If you are trying to get tickets, go directly to TicketWeb as the Paley Center site is not handling the influx of hits. Passes, packages, and the Swingtown event are sold out, but it looks like there are still tickets for all of the other shows as of right now.

The 26th Annual William S. Paley Television Festival is coming to the Cinerama Dome at Arclight Hollywood April 10-24, 2009. Paley Fest is an event that celebrates current, past, and even future TV shows. Attendees are treated to an episode and/or clips viewing followed by a panel discussion with cast members and the creative forces behind their favorite programs. There are opportunities for the audience to ask questions and on certain nights even get autographs and photos with willing guests of honor.

Katee Sackhoff @ PaleyFest06 by Jodi

Ticket packages and a premium pass are already on sale. Tomorrow morning, Thursday February 26th, individual tickets go on sale to members of the Paley Center for Media at 9am PT. Popular shows do often sell out to members. Otherwise, tickets go on sale to the general public on Sunday, March 1st at 9am PT.

From Eric Garcetti’s Twitter:

Thanks, E!

I’m calling it official: This Saturday, Feb. 28, we will be exploring French Polynesia via Los Angeles! (While there were technical difficulties with our polling apparatus, French Polynesia was in the lead before the poll went dark.) 

4:30 pm: Polynesia starts at Tiki Ti in Los Feliz. We will get our drink on, get to know each other better then head over to the French portion of the evening. 

6:30 pm: Taix Restaurant. We will take in some classic French yum yums like Moules and frittes.

For more information, maps, etc, skip past the jump. Please read about Tiki Ti because it has some unique features you might want to prepare for.

Tell your friends! Bring your cameras! See you there!

Read the rest of this entry →

Just a reminder…

Minnie Juggs #32A, photo by Michael Zampelli

There are just over 24 hours remaining in which to win free LA Derby Dolls tickets. There are lots of great roller derby names being submitted over there, so follow that link and get yours in! The winner gets a pair of tickets to Saturday night’s Derby Dolls bout and a Derby Dolls t-shirt. Everyone else wins my undying admiration, as all of the names submitted so far have been fantastic. It’s going to be extremely difficult to choose a winner.

Join Team MetBlogs for Booze Clues!

Also, don’t forget that tomorrow evening (Tuesday, 2/24) is Booze Clues in Los Feliz. There is still room at the Team MetBlogs table, so leave me a note to let me know you’re coming. We need your brainz. For trivia! We’re not gonna eat ‘em. I mean, it’s not like we’re zombies (as far as you know.) We had a blast last month at Booze Clues, so come join the fun this time.

Booze Clues is returning to Cuba Libre in Los Feliz on Tuesday, February 24th. Last month the LA MetBlogs team, the Know-It-Brawlers, had a great time along with a MetBlogs reader lead team, The Fisting Trojans. This time around I expect to have even more fun (now that we know the drill.)

So, we’re getting the band back together. Brian, Verdell, John, Charley, Heather (and all of the Fisting Trojans)…I’m looking at you. Are you ready? We’re recruiting new blood (and fresh brain cells,) too. Whether you weren’t able to make it last month or this is the first you’re hearing of it, we want you on the team.

Don’t miss the fun! Leave me a note in the comments section and I’ll reserve enough tables for all. There may be prizes (if we win.) And don’t forget that when the game ends at about 10:00pm,  Marty & Elayne will be playing right across the street at the Dresden Room.

Last month saw the demise of Indie 103.1.  Now it is being widely reported (and confirmed by an on-air personality’s Facebook status) that as of Friday, February 20th, 97.1 Free FM will be closing for business.

Luckily, the station will be reformatting to an AMP Radio affiliate, playing Top 40 hits by the likes of Britney Spears and Katy Perry. Because what the world needs now is more Katy Perry. Wait…What?

Beyond Adam Corolla, Tom Leykis and the rest of the 97.1 air personalities being out of a job, does this affect you personally? Did you listen to FM Talk? Will you miss it? Are you looking forward to more Rhianna on southern California’s airwaves? What do you think, Los Angeles?

Hollywood Bowl Fireworks by Jodi

Nights at the Hollywood Bowl practically define my summers in L.A, so I got really excited when I received a mailing the other day announcing their subscription series for 2009. The entire calendar is not published yet, but you can purchase various ticket packages for classical, jazz, world music, spectaculars (which often feature amazing fireworks, and special events. Becoming a subscriber has a lot of benefits such as early choice of seats, a discount at the Bowl Store, and advanced sales for other shows. If you place an order by March 2nd, you also get a free bottle of wine.

I actually wait until individual tickets go on sale, which starts in March if buying for 5 or more shows. Otherwise, you have to wait until May 2nd and line up with hundreds of other people at the box office, which can be a fairly miserable experience. Since I do attend a fair number of the concerts, I get the cheapest seats still available. I’ve never seen the venue sold out for a week night classical show, so it’s easy to move down two or three sections closer to the stage.

Read more

The poll is still open to decide on where Classic Eats #3 will happen. February 28th is the date, but you still get to decide the places. Last I looked French Polynesia was ahead.

Please click to the original post to vote and read all the details for each contestant. Poll closes February 23.

UPDATE: Sorry, we are having poll issues within our blog posts. Our technicians are working to solve the problem.  Please check back!

We here at Los Angeles Metblogs would love to extend a warm welcome to our newest blogging brethren in San Diego. This launch marks the 57th Metblogs city, the 6th California city, and the 3rd right here in SoCal. It’s super exciting, and we can’t wait to see what they have going on. Woo hoo!!!

Reinventing Tesla is the first-person account of the life of the inventor and engineer who contributed so greatly to the fields of electricity and magnetism. Nikola Tesla’s tireless theoretical and pratical work formed the basis for modern alternating current power systems, as well as wireless communication used in radio.

In this one-man show,  actor Frank Tabbita gives an intriguing portrayal of the passionate, eccentric genius, who is responsible for far more of our current day electronic world than most people know. The stage is minimally dressed with old fashioned trunks and a lamp used to set the scene. Some multimedia assists in illustrating the narrative. Since it’s mentioned in the program, I don’t think it’s a spoiler to say that there is a  functioning Tesla Coil at one point. I won’t say how it arrives on stage and exactly what it does.

Click through to read more and for show details

Looking for something to do this Valentine’s Weekend as an alternative to buying overpriced, unnecessary gifts, candies, flowers, and meals? Not that there is anything wrong with all of that, if that’s what you’re into. However, if you’re looking to spend your pennies on something that’s possibly more meaningful and will also bring some love into your life, you might want to check out The Bill Foundation’s “Have a Heart“ dog adoption on Sunday.

The Bill Foundation is responsible for saving the lives of thousands of dogs in L.A. since its inception in 1998. It is a non-profit organization that is solely run by the tireless work of volunteers. This weekend’s event will highlight some of their “harder-to-place and special needs dogs,” who so very desperately need the care and safety of a forever home. Through my own personal experience with a troubled former street turned shelter dog, I can tell you that there is something really special and unique about rescuing this type of pet. The unconditional love and gratitude are both palpable and oh so worth it.

Read on for more event information

Tonight in Hollywood the ArcLight, in association with the American Film Institute, will be screening (in my humble opinion) one of the greatest films of all time: Casablanca. I’ve seen Casablanca countless times, but this is the first opportunity I’ve ever had to see it on a big screen. There are a few tickets still available, so snap ‘em up while you can.

There are revival houses around town playing classic films, but none of those theaters are quite as nice as the ArcLight, if you ask me. Great projection and sound, comfortable seats, and although it’s a bit pricey (average $12-$14,) I tend to believe that the slightly higher prices deter most of the riff-raff. Stop talking and texting and kicking my seat and get offa my lawn!…wait, that’s a rant for another time.

So, join me tonight at the ArcLight on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. You’ll see one of the best movies ever, and if you find me at the lobby bar before the screening I may even buy you a drink. I’ve always wanted to toast someone with “Here’s looking at you, kid” with some bit of context.

Just a friendly reminder about what promises to be a pretty cool event this coming Thursday night in downtown Los Angeles. Twestival L.A. is joining cities all over the world to raise money for charity:water. With a donation as little as $10, you will be treated to live comedy, musical performances, special appearances by various internet celebrities, raffle prizes and more.

The party was completely organized and will be run by volunteers. 100% of all donations go directly to charity:water and will help bring clean, safe drinking water to the developing world. Check out the main Twestival page or L.A.’s spiffy new website for more details and to purchase tickets.

Follow @twestival_la and help spread the word. Feel free to leave a comment with your Twitter username if you are planning to attend. You might just run into one or more of your friendly neighborhood Metbloggers.

Twestival L.A., Thursday, February 12th, 8pm-2am @ Club 740, 753 S. Spring St., 21 and Over

One of the silver linings of a poor economy are the deals that inevitably evidence.  I have been seeing them all over the place, even in very high end areas.  Fine dining is starting to feel the pinch all across Los Angeles and the deals are becoming plentiful in an effort to entice diners out for a meal.  These are a couple of the latest special menus I’ve come across.

Taste on Melrose is extending its DineLA menu through the entire month of February (something many participating restaurants are also doing).  You can enjoy a three course lunch for $22 per person or a three course dinner for $34 per person.  If you haven’t been to Taste, now is the time to try it out.  It will be impossible not to fall in deep taste bud lust.

This weekend the Innovative Dining Group announced Appetite Stimulus Menus at several of their popular restaurants ranging from $25 per person to $40 per person Sunday through Thursday beginning yesterday at BOA Steakhouse (West LA and Santa Monica locations), Sushi Roku (West Hollywood and Santa Monica locations), and Katana.  It appears to be a similar extension of the DineLA concept.

So, if you are dire need of an exquisite little venture to remind yourself that life can be completely hedonistic even in the darkest of hours, take advantage of these sumptuous menus and spoil yourself or do it in tandem with your favorite partner in crime.

Fetish Film Fridays, Rick Castro’s monthly film series at the Egyptian Theater, continues this Friday with a screening of The Baby– a 1973 movie about a grown man raised as an infant.

Castro, who owns Antebellum Gallery, says it’s one of the few films to present the fetish of ABs (adult babies) on the big screen. He promises it’s “original and odd.” To me, it sounds like the perfect Valentine’s eve date movie.

The Wadsworths are a typical ordinary family: a strong-willed matriarchal mother, two lust-fueled daughters and a bouncing baby boy. Except the baby is going on 30 years old, sits in a crib, wears diapers and sucks a bottle.

Really, does it sound any different than a Farrelly Bros. movie? Go.

The Baby, Friday, Feb. 13th, 7:30 PM; Egyptian Theater 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles 90028.