The winners will receive a nifty $50 value gift pack containing the following goodies:

• 1 general admission passes to the Show
• 1 LA Auto Show T-shirts
• LA Auto Show Messenger Bag
• other goodies from the Show!

To win all you have to do is tell me why you want to attend and include a legit email address so I can contact you for mailing information on your prize package.

As we get closer to the auto show I’ll decipher and condense down the press releases, but Green Car of the Year is going to be celebrating its 5th anniversary and will be among the many events and premiers at this years show.

Details: LA Convention Center, LA Auto Show is open to the public Dec. 4-13. Hours are:
Weekdays: 11:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Saturdays: 9:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Sundays: 9:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m.

How sweet is this?  On Monday, LA DOT started a public beta for receiving live tracking information of your friendly neighborhood DASH service.  If you go to http://dtdash.com on your computer or phone, LADOT has provided four equally convenient ways for you to get your bus information:  1) you can live track your downtown DASH using Google Maps; 2) for the minimalists, you can simply use drop down menus to plug in your route and stop to get expected arrival times; 3) for those of us without Internet-equipped phones, call (213) 785-3858 and navigate the phone menu to hear arrival information; and 4) for those of us who don’t like talking to machines, but don’t mind texting one, figure out your stop number, and send a text to dtdash[stop number] to 414111.

Now, if we can get this set up for the MTA, that would be awesome.

If you miss the walk, the exhibit is open until November 20 and has fairly generous hours.  There are other LAvender Los Angeles events at the space, including a walking tour of prominent gay locales on Saturday.  The full schedule can be found here.

The LAvender Los Angeles exhibit is located at The Exchange, 114 W. 5th Street (between Spring and Main), and will be open today from 12pm-9:30pm. Other galleries on the Artwalk have their own operating hours, and, judging from past experience, the streets really crawl after 7ish.

Pretty nifty A R T photo taken by Sean_Yoda_Rouse via the Metblogs Flickr pool.

Tough Cookies battle The Swarm on Saturday night. Photo by Stalkerazzi f/8.

The L.A. Derby Dolls 2009 season is drawing to a close. With only one regular season bout left (then the Championship in December,) now is the time to get to the Doll Factory for the most exciting fast-paced, full-contact sport in Los Angeles. LA MetBlogs has your tickets, so read on to find out how to get them.

The bouts have continued to get more and more exciting throughout the season. This Saturday, November 14, the action will reach a fever pitch as the Tough Cookies (2008 Champions) take on The Swarm. Both teams are undefeated this season, and will battle for the top spot in the standings.

Come with me past the jump to win your tickets to this epic bout. As a special bonus, I’ve also got your tickets to Sunday’s Baby Doll Brawl…

In addition to the great bout on the banked track, Saturday’s event will feature a half-time performance by bass & drum rock duo Evil Beaver.

As if one evening of roller derby action wasn’t enough, Sunday will feature the semi-annual Baby Doll Brawl, where Hell’s Belles will face off against The Ice Vixens. This is an afternoon all-ages event, so bring the kids. Kids love roller derby. The Baby Doll Brawl is an exhibition bout for the league’s newest skaters. These girls give it their all and show their best stuff, hoping to get drafted for the 2010 season. In addition to the Baby Dolls, half-time will feature a mini-bout with the L.A. Junior Derby Dolls (8-17 year olds.) This is going to be big fun for the whole family. Even better, kids under 10 are free!

Of course, I’ll be there both days with the ref team, The Enforcers. Come find me (”Third Degree Burns!”) and say hi.

What:    L.A. Derby Dolls roller derby
Where:  The Doll Factory, 1910 Temple Street, Los Angeles.
When:   Saturday, November 14 (Tough Cookies vs. The Swarm.) Doors at 6:00pm, bout at 8:00pm.
When:   Sunday, November 15 (Hell’s Belles vs. Ice Vixens.) Doors at 3:00pm, bout at 4:00pm.
Why:     It’s awesome!

Now for the free tickets!

I’ve got a pair of tickets and a Derby Dolls t-shirt for two lucky winners (one for each bout.) Leave me a comment below and tell me why you should be one of those winners. For bonus points, tell me what your derby name would be. Make sure you let me know if you prefer Saturday or Sunday’s bout; I’ll do my best to accommodate.

Have you had a deep love of roller derby since watching the Thunderbirds on television in the ’70s? Did you see Drew Barrymore’s “Whip It,” and fall in love with Iron Maiven & Krissy Krash (Tough Cookies skaters featured in the movie?) Cheering them on at the Doll Factory is definitely a better idea than stalking them at Trader Joe’s. Have you just heard roller derby is the coolest thing going (probably from me,) and want to check it out for yourself? Whatever the reason, tell me about it below and those tickets may be yours.

Don’t want to take a chance on a contest? You can buy tickets to both bouts through the L.A. Derby Dolls website. Don’t wait too long; Saturday’s bout will definitely sell out.

Whether you win the contest or buy your tickets, I’ll see you at the Doll Factory this weekend!

Today, while walking down Broadway, I saw it from a different angle. The sun hitting the sign was too perfect not to capture. (It looked better in real life, trust me.)

'Jesus Saves' from Broadway

As I walked on south, I turn around to shoot more photos of my beloved Eastern building. Imagine my surprise as I noticed the shadow of the sign on the adjacent building.

'Jesus Saves' shadow

I am not a Christian, so this is more luck of the time of day for me. But for the lady at the bus stop who saw it when I pointed it out to my husband, it seemed to mean a lot to her; like she needed it.

A few weeks ago, Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina announced a $45 million renovation of this memorial to the nearly-extinct doughboy veterans of WW I. (God bless them all–my own late father-in-law included.) I’d hoped her plans would include some suggestions for more and better use of this handsome but obsolete facility, but not so….… Molina did promise a new kitchen and plumbing and that the renovated Hall would meet national LEED (Leadership in Energy Efficiency and Design) standards. These standards are usually brought to new buildings at their planning stage and cost a whole lot to attain. I’ve never heard of them being applied to the rehabbing of an 83-year old masonry pile built in the dawn of America’s  energy glut. So this part of the proposal  sounds like trying to turn a 1926 Hupmobile into a plug-in hybrid.

Patriotic Hall has long been a structure in search of a day-to-day function. It’s got a library and a fine 660-seat auditorium (the perfect size for chamber music concerts and small elementary-school graduations, but not much else) and galleries of pictures and displays from America’s wars going back nearly 150 years. It also houses the American Society of Military History, LA Chapter No. 5 of Disabled Veterans, the LA County Council of the American Legion, the Military Order of the Purple Heart and The Friends of Patriotic Hall. Not many  tenants for a building this size.

The problem is location. The 1800 block of South Fig St. is far from Civic Center and well off the downtown tourist trail. And LA County  veterans are served well enough by their local VFW and American Legion posts–plus the VA of course. The last time Patriotic Hall was really in the news was when it was renamed in 2003 after the late Bob Hope (My father-in-law, Capt. (ret’d) Min Hamilton of the  Army’s 42nd “Rainbow” Division, would surely have preferred that it be renamed after his own 1917 commander, Gen. John J. Pershing). Before that, I recall its being used in the early `80s as a shelter for homeless veterans. Maybe that was its best-ever use. But  you suspect the true purpose of this renovation is to create jobs, rather than to enhance a county public facility. The rehab plans had been lying around for a while and somehow the money was suddenly there. Now it will go into pay envelopes and the economy and help keep working people fed. That’s fine  with me. These recession days, none dare say “Pork.”

But Molina’s press release didn’t offer a clue as to where that $45 million fixerup money suddenly came from. Asking elsewhere around the county offices, I discovered this is in fact, funding from the ARRA or ‘‘American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009’’ – better known as the U.S. Stimulus Act that President Obama signed into law on February 17, 2009.  It’s odd that Supervisor Molina, one of the region’s top Democrats, wouldn’t mention where her funding originated. And maybe–even– show some gratitude.

By contrast, Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe, a registered Republican, made it very clear earlier this year that $160 million in Stimulus funds now available to LA County for pure employment creation came right out of the ARRA. (These funds will make for 10,000 varied temporary jobs lasting at least until September 2010).  Just last week, the county voted a couple more 7-figure public-works style programs, also confessedly funded with ARRA money. It’s not, you might think,  something you’d want to hide.

Politics being what it is, the more you express your gratitude to  the president and the members the congress people who got the act passed, the more likely you are to see more of said money. That apart, what’s wrong with the ancient  custom of just saying “thank you?”  Even if you happen to be the almighty Supervisor of LA County’s First District?

Lemmy Kilmister of Motörhead performs at Club Nokia.

Motörhead rocked my ass off. As they’ve done for the last 34 years, Motörhead hit the road with one thing in mind: Everything Louder Than Everything Else. Well done, boys.

Motörhead headlined Club Nokia at LA Live last Friday night in front of a packed house. Nashville Pussy and the Reverend Horton Heat opened the show and started to build the energy in the room, but when Motörhead took the stage the crowd exploded.

LA MetBlogs gave away tickets to the show, and invited the ticket winners to write about their experiences. Their accounts and more photos after the break.

Click the link for more…

Eddie Riggs & Kyle Gass (background) perform "The Roadie."

Just prior to Motörhead’s set, a roadie walked on the stage to check mics and drums. He seemed like most other roadies you’ve seen (dressed in black, baseball cap, scraggly hair,) though he may have been hitting the gym a little too hard. When he was done checking the stage, he approached the mic. That roadie was none other than Eddie Riggs (Jack Black,) from the new heavy metal fantasy video game “Brütal Legend.” The game also features the voice of Lemmy Kilmister, among other metal legends.

Black invited his Tenacious D partner, Kyle Gass, to join him onstage and the duo performed an ode to “The Roadie.”

Then the time had finally arrived. Motörhead walked on to the stage and Lemmy made a simple introduction in his familiar gravelly tone: “We’re Motörhead. We play rock & roll.”

Thus began a 90 minute aural assault that covered all the expected Motörhead classics, as well as great new songs from their latest CD, “Motörizer.”

MetBlogs reader Adam had this to say:

“Lemmy’s clearly the real deal. I was shocked at how immaculate his outfit is and that he truly looks exactly the same as he ever has. He hasn’t become fat and bloated like other 70s rock stars, but instead has aged rather gracefully, considering. His son came out the second to the last song on acoustic guitar. Of course, the second song he encored with was ‘Ace of Spades,’ which is naturally what everyone was waiting for and the mosh pit truly erupted like never before.”

Phil Campbell, Lemmy Kilmister and Mikkey Dee (behind drums) perform at Club Nokia.

Cary, one of our other ticket winners, added:

“There are, in my estimation, very few constants in hard rock. Although there may be bands who never disappoint, they are few. Slayer and Megadeth are sterling examples of bands who never disappoint, but there is no greater example than Motorhead. I am overjoyed to report that Motorhead continued their reign as the most dependably awesome band in hard rock with their performance at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. They came out of the gate on fire and they never let up, playing new stuff with which I was utterly unfamiliar and old stuff with which I am very familiar. Highlights of the set list, for me, included two of their best: Bomber and Killed by Death. Song after song, my ass was kicked. What more can you ask from a rock band?”

Indeed, what more can you ask from a rock band?  Therein lies the secret of Motörhead’s enduring success. Become the best at what you do, then do it consistently; song after song, night after night. Motörhead achieved legendary status long ago, yet they never phone it in; they never take that status for granted. They show up every night and give the fans what they want – a good ass kicking. That is why their fans (like me) will continue to see them again and again. That is why people who are (inexplicably) unfamiliar instantly become loyal fans upon experiencing Motörhead live.

Were you at the show? Leave a comment below with your thoughts on Motörhead’s awesomousity. Did you miss the show? You’ll probably want to chime in below with how bummed you are (and, you are) and how you’ll certainly not make the same mistake the next time Motörhead comes to town.

Thanks to MetBlogs readers Adam and Cary for contributing.
All photos by Burns!. They get bigger with a click of your mouse. More photos from the show, including Nashville Pussy and Reverend Horton Heat can be found here.

Eddie Izzard by Nick J. Webb, used under Creative Commons.

As I’ve mentioned previously, 826LA is my favorite non-profit organization. There may not be any profit, but it still takes a lot of money to do all the great work they do. Thus, there are occasional fund-raisers and benefits. 826 benefits are always win-win situations, though, because while they get the money, you get top-notch entertainment for a relative bargain price.

There are a couple of great 826LA benefits happening this week, starting with a very special show tonight at the EchoPlex featuring the spectacularly funny Eddie Izzard! This show was just announced, and as of this writing some tickets are still available for only $20 (plus a reasonable, non-TicketBastard service charge.) Race to get them at TicketWeb HERE. Izzard’s L.A. shows have historically sold out very quickly (with higher ticket prices,) so don’t wait.

On Friday night, M Bar Supper Club in Hollywood is the place to be for “Behind the Smoggy Veil: Tinseltown Tales.” This evening of comedy features (among others) Taylor Negron, and is hosted by my old friend, the very funny Sarah Taylor. Given the title, I’m going to guess it will be an evening of funny stories about life in Hollywood. This promises to be a great show as well, so call the number at the link above and make a table reservation now.

One week. Two benefits for 826LA. Two evenings full of laughter. You’re welcome.

Motörhead by Mark Marek Photography, used under Creative Commons.

Motörhead and special guest Reverend Horton Heat are coming to Club Nokia in downtown L.A. on Friday, October 9. Also on the bill are Nashville Pussy and Chelsea Girls. Best of all, LA MetBlogs has your tickets to the show.

Motörhead is one of my favorite hard rock bands. After 34 years on the road, Lemmy & co. still rock harder than most bands half their age. The influence they’ve had on rock & roll is undeniable. Ask any latter-day hard rock or speed metal band who taught them how to rock, and if they’re honest, the first name on the list will be Motörhead.

Here’s your chance to see these legends (and the other great acts on the bill) with Lucinda Michele & me!  Well, we’ll give you the tickets; whether you hang with us is up to you.

Tell me via comment below which band(s) you want to see and why. Or tell me about your favorite Motörhead song. Really, just tell me something that will convey how much you want, need, demand to be at this show. Winners will be chosen at my whim and notified via email, so make sure you enter yours correctly. Complete show info is here.

Bonus: My all-time favorite photo of Lemmy is here.

UPDATE: First, ticket winners have all been notified and confirmed. All the responses were great, and I wish I could take everyone to the show. If you didn’t win, buy tickets at the link above and meet us at the show. This is going to be an unforgettable concert!

Second, I just got off the telephone with Motorhead’s manager. He wanted to let everyone know that Motorhead will be on Jimmy Kimmel Live tomorrow (Thursday) night, so stay up late.

Finally, for those going to the show (which should be everyone,) doors open at 7:30pm, show starts at 8:00. Reverend Horton Heat goes on at 9:40, and Motorhead hits the stage at 11:00pm. Get there early to see Chelsea Girls and Nashville Pussy, and get ready for Motorhead to rock your ass off. Also, bring earplugs. Safety first.

See you at the show!