We attended the relaunch party of Tart, restaurant of Farmer's Daughter Hotel across the street from The Grove in West Hollywood, earlier this week where we were invited to sample the redone menu of new executive chef Lauren Kyles, formerly of Hollywood's The Green Door. We had arrived at the party starving for dinner but fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, crawfish spring rolls, bourbon glazed beef sate, and fried chicken sliders to name a few......

With mini spa treatments galore, sweets to your heart's content and a swank downtown Los Angeles loft setting, who wouldn't enjoy being a girl at the Pamper Yourself Fabulous event last week? We were lucky enough to be one of the 100+ attendees at this sold-out spa day, a girls' day out unlike any other. No sample sales to stress over or wine tastings to get sloppy during, it's all about rest and relaxation here.......

Local food blogger Food Woolf went in for the attack (in the nicest, saucy rib-devouring way possible) at the 8th annual Lucques BBQ aka the Rib Roundup which was held Sunday August 10th. By the end of the meal there wasn't much left except for some bared bones, empty plates, stained table linens, and these delicious photos that she shared with us via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr. It'll be another year until......

A couple weeks ago, Gary Wilson , the subject of the documentary “You Think You Really Know Me – The Gary Wilson Story” performed songs from his obscure masterpiece album “You Think You Really Know Me” after the screening of the film. In 1977, Gary Wilson recorded his brilliantly bizarre debut album in the basement of his parents’ house in Endicott, New York. Then, Wilson disappeared. Fans of his music were unable to locate him.......

It's that time of the month again... one of the best Los Angeles events is back here on the second Thursday of the month: the Downtown Art Walk (and Comedy Walk). Here's some of what happened last month through the eyes of Ed Fuentes at View from a Loft and Blogdowntown (he wrote tonight's Art Walk Preview). The Art Walk officially goes from noon to 9:00 p.m., but really, the parties and many shows go......

Saturday night was hopping in Chinatown, from Hop Louie's to the Lindy Hop on the dance floor as the iconic neighborhood celebrated their 70th anniversary. A big band was on hand to provide the tunes, folks in 30s and 40s garb milled about, the shops were open, and the Central Plaza was abuzz with young and old alike celebrating Chinatown's history. To learn more about the area's features and stories (like why it's called "New"......

How cool is this? A free all-night festival on the beach and pier in Santa Monica with over 20 multi-media artists and music from KCRW, Machine Project, Dub Lab and other to-be-announced artists? That's what's happening at Glow, a dusk-to-dawn (7 p.m. to 7 a.m.) event put on by the city of Santa Monica on July 19. Of note, Machine Project will have an orchestra play from the buckets of the new ferris wheel as......

Now that it stays light until almost nine o'clock, nighttime has taken up its annual habit of being more playful, with balmy temperatures and the hint of summertime. But weekday doldrums can still take over, which means weeknight relaxation and indulgences are a must-have. Here's where the beautiful and historic Langham, Huntington Hotel & Spa comes in. From now until August 27, every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 4-8 they're having a poolside summertime special,......

Today, the Office of Vital records told all California counties can start issuing same-sex marriage licenses the minute after the California Supreme Court's order goes into effect, which is June 16, 5:01 p.m. Previously, officials had told county clerks that they could begin officiating gay marriages on June 17. Originally, marriages would have been allowed on June 14, but a request to stay the ban by opponents pushed back the date while justices reviewed a......

Photo LaMenta3 via Flickr Now that same-sex marriages are legalized in California (they begin June 17), this weekend's 38th annual Los Angeles Lesbian, Gay, Bi, and Transgender Pride celebration will probably have more energy than ever before. From Friday through Sunday, events including the Dyke March, the two-day Christopher Street Festival (with headliners Joss Stone and Olivia Newton John) and the parade, West Hollywood will be abuzz with activity. And with festivals and parades......

The California Supreme Court denied the request to stay same-sex marriages until after a November vote by a 4-3 vote, it was announced today. That means marriages may be commenced starting June 17 throughout California. The order becomes final on June 16 at 5 p.m., according to a press release sent out by the state's Judicial Council. Last month, enough signatures were collected by opponents of same-sex marriage to put an amendment change proposal on......

Today, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced (pdf) that the initiative to ban gay marriage through a state amendment change qualifies for the November 4th ballot. 1,120,801 signatures were submitted and enough signatures qualified through a random sample signature check. If passed, the amendment would change California's consitutution to define marriage as a union “between a man and a woman.” One poll said that Californians "narrowly" reject gay marriage. LIMIT ON MARRIAGE. CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT.......

Despite the uncertainty of gay marriages lasting in California, an upswing in travel and wedding plans is expected to bring a boost to the California economy. It could bring in $370-million, according to the research director at the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy at the UCLA School of Law. The estimate is based on half of the 92,000 same-sex couples in California getting married and using the average of $8,040. This......

If the rain doesn't deter you from heading out today, there are some weekend-long festivals that might make it worth your time... Or you can hedge your bets and hang tight today and wait for Sunday--or in some cases Monday--to get in on the fun. Photo of last year's Topanga Days by mackenzieeeee via Flickr Topanga Days Topanga Days, a three-day music and arts festival, features The Living Sisters (Inara George, Eleni Mandell, Becky Stark)......

Photo by Marshall Astor-Food Pornographer via the LAist Featured Photos pool on Flickr We can't get enough of talking about taco trucks, but we're not alone. The folks at Zocalo have an event next week focused on the wheeled purveyors of tortilla-wrapped tastiness and their perhaps precarious state of being in light of recent laws. C. Thi Nguyen, who called the new regulations "a cultural disaster," will be on hand at the Los Angeles......

The first annual Cupcake Challenge on May 18th will put the lip-smacking in a foodie smackdown. In this event sponsored by CozmoDeck, Fiji Water, and K and L Wine Merchants, 13 of the best local cupcake bakeries--cupcakeries, if you will--are putting on their oven mitts and throwing down the best they have to offer in the hopes of determining whose cupcake is the tops in town. The event is open to the public, because you......

Photo by daviddesign via Flickr Vinyl collectors, spinners pro or amateur, or the just plain curious should head down to the DJ Academy today for R.E.H.A.B. LA's Recordpalooza. Vendors from all over the city will have their wares for sale, and of course there will be guest DJs spinning for your listening pleasure. Stock up on old school R&B, funk, hip hop, classical, house, dance, and whatever else gets you humming. Celebrate the record!......

As much as we like to give love to LA's many veg-heads, once in a while, you've got to give equal billing to good old meat. "Snout to tail" cuisine, which encourages the use of every single little bit of the animal, has long been a way for us omnivores to practice a more ethical approach to meat-eating. Now you can enjoy a four-course "Head to Tail" menu, along with a lecture on the......

Tomorrow night, cities all over the world will be participating in Earth Hour, when citizens are asked to turn out the lights and go unplugged for one hour to inspire awareness about global climate change and energy conservation. The annual event originated in Sydney, Australia, and is being championed in major metropolitan areas world-wide. But a quick check of the official participating cities list reveals that LA has opted to be in the dark for......

Seven Grand is kicking things off early for St. Patrick's Day with East L.A. band Ollin performing at the beloved downtown whiskey bar tonight at 9pm (see a video of them below). Ollin is known as "The Mexican Pogues" for their fiesta-festive take on the English/Irish band's songs. Think Irish Mariachi music. Ollin has performed at Mr. T's Bowl and Spaceland and even opened for the Pogues last year at the Wiltern. They would have......

Want your date to pucker up? Take her to the Hungry Cat in Hollywood, well-known for its innovative and freshly juiced cocktails, and order her up a Sourpuss ($12). I had tried one on the recommendation of the bartender. She swore that despite its ingredients of 1792 Bourbon, fresh orange juice and lemon with caramelized simple syrup that it was far from tart. I don't like tart, ya see. According to the bartender, the......

The 2008 L.A. Marathon is going to be my first one ever so on top of being excited, I'm really really nervous. Run 26.2 miles? Are you kidding me? Eesh! It'll probably be the meanest thing I've ever done to my body so I'm going to need all the encouragement I can get when I'm feeling like giving up at Mile 19. In fact I'm going to go out on a limb and say......

Part of an ongoing series. Three weeks ago, The Airborne Toxic Event (MySpace) concluded their January residency at Spaceland (MySpace) in Silver Lake with a show that included The Deadly Syndrome (MySpace) and Castledoor (MySpace). It was a chance to see all three of Kevin Bronson's bands to watch on the same stage in a single night. So many people (including Kiefer Sutherland, who had recently completed his DUI prison sentence) descended to Spaceland......

Soulicious is having a party. Come join us for a night of thumping beats, art, performances, and fun....

Sunday's Grammy Awards weren't just about honoring the best in music, they were also about supporting environmental awareness and conservancy. And the The Recording Academy® hoped to set the precedent with getting the Grammys to go green. The show itself was produced to have a reduced environmental impact, which, according to their press release, meant that in partnership with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power (LADWP) and......

We've never been to the Celebrity Center for a concert, but we can vouch for Cowboy (not Country!) musician Dave Stamey if you're into that kind of thang. Still, for those inclined to roots music, The Arthur Adams Band will be at the Baked Potato in Studio City playing blues. The Arthur Adams Band @ The Baked Potato Editors, Hot Hot Heat, Louis XIV @ The Wiltern Manic Hispanic, Death by Stereo, GG Elvis &......

Castledoor at Spaceland on January 31, 2008 | Photo by Koga/LAist Every March in Austin is like Mecca for music and techies. South by Southwest (SXSW) is one of the most popular interactive and music conferences, always hosted in the Texan city that has been honored as one of the creative cities in America. Out of the 1200 or so bands playing from around the world, 109 are from Los Angeles and LA County(give......

Last August, Aimee Mann, Joan Osborne, Rob Laufer, Ian Ball from Gomez, and Al Jorgensen joined Cheap Trick and the Hollywood Bowl Orchestra to recreate Sgt. Peppers on it's 40th Anniversary. They'll do it again June 28th. We're four months out from the official start of the 2008 Hollywood Bowl Season and the schedule is nearly complete. Single tickets won't go on sale for a couple months but the Bowl is offering 16 different......

Smash Fashion plays Monday nights at Crash Mansion | Photo via their MySpace page Month-long residencies are one of the best ways to catch up-and-coming bands in Los Angeles. You have at least four times to catch a band, and each time, if they are gaining popularity over each show, it will be harder to see them. Last Thursday at their final residency concert, The Airborne Toxic Event played a sold out show with......

Pity Party at Little Radio on New Years Eve | Photo by Koga/LAist Despite it being Superbowl Sunday, February residencies got off to a great start last night with Alex & Sam at Tangier. Tonight is the first night of February residencies at Spaceland, Silverlake Lounge, Crash Mansion and The Echo/Echoplex. By last Thursday, The Airborne Toxic Event had gained so much popularity from their January residency, they had to reject 300 people from......