Nicole Pajer | ChinaShop

page 24 of 31 ←first … ←previous 22 23 24 25 26 next→ … last→

Art/Design Featured Gallery Creatures and Creators: Designer Con 2010

December 1, 2010 - 11:40 am

Designer Con (formerly Vinyl Toy Network) returned to Pasadena to mark the fifth year in a row of the convention that “smashes together collectible toys and designer apparel with urban, underground, and pop art.” The show provides a venue for fans to meet their favorite artists and gives them the opportunity to participate in live events and purchase special edition toys to add to their collection. This year’s festivities brought in a full house of attendees who snatched up the latest toys, gawked at new products, and battled the long autograph lines for the chance at going home with their favorite artist’s signature.

Read the full story →

Event Gallery First Fridays in Venice CA

by Nicole Pajer and Sidney Bensimon

November 29, 2010 - 10:33 am

You know you are in for a crazy night when you make your evening destination Venice Beach. It’s a place where anything goes. It’s also the home of Abbott Kinney’s First Fridays, a magical evening that takes place on the first Friday of every month where shops stay open past operating hours, galleries reveal museum-worthy art, and food trucks take over the streets. From 6:00-10:00pm, crowds flock to Abbot Kinney Boulevard to socialize, drink, and mingle with eclectic boutique owners and art-minded individuals. November 5th was my first experience with this street festival, Venice-style, and it was definitely an adventure!

Read the full story →

Event Featured Gallery Therapy With a Baseball Bat

by Nicole Pajer and Sidney Bensimon

November 25, 2010 - 3:15 pm

Titmouse invited me to their annual Smashing Party and there was no way that I was going to turn down that invitation. I’ll admit, I’ve heard stories of past bashes, so I thought I knew what I was in for. When I walked through the entrance gate and was cleared by security, however, I realized that this might turn out to be a bit more extreme of an evening than I was prepared for. At the door, I was handed a waiver to sign, given an official SMASH t-shirt to add to the souvenir collection, and provided with a paper face mask to block “all the dust and debris.”

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Sine Language With The Crystal Method’s Ken Jordan

by Nicole Pajer and Dustin Downing

November 24, 2010 - 11:51 am

For those savvy to the electronic music world, The Crystal Method needs no introduction. The top American dance music duo composed of Ken Jordan and Scott Kirkland, who last year released Grammy-nominated album Divided By Night, has teamed up with LMFAO on their latest project, Sine Language EP. The disc contains a single edit of the track Sine Language, as well as seven brand new remixes brilliantly reworked by Richard Vission, Datsik, Metasyn, Omega, Moonbeam, Von Ukuf, and Future Funk Squad. In support of the November 16th release date, The Crystal Method has selected a few lucky cities to grace with their DJing skills and fortunately for us, a stop at Hollywood’s Avalon made the cut.

Read the full story →

Event Film Gallery Bouncing Cats Screening Party in Los Angeles

by Nicole Pajer

November 19, 2010 - 12:23 pm

Tuesday night, a crowd packed into L.A.’s Downtown Independent Theater to show some support for the screening of a very moving documentary titled Bouncing Cats. The inspirational film follows the journey of a young man, known as Abramz, who has utilized his love for hip-hop, breakdancing, and b-boying, to find a way to improve the lifestyle of the troubled youth of Uganda.

Similar to the majority of Uganda’s adolescents, Abramz experienced a tough childhood. After losing both of his parents at a very young age, he looked to art, dance, and music as a way to distract him from the troubles of everyday life. Driven by his personal experiences, Abramz formed Breakdance Project Uganda (B.P.U.), an organization that strives to use breakdance and other elements of hip-hop to promote positive social change and responsibility.

Prior to the screening, I had the opportunity to sit down with Nabil Elderkin (Director), Abramz (B.P.U. Founder), Jolly (Invisible Children/H.E.A.L.S), and Crazy Legs (Rock Steady Crew) to hear fist hand about their experiences with the film. Here is a brief synopsis of my encounters with each of them:

Read the full story →

Music Mt. Desolation: Equal Parts Kerouac, Alcohol And Kenny Rogers

by Nicole Pajer

November 17, 2010 - 11:31 am

During a break in Keane’s tour schedule, keyboardist/songwriter Tim Rice-Oxley and bassist Jesse Quin consumed a significant amount of Guinness and decided that an alt-country side project would be a logical accomplishment, or it would at least give them an excuse to throw back a few pints with some talented musician friends.

To the duo’s surprise, the project actually came to fruition when Tim and Jesse wrangled up a slew of their top-notch compadres, such as Killers drummer Ronnie Vannucci, Mumford & Sons banjo player Winston Marshall, Long Winters singer John Roderick, and Noah and The Whale fiddle player Tom Hobden, to record a few demos under the identity Mt. Desolation.

The venture, which has been affectionately referred to as an indie “supergroup” by fans and critics, released their self-titled album this past October. The guys hit the road and packed in audiences across North America and Europe, including several sold out dates with Mumford and Sons. After schmoozing with management, I was able to seize a moment with the Mt. Desolation co-founders to discuss hot topics such as playing a Jerry Springer style show in a Scottish living room, being embarrassed about their stage speaking voices, and whether or not they consider the project to be “super.”

Read the full story →

Art/Design Featured Gallery Marxist Glue: A Bottle of Blasphemy

by Nicole Pajer and Zoetica Ebb

November 15, 2010 - 3:17 pm

Last year, members of the California wheat pasting community attempted to throw together an art exhibition in a Los Angeles warehouse. The local law enforcement, however, was not as receptive to this idea, as wheat pasting is a form of graffiti and is technically illegal. With much disappointment, the exhibit was shut down and frustrated artists gave up on this dream. This was until Hold Up Art owner/curator Brian Lee decided to team up with wheat pasting mastermind Cryptik, and with the help of fellow curator Toks Shoyoye, was able to bring “Marxist Glue” to downtown Los Angeles.

Read the full story →

Art/Design Hidden Treasures: LA’s “Underground” Art

by Nicole Pajer and Dustin Downing

November 10, 2010 - 11:28 am

I’ve lived in Los Angeles for over three years and never had the urge to step onto the Metro until this past Saturday. I’m not a fan of public transportation. Something about cramming into a tiny train car underground and being smashed up against random strangers just doesn’t sit right with me. That was of course until I learned that under the city of Los Angeles resides not only the metro system but also an entire community of art. The first Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday of every month, residents of Los Angeles are given the opportunity to meet at designated stations for a complimentary two-hour tour of the Metro Art Program’s featured station exhibits. The program was founded in 1989 as a means to incorporate art into the Los Angeles transit system with the purpose of beautifying transportation stations and engaging riders with a cultural background of the city. To date, the program has commissioned over 300 artists for various station projects. Each station has its own unique imagery, which ties in the local neighborhood aesthetics with the theme of transportation as a whole.

Read the full story →

Art/Design Greg Gorman: A Distinct Vision

by Nicole Pajer and Zoetica Ebb

November 9, 2010 - 12:07 pm

If you like celebrities and you like photography, then you’ll love the work of Greg Gorman. For those who aren’t familiar with this iconic cameraman, Greg Gorman is widely celebrated as an American portrait photographer with an ability to capture celebrities in an honest and sensual light. Greg is known for his black and white photos that uncover the bona fide personality of Hollywood’s most celebrated talent, which has led him to be featured in magazines such as GQ, Interview, Life, Vogue, Newsweek, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair, The London Times, Detour, and Harper’s Bazaar. He has shot movie posters for box office superstars like “Lash of the Mohicans,” “Field of Dreams,” and “Dances with Wolves,” and has also provided additions to advertising campaigns for giants like Reebok and Maybelline.

Read the full story →

Featured Gallery Music Florence & The Machine Take Over The Wiltern

by Nicole Pajer and Sidney Bensimon

November 9, 2010 - 10:57 am

As I walked up to L.A.’s Wiltern Theater on Saturday, I glanced at the sign that read “Florence & The Machine Nov 6, 7, 8 Sold Out,” a symbol that a city so saturated with musicians can still make time to celebrate worthy talent. 89.9 (KCRW) was a weekend hero as they hosted the beloved Florence Welch and her almighty backing band she’s affectionately labeled “The Machine.” Fans gathered outside the Wiltern begging anyone within the venue’s vicinity for extra tickets. One gentleman was so persistent that he asked me multiple times if I could provide him with tickets, in the hopes that I had magically unearthed a pair in the five minutes that passed before I saw him again.

Read the full story →

page 24 of 31 ←first … ←previous 22 23 24 25 26 next→ … last→