Etta James

3 Great L.A. Vegan Comfort Foods

Leading up to this year's Best of L.A. issue (due out Oct. 3), we'll be bringing you periodic lists of some of the best things we've found to eat and drink around town. Ice cream sandwiches and bowls of tsukemen, fish tacos and dan dan mian, cups of boba and glasses of booze. Read on. For those who ... More >>

Theater to See in L.A. This Week

Adapter-performer Brian T. Finney has adapted Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness in what Paul Birchall describes as "hypnotic." It's this week's pick of the week. Neal Weaver found charm and passion in Actors' Co-op's revival of The Miracle Worker. See below for all the latest new theater reviews. ... More >>

A Janis Joplin Musical Boosts the Pasadena Playhouse Box Office

One Night With Janis provides some nostalgic comfort food

Theater to See in L.A. This Week, Including Garry Marshall Directing a Play About the Making of Double Indemnity

Lost Moon Radio did another bang-up job hosting the 34th annual L.A. Weekly Theater Awards Monday night. (See the full list of L.A. Weekly Theater Award winners here.) Thanks to Lauren Ludwig, Trish Hadley and the LMR troupe for their talent, and thanks for all the kind missives from people who had ... More >>

One Night With Janis Joplin

Edward "Apple" Nelson Is a Legendary L.A. Drummer and 70-Year-Old Yoga Enthusiast

[Editor's note: Weekly scribe Jeff Weiss's column, "Bizarre Ride," appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday. His archives are available here.] You could mistake the funky drummer born Edward Nelson for a decade and a half younger than his 70 years. We're in the Highland Park offices of Now-Again ... More >>

Shuggie Otis - The Echoplex - 12/5/12

Shuggie Otis The Echoplex 12-5-12 I have a couple of words for those who staggered out of the Shuggie Otis show less than an hour into the proceedings, politely holding the door for the like-minded strangers streaming behind them: Screw you. What did you show up expecting to see? Did you want to he ... More >>

Goapele, Yuna - El Rey Theatre - 8/2/12

Goapele with Yuna El Rey Theatre 8/2/12 Better than... Autotune The El Rey Theatre is one of those venues that inspires artists to bring something special to the stage. Last night, Goapele and Yuna did just that, proving that classic soul music will never go out of style. Opening the night was M ... More >>

Top Ten Sexiest Fat Chicks in Music

See also: Top 20 Sexiest Female Musicians of All Time: The Complete List I'm into fat chicks. I run a blog about this subject because, even though I'm not alone (oh, not even close) it's still rare for dudes to come out and say it. Last year, LA Weekly's sister paper Village Voice did a whole story ... More >>

Why the Grammys Stink

See also: *2012 Grammys: The Best, the Worst and the Weirdest *Deadmau5, Rihanna - House of Blues - 2/13/12 *Dan Wilson: From "Closing Time" to Adele's "Someone Like You" So, our Grammy credentials were fairly limited last night. In fact, we were trapped in a room for eight hours, with journalists ... More >>

Music Picks: Coldplay, Estelle, Joss Stone, Lana Del Rey

Also, Enuff Z'Nuff, Gizzelle, Goliath and others

Skrillex - Cinespace - 1/24/12

See also: *Our cover story on Skrillex *Top Five Girls Who Look Like Skrillex Skrillex, Alvin Risk, Koan Sound, Dan Sena Cinespace 1/25/12 Better than... Seeing Skrillex at a festival Skrillex's six night hometown tour began yesterday, when the local boy-done-good held court before a sold out cr ... More >>

Etta James Is Dead

See also: R&B Legend Etta James Has Dementia, Reveals Sordid Riverside County Money Lawsuit Etta James passed away today at the age of 73 at Riverside Community Hospital in Riverside. James, born Jamesetta Hawkins, suffered a number of health problems at the time of her death, including leukemia an ... More >>

Etta James Dead at 73 in Riverside

At 73 years old, R&B legend Etta James has finally lost a drawn-out battle with leukemia. The Los Angeles native and longtime resident passed away at Riverside Community Hospital, a medical center near her most recent residence in Riverside, where she had been receiving 24/7 in-home care. She was a ... More >>

Johnny Otis Is Dead: R&B Godfather Was 90

By Kirk Silsbee Rhythm and blues giant Johnny Otis passed away on Tuesday in Altadena. He was 90. At times a bandleader, talent scout, club owner, and broadcaster, among other titles, his caravan tours in the 1950s helped popularize R&B throughout the country. His influence on the genre is incalcul ... More >>

Why This Song Sucks: Flo Rida's "Good Feeling"

[Editor's note: Why This Song Sucks determines why particular tracks blow using science. It appears on West Coast Sound every Wednesday.] Song: Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" History: Ack. ACK. "Good Feeling" is, Christ, like the 19th single from Flo Rida's 23rd studio album or something. I don't know. ... More >>

Cat Cora's Favorite Tunes

Iron Chef Cat Cora joins the ranks of Kerry Simon, Rick Bayless and Adam Richman to reveal some of her favorite tunes for KCRW's Guest DJ Project. The Mississippi-born Cora segues from country to classic soul but says all her song picks represent major milestones in her life, most notably her wedd ... More >>

Music to Pick Up/Download

Justin Bieber: Never Say Never

R&B Legend Etta James Has Dementia, Reveals Sordid Riverside County Money Lawsuit

​A sad, sordid saga is unveiling right now in Riverside County: papers filed in court concerning the administration of her fortune and the care-taking of R&B legend Etta James reveal a family feud over money and allegations that the "At Last" singer's health has been wrecked by leukemia and de ... More >>

Burlesque: Stripped

Rehashing yesterday's musicals, Steve Antin's latest squanders its hottest asset: Xtina

Music Picks: Grizzly Bear, Muse, Dark Dark Dark, the Charlatans UK

Also, Tonya Watts, Modeselektor, Heart and others

Gemma Ray: Under the Covers

U.K. chanteuse on musical remakes, dim-witted dinosaurs and missing her sauerkraut

Golden State Funk

A new generation rediscovers the lost singles of California's "Right On" era. Plus: a real soul survivor speaks

Music Picks: Free Kutmah Benefit, Amanda Jo Williams, Rosie Ledet

Also, Svarte Greiner, Miike Snow, School of Seven Bells and others

Movie Reviews: Exit Through the Gift Shop, Handsome Harry

Also, Letters to God, The Joneses, Who Do You Love and more

Tonight: Watson Twins Get Soulful at Largo @ the Coronet

​Originally from Kentucky but by now thoroughly Silverlake, the Watson Twins had their big break back in 2006 as featured collaborators on Jenny Lewis' Rabbit Fur Coat album. Chandra and Leigh Watson had been on the scene for years before that milestone, but their gig with the Rilo Kiley sing ... More >>

Legendary Singer-Songwriter Bobby Charles Dead at 71

​Mojo and other outlets report that Louisiana singer-songwriter Bobby Charles is dead at 71. Charles was a prolific songwriter who provided material for Ray Charles, Etta James, Delbert McClinton, Kris Kristofferson, Joe Cocker and others, but was perhaps best known for a little youthful ditt ... More >>

Rock Picks: Electric Daisy Carnival, Explosion in the Sky, Rodriguez

Also, DAT Politics, Mika Miko, Etta James and others

Movie Reviews: Hunger, One Day You'll Understand, A Good Day to Be Black and Sexy

Also, Frost/Nixon, The Black Balloon and more

Rock Picks: 88BoaDrum, Projekt Revolution, Juana Molina

Also, Flosstradamus, Bigelf, The Crystelles

Record Reviews: Silver Jews' Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea

Also, Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III

Rock Picks: RZA, Etta James, Zola Moon, Tori Amos, The Monolators

For the week of December 14 - 20

Film Reviews: Gypsy Caravan and Strike

Also Novel Romance

Smoove Moves

Playboy Jazz Festival and other picks

Whirled Music

Nawal whips African, Arabic and Indian sounds into Brazilian-tinged jazz

Rock Picks

For the week of September 14–21

My Spirits, My Cravings, My Garden, My Spring!

Masters of Persian Music at UCLA

Gobbing On Empires

Punk’s Best Responses to the Bush Regime

Baby Blue

Restless nights with Julianna Raye

A Real Swell Time

L.A. Weekly Music Awards 2002

LAWMA: L.A. Weekly Music Awards 2002

Fish Fry

The whoppers that didn’t get away

A Home, Grown

And the LAWMA Goes to . . .

L.A. Weekly Music Awards Nominees 1999

Hot Dates

A guide to summer fetes and flights of fancy

Big Boss Man

Minstrels at the Crossroads

To live and love the blues

Changing Colors

The BellRays' Maximum Rock & Soul