Results tagged “harryshearer”

       

State of Play was a mostly riveting throwback to All the President's Men that starred Russell Crowe as a grizzled D.C. journalist caught in the middle of a hell of a lot of sex, intrigue and murder. Naturally, it was a financial disappointment. Help remedy that injustice by picking it up on DVD today. The big-budget, adult-oriented drama must be preserved! Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer can do no wrong in my book (well, maybe McKean can). Add Unwigged & Unplugged (LAist review here) to the top of your shopping list. Both Braveheart and Gladiator look great on Blu-Ray. If only I had an interest in ever seeing them again. My friend Mangoo Jonnycakes Nail loved Sin Nombre when he saw it at Sundance. I can't disagree.

       

Of the many things for which I am immensely grateful to my dad, maybe nothing has proven more significant than the love of movies he instilled in me at a very young age. My dad took me to see everything. And by that, I mean he took me to see movies as varied as Amadeus and Tomboy (NSFW) and Sophie's Choice and Blame It On Rio (NSFW). And, of course, he took me to see This Is Spinal Tap. Even now -- watching it twenty-five years after the fact -- it is still one of the few, perfect films I've ever seen. Honestly, how could you improve it?

       

In his “business casual” getup, Michael McKean, the writer and actor who portrays the character Derek St. Hubbins in the film This Is Spinal Tap, looks like he could have stepped out of a regional managers convention, until he opens his mouth. He’s onstage with his legs spread wide, his head tilted to the sky, strumming an acoustic guitar and intoning about “the majesty of rock and the pageantry of roll, the crowing of the cock, the running of the foal!” It’s all so deliberately goofy, and yet McKean’s performance is so stirring, it comes off as positively heartfelt.

The notion of the three guys in Spinal Tap embarking on an acoustic tour designed to showcase the group's musical aspects and downplay their history as an over-the top metal band has a certain, how would you say... Spinal Tap quality about it. "This is our chance to do all those things...like that rock opera about Jack The Ripper... acoustically!" But that's what they're doing - a costume and wig-free, unplugged event, a "Michael, Chris and Harry" show at which they will probably perform "Stonehenge" sans actual Stonehenge models, or dancing dwarves to trod on it.

              

Yesterday The House of Blues on Sunset was host to a press conference with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer. The trio, known as both Spinal Tap and The Folksmen, announced their upcoming Unwigged & Unplugged tour and offered a little taste of what to expect. For the upcoming shows, the musicians come "out from behind the hair, the facial hair, and the absence of hair" to perform songs including hits from Spinal Tap and A Mighty Wind. The tour kicks off April 17th in Vancouver and arrives at The Wiltern on April 26th.

Looking for an appropriately festive way to send off our lame-ass-duck Commander In Chief on Monday night? Harry Shearer's throwing a party for your kind of people at Largo.

There was a warm communal vibe at Harry Shearer and Judith Owen's singalong December 5th. It was held in the Steve Allen Theater, which is small and homey enough to remind you of being in a high school auditorium. In fact, it was almost like being at your kid's high school holiday chorale -- if your kids were all over 40 and went to the most awesome high school ever.

Why is it that there's always too much to do in December? Just look at this sampling of events happening around town tonight. Check out other events on LAist Agenda: December.

Even if you don't actually believe in it, you really do owe it to yourself to sing Christmas songs in a room full of people at least once this year. And Hanukkah songs too, as well as non-denominational carols about snowmen and sleigh rides and lots of things that may or may not have any particular relevance to your life in Los Angeles. Come on, it's okay. The words are on the paper, everyone else is singing and no one else can stay in tune any better than you can. Lift up your voice. It feels good.

MUSIC: CalTech isn’t just about nerdy rocket scientists. They have glee clubs, too! All kidding aside, tonight's concert will feature traditional holiday favorites as well as the Women's Club taking on Porpora’s Magnificat, written in the 1730s. 8 pm // Dabney Lounge at California Institute of Technology // 1200 East California Blvd., Pasadena // Free. DANCE: From CalTech, we’ll head over to CalArts in Valencia. The Sharon Disney Lund School of Dance is holding its...

Am sorry to report the K-Ville is nothing more than another cop show. A shootout an car chase 8 minutes into it? Tough guy Anthony Anderson 's character crying in the first 15 minutes? I don't know how this show could redeem itself, I essentially tuned out after the first 20 minutes. I'll tell you what though, Saving Grace somewhat redeemed itself what with Holly Hunter's bare butt being the focal point of the...

The Thamesmen - "Gimme Some Money" Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, Harry Shearer & Friends @ Avalon Joss Stone @ The Greek Sarah Silverman @ Largo Metal Skool, Shapes of Racecars, The Ringers, Crash Hot @ Key Club The Section Quartet w/guests Grant Lee Phillips, Sam Phillips, Linda Perry @ Troubadour Low vs Diamond, The Young Immortals, IO Echo, Mr. Uncertain @ Spaceland Blackcowboy, Neuromance, MC Rut, The Blackout Trust @ Viper Room I Make...

Tonight, Monday night, at 8:00 PM, the Avalon in Hollywood hosts Concert For A Cause, a benefit for the International Myeloma Foundation, with a rare treat indeed: a virtual performance of a virtual band. Yes that will be Michael McKean, Christopher Guest and Harry Shearer on stage, in place of David, Nigel and Derek, a hard jolt of reality from the creators of the greatest illusion in rock history. Spinal Tap. Not to mention...

Rocket will play at the Knitting Factory tonight as part of IPO Jackshit @ The Baked Potato Harry Shearer @ House of Blues The Fuxedos, Quazar & the Bamboozled, Renfield @ Safari Sam's Ari Shine, The Slowtime Mondays, Rocket @ The Knitting Factory Electrocute, On Nova, Meals for Children, Nephews, Hank May @ The Troubadour The Stevenson Ranch Davidians @ The Echo You Am I, The Redwalls, The Wombats @ Spaceland Micah Wolf @...

OUT TODAY: Flight Of The Conchords - The Distant Future (Sub Pop) [MP3]: “Business Time” via Tunes Consumed Magnolia Electric Co - Sojourner (Secretly Canadian) [MP3]: “Leave The City” via Aquarium Drunkard The Budos Band - The Budos Band II (Daptone Records) [MP3]: “Chicago Falcon” via Inflight at Night Okkervil River - The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar) [MP3]: “Unless It’s Kicks” via Music For Kids Who Can’t Read Good Augie March - Moo, You Bloody...

Recommended Dixie Chicks - Shut Up & Sing - Remember when rugged individualism was the hallmark of the "American character"? Remember when that individualism was defined by a willingness to speak your mind? Remember when criticizing your governmental overlords was a patriotic duty? Yeah, me neither. But maybe country music trio The Dixie Chicks were trying to recall that mythologized frontier spirit when lead singer Nathalie Maines criticized President Bush for launching the Iraq...

A Word Or 78: Last night I didn't watch anything that I had listed or even Tivoed. I ended up watching "Monster In a Box" on IFC because I had the privelege of seeing Spalding Gray a couple times and there he was again on TV. Wile watching the movie I found it extraordinarily sad to both hear this amazing person talk about his mother's suicide as well as allude to committing suicide himself....

Spinal Tap bassist and voice of Mr. Burns, Harry Shearer has written a book.

It's the beginning of the year and we haven't even cracked a new book. Have you? Instead of feeling guilty for sitting on your lazy duff, go check out a reading. It's free, it's easy -- and they'll read to you! All you have to do is show up, sit back and heckle when the mood strikes. Actually, heckling during a reading is really kind of lame. That's more for Laugh Factory types. If...

WEDNESDAY

Yesterday, podcasting went mainstream. Apple's iTunes issued an upgrade, the ninth such upgrade of the 4.x version of our favorite digital media player (and as an aside, it begs the question of what additions will be made to a 5.0 version, that kind of jump usually marks a large leap in software tech right? Video Cast? Non-quicktime based streaming media?), and all of a sudden the world knows about feed-based subscription style sound files. KCRW shows -- like Harry Shearer's Le Show and Left, Right and Center which we subscribe to -- increased their subscription base tenfold in the 24 hours since the release. That's a jump from 10,000 subscribers to 100,000 for their most popular shows.

After much discussion and publicity for Arianna Huffington's foray into celebrity group blogging, The Huffington Post launched this morning. It'll be interesting to see how timely the blog stays. Initial posts by the well known names cover well treaded topics like gay marriage and the death of Hunter S. Thompson. We will always appreciate any opportunity Harry Shearer has to take a closer look at the oddities and inaccuracies of news media and Laurie and Larry David talking hybrids and environment should prove interesting but As far as their day one content? Exclusives are great; Mike Nichols rambling a bit about a metaphor? Not so much.

Aside from the Vice Presidential debates, there are some events going on around town. If you decide to go out rather than remain home, glued to the TV as Cheney and Edwards duke it out, you can always catch the highlights on the radio while on your way to one of these fine events.