Wednesday through Friday Music & Art, plus Updated Ticket Alerts & More – Dec 17 to 19, 2014

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Late Addition:
Wednesday night --
MUSIC ON TV:
11:35 pm WILLIE NELSON & BILLIE JOE SHAVER perform on the CBS "LATE SHOW WITH DAVID LETTERMAN." Dave has plenty of friends in Folk-Americana, and he's having a few of the best on his final shows. (Enjoy it while you can, folks, because Fallon and Kimmel both like sh-thump-thud pop crap.)

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Now, here's the
complete edition
as originally published...
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Here's a three-day edition to take us up to the weekend. And plenty of updated "ticket alerts" will enable you to be aware of the best events then, and on into the New Year (including NYE parties with live music). So be sure to check them.

A quickie NEWS ITEM...
The annual “Holiday Toy & Food Drive” at Amoeba Records Hollywood lets you help those in need. So, when you go out to find that special gift for a musically-inclined friend, just bring a new unwrapped toy along, to benefit the children (ages 4-16) at Five Acres. This runs through Dec 19.

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Happy Hanukah to those who celebrate it. This edition covers Days 2, 3, & 4 of the “Festival of Lights,” and the 4th, 5th, and 6th Days of Christmas, if you figure “Day 12” is Dec 25th.
However you feel about any of that, we have a splendid alternative to the crush of consumerism and spending money you don’t have on gifts people don’t want. It’s called immersion in live music. Guidance within. And unlike Lucy, we don’t charge you that five cents.

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We appreciate you, our readers, for your QUARTER-MILLION PAGE-VIEWS per year.

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★  What’s in this edition…
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♪  THIS DAY IN HISTORY… (2 features)

1 – "Madison Avenue is Afraid of the Dark." The Nat King Cole Show.
2 – “A New Southern Cal Landmark, in Her Previous, Perilous Life”

♪  WEDNESDAY’s CONCERTS, JAMS, ETC.

♪  THURSDAY’s CONCERTS, JAMS, ETC.

♪  FRIDAY’s CONCERTS, JAMS, ETC.

♪  ONGOING EVENTS, including theatre this weekend

♪  tICKET ALERTS (Updated!)


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♪  THIS DAY IN HISTORY… (2 features)
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First…
"Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark." The Nat King Cole Show.

The last episode of "The Nat King Cole Show" aired December 17, 1957 on NBC-TV in America. The Cole program was the first of its kind hosted by an African-American.

Beginning as a 15-minute “pops” show on Monday night, the program was expanded to a half hour in July 1957. Despite the efforts of NBC, as well as many of Cole's industry colleagues — many of whom, including Ella Fitzgerald, Harry Belafonte, Frankie Laine, Mel Tormé, Peggy Lee, and Eartha Kitt — worked for industry scale (or even for no pay) in order to help the show save money.

“The Nat King Cole Show” was ultimately done-in by lack of national sponsorship. Companies such as Rheingold Beer assumed regional sponsorship of the show, but a national sponsor never appeared.

The show had debuted on November 5, 1956. Cole had survived for over a year, and it was he, not NBC, who ultimately decided to pull the plug on the show. NBC, as well as Cole himself, had been operating at an extreme financial loss. Commenting on the lack of sponsorship his show received, Cole quipped shortly after its demise, "Madison Avenue is afraid of the dark."

* Thanks to the National R&B Music Society Inc, for the info. More at www.rnbmusicsociety.com

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Second…
A SOUTHERN CAL LANDMARK, IN HER PREVIOUS, PERILOUS LIFE

The USS IOWA is now docked in San Pedro as a floating museum and great place to take your out-of-town holiday guests. The "Battleship of Presidents," whose amenities include a bathtub for FDR for his transatlantic voyage to Yalta, experienced some real thrills on this very day in the midst of World War II.

On December 18, 1944, the ships of “Task Force 38,” Including the Battleship Iowa, found themselves in a fight for their lives when a killer Pacific storm – Typhoon Cobra – overtook the force of seven fleet carriers, six light carriers, eight battleships,15 cruisers, and about 50 destroyers during their attempt to refuel at sea. The ships were operating about 300 miles east of Luzon, off the Philippines.

Many of the vessels were caught near the center of the storm and buffeted by extreme seas and hurricane-force winds.

Approximately 790 US Navy officers and men were lost or killed, with another 80 injured. The battleship Iowa reported zero injured sailors as a result of the typhoon, but suffered a loss of one of her float planes and damage to one of her propellor shafts.

The damaged shaft required Iowa to return to the US, and she arrived for repairs at San Francisco on January 15, 1945.

During the course of the overhaul, Iowa had her bridge area enclosed, and she was outfitted with new search radars and fire-control systems. All those improvements would prove important, when the ship returned to World War II in the Pacific – she would sail into Tokyo Bay to accept the Japanese surrender – and later, the improvements were crucial for her ability to protect her crew into her return to service in the modern era.

You can visit the Iowa in San Pedro and marvel at the thickness of the steel on her bridge, and much more. Pick the right day, and you can catch an evening show at the Grand Annex, Warner Grand, or Alvas Showroom. Or cross the Vincent Thomas Bridge and there’s more music in Long Beach.



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♪  WEDNESDAY’s CONCERTS, JAMS, ETC.
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Tue, Dec 17, in Burbank:
4 pm  RICHIE FREEDMAN’S COOL BLUE plays early at Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 Riverside Dr, Burbank 91506; 818-818-845-2425.
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There are shows tonight at the venue at 4, 7, 8:30, & 9:15 pm, on one or the other of their two stages; see all those listings.
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One-purchase-minimum is the cover. Venue has good Mexican food and full bar, and the band includes bigtime award-winners.

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Wed, Dec 17, in Torrance:
6-8 pm ANDY & RENEE, leaders of the award-winning HARD RAIN, play their residency at the Buffalo Fire Department, 1261 Cabrillo Av, Torrance 90501; 310-320-2332.
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Venue has good BBQ. No cover.

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Tue, Dec 17, in Burbank:
7 pm  THE GLEN ROBERTS BIG BAND brings classic swing to Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 Riverside Dr, Burbank 91506; 818-818-845-2425.
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There are shows tonight at the venue at 4, 7, 8:30, & 9:15 pm, on one or the other of their two stages; see all those listings.
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One-purchase-minimum is the cover. Venue has good Mexican food and full bar, and the band includes bigtime award-winners.

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Wed, Dec 17, in South Pasadena:
7 pm Weekly “WINE & SONG SERIES” brings one or more guest recording artists and performing host BRAD COLERICK, all playing acoustic, at the Firefly Bistro, 1009 El Centro St, South Pasadena 91030; 626-441-2443.
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No cover, but make the venue believe you will buy dinner so they’ll give you a seat where you can hear the music.

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Wed, Dec 17; Tue-Thu, Dec 16-18, in SFV (Universal City):
7-10 pm Stellar piano man MARC BOSSERMAN plays holiday-themed sets at the Hilton Universal.
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Marc tells us, "This time of year I often get to play 2 or more gigs a day!"
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Check-out his song, "Beautiful," at www.marcbosserman.bandcamp.com
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More at: www.marcbosserman.com

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Wed, Dec 17, In San Diego Co (Escondido):
7:30 pm  “Christmas in Ireland” with LUNASA and KARAN CASEY at the California Center For The Arts, 340 N Escondido Bl, Escondido 92025; 800-988-4253.
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This one will be exceptionally excellent with one of Ireland's best known groups, Lunasa. Lúnasa has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Dublin's National Concert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and at the White House. Lúnasa's inventive arrangements and bass driven grooves have steered Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. Its recordings are hailed internationally among the best and most important world music albums and its blend of intelligence, innovation, virtuosity, and passion has Lúnasa at the forefront of Celtic music.
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They will be joined by the incredible Karan Casey who has long been one of the most innovative, provocative and imitated voices in Irish traditional and folk music.
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Watch a video of their performance at: www.thebroadstage.com/en/Performances/World/Productions/lunasa
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They have one more local performance, on Sat, Dec 20, at 7:30 pm on the Broad Stage in the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center.

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Wed, Dec 17, in South Pasadena:
7:30-10:30 pm Weekly “IRISH TRAD SESSION” is a structured jam at Griffins of Kinsale, 1007 Mission St, South Pasadena 626-799-0926.

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Wed, Dec 17, in VC (Simi):
7:30-11 pm SONGMAKERS twice-monthly “SIMI VALLEY HOOT.” Info and location at www.songmakers.org

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Wed, Dec 17, in Murrieta:
7:30 pm Weekly “SHAM JAM” hosted tonight by X Ray Cat; a different artist or band hosts each week for an open mic and jam with featured player(s) at the Shamrock Irish Pub & Eatery, 39252 Winchester Rd, Ste 145, Murrieta 92592; 951-696-5252; www.theshamrockirishpubandeatery.com

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Wed, Dec 17, in OC (Anaheim):
8 pm "A CELTIC HOLIDAY" with CRAIC IN THE STONE plays the Chance Theater, 5552 E La Palma Av,  Anaheim 92807.
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Music by Craic in the Stone
Book by Jocelyn A. Brown, Karen O’Hanlon, and Jennifer Ruckman
Directed by Karen O’Hanlon
Music direction by Jocelyn A. Brown
Executive producer Scott & Georgia Well
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Rediscover rich Celtic musical traditions throughout the night with a holiday concert of rousing pub songs, ethereal melodies, and familiar spiritual tunes, all woven together with traditional folktales. Bring the whole family and warm-up by the hearth with a cup of tea or a pint of plain with the Chance’s own Celtic band, CRAIC IN THE STONE.
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Remaining shows through Dec 23, as follows:
Wed, Dec 17, 8 pm.
Thu, Dec 18, 8 pm.
Sun, Dec 21, 7 pm (Sold Out).
Tue, Dec 23, 8 pm.
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Tix, $40, at: https://m.ovationtix.com/#/pr/928599

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Tue, Dec 17, in SFV (Chatsworth):
8 pm  “5th DAY OF CHRISTMAS” at the venue brings JEFFREY MICHAELS to the Cowboy Palace Saloon, 21635 Devonshire St, Chatsworth; 818-341-0166.
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This is L.A.’s last real honky-tonk, and always fun. Go early for the free dance lessons. No cover, full bar.

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Wed, Dec 17, near LAX:
8 pm Weekly “GUITAROLOGY” at Melody Bar & Grill, 9132 S Sepulveda Bl, Los Angeles 90045; 310-670-1994.

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Wed, Dec 17, in Burbank:
8:30 pm  THE BRUCE FORMAN TRIO plays Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 Riverside Dr, Burbank 91506; 818-818-845-2425.
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There are shows tonight at the venue at 4, 7, 8:30, & 9:15 pm, on one or the other of their two stages; see all those listings.
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One-purchase-minimum is the cover. Venue has good Mexican food and full bar, and the band includes bigtime award-winners.

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Wed, Dec 17, in Burbank:
9:15 pm  CARMINE SARDO & ERIC GARCIA’S “SHUFFLE BROS. BLUES NIGHT” arrives at Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 Riverside Dr, Burbank 91506; 818-818-845-2425.
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There are shows tonight at the venue at 4, 7, 8:30, & 9:15 pm, on one or the other of their two stages; see all those listings.
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One-purchase-minimum is the cover. Venue has good Mexican food and full bar, and the band includes bigtime award-winners.



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♪  THURSDAY’s CONCERTS, JAMS, ETC.
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Thu, Dec 18, in Long Beach:
5 pm  KEN O'MALLEY plays his weekly residency of authentic and original Irish music at the Auld Dubliner, 71 S Pine Av, Long Beach 90802; 562-437-8300.

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Thu, Dec 18, in OC (Fountain Valley):
6:10 pm  Weekly “FOUNTAIN VALLEY BLUEGRASS JAM” at Orange County Archery, 18792 Brookhurst St, Fountain Valley 92708.

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Thu, Dec 18, in San Diego Co (Santee):
6:30-9:30 pm  “WOOD 'N' LIPS OPEN MIC” at Kaffee Meister Santee Coffeehouse, 9225 Carlton Hills Bl, #30, Santee.

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Thu, Dec 18, in Newhall (Santa Clarita):
7 pm  BELINDA GAIL, a major Western music star, plays the “Outwest Concert Series” at the Repertory East Playhouse, 24266 Main St, Newhall (Santa Clarita) 91321.
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Belinda Gail’s latest CD, "Granite Mountain," was awarded the 2014 “Western Album of The Year” by the Western Music Association. A multiple award winning singer-songwriter and performer, Belinda Gail brings an evening of original and classic Western music, a holiday tune or two, and songs from her new CD, "Granite Mountain."
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Belinda was raised on ranches in Nevada’s Carson Valley and in the California Sierra Nevada foothills near Sequoia National Park. Her rich ranching heritage and love of the West runs deep in her music and evokes the character of the people as well as the beauty, majesty, and deep connection to the land that only those who have lived the ranch life can truly capture. Along with being a gifted singer-songwriter, her singing voice and warm and vibrant personality beautifully capture the “Spirit of the West” and easily wraps itself around her audience.
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Belinda Gail had a top award-winning career before her current one, with her late music partner, as BELINDA GAIL & CURLY MUSGRAVE. Today, she is one of the most sought-after women performing Western music today, earning the oft-bestowed title, “America’s Western Sweetheart.” Dress up; SCVTV will film, and you may be on TV.
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Nearly sold-out as of Mon, Dec 15, so act promptly.
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Tix, $20; WMA members $15. Reserve by phone at 661-255-7087, or in-person at OutWest  in Newhall.

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Thu, Dec 18, in SFV (Universal City):
7-10 pm  Stellar piano man MARC BOSSERMAN wraps-up his three nights of holiday-themed sets at the Hilton Universal.
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Marc tells us, "This time of year I often get to play 2 or more gigs a day!"
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Check-out his song, "Beautiful," at www.marcbosserman.bandcamp.com
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More at: www.marcbosserman.com

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Thu, Dec 18, in Altadena:
8 pm  PHOEBE BRIDGERS, a fine young singer-songwriter with festival credits, joined by singer Charlie Hickey, plays the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675. Reservations (by phone only) at 626-798-6236.
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This Los Angeles-based singer-songwriter has been described as “Elliott Smith meets Gillian Welch.” Her unique voice has been featured on ABC Family's “Switched At Birth,” “Sons of Anarchy,” and an IPhone commercial. Pasadena Weekly says, "Bridgers has made a name for herself in that scene in relatively short time thanks largely to the quicksilver beauty of her voice; sweetly vulnerable,it also has a tensile strength that beguiles listeners."
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LA-Underground says, "Phoebe Bridgers' ‘Waiting Room’ was the heartbreaker tune of the year. It's brilliant. She's something special." Music blog American Pancake says, "Phoebe's tender performance mildly freaks you out and breaks your heart at the same time...utterly beautiful."
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Since graduating from the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts in 2013,Phoebe has performed and recorded both in Los Angeles and Nashville. She has collaborated with friends and mentors including Terra Naomi,Rob Waller,Noah Gunderson and Chad Gilbert. Her EP, “Killer,” was released in March and is available online through Bandcamp.
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Tix, $15. This’ll sell-out.

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Thu, Dec 18, in L.A.:
8 pm  "A CHRISTMAS CAROL – AN ADAPTATION THAT USES ONLY DICKENS' ORIGINAL WORDS" at the Grove Theater Center, 1111-b, W Olive Av, Burbank; 800-838-3006; www.gtc.org
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This show has been running Fridays & Saturdays through Dec 20. Tonight is an extra performance.
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Adapted by GTC's artistic director and co-founder Kevin Cochran who directs this production.  The cast includes Jenna Augen, winner of the 2014 UK Theatre Award for Supporting Performance; Broadway veteran David Allen Jones; and Frank Simons; all appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. They guide the audience through the story – as storytellers; or as Dickens' beloved characters, including Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, Marley's Ghost, Scrooge and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present & Future-but always using the actual words of Charles Dickens' 1843 classic.
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Runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. (One additional performance Dec 18.)
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Tix, $34.50 general; $29.50 Burbank residents; $24.50 seniors/students.

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Thu, Dec 18, in OC (Anaheim):
8 pm "A CELTIC HOLIDAY" with CRAIC IN THE STONE plays the Chance Theater, 5552 E La Palma Av,  Anaheim 92807.
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Music by Craic in the Stone
Book by Jocelyn A. Brown, Karen O’Hanlon, and Jennifer Ruckman
Directed by Karen O’Hanlon
Music direction by Jocelyn A. Brown
Executive producer Scott & Georgia Well
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Rediscover rich Celtic musical traditions throughout the night with a holiday concert of rousing pub songs, ethereal melodies, and familiar spiritual tunes, all woven together with traditional folktales. Bring the whole family and warm-up by the hearth with a cup of tea or a pint of plain with the Chance’s own Celtic band, CRAIC IN THE STONE.
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Remaining shows through Dec 23, as follows:
Thu, Dec 18, 8 pm.
Sun, Dec 21, 7 pm (Sold Out).
Tue, Dec 23, 8 pm.
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Tix, $40, at: https://m.ovationtix.com/#/pr/928599

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Thu, Dec 18, in L.A.:
8 pm  L.A. HOOTENANNY at Villains Tavern, 1356 Palmetto St, Los Angeles 90013; 213-613-0766.
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L.A.’s own “steam punk bar” comes alive with this raucous roots music night.

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Thu, Dec 18, in SFV (Chatsworth):
8 pm  “6th DAY OF CHRISTMAS” at the venue brings ELI LOCKE to the Cowboy Palace Saloon, 21635 Devonshire St, Chatsworth; 818-341-0166.
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This is L.A.’s last real honky-tonk, and always fun. Go early for the free dance lessons. No cover, full bar.

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Thu, Dec 18, in Burbank:
8:30 pm  TRISHA TOLEDO & HER BLUE TONES, plus WOLFINGTONS, CENTURIES, and more, all lined-up to play a very full night at Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 Riverside Dr, Burbank 91506; 818-818-845-2425.
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One-purchase-minimum is the cover. Venue has good Mexican food and full bar, and the band includes bigtime award-winners.

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Thu, Dec 18, in SFV (Sherman Oaks):
9 pm  Weekly “ACOUSTIC CORDIALE” at Café Cordiale, 14015 Ventura Bl, Sherman Oaks 91423; 818-789-1985.

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Thu, Dec 18, in Murrieta:
9 pm  “TWO YEAR ANNIVERSARY PARTY” for the venue, with music by Master Splinter & the Shredders, at the Shamrock Irish Pub & Eatery, 39252 Winchester Rd, Ste 145, Murrieta 92592; 951-696-5252; www.theshamrockirishpubandeatery.com



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♪  FRIDAY’s CONCERTS, JAMS, ETC.
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Fri, Dec 19, in Burbank:
1-3 pm  THE WOODY JAMES BIG BAND plays their late-lunch gig at Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 W Riverside Dr, Burbank; 818-845-2425; www.vivacantina.com
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See 7:30 & 8 pm listings for additional shows here tonight on the venue’s two stages.
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No cover; one purchase minimum.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Monrovia:
6-10 pm  Weekly “MONROVIA FAMILY FESTIVAL” is a street fair in old downtown Monrovia with plenty of live acoustic music, including the 8 pm “KATTYWOMPUS CONCERT & JAM” at Dollmakers Kattywompus, 412 S Myrtle Av, Monrovia 91016; 626-357-1091.

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Fri, Dec 19, in downtown L.A.:
6:30-8 pm  Annual “Music Center Holiday Sing-Along” on the plaza at the L.A. Music Center, 135 N Grand Av, L.A. (downtown) 90012; 213-972-7211; www.musiccenter.org.
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Beneath a beautifully lighted massive Christmas tree – L.A.’s answer to the tree at New York’s Rockefeller Plaza – Do you hear what we hear? It’s the sound of hundreds of Angelenos coming together to celebrate this festive time of year. Bundle-up and bring friends and family to the Music Center Plaza to belt-out holiday favorites under the wintry skies.
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Live instrumental accompaniment and lead singers from L.A. Opera. Lyric sheets are provided if you get there in time for a seat beneath the overhead heaters. No experience necessary, come prepared to sing. This is always a whole lot of fun, and it’s totally FREE.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Ventura:
6:30-9 pm  J PETER BOLES plays his "Hand-Picked Acoustic Music" for the "Holiday Boutique & Open House" at Studio 1317, 1317 Ventura Av, Ventura.
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Guide contributor Sally caught this show last week and gives it her enthusiastic endorsement.
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Wine, water & song provided. Do some holiday shopping for hand-made gifts. More at www.jpeterboles.com

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Fri, Dec 19, in San Diego:
6:30 pm  “WALT RICHARDS SLOW JAM” at the San Carlos Recreation Center, 6445 Lake Badin Av, San Diego.

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Fri, Dec 19, in SFV (Northridge):
7-10 pm  “Friday night music showcase” at Pho-King Delicious, 9350 Corbin Av, Northridge 91324.
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No cover. Venue has a variety of noodle dishes, salads, spring rolls, soups, sandwiches, and Vietnamese pho.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Rolling Hills:
7-9 pm  “OPEN MIC NITE” at “Amuse,” the Palos Verdes Music Center, 43C Peninsula Center, Rolling Hills; 310-377-7838.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Burbank:
7:30 pm  THE CODY BRYANT EXPERIENCE plays Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 W Riverside Dr, Burbank; 818-845-2425; www.vivacantina.com
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See 8 pm listing for additional show here tonight on the venue’s other stage.
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No cover; one purchase minimum.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Altadena:
8 pm  ROSIE FLORES, the enduring and ever-exciting honky-tonk-rockabilly Americana star with the high-wattage smile, plays the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena. Phone for reservations, 626-798-6236.
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She has starred on “Austin City Limits” and performed recently on “Late Night with Conan O'Brien.” Riveting Rosie in review. motion pictures and all.
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Rosie's reputation as a high octane rockabilly star is well established. Her music blends the best of surf, rock, country and blues with the traditional sounds of her Mexican-American heritage. Long an important figure in the Los Angeles, Austin, and Nashville music scenes, she routinely collects critical raves from prestigious publications, including The Los Angeles Times and Guitar Player Magazine.
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Rosie's solos recordings have found homes on both the Billboard and Gavin charts and her tunes are featured in seven motion pictures. Her revved-up performances in honky-tonks from Boston to Bakersfield have won her legions of loyal fans. Star turns on broadcast television programs continue to assert her credibility as an enduring national player.
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Bob Stane says, “She found the switch that lights up rooms in every color of the rainbow. Rosie's musical personality will electrify the stage at The Coffee Gallery Backstage in a rare solo performance. A rockin’ show, dressed to impress and not to be missed! A rare  flower in a perfectly arranged setting. Of course she, as do many others, is capping her career by ‘Going West’ to The Coffee Gallery Backstage. It works for us. Wear smart party clothes.”
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GREG LEISZ performs with Rosie tonight. The word "ubiquitous" is usually placed in front of pedal steel player and guitarist Greg Leisz's name. With good reason -- the man's resumé is daunting,boasting spots with Joni Mitchell,Sheryl Crow,Peter Case,Paul Westerberg,Me'Shell NdegeOcello, Victoria Williams,Joe Cocker,Dave Alvin,k.d. lang,Wilco,Lucinda Williams,Bruce Cockburn,Shawn Colvin,Paula Cole,and the Ventures...to name a few. Not to be pigeonholed in just roots music,Leisz (pronounced "Lees") has also played with the likes of Beck,Matthew Sweet,Bad Religion,the Smashing Pumpkins,and Brian Wilson.
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Tix, $20. Make your reservations pronto.

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Fri, Dec 19, in San Bernardino Co (Rancho Cucamonga):
8 pm  BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA play their “Christmas show” at the Lewis Family Playhouse in the Victoria Gardens Cultural Center, 12505 Cultural Center Dr, Rancho Cucamonga 91739; 877-858-8422.
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They have another Southern Cal show, Tue, Dec 23, at 7:30 pm, at the California Center for the Arts in Escondido (San Diego Co).

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Fri, Dec 19, in downtown L.A.:
8 pm  “The Dan Band Holiday Show” at Club Nokia (Nokia Theatre) at L.A. Live, 777 Chick Hearn Ct, downtown L.A. 90015; info 213-763-6030; tix 213-763-6020; www.nokiatheatrelalive.com.
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Tix, $25 general admission, $35 VIP. Doors at 8 pm.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Arcadia:
DARK THIS WEEKEND: Arcadia Blues Club, 16 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia 91006; www.arcadiabluesclub.com; 626-447-9349.
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NOTE: The venue’s excellent New Years Eve Party has early bird tix on sale now; get the best seats and save money. 1st come,1st served.
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Substantial discount for advance tix (it’s always very reasonable here, anyway):
http://arcadiabluesclub.ticketleap.com/

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Fri, Dec 19, in San Pedro:
8 pm  “Kimoʻs annual Holiday Slack Key Show” by champion slack key guitarist JIM “KIMO” WEST, with performing guests violinist Tom Atwater, hula dancers Amanda Taketa and Kevin Tsusui, and vocalist Diana Tanaka, at Alvaʻs Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; Reservations, 310-519-1314 or 800-403-3447.
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Drawing on material from his two acclaimed holiday CDs, Kimoʻs slack key artistry brings the essence of the islands to holiday classics, traditional Hawaiian folk music and hapa haole standards.
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You are invited to bring your own food and beverages into the venue. They have complimentary bottled water.
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Tix, $20.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Burbank:
8 pm  WORKING STIFFZ play Cody’s Viva Cantina, 900 W Riverside Dr, Burbank; 818-845-2425; www.vivacantina.com
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See 7:30 pm listing for additional show here tonight on the venue’s other stage.
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No cover; one purchase minimum.

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Fri, Dec 19, in San Pedro:
9 pm-midnight  "DAVE WIDOW & FRIENDS BLUES CHRISTMAS PARTY" at Godmothers Saloon, 302 W 7th St, San Pedro 90731.
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Hosted by "Music Writer Dude" B Noel Barr, Dave Widow and his friends are bringing the holiday cheer to Godmothers Saloon. Join the fun with great friends, beverages and righteous rock'n'blues for this special Friday night show.

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Fri & Sat, Dec 19 & 20, in SFV (Chatsworth):
9 pm  “7th and 8th DAYS OF CHRISTMAS” at the venue brings JIMI NELSON to the Cowboy Palace Saloon, 21635 Devonshire St, Chatsworth; 818-341-0166.
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Go early for free dance lessons; long sessions on Fridays & Saturdays, 7:30-9 pm.
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This is L.A.’s last real honky-tonk, and always fun. Go early for the free dance lessons. No cover, full bar.

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Fri, Dec 19, in Murrieta:
9 pm  Master Splinter & the Shredders or (or plus?) THE Midnight Satellites play the Shamrock Irish Pub & Eatery, 39252 Winchester Rd, Ste 145, Murrieta 92592; 951-696-5252; www.theshamrockirishpubandeatery.com



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Dec 16-Mar 15, in L.A.:
Opening of the new exhibition, “Give and Ye Shall Receive: Gift Giving in the Middle Ages,” at the Getty Center, 1200 Getty Center Dr, L.A. 90049; 310-440-7300; parking is $20 daytime, $15 for evening programs.
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Gift giving has held an important function in society since the Middle Ages, helping people to define their relationships to family and friends, to acquaintances and strangers, to God and to the church. This exhibition of intricate illuminated manuscripts examines models of gift giving found within their pages.
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Admission to the Getty Center is FREE. Parking is $15 daytime, $10 for evening programs after 5 pm. Hours: Tues–Fri and Sun: 10 am–5:30 pm; Sat 10 am–9 pm. Closed Mondays.

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Opened Dec 13, runs through May 10, 2015:
The GRAMMY Museum presents “The Taylor Swift Experience” as their newest special exhibition, opening Dec 13th on her 25th birthday. Includes never-before-seen photographs and home videos, interactive experiences, hand-written lyrics from her top-charting hits, and iconic costumes, to give visitors an in-depth look at seven-time GRAMMY winner Taylor Swift as a singer, musician, songwriter, entrepreneur and style icon. She is the only artist in history to have three million-selling weeks (2010's “Speak Now,” 2012's “RED” and 2014's “1989”). She is a global superstar and the youngest winner in history of the music industry's highest honor, the GRAMMY Award for “Album of the Year.” She is the first artist since the Beatles (and the only female artist in history) to log six or more weeks at #1 in the U.S. with three consecutive studio albums. Taylor Swift has an album on Rolling Stone's prestigious “The 50 Greatest Albums of All Time (by women)” list, and Time magazine has named her one the of the “100 Most Influential People in the world,” while she is Billboard's youngest-ever “Woman of the Year” and the only artist to have been awarded this honor twice. The Taylor Swift Experience is on display in the GRAMMY Museum's “Special Exhibits Gallery,” where temporary exhibits are showcased on a rotating basis. Info, www.grammymuseum.org/thetaylorswiftexperience

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Through December, in OC (NEWPORT BEACH):
Time tba  Muldoon's annual "Dicken's Christmas Tribute" starts Dec 12, runs through the holidays at Muldoon's Irish Pub, 202 Newport Center Dr, Newport Beach; 949 640-4110; www.muldoonspub.com

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On an irregular sched., through Dec 23, in OC (Anaheim):
8 pm "A CELTIC HOLIDAY" with CRAIC IN THE STONE plays the Chance Theater, 5552 E La Palma Av,  Anaheim 92807.
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Music by Craic in the Stone
Book by Jocelyn A. Brown, Karen O’Hanlon, and Jennifer Ruckman
Directed by Karen O’Hanlon
Music direction by Jocelyn A. Brown
Executive producer Scott & Georgia Well
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Rediscover rich Celtic musical traditions throughout the night with a holiday concert of rousing pub songs, ethereal melodies, and familiar spiritual tunes, all woven together with traditional folktales. Bring the whole family and warm-up by the hearth with a cup of tea or a pint of plain with the Chance’s own Celtic band, CRAIC IN THE STONE.
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Remaining shows through Dec 23, as follows:
Wed, Dec 17, 8 pm.
Thu, Dec 18, 8 pm.
Sun, Dec 21, 7 pm (Sold Out).
Tue, Dec 23, 8 pm.
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Tix, $40, at: https://m.ovationtix.com/#/pr/928599

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Fridays & Saturdays through Dec 20; THEATRE, in Burbank:
8 pm  "A CHRISTMAS CAROL – AN ADAPTATION THAT USES ONLY DICKENS' ORIGINAL WORDS" at the Grove Theater Center, 1111-b, W Olive Av, Burbank; 800-838-3006; www.gtc.org
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Adapted by GTC's artistic director and co-founder Kevin Cochran who directs this production.  The cast includes Jenna Augen, winner of the 2014 UK Theatre Award for Supporting Performance; Broadway veteran David Allen Jones; and Frank Simons; all appearing courtesy of Actors' Equity Association. They guide the audience through the story – as storytellers; or as Dickens' beloved characters, including Tiny Tim, Bob Cratchit, Marley's Ghost, Scrooge and the Spirits of Christmas Past, Present & Future-but always using the actual words of Charles Dickens' 1843 classic.
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Runs Fridays and Saturdays at 8 pm, Sundays at 3 pm. (One additional performance Dec 18.)
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Tix, $34.50 general; $29.50 Burbank residents; $24.50 seniors/students.

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Sat & Sun, Dec 20 & 21, CONCERT, in Glendora:
8 pm Sat; 2 pm Sun;  Annual “Citrus College Christmas show” at the Haugh Performing Arts Center Theater, on the Citrus College campus in Glendora.
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The show completes its run this weekend, changing to the schedule indicated. The production’s first half is traditional Christmas music sung by the Citrus singing groups. The second half is an original Christmas play featuring Santa himself.
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Tix, $24 regular, $22 students and seniors, $15 for children age 16 and under. Fun for all ages. Citrus box office is 626-963-9411, open Tuesday thru Saturday 11 am-4 pm.

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Fridays through Sundays, MUSICAL THEATRE, in Sierra Madre:
8 pm  “A LITTLE HOUSE CHRISTMAS,” a play with songs, based on the “Little House on the Prairie” stories by Laura Ingalls Wilder, at the Sierra Madre Playhouse, 87 W Sierra Madre Bl, Sierra Madre 91024.
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Adapted for the stage by JAMES DeVITA. Directed by EMILY CHASE. Presented by SIERRA MADRE PLAYHOUSE. The cast (in alphabetical order): JOLIE ADAMSON, PAMELA DALY, JEFF DOBA, JIM HARNAGEL, ERIC CHARLES JORGENSEN, FLETCHER KAMAL, VALERIE ROSE LOHMAN, ANDREW STOCK, HANNAH VICTORIA STOCK and AMY TOLSKY
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Ample free parking behind theatre.

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Through Mar 9; PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION, in San Marino:
Times tba  “IRISH & BRITISH ROOTS & AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHERS” is an exhibition at the Mary Lou and George Boone Gallery in the Huntington Library, 1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino 91108; 626-405-2100.
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This traveling exhibition pairs, for the first time, approximately 150 works by American pho-tographers Paul Caponigro (b. 1932) and Bruce Davidson (b. 1933), enlightened observers of Britain and Ireland in the 1960s and ’70s. For Caponigro, Ireland and Britain became sites of creative energy to which he returned repeatedly. Davidson brought the same gritty street sensibility that had made his Brooklyn Gang series a sensation among photograph collectors. The exhibition examines the artistic, social, and historical forces informing two master pho-tographers as they bring American eyes to enduring landscapes and changing cultural scenes.
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Runs Nov 8, 2014, through Mar 9, 2015.



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♪  tICKET ALERTS (Updated!)
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Fri, Dec 19, 8 pm: BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA play the Lewis Family Playhouse at Victoria Gardens Cultural Center in Rancho Cucamonga. Tix, 877-858-8422.

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Fri, Dec 19, 8 pm: “Kimoʻs annual Holiday Slack Key Show” by champion slack key guitarist JIM “KIMO” WEST, with performing guests violinist Tom Atwater, hula dancers Amanda Taketa and Kevin Tsusui, and vocalist Diana Tanaka, at Alvaʻs Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732; 800-403-3447 for reservations. Tix, $20.

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Dec 19: “The Dan Band Holiday Show” at Club Nokia in downtown L.A. / Doors at 8 pm / tix, $25 GA, $35 VIP / went on sale Nov 7 at 10 am.

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Sat, Dec 20, 8 pm: AUSTIN LOUNGE LIZARDS play Boulevard Music, 4316 Sepulveda Bl, Culver City; www.boulevardmusic.com; 310-398-2583. Venue’s web site has a helpful local dining guide.

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Sat, Dec 20, 7:30 pm: “Christmas in Ireland” with LUNASA and KARAN CASEY has one more local show, at the Broad Stage in the Santa Monica College Performing Arts Center.
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This one will be exceptionally excellent with one of Ireland's best known groups, Lunasa. Lúnasa has performed at the Hollywood Bowl, Dublin's National Concert Hall, the Sydney Opera House and at the White House. Lúnasa's inventive arrangements and bass driven grooves have steered Irish acoustic music into surprising new territory. Its recordings are hailed internationally among the best and most important world music albums and its blend of intelligence, innovation, virtuosity, and passion has Lúnasa at the forefront of Celtic music.
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They are joined by the incredible Karan Casey who has long been one of the most innovative, provocative and imitated voices in Irish traditional and folk music.
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Watch a video of their performance at: www.thebroadstage.com/en/Performances/World/Productions/lunasa/
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Tix at: 310-434-3200, or www.thebroadstage.com/portal/?to=loader.asp?target=hall.asp?event=1216&interface=2

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Sat, Dec 20, 8 pm: “Eric Rigler & Dirk Freymuth: A Celtic Christmas,” at Alvaʻs Showroom, 1417 W 8th St, San Pedro 90732.
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Eric Rigler (uilleann pipes & whistles) and Dirk Freymuth (guitar) team up once again to create a night of acoustic Celtic music. Drawing from the Christmas repertoire, as well as ancient and soulful Irish melodies, barn-burning jigs & reels, and themes from Eric’s film & television work, the duo combines with Wanda Law on Irish fiddle to produce a moving musical experience.
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Eric Rigler's legendary 40-year career on the bagpipes is world-famous. From his haunting solos on the current Starz TV series, “Outlander,” to performing "Amazing Grace" at President Reagan's funeral, to hundreds of appearances, films and recordings such as “Braveheart,” “Titanic,” “Men In Black 3,” “Cinderella Man,” and “Austin Powers,” to CDs For Phil Collins, Josh Groban, Faith Hill, Keith Urban, and Rod Stewart, to TV's “Black Sails,” “The Tonight Show with Jay Leno,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live,” “Battlestar Galactica,” “Crossing Jordan,” “The Simpsons,” and “South Park,” Eric has been called "the most recorded piper in history".
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Dirk Freymuth’s gifted and diverse talent on the guitar spans genres from being a member of the Minneapolis power-pop trio, HINDU RODEO, to Dublin’s BAROQUE ORCHESTRA OF IRELAND. As a studio player he has recorded for the Kottonmouth Kings, The Proclaimers, John Gorka, and many others. Earning music degrees from the University of Southern California, Dirk has produced more than fifty albums in a wide variety of styles, most notably Classical and Celtic, where he first collaborated with Eric Rigler.
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Reservations 800-403-3447. Tix, $25.

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Sat, Dec 20, 7 pm: JIM KWESKIN & JULI CROCKETT play the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675. Reservations (by phone only) at 626-798-6236.
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Folk legend Jim Kweskin of JUG BAND fame, back in the day, shared stages with Bob Dylan,Janis Joplin and The Doors,and stood toe to toe with them as a national star. He created one of the bedrock guitar styles of the folk revival,adapting the ragtime-blues fingerpicking of artists like Mississippi John Hurt and Blind Boy Fuller to the more complexchords of pop and jazz. In the early 60’s,Kweskin founded the Jim Kweskin Jug Band,with Fritz Richmond,Geoff Muldaur,Bob Siggins and Bruno Wolfe. Maria Muldaur,formerly with the Even Dozen Jug Band,joined the band in 1963.
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JULI CROCKETT has starred with her band,THE EVANGENITALS around L.A. and at festivals. As a playwright / director, she is best known for her adaptations of classic works of literature and philosophy. Her work has been presented at the REDCAT and 24th Street Theatre (Los Angeles),TENT group (Portland,Maine), and Red Room (New York); festivals: Downtown Film Festival's Sustainable LA and Edge of the World Festival (Los Angeles), Los Angeles Edinburgh Fringe Festival (Venue 13,Scotland.) See more at: http://www.julicrockett.com/
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Both headliners will be joined by a backing band of jazz heavyweights,including bassist Edwin Livingston (Natalie Cole),violinist Benedikt Brydern (Hot Club Quartet),and pianist Michael Feldman (Evangenitals,Freddy and Francine). Don't miss it.
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Tix, $22.50. This will sell-out.

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Sun, Dec 21, 3 pm: P. F. SLOAN with Creed Bratton plays the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675. Reservations (by phone only) at 626-798-6236.
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He wrote "Secret Agent Man," and “Eve Of Destruction,” one of the most important songs in music history:  it is credited by some musicologists as the song that awoke a generation and gave people all over the world a voice, and 18 year olds the vote. He wrote many famous songs for The Turtles, Johnny Rivers,The 5th Dimension,The Searchers,The Grass Roots,Herman's Hermits and many others as well as his own folk standards
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Just nominated to be inducted into The Songwriter's Hall Of Fame, P. F. SLOAN received two standing ovations here last month. He delivers an evening stuffed with music, history and good times.
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CREED BRATTON opens this matinee show. He is one of the stars of “The Office” TV show, and of the original GRASS ROOTS.
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Tix, $20.

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Sun, Dec 21 at 7 pm, & Mon, Dec 22 at 8 pm: “BIG CHRISTMAS SHOW: JIM CURRY'S TRIBUTE TO THE MUSIC OF JOHN DENVER” at the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675. Reservations (by phone only) at 626-798-6236.
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Dec 21 is SOLD-OUT. Get tix for Dec 22 promptly or be disappointed.
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Husband and wife team Jim and Anne Curry deliver the multi-platinum hits of the great John Denver in a fun-filled evening of singing and stories. Tribute artist Jim Curry's voice was heard in the CBS-TV movie “Take Me Home: The John Denver Story.” He has performed Denver's music in sold-out shows throughout the country and has emerged as today's top performer of Denver's vast legacy of multi-platinum hits. Jim's uncanny ability to mirror John's voice and clean-cut look takes you back to the time when "Rocky Mountain High" "Sunshine" "Calypso" and "Annie's Song" topped the charts, and his popular music had the heartfelt message of caring for the earth and caring for each other. Denver's message is worth repeating: "Be kind to the Earth and to each other." Jim performs with his wife Anne who plays mandolin and guitar and sings harmony.
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Tix, $18.

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Mon, Dec 22, 8 pm: THE KLEZMATICS play the Walt Disney Concert Hall at the Music Center in downtown Los Angeles. Tix, 213-972-7211; www.musiccenter.org

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Tue, Dec 23, 7:30 pm: BLIND BOYS OF ALABAMA play the California Center for the Arts in Escondido (San Diego Co).

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Sun, Dec 28, 7 pm: MATT WITLER & BRONWYN KEITH-HYNES play the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675. Reservations (by phone only) at 626-798-6236.
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Matt Witler is a Boston based mandolin player who grew up in the Los Angeles area. Starting on the fiddle at the age of nine,Matt fell in love with old time and bluegrass music. At the age of 14 he picked up the mandolin and began to study music in earnest. Matt has spent the last four years studying at the Berklee College of Music. While Matt is rooted in the bluegrass tradition,he has explored and been influenced by Jazz,classical,and pop music. In 2012 he won first place in both the mandolin,and flatpick guitar contests at the Rockygrass bluegrass festival. Matt is a founding member of the Lonely Heartstring Band,a progressive acoustic band that is quickly gaining acclaim in the bluegrass community.
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Bronwyn Keith‐Hynes is a Boston-based musician originally from Charlottesville, Virginia. Accepted on a scholarship to Berklee College of Music at age 16,she graduated in 2013 with a Professional Diploma in Violin Performance. Bronwyn is fast gaining recognition for her fiddling across bluegrass and acoustic music circles. Her playing,improvising,and writing are informed by her past five years of intense immersion in the Boston acoustic music scene and time spent studying traditional Irish and Cape Breton music before moving to Boston. Bronwyn has performed with Peter Rowan,The Milk Carton Kids,Anais Mitchell,Joe Pug and Tony Trischka. In 2014 Bronwyn won first place in the Walnut Valley Old Time Fiddle Championship in Winfield,KS. Bronwyn was on staff this summer at Berklee College of Music Five Week Program,teaching private string lessons.
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Matt and Bronwyn play original instrumental tunes as well as their favorite bluegrass numbers, folk songs, and fiddle tunes.
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Tix, $15. This will sell-out early, with the much-anticipated homecoming by Matt.

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Mon, Dec 29, 8 pm: Straight No Chaser: "The Happy Hour Tour, " plays the Fred Kavli Theatre-Thousand Oaks Civic Arts, in Thousand Oaks.
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If the phrase "male a cappella group" conjures up an image of students in blue blazers, ties, and khakis singing traditional college songs on ivied campuses ... think again. Straight No Chaser (SNC) are neither strait-laced nor straight-faced, but neither are they vaudeville-style kitsch. They have emerged as a phenomenon with a massive fanbase, numerous national TV appearances and proven success with CD releases. They're performing on the heels of the release of Under The Influence, their fourth album release through Atlantic Records. The album features contributions from superstars Jason Mraz, Rob Thomas, Phil Collins, Dolly Parton and more! Straight No Chaser is the real deal, the captivating sound of ten unadulterated human voices coming together to make extraordinary music that is moving people in a fundamental sense ... and with a sense of humor. On the road, Straight No Chaser has built a reputation as an unforgettable live act.
Tix at: http://m.ticketmaster.com/event/0B004CBBFC0EBCB0?artistid=1261643&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_Dec3

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Dec 31: “New Year's Eve at the Arcadia Blues Club,” 16 E Huntington Dr, Arcadia 91006; www.arcadiabluesclub.com; 626-447-9349. The venue’s excellent New Year’s Eve Party always features great blues bands and early bird tix are on sale now; get the best seats and save money, 1st come, 1st served. Venue has full bar and NYE includes dinner. Venue always has good food with generous portions. Great place, but bring earplugs. Seriously. Substantial discount for advance tix: http://arcadiabluesclub.ticketleap.com/

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Dec 31: “New Year's Eve with Andy & Renee and Hard Rain,” sells-out every year. $75 ticket gets you: dinner catered by Critic's Choice, wine and beer and soft drinks, Champagne toast, live music for listening / dancing. In O'Donnell Hall at Martyr's Church, 624 15th St, Manhattan Beach 90266. Doors at 8 pm, dinner at 8:30 pm, band at 9 pm. Cocktail Party attire. Renee told us on 12/16, “We are 75% full, so get your tickets ASAP.” Tix at: www.andyandrenee.com/store.php

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Dec 31: “THE SHAMROCK'S New Year's Eve” is taking reservations now for TWO New Year’s Eve parties; In the afternoon they celebrate the arrival of 2015 in Ireland at 4 pm Pacific time, with music by The Dublin Rogues, who are flying-in directly from Dublin the day before; this one (2-6 pm) lets you celebrate the New Year with family and children. Their SECOND New Year's Eve Party brings music by the Brick Top Blaggers to welcome in 2015 in the Pacific time zone; a $10 per person non-refundable cover charge is required to secure that reservation, with table guaranteed from 8 pm; Champagne at midnight & party favors included. At the Shamrock Irish Pub and Eatery, 39252 Winchester Rd, Ste 145 Murrieta 92592; 951-696-5252; e-mail requests for NYE reservations to Paul@getshamrocked.com; more info, www.theshamrockirishpubandeatery.com

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Jan 6, 8 pm: Willie Nelson & Family play the City National Grove of Anaheim.
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This is a dinner-optional event. A three course prix fixe dinner including salad, entree options, and dessert is available for purchase for $30. If you plan to dine, we recommend arriving at 6 pm. Dinner concludes at 7:30 pm. Go to www.citynationalgroveofanaheim.com for menu details.
Tix at: http://ticketmaster.com/event/09004D30A3D45AAF?artistid=732878&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=2&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_Dec3

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Jan 7-Feb 1: “JACK LEMMON RETURNS” as performed by his son, Chris Lemmon in a musical story-telling style, plays the Broad Stage in Santa Monica. The son of the Hollywood legend who starred in “Some Like It Hot,” “The Odd Couple,” and ao much more, performs “an immensely personal, and ultimately heartwarming story” about his Academy Award-winning father and their enduring relationship. Written and directed by Hershey Felder and performed by Chris as his father, “Jack Lemmon Returns” is one-man show that captures the magic of a bygone era, when Marilyn Monroe, Gregory Peck, James Cagney, Jimmy Stewart, and Shirley MacLaine were but a handful of the many stars who would pass through the Lemmon's Hollywood Hills home. The performance includes George and Ira Gershwin's "Love is Here to Stay" and "'S Wonderful," “Jack Lemmon Returns” is a loving tribute to a world famous dad, told with respect and dignity. Tix now available at 310-434-3200;  HYPERLINK "http://www.thebroadstage.com" www.thebroadstage.com;  HYPERLINK "http://www.events.smc.edu" www.events.smc.edu.

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Sat, Jan 10, at 2 & 7 pm: DAVE STAMEY, whose many awards most recently include “Male Performer of the Year” from the Western Music Association, and winner of the Will Rogers Award for Male Vocalist of the Year from the Academy of Western Artists, and a winner and five-time nominee for Songwriter Of The Year, plays the Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 N Lake Av, Altadena 92675. Reservations (by phone only) at 626-798-6236. Don’t dawdle: he always sells-out here. Tix, either show, $25.

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Sat, Jan 10, 8 pm: THE JAYHAWKS, now on a West Coast Tour, play their L.A. show at the Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Bl, Hollywood. Tix, $30, now available at: http://www.fondatheatre.com/events/detail/255970

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Tue, Jan 13, 8 pm: “The Drop: Ryan Bingham” in the Clive Davis Theatre at the Grammy Museum, L.A. General advance tix go on sale Thu, Dec 18, at noon. (American-Express-Card-only presale ended Wed, Dec 17, at 10:30 pm.)
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Ryan Bingham needed some peace and quiet. Free of the burdens that had saddled him during the writing and recording of his recent albums, he relocated to an old Airstream trailer tucked away in the mountains of California, camping out for several weeks and embracing the solitude to dig down deep and craft his most powerful album yet: “Fear and Saturday Night” is set for release on Jan 20, 2015.
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Bingham faces down his past with a poetic grace throughout the album. Recorded mostly live with a brand new backing band and under the guidance of producer-engineer Jim Scott, “Fear and Saturday Night” opens with "Nobody Knows My Trouble," an autobiographical ballad about trying to outrun a painful past and finding redemption both in the strings of a guitar and in hitting the road with the love of your life. The lead single, "Radio," is about coping with a darkness that doesn't want to let go, while "Hands of Time" deals with accepting what's behind you and moving forward with grit and determination. It's the hard-learned lessons, through both good times and bad, that helped make Bingham the man he is today, as a GRAMMY and Academy Award winner.
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In an interview will discuss his new album and the journey he took to create it. Following that interview, moderated by Scott Goldman, Vice President of MusiCares and the GRAMMY Foundation, Bingham will perform. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Tix, $20, in-person at the Museum Box Office, by phone at 213-765-6803 or online at www.grammymuseum.org

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Wed, Jan 14, 8 pm: “An Evening with Walter Egan” in the Clive Davis Theatre at the Grammy Museum, L.A. General advance tix go on sale Thu, Dec 18, at noon. (American-Express-Card-only presale ended Wed, Dec 17, at 10:30 pm.)
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Egan's composition "Hearts on Fire" was recorded by Gram Parsons and Emmylou Harris on the classic album “Grievous Angel.” More than just a writer and singer, Egan has played on many sessions and has worked with such luminaries as Stevie Nicks, Lindsey Buckingham, Don Henley, Jackson Browne, Linda Rondstadt, and even played bass for the classic group, Spirit.
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He’s best known among more mainstream audiences for his chart-topper, "Magnet and Steel." Walter Egan is more than a one-hit wonder. With numerous covers of his songs around the world, Egan has released ten solo CDs as well as three with the Brooklyn Coyboys and six with the Malibooz. "Magnet and Steel" has been featured in commercials and major motion pictures that include “Deuce Bigelow,” “Boogie Nights,” “Overnight Delivery,” and “The Night We Never Met.”
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Today, Egan continues to play with his Walternative Band and with his surf band, the Malibooz. In February 2014, his tenth solo album, “Myth America,” was released on the Classic Music Vault label. His exhibit of paintings, "The Martyrs of Rock" was shown in Washington DC and will open at the Mister Musichead gallery in Los Angeles in January 2015.
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Following an interview with Museum executive director, Bob Santelli, Egan will perform. Doors open at 7:30 pm. Tix, $20, in-person at the Museum Box Office, by phone at 213-765-6803 or online at www.grammymuseum.org

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Wed, Jan 14, 7 pm: Akira Kurosawa's “Red Beard” 50th-anniversary screening is in USC’s “Visions & Voices” series, in the Ray Stark Family Theatre, School of Cinematic Arts 108, on the USC Campus in University Park (L.A.) Admission is free and open to everyone, but reservations are required and it will fill-up. Reserve your seat online beginning Tue, Dec 9, at 9 am, at www. visionsandvoices.usc.edu
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“Red Beard” is set in a public hospital serving the indigent in rural, feudal Japan. The 1965 film asks profound humanist and existential questions relating to social injustice. Is there a way out of the dispiriting cycle in which victims express their pain by hurting others? How can we break cycles of suffering and violence? “Red Beard” is the last black-and-white film by Kurosawa, and the last Kurosawa film starring legendary Japanese actor Toshiro Mifune.
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The screening is presented in conjunction with a live stage performance the following night by Los Angeles Poverty Department (“LAPD”), the renowned theatre troupe made up of homeless and formerly homeless artists, with the theatre company celebrating its own 30th anniversary. The actors present their acclaimed work “RED BEARD, ” also free, but requiring a reservation. This is quite special, with a classic film and live theatre together over two nights.
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The other half of USC’s “RED BEARD / RED BEARD” presentation:
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Thu, Jan 15, 7 pm: The “RED BEARD” theatrical performance by the Los Angeles Poverty Department acting troupe, directed by John Malpede (without the film), is in the McClintock Theatre on the USC Campus in University Park (Los Angeles). Admission is free and open to everyone, but, like the above event, reservations are required and it will fill-up. Reserve your seat online beginning Tue, Dec 9, at 9 am, at www. visionsandvoices.usc.edu
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Renowned theatre troupe Los Angeles Poverty Department (“LAPD”), celebrating the 30th anniversary of their founding, is the first theatre company in the United States composed of homeless and formerly homeless artists. “LAPD” connects the experiences of people living in poverty to the social forces that shape their lives. “Red Beard/Red Beard” is a poetic and powerful work that challenges viewers to reflect on possibilities for breaking cycles of poverty.

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Attention ACTORS (one listing):
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Fri, Jan 16, 2-5 pm: Renowned theatre troupe Los Angeles Poverty Department (“LAPD”), presents the “LAPD Performance Workshop” in the Wallis Annenberg Hall (ANN), Room 106, on the USC Campus in University Park (L.A.) Admission is free and open to everyone, but reservations are required and it will fill-up. Reserve your space online beginning Tue, Dec 9, at 9 am, at www. visionsandvoices.usc.edu
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John Malpede and Henriëtte Brouwers of “LAPD” theatre will lead a performance workshop that draws on their acting troupe’s revolutionary practices for creating community-based theatre. Malpede founded the “Los Angeles Poverty Department” in 1985. He has taught at UCLA, at Tisch School of the Arts at NYU, and at the Amsterdam School for Advanced Research in Theater and Dance (DasArts). Brouwers is a performer, director and teacher who has worked with “LAPD” since 2000. Born in the Netherlands, Brouwers was invited to present her work in the United States by the Theatre Project in Baltimore in 1993, and has since performed and taught at universities and theatres around the country.

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More TICKET ALERT events listings…
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Jan 22: “Eclectic Guitars” featuring Eric Johnson & Mike Stern at the City National Grove of Anaheim; tix now on sale. This one is NOT a dinner show. Tix at: http://ticketmaster.com/event/09004D43F109C986?artistid=735397&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_Dec3

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Jan 23, 7 pm: “Eclectic Guitars” featuring Eric Johnson & Mike Stern, at the Regent Theater, 448 S Main St, downtown Los Angeles. Show is 21+, and is partially seated; seating is first come, first serve. Presented by Spaceland & Nederlander. Tix, $35 - $45, at:
www.ticketfly.com/purchase/mobile/index/707157?utm_medium=bks_Dec3

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Sat, Jan 24: “The Met in HD: Lehár's ‘The Merry Widow’” is an HD Opera Broadcast (delayed broadcast), in the Eileen Norris Cinema Theatre / Frank Sinatra Hall, on the USC Campus in University Park (L.A.) It begins with a Pre-Opera Discussion at noon, followed by the HD broadcast at 1 pm. Admission is free and open to everyone, but reservations are required and it will fill-up. Reserve your space online beginning Tue, Dec 9, at 9 am, at www. visionsandvoices.usc.edu
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The great Renée Fleming stars as the beguiling femme fatale who captivates all of Paris in Lehár’s enchanting operetta, seen in a new staging by Broadway virtuoso director and choreographer Susan Stroman (“The Producers, ” “Oklahoma!, ” “Contact”). Stroman and her design team of Julian Crouch (“Satyagraha, ” “The Enchanted Island”) and costume designer William Ivey Long (“Cinderella, ” “Grey Gardens, ” “Hairspray”) have created an art-nouveau setting that climaxes with singing and dancing grisettes at the legendary Maxim’s.

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Sun, Jan 25, 8 pm: JESSE COOK plays the City National Grove of Anaheim. This is a dinner-optional event. A three-course prix fixe dinner including salad, entree options, and dessert is available for purchase for $30. If you plan to dine, we recommend arriving at 6 pm. Dinner concludes at 7:30 pm. Go to www.citynationalgroveofanaheim.com for menu details.
Tix at: http://ticketmaster.com/event/09004D22F74E37FC&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_Dec3

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Feb 14, 8 pm: SPARKS, accompanied by a 38-piece Orchestra, perform ‘Kimono My House’ and assorted songs from their 23 albums; presented by Goldenvoice, FYF, and Ace, at the Theatre at Ace Hotel, L.A. Tix, $43.50-$132.50, on sale Dec 17 at 10 am.

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Feb 21 & 22: "This Ain't No Mouse Music!"  is a great documentary with Cajun, Zydeco, and Texas Blues, playing only on Feb 21st and 22nd at the Art Theatre, 2025 E 4th St, Long Beach 90814; 562-438-3723; arttheatrelongbeach.com. With a limited run, it will sell-out early.
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The film is the Story of Chris Strachwitz and Arhoolie Records., a feature-length documentary by Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling. “Smokin’ hot!” — Radio One, New Zealand. “One of the best music documentaries around...This film puts the heart and soul back into music and opens your mind to incredible artists you may never have heard of.” — The Film Reel, Toronto.
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“Chris Strachwitz is a detective of sounds, an archaeologist of the deep American music, music with roots that strike straight into the country’s heartland. He is the guiding force behind the legendary Arhoolie Records, producing albums that the Rolling Stones and many others played the grooves right off of. Since 1960, Strachwitz has been recording the authentic pulses of the great American music, throbbing away in the backwoods of the nation. His label offers an unparalleled catalogue of blues, Cajun, wild Hillbilly country, Tex-Mex and New Orleans R&B. These diverse musical strands seem to have grown right out of the ground they are played on. With tape-recorder in hand, Strachwitz traveled to plantations and prisons, roadhouses and whorehouses, churches and bayou juke joints. He returned with recordings that would revolutionize the sound of popular music. In This Ain't No Mouse Music!, their vivid portrait of an obsessive sonic sleuth, filmmakers Chris Simon and Maureen Gosling take a hip-shaking stroll from New Orleans to Appalachia and right into very the DNA of rock’n’roll. In this beautifully shot film, we come face to face with the creators of indigenous music, from the great Clifton Chenier to fiddler Michael Doucet, from Flaco Jimenez to the Pine Leaf Boys, playing songs that are endemic to their place and circumstance, to dialect and class, to climate and landscape. Their music is now highly endangered by the merciless steamroller of pop culture, assimilation and commercialism, which makes Strachwitz's desperate pursuit to track down every last artist all the more urgent. But these songs aren’t meant to be locked away in a Smithsonian vault to be decoded by folklorists and musical anthropologists. This film is a living cultural history with a soundtrack that bites and kicks and screams. Even 50 years later, Arhoolie’s records remain alive, unruly and still so sharp that some songs can cut you right down to the soul. — Jeffrey St. Clair, Author ‘Born Under a Bad Sky.’”
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More at: http://nomousemusic.com

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Feb 27: Alan Jackson with Brandy Clark & Jon Pardi at Nokia Theatre, “L.A. LIVE, ” in downtown L.A. / Doors at 7 pm / tix, $25, $55.95, $79.95, $149.95 / went on sale Nov 7 at 10 am.

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Apr 2, 8 pm: PUNCH BROTHERS with GABRIEL KAHANE play the Fonda Theatre in Hollywood. Tix, $41.50, on sale now.

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May 15, 7:30 pm: The Piano Guys play the Greek Theatre. Tix at: http://m.ticketmaster.com/event/09004D75DD8D6B4F?artistid=1836087&majorcatid=10002&minorcatid=203&brand=nederlanderla&camefrom=cfc_ndrcon_ned_Dec3



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The ACOUSTIC AMERICANA MUSIC GUIDE endeavors to bring you NEWS and views of interest to artists everywhere, more specifically to musicians and the creative community, and music makers and fans of acoustic and Folk-Americana music, both traditional and innovative. We provide a wealth of resources, including a HUGE catalog of acoustic-friendly venues, and schedules of performances in Southern California venues large and small. We cover workshops and other events for artists and folks in the music industry, and all kids o’ things in the world of acoustic and Americana and accessible classical music. From washtub bass to musical spoons to oboe to viola to banjo to squeezebox, from Djangostyle to new-fangled-old-time string band music, from sweet Cajun fiddle to pre-bluegrass Appalachian mountain music to proto blues.
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