Nokia Theatre

The Shrine Used to Host the Oscars. Now it Hosts Steve Aoki Parties

The Shrine Auditorium, once home to the Academy Awards, hosted countless landmark concerts in its prime, but now is less in the spotlight than its rival up Figueroa -- LA Live. Still, the Shrine has found a second life as a hub for L.A,'s rave scene. See also: *Jack White at The Shrine, 8/10/12 *St ... More >>

AEG's Asking Price Is $10 Billion?

The L.A. company that wants to build a stadium downtown is selling out. And if this report is true, it wants $10 billion for the whole shebang. Anschutz Entertainment Group, the locally based conglomerate owned by Denver rich guy Phil Anshutz, runs Staples Center, LA Live and the Nokia Theater, ow ... More >>

Did Villaraigosa Cozy Up to Leon Cooperman, Billionaire Enemy of The Obama Campaign?

By most accounts L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has been a good Democrat. He supported Hillary Clinton in her presidential bid. And he carried water for the Obama campaign when the contentious issue of God came up during a Democratic National Convention platform meeting. But a new New Yorker story ... More >>

Anthony Jefferson, Alias 'DJ Tone,' Wanted for Sexing and Defrauding L.A. Models by Posing as Talent Agent

A man known for years around the Internet and the entertainment industry to be a con artist posing as a talent agent type -- alleged victims have attested online that he often claims affiliation with rap superstars like Snoop Dogg, E-40 and Diddy -- is now on the radar of the San Bernardino Police ... More >>

Let's Talk About the Crazy Names For Musician Fan Bases, Like "Beliebers"

As Jerry Seinfeld might say: What's the deal with all these crazy names for musician fan bases, like Lady Gaga's "Little Monsters" and Justin Bieber's "Beliebers"? It's all wrapped up in the tradition of fan clubs, which have been around at least since 1960 musical Bye Bye Birdie coupled an Elvi ... More >>

Music Picks: Rusko, HARD Summer, SMOD

Also, Beachwood Sparks, Jesca Hoop, Ravi Coltrane and others

Music Picks: Robben Ford, Hard L.A., Adams Conducts Adams, the Polyphonic Spree

Also, Mindless Self Indulgence, the Pierces, Heartless Bastards, Darasuum and others

Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: #10-6

See also: *Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: #20-16 *Top 20 Sexiest Male Musicians of All Time: #15-11 10. Jared Leto Underneath all that guyliner we still see you, Jordan Catalano. You've ditched the shaggy hair and flannels for a pink mohawk and studded leather but it's OK. Every time y ... More >>

Music Picks: Lila Downs, Merle Haggard, I See Hawks in L.A., Die Antwoord

Also, Das Racist, Gonjasufi, Roky Erickson and others

Music Picks: Roberta Flack, Summer Twins, John Cage Centenary Festival

Also, Spindrift, Lenny Kravitz, Dorian Wood, Howlin Rain and others

10 Best Cheap Bastard Things to Do in L.A.

(Note: An earlier version of this post said that parking at the Getty was free after 5 p.m. It used to be free, but is actually now $10, a new policy implemented in Nov. 2011) Are you the person who secretly doesn't put down enough cash for the check, leaving all your friends to scramble to cover i ... More >>

Music Picks: Barry Adamson, Joanna Malfatti Trio, Clare Fischer Big Band

Also, Eleni Mandell, Steve Reich, Call Us Forgotten and others

Katt Williams at Nokia Theatre: Controversial Stand-up Tries to Re-Energize His Career

In 2008, stand-up comic Katt Williams was riding high on the success of MTV's Wildin' Out, a couple movie roles, an HBO special and four national tours. His brand of comedy -- weed, pimp culture, black-vs.-whitey jokes, more weed -- had all but infiltrated hip-hop. But then Williams hit a productive ... More >>

Wanda Jackson on How Jack White Convinced Her to Do Amy Winehouse's "You Know I'm No Good"

See also: Our review of Wanda Jackson and Best Coast - Club Nokia - Dec 31 2011 Wanda Jackson has been performing for nearly 60 years. One of rock n' roll's original bad girls -- who once stole Elvis Presley's heart -- she recognizes a good year when it comes around. "It's been a good ride, I'll te ... More >>

Lady Gaga - KIIS Jingle Ball At Nokia Theatre - 12/3/11

Lina Lecaro ​KIIS Lady Gaga, David Guetta, Gym Class Heroes, Flo Rida, Nick Canon, Karmin and others KIIS Jingle Ball At Nokia Theatre 12-3-11 It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas, but the annual blizzard of branded radio station holiday concerts somehow brings in the season like noth ... More >>

Hatsune Miku: Her Best Fan-Generated Videos

Shannon CottrellHatsune Miku on stage in Los Angeles​See also: *Live review of Hatsune Miku in Los Angeles *More photos of Hatsune Miku live in L.A. *Hatsune Miku/Hello Kitty collaboration, Miku-Kitty, appears at Anime Expo. *Local musicians Stephanie Yanez and Polo collaborate with Hatsune Mi ... More >>

Groupon Concert Tickets: Why The Ke$sha, Rick Ross, and Rihanna Fire Sale?

​In May, Live Nation and Groupon combined forces in a presumed effort to jumpstart the struggling concert ticket market. Indeed, in recent months you've been able to get Groupons for all sorts of big shows. The partnership has been a boon to musically-inclined bargain hunters, but it also gets ... More >>

Music Picks: Ravi Shankar, Marilyn Scott, Duran Duran, Burkina Electric

Also, Emmylou Harris & Her Red Dirt Boys, Odd Future, Gillian Welch and others

Music Picks: Los Lobos, Lord Huron, Calculator, Exmortus

Also, Yes, Styx, the Naked and Famous and others

Our Exclusive "Interview" with R. Kelly

Randee St. NicholasMr. Kelly ponders our hard-hitting questions​"Interview" by Rebecca Haithcoat and Gustavo Turner. R. Kelly is a god-level genius and he's coming to town this week. He puts on some of the most amazing performances we've seen, with a kind of old-school showbiz know-how rarely ... More >>

Music Picks: Matt & Kim, Partch, Booker T, Motley Crue,

Also, Spain, Civil Wars, Bruno Mars and others

Page Two: R. Kelly, an Exclusive "Interview"

Live Review: Video Games Live's E3 Performance at Nokia Theatre

Shannon Cottrell​See more photos in Shannon Cottrell's slideshows, "E3 2011: Day 1" and "E3 2011: Day 2," and read more about Video Games Live in Liz Ohanesian's post, "Video Games Live: The E3 Event That's Open to the Public." Video Games Live, which performed its 200th show at Nokia Theatre ... More >>

Video Games Live: The E3 Event That's Open to the Public

Marcin Wichary, Creative Commons via WikipediaTommy Tallarico playing Video Games Live in 2009​Today is the first day of E3, the annual event where video game companies unveil their latest products. There's a lot of hype surrounding the three-day show, but, unfortunately most people won't be a ... More >>

The Live Show Rant: "Would You Run a Chainsaw Next to Your Child's Ear While Making Them Walk Through Beer?"

​Hate us or love us, the letters we get here at LA Weekly are generally entertaining. But sometimes one jumps out and makes us LOL, not fear for our lives. If it has valid points, we're printing it. So William T. Busch III, thank you for the following. "LIVE SHOWS HAVE DIED" What has happen ... More >>

Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan Covers Joy Division At MusiCares MAP Fund Show

Lina Lecaro Dave Gahan feels it at Nokia.​Happy Birthday Dave Gahan! The Depeche Mode singer turns 49 today, but he came frighteningly close to never seeing this milestone. Fifteen years ago, he in fact died from an overdose at the Sunset Marquis in West Hollywood and was brought back to life ... More >>

Page Two: Best Week Ever (for Hip-Hop, R&B and Beats)

Never mind Coachella, this is the week L.A. gets funked up!

69 Things for Music Lovers to Do In L.A. on Valentine's Day

Timothy Norris​ Don't sacrifice your Monday night music excursions into our fair city of Los Angeles, just to be a slave to the grueling whip of commercialized love. You can have your cake and eat it too, especially if that cake comes with a plethora of "ingredients" that help you get your ro ... More >>

MUSIC PICKS: Ruben Guevara, Buika, Bill Frisell's Beautiful Dreamers

Also, Combichrist, Papercranes, Simone White and others

Who Cares About Bieber, Gaga, or the VMA's? You Do! Winner Recaps Past and Present

Who Really Cares About Bieber, Gaga, or the VMA's? You Do! Winner Recaps Past and Present

Music Picks: Baaba Maal, Snuffaluffagus & Rats, Carlene Carter and Friends, Country Throwdown

Also, Freestyle Fellowship, Bebe Buell, Billy Joe Shaver and others

Music Picks: Sierra Leone's Refugee All Stars, VoicesVoices, Peter Gabriel, Jakob Dylan

Also, Ane Brun, the Melodians, Kate Miller-Heidke, Ian Whitcomb and others

Rock Picks: GZA, the Ettes, A.A. Bondy, Mose Allison

Also, the Kris Special, Jesse Sykes, Mamak Khadem and others

Echo and the Bunnymen Play Ocean Rain in its Entirety at the Nokia

Echo & the Bunnymen at the Nokia Theater, Oct. 24. Seeing a maddeningly underrated and undervalued band like Echo & the Bunnymen is a good way to keep the ears and soul in check, especially the day before a cold front from Dublin swoops in to take over all of SoCal, and to remind us who pays for Th ... More >>

Rock Picks: Steve Earle, Polvo, These Arms Are Snakes, Correatown

Also, Bob Dylan & His Band, Motorhead, John Doe & Exene Cervenka and others

ROCK PICKS: CEU, GIRL IN A COMA, COLDPLAY, GRAVEYARD

Also, Amadou & Mariam,The Pains of Being Pure, Jason Collett, The Smithereens, and others.

Rock Picks: Erykah Badu, Peaches, The Church, Camera Obscura

Also, Au Revoir Simone, Patrick Wolf, The Field, Fortress of Amplitude and others

Rock Picks: Winifred E. Eye, Stagecoach, Marianne Dissard, Thao

Also, Franz Nicolay, Sweet, Tinted Windows and others

Leonard Cohen's Prophecy of the Phil Spector/Lana Clarkson Incident: 'Death of a Ladies' Man'

Note: for best results, listen to the above song while you read this. As we prepared for this April's "Leonard Cohen Week," which commences this evening at the Nokia Theater, continues there tomorrow night, and concludes with next Friday's twilight performance at Coachella, one of Leonard Cohen' ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Puscifer at Club Nokia, Denis Leary at Nokia Theatre, Electric Cherry Blossom in Little Tokyo, The Masses Office Party

This weekend was definitely one you could call a perfect beach weekend, though that didn't keep us from heading indoors for more entertainment and nights that went much later than we'd planned. We counted curse words with Denis Leary, boogied with Puscifer, partied at Electric Cherry Blossom and cra ... More >>

GO LA: Dead Poets, Dead Writers and Denis Leary

Plus lots more to mourn and celebrate in town (not necessarily in that order), April 3-9

Rock Picks: Pelican, Herman Dune, Rasputina, Bill Frisell, Random Patterns

Also, the Rakes, Cold War Kids, Idan Raichel Project and others

Rock Picks: Don Caballero, Yo! Majesty, Joan Baez, Juana Molina

Also, Extreme Animals, Andrew Bird, Peach Fuzz, and others

No More Whining in 2009!

What to do in L.A., Dec. 26-Jan. 1

The Anime Collective: Baka Deshi Productions

Where the otaku world and music geekdom collide

Playing Tribute to Bono, Judy ... and Johnny Wadd

What to do in L.A., August 8-14

Rock Picks: Rooney, Lili Haydn, Dizzee Rascal

Also, Wolf Parade, Pierced Arrows, Summer Darling

Rock Picks: Seun Kuti, Thievery Corporation, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Also, Death Cab for Cutie, Ingrid Michaelson and more

Rock Picks: Slick Rick, Tapes 'n Tapes, Kate Nash

And other May 8-15 shows

Shifting Years