”

While Tiki itself/himself is a wellspring of Polynesian faith and culture (Tiki is the Maori’s Adam and a godlike representation in other cultures), leave it to Los Angeles to distill Tiki into the colorful, kitschy, fun and booze-soaked bar concept it is today. While tropical drinks precede it, many credit Texas transplant Donn Beach (né Ernest Raymond Beaumont-Gantt) and his Don the Beachcomber on McCadden Place in Hollywood as the first Tiki bar in the 1930’s. WWII servicemen returning from the Pacific theatre found the South Seas theme reassuring, familiar and fun, and voila! Tiki bars caught on, and after a dip in popularity in the 70’s and 80’s, have enjoyed a resurgence in recent decades. Jimmy Buffet fans—parrotheads—have adopted tiki as their own, substituting tiki pregames for tailgating at Jimmy Buffet shows. North Hollywood claims both of the Valley’s only Tiki bars, the other of course being the Tonga Hut.

 

Tiki also loves the holidays. Musically, the swingin’ lounge musical concepts, which bring us everything from Leon Redbone’s holiday album to “Christmas Island” (recorded by everyone from Bing Crosby to the Andrews Sisters and the title of Tiki master Jimmy Buffet’s holiday album) to “Baby it’s Cold Outside” by Dean Martin. There’s also a genre that’s come out of it called “trop rock,” of which Buffet must be the most visible exponent. Tiki No will celebrate with a “locals appreciation night” holiday party December 22 starting at 9PM, featuring open bar 9-10PM for Noho Arts readers (bring a copy of this story with you] and a drawing on site for a comp bar tab all night for two lucky guests. The drawing is available to anyone who likes or posts on Tiki No’s Instagram page #tikinobar between now and December 21!

Tiki No. 4657 Lankershim Bl, North Hollywood, CA 818.766.0116.

5PM-2AM daily. Tiki No offers Happy Hour seven nights a week from 5-7pm, and Karaoke every Wednesday and Sunday from 8:30pm to close.

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Mimosa Music Series—Angela McCluskey and Chris Stills at The Federal Bar North Hollywood, November 29, 2016

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As the weather turns cool there’s no cozier place for music fans than KCRW-FM’s Gary Calamar’s Mimosa Music Series at the Federal Bar North Hollywood, CA.

Each show is crazy intimate for the caliber of artists featured, with performances taking place upstairs at The Federal over that gastropub’s signature brunch. Amazingly, admission is free with reservation. For cheapskates, there’s free bagels, cream cheese and coffee. It’s an unnecessary incentive; performers over the past months have included artists as diverse as Courtney Barnett, Jenny O. and The Bird and the Bee.

Last month’s performance by Stephen Stills’ son Chris and Scottish siren Angela McCluskey was a unique and very personal experience for me. Way back when, we worked with McCluskey when she fronted The Wild Colonials and put on some of her earliest shows: one to open the Virgin Megastore in West Hollywood and another at the old Atlas Bar & Grill by the Wiltern. McCluskey went on to a rich and varied solo career, and remixes of her “Breathe” with Telepopmusik had become oft-spun house anthems by the time I launched my DJ career in 2002. Since then, she’s collaborated with dance artists Morgan Page and recorded with Robbie Robertson and Joe Henry, among others. And heck, she’s managed by my friend Norena Barbella. Who knew?

Calamar introduced opener Chris Stills as “Chris, Stills and Nosh.” Performing acoustic guitar (a gorgeous sky-blue model Gibson hummingbird lookalike if it wasn’t the real thing) with a solid electric bass accompaniment filling in the bottom end, the duo offered gentle, nostalgic harmonies with crisp, bold, clear folk/rock tunes including “Hellfire Baby Jane;” “Criminal Mind,” –“a song about the women in my life,” Stills offered. Like his dad, Stills is an adept balladeer on both guitar and piano, with both serious and whimsical songs, including a number called “That’s Cool” and concluding with “The Weekend,” about a college student who had “too good of a time and lost their phone”—possibly the most stage time ever devoted to this very mundane yet common subject. Stills was an unexpected and pleasant surprise.

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Angela started her set with “a couple really depressing songs, because we’ve just come from New York and it’s rainy and cold there.” Complementing her tortured and careworn vocals—always sounding pushed nearly to the breaking point, musician husband and frequent collaborator Paul Cantenon played piano and violin in a Utilikilt; the remarkable Lili Haydn also joined on violin. Mic stand festooned with flowers and glittering lights, Angela left that stand all alone after the two ballads, “8 Stories High” and “You and Me.” Suggesting that “I don’t think I can get you off your arses to dance, but just put on your Hollywood shades and do it” she proceeded to do both. Audience members pulled the window shades, cutting off the slanting midday winter light, and Matt the sound and light tech did his best to offer the newly darkened room that Berlin cabaret feel with Angela’s frequent instruction and encouragement.

With added drums by the laconic Davey Chegwidden, with bass and loops from Kiran Shahani (Angela’s writing and producing partner), she introduced barrelhouse anthems “Let’s Get Lost” and “Crying Anymore,” and one she played at the Atlas Bar & Grill way back when she was heralded as “Britain’s newest singing sensation,” a sobriquet that both surprised and amused her. She then moved on to some more dance numbers such as “Paris To Hollywood,” from her latest album, The Roxy Sessions—get it here: (https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/the-roxy-sessions/id1139030979). Other tunes showing the more dance and rock side of Angela included “Electric Sky;” “In the Air;” and “The Little Things.”

For her last song, the house/lounge standard “Breathe,” she replaced the words with Gramma Funk’s [I See you Baby] Shakin’ that Ass” Fatboy Slim Remix as performed with Thievery Corporation (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DDjoouqRnhk). Dancers outnumbered sitters by far for this last number, and by the time the audience bundled up scarves, gloves and leather jackets—I swear—to ward off the unaccustomed 60-degree chill, the downtempo start to the set was long forgotten.

Next up for the Mimosa Music Series? A holiday show with Maria Taylor and Matt Costa today, December 18, 11AM-2PM. You should go over there right now.

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The Federal Bar, Lankershim Bl., North Hollywood, CA 91601. Reservations: 818.980.2555.

 

 

 

Knitting Factory News Volume Two, Issue IV: Happy New Year!

Knitting Factory News

Welcome to Knitting Factory News, our intermittent (let’s say, twice monthly or fortnightly) bulletin of highlights from inside and outside the Knitting Factory universe. It’s an opinionated guide to featured artists at our California venues, KFE-managed artists on tour, giveaways, ephemera, and…well, things we like, no matter where they came from.

Featured Artists

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Based in Los Angeles by way of Virginia Beach, Mansions On The Moon is a four-piece band that fuses diverse styles, sounds, and influences from electronic music, hip-hop, indie rock, and pop. They boast a remarkable resume, having collaborated with N*E*R*D, produced for Mac Miller and toured with Wiz Khalifa and Cherub. Last year, the band released their first full-length, self-titled album to critical acclaim. Earmilk describes the band as having “a sound of their own that pulls out the blissfulness of dream pop and leads it on a coming-of-age type adventure through a spectrum of soft rock, synths, and experimental pop, all while gifting the most lavish harmonies to your ears.” Don’t miss their performance at The Federal Underground later this month!

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SpaceCream is a 70’s-inspired glam/prog rock band with a modern twist. Hailed as “Anne Wilson starring in Bowie’s edition of Rocky Horror Picture Show,” SpaceCream won last years Battle for Vans Warped Tour at House of Blues Sunset. The group has played all over Southern California, including sold out shows at the Viper Room and Troubadour. Their music is accessible yet complex, lending a voice to anyone who feels they were born in the wrong generation – or on the wrong planet. On January 22, SpaceCream will release their debut album Pterodactyl Sky. If you’re in Los Angeles, be sure to catch the band’s release concert at The Mint!

Featured Shows

There are a number of exciting live shows happening in California over the next few weeks, including a Slow Dance night with last week’s featured artist Dent May and an album release show for this week’s featured artist SpaceCream! And be sure to catch Knitting Factory Management’s Prima Donna at The Echoplex. Their single “Deathless” was just declared the “#9 coolest song in the world in 2015” by Underground Garage.

Saturday, January 9
Moon Block Rock N Roll Circus feat. Fever the Ghost, Morgan Delt, Vinyl Williams, JJUUJJUU and Hott MT – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

Sunday, January 10
Slow Dance feat. Dent May – Resident – Los Angeles, CA

Sunday, January 17
FOMO Fest feat. Bird Dog, Miya Folick, Sun Drug and more – The Echo – Los Angeles, CA

Friday, January 22
The New Electric Sound – NAMM (Center Stage) – Anaheim, CA
Prima Donna – The Echoplex – Los Angeles, CA
Spacecream “Pterodactyl Sky” Album Release – The Mint – Los Angeles, CA

Saturday, January 23
Chairlift – Teragram Ballroom – Los Angeles, CA

Monday, January 25
The New Electric Sound– The Echo – Los Angeles, CA

by Saeli Eshelman

Lineup

As I’ve mentioned previously, this year will by my seventh time attending the festival. I’ve discussed how every time I have been (regardless of how “good” the lineup was) I’ve had an amazing time because I made a point to see the shows that were important to me. And as a music lover, even if that number of bands is lower than I’d prefer at the festival, I’d rather pay once and see them all over a weekend that be constantly journeying to parts unknown just to catch a band on tour.

My mentality most likely deviates from the masses that attend Coachella: generally, when the lineup comes out, I’m stoked because there are a bunch of small acts that have been buzzed about all year. And also, generally, I know there will be indie corners of the festival where my friends and like-minded will get to savor the music that made Coachella great.

So this year, before I even saw the lineup for myself, I had heard things such as “This is the best lineup in years!” Even articles outlined rumored booked acts made such declarations before Guns N’ Roses and LCD Soundsystem had confirmed their reunions. And what do you know? While everyone else seems to be raving about this holy grail of Coachella lineups, my initial reaction was “Meh.” Don’t get me wrong, I’m a huge fan of LCD Soundsystem and am very happy to see them playing together again, but that doesn’t make the rest of the lineup amazing, especially since I’m hardly excited about the other two headlining acts.

The fame of the “good” acts can work against them (Axl Rose missed one of his first interviews since announcing the reunion). Usually, I prefer a lineup with some maybe not great top headliners but oodles upon oodles of time dope bands that make up the year’s best indie creds. With this sort of schedule, you will never find yourself without a band to see and greatly contributes to more people going to see the music rather than “have an experience.”

This year, though, there are some pretty impressive names across a variety of genres in the top three lines of each day: aforementioned LCD Soundsystem, Sufjan Stevens, Foals, The Kills, Disclosure, A$AP Rocky, Run the Jewels, Gary Clark Jr., Sia, Major Lazer, Flume, Beach, Miike Snow, and Death Grips, to name more than a few. I’m more ambivalent about some of the artists I’ve seen there before: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros are less relevant now than they were then–same goes for Matt & Kim and Cold War Kids. I am looking forward to them proving themselves worthy of return visits. As far as bands that really represent the cutting edge and up and coming of the year there is only Deerhunter, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Courtney Barnett, Ibeyi, Years & Years, The Front Bottoms, BADBADNOTGOOD, Kamasi Washington, De Lux, and Girlpool. I know this may look like a lot of artists, but it’s only ten–the same number of artists I selected last year as the best– of the many more I saw.

I know many people will disagree, and it’s not like the festival had any trouble selling out in an hour this week. I am hoping both to make discoveries and get reassurances from the artists I do love. At the same time, I am hoping the process of appealing to the mainstream will slow and eventually reverse, allowing the fest to remain focused on good and deserving artists.

Radio Moscow announces South American tour!

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Knitting Factory Management’s psychedelic rock band Radio Moscow is taking off to South America! They will be beginning their tour at a festival called En Orbita in Santiago, Chili, where they will play with the Sonics, Os Mutantes and the Dandy Warhols. The tour follows with Radio Moscow as the headlining act.

Federal Bars

The Knitting Factory’s two Southern California gastropubs—the Federal Bars in North Hollywood and Long Beach—feature a range of resident and one-off shows.

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On January 24th, The Federal Bar in North Hollywood will host Great States and Falling Doves. Hailing from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Great States is an alternative rock band that employs modern instrumentals, beautiful vocal harmonies, and thought-provoking lyrics to create a truly “one-of-a-kind” sound that mirrors the uniqueness of the Great Southwest. The opening band Falling Doves is a four-piece alternative band that plays an exhilarating brand of high octane rock and roll, topped with a pop edge that keeps the songs ringing in your ears long after the last strum has been played. Don’t miss these two talented up-and-coming artists!

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Starting January 18th, The Federal Bar in North Hollywood will present LIVE BAND KARAOKE! Every Monday night, guests will have the chance to belt out hits from rock ‘n’ roll legends including The Rolling Stones, Joan Jett, Aerosmith, and Guns N’ Roses. The event will be led by local rock star Paulie Z, known for leading Wednesday Jam Nights at Lucky Strike in Hollywood. The evening will also feature $5 drink specials and The Federal’s special poutine menu. Starts at 9pm with no cover!

Metalachi

Down in Long Beach, The Federal will host the world’s first and only heavy metal mariachi band Metalachi on Thursday, January 14th. Hailing from Ciudad Juárez, Mexico, the band covers heavy metal songs while incorporating traditional mariachi musical instruments such as the trumpet, violin, guitarrón, vihuela, and the cowbell. They take their music and fashion cues from metal bands of the past, such as Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden, and Kiss. Their unique performance is not one to be missed, as they are known for their exaggerated accents and Metalachi-blessed Margaritas.

Long Beach New Year’s Eve Block Party Rings in 2016 with Music You Can Dance To!

by James Fratzke, Co-Founder of F&F PRESENTS

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What did you do for New Year’s Eve this year? If your answer is not “I danced my butt off at the Long Beach NYE Block Party” you may have made a huge mistake! This block party was one to remember. If you missed the event there is good news, after all the momentum this party has picked up over the last few years, you can rest assured that next year’s event promises to be bigger and better than ever. So sit back and relax because you’ve got a whole year to plan for 2017 NYE Block Party! While you wait let F&F countdown our top 5 reasons for why you should make your 2016 resolution to attend next year’s celebration (If the 11,000 plus people in attendance weren’t proof enough!). Spoiler alert we’re a music blog! ​

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Light up the night with Saint Motel.

5: The music selection overall!

The booking for this event was perfect. There was literally something for everyone! Alternative/Indie Rock, Folk, Singer-Songwriter, Vintage Rock, & DJ performances littered Pine Avenue across three stages. The event was headlined by F&F favorites Saint Motel, Houndmouth, ZZ Ward, and a new favorite Vintage Trouble. Congrats to the Downtown Long Beach Associates and Knitting Factory Entertainment for putting together such a solid lineup. Topping last years headliner Fitz and the Tantrums was no easy task, but you pulled it off!

4: All that Damn Confetti!

Listen I don’t want to oversell the importance of confetti at a NYE event, but what can I say? I absolutely love confetti and the Long Beach New Year’s Eve Block Party had a ton of it. Like literally a ton. It was a nice touch! Fireworks are nice too, but nothing is quite as magical as confetti, especially when Saint Motel is doing their thing.

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Vintage Trouble being kickass!

3: Lots of Dancing Opportunities!

We’re big alternative and indie rock fans. Which was why the events lineup was so exciting to us. That being said we also like dancing, and there were plenty of opportunities to dance with DJ sets in between performances. Sets from OK Go’s Dan Konopka & Tim Nordwind’s project Xia Xia Technique, DJ Sovern-T, & DJ Paul V kept the crowd warm in the chilly weather.

2: Saint Motel is Freaking Awesome!

Saint Motel has been on a role. If you were alive in 2015 you heard their hits My Type & Cold Cold Man. We here at F&F think their 2016 is going to be even bigger. So it was very fitting to end our last day of 2015 jamming out to what could be one of the biggest bands of 2016. Their performance at the Long Beach NYE Block party was nothing short of epic! They brought a full horn section and about a dozen showgirl dancers to entertain the 11,000 plus partiers in attendance.

1:We Know It’s Going to Be Even More Epic for NYE 2017!

If the history of this event has taught us anything it’s that next year’s Block Party is going to be even better than the last. Each year they raise the stakes with the caliber of performers. Thousands of Los Angeles, Riverside, and Orange County natives have flocked to this event because the lineups have been great. We can only imagine who will be rocking out and counting ​down for NYE 2017. Could it be Walk The Moon, San Pedro natives the Cold War Kids, maybe even super star alt-folk band Mumford and Sons? Who knows!? But with the way this event grows each year we wouldn’t be surprised.

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Dead and Company at the Forum

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Photo courtesy Jeff Kravitz @jeffkravitz #jeffkravitz

So every time I see one of the post Grateful Dead incarnations (The Dead, Further and this latest, Dead and Company), it seems as if it might be the last time. Do they still have “it?” Is the concert going to attract a merry roving band of pranksters, united by their love of the music and love of…fun (despite Saeli’s assertion they don’t stand for much else, and come to think of it, they don’t)? Each time I say it is…and then it isn’t.

Besotted once again after seeing the Chicago farewell show simulcast at the Regent Downtown LA (where several people went to the hospital; can you imagine having to explain you got too high…watching TV?), I ponied up once again and dragged my ever-understanding wife (who’s been going through this with me for 25 years) to the once and again fabulous Forum, gussied up considerably by new operators Madison Square Garden.

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Photo courtesy Jeff Kravitz @jeffkravitz #jeffkravitz

And guess what? Even though it took ME a while to warm up to them, they were great, and fun, if not loud enough. They opened with New New Minglewood Blues, and let me tell you, Bob Weir’s voice is shot to hell and back. But even broken, he delivers with intensity and conviction. Wake of the Flood, rarely played but beloved, came next, and John Mayer DOES take some getting used to. All could think about when I looked at him was Katie Parry and Taylor Swift. What, I wonder, did they TALK about?

That turned out to be unfair. As they wound through ancient anthems like Loser and newer compositions like West LA Fade Away, Mayer clearly understood the material, had practiced improvisation (to the extent this is possible), played beautiful runs up and down the Dead’s melodic canon–whether blues, country rock and yes, even disco–and in sum, HE got it. I think what’s important here is that John Mayer is NOT Jerry Garcia. He’s almost the anti-Jerry, the Bizarro Jerry. People opine about whether post-Jerry guitarists mimic the master’s licks and I think with Mayer, this band finally breaks free of that comparison. By the time Bertha and Bird Song came along to close out the fist set (yes, Bertha IS about an electric fan), I was completely satisfied, if still a little aloof.

New member Oteil Burbridge stood stride his six-string bass like a colossus, silent but effective (I don’t even think he was mic-ed in the first set). And Jeff Chianti, who must have a very good flatiron gives the group a strong (and strongly mixed) keyboard parts I haven’t felt since Bruce Hornsby was a regular.

The second set opened with Playing in the Band, and fans used to hearing certain songs in “certain” places didn’t find them here. Kreutzmann and Hart commenced their drum duets from China Cat Sunflower/I Know You Rider. My wife said, then, “They brought all that kit in here only to bang on it one time?” They closed out the December 30 show with Lovelight and delighted the audience with an acoustic rendition of Friend of the Devil as an encore.

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Photo courtesy Jeff Kravitz @jeffkravitz #jeffkravitz

So the 30th was a great show. Was the 31st epic? I have to rely on the hearsay. When I first heard about it -tweeted and Facebooked live from the show floor–i admit I felt a little ripped off. THREE sets? But I had a happiness and afterglow from the first night, hearing songs I’d never heard live–Lady with a Fan and Dear Prudence among them–couldn’t diminish. While, thick columns of pot smoke rose in plumes from the floor of the Forum continuously through our performance, I don’t know what could compare to Bill Walton reprising Bill Graham’s classic role as Father Time riding a 20-foot joint across the arena. Maybe next year; Dead and Company has already announced the show will go on.

That’s it for this week. We’re writing you because you’ve expressed interest in Knitting factory shows, artists or productions. Like us? Want us to consider covering your artists or shows? Please tell us, your humble writer/editors: Henry Eshelman heshelman@platformgrp.com, Sabrina Zeile sabrina@platformgrp.com and Saeli Eshelman saeli@platformgrp.com; we can take it from there.

Hate us? As someone once said, “please confine your comments to compliments only.” But we’ll (regretfully) accept your unsubscribe requests humbly and without question. Thanks for listening!

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What are you doing New Year’s Eve?

Knitting Factory News

Knitting Factory News Volume Two, Issue III “Holiday Party Guide” Edition

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Welcome to Knitting Factory News, our intermittent (let’s say, twice monthly or fortnightly) bulletin of highlights from inside and outside the Knitting Factory universe. It’s an opinionated guide to featured artists at our California venues, KFE-managed artists on tour, giveaways, ephemera, and…well, things we like, no matter where they came from. This issue is all about parties as we’re diving deep into the holiday season and embracing the New Year.

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Earlier this week, psychedelic pop artist Dent May  released a video for his catchy holiday tune, “I’ll Be Stoned For Christmas,” which that tells that all too familiar tale of going back to your hometown and being a bored misfit.

The story follows a former Hollywood It Girl named Cherry who visits her humdrum hometown during Christmas. She wanders around alone and has awkward encounters with old friends, so gets high in order to help her through the whole experience. Check it out here.

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Featured Holiday Events

If you’re in LA, there are plenty of exciting parties over the course of the next week! With singles mixers, funk music and dancing with tater tots, there’s no need to be alone and stoned for Christmas.

Thursday, December 24
MatzoBall Jewish Singles Party- The Room Hollywood
This Christmas Eve, The Room Hollywood will host MatzoBall, the nation’s leading Jewish singles event. With almost three decades of experience, MatzoBall sets the stage for the ultimate party experience. Experience what USA Today calls “The Nation’s No. 1 Holiday Party!”

Saturday, December 26
All Scene Eye presents the Post-Holiday Funk Fest – The Lost Knight
Boogie down at the Post-Holiday Funk Fest this Saturday night! Starring your favorite funky aliens the Solar Sons laying down that jazzedelic space groove. Featuring the spaced out sounds of the multi-dimensional Galactic Flo, the hip hop poetics of the infamous B-Hurd, and the groovy rock & roll vibrations of the Norman Woods Group! It’s a family affair and it’s going to be an epic night so come get spaced out and move and groove with us!

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Sunday, December 27
FEEXINS Holiday Extravaganza – Little Joy
The ever-epic holiday extravaganza complete with tots, drink specials, tons of DJs and good times! 5pm ’til blackout! Always free!

Monday, December 28
Dive In Theatre Presents 200 Cigarettes – Skybar
Every Monday, Skybar hosts their Dive In Theater at the pool. This week’s flick is the 90s ensemble comedy 200 Cigarettes, which follows an array of characters in New York City on New Year’s Eve 1981. Among the numerous characters looking for love and fun are Paul Rudd, Courtney Love, Gaby Hoffmann and Christina Ricci. The film also features a pensive bartender (Ben Affleck) and a taxi driver (Dave Chappelle) who operates a disco in his cab.

Los Angeles Neighborhood Guide to NYE

Welcome to our Los Angeles neighborhood guide to New Year’s Eve. Ring in the New Year with our top picks for parties, ranging from free rock shows to extravagant masquerade balls.

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AGOURA HILLS
X at the Canyon Club. We know we can’t stop talking about them, but here we are. Remember, every opportunity to see X supports Billy Zoom.

BEVERLY HILLS
Spanish Masquerade – The Bazaar
2016 marks the 5th annual New Year’s Eve “Spanish Masquerade” at The Bazaar by José Andrés. Incognito guests will enjoy multiple dining areas and tray-passed tapas by the James Beard award-winning chef. There will be no shortage of libations. Sip on cava and wine or choose your favorite specialty drink at several cocktail stations throughout the night. VIP guests will enjoy “Bubbles the Bazaar Way” all night long. Experience superstition meets tradition with the ceremonial 12 grapes at midnight. In true Spanish fashion, guests will indulge in one grape for each lucky month ahead at the stroke of midnight. Cap the night off with desserts in the Patisserie and then dance into 2016 with live music, traditional flamenco performances, and a DJ.

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DOWNTOWN LA
Rhondapolis with Felix Da Housecat, DJ Harvey, XXXY & more – The Standard
Rhondapolis is an immersive NYE extravaganza that transforms the Standard, Downtown LA into a building-wide celebration of the fantastic year past and the fabulous year to come. Witness this all-encompassing transformation of the entire high-rise, from the lobby to the rooftop pool. The party features four custom discotheques, each packed with world class selectors, the attendees all become a living part of the metropolis, taking over not only the communal spaces but also all of the hotel’s 207 rooms, which can only be reserved by Rhonda revelers, making the entire property the domain of the citizens of Rhondapolis.

Prohibition NYE with Le Youth – Union Station
Arguably downtown Los Angeles’ most recognizable landmark, Union Station will once again come to life with the excitement and glamor of the Roaring Twenties. After a third consecutive sell out, Prohibition NYE has expanded into the majestic Ticket Concourse at this classic venue. Be prepared for a memorable evening of DJs, live jazz music, burlesque dancers, tray passed oysters, and a premium open bar to satisfy all of the senses. Headlining act Le Youth’s tracks are guaranteed to light up the dance floor.

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New Year’s Eve Party – The Association
Experience classic elegance at The Association, featuring music by DJ Waldo. Located in the historic Bank District, The Association is a low-key, NYC-style lounge, offering classic cocktails in a warm and inviting ambiance. Shielded on the subterranean level of the Pacific Electric Lofts building, The Association’s exterior is simply represented by its unique black door with a brass lion head knocker.

NYE Ball – The Continental Club
Ring in the New Year with style at one of Downtown LA’s most iconic speakeasy venues, as The Continental Club presents their New Year’s Eve Ball. This formal affair features music by DJ Wyatt Case. Established in 2013 and open February 2014, The Continental Club is a concept by Ashley Joyce designed by herself and partner John Lasker. The concept aims to cater to the vibrant and diverse downtown LA community, while the design is based on a traditional London members’ club contrasted with modern, anti-establishment accents. The Continental Club’s attention to detail and exceptional service is reminiscent of the Las Vegas, London and Havana clubs of the 1950s and 1960s.

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ECHO PARK
All Scene Eye & Dirty Laundry TV present Festival for the Lost Year New Years Eve Blowout! – The Lost Knight
On New Years Eve you want to crawl madly forth from 2015, surrounded by some of your favorite bands in the birth canal of an east side extravaganza music show, your newly formed infantile body drenched in champagne as you squeeze through the year ending womb door with Kim and the Created and explode forcefully all over the lost room walls in an orgiastic celebration of renewal… as we do away with the old man of 2015 and beget the cherubic infant of 2016 with Crown Plaza and Avi Buffalo and every single one else in a curated ensemble of musicanship!

HOLLYWOOD
NYE featuring Chris Malinchak – LA Mother
New Hollywood event space LA Mother which will be transformed into a lavish indoor and covered outdoor wonderland that will tantalize and stir the senses. This elegant occasion will be the first of its kind at LA Mother and guests will be treated to a free-flowing 5-hour premium open bar. Come witness unforgettable performances from Chris Malinchak, Bobby Nourmand, Eric Sharp, Adam Auburn and Eli Glad b2b Brain Tarney.

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INGLEWOOD
Dead and Friends – The Forum
The Dead have a very long New Year’s Eve tradition, playing numerous concerts at San Francisco’s Winterland, with the help of friend and promoter Bill Graham, and many other venues in the years since. This year they are playing two dates at the Fabulous Forum, December 30th and 31st. The shows have been very well reviewedsince kicking off in Albany, NY in October, with particular praise attended to John Mayer, who joins guests Otel Burbridge and Jeff Chimenti along with original members Bill Kreutzmann, Mickey Hart and Bob Weir. The 31st is supposed to be their last show, but we wouldn’t bet on it, as the Dead’s long goodbye is beginning to resemble Barbra Streisand’s. It’s not like they need the money, but hey, it’s good news for their legions of forever fans; we’re Deadheads, and some of us have followed and even written about them since college.

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LONG BEACH
NYE Block Party with Saint Motel, ZZ Ward, Houndmouth & more – Pine Avenue
Following last year’s record-breaking New Year’s Eve celebration, when 13,500 people descended upon Downtown Long Beach to ring in the new year, the Downtown Long Beach Associates will continue to host the largest party in town as it welcomes a plethora of SoCal’s finest musicians to take part in a three-stage, three-block festival in the heart of Downtown. DLBA has again teamed with the Knitting Factory Entertainment, partner and talent booker for New Year’s Eve, to establish an exciting line-up for the night.

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NORTH HOLLYWOOD
Snapback NYE – The Federal Bar
Ring in the New Year with cocktails and dancing! Executive Chef Grant Wagemaker has created a special New Year’s Eve menu with items including chilled Santa Barbara spot prawns, roasted prime rib, cioppino and fava bean agnolotti. In the upstairs club, enjoy an exciting night of hip-hop and R&B via Snapback DJs Stubbs and Remark.

SANTA MONICA
New Year’s Eve Party – The Room
Ring in the New Year with fun music, cocktails and dancing at The Room Santa Monica, featuring music by DJ Jolyon. Inspired by its successful namesake in Hollywood, The Room Santa Monica is a low-key bar and lounge, featuring classic libations in a swanky setting. It offers a sophisticated yet unpretentious vibe, attracting a genuine crowd of music lovers and stylish people who enjoy stiff and equally stylish drinks.

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The Rapture – The Satellite
Rapture, a celebration of the greatest pop music of the 80s and 90s, will be taking over Silver Lake’s Satellite. From New Order to Britney Spears and Billy Idol to TLC, Rapture has got you covered. Party like 1999 never left the building!

WEST HOLLYWOOD
Giorgi’s 2nd Annual Black and White Masquerade Ball – The Standard
Producer Bryan Rabin and DJ Adam Bravin are ringing in 2016 with a special New Year’s Eve edition of Giorgio’s, a modern discotheque. Giorgio’s, named after the legendary Oscar and Grammy award winning producer Giorgio Moroder, is one of the most exclusive and sexiest nightclubs in the country and brings out the who’s who of fashion, music, lifestyle, it-girls, drag queens, celebutantes and debutantes. DJ Adam XII has created one of the most exciting dance floors in years, spinning all classic disco with a modern point of view. Giorgio’s is pleased to welcome back legendary Downtown NYC performance artist Joey Arias. Since 1979, Joey has been wowing audiences with his pitch perfect performances of classic jazz and blues as well as his surprising and genre-bending cabaret shows. Fresh off the road from a European tour, Joey enters the magical and intoxicating Giorgio’s with fresh material and a show to remember.

Best NYE Concerts in the Rest of the World

For those of you who won’t be ringing in the New Year in Los Angeles, here’s our selection of the best concerts happening in the rest of the world!

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That’s it for this week. We’re writing you because you’ve expressed interest in Knitting factory shows, artists or productions. Like us? Want us to consider covering your artists or shows? Please tell us, your humble writer/editors: Henry Eshelman heshelman@platformgrp.com, Sabrina Zeile sabrina@platformgrp.com and Saeli Eshelman saeli@platformgrp.com; we can take it from there.

Knitting Factory News Volume 1 Issue XX

Knitting Factory News

Welcome to Knitting Factory News, our intermittent (let’s say, twice monthly or fortnightly) bulletin of highlights from inside and outside the Knitting Factory universe. It’s an opinionated guide to featured artists at our California venues, KFE-managed artists on tour, giveaways, ephemera, and…well, things we like, no matter where they came from.

Featured Artists

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Made of Oak is Nicholas Sanborn, the synth half of folk-pop duo Sylvan Esso; he just released his debut solo EP PenumbraTODAY via Partisan Records! Fact Magazine raves, “Removed from his great chemistry with Meath, Made Of Oak finds Sanborn taking on full duty crafting unique melodies while also turning towards a slightly darker atmosphere.” Give the EP a spin and catch him on tour this month as he plays shows in several cities, including Santa Cruz and San Francisco.

Featured Shows

There are a number of exciting live shows happening in California over the next few weeks, including Knitting Factory Management’s Prima Donna headlining legendary punk rock mainstay 924 Gilman in Berkeley. The band just came back from a month in Europe and they released the music video Deathless earlier this Fall.

You also won’t want to miss garage punk duo The Two Tens at The Glass House. Just last week, the band released a track on “Kiss & Makeup,” a collection of Kiss songs performed by female fronted bands. The Two Tens drummer Rikki Styxx takes her first lead vocal on their version of “Strutter.”

Friday, November 6
Made of Oak – The Catalyst Club Atrium – Santa Cruz, CA

Saturday, November 7
Made of Oak – Bottom of the Hill – San Francisco, CA

Sunday, November 8
Prima Donna – 924 Gilman – Berkeley, CA

Wednesday, November 11
Widowspeak – Bootleg Theater– Los Angeles, CA

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The Two Tens at HiFi Rockfest, Credit: Dyingscene.com

Friday, November 13
The Two Tens – The Glass House – Pomona, CA

Tuesday, November 17
Joe Hill Centenary Concert– Troubadour– Los Angeles, CA

by Saeli Eshelman
The holiday season is upon us–Halloween has just passed, then comes Thanksgiving, then Christmas and before you know it 2015 will be over and the new year will be upon us! And I don’t know about you, but it’s around this time when I start to notice the albums that I have been playing again and again all year, or only for the past couple months.

So as we rush towards 2016, I thought I’d reflect back on some of the most repeatable albums of the year that always keep you coming back wanting more. And as I have a wide variety of genres that I think are worth repeating (some for partying, some for chilling, and some getting really introspective) I’ve decided to order the albums in, approximate, order from high energy to low. Let us proceed!

Disclosure

1) DisclosureCaracal

For most young people, this band needs no introduction but if you’re not up on the EDM (electronic dance music) scene then Disclosure is a pretty universal place to start. This is the sophomore album of Disclosure, comprised of two DJs, and a mainstay of the popular EDM scene, into which they have brought every sort of genre imaginable with their array of samples and featured artists that range from pop-ballad crooner Sam Smith to up-and-coming pop-R&B singer LION BABE. This album is no different in its impressive list of guest artists, including a follow-up collab with Smith and an opener with R&B’s currently rising star The Weeknd (see below for his current album). All-in-all, this album is club hit after club hit and makes a great party or pre-party soundtrack. Basically if you want to party with music that doesn’t go old quickly then you’ll want to check this out first and foremost.

The Weeknd

2) The WeekndBeauty Behind the Madness

As I just mentioned, The Weeknd (the stage name of Abel Tesfaye) is currently the cool guy of the hip-hop/pop scene, bringing sexy and R&B back into the hip hop world. His third album finds the sweet spot between being able to succeed as a radio hit while remaining substantive musically, with impressive production (that includes producers like Kanye West) that brings hard-hitting but generally slow tempo hooks that suck listeners back in over and over again. This is indicated by the smashing success he has had with singles like “I Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills.” And while he sometimes receives flack for his lyrics that paint a picture of alienation filled with sex and drugs, he is often noted for the sexiness of his work, in part, due to the vulnerability of these jams. These talents combined make this record one that not only can be played at a party, but also in more intimate and mellow settings for some listening with musically inclined friends or significant others.

Tanlines

3) TanlinesHighlights

This is Tanlines’ sophomore album, a followup to Mixed Emotions a favorite album of mine that turned them into a favorite band. Tanlines is a duo that specializes in a sort of electronic rock that has poppy dance moments mixed with indie rockability and lyrics. And this album is no different, being wholly danceable and simultaneously super hip, their guitarist plays a spin-art designed guitar, and what gets more cool than that? Overall though, this album hits that spot between “summer driving with the windows down music” sort of upbeat and “I could be getting ready for a party and need to get pumped” sort of upbeat. I’ll leave the venue decision up to you but highly recommend that if you need some tunes to bump while also seeming really chill then this album is a match.

FKA twigs

4) FKA twigsM3LL15X

FKA twigs is one of the most interesting artists in music currently; she got her start as a backup dancer and now makes a very “her” style of music that combines all sorts of genres, most notably R&B vocals with a slightly house, slightly more mellow form of electronic synth backing. Her music is very chewy, but having seen her at both Coachella and FYF Fest this past year she has begun to make it far more accessible (maybe in part due to her growing success and growing crowds). For the full review of this album, which has been previously featured in Knitting Factory News click here.

Mac Demarco

5) Mac DeMarcoAnother One

Mac DeMarco is millennial hipsters’ resident “slacker” rocker, brining together jangly pop-like melodies with indie rock sound and lyrics, a genre he has self-identified as jizz jazz. Combine this with his IDGAF personality and effortlessly cool outfits and humor and he’ll make any hip teen envious, or jump at the chance to meet him–he left his address and the offer to come share a coffee at the end of this mini-LP and got more than a few visitors. While this album is a bit less varied and a bit more down-tempo than much of his previous work, it is that mellow consistency that makes this record so easy to sink into and having playing the background of pretty much everything. It works when you need a little indie rock and it works well when you need something to lull you to sleep. Like all of his other records, it just works; oh, the wondrous universality of soft indie rock!

Sufjan Stevens

6) Sufjan StevensCarrie & Lowell

Don’t know how to pronounce his name? That’s okay, your dilemma is referenced on Stevens’ seventh album–albeit in a more sensitive light. While this album may be at the bottom of this list it is most definitely number one on my list of most replayed (and I’m not alone as this album has received critical acclaim!). Stevens is another favorite artist of mine and is generally known for his lush instrumentation and vocals. But this record is rather hushed and understated for him, with achingly beautiful guitar and layered vocals and orchestration. The entire record is tinged with a sense of melancholy and mundanity, which is apt considering Stevens wrote the album in response to his mother, Carrie’s, death, with Lowell being a reference to his stepfather who helped him co-founded his own record company, Asthmatic Kitty, in the late ’90s. Overall, these mellow and relaxing tunes are perfect if you’re looking for something to spin while you’re trying to fall asleep or need a moment of serenity.

New Album Release: The Nervous Wreckord (Part 1) 

TNW Part 1

We’re excited to present the release of “The Nervous Wreckord (Part 1)” by Knitting Factory Management’s own The Nervous Wreckords. Guests on the record alongside frontman Brian Karscig (Louie the XIV, Atlantic Records) include Jake Najor (TV on the Radio), plus Mark Stoermer and Dave Keuning of the Killers.

Catch the premiere on Buzzbands HERE!

Federal Bars

The Knitting Factory’s two Southern California gastropubs—the Federal Bars in North Hollywood and Long Beach—feature a range of resident and one-off shows.

JMcKinley

On November 8th, The New Short Fiction Series, Los Angeles’ longest running spoken word series, will present Jacqueline McKinley’s The Christmas Bitch and other stories at The Federal Bar North Hollywood. Jacqueline McKinley is an up-and-coming African-American television writer/producer, best known for the Emmy-Winning sitcom “The Bernie Mac Show.” McKinley’s position as a woman within this male-dominated genre provides a unique perspective when crafting inspiration for her characters. She captures absurdity and humor, while making audiences laugh and cry all at the same time.

Rx Bandits

Down in Long Beach, The Federal Bar is pleased to present a surprise show by hometown favorites RX Bandits on November 11th. RX Bandits is a four-piece alt-rock band is based in Seal Beach, CA. Over the course of the past twenty years, they’ve managed to stay ahead of the pack with their genre-blurring approach to songwriting, allowing them to seamlessly fit anywhere and everywhere, from the main stage at Bonnaroo and Coachella to Bamboozle and Reading. Their songs have been featured in video games such as Guitar Hero and Rock Band, as well as in the backdrop for ESPN’s X Games. Last year, they released their 7th studio album Gemini, Her Majesty to glowing reviews. All Music raved, “They appear to have evolved into something else altogether, and though some veteran fans might miss the old sound, there’s no denying these guys have the chops to pull off this new and inventive approach.” Alternative Press said Gemini recaptured the “fertile brilliance that rightfully gained Rx Bandits exposure in the early 2000s, recapturing the jubilant mix of styles they deployed with so much fresh aggression and poise.” Louder than War’s Brit chronicler Ian Critchley chalked up his own personal appeal following an RX Bandits show in Manchester to “the almost transcendental feeling I’d experienced watching one the greatest bands around today tear apart the entire venue with music both they and their fans adored.”

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Of Montreal at The Regent Downtown Los Angeles

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Credit: Carl Pocket courtesy of The Regent Theater DTLA

Of Montreal was back in LA for a show at the Regent downtown Los Angeles this week—their second in six months—and delivered on all fans have come to expect: wry, punchy, cynical, up-tempo, beats and riffs, catchy tunes with complicated names, and on-stage theatrics ranging from dazzling to baffling. Bounding onto the stage in an assless red bodysuit, front man Kevin Barnes asked the audience, “when were you happiest last? That’s where I want us to go together. To the place I was happiest last, and the place you were happiest last.” I am sure that’s poorly quoted.

Of Montreal 30
Credit: Carl Pocket courtesy of The Regent Theater DTLA

They worked smartly and tightly through fifteen gender and genre-bending tunes in, say, 100 minutes, including my favorites like “Coquet Coquette” and “Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider,” and obscura I wouldn’t recognize (and didn’t). I can see the comparisons to bands like the Talking Heads, but they aren’t as serious or earnest, despite their musicianship.

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The lighting and stage show is of Montreal’s Sixth Man, Fourth Estate, Fifth Column, what have you. It can’t be ignored or overlooked as part of the live experience but one can certainly sit in one’s room and spin their records without visual accompaniment, all the better to enjoy acid lyrics that reward careful listening, as in “He’s the sort of guy who would leave you in a k-hole to go play Halo in the other room.”

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The eyes have it!

They have a particularly clever signature effect using dual projections, where the [dancers?] hold up shapes downstage upon which some of the images are projected, which, combined with the main projections on the stage behind the band, give a very trippy, appealing perspective image. At its best it looks like this:

Of Montreal 32

All the poodle ladies! Credit: Carl Pocket courtesy of The Regent Theater DTLA

As the show progressed, we were treated to:

▪ Poodle-headed Uncle Sam characters who stripped at the end of the song revealing, well, huge fake boobs. This was either for “Suffer for Fashion” or “Beware Our Nubile Miscreants,”
▪ Hordes of dancer/performers in brightly colored skin-tight leotard/tracksuits and matching athletic shoes, this for “The Party’s Crashing Us.” It looked a little like a post-punk version of the Saturday Night Live skit “What’s up with That?”

Of Montreal 1

Eat me! Credit: Carl Pocket courtesy of The Regent Theater DTLA

▪ Large, hulking, beaky creatures, one of whom, before the encore, unabashedly declared his love of the audience: “I love you, each of you. I’d like to eat you. No really. You know when you’re eating someone, and after a while, bits of their teeth end up getting stuck in YOUR teeth? I hate that.” Appropriately, their second encore was appropriately titled “The Past is a Grotesque Animal.”
Coffee 16
Credit: Carl Pocket courtesy of The Regent Theater DTLA

Oh, and sorry Brian Coffee of Foxygen opened and he was great, but as Jimmy Kimmel says, sorry we ran out of time. We’ll throw up a picture of him:

That’s a wrap!

Giveaway

You’ve read all the way down to the bottom. You deserve SOMEthing! This week, we’re giving out five copies of the FINDING FELA! official 2-CD soundtrack.

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Finding Fela is Academy Award winner Alex Gibney’s feature documentary on Fela Kuti. It tells the story of Fela Anikulapo Kuti’s life, his music, his social and political importance. He created a new musical movement, Afrobeat, using that forum to express his revolutionary political opinions against the dictatorial Nigerian government of the 1970s and 1980s. His influence helped bring a change towards democracy in Nigeria and promoted Pan Africanist politics to the world.

The first five people to email Sabrina@platformgrp.com by next Friday, November 13th will win a copy of the CD!

That’s it for this week. We’re writing you because you’ve expressed interest in Knitting factory shows, artists or productions. Like us? Want us to consider covering your artists or shows? Please tell us, your humble writer/editors: Henry Eshelman heshelman@platformgrp.com, Sabrina Zeile sabrina@platformgrp.com and Saeli Eshelman saeli@platformgrp.com; we can take it from there.

Hate us? As someone once said, “please confine your comments to compliments only.” But we’ll (regretfully) accept your unsubscribe requests humbly and without question. Thanks for listening!

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Spring into Fall: Knitting Factory News Vol. 1 Issue XVI

Knitting Factory News

Welcome to Knitting Factory News, our intermittent (let’s say, twice monthly or fortnightly) bulletin of highlights from inside and outside the Knitting Factory universe. It’s an opinionated guide to featured artists at our California venues, KFE-managed artists on tour, giveaways, ephemera, and…well, things we like, no matter where they came from.

Featured Music Video

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Born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, Prima Donna are infamous on the LA rock scene. Pure Volume explains, “Their blend of new wave-meets-straightforward indie rock has made them one of the more popular bands in the city.”

Prima Donna’s new music video “Deathless” just premiered on Pure Volume and also received a writeup on Blurt. The song is about betrayal and singer Kevin Preston explains, “The video is cold and dark, just like the song. Arthur—the director—totally captured the vibe.” Check it out for yourself HERE.

Featured Shows

There are a number of exciting live shows happening in California over the next few weeks, including the Long Beach Folk Revival, KABOO Festival and Hi-Fi Rockfest!

Saturday, September 19
Deer Tick – Long Beach Folk Revival– Long Beach, CA
The Nervous Wreckords – KABOO Festival Del Mar – San Diego, CA

Saturday, September 26
The Two Tens– Hi-Fi Rockfest – Long Beach, CA

Sunday, September 27
The Two Tens – The Casbah – San Diego, CA

Saturday, October 3
The Two Tens – Maui Sugar Mill Saloon – Tarzana, CA

Sunday, October 4
Radio Moscow – The Boardwalk – Orangevale, CA

Tuesday, October 6
Torres – Humphrey’s Concerts– San Diego, CA

Federal Bars

The Knitting Factory’s two Southern California gastropubs—the Federal Bars in North Hollywood and Long Beach—feature a range of resident and one-off shows.

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On Sunday, September 20, The New Short Fiction Series, Los Angeles’ longest running spoken word series, hosts the book launch of My Pulse Is An Earthquake by Thomas Wolfe Fiction Prize winner Kristin FitzPatrick, in cooperation with University of West Virginia Press, at The Federal Bar in North Hollywood. The performance stars spoken word artist Sally Shore, with guest cast Jesse Aran Holcomb (Studio City, Its You Not Me), Alison Minami (The Moth) and Allison Walter (Hotel: Secrets and Lies), with musical guest Lucy Peru. For more information, visit www.newshortfictionseries.com.

HONEYHONEYposter-lo-res-e1437611222497

In Long Beach, don’t miss alternative folk duo HoneyHoney next Saturday, September 26. Lead singer/banjo player/violinist Suzanne Santo and vocalist/guitarist Ben Jaffe met at a costume party then signed a record deal a year later, twisting their gritty, harmony-driven brand of Southern-flavored rock & roll through tales of lost souls, broken boys and girls with gold in their spit. Just two months ago, the duo released their third full-length release titled ‘3.’ Paste Magazine describes HoneyHoney’s style as “display[ing] the common pop thread between alt.country, spaghetti western soundtracks and swampy blues.”

Bow & Truss 

Knitting Factory’s Latin-inspired restaurant Bow & Truss hosts a number of exciting events, including Dine In Movie Night!

movie night9.17

Drive Time

Feast your eyes on the final episode of Knitting Factory’s weekly web series Drive Time, featuring renowned music producer Sean Beavan.

Screen Shot 2015-09-18 at 3.44.09 PM

Drive Time is hosted by Juliette Beavan, the front woman of the critically acclaimed trip-hop rock band 8mm, whose music has been licensed on films and shows such as Pretty Little Liars, Grey’s Anatomy, Underworld: Awakening, and Mr. & Mrs. Smith. Each six to eight-minute episode follows Juliette driving bands around Austin during SXSW, which inevitably brings out their devil-may-care, on-the-road personalities.

FREE Movies! VIP Screening Series for Korean Film in Focus includes Sci-Fi cult film SNOWPIERCER 

KOFIC

Next week, The Korean Film Council will present a remarkable free screening series of noteworthy Korean films on Wednesday, September 23 and Friday, September 25.

These screenings of four films over two nights are designed as a celebration of the induction of four Korean film artists into the Academy of Motion Picture Arts & Sciences (AMPAS). The new AMPAS members are directors BONG Joon-ho and IM Kwon-taek and actors SONG Kang-ho and CHOI Min-sik, while the films are Snowpiercer, directed by BONG Joon-ho and starring SONG Kang-ho; Revivre (Cremation) directed by IM Kwon-taek; Nameless Gangster, starring CHOI Min-sik, and The Face Reader, also starring Song. The screenings will be held at the Laemmle Music Hall(“We’re not afraid of subtitles”) in Beverly Hills and each evening’s program will be hosted by filmmaker, critic and former Edinburgh International Film Festival Artistic Director, Shane Danielsen.

Snowpiercer

The screenings are as follows:

Wednesday September 23; 7:30PM – REVIVRE (Cremation) by IM Kwon‑taek

Wednesday, September 23; 10:00PM – THE FACE READER, by HAN Jae-­rim starring SONG Kang‑ho

Friday,September 25; 5:00PM – NAMELESS GANGSTER: RULES OF THE TIME by YUNG Jong Bin, starring CHOI Min‑sik

Friday, September 25; 10:00PM – SNOWPIERCER by BONG Joon-­ho, starring SONG Kang-­ho

Seating is limited; To reserve your FREE spot at any of the screenings, RSVP HERE.

Giveaway: World Premiere Red Carpet Screening of Martha Davis and The Motels Concert Film September 21 at the Regent DTLA

This week, we’re giving out five pairs of tickets to the world premiere screening of the long-awaited Martha Davis and the Motels’ concert film: THE MOTELS LIVE AT THE WHISKY A GO-GO 50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL.

DVD cover art

Following a banner year in which Martha Davis and The Motels have played their most shows since 1985, Vesuvio Entertainment is releasing THE MOTELS LIVE AT THE WHISKY A GO-GO-50TH ANNIVERSARY SPECIAL, a lush and tuneful concert film of this iconic artist’s landmark performance at the historic Whisky A Go-Go’s 50th Anniversary Celebration. While The Bangles, Robbie Krieger and many others had shows marking this Sunset Strip institution’s 50th birthday, only Martha Davis and the Motels captured their show for posterity, marking their first ever hi def, 5.1 audio state of the art concert film. Double Emmy® winning cinematographer Roy H. Wagner (NBC’s Elementary; Wes Craven’s NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 3) photographed the concert film, with choreographer/director Denise Faye (BURLESQUE) in her directorial debut. Ms. Faye is currently directing Cher’s global “Dressed to Kill” Tour. Golden Globe® nominee Rosanna Arquette and Grammy® nominee Linda Perry both appear in the film introducing Martha and the band.

On September 21, the film will have a gala red-carpet premiere and screening at the Regent Theater in Downtown Los Angeles. Doors open at 8:00PM and the screening starts at 8:30PM, after red carpet arrivals, and a drinks reception follows the screening. Martha Davis and other special guests will attend.

The first five people to email Sabrina@platformgrp.com by Monday, September 21 at Noon will win a pair of tickets!

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That’s it for this week. We’re writing you because you’ve expressed interest in Knitting factory shows, artists or productions. Like us? Want us to consider covering your artists or shows? Please tell us, your humble writer/editors: Henry Eshelman heshelman@platformgrp.com, Sabrina Zeile sabrina@platformgrp.com and Saeli Eshelman saeli@platformgrp.com; we can take it from there.

Hate us? As someone once said, “please confine your comments to compliments only.” But we’ll (regretfully) accept your unsubscribe requests humbly and without question. Thanks for listening!