Staples Center

Think Morrissey Is a Douche? Go Join the NRA

The Staples Center will be meatless for Morrissey's show tomorrow, says Morrissey. Um, well, not exactly, says the Staples Center. Um, yeah, counters Morrissey. His declaration that the place will be meat-free "was not reviewed by anyone in the building," adds Cara Vanderhook, flack for the Stapl ... More >>

Kendrick Lamar Flash Mob Near Staples Draws LAPD Response (PHOTOS)

Updated at the bottom with some info from the LAPD. First posted at 6:06 a.m. See also: *Skateboard Riot in Hollywood ... Another youth gathering gone out of control in L.A? Not entirely. It looks like this one was behaved. But a Compton rapper named Kendrick Lamar did appear to attract hundreds ... More >>

DUI Checkpoints in Downtown Los Angeles, Studio City

The LAPD will wrap up summer with a pair of DUI checkpoints. One of them is near Staples Center and the other is in Studio City. While we sometimes question the department's placement of such dragnets (they never seem to happen L.A.'s wealthier enclaves), we give the cops credit for this much: At ... More >>

L.A. Will Now Treat Scalpers Like Gang Members

That guy with the cardboard sign yelling "Tickets!" is on par with a gangbanger. At least that's the message City Attorney Carmen Trutanich sent with an announcement yesterday that Los Angeles will institute the nation's first-ever scalper injunction. What that means is that "known scalpers" -- 17 o ... More >>

Music Picks: As Blood Runs Black, Kelly Hogan, Regina Spektor

Also, Agalloch, Antibalas, Power of the Riff and others

Kaskade - Staples Center - 7/27/12

See also: *Kaskade Makes History By Headlining the Staples Center *Facebook Censors Kaskade's Body Paint Photo of This Girl Kaskade Staples Center 07-27-12 Better Than... cramming among the sweaty masses of a typical EDM festival tent in the hopes of catching a glimpse of the man behind the podiu ... More >>

Kaskade Makes History By Headlining the Staples Center

Rave Standoff in Hollywood: Cops Move in to Disperse Crowds That Came to See DJ Kaskade Facebook Censors Kaskade's Body Paint Photo of This Girl Top Ten Awkward Electric Daisy Carnival Dance Move GIFs World's Douchiest DJs: The Top Five Ten EDC Girls Who Are Out of My League Interview With a Raver W ... More >>

L.A. Kings' Parade Thursday: How to Get Your Free Tickets to Special Viewing And Rally

The L.A. Kings' parade is happening Thursday on Figueroa Street near Staples Center, venue officials announced last night. The event will celebrate the Kings' 6-1 Stanley Cup championship victory over the New Jersey Devils Monday at Staples. There will also be a fan rally at Staples Center followin ... More >>

Staples Center Staff, Cheerleaders Make 'Call Me Maybe' Music Video During Sportsageddon

Hey Staples Center, want some free press? You got it! But only because you apparently put a zillion hours of talent-coaxing and editing into your music video for "Call Me Maybe," the catchy-ass Carly Rae Jepsen song that recently turned into a YouTube meme. And lucky for you, it's a meme we're not ... More >>

Staples Center's Perfect Storm of Lakers, Clippers, Kings Games This Weekend

For those who oppose building a stadium downtown because, they argue, we just can't handle the traffic, this weekend could be the ultimate test: It's being called the perfect storm of sports events: The Lakers, Clippers and Kings are all playing in playoffs at Staples Center this weekend. And a bik ... More >>

Maná - Staples Center - 4/19/12

Maná Staples Center 4/19/12 Better than ... Britney Spears at selling out Staples Center. Seriously, though. With this round of concert dates Maná has now surpassed Brit's record. Staples even held an official press conference about it Thursday afternoon. But let's talk about the show. Ultra hu ... More >>

Kids Don't Need Sports or Energy Drinks: OMG, You Can Actually Drink Water

Flickr/96dpia glass of water​ If you've ever spent much time at a kids' soccer game -- much less a middle school basketball jam session at Staples Center sponsored by Gatorade -- you'd think that kids required sports drinks as much as adults training for triathalons or the NBA finals (go Mavs! ... More >>

Lil Wayne's Los Angeles Show at Staples Center Rescheduled

​From concert organizers Live Nation: LOS ANGELES, CA (April 11, 2011) Due to the Los Angeles Kings' first round NHL Stanley Cup Playoff series versus the San Jose Sharks, in which Game 3 is scheduled at STAPLES Center on April 21st, the Lil Wayne concert has moved to:

Janet Napolitano Urges You to Become a Terrorism Snitch at Staples Center: Profile Away

Front row, next to Jack Nicholson.​Ah, the terror-snitch ho-down has begun at Staples Center downtown, where U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano on Monday announced that the "If You See Something, Say Something" tip-off program has expanded there. Any particular th ... More >>

Roger Waters Brings his Anti-Corporate Fable "The Wall" to the Staples Center, Slash Shows Up WITHOUT Top Hat!!!

Timothy NorrisFascinating Fascism: Roger Waters at the Staples Center​ [For more photos of this show see Timothy Norris' slideshow "Roger Waters Brings 'The Wall' to Staples Center".] Roger Waters, Syd Barrett's former bass player, brought his anti-war, anti-corporate extravanza "The Wall Liv ... More >>

Last Night: Muse at Staples Center

Timothy NorrisMuse, rising victorious after avenging Emerson Lake and Palmer's murder by the forces of Punk​ [For many more exclusive photos of the show, see Timothy Norris' slideshow "Muse @ Staples Center"] Walking into Staples Center right before the Brit trio Muse hit the stage, there was ... More >>

Lakers Victory Parade Scheduled For Monday

​The Los Angeles Lakers will get a parade downtown Monday to celebrate the team's championship win Thursday night against the Boston Celtics. The 11 a.m. parade will run down Figueroa Street from Staples Center to Jefferson Boulevard. The team will ride on a special float. Between 500,000 and ... More >>

Will Patrons Of Other Downtown Events Get Through The Lakers' Lockdown Tonight?

cliff1066 via Flickr​It sounded logical enough. Los Angeles police Chief Charlie Beck warned ruffians to stay away from Staples Center for Thursday night's final game of the NBA championship series between the Lakers and the Celtics. So he implied that people without tickets to the game wouldn ... More >>

Here's Your LA Weekly Lakers Riot Survival Guide

anarchosyn via Flickr​So you're headed downtown, even though Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and police Chief Charlie Beck told you not to come to the Staples Center area unless you have tickets to tonight's game? You're brave. As longtime observers of the Los Angeles Police Department, ... More >>

LAPD Declares 'Unlawful Assembly' As Crowds Amass Near Staples Center Following Lakers Victory

​[Updated at 10:55 p.m.]. Some fans were starting to get out of control Thursday night following the Lakers' 83-79 win over the Boston Celtics. A few people appeared to have been beaten up as unruly men gathered at Flower Street and Olympic Boulevard near Staples Center. Some hooligans attacke ... More >>

Nightranger: Big Wangs, Little Wangs

Staples Center's Owner Lobbies Public To Support Downtown NFL Stadium Idea

LA Live.​The operators of Staples Center and LA Live are lobbying to get public support behind the idea of an NFL football stadium adjacent to those South Park properties, according to LAObserved. An email blast went out to some Staples Center patrons asking them to support a downtown stadium ... More >>

Over the Weekend: Jay Z, Metric and Kraddy

Josh "CuriousJosh" Reiss​ From hip-hop to pop to some of the craziest electronic music around, L.A. Weekly's writers and photographers caught the big parties of the weekend. Down on the Sunset Strip, Metric played a secret show for Twitter fundraisers. Jay Z sold-out Staples Center. Meanwhile ... More >>

City-Touted, $4 Million Benefit From Jackson Memorial Pulled From Thin Air

Sony Pictures​LA Weekly obtained a series of emails that shed light on City Hall's oft-touted contention that July's Michael Jackson memorial at Staples Center downtown was a $4 million boost to area businesses. The number is important because it's often cited by those who believe it was worth it ... More >>

Over the Weekend: LA Feeds the Homeless, plus Peaches, KISS and Simian Mobile Disco

Thanksgiving isn't just about food comas and the countdown to Black Friday. For those who stayed in L.A. during the holiday weekend, there were plenty of parties as well as the opportunity to give back to the community. Keep reading to see what we did. Gobble Gobble Give Colin Young-Wolff​Ove ... More >>

City Spends $3.2 Million To Market The $200-Mil, Michael Jackson Blockbuster 'This Is It'

If you felt like the 90-minute Michael Jackson memorial, complete with video clips, music performances and a worldwide, live airing on more channels than carry a presidential address, was one long infomercial for this fall's blockbuster concert film This Is It (which made $200 million worldwide at l ... More >>

Israeli Basketball Team Robbed at Staples Center

​The LAPD are on the look out for a thief who stole more than $15,000 in cash from Israeli basketball team members while their personal items were in a locker room at Staples Center. Police have a surveillance video of the thief who looks all dapper in a suit and sporting a clipboard and fake ... More >>

Update: Trutanich may conduct criminal probe of Michael Jackson/AEG memorial costs

UPDATE: I missed this really funny Los Angeles City Council agenda list published today by Mayor Sam blog's Petra Fried, showing the council's time today is being dominated by post-Jackson explanations, probes and studies. One interesting agenda item: trying to explain how the city spent a fortune o ... More >>

Memorial Day: Michael’s Staples Center Farewell

Saturday Evening Registration Tally: 1.6 Million Michael Jackson Fans Apply: Ticketing Info Released

From AEG/MJ publicist: As of 5:30 pm PST, there are 524,330 registrants for tickets to the Michael Jackson Public Memorial Service.   AEG has just announced that since the registration process was initiated this morning, additional legal terms have been incorporated into the conditions of entry to ... More >>

Rock Picks: The Kills, Lady Sovereign, Fischerspooner, the Dears

Also, Sun Kil Moon, St. Vincent, Alexandra Hope and others

Katy Perry Unpeeled — and Other Signs of Life in the Dead of the Grammys PressRoom

Including the buzz over Rihanna and Chris Brown, and revelations from Natalie Cole on heroin addiction

Behind the Scenes at the Grammys: In the Press Room, A Quiet Night Jolted Alive by Chris Brown/Rihanna Allegations

When you tell an outsider that you're "covering the Grammys," it sounds pretty swank. Before I did it for the first time, I imagined glamor, some rubbing shoulders, and, above all, a lot of music. But the reality is different. Those of us not covering the red carpet are planted in a hotel-confere ... More >>

Rock Picks: Antony & the Johnsons, Kings of Leon, Jay-Z

Also, Joan Osborne, Earl Zero, Petra Haden and more

Best Place to Stop and Enjoy the Traffic: 10/110 Interchange

Los Angeles Convention Center Before and After

Last week, the Los Angeles City Council approved a deal that could lead to dozens of monster-size billboards and video displays to be mounted on the outer walls of the Los Angeles Convention Center – aimed at tens of thousands of motorists driving by one of the most congested intersections in Amer ... More >>

City Council Will Consider Selling Rights for Electronic Billboards

The Los Angeles City Council will consider a proposal today to allow massive electronic signs along the 10 and 110 freeways next to the Los Angeles Convention Center. The proposal by Anschutz Entertainment Group reportedly calls for 50,000 square feet of advertising signs. Last week, the Trade, Co ... More >>

Election '08: Penetrating the Matrix

The Pepsi Center, where much of the Democratic National Convention is going down, is situated in an area of Denver called Lo-Do (lower downtown). It's one of those loft-conversion, yuppie makeovers that Los Angeles is hoping like hell will happen in downtown LA, especially around Staples Center. It ... More >>

Shows and Tickets Coming Up

Ryan Adams - Royce Hall, UCLA, Jan. 30 and Bridges Auditorium, Claremont, Jan. 22. Both shows on sale Saturday Avenged Sevenfold, Atreyu, Suicidal Tendencies - San Diego Sports Arena, Dec. 7 - All ages Andrew Bird, Handsome Family - Orpheum, Dec. 7 Black Ghosts, Mezzanine Owls, Tweak Bird, more ... More >>

A Bunch of Toro

Stadium Schemes

The secretive and expensive road to L.A. football

Character of the Happy Warrior

The education of Mark “Mad Dog” Madsen

Shoot the Messenger

ACLU lawsuit says LAPD targeted reporters

Puppet Regimes

Political-themed theater across the city

Mood Indigo

The LAPD’s big test

Free To Protest

Thanks to Judge Feess, you can say more things in more places

LAPD Secrets

Judge refused to keep you from reading this convention plan

L.A. Times Who Knew? Department

Trouble in Union City

Fast-food workers at Staples Center want a deal before Democrats arrive

Battling for the Big Ones

Reformers get mixed results in targeting major projects