Har Mar Superstar opened for Afghan Whigs last Friday at, what I still think of as, The Henry Fonda. For me, Har Mar was the main act. He knew how to curate his setlist for the audience (mostly AW fans. I kind of hope they're called Whigs). His set was more toned down compared to last year when I saw him at The Echoplex where he headlined. That time, he played fan favorites, told stories, crowd surfed, danced to his heart's content, and even had Macaulay Culkin dancing on stage! This time, he leaned more heavily on his more recent albums Best Summer Ever and Bye Bye 17, which showcased his amazing voice. He started the night with the moody title track off his new EP Personal Boyand later debuted a new song, which sounded impressively polished even though he came up with it only a few days earlier. His set ended all too quickly with him belting out Lady You Shot Me, but he definitely gained some new fans as I overheard people praising his vocals.
He's got a few more tour dates with Afghan Whigs this month.
Since Wing is much more of a cinema technophile than I am, she'll be taking the reins on this blog post.
The newly installed IMAX with Laser projection system is a fantastic addition to the California Science Center. It has finally resolved one of the common issues that plague many regular 3D movies - the dullness of images viewed in stereoscopic 3D. With the new laser projection, the 3D images are bright and crisp; the colors are vibrant. On top of that, the 12-channel surround sound system provides a great audio boost to go with the beautiful visuals - the perfect combination to experience the many nature-themed films that the Science Center has to offer.
Amazon Adventure 3D follows the journey of naturalist Henry W. Bates into the Amazon. It was breathtaking, seeing the rainforest brought to life on the gigantic 7-story high screen.
Hurricane 3D, a documentary that tracks the beginning and end of an Atlantic hurricane, showcases both the beauty and destructive power of nature. The 12-channel surround sound especially shined during this film. It was so immersive I felt like I was in the eye of the storm.
Tips:
To get the best IMAX experience, definitely try to pick seats that are in the upper center rows. As with most 3D projections, the images on the edge of the screen tend to be harder on the eyes when one is seated on the side. The effect is even more pronounced when viewing 3D on an IMAX scale screen.
If you haven't yet, definitely swing by the space shuttle Endeavour special exhibit. For the low admission price of $2, you get to witness one of the greatest human achievements on display.
Not Your Father's Root Beer's genius idea to get people to buy their alcoholic root beer: buy a can at the fest and bring it to their stall to get free swag.
The Big Pink's great live performance, although sometimes a bit heavy on the fog machine.
Discovering Allah-Las' psychedelic rock. I felt like I was being transported to a summer day in the '60s with all their catchy tunes.
Kaki King's amazing set that was part light show, part live acoustic show.
I never associated Wavves with Thee Oh Sees and Cloud Nothings, but they proved me wrong; they were punk rawk AF. My friend described it best when she said "I love how they're playing like they're at The Smell!"
The fun nighttime installations.
The impressive solar panels that powered the stage. Even though performances started running late, the lights never wavered.
The weather will finally be warming up this weekend in LA, perfect for enjoying an outdoor music festival. Sunstock Solar Festival at the Autry in Griffith Park will feature some great bands like Cults, Wavves, Kaki King, The Big Pink, and more.
The festival is completely solar-powered and all profits will go to charity. Not only will you be enjoying some amazing music, but you'll also be helping the environment and a local charity.
For you music-loving parents out there, there will be activities for kids. For those of you who come thirsty and/or hungry, there will be a full bar and food trucks.
Tickets are $20 through Eventbrite and $25 at the door. The festival will be located in a secluded corner of Griffith Park at
the Autry Museum of the American West, 4700 Western Heritage Way. A bike
valet and free parking will be available in the Los Angeles
Zoo parking lot.
I was so jealous of everyone who got to see The Little Mermaid at Hollywood Bowl on Monday because the original voice of Ariel, Jodi Benson, headlined that night. At least we got a small taste of her still-amazing-after-30-years voice at the show we attended on Saturday, where she was the surprise guest. She's an infinitely better singer than Sara Bareilles, who at least looked the part of the Little Mermaid, with her long, wavy tresses colored red halfway down and wearing a sea foam green dress. I even overheard a little girl yelling "Look, it's Ariel!"
What we didn't miss on Monday was Alan Menken's pre-show (in Monday's show he was replaced by Brad Kane - original voice of Aladdin - and Susan Egan - voice of Meg from Hercules). On piano, Menken performed a career retrospective with songs from Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, Little Shop of Horrors, Newsies, and Enchanted, just to name a few. I almost teared up a little, listening to the man who penned so many soundtracks from Disney Animation's golden age, when not only were the films great, but so were all the songs. During that era, animated films saw success at the box office and on the radio.
The celebrity guests also impressed, from Rebel Wilson's sassy turn as Ursula (in an amazing black shimmery dress that I could definitely picture Ursula wearing) to Titus Burgess' exuberant performance (I didn't know he had originated the role of Sebastian in the Broadway show. No wonder he was so good!).
Sadly, John Stamos' badly placed microphone prevented us from getting the full experience of his song, Les Poissons, but, amazingly, the audience stayed respectfully quiet so that everyone could hear him. His hilarious stage antics made up for the misplacement of his microphone.
I hope the success of this show convinces Disney to have more of their animated films in concert. I'm hoping for Aladdin next summer. However, they really ought to do Beauty and the Beast to promote their new live action film.
