Style Council

Techcrunch Crunchup: L.A. Does it in Realtime

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 16:33:42 -0800

SoCal native and the "Golden God of Tech" Michael Arrington was born and raised in Huntington Beach so it came as no surprise that the L.A. contingent was out in full-force at this year's Techcrunch Crunchup Real Time Conference and summer party at the August Capital offices in Palo Alto.

There for the first time and repping L.A. was Francisco Dao of Twiistup, Neil Patel, Tyler Crowley of Mahalo, Laurie Percival and Sean Percival from Lalawag, Docstoc's Jason Nazar, AV Flox, Shira Lazar, Dani Dudek from MySpace, and Mike Macadaan who found out at the event (ha,ha, in real time) that he was in line for the senior VP of Product at MySpace.

@wmmarc - Wm. Marc Salsbury

Techcrunch's Mike Arrington with Lalawag's Laurie Percival, Sean Percival, and AVFlox

The bare bones format of the conference, which took place in the historic Fox Theatre, underscored a major difference between Silicon Valley and Los Angeles. When the presenter for Echo, a comment aggregator, presented his product with little fanfare, the response to a comment that he was "no Steve Jobs" from the peanut gallery in the press row (which included us Techmeme's Gabe Rivera and Techcrunch's M.G. Siegler and Eric Eldon) was, "Well, this isn't Hollywood."

Bastille Day & Marie Antoinette-Inspired Gift Guide: Shop Til Your Head Drops

Tue, 14 Jul 2009 08:45:39 -0800

Happy Bastille Day! Are we back to shopping yet? If you're into stimulating the economy--and the Dauphine could have used that excuse had it been available to her at the time--here are some Antoinette-inspired items (from Etsy and other internet environs) for your consideration. The storming of the Bastille happened several years before she lost her head. It was the prelude to the end. She should have gotten the hell out of France. Oh well. Hindsight.

1. Hat with Gilded Ship

Okay, how crazy is this hat by TopsyTurvyDesign? It has a freaking ship on it. The woman who makes these hats, Kim Brown-Dye from Oakland, was featured on MTV. I don't know where you'd wear this hat. To church? To brunch? To the guillotine?

2. Let Them Eat Cake Poster

Supposedly, she never even said it. And if she did say it, she meant "brioche" not "cake." And if it was brioche, she only said it because she was ignorant. Apparently not a good trait to have if you, you know, rule a country. The quote came to be known as a symbol of the callous monarchy, who were oblivious of the starving masses. And on that note, this poster would look super cute in a kitchen.

The Most Epic Pool Party of the Summer is on Flickr

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 17:08:19 -0800

Erin Broadley

It's how we do

Calling all citizen photojournalists or anyone with a camera and a dream -- L.A. Weekly is now on Flickr and wants to invite readers to upload images to our Flickr photo pool.

We will be doing weekly and monthly roundups of the best photos from the pool -- submitted by you. Underground parties, VIP exclusives, concerts, food, bar fights, street art, protests, high speed pursuits down Wilshire -- whatever defines your Los Angeles, join us and submit your pics. Your work could join other greats each month in our "Month in Photos" and you could even be published in our blogs: Style Council, West Coast Sound, L.A. Daily and Squid Ink as "reader photo of the week."

Spanning anything from tattoos to favorite Thai restaurants, submissions can be zany, poignant, artistic or thought provoking -- anything but boring!

Join us at L.A. Weekly Flickr group and let the uploading begin.

Stage Raw: Clowntown City Limits

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 13:49:19 -0800

At your fingertips: COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS

NEW REVIEW THEATER PICK CLOWNTOWN CITY LIMITS

Photo by Ed Rachles

Imagine a personable, grimy, makeup-smeared, cigar-chomping guy in a tank top, not unlike Tommy Lee Jones, playing cards outdoors on the porch of some trailer with a grunting little guy in a cowboy hat but also with smeared makeup who makes up the rules as he goes, spies conspicuously on his opponent's cards and goes into paroxysms of glee with his fraudulent victories. The "loser" -- here named Big Bugs (Jim Turner) - is not angry at all. Nor does he appear to be drunk, though his nose is very red, from the clownface that he didn't wash off. Rather, he's bemused by the antics of the little victor, named Corky (Mark Fite). The pair comprises half of the quartet of the clowns named Two Headed Dog. Corky can only grunt (he's nonetheless very expressive) because he was gored in the head by a bull during his former stint as a rodeo clown. Welcome to Clowntown City Limits. What sets Big Bugs into a rage isn't Corky's cheating but the very mention of Whistles (Craig Anton), a traditional clown in bright orange attire, a bulbous nose and frizzy hair, who gets all the bookings for kiddies' birthday parties. The mere idea of Whistles sends Big Bugs down a fast-track of fury, cursing like a loan shark in a David Mamet play; meanwhile, for reasons undisclosed yet sort of apparent, his peers (aside from Whistles) remain unemployed, and probably unemployable. The fourth is a cadaverous fellow named Adolph (Dave "Gruber" Allen) who looms around like a doorman making subtle, quizzical expressions at the absurd goings on around him. John Ferraro's staging is on the red nose. Andy Paley's original music (performed by Paley, Jeff Lass, Mike Bolger and Mike Uhler) offers beautifully understated accompaniment to this Beckettian no-man's land that features a ravishingly brilliant repartee (script by Joel Madison, Dale Goodson and Bob Rucker) between Big Bugs and Corky: Corky can't resist making the insult to Big Jim: "You're a piece of shit." (These are the only words he's capable of uttering.) With each volley, Big Jim responds with a return, each wrapped in an increasingly baroque story that culminates in rimshot rhythm with the words written in a fortune cookie or in skywriting, how the entire universe is declaring that it's Corky who's a piece of shit. Corky absorbs each return like a blow to his already damaged head, yet can't resist the automatic reply by employing the only wit he has at his disposal: "You're a piece of shit." And so it goes. As funny and pointless and circuitous as life on the margins - which, according to this show, is pretty much life in general. Steven Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles; Sunday, July 26, 8 p.m.; then from September, first Sunday of every month, 8 p.m. (323) 666-4266 http://steveallentheater.com
--Steven Leigh Morris

For other shows reviews over the weekend, press the Continue Reading tab directly below.

Holy Crap, That's A Lot of Pink: The Rise of the House of Barbie, Shanghai Flagship Store

Mon, 13 Jul 2009 08:20:21 -0800

Seriously, that's a lot of Barbie. I didn't know this existed until recently. It's the Barbie Worldwide Flagship Store. It's in Shanghai. There's a Barbie Spa, where you can get massages and facials. There's a Barbie runway. A Barbie Cafe on the top floor, where you can order Barbie-tinis, Barbie gelato, and who knows what else. The escalator is pink. You can buy Vera Wang wedding gowns and Patricia Field accessories and tiaras. The elevator looks like a big, pink, glowing vulva.

It's a little scary. And very, very pink.

Enter the Labyrinth of Jareth: Where Faeries, Goblins and Steampunks Gather

Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:30:49 -0800

View more photos in the Labyrinth of Jareth slideshow.

Labyrinth of Jareth, the two-day masquerade ball now in its twelfth year, is no spectator sport. If you aren't at least wearing a formal and mask, you won't be allowed entrance, and you are better off dressing in full costume that at least loosely fit into the themes of "Venetian histories and Celtic faerie and goblin lore" (steampunk being particularly popular this year). If your best friends cannot recognize you, you are clearly doing something right.

Shannon Cottrell

Stage Raw: Monty Python's Spamalot

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 17:12:48 -0800

THE LATEST NEW REVIEWS ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS

Monty Python's Spamalot Photo by Joan Marcus

Every Spam is Sacred
Monty Python's Spamalot
BY STEVEN LEIGH MORRIS

Monty Python and the Holy Grail - the 1975 riff on Arthurian legend -- is probably not the sharpest in comedians Eric Idle & Associates' body of film work, compared to their later, blistering satire on Biblical lore contained in The Life of Brian (1979) - Brian being Jesus - and on existential quandaries in The Meaning of Life (1983).

The Holy Grail nonetheless contains what was for a generation of fans a blithely anarchistic and singularly British response to a constipated culture.

The brisk, cheerful lunacy emerges in small, sublimely idiotic spats of dialogue, such as a riff between King Arthur and some peasants.

King Arthur: We are all Britons. And I am your king.
Woman: I didn't know we had a king. I thought we were an autonomous collective.
Dennis: You're foolin' yourself! We're living in a dictatorship. A self-perpetuating autocracy in which the working class...
Woman: Oh, there you go bringing class into it again.
Dennis: Well, that's what it's all about! If only people would...
King Arthur: Please, please, good people, I am in haste. Who lives in that castle?
Woman: No one lives there.
King Arthur: Then who is your lord?
Woman: We don't have a lord.
Dennis: I told you, we're an anarco-sydicalist commune. We take it in turns to be a sort of executive officer for the week...

For a continuation of this review, plus a preview of what's being reviewed over the weekend, press the Continue Reading tab directly below.

Stage Raw: Mr. Merkin's Review of Spamalot

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 10:33:19 -0800

THE LATEST NEW REVIEWS ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS

Welcome to the new home of Stage Raw. For a short time, you can access Stage Raw archives at its former home (http://blogs.laweekly.com/style_council/stage-news) in L.A. Daily, but those archives are in the process of being moved over to this location. In the meantime, if you're a fan, you might want to reset your "favorites" site finder to http://blogs.laweekly.com/style_council/stage-news. (The only difference in the link is that the "ladaily" portion of the link has been replaced with "style_council".)

At long last, guest critic/blogger Mr. Merkin filed his review of Spamalot. If you're just now getting acquainted with our eccentric guest, you can find a brief history on the man here, here and here.

The entire 37-member support and research team of Stage Raw was stunned by Mr. Merkin's review of Spamalot. Some threatened to resign if I actually posted it, and it's evident from the review that if Mr. Merkin isn't suffering from some kind of emotional anguish, he's just stupid. But I'll tell you the absolute truth - and this doesn't happen very often so pay attention - we shelled out a ridiculously huge payment-in-advance for Mr. Merkin's reviews, which is the cause of resentment by the staff here, whose salaries, in the high two-figure range, pale by comparison. That said, I remain an ardent supporter of Mr. Merkin and his right to express his unique, off-center points of view, and the skillful manner in which they transcend verifiable facts - a transcendence that's part of a carefully rendered philosophy.

The Weekly will post its own review of Spamalot shortly.

MR. MERKIN'S REVIEW OF SPAMALOT

Star of Spamalot, Rick Holmes. Photo by Joan Marcus

The French Connection

Spamalot Strikes Gold
By Mr. Merkin

Run. bolt, stride, hustle, shove the people around you out of the way, do whatever you need to get tickets to the touring production of the musical Spamalot at the Ahmanson. I loved it. I loved it. I loved it I loved it. I loved it. It was funny, it made me laugh, it made me laugh, and it made me laugh some more.

John Du Prez & Eric Idle's music was good too. After sobbing like a jilted bride at Michael Jackson's memorials all last week, I found this musical to be just what I needed.

You probably know that Eric Idle's book is based on his legendary film series, The Pink Panther. Mr. Idle was also one of the co-writers on the British television series, The Goon Show. This leads us directly to the late and unforgettable British comedian Peter Sellers, who starred in all of the above-named movies and TV shows.

For a continuation of Mr. Merkin's review, plus a preview of shows being reviewed over the weekend, press the Continue Reading tab directly below.

Staches, Glasses, and Scarves: Style at the Downtown Art Walk

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 08:22:35 -0800

Downtown's Renaissance has been a work in progress for many years, but with the stylish crowds and high caliber art on display, last night's Art Walk may have hinted that Downtown L.A. has finally come of age. Instead of rubber gloves and strip club fliers lining the streets (as in, let's say, 2001), a diverse and fashion-forward cross-section of L.A.'s art hounds pounded the pavement.

From Pharmaka's huge Barbie portraits by Dennis Dutzi, to the Hive's exploration of taboos in "Erotica vs. Nudes: Photography," the walk traversed artistic styles, be it decorative, outsider, or fine art. But the art is only part of the night. The walk is the most interesting part. The music, the street food, and of course, the eclectic people make the Art Walk a thriving epicenter of activity.

Drew Tewksbury

Art Walker

Unlike the solely hipster and art student meanderings of previous years, recent Art Walks celebrate a multitude of styles on the streets: business men still in suits, ties loosened; dog walkers who resemble their pets; "cool moms" explicating erotica to neon-clad high schoolers; and cyclists with 'staches and glasses sipping beer can while their bikes lean against fire hydrants and light poles. For a moment, Downtown L.A. feels heavy, like the whole city leans towards it as the city recalibrates the focus away from the coast.

Meet the USB Powered Chainsaw: Cut Wood While Updating Your Facebook

Thu, 09 Jul 2009 13:00:33 -0800

Boss got you thirsty for blood? Need a way to cut trees while still remaining active on Digg? Really into bringing weapons to the office? Attention Dwight Schrute -- we know what you're getting for Christmas...

Meet the iSaw, the world's first USB powered chainsaw. Yes, you read that right. Lamenting that "current materials used on bodies of chainsaws are too heavy for office use" the vanguards of innovation over at www.usbchainsaw.com figured out how to get a USB 2.0 port to power sharp chains for all your office-based wood cutting needs.

Stage Raw: Mr. Merkin Misses His Second Deadline

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 12:31:22 -0800

THE LATEST NEW REVIEWS ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS

Stage Raw is soon changing locations within the L.A. Weekly website. IT is currently working on ways to preserve the archives and the links. Stay tuned.

BREAKING NEWS: Stage Raw regrets to announce that Mr. Merkin has still failed to file his long promised review of Monty Python's Spamalot, opening tonight at the Ahmanson Theatre. In Monday's posting, the ubiquitous renegade theater critic apologized for missing his first deadline because he was confined within a Warsaw police lockup over the weekend on undisclosed charges. Stage Raw conducted its own investigation with the Warsaw municipal police. Desk Sargent Adam Wroclowski told us there was no record of Mr. Merkin being arrested within the past month.

Monty Python's Spamalot. Photo by Joan Marcus

"We are very familiar with Mr. Merkin," Wroclowki said, "The last time we had him in custody was April, 2007."

Mr. Merkin now admits that this story was a ruse, an excuse for what was apparently a weekend-long bender that extended into yesterday -- a drinking binge provoked by the deeply moving publicity around Michael Jackson's funeral, that Mr. Merkin was watching from a bar in the city's north east sector.

Stage Raw is aware that some of you are becoming skeptical of Mr. Merkin's judgment and competence. There have been rumblings in the comments section that the "loser" should be fired and replaced with a 9-year-old. (Very funny, Mr. Seldis.) All 37 of us on staff here at Stage Raw (including the copy editors, the fact-checkers, and our international theater research department, to whom I'm deeply indebted) plead for your patience. You'll see when the review comes in the quality of Mr. Merkin's writing, his erudition and the breadth of his vision; the soaring, linguistic acrobatics contained in his wit. We will post his review of Monty Python's Spamalot on Friday. Mr Merkin says he will gouge out his right eye before he fails to meet another deadline, and we take him at his word.

For more local stage happenings, press the Continue Reading tab directly below.

Don't Joke About Tauntaun Sleeping Bags: Star Wars Fanatics Get Pissed

Wed, 08 Jul 2009 08:06:14 -0800

Remember that Tauntaun sleeping bag that was supposedly for sale on Think Geek but wasn't, because it was April Fools and they were only kidding? So many people wanted it and got angry that it wasn't available. The company has now decided to try to bring it to life for real--if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant them a license.

Think Geek has done great April Fools prank products before (caffeinated meatloaf, anyone?), but this one was exceptional. It had the head of a Tauntaun, a fur outer lining, an inner lining with an intestine pattern, and a tiny light saber on the zipper to simulate the slicing action Han Solo performed to open the animal up so he could stuff Luke into it.

Think Geek

The Uniform Project: One Dress, 365 Days, Prison Gulag Chic Anyone?

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:47:44 -0800

You may have already seen this. Hell, you may have already done this. This girl has vowed to wear one dress for 365 days. (Actually, seven identical dresses for each day of the week.) There's a worthy fundraising component to "The Uniform Project," which you can read about here.

You can also donate your old accessories to her. She started last month. She's got a ways to go. Send her some socks?

Stage Raw: Mr. Merkin Misses His First Deadline!

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 13:20:31 -0800

THE LATEST NEW REVIEWS ARE EMBEDDED WITHIN THE COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS

BREAKING NEWS: The entire staff of Stage Raw was disappointed that Mr. Merkin missed the filing deadline for his first column: a review of Spamalot at the Ahmanson. Mr. Merkin apologized profusely, but explained that it was impossible to file electronically from the police lockup in Warsaw, where he was being held over the weekend on undisclosed charges. He assures us that this won't happen in the future, at least not habitually. We take him at his word, and we look forward to sharing his first column on Wednesday's posting.

NEW REVIEW CINDERELLA THE MUSICAL

Photo by Cydne Moore

I attended writer-director Chris De Carlo & Evelyn Rudie's musical adaptation of the timeless fairy tale with my 9-year-old niece, Rachel. We found ourselves joined by a birthday party of kids who appeared to be around 6, though there was a smattering of infants and adults. These kids were obviously smitten with the broad comedic antics of the stepsisters (Celeste Akiki and Billie Dawn Greenblatt) and their mom (Serena Dolinksy, doubling as Cinderella's Fairy Godmother in a rare, high-concept moment of intended irony). The actors' goggle-eyed expressions and broad as a barn reactions generated screams of laughter from the kids, who were also riveted by the songs (ranging in style from pop ballads to Gilbert & Sullivan parodies). This production has been chugging on and off for 25 years now. Actor John Waroff has dedicated a quarter century of his adult life strutting the boards as King Isgood, so points scored for perseverance, which is more than can be said for Rachel, who promised to write this review and then left it to me. Can't not mention Ashley Hayes' lush costumes, as well as the tinny sound design that left the singers marooned. Rachel said she really liked the stepsisters and Cinderella (Melissa Gentry) but wished somebody had been more cruel, as in the story. Everybody here was just so nice, and Rachel was aching for something meaner or weirder. I concur. Rachel also said some unkind things about some of the performances, but if she wants those aired, she can write a review herself. Santa Monica Playhouse, 1211 Fourth St., Santa Monica; Sat.-Sun., noon & 3 p.m.; indef. (310) 394-9779. (Steven Leigh Morris)

For reviews of all other productions seen over the weekend, embedded in COMPREHENSIVE THEATER LISTINGS, press the Continue Reading tab directly below

The Succulent Cat: Holly Vesecky's Foliage-Covered Feline Makes Brides Happy and Chia Pets Jealous

Mon, 06 Jul 2009 08:00:55 -0800

Holly Vesecky is a floral stylist and sculptor based here in Los Angeles. In the time that I've known her, she's done volcanos covered in flowers, a geodesic dome covered in flowers, and a re-creation of a Sam Francis painting in LACMA in flowers.

Quite by accident, I saw this cat covered in succulents over at Heather Taylor's lovely gardening blog LA in Bloom. Only later did I learn it was by Holly.

The Succulent Cat

Hey, I didn't know you ran a floral design business. How long have you been doing that?

Started the buisness three years ago and just took on a partner 3 months ago, she (Rebecca Uchtman) did most of the cat.

Were you already doing it before the flower geodesic dome at Machine?

I've been a florist for 19 years. I was still working at another florist when we did the dome. I quit soon after.

Anyway, I wanted to ask you about the Succulent Cat. What was it for?

We did the cat for a wedding at Marvimon. The bride felt there wasnt enough whimsy in her wedding so she suggested making a succulent cat to represent her cat at the reception. We knew she was expecting something more along the lines of the Jeff Hoons dog in europe but we wanted to take it a step further, and then Becky took it another step further all together.