Love to Love You Bradys Saturday, September 26, 2009

The Brady Bunch Variety Hour was one of the most hallucinogenically bad variety shows to have ever aired on television. Part Donny & Marie, part H.R. Pufnstuf, the 1977 show continued the Brady Bunch story into the disco era, with the premise that Dad quit his job as an architect so the family could star in their own Sid & Marty Krofft–produced TV show. As absurd as that sounds (and if you know Krofft classics like Lidsville or Land of the Lost, that’s pretty absurd), it’s nothing compared to the goings-on behind the scenes. Susan Olsen, better known as Cindy, the littlest Brady, tells all in Love to Love You Bradys: The Bizarre Story of The Brady Bunch Variety Hour — including how Maureen McCormick was constantly coked up and why Robert Reed was totally okay with dressing up as Carmen Miranda. Olsen appears in person to sign the book, along with co-authors Ted Nichelson, webmaster of BradyHour.com, and Lisa Sutton, a world-renowned Bradyologist. Santa Monica Public Library, 601 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica; Sat., Sept. 26, 1 p.m. (310) 458-8600. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, September 25, 2009.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 12:35 AM, ,

Sushi Masters Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Sushi chefs break out the knives for a rumble in the raw at the Little Tokyo finals of the nationwide Sushi Masters challenge. Regional champs Randy Noprapa (Tara Thai, Washington, D.C.), Toshi Furihata (Moshi-Moshi, Miami Beach), Hyun Min Suh (Sushi Ra, Sausalito) and 2008 Sushi Masters winner Tomoharu Nakamura (Sanraku Four Seasons, San Francisco) are set to be on scene in a four-way fish-slicing contest for omakase glory. The skills on display are sure to be as rare as sashimi, so anyone's cuisine could reign supreme. As this is part of the JACCC's Food and Sake Festival, there's also plenty of sake to be had, and we'll be having it. Wasaaaabi! Japanese American Cultural and Community Center, Aratani/Japan America Theater, 244 S. San Pedro St., L.A.; Sun., Sept. 20, 2:30-6 p.m.; $65, $130 VIP. www.jaccc.org or www.sushimasters.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, September 18, 2009.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 11:29 AM, ,

L.A. Twestival Friday, September 11, 2009

If the TweetDeck ping from your co-worker's cubicle constantly annoys, if you cringe at words like microblogging or lifestreaming, or if you just don't "get" Twitter, then L.A. Twestival 2009 is not for you. If, on the other hand, you can't imagine life without perpetual posts of 140 characters or less, you'll fit right in. Twestival is a worldwide annual charity event organized by Twitter users, on the fly and exclusively via Twitter. It's happening this weekend in London, Paris, Lisbon, Oslo, Helsinki, New Delhi, Beijing, Tokyo — all across the freaking world and right here in Hollywood. This year's local event benefits L.A. Food Bank, which distributes food to the hungry, and Chrysalis, which helps the homeless become self-sufficient. The scheduled entertainment is still TBA, so best check Twitter for updates (twitter.com/LATwestival). Could be a comedian, a DJ, an Elvis impersonator, who knows? What we do know is it's a mixer, so get ready to mingle with the L.A. Twitterati — including but not limited to Twestival organizers @shiralazar, @daynah, @techfrog, and @benthemorrison. Chat them up and you might just have your very own live Follow Friday. Level 3, Hollywood & Highland, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood; Sun., Sept, 13, 6 p.m. Tickets at la.twestival.com. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, September 11, 2009.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 2:35 PM, ,

Glay Sunday, September 6, 2009

Glay who? You mean you don't know J-pop rockers Glay? They're like the Rolling Stones of Japan! Or maybe more like the U2 of Japan. Okay, how about the Bon Jovi of Japan? Regardless, it's a big deal they're here. Glay — an arguably intentional misspelling of "gray," as in the gray area between pop and rock — is a band that back (Far) East sells out arenas. They hit it big on the Japanese pop charts in the 1990s, and they've been cranking out the pretty-boy pop-rock ever since. As it's their 15th-anniversary tour, the boys are sure to spike their set with more than a few greatest hits, so look out for the likes of "Yuuwaku," "However," "Be With You," "Soul Love" and "Kuchibiru," and their latest single, "I am XXX." Fanboy fact of the day: lead singer Teru's better half is none other than Ami of power-pop duo Puffy AmiYumi. House of Blues, 8430 Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood; Fri.-Sat., Sept. 11-12, 9 p.m.; $37.50. (323) 848-5100. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, September 11, 2009.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 10:55 PM, ,

The Five Minutes Game Wednesday, September 2, 2009

There's a theory that you can tell if a movie's any good by watching just the first five minutes. Cinefamily has this theory, anyway. They call it "The Five Minutes Game." So for this year's Labor Day holiday, Cinefamily invites the short-attention-spanned of Los Angeles to gather at the Silent Movie Theater and watch the first five minutes of 15 oddball movies, then vote on which one they want to see in its entirety. Mind you, these are films not available on DVD — nearly lost to the ages, and often for good reason — yet somehow procured on VHS by the intrepid spelunkers at Cinefamily. A self-produced documentary short on the hows and whys of Cinefamily's hunt for rare cinema precedes the game, and a patio barbecue follows the screening. Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater, 611 N. Fairfax Ave., L.A.; Mon., Sept. 7, 6 p.m.; $10. (323) 655-2510. (Originally published in L.A. Weekly, September 4, 2009.)

posted by Derek Thomas @ 1:20 PM, ,