Free Music Concerts in Pasadena: 15-19 July

More free concerts! For another week of cool music, head down to Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena. It’s a great family evening, a romantic and inexpensive evening or a date with your favorite canine.

15 July 2009 (Wednesday) 7 p.m.

Children’s Night
Sarah Hickman is a opt children’s singer-songwriter from Texas.

16 July 2009 (Thursday) 8 p.m.

America Music

Spring Standards

A dynamic indie-folk trio with great harmony from Brooklyn, NY.

17 July 2009 (Friday) 8 p.m.

World Music

West African Highlife Band

Tribute to the highlife dance classics with rich African melodies

18 July 2009 (Saturday) 8 p.m.

Latin Music

Louie Beltran Cruz

Latin jazz and Afro-Cuban rhythms.

Do we really know about Cinco de Mayo? Their Web site will tell you and give you some cool tunes.

19 July 2009 (Sunday) 7 p.m.

Jazz

Harper Evans Project

Combining R & B vocals and stylish jazz standards.

For more info: Go to the Levitt Pavilion Pasadena Web site.

Free Music Concerts in Pasadena: 8-12 July

More free concerts! For another week of cool music, head down to Levitt Pavilion in Pasadena. It’s a great family evening, a romantic and inexpensive evening or a date with your favorite canine.

8 July 2009 (Wednesday) 7 p.m.

Children’s Night
Vagabond Puppets Presents: Ferdinand the Bull

The classic tale told with life-size puppets about the bull from Spain, based on the classic tale by Munro Leaf and illustrations by Robert Lawson. The story of the bull who wouldn’t fight will be told in a narrated ballet with a larger-than-life bull, masked dancers, and specialized mechanical figures. Each scene brings to life one of the pages of the book, and the puppets and scenery are based as closely as possible on the illustrations in the book. After the program, students will get involved in an on-stage demonstration of conflict resolution techniques without violence. This is the year of the Ox with a Year of the Ox-born president.

9 July 2009 (Thursday) 8 p.m.

America Music

Lovell Sisters
Georgia based mix of country, bluegrass and contemporary acoustics.

10 July 2009 (Friday) 8 p.m.

World Music

Viver Brasil
Bringing the music and dance of Brazil to life. If this music doesn’t make you’re hips move, you need to see a doctor!

11 July 2009 (Saturday) 8 p.m.

Latin Music

Boogaloo Assassins

Bringing the boogaloo sounds of Spanish Harlem to the West Coast. From what I’ve heard on their Web site, this will make you want to dance and I have to admit…I just love saying their name.

12 July 2009 (Sunday) 7 p.m.

Jazz

Pan African Peoples Arkestra

Veteran and rising musicians representing all forms of jazz.

For more info: Go to the Levitt Pavilion Pasadena Web site.

Harry Potter: A Musical?

Yes…fans have made musicals either using the musical from old and new standards and even not so famous musicals as well as using original lyrics. Love Harry Potter and Gilbert and Sullivan? There’s a musical for you. A phan of Phantom and Potter? There’s a musical for you. How about Lerner and Loewe? Or Rodgers and Hammerstein or even Sondheim. There’s a musical for you. Check out my article at Examiner.com.

Milongas by area (Los Angeles and OC)

East Los Angeles and San Bernardino County milongas

San Fernando Valley milongas

San Gabriel Valley milongas

West Los Angeles milongas

Milongas by day of the week (Los Angeles and OC)

Monday milongas
Tuesday milongas
Wednesday milongas
Thursday milongas
Friday milongas
Saturday milongas
Sunday milongas

Milongas and Tango-related Events in Los Angeles

I don’t know what’s happening with Tango Afficionado or Larry’s Tango page. Both have served the Los Angeles tango community so well for several years.

Ian and I have compiled information for those looking for events. The milongas are under listings and arranged by geographic locations as well as day of the week.

Monday milongas
Tuesday milongas
Wednesday milongas
Thursday milongas
Friday milongas
Saturday milongas
Sunday milongas

San Gabriel Valley milongas

Friday
Caltech Milonga

Dabney Hall

* Caltech, Pasadena (Click address for map & directions.)
* 3rd Friday of the month
* LESSON: Beginner – 9:00 pm – 10:00
* DANCE: 10:00 p.m. – 3:00 a.m.
* $7
* For details & maps see the CalTech Argentine Tango Club

Saturday
Milonga Los Amigos

The Dance Family Studio

* 1795 East Colorado Blvd,, PASADENA (Click address for map & directions.)
* 2nd Saturday of the month
* CLASS: 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm
* DANCE: 8:30 pm – 1:30 am
* $10 ($7 full-time students)
* Hosted by Linda Valentino
* For more info call Linda at (323) 653-5883
* email her at lindav@apurotango.com, or see her A Puro Tango

Milonga con Sabor

Pasadena City Dance Center

* 1368 N Lake, PASADENA (Click address for map & directions.)
* 1st and 3rd Saturday of the month
* CLASS: 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm
* DANCE: 9:00 pm – ??
* $15 Class, $10 Milonga
* Hosted by Laura Tate and Orlando Paiva, Jr.
* Paiva Tango

Milonga Los Amigos

The Granada

* 17 South First Street, ALHAMBRA (Click address for map & directions.)
* 4th Saturday of the month
* CLASS: 8:00 pm – 8:30 pm
* DANCE: 8:30 pm – 1:00 am
* $10
* Hosted by Linda Valentino
* For more info call Linda at (323) 653-5883
* email her at lindav@apurotango.com, or see her A Puro Tango

Sunday

Monthly Mobile Milonga (M3)

Various Locations

* Not every Sunday, please check site for details
* DANCE: 6:00 pm-10:00 pm
* FREE
* For more info, http://www.ministryoftango.org/news.html

For more listings and special events, go to my column with Ian at Examiner.com.

Levitt Pavilion Pasadena: Free Concerts 28 June-5 July

Levitt Pavilion Pasadena free summer concerts continue. The pavilion will be dark (no concert) on Independence Day (Saturday, July 4).

28 June 2009 (Sunday) 7 p.m.

Cross Hart Jazz Experience

Jazz standards with high-energy swing arrangements and hybrid grooves. This group is lead by bassist composter Ryan Cross and drummer Lorca Hart (son of Billy Hart). This group performs every Monday at the Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood. They were featured in an episode of “West Wing” and ER.
standards with high-energy swing arrangements and hybrid grooves.

1 July 2009 (Wednesday) 7 p.m.

Children’s Night

Aaron Nigel Smith and the FUNdamentals Band

An uptempo and exciting approach to music and movement. How cool is Aaron Nigel Smith? He’s been asked to join PBS’ “Between the Lions.” I’ve never seen this program, but if you a parent who’s in the know on that one, then that should tell you how good this guy is.

2 July 2009 (Thursday) 8 p.m.

America Music

Delgado Brothers- Monrovia based

Latin blues band with plenty of soul and funk. Sponsored by Darrell G. Brooke, Attorney at Law. Isn’t it cool that a some local boys can hang together and make music? Ian and I weren’t invited to their new album release party in June, but you can sample some tracks on their Web site. The new album is called “Let’s Learn to Fly.”

3 July 2009 (Friday) 8 p.m.

World Music

Emilie Simon

Artful music from French artist, mixing acoustic and electronic.

4 July 2009 DARK! No Performance.

Musica Latina. OK this might be bad, but remember, the Delgado Brothers play on 2 July. Some Latino music is so American.

Dark

5 July 2009 (Sunday) 7 p.m.

Jazz Night

Barbara Morrison

Jazz and blues classics. I heard her sing at the Lindygroove. Go! This lady was born and raised in Michigan and her vocal talent has been on the “Tonight Show” with Jay Leno and was featured on the soundtrack of Denzel Washington’s “The Hurricane.” Need I say more?
For more info: Go to the Levitt Pavilion Pasadena Web site.

How to Gain Fame: Being a Cocksucker

Connie Hamzy is a cocksucker. Literally. And she’s proud of it. She got herself included in the lyrics of a song by Grand Funk. In their song, “We’re an American Band,” the band tells, “Out on the road for 40 days/ Last night in Little Rock put me in a haze/ Sweet, sweet Connie, doin’ her act/ She had the whole show and that’s a natural fact.”

According to “Spin” magazine, she’s 50. Imagine, being 50 and her only claim to fame is that she’s given oral sex to rock stars. In the old, days, I mean the really old days, a woman could be a courtesan or a mistress. Hamzy is a one-night or maybe just 5-minute mistress. Once women didn’t have very many ways of achieving fame and fortune. Today that has changed and yet some women feel that they are doing something worthwhile by sucking some strangers cock?

We’ve come a long way since we didn’t have the vote, but we have a long way to go. Thanks “Spin” magazine, for reminding women everywhere that there are men out there who will treat their “fans” like disposable orifices of pleasure. The question the reporter didn’t ask was did she ever contract any STDs, but I guess that would spoil the male fantasy of being a rock star. Are there more questionable ways of gaining fame? It’s hard to think of at the moment.

What You Need to Know About SPAM

Talking about the kind of SPAM that you eat, did you know some sell for $10? Did you know there’s a SPAM museum with free admission. Did you know SPAM helped save the British during the war? Suddenly, I understand that line in “Spamalot.”