The best pieces from last Thursday’s Downtown L.A. Art Walk weren’t to be found hanging on the walls of an overpriced gallery, but instead came warbling out of the mouths and instruments of the Petrojvic Blasting Company, a ragtag crew of modern-day gypsy street buskers. Their rousing mélange of New Orleans Dixie and Balkan folk music […]
The Petrojvic Blasting Company: Coming soon to a sidewalk near you Read More »
We know what you’re thinking: Another burlesque show? Yawn. Seen one set of fishnets, seen them all. Sure, but have you seen them writhing down the bar and hanging from the ceiling – while smoking? The last time we checked in with the ladies of Harlow Gold, they were shaking it vaudeville-style at downtown’s Bordello
Harlow Gold redux: Giving a whole new meaning to ‘bar crawl’ Read More »
The stage is tiny. Six musicians are crammed elbow to elbow, a tangle of sparkly costumes, mic stands, guitars, congas, an accordion and a full drum kit. A photograph of the Beatles, with the faces of John and George colored in as calaveras, or skulls, hangs off the bandstand near photos of Janis Joplin, Celia
La Santa Cecilia: A Musical Mission Guided by a Saint and Led by a Diva Read More »
In the beginning, there was the Word. Then came the Music. After that, the Phenomenon caught fire, and that’s when things got really interesting. If that all sounds a bit mythical, it’s because it kind of is. Originally imagined as a fictional world of living on the edge, Muslim punk rockers in Michael Muhammad Knight’s
The rise of Taqwacore: from parking lots to Park City Read More »
Until fairly recently, practitioners of parkour shared the slice of sidewalk subculture generally associated with breakdancers and skaters in the late ’80s. Sure, many had seen Sébastien Foucan scramble over buildings with the agility of a panther on speed in the opening sequence of “Casino Royale,” but few knew what to call what he was
Jump starts: Parkour leaps into the mainstream consciousness Read More »
Andrew McGregor is big. In fact, he’s enormous. At 6 feet 10 and 280 pounds, his hands are the size of your head and he has a set of shoulders that would make Atlas weep. Then there’s the sheer force of his personality, which roils off him in palpable waves. Bring up chessboxing, and good luck
Andrew McGregor, L.A.’s ‘Fighting Philanthropist’ Read More »
The legendary downhill skier has been gone for over a year, but his impact remains lasting. Bill Johnson is dead. My childhood sports hero has left the ski hill. This isn’t exactly a news flash, although it still feels that way. Depending on when you’re reading this, it’s been a year, maybe more. He died January
The Bill Johnson Mixtape Read More »