I was really excited to find out that local author Lee Cataluna would be doing a reading here in Los Angeles to promote her newest novel, Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa (which is also Bamboo Ridge’s #99 issue).  Her first book,  Folks You Meet at Longs, is actually one of my all-time favorites. I remember that my friend Joni and I would read the monologues aloud together, laughing so hard that there were tears in our eyes. I love how she could simultaneously break your heart and yet make you laugh in the same paragraph. It’s one of the many talents I admire about her and her writing.

The event is next Tuesday (February 7th) at 7pm at Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena.

You can buy a copy at Bamboo Ridge’s online store here.

Below is a bit of information from Bamboo Ridge:

Three Years on Doreen’s Sofa, a novel by Lee Cataluna, is the story of Bobby, a bumbling, affable, small-town miscreant on Maui, and his wildly misguided attempts to go straight after serving three years in jail for a stupid drug-related offense. His sister Doreen lets him stay on her sofa until he gets his life back together . . . for a few days . . . a week at most . . .

credit: Timothy Norris | LA Weekly

For months now, I’ve been dreaming about the Adele concert. I watched so many live performances online, listened to her album so many times that I was preparing myself to be mildly disappointed when I went to the Greek Theatre last night for her show. Not because she’s untalented or a bad performer, but because I had been building up this concert in my mind for MONTHS. There was no way it would live up to what ever my imagination had decided it would be. I was, of course, wrong. It was BETTER.

I arrived a bit late, but luckily found my seats by the start of opening act Wanda Jackson’s first song. She’s a spunky woman and I found myself bopping along to her songs, even though I didn’t know the words. During her rendition of “You Know I’m No Good”, dedicated to Amy Winehouse,  the moon hung low and red. At first I thought it was a lighting rig peering through the tall trees surrounding the Greek Theatre, but by Wanda’s final song, the moon lifted itself high into the dark Los Angeles sky.

Adele came on stage a bit later than scheduled and  the crowd was a bit restless, but when she sang the first line from “Hometown Glory” before appearing on stage, everyone fell silent in awe. Let me just say, the acoustics at the Greek Theatre are amazing. It’s a great outdoor venue and perfect for Adele’s breathtaking voice. Unlike her iTunes Festival performance (where she had just gotten the O.K. from her doctor to sing again), she was strong throughout her entire set. She has an unwavering command of her voice and it’s damn magical.

I saw a couple of whiny reviews about Adele’s Berkeley performance the night before, saying that she wasn’t a performer and that she didn’t engage with the audience, blah blah blah. None of the reviewers disputed her talent, but they seemed disappointed in her concert. Adele didn’t need fireworks or elaborate dance routines to engage the audience.  She stood there, completely vulnerable, and belted her heart out.  You ever received one of those phone calls at 1am from your best friend and she’s crying, hurting so badly that you want to hug her?  With each song, with each personal story, you wanted to console her like you would your best friend. There was something very lowkey and down to earth about her concert, which I really appreciated. The focus of the show was her story and, of course, her talent. Some performers zip through their sets without giving much insight into their music, but Adele chatted with the audience about her inspiration like we were all old friends. She was charming, even when cussing, and always very endearing. I enjoyed her banter as much as her music, which says a lot.

The set list reflected pretty close to her iTunes Festival performance, but I was sad that she didn’t do her cover of “I Can’t Make You Love Me” by Bonnie Raitt.

Also, there were two girls in back of me who decided that they couldn’t be bothered shutting up for an hour and a half and proceeded to talk throughout Adele’s entire set. This was not whispering in the ear kind of talking, this was I’m-going-talk-over-Adele-so-everyone-can-hear kind of talking. When Adele would belt out a line, instead of falling silent in amazement like the majority of people there, they talked LOUDER. What the hell is the point of going to a concert if you’re just going to talk the whole time? It’s not only rude to the audience members nearby, but to the performer.  I was about to strangle them with my skinny tie.

Anyway, here’s my video of “Don’t You Remember” from last night’s show:

Set list
“Hometown Glory”
“I’ll Be Waiting”
“Don’t You Remember”
“Turning Tables”
“Set Fire to the Rain”
“If It Hadn’t Been For Love”
“My Same”
“Take It All”
“Rumor Has It”
“Right as Rain”
“One and Only”
“Lovesong”
“Chasing Pavement”
“Make You Feel My Love”

Encore:
“Someone Like You”
“Rolling in the Deep”

This past weekend I checked out the Art in the Streets exhibit at the MOCA. I really loved how everything was laid out. Museums can feel quite stuffy, but this exhibit was so accessible and down to earth. It was really awesome to see how different styles developed throughout history and how graffiti was influenced by culture and current events. Overall, I thought it was fantastic and I highly recommend going if you have a chance! Check out my photos below.

For more information, check out their website here. The exhibition runs until August 8, 2011.

Last weekend I attended the LA Times Festival of Books at USC. It was a nerd’s dream come true. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend many of the writer’s workshops scheduled that day, but I had fun checking out all the different vendors. I saw all kinds. Seriously. There were also a lot of people handing out bookmarks and Scientology pamphlets. I swear I ended up going home with a stack of ‘em.

Oh! And in case you’re wondering about the new watermark, they’re from my Indie Craft and Design Blog: Craft in the City. Please check it out if you get a chance.

I can’t express to you how damn excited I am for the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books. I’m excited enough to use the word damn–that should say something.  Back in Hawaii, I loved the yearly McKinley High School book sale. In fact, one year I arrived really early and camped out in line for over an hour. Every year I filled boxes and tote bags with books. I quickly ran out of space for my finds and soon became that person who just had books lying all over the place.

For LA’s Festival of Books, there are tons of workshops and readings going on all day. If I get a chance, I’m going to try and see if I can attend a few. The event also includes nearly 300 exhibitor booths representing booksellers, publishers, literacy and cultural organizations.

Below is some info about the event, but your best bet is to check out their official website here.

Dates & Location
The annual Los Angeles Times Festival of Books will be held:
Saturday April 30, 2011 from 10am – 6pm
Sunday, May 1, 2011 from 10am – 5pm at:
University of Southern California
Click here for map.
To locate USC on Yahoo! Maps or similar mapping software, you may use the intersection of Exposition Blvd and S Figueroa St, Los Angeles, CA 90089.

Tickets & Admission
General attendance is free!
For information on attending, see our Attendee FAQ.

Parking
Parking at the USC campus will be $10.
Please go to the Getting There page for a detailed map.

Support independent crafters and designers by checking out the 3rd annual Unique LA May 7 & 8 in at the California Market Center’s Penthouse in Los Angeles. According to their website, this is the largest independent design show in the country with over 300 hand-picked vendors.

You can buy tickets at the door or online here. There are only a limited number of pre-sale tickets available, so I recommend buying soon if you’re interested! Pre-sale tickets even comes with some great perks!

Admission Includes:

• Free drinks & a hosted bar (IZZE, Honest Tea, Bear Flag wine, Hendrick’s cocktails, and Numi Tea)
• Unlimited re-entry for both days
• Your very own collectible tote bag, exclusive to each show!
• Free DIY workshops and handmade Mother’s Day cards all weekend
• Plush lounge seating area hosted by H.D. Buttercup
• Access to giveaways and door prizes all weekend long
• Souvenir copy of the Vendor Directory + Mini Magazine

The way we see it, there are three parking options:

1. Most expensive, but most secure and convenient: The California Market Center (CMC) has a huge underground, secure parking lot. They offer a discounted rate of $6 for all-day parking during UNIQUE shows. The parking lot elevators take you right into the CMC lobby.
2. Affordable, nearby, but outdoors: There are many nearby outdoor parking lots that surround the building, often which run $3-5 for all-day parking.
3. Cheapest and most eco-friendly: The third option is to carpool, ride your bike, take the Metro, skate, or  walk!

Anaheim: 5 Fwy North to 10 Fwy West, exit Los Angeles Street and go to Olympic, (building is on the right, and parking is on the left).

Airport: 405 Fwy North to 10 Fwy East, to the 110 Fwy North, exit 9th Street. (9th is a one-way street, follow it to Main Street.) Take a right on Main Street, (building is on the left with parking) or take105 East to the 110 North, exit 9th Street.

Glendale: 5 Fwy South to 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street. (9th is a one-way street) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main (building is on the left with parking)

Long Beach: 710 Fwy North to 10 Fwy West, Exit Los Angeles Street and go north to Olympic Street. Take a left on Olympic (building on right, parking on left).

Pasadena: 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street, (9th is a one-way) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street, (building is on the left with parking).

San Diego: 5 Fwy North to 10 Fwy West, exit Los Angeles Street and go North to Olympic Street, take a left on Olympic Street (building is on the right, parking is on the left)

Santa Barbara: 101 Fwy South to the 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street (9th is one-way) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street (building is on the left with parking).

South Bay: 110 Fwy North, Exit 9th Street, East on 9th Street (9th is a one-way street), follow 9th to Los Angeles Street, Right on Los Angeles (building with parking is on the right).

The Valley: 101 Fwy South to the 110 Fwy South, exit 9th Street (9th is a one-way) follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street (building is on the left with parking).

Westwood: 10 Fwy East to the 110 Fwy North, exit 9th Street (9th is a one-way), follow it to Main Street, take a right on Main Street, (building is on the left with parking).

QUEERSAY:

I had been told by numerous people that  Dia de los Muertos at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is one of the things to do Halloween weekend in LA.  Honestly, I didn’t know what to expect. I was vaguely familiar with the Day of the Dead culture and history, but actually experiencing it felt much different than I anticipated.

At the start of the festival, there was a larger than life opening ceremony, followed by a very somber funeral procession through the cemetery. Some of altars were incredibly touching and sad, some were humorous, and all were created with love. I’m glad I attended, but I will admit that I felt a bit like I was intruding, even though everyone there was extremely welcoming.

It’s finally Halloween! Halloween seriously needs to last longer than just one night. How about a full week? There’s just not enough time to do everything!

I heard about House at Haunted Hill through the online grapevine and put it on my MUST SEE list for this year.  I knew upfront that it wasn’t a maze, but an experience.  The people who put on this show really love Halloween and it clearly shows by the amount of love and detail put into this installation.  I went on Friday night, after checking out the Burbank’s Nightmare at the Museum, and left House at Haunted Hill ready to kick off the Halloween weekend.

The House at Haunted Hill has been around since 2000 and has grown and expanded over the years due to its popularity.  Original  music, script, and high quality special effects? Oh, yes! To read more about their story, check it out here.

Tonight is the last night, so go early and beat the crowd. The house is located on Saltillo St, which is blocked off for the event. You’ll need to park on Canoga Ave (adjacent to Saltillo) and be mindful of the other neighbors. The “show” is free and runs from 7pm-midnight.  I really loved it, I wish there were more places like this.

House at Haunted Hill
4400 Saltillo Street
Woodland Hills, CA, 91364

]]> http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2010/reviews/house-at-haunted-hill/feed/ 0 http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2010/nightlife/burbanks-nightmare-at-the-museum/ http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/2010/nightlife/burbanks-nightmare-at-the-museum/#comments Sat, 30 Oct 2010 17:45:20 +0000 kristel http://slowdancingwithstrangers.com/?p=1360

As you can probably tell, I’m really excited about the volume of Halloween-themed activities here in Los Angeles.  I’m completely set on doing as finding as many Halloween things as possible (or as my budget allows). So far, I’ve checked out the LA Halloween heavyweights: Universal Studio’s Halloween Horror Nights, Knott’s Scary Farm, and the Queen Mary’s Dark Harbor.

I was in the mood for something different this night, so I decided to check out Nightmare at the Museum in Burbank.  This is an amateur haunted house of epic proportions! When I got there around 9pm, the line was thick and stretched a few houses down. It’s all street parking, but make sure to read the street signs carefully. I was able to find a spot on California Street about ten houses down, but I think I just missed the crowd because while waiting in line, I saw tons of cars on the street.

I won’t give too much away about this maze, but I’ll say this: it’s cute. Super cute. Not like Hello Kitty cute, but creative scary cute. I was surprised by the amount of detail in each of the rooms. I did let out a scream more than once. This maze is great for old and young alike if you’re looking for something different to do this Halloween.

This event is free, but donations are accepted (and suggested, in my opinion). The proceeds from the event are donated to a charity and this year’s pick is the Family Service Agency of Burbank, which I think is pretty awesome. I tried to take a few pictures while hanging out in line, so be sure to check it out.

Click here for more info!

Nightmare at the Musuem
907 N California Street
Burbank, CA 91505

Dates/Times:

-Friday 29th & Saturday 30th (7-10pm)
-Sunday 31st (7-9pm)