Stinking up the joint for the last time.

The owner of Stinker’s Truck Stop, the 70′s truck stop-themed bar in Silver Lake, has decided he’s bored with that concept and wants to do something new. Toward that end, Stinker’s is holding their First And Last Annual Auction on Tuesday, February 9.

Items to be sold include everything from a late-70′s Trans Am hood, actual CB radios and more Burt Reynolds items than is healthy, to the bathroom condom vending machine. Of course, the famed skunk butts are on the block, as well. The auction will also feature DJs, plenty of Colt 45 and giveaways such as Stinker’s air fresheners, t-shirts and trucker hats.

What: Stinker’s Truck Stop First and Last Annual Auction
When: Tuesday, February 9
Auction preview at 8:00pm, live auction at 9:00pm
Where: Stinker’s Truck Stop
2939 West Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026

(The link above goes to Stinker’s Yelp page. Stinker’s own website still has a simple splash page stating “Coming Soon.” So…maybe not.)

Not a traffic stop; the officers were inside enjoying their lunch. Bigger with a click.

For months I’ve been meaning to write something about Eastside Market & Deli (careful with that link, it’s got obnoxious auto-play music and no mute button.) If I recall correctly, I first heard about Eastside Market here at MetBlogs a few years ago. I’ve been a fan ever since, and thought it worth posting again to spread the word about the great sandwiches and other menu items.  This is not that post. I’ll just recommend the Number 7 (pastrami & roast beef) and lots of napkins. It’s a heart attack on a roll, but at least you’ll die happy. Very happy. I also recommend that you go for lunch, as Eastside Market closes at 3:30pm.

Same red curb, different day. Click to embiginate.

Though I don’t go to Eastside Market often, it seems that every time I’m there I find a LADWP truck or (usually) a LAPD patrol car parked at this red curb right on the corner of Alpine & Centennial. Sure, it’s the most convenient spot to park; it’s only a few steps away from Eastside Market’s front door. The curb is red for a reason, though. This is a bit of a blind corner to begin with, and having a vehicle (especially a big truck) parked there makes going around that corner downright dangerous.

This is a ringing endorsement for Eastside Market. In case you didn’t know, if you find a place that a lot of police frequent you know the food is going to be good. On the other hand, what makes city employees (particularly the ones charged with enforcing the law) think that parking laws do not apply to them?

Get yourself over to Eastside Market sometime soon for a great lunch. Don’t park next to the red curb, though. Apparently, that spot is reserved for Los Angeles city employees.

No more than 40 of these wide, comfortable reclining seats in any theater.

Have you heard about the new movie theater in Pasadena? Gold Class Cinemas is upping the ante for premium movie going experiences. It takes a lot of your gold to be part of the gold class, though.

Gold Class Cinemas opened in the One Colorado complex in December. I recently had an opportunity to see a movie there, and I was looking forward to seeing what all the hype was about. I was also looking forward to seeing Avatar in 3D, so let me get that bit out of the way first: story was beyond trite; have you seen Dances With Wolves? Visually stunning, though, and great use of 3D. Worth it for the visual effects alone.

Follow me past the jump to hear about the theater and the movie-going experience (and the money.)

Read the rest of this entry →

There are so many holiday activities going on this weekend. How does one choose? I recommend going where you find the highest concentration of holiday fun, and on Saturday that is going to be in Echo Park.

Saturday at noon you’ll find Grand Marshall Bob Baker leading the annual Echo Park Holiday Parade down Sunset Boulevard. The parade will also feature local high school marching bands, dance troupes, and other surprises. I have it on good authority that the L.A. Derby Dolls will be skating in the parade. I’d bet there will be an appearance by a certain white bearded man in a festive red holiday suit, as well.

The parade is only part of what’s happening, though. Local businesses have decided to stretch the fun all day long with the Echo Park Holiday Shop Hop. The parade may begin at noon, but other festivities start as early as 10:00am and will go on until 2:00am. Many businesses will be offering specials throughout the day, as well as various performances and workshops.

My favorite Echo Park business, 826LA, will have things going on all day long. There will be free gifts with purchase at the Echo Park Time Travel Mart. They will also be accepting donations to support the great programs they offer; if you donate $5 (or more,) you’ll get a book written by Echo Park kids. I’ve read their work, and it’s really good.

At 3pm 826LA will present “A Guy Walks Into an 826LA…,” a stand-up comedy performance by 826LA students. At 8pm, it’s “Dead Author Readings with Charles Dickens.”

This is only the beginning. Get complete details of special offers from local merchants, activities, performances and donations for local charities at the Echo Park Holiday Shop Hop page.

This Saturday, December 12, get yourself to Echo Park and get all of your holiday fun and shopping in one place.

Photo by Robbiework, used under Creative Commons.

Willie Nelson’s tour made its annual stop in Los Angeles last night. Willie and family, along with Austin favorites Asleep At The Wheel, played before a packed house at Club Nokia at the L.A. Live complex. The two bands are touring together in support of their recent album, Willie and The Wheel.

Asleep At The Wheel began the evening with their signature western swing. About half-way through their opening set, Nelson joined the band on stage to perform “Bring It On Down To My House,” as well as other numbers from the recent album and his classic, “Pancho & Lefty.”

After a short break and stage reset, Willie returned with his own band (with Ray Benson of AATW sitting in on guitar.) He started his set with “Whiskey River” and with only a couple of momentary breaks to introduce the band, he rolled through 25 other hits including “Crazy” (which he wrote for Patsy Cline,) “Funny How Time Slips Away,” “Me & Paul,” and “Beer For My Horses.” Not one to stand for the silliness of walking off only to be called back for an encore, when his set was finished he thanked the audience and waved goodbye as he left the stage.

Willie Nelson seems to tour incessantly and tirelessly, but at this show his 76 year old body seemed to be showing its age a bit. While still in great shape for a man of his years, Willie had a bit of a paunch evident beneath his tight t-shirt which hasn’t been noticeable in previous years. That aside, his voice is as strong as ever, his guitar picking seems to get even better with age, and there’s a gleam in his eye which suggests he’s not stopping any time soon. Nothing lasts forever, though, and this is a show you don’t want to miss. You should probably see Willie Nelson again (or for the first time) as soon as possible.

Willie Nelson and Asleep At The Wheel perform tonight at the Fred Kavli Theatre in Thousand Oaks.

As previously mentioned here at MetBlogs, French/German Action Hero Klaus Pierre has made his triumphant return to Los Angeles. Recently, producer/director Russ Gooberman caught up with Pierre to film this exclusive* interview with the soon-to-be icon.

In this interview Pierre discusses what he’s been up to for the past 18 months, experiences with eastern healing, and of course, his new movie, “Little Klaus, Big World.” (Fair warning: while Klaus’ accent may make it sound cool, depending on your work environment, some language may be NSFW.)

*exclusive to MetBlogs (and anyone else who can access YouTube.)

Tough Cookies battle The Swarm on Saturday night. Photo by Stalkerazzi f/8.

The L.A. Derby Dolls 2009 season is drawing to a close. With only one regular season bout left (then the Championship in December,) now is the time to get to the Doll Factory for the most exciting fast-paced, full-contact sport in Los Angeles. LA MetBlogs has your tickets, so read on to find out how to get them.

The bouts have continued to get more and more exciting throughout the season. This Saturday, November 14, the action will reach a fever pitch as the Tough Cookies (2008 Champions) take on The Swarm. Both teams are undefeated this season, and will battle for the top spot in the standings.

Come with me past the jump to win your tickets to this epic bout. As a special bonus, I’ve also got your tickets to Sunday’s Baby Doll Brawl… Read the rest of this entry →

If you’ve been reading here at LA MetBlogs for any length of time, you’ve probably picked up on the fact that I am a man who is connected, and that I like to share those connections with you, dear reader.

Early in 2008 I discovered a great talent with the help of the good people at Boing Boing‘s BBtv. Klaus Pierre, a German/French actor had come to Hollywood to train to be the next big action hero. If you’re not already familiar with Klaus Pierre, here is a BBtv episode you need to see:

I have recently become acquainted with the director who brought those episodes featuring Klaus Pierre to the world. He tells me that Klaus has recently completed post-production on his movie, and that it will be available for your enjoyment soon. In the meantime, Klaus will be shooting an interview later this week to let his adoring fans know what he’s been up to over the last year.

Here is where I share my connections. I know that you all must have many questions for Klaus, so leave them in the comment section below. I’ll pass them along, and perhaps Klaus will answer in his interview video. If you could ask Klaus Pierre anything, what would you want to know?

More BBtv episodes featuring Klaus Pierre after the jump… Read the rest of this entry →

On Tuesday (tomorrow) night this week, Booze Clues is making its monthly appearance at Agave Tequila House y Cantina (formerly Cuba Libre) in Los Feliz. Sometimes life gets in the way, and I haven’t been able to make it to Booze Clues for a few months, so I’m there tomorrow night. Who’s with me?

MetBlogs teams have won big at Booze Clues in the past. Well, technically we’ve placed somewhere near the middle of the pack, but with fun people, good drinks, and a moderate showing in the contest, aren’t we all really winners? Plus, when the game ends, the games begin. All are welcome to join me across the street at the Dresden Room to see the legendary Marty & Elayne.

We’ll arrive at Agave Tequila House y Cantina about 7:30pm, game starts at 8:00pm. We’ve got a couple of MetBlogs readers and authors already confirmed, but we can always use more brains packed with useless (yet interesting) knowledge. Even if you think you’re not good at trivia contests, come anyway. You never know when you’ll have the one answer the puts the team over the top. Join in and help us dominate the trivia world. Leave a note in the comments to let me know you’re coming, and I’ll make sure we’ve got enough seats reserved for everyone.

Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead performs at Club Nokia.

Motörhead rocked my ass off. As they’ve done for the last 34 years, Motörhead hit the road with one thing in mind: Everything Louder Than Everything Else. Well done, boys.

Motörhead headlined Club Nokia at LA Live last Friday night in front of a packed house. Nashville Pussy and the Reverend Horton Heat opened the show and started to build the energy in the room, but when Motörhead took the stage the crowd exploded.

LA MetBlogs gave away tickets to the show, and invited the ticket winners to write about their experiences. Their accounts and more photos after the break.

Click the link for more…

Read the rest of this entry →

Eddie Izzard by Nick J. Webb, used under Creative Commons.

As I’ve mentioned previously, 826LA is my favorite non-profit organization. There may not be any profit, but it still takes a lot of money to do all the great work they do. Thus, there are occasional fund-raisers and benefits. 826 benefits are always win-win situations, though, because while they get the money, you get top-notch entertainment for a relative bargain price.

There are a couple of great 826LA benefits happening this week, starting with a very special show tonight at the EchoPlex featuring the spectacularly funny Eddie Izzard! This show was just announced, and as of this writing some tickets are still available for only $20 (plus a reasonable, non-TicketBastard service charge.) Race to get them at TicketWeb HERE. Izzard’s L.A. shows have historically sold out very quickly (with higher ticket prices,) so don’t wait.

On Friday night, M Bar Supper Club in Hollywood is the place to be for “Behind the Smoggy Veil: Tinseltown Tales.” This evening of comedy features (among others) Taylor Negron, and is hosted by my old friend, the very funny Sarah Taylor. Given the title, I’m going to guess it will be an evening of funny stories about life in Hollywood. This promises to be a great show as well, so call the number at the link above and make a table reservation now.

One week. Two benefits for 826LA. Two evenings full of laughter. You’re welcome.

The PA holds cue cards for "Keanu" while "Pappas" looks on.

The longest running theater show in Los Angeles celebrated its two year anniversary on Saturday at the Dragonfly in Hollywood. Point Break LIVE! has been extremely successful, and with good reason. It is one of the most entertaining theater pieces in my memory; even better than Cats. (Okay, granted: most shows are better than Cats. Point Break LIVE! is exceptionally good, though.)

Point Break LIVE! is an absurdist stage adaptation of the classic 1991 movie starring Patrick Swayze and Keanu Reeves. The twist to this show is that at every performance the role of “Keanu” is performed by a member of the audience (hence, the cue cards.) Because the show has been running for two years, I’m certain there are dozens of reviews more eloquent than mine just on the other side of a Google search. This is not so much a review as an unabashed endorsement.

Buy tickets. See this show. Now! I’m already planning to see it again with other friends.

Point Break LIVE! is a spectacular interactive theater show with comedy, stunts, special-ish effects, hot half-naked surfer dudes…everything you could want in a big budget action movie, but on a seriously diminished budget. There are so many delightful surprises in this show, I don’t want to say too much for fear of spoiling any of the fun. I will include this, though, from the Point Break LIVE! ticketing site:

“This show is not for the squeamish, uptight, faint of heart, or the easily offended. Theater snobs probably won’t get it. If you are looking for a traditional theater experience – STAY THE F**K AWAY FROM THIS SHOW.”

MetBlogs readers don’t fit any of those categories, so you should all enjoy it immensely. Point Break LIVE! runs Saturday evenings at the Dragonfly in Hollywood. Get tickets here.

PRO TIP: When you collect your tickets at the box office, you’ll be offered a “survival kit” for a buck. Take it. It may be the best dollar you’ll ever spend. Seriously.

Motörhead by Mark Marek Photography, used under Creative Commons.

Motörhead and special guest Reverend Horton Heat are coming to Club Nokia in downtown L.A. on Friday, October 9. Also on the bill are Nashville Pussy and Chelsea Girls. Best of all, LA MetBlogs has your tickets to the show.

Motörhead is one of my favorite hard rock bands. After 34 years on the road, Lemmy & co. still rock harder than most bands half their age. The influence they’ve had on rock & roll is undeniable. Ask any latter-day hard rock or speed metal band who taught them how to rock, and if they’re honest, the first name on the list will be Motörhead.

Here’s your chance to see these legends (and the other great acts on the bill) with Lucinda Michele & me!  Well, we’ll give you the tickets; whether you hang with us is up to you.

Tell me via comment below which band(s) you want to see and why. Or tell me about your favorite Motörhead song. Really, just tell me something that will convey how much you want, need, demand to be at this show. Winners will be chosen at my whim and notified via email, so make sure you enter yours correctly. Complete show info is here.

Bonus: My all-time favorite photo of Lemmy is here.

UPDATE: First, ticket winners have all been notified and confirmed. All the responses were great, and I wish I could take everyone to the show. If you didn’t win, buy tickets at the link above and meet us at the show. This is going to be an unforgettable concert!

Second, I just got off the telephone with Motorhead’s manager. He wanted to let everyone know that Motorhead will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tomorrow (Thursday) night, so stay up late.

Finally, for those going to the show (which should be everyone,) doors open at 7:30pm, show starts at 8:00. Reverend Horton Heat goes on at 9:40, and Motorhead hits the stage at 11:00pm. Get there early to see Chelsea Girls and Nashville Pussy, and get ready for Motorhead to rock your ass off. Also, bring earplugs. Safety first.

See you at the show!

Watch the Derby Dolls from the comfort of your own Intertube.

Tonight at 6:30, the Los Angeles Derby Dolls are taking the excitement of high-speed all-female banked track roller derby out of the Doll Factory in Historic Filipinotown and bringing it live to the entire planet via the World Wide Web.

Varsity Brawlers (the pretty team) will take on Tough Cookies (last year’s champs) in a full-length exhibition game streamed live to your very own home, office, or car (if you’re on your laptop, parked down the street stealing WiFi.)

Now how much would you pay? But wait! There’s more!…

Have you seen the trailer for Drew Barrymore’s directorial debut, “Whip It?” I can’t wait to see it when it’s released this weekend. Barrymore, Ellen Page (“Juno,”) Juliette Lewis (“Old School,”) and other stars from the movie will be at the event for a post-bout Q&A. I’m told you can submit your questions online, too. There will also be a live half-time concert by Landon Pigg.

All for the low, low price of…FREE. That’s right! All you have to do is log in to www.derbydolls.tv at 6:30pm and it will all stream right out of the internets and into your eyeballs and ear holes.

I’m kind of excited about this, so there’s even more. Click the link and follow me… Read the rest of this entry →

Dear Mr. Reznor,

Thank you.

Sincerely,
Burns!

Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails. Photo by Burns!

More after the jump. Read the rest of this entry →