Wondering what to do this weekend? Follow your Local Guide!

Wondering what to do this weekend? Celebrate the first weekend of 2012 in LA with awesome local entertainment. Why go elsewhere? The best is in our backyard! 

► First Fridays at the Natural History Museum kicks off its 2012 series by welcoming Mariachi El Bronx, along El Haru Kuroi. 900 Exposition Blvd..,  Los Angeles, CA 90007. 6PM All ages. (213) 763-3466.

► Tonight is Soft Cell Nite at ClubUnderground. Calling all Disco Dollies, Bedstitters, Facility Girls and even you Sex Dwarves, get ready for Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing on our light up dance floor. Grandstar Jazz Club, 943 N. Broadway, Chinatown. 9:00PM - 2:00AM | 21+ | $5.

► No Age heads up a huge lineup at the Smell, which kicks off its weekend-long 14th anniversary celebration! Woohoo! 247 South Main St., Los Angeles, CA 90013. 

► Patrick Park and Telons Fort will perform at Echo Park’s Pehrspace, 325 Glendale Boulevard  Los Angeles, CA 90026. (323) 483-7374. 

► Saturday - CLUB AM/FM at The Grandstar Jazz Club, 943 N. Broadway., Chinatown. 9:00PM - 2:00AM | 21+ | $5. 

► The Satellite Free Nights shows — Monte Mar, the Alternates and Younglight (Michael Feerick of Amusement Parks on Fire and Micah Calabrese of Giant Drag). 1717 Silver Lake Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026. (323) 661-4380

► Echoplex, with Electric Flower, Black Flamingo, NO, Crooked Cowboy, Batwings Catwings. YES! 1822 W Sunset Blvd  Los Angeles, California 90026. 8 PM.  $10. 18+ (213) 413-8200.

► Gold Room – Remember that is all else fails, you can always grab a beer and a shot for $4 at Echo Park’s local bar, which is conveniently located between The Short Stop, El Prado, The Echo and Little Joy. Get your party on!  1558 West Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 9002.

There may be some house parties in the works, will keep you posted…

ECHO PARK'S FARMERS MARKET CELEBRATES 5TH ANNIVERSARY TODAY!

For a few hours nearly every Friday afternoon, the Echo Park Farmers’ Market transforms an oil-stained parking lot into a colorful food bazzar and gathering spot. Today, the market celebrates its fifth anniversary with its annual salsa making contest and other activities Market manager Holly Calhoun provided more information about what to expect at Friday’s birthday party:

Festivities will include our fifth annual Seize the Sizzle salsa contest, a free cooking demonstration showcasing seasonal market produce (free samples!), free Anniversary Carrot Cake from The Farmer’s Kitchen, live music by Marissa Gomez and the Ghosts of Echo Park, and of course, farm fresh, locally grown produce, delicious prepared foods, and handmade crafts from local vendors!

The carrot cake will be cut at 5 p.m., and the Seize the Sizzle contest (entries still be accepted) will be held at 6 p.m.

For the rest of the story got to: http://www.theeastsiderla.com/ 

BLOODY SUNDAY IN ECHO PARK LAKE

What’s going on behind that construction fence around Echo Park Lake? Perhaps you don’t want to know based on what Thomas DeBoe saw – and smelled – on a morning walk today.  As DeBoe circled the fenced-off park, which  is closed while the lake is being drained,  the Echo Park resident caught glimpses of a mauled duck, dead fish and a gaggle of terrified geese apparently being stalked by a coyote across the muddy lake bottom.  There was also a stench to be contended with. Here’s Deboe’s account of his 10 a.m. walk:

The smell from the Park Avenue side of the lake is almost unbearable.  I could only stay there for a couple of minutes.  When I came back to this point on my return, I had to cover my nose and try to hold my breath until I completed my turn up Echo Park Avenue.  After walking a few steps up Echo Park Avenue I saw a wild looking coyote, with its head down, stalking through the mud toward the island.  On the opposite side of the island were domestic geese frantically marching to nowhere for an escape.  Further down Echo Park Avenue near Bellevue Avenue, in the reminding water and mud, were nearly a hundred dead fish.  This was my Sunday morning scenic walk around the lake.

This story was taken from: http://www.theeastsiderla.com/  

ECHO PARK'S LOT 1 CAFE BOOKING BANDS NOW!!! BRING YOUR BAND!!

It takes a lot to laugh, it takes a permit to cry. As local indie-music fans know, City Councilman Eric Garcetti's office has not been kind to live-music practitioners in recent months: The Sunset Junction festival's last-minute permit denial followed the closure of all-ages art and music space Echo Curio last October. But as it enters its ninth month hosting shows, restaurant-cum-concert space Lot 1 Café is determined to stay open, and to give both rising bands and aspiring bookers a place to get their starts.

Since the beginning of the year, the Echo Park venue has offered $5 indie, folk and jazz shows on a nightly basis on its sweaty stage. At first glance, the spot's M.O. is not dissimilar to the now-defunct Echo Curio next door, in that both tiny spaces had cheap cover prices and four-bands-a-night marathons. (Echo Curio was shut down after legal run-ins over its BYOB policy and other permitting issues.)

Lot 1 owner Eileen Leslie says the similarities end there, however. "It's no problem for anyone to come in [for an inspection] because I'm always going to run it legally," she says, claiming that state officials unsuccessfully tried to shut her music down in August after months of smooth sailing. Judging by the crowds spilling out of the venue's doors onto Sunset Boulevard these days, the neighborhood has embraced it.

Lot 1 alumni range from rock acts Future Ghost and So Many Wizards to the experimental jazz of Brainfeeder's Austin Peralta. In fact, Lot 1 has become an incubator for upstart locals in search of a stage, like David Shane Smith, who debuted his Shampoo EP in a three-night run there. Lot 1 has allowed him to test the waters with an intimate audience.

"The general vibe behind the place seems to be that it's supportive of local artists," he says, "a place for new things to happen."

For the rest of the article by David Greenwald go to: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2011/09/lot_1_cafe.php 

FYF FREE SHOW AT THE ECHO TODAY W/ SOFT BOYS AND CRYSTAL ANTLERS!!

Looking for something fun  to do today?!! Looking for good music for free? Look no further, cause today the organizers of FYF are offering a free a show at the Echo for you, the fans. The Strange Boys are playing with Crystal Antlers and Lovely Bad Things. The show starts at 5:00pm, all ages and FREE!!! We like FREEE! The Echo is located at 1822 Sunset Blvd, Los Angeles, CA. 

Also Death From Above is playing the Fonda tonight and a small amount of tickets are still available. 

LABOR DAY BBQ at THE RED HOUSE!!!

It wouldn't be an amazing Labor Day without our favorite Labor Day BBQ at THE RED HOUSE! Thanks to the host with the most, Neil Cohen for putting this together once again. This is a one of a kind event with great people, great ambiance, great food, and an over all great vibe!! 

The house conveniently located on Sunset Blvd. in the heart of Echo Park will be celebrating Labor Day the best possible way, with a classic good ol' BBQ!!! BYOB!! :) 

NEW POOL PARTY FOR ECHO PARK

A pool party sounds like the perfect way to spend the Labor Day holiday weekend. But the people at Echo Park’s Machine Project are co-hosting their own version of a pool party, complete with underwater music and an above-the-water “electronic ambient soundscape.”  “Aquacoustica,” featuring scuba diver Ulrich Kreiger and composer Clay Chaplin, will be performed twice a day at Bellyflop Gallery, which also doubles as someone’s backyard pool in the Echo Park hills (The video shows an Aquacoustia performance at Cal Arts ) .

If you think the idea of Aquacoustica is all wet, the weekend’s events also includes a “Sustainable School Lunches” lecture in Silver Lake, a Family Nature Walk in Debs Park, a tour of the “Fortress of Solitude” exhibit in Highland Park and a Sunday evening concert in Eagle Rock.  

For more info go to: http://www.theeastsiderla.com/category/eastsider-on-the-go/save-the-date/ 

BYE BYE LOS GLOBOS BAR HELLO NEW SILVER LAKE VENUE

Silverlake has a new music/event venue to cater to your entertainment needs. Club Los Globos, the Silver Lake nightclub that had long catered to a Latino clientele, today resembles a two-story high, stucco oil tanker as workers painted all black. Its clientele, along with the performers and everything inside are going is about to drastically change.

And that’s not the only change the nightclub is undergoing. Upstairs, workers are putting the final touches, swanking up the black and red lounge that last night hosted a dance party and show by Glass Candy of  Echo Park Records.

It’s not clear if the record label bought the building on Sunset Boulevard at Vendome Street but its definitely involved in booking the space. 

According toThe Eastsider, who contacted Echo Park Records to find out who is running the place and who made the decision to paint the building black, Alexis Rivera is the man running the show. Rivera, of Echo Park Records said his firm will be booking music and managing Los Globos for Steve Edelson, who owns El Cid and other Los Angeles area nightspots. Edelson purchased the property about two months ago. “It will be a couple of months before we are up and running,” said Rivera. ” We will be fixing the place up as much as we can.”

ECHO PARK CHASE AND CRASH!!

A little too wild for comfort.  A stolen SUV crashed into two vehicles this afternoon in Echo Park following a brief police pursuit.   One person, the driver of the stolen Chevy Blazer, was injured in the accident that took place shortly before 3 p.m., forcing the westbound closure of Sunset Boulevard near Echo Park Avenue, police said.  


Officers recognized the Chevy Blazer, which was reported stolen from West Los Angeles, near Montana Street before starting the chase that ended about two blocks away at the corner of Sunset and Echo Park Avenue in front of the Bank of America, said Sgt. Gillani with the Northeast Division.  
The SUV hit one vehicle before smashing into the rear of a white Nissan Sentra in front of the bank. No one else was injured in the incident, Gillani said.

The vehicles were about to be towed away at about 4 p.m. but westbound traffic on Sunset, which was closed at Logan Street, was backed up. Southbound Echo Park Avenue was closed at Sunset.

http://www.theeastsiderla.com/