While I enjoy the fact that holidays allow time for me to spend with my family,  I especially like the fact that I can get ahead or catch up by doing some work while everyone else is taking time to relax.  This year Thanksgiving Week couldn’t start off any better, than with champagne toasts and some sexy burlesque dancing.  Monday night Elle Bon Claire will bless Hollywood with a show at Hush Lounge adding some spice to a short week.

Before we all partake in digesting Turkey Day favorites like stuffing, mac & cheese, and and the variety of pies, we must party to celebrate a day off, so Wednesday Ritual Supper Club will be home to our Annual Pre-Thanksgiving Celebration.

Since Black Friday provides an opportunity for people to rush out and spend money they don’t have, we bring you the Recession Special at Element, with an open bar, and some other treats.  All in all it promises to be a good week, Be Thankful.

“Puff puff pass Craig” (c) Smokey. While I am drug free, i always get a laugh out of movies with comedic stoners and even my pops played one in “Cheech and Chong’s Up in Smoke.” Tuesday The Haunted House of Chronic will premier The Bridge including a happy hour and a post party. In the spirit of Friday and Harold & Kumar, this movie promises to be be quite funny.

The Haunted House of Chronic Premier
The Bridge Cinema @ Howard Hughes Center
6081 Center Dr., Los Angeles

VIP Reception 6:30pm | Movie 8pm | After Movie Reception 9:30pm

In 2006, Nas became a musical generations Ebenezer Scrooge when he declared, “Hip Hop is dead”.  And with ring-tone artist breaking records and making millions, it’s a tough case to argue against. Thankfully for you residents of Southern Cali it’s been resurrected, along with R&B who was on a deathbed of its own.

Check out the list below for dates and take a trip through Hip-Hop, R&B, Soul and Funk – Past, Present and Future– just in times for the holidays. Visit Tickemaster for more information regarding tickets and showtimes.

Johnny Gill, Bobby Brown and Ralph Tresvant | Greek Theater | 11.9     
Method Man/Redman and Guests | HoB – Sunset | 11.11                           
Lupe Fiasco | Club Nokia | 11.12                               
Q-Tip w/ Special Guests | HoB – Sunset  | 11.15                
Usher | Club Nokia | 11.19          
Maze ft. Frankie Beverly| Riverside Municipal Auditorium | 11.21            
Ludacris | Claremont Colleges | 11.22                    
Shwazy | Roxy Theater  | 11.24                
Eric Benet | HoB – Sunset | 11.26                            
Nas | Club Nokia | 11.26              
Bell Biv Devoe | HoB – Sunset | 11.28                    
The Temptations | Gibson Amphitheater | 11.28                        
Bone Thugs N Harmony | Club Nokia | 11.30                      
Jeffrey Osborne | Grove of Anaheim | 12.3                         
Wu Tang Clan | HoB – Sunset | 12.4        
Meshell Ndegeocello/The Coup | HoB – Sunset | 12.8   
Anthony Hamilton | Hob – Anaheim | 12.11                       
Murs | El Rey Theater | 12.11    
Keith Sweat, Guy, Toni Tony Tone | Gibson Amphitheater | 12.20
George Clinton and Parliament  | Club Nokia | 1.2                           

We all know Spike Lee is good for a great movies, with a company named 40 Acres and a Mule, how could one produce anything average.  Most of his movies are thought provoking and some times to the point where you have to figure out the message on your own.  With his latest release Miracle at St. Anna, Spike has impressed me once again.  Not knowing to much about the film, just walking into the theater only knowing that the film was three hours, I was curious to what the film would hold.

The movie follows four black soldiers of the 92nd Infantry Division also known as Buffalo Soldiers, who get trapped near a small Tuscan village on the Gothic Line during the Italian Campaign of World War II after one of them risks his life to save an Italian boy.  A really great film, one of the best i saw this summer, and not once did I check my time piece to see how much longer i would be in the theater.  Not on very many theaters so check the website for the nearest place showing Miracle at St Anna.

The Southern California concert line up has been pretty serious the past couple of months, and the timing could not be worse, i mean we are in a recession right, but so what.  I plan on driving the distance to see The Roots and U.N.I. at UCR on Friday, and try and push some of these White House Black T-Shirts.  There is a great line up next Tuesday at the House of Blues on Sunset, David Banner, Talib Kweli and Little Brother.  Each with new music to perform and old classics to show case, ill be in the House.

David Banner, Talib Kweli & Little Brother
House of Blues
Tuesday, September 30th.

…EVERYONE. It seems like every year, this show gets better. The Rock the Bells International Festival Series is making its way to Southern California this Saturday. With a ridiculous line up of artist that includes, Nas, Mos Def, De La Soul, Red & Meth and A Tribe Called Quest just to name a few. Plenty of tickets left, account for the cost of gas driving to what should be considered another state, but fact remains its more than worth it. Plan to spend your whole day in the sun, the door open at 11am and show ends at 11pm.

Rock the Bells Festival Series 2008
Glen Helen Pavilion, Devore, CA
Sat, Aug 9, 2008 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Get Tickets Here

As the days roll along, we find ourselves upon another sunny weekend in LA. Last we were packed with things to do and lines to stand in. As predicted, our Memorial Day Party on Sunday night at Opera was off the hook, and many had to be turned away. Our apologies to all those who were unable to get in, the pictures are up for you to get a glimpse of what happened behind those closed doors. This Sunday we are right back at it, Entrée Sunday’s at Crimson/Opera.

To pass the time before you head over to Entrée, check out Jazzy’s show at the Temple Bar in Santa Monica. New music by a great performer with a beautiful voice will no doubt make the trip to Santa Monica worth while. If you aren’t familiar, I suggest you do your homework before the show.

Jazzy - In Love

Temple Bar
1026 Wilshire Blvd.
Santa Monica

If you don’t know about Pacific Division yet you’ve definitely been sleepin’. So wake up and come out to the Key Club tonight, where the LA natives will be performing along with J Davey and Diz Gibran. They’ve created quite a buzz, especially in the last year, and have been featured in the Source (last year) XXL (this month) and Billboard (this week). They were named one of URB Magazine’s next 100 artists and Myspace’s featured artist of the week. The F.A.T. Boys video was a Myspace featured video of the week. Needless to say, these boys ain’t playin’ around!

If you didn’t catch their guest appearance at our Cool pool party at the Standard, you can check them out on the Wake Up Show and in the Women Problems video below.

So come join us at their show tonight…it’ll be $15 well spent.

After all, sleep is for suckas.

The Key Club
9039 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90069
310.786.1712

Women Problems Video (I see you Ms. Loveless!)

While there are few things I look forward to each year, as i try not to count days, Memorial Day Weekend seems to stand out amongst the rest. The fact that it is a three day weekend holds less weight with me as I make my own schedule, but the amount of activities packed in those three days that makes it something special. I know the world awaits the details on our Annual White Party, but in the mean time, we should all focus on getting prepared for the 22^nd Annual UCLA Jazz & Reggae Fest. The annual two day concert draws over 30,000 people making it one of the largest concerts in Cali.

Jam Day (Sunday, May 25^th), marks the first day with Goapele, Dr. Lonnie Smith and headlining act The Roots. The Roots being arguably the best live show on earth, makes Jam Day well worth the visit. Reggae Day (Monday, May 26^th) the most attended of the two days will feature Mr. Vegas, Capleton and Stephen Marley. With Doors opening at 11am each day, getting prime real estate on the grass Is similar to that of the market in California, you wont be able to get anything. “A weekend of Peace, Love and Music” is what you can expect from the Jazz Reggae Festival, as well as great food and vendors. Save a couple bucks and get your tickets early. Look our for the elevated crew, we will be hard to miss.

Click Here for Advance Ticket Purchase

“…that’s all relationships are. they aint that complicated. it’s just f***in’ and eatin…if you dont like f***in’ somebody, and you dont like eatin’ wit’em, y’all dont need to be together.” -Never Scared, 2004

Now, I don’t know how qualified Chris Rock was to dispense relationship advice at that time, but at least he kept things simple (b/c lord knows relationships can be TOO too complicated).

If you’re feeling the side effects of love (or work, or traffic, etc.), consider a hefty dose of laughter to make you forget (if only for a moment) that everything sucks, and go check out Chris Rock’s “No Apologies Tour” that hits the Gibson Amphitheatre stage starting tomorrow (April 23).

Two decades into a very successful career and the already legendary comedian is still talking lots (and lots….hey, we’re living in dire times!) of sh*t. Unlike this post, he is (still) very much uncensored. (Ahh, Chris, it’s good to know that a hit TV show, an Oscar-hosting gig, a trip to “Madagascar” and numerous appearances on “Oprah” haven’t taken the Jack out of your coke).

There are many reasons to love the Rock, and this 1996 classic is a reminder that if keeping it real goes wrong, then you must not have had Chris tell it:

Chris Rock: No Apologies Tour
4.23-4.26 | 8:15pm
$45.60-$75.50
Gibson Amphitheatre, Universal CityWalk

If you haven’t seen this girl on stage, then you’re missing out.

Although it may seem that the Long Island native has been promoting her first album “I Am” for, hmmm, forever, you gotta remember that people. are. a little. slow. to catching onto something good.

If you’re tired of filtering through the gar-bage clogging up the airwaves and violating your eardrums, consider - no, scratch that - go catch Chrisette at the El Rey Theatre tonight.

If you haven’t heard her album, I’m pretty sure you’ve at least heard her voice (Jay Z’s “Lost One” or Nas’ “Can’t Forget About You” ring a bell?). The mature and soulful voice of the young songwriter and Def Jam artist is unmistakable.

I’ve seen her do some live sets a couple of times earlier in 2007, once with a band and once without (just her, her voice and the keys), and both times moved crowds (literally, they were groovin) even as they wondered who the small woman with the big voice was.

If you don’t know, you should know…tonight.

Wed, 3/5/08 ($20)
El Rey Theatre
5515 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles 90036

Hip Hop may be dead in the eyes of some, but with so many hot artists on tour, it seems like there is something to be excited about.  The Glow In the Dark Tour will feature Kanye West, N.E.R.D, Rihanna and Lupe Fiasco.  Having seen all of these artist perform–with the exception of Rihanna–I can guarantee this will be a great show.  Kanye popped up as a special guest during the Common show last night, adding to an already hype show.  With two dates in Los Angeles–April 21^st and 22^nd–at the new Nokia Theatre, getting tickets early is a must.  You can also expect a performance or two from the new super group CRS (Child Rebel Soldiers ), Ye, Pharrell and Lupe.  While browsing the net I found a Glow in the Dark Mixtape put together by GFC NY to commemorate the tour; download it here.  CRS – Us Placers