Events Calendar - Halloween Week 10/30-11/3

Photo Credit: www.colourlovers.com

The following events take place between Oct. 30 and Nov. 3 and are all in the Los Angeles area...make sure to check venue/band sites in case there are any cancellations...HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Oct. 30

Cobra Starship, Forever The Sickest Kids - pop/punk - House of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood

The Heavy - R&B/soul - The Echo, Echo Park

Jenny Lewis, Beachwood Sparks, Pierre De Reeder - indie/rock - Orpheum Theater, Los Angeles

Neil Young, Death Cab For Cutie, Everest - indie/rock - The Forum, Inglewood

Oct. 31

Bullets & Octane - rock - The Roxy, West Hollywood

Cypress Hill, The Cool Kids - hip-hop/rock/electro/indie - The Wiltern, Los Angeles

The Damned, The Adolescents - House of Blues, Sunset Strip, West Hollywood

Indie 103.1 Halloween Bash - Drop Dead, Gorgeous, Darker My Love, The Juan MacLean - punk,/emo/dance - Natural History Museum, Exposition Park, Los Angeles

HARD Haunted Mansion - DJ AM, Justice, Boys Noize, DJ Paparazzi, Crystal Castles, and many more - electro/dance - Shrine Expo Hall, Exposition Park, Los Angeles - SOLD OUT!

Love Grenades - pop/indie - The Echo, Echo Park

Jason Mraz - adult contemporary/indie/pop/hip-hop - Greek Theater, Griffith Park

Rise Against, Alkaline Trio, Thrice, The Gaslight Anthem - punk/emo/rock - Hollywood Palladium, Hollywood (3 day event - Oct. 31, Nov. 1, and Nov. 2)

Tiger Army, The Quakes, 12 Step Rebels - punk/rockabilly - The Grove of Anaheim, Anaheim

Nov. 1

All Time Low, Mayday Parade, The Maine - pop-punk/emo - House of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood

Godhead - goth/industrial - Whisky a Go Go, West Hollywood

Horrorpops - punk/rockabilly - The Avalon, Hollywood

Maxwell, Jazmine Sullivan - R&B - Shrine Auditorium, Exposition Park, Los Angeles

Yelle, Passion Pit, Funeral Party - dance/electro/indie/pop - Henry Fonda Theater Music Box, Hollywood

Nov. 2

Russell Brand - British comedian, host of 2008 MTV VMA's - Largo, Los Angeles

"Skaloween" - Voodoo Glow Skulls, Left Alone, and almost 20 other ska/punk bands - ska/punk - Knitting Factory, Hollywood

Suicide Silence, After The Burial, Emmure, Beneath The Massacre, Architects - metal/deathmetal - House of Blues Sunset Strip, West Hollywood

Nov. 3

The Last Shadow Puppets - indie/dance - Mayan Theater, Los Angeles

Lykke Li, Friendly Fires - dance/pop - El Rey Theater, Los Angeles

Mando Diao - garage punk - The Troubadour, West Hollywood

Tragedy Strikes the Hudson Family as Three Family Members are Found Dead.

Photo Credit: http://www.daylife.com/home

Police found the bodies of Jennifer Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and brother, Jason Hudson, on Friday afternoon after a family member came to their home and saw signs of violence inside.

William Balfour, 27, the estranged husband of the boy's mother, Julia Hudson, was brought in for questioning Friday night. He was initially described by police as a suspect in the investigation.

Hudson's nephew's, 7-year-old Julian King, body was found Monday on Chicago's West Side.

The body was found in the back seat of the white Chevrolet Suburban police were looking for in their search for Julian, three days after actress-singer Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found shot to death in the mother's house in Englewood.

The SUV containing King's body was found by a 75-year-old who lives on the block, John Louden. He saw the SUV while walking his dog. He said police showed up in about five minutes after his wife called them. They discovered the child inside.

Jesse McCartney Shoots New Music Video

Photo Credit: AOL Images

21-year-old singer Jesse McCartney is staying busy working on new projects. His most recent project is the filming of his brand new music video to his hit song "It's Over". The video, which I am going to be in, was shot on Monday, October 20th in Hollywood on the top of the historic Roosevelt Hotel. The video's concept has McCartney falling for a beautiful young lady only to find out she's disappeared and is being seen with another man. His song "It's Over" says just that - it's over! Expect the video to premiere very soon!

In rumor control, actress-turned-singer-turned-actress Hayden Panettiere was on the set of the video. Hayden and Jesse were apparently an item some months ago however there was no cuddling between the two on set. Panettiere released her debut CD on Hollywood Records in the late summer. No word on whether both are dating as of now.

Amy Winehouse Hospitalized!!

Photo Credit: www.celebrific.com

Amy Winehouse was rushed to the hospital Sunday night and is being treated for a lung and chest infection. Reports surfaced that she checked into rehab (again) but her publicist told People magazine: "Amy is in hospital being checked out with for a chest infection. She is not back in rehab. She should be fine and is expected to return home soon"

Earlier in the year Winehouse was rushed to the hospital for a reported lung infection and was diagnosed with the early stage of emphysema.

Comedian Rudy Ray Moore Dies at 81.

Photo Credit: http://www.cobraverde.com/index.php

1970s Blaxploitation comedian and rapper, Rudy Ray Moore has died at the age of 81.

Moore died Sunday evening at an Akron nursing home from complications of diabetes, said his brother, Gerald Moore. Services will be held in Akron and Spokane, Washington.

Moore played the title role of a flashy, fast-talking pimp and title character fresh out of jail in the 1975 movie Dolemite. In later years Moore collaborated with 2 Live Crew, Big Daddy Kane and Snoop Dogg becoming an influence to a generation of rappers.

Rudy Ray Moore was part of the heyday of black "party records." His stage personality featured blunt sex routines. He never crossed over to the mainstream audience like others during that time.

The Washington Post said in a 1992 profile that “Moore was elaborately boastful, profane and scatological tales of life in the old-style urban subculture of pimps, prostitutes, gamblers and badmen.”

Moore's other notable acting credits during the era of black action films included The Human Tornado in 1976 and Disco Godfather in 1979.

The following clip contains brief nudity and adult language:

Lady Gaga - The Fame

Photo Credit: Interscope Records

Lady Gaga (real name: Joanne Stefani Gabriella Germanotta) is preparing to release her major label debut album and there is quite a buzz around this singer/songwriter. Her album, The Fame, is being released in the U.S. on 10/28/08 and the major online presence of the artist is predicted to propel the album nationally. First single, "Just Dance", which features Akon and Colby O'Donis and was produced by RedOne, has over 13 million hits on YouTube. Lady Gaga's MySpace Music profile also has over 13 million plays on the songs posted on site.

Lady Gaga is a singer songwriter from New York who has written songs for various artists including Britney Spears, The Pussycat Dolls and New Kids On The Block. Her album features electro, glam rock, reggae, dance, piano ballads, 80's music, with quirky lyrics and most of the songs are beat driven - she's found a way to integrate varying styles and actually makes it work to her advantage. Her songs have been featured on many hit shows including "Just Dance" on the MTV hit show The Hills, "Poker Face" on The CW hit show Gossip Girl, "Beautiful Dirty Rich" on ABC hit show Dirty Sexy Money, and "The Fame" on the Australian version of Make Me A Supermodel. Her production company Haus of GaGa has garnered Lady Gaga a wide array of exposure through media, technology and fashion - she has performed on various TV shows like Rove, Jimmy Kimmel, So You Think You Can Dance? Sommerkrysset, and the Miss Universe Pageant.

Lady Gaga, who attended various music schools (including NYU) and learned to play piano by the age of four, started out at New York clubs performing with bands and other artists and built a small empire through word of mouth and internet self promotion which has reached catastrophic levels that garnered her a record deal with Interscope Records.

Official Site: http://www.ladygaga.com/
MySpace Music Profile: http://www.myspace.com/ladygaga
YouTube Channel: http://www.blogger.com/youtube.com/user/ladygagaofficial?ob=4
MTV Profile: http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/lady_gaga/artist.jhtml

"Just Dance" music video:

Saw V Call Scares People

"Hello DeJuan, do you want to play a game? You'll never know how it ends."

The highly successful Saw series, which is set to release Saw 5 on October 24th, is getting themselves into trouble with their new ad campaign. The movie had a promo where users could go online and enter in a telephone number and Jigsaw would call the number provided and say, "Hello (name provided), do you want to play a game? You'll never know how it ends." This upset many unsuspected callers who then called their local authorities. The ad campaign has since been removed from the official website for Saw 5.

Saw 5 will be in theaters nationwide on October 24th.

J.Lo and Marc Renew Vows

Photo Credit: AOL Images

Jennifer Lopez and husband Marc Anthony were in Las Vegas over the weekend celebrating Marc's 40th birthday. While they were there, they caught up with Criss Angel for a special showing and shortly thereafter, renewed their vows inside the Forum Tower Penthouses at Caesar's Palace.

The couple, who have been married since June 5, 2004 in Lopez's backyard, have not officially commented on the vow renewal.

Marc and Jennifer married just five days after Marc's previous marriage ended in divorce.

Road to Recovery

Photo Credit: http://www.eonline.com/
Barker (left) with DJ AM (right)

Travis Barker and Adam “DJ AM” Goldstein survived a crash that occurred just before midnight on September 19 in Columbia, S.C. They were the only ones who escaped the crash surviving the two pilots and two passengers. The two passengers were Barker's assistant Chris Baker, and security guard Charles Still.
Travis Barker says seeing DJ AM has helped his recovery from the plane crash they survived.
"I got to see AM the other day. Seeing him after he was discharged was an inspiration. I saw just how awesome the doctors' work here is, and got to see how well he is doing. I am so happy to see him doing well, and we are both so lucky and grateful that we are alive today," Barker wrote on his MySpace blog Saturday.
"I want to give my deepest thanks to everyone who has helped deal with the current situation," the former Blink 182 drummer said. "First and foremost, Chris and Che were my friends. I would give up anything to have them here with us today, healthy and happy. "
KROQ is hosting a very special event to welcome home DJ AM. The party will be filled with huge DJ performances, all by personal friends of AM including MARK RONSON, CUT CHEMIST, MIXMASTER MIKE, STEVE AOKI, MOMJEANS AKA DANNY MASTERSON, DJ VICE, DJ HOMICIDE, DJ SPIDER, JUS SKE, GRAHAM FUNKE, STONEROKK, DJ FASHEN & MIKE B.
The welcome home party goes down on Tuesday October 14th at Avalon Hollywood from 10p-3am. Tickets are $20 each at www.wantickets.com with proceeds going towards the memorial funds of those lost in the recent tragedy.
Barker also says he will undergo is seventh surgery this week, and that on Saturday he was able to to move all the fingers on his right hand for the first time since the crash.

Slice's Match Ends in 14 Seconds. With Him on the Floor.

Photo Credit: www.cagepotato.com

During a nationally televised Saturday night match on CBS, Kimbo Slice lost by a technical knockout (TKO) in 14 seconds into the main event against Seth Petruzelli.

A crowd favorite with a reputation for great brawling skills, Slice was a favorite coming into the match. Because of a last-minute replacement, Petruzelli was given an opportunity to fight in the main event after original opponent, Ken Shamrock, suffered a cut above his left eye a few hours before the bout.

The match was over before the crowd even realized it had begun. The bell was rung and Petruzelli took a defensive guard against Slice's aggressive fighting style. After spotting an opening, Petruzelli quickly threw a short right hook, dropping Slice on all fours. After that, it was easy for Petruzelli to pound on Slice, landed a series of rights to the face. The referee was forced to jump in and stop the fight.

Many folks considered this a major upset. Others like Dana White, president of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, claim it's just an example of how badly Slice was over-hyped.

"He might be the toughest guy at the barbecue," White said earlier this summer. "But there's no way he's one of the best in Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)."

Kimbo Slice gained fame through the Internet by competing in and winning in backyard brawls.

Reason Rhymes His Way Into Hollywood

Photo Credit: The Carr Administration

Last night was a historic night for Orlando rapper, Reason, who performed for the first time in Hollywood at the Standard Hotel's Purple Lounge on Sunset Blvd.

"I came in here not knowing what to expect and I shut it down. The crowd was really feeling me. I'm excited to see what's next", he said after performing his hit songs "Stacks" and "Check My Swag".

The performance was attended by nearly 100 people who came as far as New York for the show. Although the relatively small crowd may have made it seem like the venue was close to empty, those in attendance let their presence be known as cheering could be heard from the hotel lobby. John, who flew from New York for the event said, "Reason is going to go far. Check his stats and watch him perform - he's incredible!"

Reason is currently working on a mixtape entitled "Rehab is for Quitters" which should hit stores later this month or early November. To hear more of Reason, visit him at http://www.myspace.com/thebestreason.

His Sunday night "Soul Night" performance will hopefully become a regular one as he is slated to perform again on the first Sunday in November.

October Performance And Exhibition Calendar

Here's a list of various events organized by the Mike Curb College of Arts, Media, and Communication, all of these events take place on campus during the month of October.

October

1-11 Hans Burkhardt: the CSUN collection
Main Gallery, Art and Design Center

3 CSUN Symphony
Lawrence Stoffel, guest conductor
Plaza del Sol Performance Hall
8 p.m., $10 / $7 / $5

4 Smothers Brothers
Plaza del Sol Performance Hall
8 p.m., $45

5 Faculty's Composer's Recital
Featuring works by: Daniel Hosken, Daniel Kessner, Liviu Marinescu, Elizabeth Sellers, and William Toutant
Musical Recital Hall, 8 p.m., $10 / $7 / $5

7 Wind Ensemble
"That Was Then: Looking Back at the Past 50 Years of Band Music."
Lawrence Stoffel, conductor
Plaza Del Sol Performance Hall
8 p.m., $10 / $7 / $5

10 Jazz "A" Band
Matt Harris, director
Guest Artist, Bill Reichenbach, bass trombone
Plaza del Sol Performance Hall
8 p.m., $10 / $7 / $5

10-12 The Importance of Being Earnest
Little Theater, Nordhoff Hall, Rm 121
Wed/Thurs 7:30 p.m., Fri/Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.,
$16 / $14, $13 / $8 students
Sun Oct 12 interpreted performance for deaf

Long before Monty Python, this wickedly irreverent masterpiece, The Importance of Being Earnest, earned its place as Britain's top comedy. An acerbic mix of wit, manners, and mistaken identity. Written by Oscar Wilde. Directed by Ron Popenhagen.

11 Laurine Phelut, classical guitarist
presented by the American Guitar Society
International Concert Series
Musical Recital Hall, 8 p.m.,
$20 / $15 AGS members / $10 students & seniors

Founded in 1923, the American Guitar Society proudly presents Laurine Phelut. Appearing in the Music Recital Hall Oct 11.

15-19 The Importance of Being Earnest
Little Theater, Nordhoff Hall, Rm 121
Wed/Thurs 7:30 p.m., Fri/Sat 8 p.m., Sun 2 p.m.,
$16 / $14, $13 / $8 students
Wed Oct 15 features a post-show discussion

Long before Monty Python, this wickedly irreverent masterpiece, The Important of Being Earnest, earned its place as Britain's top comedy. An acerbic mix of wit, manners, and mistaken identity. Written by Oscar Wilde. Directed by Ron Popenhagen.

24 Paul Taylor Dance Company
Plaza del Sol Performance Hall
Fri 8 p.m., $45

"The Paul Taylor Dance Company is one of the most exciting, innovative and delightful dance companies in the entire world." - The New York Times

24-30 Lynelle Miliate: Master of Fine Arts
Photography
West Gallery, Art and Design Center

27 Faculty Artist Series
Andy Malloy, trombone soloist
Music Recital Hall, 8 p.m., $10 / $7 / $5

30 An Evening of Small Group Jazz
Matt Harris, Gary Pratt and Gary Fukushima, directors
Music Recital Hall, 8 p.m., $10 / $7 / $5

31 Le Nozze di Figaro
Opera composed by Mozart;
David Scott and Judy Scott, directors;
David Aks, music director and conductor
Campus Theater, Nordhoff Hall, Rm 100
Fri/Sat 8 p.m., Sun 3 p.m.
$20 / $17, $13 / $8 students

31 Art the Vote: Graphic Design
Student Exhibition
Through November 6
Faculty Advisor, Paula DiMarco
West Gallery, Art and Design Center

31 Robert Barbera Invitational
The Communication Studies department and the Matador Forensics Society sponsors the Robert Barbera Invitational, an annual intercollegiate forensics tournament that brings competitors from colleges and universities around the nation. The invitational offers three exciting days of competition in parliamentary and policy debate, as well as public speaking.

SNL VP Debate Skit

Photo Credit: NBC

Saturday Night Live aired it's third Sarah Palin skit starring Tina Fey this Saturday. The skit features Queen Latifah as moderato Gwen Ifill, Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden and Tina Fey as Sarah Palin. The skit parodies all three participants in Thursday nights debate, making fun of Ifill's pending book release, Biden's need to emphasize the end of his sentences and his love/hate relationship with John McCain and of course Palin's tendency to dodge questions and change the subject, along with her overuse of the word "maverick". The three skits have proven to be ratings gold for SNL as ratings have soared well above the ratings of the show this time last year. Although Tina Fey is not currently on the SNL lineup, her appearances are being decided on a week to week basis and she might reprise her role as Sarah Palin in the near future. Here's a clip of the latest skit, enjoy!

O.J. Simpson Found Guilty

Photo Credit: Annie Leibovitz

A jury convicted Orenthal James “O.J.” Simpson on all twelve counts of armed robbery and kidnapping late Friday night. He was then handcuffed and taken into custody. He'll be sentenced December 5.
Simpson, 61, faces a possible life sentence for a six-minute confrontation with two sports memorabilia dealers last year at a down-market casino hotel.
Simpson's attorneys pledged to appeal. His longtime lawyer, Yale Galanter, cited jury selection as one basis for a new trial. None of the jurors were black.
Prosecutors painted Simpson as masterminding the alleged robbery of two sports collectibles dealers in a hotel room last year. The Hall of Fame running back rounded up five cohorts friends and told two of them to bring guns.
Simpson has said he and his associates were trying to retrieve stolen mementos from collectibles dealers Bruce Fromong and Alfred Beardsley in the Palace Station hotel room.
"We may quibble with how it was done, what was done," said Simpson attorney Galanter in his closing argument. "You may all say he didn't use common sense. But the real issue is whether he had criminal intent to commit a crime."
Prosecutors, however, say the group stole up to $100,000 in footballs, plaques and baseballs at gunpoint from the dealers, who had been tricked into thinking they were meeting a wealthy buyer.
Simpson maintains he never saw guns during the alleged robbery or asked anyone to bring one, although nearly everyone in Room 1203 testified to seeing at least one pistol. Two men -- Michael McClinton and Walter Alexander -- told jurors they carried a .45-caliber Ruger and a .22-caliber Beretta, respectively, at Simpson's request.
Jurors also heard phone calls that Simpson made from jail, a voice-mail in which Alexander appeared willing to slant his testimony for money, and a secret exchange between investigators at the crime scene in which they mocked the double-murder acquittal.
At the end of his closing argument, the prosecutor displayed Simpson's mugshots on a screen overlaid with the word "guilty."
The 1995 case Simpson was involved in became a cultural flash point that drew huge courthouse crowds and polarized black and white Americans.