Part of an ongoing series. Note: Read Mouse from Classical Geek Theatre's July tour blog with The Airborne Toxic Event. On Tuesday, local band The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) performed at The Village Recording Studios in West LA as part of a featured live performance and interview on KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic, and Fingerprints Records in Long Beach for a private party celebrating the release of their debut album, which is already ranked tenth......

Jimmy Kimmel and Adam Carolla at the Hammer premiere | Photo by Gary Reisman This past Wednesday night, stars convened at the Arclight Theaters in Hollywood for the Los Angeles Premiere of The Hammer, starring radio/TV personality Adam Carolla. (Read the LAist review of the movie.) The event drew a healthy number of famous faces, including Jimmy Kimmel, Sarah Silverman, Carson Daly, David Allen Grier, Dr. Drew Pinskey, Jeffrey Ross, Joel McHale, Mark Walberg,......

David Letterman’s production company, Worldwide Pants, and the WGA have reached an interim agreement that will allow the host to return to the air next Wednesday WITH writers. Letterman, who has been an outspoken supporter of the writers since the strike began, made it clear that he wanted to return to the air, but stressed that it was important to him to work out a deal with the WGA, so that he could return......

Let's party on the streets! The homicide rate is set to match its lowest number since 1970. The overall homicide rate is down 17 percent from last year. (More about it on LAist here.) With all this peace and, well, non-murder, Snoop might have to find something else to sing about. More good news: Gas prices dropped about 3 cents over the last two weeks. The average price of regular gasoline on Friday was......

Two more strikes against two power players in showbiz today as fallout from the WGA strike. According to a report on KTLA.com this morning, "The union representing striking Hollywood writers has denied requests to allow their members to write for the Oscars - Hollywood's biggest, most glamorous showcase - and the Golden Globes." Interim agreements and waivers were dismissed Monday by the WGA. The Hollywood Foreign Press, who put on the annual Globes gala banquet......

Nine are dead in Omaha, Nebraska today after a man opened fire in a shopping mall, and then shot himself. Police do not have a motive so far. Did you have this conversation this morning? "Sorry, boss, I can't come in to work today...a terrible cough, I, uh, flu symptoms, definitely -- what waves? Uh, I don't know what you're talking about...." Lots of SoCal surfers took a sick day and busted out on......

After a ridiculous bout of insomnia, I ended up walking the 5am shift. It’s an interesting shift, populated largely with Stragglers. At 5am there are maybe 3 picketers, but by 6:30, there are nearly 20 of us walking makeshift 3 hour shifts. Some members of the teachers union come and walk with us for a while before heading off to work. Literally every day, somebody comes out to show their support, and it never......

Tenacious D will be rocking their soli-fuckin-darity this Friday when they appear at the WGA rally in Burbank. The rally, in front of FremantleMedia (4000 W. Alameda), is intended to help expose the “deplorable industry practices” of the reality show producers. The list of shows that FremantleMedia produces includes American Idol, The Next Great American Band, America’s Got Talent and probably a lot of other shows with “America” in the title. Writers of these shows......

a writer's perspective Today flew by. I stumbled up to the sign in table just before 6am, and before I knew it, I had been walking the line an hour longer than I was scheduled to. Perhaps I can attribute this to my newfound inner-peace. Considering all the hysteria that accompanies the daily ups and downs of negotiating, I have decided, at least for the time-being, to just let go. As someone said to......

a writer's perspective After giving the 5AM shift a shot yesterday, I decide to actually get some sleep and “work” the 8-11 shift today. I feel rejuvenated and energized when I show up to relieve the exhausted morning crew. Not a lot happens today. People seem in extra-good spirits, but I’m not sure why. The latest “off the record” word is that negotiations didn’t go great yesterday. There is talk that the AMPTP is......

In a bid to save late night television programming as we knew it, the Carson Daly show will jump the gun on production in the coming days; WGA strike settlement or no, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The late night talk shows have taken a big hit since the Writers' Strike began three weeks ago as insomniacs nationwide discover that Nightline never actually went off the air. Viacom's Comedy Central is losing its late......

KT Tunstall was supposed to play Leno and Carson Daly's shows this week while she was in town. But since the strike happened she figured "how about playing in front of NBC?" When a better location down the street in front of the Disney gates was suggested she took her guitar and tambourine and supported the writers with three tunes, two of her own, and in the video below you will see her do......

*UPDATE 2:30 p.m.: The concert will now take place at 2:45 p.m. and at 2300 Alameda, not 3300 Alameda. Here's a map. Yesterday we interviewed Scottish sensation KT Tunstall before she played to a sold-out Avalon, and we featured her in Tonight in Rock. Today we are receiving word that she is going to be playing at an address that sure sounds like NBC in Burbank to us. as many of you may or......

My boy Carson Daly takes a lot of heat. People complain that he is a late night talk show hack, and that he is basically unwatchable. Sure he is not the leader of the pack, maybe not even close to the leader, but his show rocks and it's about time people appreciate it before he's replaced with someone even lamer. We'll admit that his opening monologue is always just a bunch of poorly delivered......

RIP: Veteran KTLA newscaster Hal Fishman passes away at age 75. Southern California's 11 bridges are A-OK, officials said based on recently completed emergency inspections. To reward him for his groundbreaking and much talked-about late night show "Last Call", NBC has decided to give Carson Daly a two-year extension. Way to secure last place, NBC. Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen has decided to resign from DreamWorks Animation SKG's board of directors and to sell close......

A Word or 56+/-: I guess Tuesday's are Ida Lupinow filmfests on TCM - why, god why? How about a Terry Thomas filmfest for effssake? If you want to watch new stuff tonight you'll have to head over to PBS. And hey, Colbert has a "surprise guest that rhymes with Steagle" tonight. Bugsy Siegel? Tonight - Tuesday - June 12th, 2007 Dodgers @ Jays (KCAL, 4:00 p.m.) Astros @ Angels (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.)......

A Word or 56+/-: Even the movie selections suck tonight unless you want to watch an Ida Lupinow filmfest on TCM, which I really don't want to do. I'm superexcited to see Parker Posey on Late Late and hopefully I'll catch Feist on Conan after switching over. Tonight - Tuesday - June 12th, 2007 Mets @ Dodgers (PRIME, 7:00 p.m.) Angels @ Reds (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) On the Lot (Fox, 8:00 p.m.) The......

A Word or, I dunno, like 80: It seems to be coming together a bit on Lost - another good episode last night. If you want the producers' perspective, they're on tonight after Grey's. Delay goes to his base tonight on Colbert. Tonight the networks will have the typical struggle between comedy and young-doctors-in-love, what will you succumb to? Tonight - Thursday - May 17, 2007 Angels @ Mariners (Fox Sports, 7:00 p.m.) Bob......

This week we'd like to congratulate the -ist network's Mother Hen, Gothamist's Jen Chung, who found herself a recipient of Wired Magazine's Wired Rave Award. If that doesn't sound terribly exciting, keep in mind another recipient was J.K. Rowling. Yep, that's right, the -ist network and Harry Potter now have something in common. Go us. Austinist has a chat with the ever-fashionable Golden Girl Rue McClanahan, and managed to catch some local fashionistas making......

The inaugural EconSM conference, produced by Rafat Ali's ContentNext Media Network (parent of the excellent PaidContent site) is rockin' the Beverly Hilton with entertainment and new media heavies. EconSM addresses the present and potential economy of the social media marketplace in regards to online news, Hollywood, music, mobile media, and more. The amusing "Social Media Meets Hollywood" panel, in which Carson Daly sat alongside The L Word executive producer Ilene Chaiken, preceded lunch. Daly......

One of the nice things about having so many tv channels is there is so much selection. There once was a time when there was only one late-night talk show option: Johnny. Then there was Letterman and Leno. Now there's also Craig Ferguson, Conan of course, and Jimmy Kimmel. There's so much selection that there's even an audience for Carson Daly's terrible mess of a show. In order to keep up with the O'Brien's,......

A Word Or 55: I'm Tivo-ing Mary Lynn Rajskub (Chloe from 24) on Conan tonight because it's the only new TV worth watching. Did you know Mary Lynn used to be David Cross' girlfriend? Did you know she's starring in a full-length comedy show at the Steve Allen Theater? Go see her Sunday, Apr. 15 @ 8:00pm, it's like $5 or $10 or something, pocket change. Also, after losing an hour of my life......

A Word or 157: It's all about the Prime Time tonight. The Office and 30 Rock have a real chance at getting some serious viewership since both Ugly Betty and Grey's Anatomy are simply rehash episodes (even though they are billed as 'New'). Tina Fey has been hitting everything from Good Morning America to Conan (and Baldwin made an appearance on Letterman last night) in an attempt to push 30 Rock more - it's......

A Word or 47: Full disclosure - tonight I might watch the cultural trainwreck that is Idol and then it's on to Lost and then an evening culminating with LCD Soundsystem on Letterman, they will kick ass! And then, if I can find some Cialis, a bit of Tina Fey on Conan. Tonight - Wednesday - April 11th, 2007 Jericho/Criminal Minds/CSI: NY (CBS, 8-11:00 p.m.) From post-apocalypse to a dead New Yorker in medieval......

Jill Cuniff brought all of her lusciousness (and an old band mate) with her to the Hotel Cafe this past Thursday night. Jill, the ex-singer of the alternative rock group, Luscious Jackson, has recently released her debut solo album, City Beach, and it is wise and poetic and fresh. It has the kind of sound you'd listen to in your apartment and wish you could be driving up the PCH. And if you're driving......

Because life isn't fair, Carson Daly is now celebrating his fifth year hosting his own late-night talk show. Five years even though he isn't funny, isn't talented, can't interview, and hasn't shaken off the fratboy-turned-yuppie-turned-Gen-Y's-answer-to-Dick-Clark tag -- even though he's had a nationwide platform and access to the biggest stars in the business, starting way back when he was a forgettable jock on KROQ. Now that Conan is getting ready to take over for......

- Oprah turns her back on abused kids, allows Bill O'Reilly to do his schtick - CityRag - if NBC really thinks that their only choices to replace Conan are Jimmy Fallon or Carson Daly, then they deserve the mocking they will certainly receive - B&C - Kimmie says the website that bears her name is a fake, and that she hearts Howard K. because Howard K. hearted Anna and Daniel. And Kimmie says......

Every morning at 6am we post a version of the National Anthem so you can honor the country from your cubicle like the patriot we know you are. Yesterday, however, was Kurt Cobain's birthday. He would have been 40. We knew about it but we were busy at the Barack speech and then we had to jet over to Burbank to watch the Silversun Pickups do a half dozen songs on the Carson Daly......

A Word or 14: Supposedly the Daily Show and Stephen Colbert have the week off - how dare they?! I may have to resort to watching PBS, or, godhelpus, the local news. Today - Monday - February 19th, 2007 The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (TCM, 5:00 p.m.) John Ford's '62 classic with James Stewart, John Wayne, Lee Marvin, Edmond O'Brien, Lee Van Cleef, John Carradine and practically everyone else who was alive at......

- Local Doc prescribed Anna Nicole methadone not only while she was eight months pregnant and also rode with her in the WeHo Gay Parade. My kind of doctor. Think he's single? - TMZ - Does Ashley Olsen live in such an isolated world that she doesn't know that it's no longer cool to call black people "Negroes", call women "toots", or wear fur coats? Leather, fine. But fur? Not so much - CityRag......