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I’m sure most will be enjoying eggnog and holiday parties galore this weekend thus the lack of art openings and events to speak of. Thankfully we have singing ladies, cool clothing and big blue aliens to keep us busy.

• The lovely LA Ladies Choir will be hosting Take My Treasures, a silent auction charity benefiting the Children of the Night organization, as well as performing a special set of Christmas Carols at Hollywood’s Space 15 Twenty. Among the items for auction are donated treasures from Flea, Tom Petty, Kevin Willis, Lauren Dukoff, Jess Holzworth, Alia Penner, Will Lemon III, Billy Idol, Lucky Dragons, original sketches from the film Where The Wild Things Are and more to be announced.

• Homie PM Tenore’s RVCA clothing company doesn’t just make awesome clothes, they’re steadfast supporters of the arts (Artist Network Program), publishers of ANP Quarterly and now provider of fashion to Angelinos with the opening of their Fairfax based store. Grandly opening this Sunday, RVCA’s new location adds to their flagship Haight & Ashbury store in San Francisco. (thanks to the omnipresent Meghan Edwards for the reminder!)

• Oh yeah, and there’s this small 3D film by little Jimmy Cameron coming out too…

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The music Gods smiled down upon me on Friday as I was somehow able to get tickets to Thom Yorke’s super secret, super sold out surprise show at the Echoplex in Echo Park. Playing brand new music for the first time with his brand new band with no name which featured Flea, Nigel Godrich, Joey Waronker and Mauro Refosco, the show was supposed to be a “warm-up” for Sunday and Monday’s Orpheum shows but instead the capacity crowd of 325 (including Spike Jonze, Ellen Page, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt among others) was treated to a full 90 minute set! As intimate as small venue shows usually are, this one was special and will be playing over and over in my head for quite some time.

Extra special thanks to Steven Murashige for using my camera properly!

(Click here or the pics below to see more on Flickr)

Video of Thom Yorke, Flea and the new band performing “Harrowdown Hill”:

The evenings setlist courtesy of Stereogum:

01 “The Eraser”
02 “Analyze”
03 “The Clock
04 “Black Swan”
05 “Skip Divided”
06 “Atoms For Peace”
07 “And It Rained All Night”
08 “Harrowdown Hill”
09 “Cymbal Rush”
//
(Thom solo)
10 “Open The Floodgates” [NEW]
11 “Lotus Flower” [NEW]
12 “Skirting On The Surface” [NEW]
//
13 “Paperbag Writer”
14 “Judge, Jury, & Executioner” [NEW]
15 “The Hollow Earth”
16 “Feeling Pulled Apart By Horses”

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Films about an inspirational pop art nun (including ours), a Karaoke dance party, Muppets and more Muppets, and of course art openings highlight this weekends highlights.

• Pocket wallet pioneers Poketo take over Royal/T’s this summer with their storefront pop-up shop. Tonight they transform the joint into a Karaoke Dance Party with our fun Fluxer friends Jonathan and Meg Wells on an esteemed panel of judges.

• The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theater on Fairfax has Muppets on the mind once again as they bring back last year’s sold out showings of Jim Henson’s mind-blowing collection of shorts, crazy commercials, and other rarities including the not-be-to-be-missed Oscar winning Time Piece. Bonus: midnight screening of Henson’s feature film The Dark Crystal!

• With the Lotus Festival on hiatus this year the Echo Park Community Fest has come in to save the day, or weekend rather. Fun for all with carnival attractions, International foods, and the music of the lovely LA Ladies Choir with the Chili Pepper’s Flea (responsible for some songs from our Sister Corita film-more on that below)

• Giant Robot offers up prints to take home when the group show of 50 plus artists titled Printed Matter opens at GR2 on Sawtelle Saturday night. Featuring Bigfoot, Buff Monster, La Merde, Saelee Oh, Deth P. Sun, Albert Reyes, Andrew Jeffrey Wright and many more. Preview here.

• Constantly bringing the goods with their carefully curated shows, the Constant Gallery opens Desert Sexy “a survey of artists originating from and inspired by California’s low desert scene. Along with work by Logan/The Date Farmers, Anthony Lepore, and Peter Sutherland, we’ll be having an opening night musical performance by stoner rock progenitors Yawning Man (pre-Kyuss).” Check the preview here.

• Girls go wild as the Honor Fraser Gallery opens Bitch is the New Black, an all women art show featuring “fourteen Los Angeles-based women who are all emerging or established artists from roughly the same generation and are bright lights on the local scene.”

• Another Muppety evet at the Silent Movie Theater Saturday this time screening a matinee of Muppet Music Moments which, as you may have guessed, is a collection of musical performances from The Muppet Show.

• And finally end your weekend inspired as our short film (Become a Microscope: 90 Statements on Sister Corita) about the life and art of Sister Corita Kent will be screening at the Silent Movie Theater Sunday night alongside two other films by Corita’s friends, Mary’s Day (1964) by Baylis Glascock, and Survival With Style (1966) by Cal Bernstein, Alex Singer and Haskell Wexler. Both of these rare films will be screened from their original 16mm prints, and Mary’s Day will feature a live score by special musical guests!

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“To achieve great things, two things are needed. A plan and not quite enough time.”

-Leonard Bernstein

We’re really putting that quote to test as our short film on Corita Kent fittingly premieres this Friday the 13th as part of “Passion for the Possible: The Work of Sister Corita”, the unbelievable exhibit of her art. Pulling the vampire editing shifts since the beginning of the year at Cutters with Aaron Rose and Money Mark have made for many a late night and way too many early mornings, like today. But in doing so, we just might of made a film that Corita herself would be proud of. Please read on for the details:

Come spend this Valentine’s Day weekend with your favorite radical pop art nun from the 60’s, Corita Kent. The retrospective art show, “Passion For the Possible”, opens this Saturday afternoon from 1-4pm at the CSUN Art Gallery and is curated by Aaron Rose with cooperation from the Corita Art Center. And not only will you see an amazing collection of Corita’s art, but you’ll also be able to hand-silkscreen your own Valentine’s presents while being serenaded by an all ladies choir featuring some very special guests conducted by Lavendar Diamond’s Becky Stark with musical arrangements by Flea. All with enough time to spare for your Valentine’s evening plans. And in addition to this special show and our film’s premiere, 2 other short films on Sister Corita which were expertly made by Baylis Glascock during the 60’s will also be screening.

“Passion for the Possible” The Work of Sister Corita”

Opening reception

Saturday, February 14th, 2009 from 1-4pm

Film screenings

Friday, February 13th, 2009 starting at 8pm

Cal State Northridge Art Gallery
18111 Nordhoff St.
Northridge, CA 91330

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