September 4-10, 2008
By Ron Garmon
Thursday 4
Word, ’n’ Stuff…
Remember when hip-hop came out of nowhere and scared the shit out of Reagan’s White America in the ’80s? Well, you can relive that all over again at the Silent Movie Theatre when Cinefamily kicks off its Word Is Born: Hip-Hop in the Movies 1979-1984 series with the film that started it all. Wild Style stars legendary graffiti artist Lee Quinones as Zoro, the street artist who … ah, who cares, you don’t watch this film for the plot. You watch it for the breakdancing, the freestyling, and the rare footage of Grandmaster Flash on the 1s and the 2s. In attendance will be director Charlie Ahearn, who will also screen his short film Bongo Barbershop, and Cut Chemist spinning before and after the screenings. Over 25 years later, Wild Style will probably still frighten your parents. 8 p.m. $10. Silent Movie Theatre, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles. silentmovietheatre.com. (Carman Tse)
Friday 5
High (and Higher) Lonesome
Wailing at The Redwood Bar tonight with DJ Bonebrake (ex-drummer of X) and his aw-shux country compeers The Bonebrake Syncopators is the country-blues hokum of C.W. Stoneking. Outta Footscray, Australia, this act has a nice line in authentic (ooh, that word!) sounding wheeze-bag old-timey country that sounds like it’s rolling off Edison wax cylinders. America’s taken many a weird old turn since this music was in vogue, so the collision between it and post-postmod earholes results in some fine frissons. If you miss C.W. tonight, he’ll be holding forth at the Redwood until Monday. $5. 10 p.m. 316 W. 2nd St., downtown. theredwoodbar.com. (Ron Garmon)
Saturday 6
Walpurgisnacht Comes Late This Year
Since leaving the dread confines of Interscope Records, Trent Reznor’s proving more lively than usual, releasing an instrumental double-album back in March and a vocal LP, The Slip, in May. The North American leg of the inevitable Nine Inch Nails tour concludes at The Forum this evening, with Deerhunter for support. $36 +. 8 p.m. 3900 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood. laforum.com. (RG)
Sunday 7
Throwing the Horn
As if the heresies of NIN aren’t enough, the following Sabbath day faces profanation by the second annual Manifest Destiny festival, brought to The Echoplex by the diabolical folks at Tee Pee Records. Come howl with the brimstone likes of Witchcraft, Earthless, Nighthorse, Graveyard, and (wait for it) The Warlocks. The last-named is one of the greatest heavy acts to come out of L.A. music in recent years and well-worth any minion of evil’s time. This is an all-ages show, so the black cinder of anyone’s heart will be warmed by sight of so much wayward youth. 3 p.m. $15. 1134 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park. attheecho.com. (RG)
Monday 8
I Just Wanna Dance!
With art these days being crammed into tiny galleries or embalmed at big and stuffy museums, it’s refreshing to see the do-it-yourself spirit alive with Anatomy Riot #26. A somewhat-monthly series happening at The OPEN Space, it features local artists sharing their latest dance and performance art pieces in a casual environment without the formalities of tickets, seating, or people telling you to not step too close to the artwork. 8 p.m. $10 donation suggested. The OPEN Space, 209 S. Garey St., downtown. myspace.com/anatomyriot. (CT)
Tuesday 9
FUCK BUTTONS? FUCK YEAH
In preparation for their upcoming album, The Hawk Is Howling, Scottish post-rock veterans Mogwai hit the Wiltern tonight for a concert that is promising to be loud and menacing. If you’re like anyone who is truly hip, you’ve already seen Mogwai about six times and are going to this just to see up-and-coming English experimental drone (thanks Wikipedia!) duo Fuck Buttons. Reeling off the critical acclaim of their 2008 debut, Street Horrrsing, their symphonies of apocalyptic doom will be a nice primer for the headliner. 9 p.m. $25. The Wiltern, 3790 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, (213) 388-1400. livenation.com. (CT)
Wednesday 10
Creative Kids and Ciphering Dogs
The tagline of 826LA’s Fall-Time Yuk-Fest is “Insightful Comedy and Dogs on Tightropes.” Seriously, how could you not want to go to this after reading that? Taking the stage for this benefit show are Janeane Garofalo, Tim & Eric, Patton Oswalt, Jimmy Pardo, Bill Burr, and Al Madrigal. Of course the real stars will be Bob Moore and His Amazing Mongrels, a troupe of rescued shelter dogs that jump through hoops, jump rope, and do math. 826LA is the offshoot of Dave Eggers and Co.’s dealie in S.F., providing free programming for young students to develop their creative writing skills and apparently also to dogs to develop their arithmetic. $25-$35. Avalon, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood. 826la.org. (CT)
Published: 09/03/2008
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