To Do 10.25 – 10.31

Wednesday 10.25

Architectural Tour of the Venice Canals
Yep, it turns out there was an actual reason (beyond a heavy dosage of Nag Champa and weed, of course) that led to calling one of L.A.’s most beautiful coastal regions Venice. Hidden behind the alley streets, souvenir shops and rooftop decks are a series of gorgeous historic canals. The canals were ordered and built in 1904 by Abbot Kinney to help turn the area into “The Coney Island of the West” and has long been a centerpiece for the transformation and maturation of California’s coastal cool. Presently, they’re bordered almost entirely by some of the most unique and beautiful homes in urban Los Angeles. Today, as part of Architectural digest’s L.A. Architecture Days, they’ll host a walking tour of the Venice Canals, which offer an eclectic mix of architectural styles and contemporary design, followed by a tour of a magnificent residence overlooking the waterways led by the project’s designers. There’s a “free” reception included, but you’re gonna pay for it: $50 for the whole deal. But this is a rare occasion to check out what was once the most vital area of Venice life that has now almost been forgotten. 5-7 p.m. For tickets and meeting location, visit www.ArchitectureDays.com.

Twilight Singers at HOB
Drugs are bad, mmmmkay? Just ask the Silver Jews. Or that Cobain guy. Or Crosby, Stills, Nash or Young. Or you could even ask Greg Dulli. Rock’n'roll may be one of the only red-blooded American lifestyles that publicly embraces drug use as an acceptable behavior. But a few individuals took it to great heights – and great lows. Dulli’s all over the press lately, rapturously discussing his getting clean and on the straight and narrow, and frankly it shows: his new work with soulsters Twilight Singers – at the House of [anything but] Blues tonight – is lucid, brilliant, and radiant. The House of Blues may be low on soul, but these boys will bring more than enough of it to wash the place through with the sort of magic feeling you only get from music. No chemicals necessary. 8430 Sunset Blvd., WeHo. Doors at 8. (LMK)

Thursday Oct 26th

Halloween Bash at La Cita
Wilshire-corridor Arbiters of Cool, Subliminal Projects (brainchild of one Shep Fairey), have taken Downtown’s La Cita and transformed it into the hipster haven you know it was just meant to be thirty, um, years ago. And this one should blast the doors off. DJ’s from the Short Stop, Bar 107, Le Disko, Memphis and other places people do blow with hundred dollar bills while wearing twenty-year-old t-shirts will be helping you tear up the dance floor. There’s a costume contest, a photo station (by Prom Nite photographer, Jiro) for all you beautiful narcissists, and gift bags of super-cool schwag (Barracuda, OBEY, and Swindle Mag stuff) go to the first fifty people. So come early, in costume, and sell that shizzle on Ebay: it’s already worth more than those goofy shoes you’re gonna buy just for Halloween. RSVP REQUIRED. Danceright@gmail.com. 10 pm – 2 am. 21+. 336 S. Hill, between 3rd & 4th. Lot and street parking. (LMK)

Art of Bleeding at the Steve Allen Theatre
L.A. Alternative’s final cover darlings and super-sexy sirens of sutures will return to the kickass Steve Allen Theatre for the Art of Bleeding’s Halloween installment: The Magic Ambulance Theatre & Halloween Highway: A Cautionary Tableau of Automotive Carnage. Sounds tasty, if the fake blood we ingested on that zombie walk two weeks ago is any testament (that shit’s just sugar syrup! awesome!). There’ll be a pre-show party in the parking lot recreating the grisly sights, smells, and sensations of a multi-vehicle freeway pile-up (if you ever saw one of Christian Ristow’s robot performances here, you KNOW the kind of vehicular wreckage that can be created in this lot), and an installation featuring classic highway safety films “brought to grisly life.” Yum again! Reverend Al, who runs the show, promises “multi-media tricks and treats for your inner rubbernecking ghoul.” AND there’ll be performances by Margaret Cho, Danny Shorago, Miss Satanica (did we say yum?), Los Ninos de la Tierra and the Tulsa Skull Swingers. Plus their usual cast of slutty nurses, an ape, a robot, and puppets. Holy contusions, Batman! $10. http://www.artofbleeding.com. 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Los Feliz. (LMK)

Friday Oct 27th

Brilliant Comics Rock at SH
Winner of oodles of design and comic awards, Jordan Crane first emerged in the comic world in 1996 with the anthology, Non. Crane edited, contributed to, and published Non, which became that era’s showcase for the most explosive young experimental cartoonists. The short-lived series has been compared to Spiegelman and Mouly’s Raw. Now, Crane’s most recent book, The Clouds Above, has been called a cross between Where the Wild Things Are and The Wizard of Oz. Clouds has earned an Ignatz award nomination for “Outstanding Graphic Novel and Outstanding Artist”. Tonight, catch his opening-and the man himself-at Secret Headquarters: a perfectly monstrous, pre-Halloween delight to inspire you for the weekend. 8 – 10 pm. 3817 W. Sunset Blvd., Silver Lake. (LMK)

Frankenstein: Mortal Toys at the Velaslavasay Theatre
Puppets are super creepy. Frankenstein is also kinda creepy, although significantly less so, mostly due to Mel Brooks, but also to Peter Boyle, not only for his portrayal of the Monster in Brook’s 1974 farce, but also for his participation in that abomination of syndicated television known as Everybody Loves Raymond. They play that shit on airplanes now, you know, because apparently no over the counter sedative is as powerful as the excruciating banter between the clearly unloved Ray Romano and that awful harpie from the Albertson’s commercials. But maybe the inherent eeriness of puppetry will make up for all the modern baggage Mary Shelly’s tale takes along with it. From October 27th to the 29th, Automata presents Frankenstein: Mortal Toys at the Velaslavasay Theatre, a retooling of Erik Ehn’s version of the original novel, acted out in the miniature with puppets based on 18th century American portrait paintings. For more information, visit http://www.calendarlive.com/stage/432883,0,7412541.event. (Jessica Madison)

Hot Young Throbbing Love Poetry
“A wit sharp as Sedaris, a sensibility poignant as Sexton, Derrick Brown manages to blur the lines between slam poet and cult writer with remarkable ease and grace,” says Anthem. We say, fuck all that. Ladies, he’s easy on the eyes. And a brilliantly funny, poignant (there’s that word again) poet. Who doesn’t love that? Your boyfriend. No matter: gentlemen, learn from a master. This dude’s got the science of profundity blended with wit DOWN. And it’s paid off: To date, Brown has performed at over 1100 venues and universities internationally including La Sorbonne in Paris and The
Nuyorican Poets Café in NYC. A snippet: “I watched black ropes and tears ramble down your face. / Lady war paint. / A squad of tiny men rappels down those snaking lines / and you say; / ‘Thank you for releasing all those fuckers from my life’…If this kills me, / slice me julienne / uncurl my veins / and fashion yourself a noose / so I can hold you / once more.” SWOON. For more info visit http://www.brownpoetry.com; the show tonight is at The Upright Citizens Brigade Theater and is called “The Lazers of Sexcellance: Mostly comedic spoken word stuff.” With Amber Tamblyn and Jason “Roscoe” Whitten (both also hott). 5919 Franklin Ave., Hollywood. Come early: this’ll sell out (five bucks). 9:30pm. (LMK)

L.A.’s New Punks at The Scene
Yeah, it’s in Glendale. But when you walk in you know you’ve found your new low-key, kick-back watering hole. Except it’s, uh, probably not walking distance. But that’s ok! Because you’ve brought some poor sap as a DD! And tonight, Swami artists, The Heartaches, then their labelmates, Demolition Doll Rods, and The Stitches headline to make this a Halloween raise-the-dead rock’n'roll bloodbath! The L.A. Gentlemen Callers round out the bill to make this the pogoin’est (you know you want to) joint in all of the Eastside. It’s gonna be a banger! (But not the kind they serve with mash. Although if you get your drunk on enough you may need one of those to take the edge off.) 806 E. Colorado Blvd. Starts at 9 pm, so don’t dick around. (LMK)

Saturday Oct 28th

We Totally Knew About This A Year Ago But Never Told Many People Because We Were Afraid They’d Get Shut Down. So There. (MP3 Swap at Betalevel)
Betalevel was recently described in the LA Weekly as “Best Sunken Lair For Techno-Geeks.” Which means that this month, someone might show up (who knows how) to network your Windows laptop. And when that person does show up, you will make fun of them (”windoze! wtf! lol!”). You will do this, because techno-geeks are sometimes cruel. Especially when they’re actually lit-nerdz in disguise. Swap Meet is a place for you to come with a special selection of your very most bestest most favoritest music so you can trade it with other actual human people for the special music that you’ve always wanted but didn’t know existed. It’s like social software, but replacing “software” with “beer.” It’s also their Halloween edition, but please try to bypass the obvious and leave the Cap’n Arrr garb at home. And don’t dress as Tux either, you clever bastard. Punch and Pie. Direx to Betalevel and an awe-inspiring photo can be found here: http://betalevel.com/directions. (LMK)

The Blue Mask
Chupacabra, The Chairs of Perception, Donovan’s Fairies, Backbiter, Motorcycle Black Madonnas, and Upstart combine for a very disturbing, yet brilliantly only-in-L.A. show at one of those only-in-L.A. venues: Mr. T’s Bowl. If you ain’t been before, this is the night to come. Expect sounds in the vein of 60’s Punk, Ramones, Dictators, Dylan, Sonics, Sonic Youth-and even a little heavy metal / art punk / glam thrown in for good measure. There will be cupcakes. Voted Best New Wild Card by our own staff. 5621 1/2 Figueroa, Highland Park. (323) 256-7561. Cover $5, doors 8pm. (LMK)

Muse Costume Ball at LACMA
I don’t know what it is about museums, but when a party is in a museum the party becomes ten times more awesome. Maybe it has something to do with the uncontrollable urge to misbehave in a museum because you can’t touch ANYTHING or run around or do anything but walk slowly and make frou frou comments about whatever the hell you’re seeing. Or maybe because partying in a museum is impossible because it would cost more than you can sell your body for. Well, this Halloween you get to do all those things (except touch the pieces) at LACMA’s 3rd annual Muse Costume Ball. The theme this yeah is “Looks to Die For” which is perfect since the exhibit that will surround the party is none other than the couture retrospective “Breaking the Mode.” There will be big ticket costume contest prizes, Djs from Indie 103.1 and dancing dancing dancing. Only problem is the big ticket prices: $37 or $27. For more information go to www.lacma.org. (Tiffany Lee)

Rolling Blackouts All Fucking Ages Warehouse Party
We shit you not. Keep this one on the D.L. even lower than the Betalevel thing, kids. You read that correctly: it’s ALL AGES. It’s only $5. It’s B.Y.O.B! Ha! Ahahaha!!! And there will be music being spun all night, but the bands are up-and-comers Sonadora at 9pm (members of Dios and the Blackouts!), Peach Fuzz 9:45, Fortune’s Flesh 10:30 (Ex Starvations-L.A. stalwarts!), and then the Rolling Blackouts go on at 11:15. See? Early night. Dad can wait for you at the corner. Bring gum. 1320 Grand Ave, Los Angeles. Mapquest it!! $5. (LMK)

Sunday Oct 29

Los Angeles Young Adult Authors at Mt. Hollywood Underground
Teen Angst. Sure, you remember it…the tryouts for the cheerleading squad, that horrible pimple you had on your nose for the spring fling, the reject table in the lunchroom, the SAT, that black lipstick you scrawled on the women’s room mirror with-wait, you didn’t do that? Fuck. Well, LA YA (Los Angeles Young Adult Authors) remembers it so well that they write whole novels about it. Make no mistake, Young Adult literature has come a long way from Beverly Cleary’s Fifteen. Come mix and mingle with some of Los Angeles’ brightest writers of the genre: Cecil Castellucci (The Queen of Cool), Dana Reinhardt (A Brief Chapter In My Impossible Life), Jordan Roter (Girl in Development), Kerry Madden (Gentle’s Holler), Mark L. Williams (Danger Boy), Melissa de la Cruz (The Au Pairs), Sally Nemeth (The Heights, The Depths and Everything In Between), Amy Goldman Koss (Poison Ivy, Side Effects), and Rachel Cohn (Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist, Two Steps Forward). So show up at 7 p.m. with 10 bucks in hand at 4607 Prospect Avenue, in Los Feliz, at the Mt. Hollywood Underground. Sounds like a lot? It’s not. Because it’s a SPEAKEASY. Get it? Jeez. Once you’re in, you’re in, and refreshments are cheap with that little bookmark ticket they give you (plus it’s a unique piece of artwork). (LMK)

Carrie Screening and Benefit
Don’t confuse her with the other Mommy Dearest, not that you could once the blood starts streaming down her chest, but Carrie is coming to the Echo. That’s right, Carrie the film turns 30 this year and to celebrate there’s an interactive screening. Proceeds go to Halsa Inc., an HIV and AIDS legal services alliance. Come for the gore, stay for the benefit, stay even longer for the costume contest, cash and prizes. The grand prize is $666. 6:30 p.m. at the Echo. $25 donation.

Monday Oct 30th

Robin Williams on Fire at Il Corral
If you hadn’t already heard, only sell-outs learn how to play music. The best bands are experiences. While we’re not quite ready to sign off on that statement, we’ll pay the 5 bucks to swill forties at Il Corral with these crazy fucks and help them continue touring the country making fucked up sounds that push the proverbial envelope that much closer to falling off the proverbial desk. Tonight the disaster punk crash yodel fuck band called Robin Williams on Fire will ignite themselves at Il Corral along with Macka, Bizzart and Brother Mitya. Help music de-evolve wontcha? 9 p.m. $5.

Modelween at Cinespace
Online model networking site One Model Place is holding an affair at Cinespace where all the wannabe models come out with their amazingly original “slutty (fill in blank)” costumes. In honor of all those networking sites, you can even see exactly who is planning to attend via the One Model Place site, which is pretty hilarious since none of the girls look anything like real models, but more power to them. I think you still got it girls! Yep. This event is the quintessential online hook-up place because who can be sluttier than wannabe models? So I suggest if you want to get with these girls go pose as a photographer. Brilliant! There will be a costume contest where you can dress like your favorite celebrity or movie/TV character and music from the “official Modelween DJ” Vinyl Manipulator. Sweet! And you know it’s gonna be hot because in the pictures section, the first thing you focus on is the old bald man right in the light. I’m so glad this event exists. 9 p.m. “Ladies” get in free, but for male non-members it’s $25. More info at: www.modelween.com. (Tiffany Lee)

Friday the 13th/Fright Night Double Feature
Somehow I find Suburbia 10 times more frightening than anything any urban environment could possibly conjure up. Here you might get mugged or shot or any other number of unfortunate but ultimately mundane happenings. But something about that bedroom community night-silence brings out something else entirely, where you know that behind every well-manicured shrub could be a leather-faced axe murderer. In Suburbia, nobody can hear you scream. That’s probably why horror films always seem to take place on the outskirts; nothing feeds into Urban America’s fear of those folks on the outside like a good old massacre at Camp Crystal Lake. Monday the New Beverly Cinema presents a double-feature of two classics of eighties suburban horror: Friday the 13th and Fright Night. 7:30 p.m. $7. For more information, visit http://beta.la.flavorpill.net/57161. (Jessica Madison)

Blue Monday Wine Tasting at Silverlake Wine
Ok, with this barrage of Halloween-related events, here’s an opportunity to take a day off, put your chair back and your pinkies up. Silverlake Wine offers some low key relaxation while serving three distinctly different wines plus cheese from the Cheese Store of Silverlake at Sunset Junction. There are no reservations, come and go as you please, and no zombies provided. 5-9p.m. $12, more information at http://www.silverlakewine.com. (Tiffany Lee)

Tuesday 10.31

Silver Lake Horror Music and Picture Show
The Silver Lake Film Festival is adding some new elements to its roster of fundraising: Horror Music! This year’s Halloween night is the debut of the Silver Lake Horror Music and Picture Show, a live concert to raise money for the non-profit Silver Lake Film Festival where you should come dressed as your favorite film character costume and screen some indie horror flicks. Playing live are old school rap, queercore group Gravy Train!!!, “pony thrash” proto-punkers Mika Miko, and ’70s power-punk meets Brian Jonestown Massacre The Red Hearts plus MC Johnny Angel of Air America. I think it would just be interesting enough to go see the film buffs wrestle the music snobs. The show starts a 8 p.m. $15 at door, advance tickets available. More information at: http://silverlakefilmfestival.org/ (Tiffany Lee)

West Hollywood Halloween
If you want to do Halloween right, you have to go to West Hollywood for OBVIOUS reasons, labeled the largest Halloween street party in the world (meaning in the U.S. cause no one else celebrates Halloween outside of here). Santa Monica Blvd between La Cienega and Doheny closes down and fills up with the most shocking, elaborate, creative, most outrageous costumes you will ever see, like Cinco De Mayo in Hell. There will be three stages set up all along the street with live entertainment, bars that already line Santa Monica Blvd, and a super secret and selective costume contest. There will also be 20 bracelets handed out in secret throughout the night that will gain you access to the costume contest stage where you compete for the grand prize of $1,000 cash and gifts. But good luck, because the people you’d be up against started their costumes last November. The gaudy gallivanting will begin at 6p.m. and end at midnight, but no worry, just go to the bars and stay ’til 2 a.m..! (Tiffany Lee)

Electronic Renaissance
Electro as we knew it from the days of Club 82 and fauxhawks is dead, deal with it jerks. Techno is making a serious comeback, its forerunners joining forces this Halloween at Safari Sam’s to blow your fucking minds. Although I hate to use the words “Daft Punk” I can’t help but feel some correlation between electronic groups Justice and MSTRKRFT and the masked duo, Justice being another French duo and MSTRKRFT having very similar whimsical vocals. But they both hold their own on the dancefloor. Justice is best known for their remix of the Simian song “We Are Your Friends” and the rest of their catalogue being hard-hitting techno and house beats that are hardly Eurotrash and won’t make you feel like you’re wearing your giant JNCO pants and pony beads. Emblazoning all of their performances and artwork with Jebus crosses, I don’t really know if they are “Christian/ Club” as they claim to be on their website, but if that’s what it sounds like in church, I’m a convert. MSTRKRFT has a more varied approach to electronica like their forefathers Daft Punk, playing more with samples and vocals, and giving it a lighter, more danceable sound. Joining these bands is none other than Totally Radd!!! to work you up with their awesome costumes, thumb-raising lyrics and sweatiness. For more information go to www.Safari-Sams.com. (Tiffany Lee)