December 25, 2008
By Ron Garmon
Thursday 25
YULE FOOLS
While most of the town gorges and swills with what passes for family, a weird select few will celebrate Mondo Xmas down at the Silent Movie Theatre. First, there’s a preliminary bill of (as the program puts it) “verité footage of department-store Santas, misguided movie tie-ins, exhumed cartoons and aborted holiday specials.” Yikes! The main event is a screening of Lewis Jackson’s 1980 slasher-Santa atrocity Christmas Evil (a.k.a. You Better Watch Out), with the director bringing his personal 35mm print. 8 p.m. $12. Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A., (323) 655-2510. silentmovietheatre.com. (Ron Garmon)
Friday 26
HOLIDAY HANGOVER
The psychological impact of the holidays can be really taxing. Remedies are few and far between (and frequently immoral), but this week’s silver lining is Vertigos’ Rock ’n’ Roll Cabaret with hostess Bernie Dexter. The Sugar Daddys and Los Rhythm Rockets join the comely Dexter, as they use their collective Rockabilities to spirit you through the purgatorial post-Xmas/pre-NYE ennui. 9 p.m. Free. 21 and over. Vertigos, 801 W. Temple St., downtown L.A., (213) 977-0888. rocknrollcabaret.com. (Nathan Solis)
Saturday 27
FESTIVAL OF HEADLIGHTS
Beautiful cars, lovely folks, and enough alcohol to last eight days? L’chaim! This year’s Hot Rod Chanukah will be at the Petersen Automotive Museum on the sixth night of the holiday. Don’t fret, gentiles; you’re invited too. Just show some class and leave the Santa hats at home. Expect Chanukah-tinis, No Limit Texas Dreidel and stacks and stacks of latkes. 8:30 p.m. $10. 21 and over. Petersen Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile, (323) 761-8132. yld.jewishla.org. (NS)
Sunday 28
LUCILLE AT OLYMPIC & FIG
At 83, the great B.B. King still maintains a respectable live performance schedule, even after his farewell tour of Europe! Tonight, the greatest living bluesman (and nearly the last surviving link to the music’s glory days) puts in the second of two sets at Club Nokia. The word “legend” gets thrown promiscuously around these days, but if any active performer deserves the moniker, it’s this portly, flash-fingered virtuoso whom audiences can’t seem to quit, baby. Pasadena-born soul-shouter Chris Pierce opens. 7 p.m. $60–$75. Club Nokia, 800 W. Olympic Blvd., downtown L.A., (213) 765-7000. clubnokia.com. (RG)
Monday 29
THE LAST REEL
Tonight’s the final night of The Movies’ residency at Spaceland. You didn’t call, you didn’t write and now these L.A. synth lovers are leaving – but not without giving you one last chance to make it up to them. Joining them in their farewell dance is Donovan-loving U.K. pop/rocker (and Babyshambler) Adam Ficek’s Roses Kings Castles. 8:30 p.m. Free. 21 and over. Spaceland, 1717 Silver Lake Blvd., Silver Lake, (323) 661-4380. clubspaceland.com. (NS)
Tuesday 30
MISERY LOVES COMPANY
2008 was the international year of Sanitation, Planet Earth and Intercultural Dialogue. That said, it’s been a rough one all around, so Dannah Feinglass and Danielle Schneider will host the 2008 IT SUCKED! Awards at the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, taking time to reflect on the special, regrettable moments in 2008 that made people say to themselves, “that sucked!” Features Neil Campbell and Paul Rust … who don’t suck. $5. 10 p.m. The Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre, 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood, (323) 908-8702. ucbtheatre.com. (Gabrielle Paluch)
Wednesday 31
J’OUBLIE, ET PUIS JE FUME
Pink Martini has it right – a real Frenchman doesn’t want to go to work, doesn’t want to eat breakfast; he just wants to forget and then have a smoke (with his trousers around his ankles). This twelve-piece band, founded by college buddies China Forbes and Thomas Lauderdale, brings its multilingual repertoire to the Disney Hall stage for two performances on this very special final day of the old year, with favorites from Sympathique, songs from the new album, Hey Eugene!, and special guest jazz vocalist Jimmy Scott. Their sound – romantic-Hollywood-musical-goes-global – takes you from Italy to Japan and everywhere in between. $10 rush for students and seniors, $65+. 7 p.m. & 10:30 p.m. Walt Disney Concert Hall, 111 S. Grand Ave., downtown L.A., (323) 850-2000. laphil.com. (GP)
Published: 12/23/2008
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