SAT 10/17: Eulogy at the Artery

Group show Eulogy opens this Saturday at the Artery. Yep, the gallery housed in a couple of old shipping containers behind the lab (wow, the lab's website is so hip, it hurts). Eulogy includes work by Quyen Dinh, Jeff Gillette, Kelly Castillo, Jared Millar, Krystie Sargent (whose hand painted skateboard is pictured above), Patrick Nguyen, Aileen Holmes, and Alex Chiu. The Artery is @ 2930 Bristol St in Costa Mesa. The opening is 7-11:00pm and boasts DJ Treetop providing the sound entertainment.

FRI 10/2: The Idyllists rock for a good cause

One of LA's most beloved local bands, The Idyllists, are bringing their convivial mix of 60s Britpop and American pop to the Hotel Cafe this Friday night, Oct 2nd, with all door charge proceeds benefitting the LA County Firefighters Memorial Fund. In particular, the show will honor two firefighters felled by the Station Fire August 30th. A worthy cause, and laudable music. Hooray! They go on at 10:00pm, don't be late.

SUN 9/27: good morning Bon Iver

Hollywood Forever Cemetery's gates will creak open tonight at midnight to kick off a unique show, orchestrated by Justin Vernon (Wisconsinite and founder/face of Bon Iver) and The Troubadour. The concept, a sunrise performance, was hatched as the pièce de résistance, wrapping up Bon Iver's almost two year tour. The schedule is rumored to include film and music presentations, hand-selected by Vernon, which will entertain the concert-goers until the show begins at sunrise: 5:20am. All will be welcomed into the day by Bon Iver's soulful stereophonic swells and fades.

Sat 6/7: CINÉMOCA

The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA is hosting the first of six Saturdays of outdoor screenings, music, and gallery tours tomorrow Sat 6/7, 7-11pm. Check out the current shows: Lawrence Weiner: AS FAR AS THE EYE CAN SEE and Allan Kaprow—Art as Life, hear a set by Henry Rollins, and bring your blanket to enjoy the evening on the grass. Beer, wine, and snacks will be available for purchase. The Screening of Underground Forces, featuring rare footage of west coast punk and New Wave bands and a healthy sampling of the artists, musicians, and fans that populated California’s underground scene in the late-1970s and early ‘80s, starts at 9pm. The screening is free with museum admission ($10). Unfortunately, outside food and drink are not permitted.

6/6-6/8: Ink-N-Iron Festival

The 5th annual Ink-N-Iron Tattoo & Kustom Culture Festival is taking place today 6/6 through Sun 6/8. The festival will feature 280 of the best tattoo artists in the world and a series of additional events, including an art exhibit, burlesque showgirls, live bands (incl. the Swingin' Utters), a pin-up pageant, carnival rides, and a car show. The best part: it's all taking place aboard and around Long Beach's Queen Mary. Tickets are $35/day or $70/all 3 days. And you get $10 off your admission if you get a tattoo at the festival.

Fri 5/30: Datarock @ Detroit Bar

Bergen-based duo Datarock is DJing, along with Mr. White and Devyn C tonight at Detroit Bar in Costa Mesa. Tickets are $15 before 10pm, 21 and over, doors open at 9pm. Fun fact: Datarock's song Computer Camp Love was #88 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007.

Fri 5/30: Fridays Off the 405 @ the Getty

Tonight from 6-9pm, the Getty Center presents Fridays Off the 405 and opens its courtyard to the public for free. You can tour the galleries, enjoy the music provided by DJ Dirty Finger and DJ B-cause, take in the views of the city, and revel in the onset of summer! There's also a cash bar open until 8:30pm, so bring some bills if you want a drink.

Thurs 5/29: Jamie Lidell @ the El Rey

The man with an uncanny ability to make my feet tap and my hands clap, Jamie Lidell, is playing Thurs 5/29, at the El Rey Theatre in LA. His new album JIM dropped in April and is described by Pitchfork as being "some of the most satisfying Sunday-morning listening you'll hear this year." Just my cup of tea (or more likely, mimosa). Tickets are $23, starts at 8pm, James Pants opens.

Thurs 5/22: Rogue Wave @ OCPAC

Oakland-based Rogue Wave is playing, as part of the Off-Center Concert Series, at Orange County Performing Arts Center's Samueli Theater Thurs 5/22. These guys played at Coachella this year, but imagine how much better it will be to see them perform in an intimate (and air-conditioned) setting like the Samueli. Tickets are $15 for floor and $30 for the mezzanine; show starts at 8pm.

Sat 5/17 danyol @ The Box Gallery

Danyol's At the Seams opens this Saturday at The Box Gallery in the SoBeCa (South on Bristol entertainment, culture and arts) District of Costa Mesa. San Francisco's self-described Indie/Country/New Wave band Carletta Sue Kay will be playing at 8pm with the artist on guitar.

Surf Sounds @ Huntington Bch Surfing Museum

The HB International Surfing Museum is currently running Surf Sounds part 2: Featuring Jan & Dean and Sharing Perspectives: Paintings by Celine Chat. The Surfing Museum preserves an important part of Huntington Beach's image as "Surf City, USA," and further exemplifies the fact that HB is the "most heavily surfed beach on the West Coast" (per Surfer's Almanac). The museum's Surfing Walk of Fame, dedicated in 1994, includes honorees in many surf-related categories, and extends from the corner of PCH and Main Street.

Fri 5/02 First Fridays @ Natural History Museum

The Natural History Museum is hosting its First Fridays event tonight. The schedule will proceed as follows: 5:30pm TOUR:“Tour of the Ancient Latin American Hall” led by Karen Wise, Ph.D. & Curator in charge of Archaeology 6:30pm DISCUSSION:“How Does Evolution Build a Complex Brain?” 7:00-10:00pm MUSIC: featuring Akron/Family, The Dodos, and DJ sets in the African Mammal Hall by Carlos Niño and Morpho. The museum is located at 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles, 90007. Tickets are $9 and food and drinks are available for purchase.

Thurs 5/01 Shifting Perspectives TNT

As always, the first Thurs of the month brings many enthralling art-relevant activities, including TNT @ the MCASD downtown location. Starting at 7pm tonight, the museum will feature 3-D topographic maps, a preview of The Hybrid Authorship Project, and music by Seesaw Ensemble (pictured above) and Reverse Cowboy. After TNT, take the trolley to J6Bar and Hotel Solamar (at J Street and Sixth Avenue in downtown) for drink specials and live music 10pm-midnight. MCASD downtown is at 1100 Kettner Blvd @ B Street, San Diego. $3 suggested donation.

Fri 4/11 Crystal Castles @ Detroit Bar

Crystal Castles is a Toronto-based band, described by Loud and Quiet as "the most exciting and original band in the world right now" consisting of multi-instrumentalist Ethan Kath and vocalist Alice Glass. They play with Sparrow Love Crew tonight at Detroit Bar. Show is 21 and over and presale tickets were $15, but are now sold out. Doors open at 8pm, so get there early to pay what I assume will be $20 at the door. Detroit Bar: 843 W. 19th Street, Costa Mesa 92627.

Wed 4/2 Serge Gainsbourg night

Tonight the Bordello Bar pays tribute to the iconic voice and oeuvre of Serge Gainsbourg. Several talented local musicians, including Nicole Simone, Joel Virgil, Adele Jacques, Alex and Sam, and Bjorn Turoque will tackle Monsieur Gainsbourg's songs in a performance of adulation beginning at 7:30pm. Tickets are $10. The Bordello Bar is located at 901 E 1st St, downtown LA, 213.687.3766.

Fri 3/28 TOMS Collaborative @ Thalia Surf

Thalia Surf is hosting a collaborative incorporating art, music, and TOMS shoes this Fri 3/28 from 6-10pm. If you don't know, TOMS shoes donates a pair of shoes to a child who needs them every time a pair is purchased. The festivities will include shoe-customization by Sean Woolsey and Justin Bauer, music by The Growlers, and the premier of an installation by Andy Davis, known for those iconic, retro-chic surf images. Here's the info: 915 S. Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach 92651, 949.497.3292

Sun 3/9 Country Sundays @ The Echo

The Echo is kicking off 2008's first Country Music & Sunday Barbeque this Sun 3/9, showcasing The Blasters and Tony Gilkyson, and hosted by Chris Morris, host of 103.1's Watusi Rodeo, and DJ Cuz'n Roy. The fun gets started at 5pm, welcomes all ages, and is free. Address: 1822 Sunset Blvd., Echo Park 90026. Visit http://www.attheecho.com/?m=20080309&cat=2 for venue info and http://www.blastersnewsletter.com/ for background on The Blasters.

Fri 3/7 Why? and Yacht @ Natural History Museum

This Friday is First Fridays - Dinner, Discussion, Music & More at the Natural History Museum, featuring Why?, Yacht and Dub Lab DJs Ale and MatthewDavid. Evening schedule runs as follows: 5:30pm- Tour, 6:30pm- Discussion, 8:00pm- Music. Details: Fri 3/7, 900 Exposition Boulevard, Los Angeles 90007, all ages, tickets $9 adults/$6.50 students. Visit http://www.nhm.org/firstfridays/ for additional information.

Bad Religion @ House of Blues Disneyland

Seems awfully ironic. Bad Religion is playing an all ages show with Miss Derringer and Del Toro at the House of Blues in Anaheim on Fri 2/29. Tickets are $22.50, doors open at 7pm. http://www.hob.com/tickets/eventdetail.asp?eventid=49583 for further details.

Hello Stranger @ The Highlands

Hello Stranger is playing a free show at The Highlands, along with Pump up the Volume, on Thurs 2/21. As you can see, they are 3 guys and a keytar-playing frontwoman. Enough said, I'm sold.

Listen and decide for yourself: www.myspace.com/hellostrangermusic. Doors open at 8pm. As Ben Norman, a reviewer on Amazon, says, "Go for it. You know you want to." Address: 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Top Floor.