Thought the holiday season was over, taking with it all reasons for indulgence and celebration? Fear not, for though February is most associated with Valentines Day (fondly termed by many as “Single’s Awareness Day”), it’s also the month of Mardi Gras!

According to Wikipedia,”Mardi gras is French for Fat Tuesday, referring to the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season, which begins on Ash Wednesday”. Though the USA might not be known for its celebration of Mardi Gras or Carnival the way other countries are, traditionally the French influenced cities have kept the tradition up with lively festivities. Whether or not you plan to partake in the entirety of Lent, if you’ll jump at any chance to have a good time (Cinco de Mayo, your half-birthday, your dog’s half-birthday, etc.) then there’s a party in the Gaslamp with your name on it!

The Gaslamp Association has provided a very detailed website dedicated to the event, which will take place on February 21, beginning in the evening at 6pm and lasting until midnight. As “the largest Mardi Gras celebration on the West Coast” with tickets priced at only $20 in advance and $25 at the door, attending won’t break the bank. Want to get even more bang for your buck? Buy a $30 ticket and get admission plus a $20 voucher to a number of restaurant establishments in San Diego–”some are right in the middle of the festivities and some have a quiet spot for you to relax.” No matter what kind of food you prefer, the variety of restaurants available will surely please even the pickiest of eaters. Try steak at the Gaslamp Strip Club or fondu at the Melting Pot. Either way, purchase your ticket early to avoid wasting precious party time standing in a line!

There will be DJs providing dance music all night, an awesome parade full of vibrant characters, plenty of enticing food vendors, and all kinds of like-minded people to meet. According to the website, many get into the spirit of things by dressing up. Make or buy your own mask! Put on some colorful clothing and, if masks aren’t your thing, paint your face instead. Mardi Gras beads are one of the things most commonly associated with the day, so read up at mardigrasday.com to learn a little bead history. According to the site, the colors of the beads have a unique meaning. “The Purple, represents justice; the Green symbolizes faith; and the Gold exemplifies power.” While acquiring beads is generally associated with questionable behavior, make sure to keep it classy while still having a great time.

The event is not suitable for children or pets and certain objects like umbrellas and cameras are not allowed in, so make sure to read up on the rules of the venue before heading out to avoid problems. If you’re over 21 and have an adventurous spirit, hit up the Gaslamp district this February 21st and celebrate Mardi Gras the way it was meant to be celebrated!

Photo by karrett Barbosa – Fallen Studios via Flickr.

This two-day event January 28-29 will feature over 20 performances that range from lion and dragon dances, martial arts demonstrations, traditional Chinese music performances, folk dances, taiko drumming and a wide variety of food and craft vendors.  There will also be a Children’s Craft Area, where young ones will learn how to make traditional lanterns and masks.  They may even be chosen to participate in the Lantern Parade, which takes place on the main stage at 2:00 p.m. each day.

Of course, the history of these celebrations extend deep into the roots of the Chinese culture.  It is often said that Chinese New Year, or the Lunar New Year, is the most important of all traditional Chinese holidays.  It marks the end of the winter season and the first of Spring.  Usually, families gather for a traditional feast, and relatives pass red envelopes bearing undisclosed amounts of money to younger generations.  As with any new year, it is important to reconcile, forgive grudges, wish peace and happiness to friends and neighbors and start the new year with a clean slate.

“The Chinese New Year is an important event in the Chinese community – a time for family and friendship and giving thanks,” says Kwong Hui, SDCC president.  “We welcome the San Diego community to share our celebration of the Year of the Dragon.”

The best part is everyone is invited to this weekend’s extravaganza.  Yes, admission is free, and all are welcome to take part in the festivities.  This would be a great opportunity to spend time with family, introduce friends to another culture, taste authentic Chinese food or just share in the celebration.

All proceeds from the event go towards the cultural programs and charitable service provided to the community by the San Diego Chinese Center.

Key Details:

What: San Diego Chinese New Year Food and Cultural Fair

Where: Asian Pacific Thematic Historical District ( Third Ave and J Street)

When: Jan 28-29, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Admission: FREE, all ages

For more information, please visit here.

Images by John Salmon and Hub☺ via Google Images and Flickr.

Compare with 2011. “J. Edgar” suffers from a weak script and meandering direction.  “Hugo” is visually amazing and a loving tribute to cinema, but the story is laborious and surprisingly feels a little empty.  “Midnight in Paris” and “The Artist” are more in the category of musical/comedy.

Hosted by Ricky Gervais, who toned down his jabs and was underwhelming this time, the Golden Globes was a night of nice predictability, mixed with a surprise or two. No surprises at all with George Clooney winning ‘Best Actor’ for “The Descendants“  or Martin Scorsese as ‘Best Director’ for “Hugo.”  Meryl Streep as ‘Best Actress’ for “The Iron Lady” or Michelle Williams as ‘Best Supporting Actress’ for “My Week with Marilyn.”  The last two are on my must-watch list (“The Iron Lady” was long-delayed and just opened in San Diego this week).  These are the kinds of films that are obvious “awards-bait.”  We’ll see if they hold true for the Oscars.

I thought for a moment that “Hugo” might win ‘Best Picture’ and hoped that it wouldn’t (although the Academy Awards might disagree because of the Scorsese factor, visuals, and celebration of cinema).  I was pulling for “The Descendants” or “The Ides of March“  (for screenplay at the least).  “The Descendants” is incredibly affective and highly satisfying as a whole.  “The Ides of March” is exceptionally written and executed.

Gervais did pull off the biggest joke of the night, “Now the Hollywood Foreign Press have warned me that if I insult any of you or any of them or offend any viewers or cause any controversy whatsoever, they’ll definitely invite me back next year as well.”

And the winners are…

Best Motion Picture – Drama
Winner: “The Descendants”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama
Winner: George Clooney for “The Descendants”

Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner: “The Artist”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama
Winner: Meryl Streep for “The Iron Lady”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner: Jean Dujardin for “The Artist”

Best Director – Motion Picture
Winner: Martin Scorsese for “Hugo”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner: Octavia Spencer for “The Help”

Best Screenplay – Motion Picture
Winner: “Midnight in Paris” – Woody Allen

Best Animated Film
Winner: “The Adventures of Tintin”

Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy
Winner: Michelle Williams for “My Week with Marilyn”

Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture
Winner: Christopher Plummer for “Beginners”

For a complete list of Golden Globe winners, you can visit the official website.

Stay tuned for the Oscars!

Copyright (c) 2012. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).  Twitter: http://twitter.com/the_moviemaven

Some might believe it’s the Turkey Football Games, games that keep the men riveted in their seats on the couch while the rest of the family cooks hard at the stove. But it’s not the football that has people looking forward to Thanksgiving week.

It’s the jaw-dropping sales as stores dramatically lower their prices on a wide range of items, from TV’s and laptops to clothes and shoes. Where mothers will be cat fighting each other over Christmas gifts for their children, and the Dads will be stuck on sentry duty in the mile long purchase line. The sales representatives looking like they have aged about 10 years after the day is done. Yep, its time for the famous Cyber Monday and Black Friday deals.

Stores this year will be scheduled to open as early as 4 a.m., some even at 12 a.m.. The first of the two major shopping days, Black Friday, will happen next Friday, November 25^th, which will then be followed by Cyber Monday on November 28^th.

Cyber Monday is a recent addition that has been added over the past few years due to the increased popularity of online shopping. Some retailers, like Amazon, will only offer these cyber deals for a limited number of hours before placing the original retail price back on. Requiring consumers to hover constantly over their site in anticipation for finding the perfect deal. With all this craziness of sales, how can one take best advantage over it?

The site, My Cyber Monday Deals, recommends that consumers sign up for many of the retailers’ mailing and email lists. This will enable the stores to send them updates and flyers on any “hot items” that become available.  The Top 5 Cyber Deals will be Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Target, and Kohls. Unfortunately many of the deals will not be shown unless you are either an email subscriber or are willing to wait until that day to see the sales.

For Black Friday, retailers such as Amazon, Target, Kohls, GameStop, Costco, Babies R Us, Best Buy, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Kmart, JC Penny, Home Depot, Macy’s, Old Navy, Radio Shack, and more offer huge marked down prices on their electronics, clothes, and toys.

At Amazon, some decreased prices include a Pye Color Back up Camera that will go down from $224.99 to $74.99, a 67 percent difference. The site also offers an Early Black Friday Deals week. Best Buy is offering electronics such as camcorders with 50 percent off price deductions.

Kmart will be offering their Ario 32″ LCD HDTV for just $199.99.

With Macy’s, there will be even more crazy sales such as their sale of 40 percent off all regular-priced coffeemakers, tea kettles and espresso makers. They also will offer diamond earrings for $39.99, originally $160, and a Kodak EasyShare digital camera for $99, originally $169.99. They will be opening at 12am that Friday.

With such huge sales prices this year, it will be interesting to see the number of consumers coming to the stores. For more Black Friday Deal info check out: http://www.blackfriday.info/

Photos courtesy of Vytis1, Gridprop, and Dustin via WikiCommons.

Last year the special date was 10-10-10, the year before, 9/09/09, and so on. However, this year’s date is more significant due to the fact that the numbers are exactly the same in a sequence. The next time this will happen will be a hundred years from now in the year 2111.

According to the Time and Date site, the last time this phenomenal date happened was back in 1911 when The Great Blue Norther blew in that affected those who resided in the central United States. The site stated, “Many cities had record high temperatures in the early afternoon and record dropping temperatures by nightfall. This was the only day that many cities in the Midwest were able to break record highs and lows for the same day.” The cause behind the cold front was a strong storm that split the warm air from the cold freezing air.

Other special days that occur on the 11^th are the annual Veteran’s Day in the United States and also Australia and Canada’s Remembrance Day. This date is held to honor those in the military who have fought for their country. It also celebrates the day the armistice was signed in 1918 to end WWI hostilities between Germany and the Allied Nations.

In the United States, veterans nationwide are thanked for their services to their country. In Australia, for it’s Remembrance Day, many stop in a moment of silence at exactly 11am in honor of those who have died in wars as far back as WWI. Time and Date stated that numerous Australians “wear artificial poppies on the day and key political figures make speeches in remembrance of the nation’s fallen heroes.”

Besides the history behind November 11, what makes 11-11-11 so special? There are those who believe that the date is spiritually linked with the impending doom of the Mayan 2012 prophecy. To them, the date will begin a new era of spirituality. According to Live Science, “Nov. 11, 2011 most likely became linked with Dec. 21, 2012 when believers noticed that the U.S. Naval Observatory had set the exact time of the 2012 winter solstice for 11:11 Universal Time on Dec. 21, according to John Hoopes, a scholar of Maya history at the University of Kansas.” Whichever the case may be for how the date became linked to the Mayan prophecy, many do find the date to be a special moment in their lives.

Thousands view the date as the spiritual motivator to get married as they gather at wedding chapels today. Walt Disney, in honor of the date, will be hosting 11 weddings on 11-11-11. Some see the double digits as bringers of luck.

For those who are movie fans, especially horror/doom films, they will be happy to know that a new film, “11-11-11” was released today, but is only being shown in selected markets.

If you are a fan of the Saw films, I am sure you will enjoy this one as the film franchise’s director, Darren Lynn Bousman, is also directing the new film. “11-11-11” is a about a troubled man who is plagued by a mysterious dark force that enters Earth through Heaven’s 11^th gate.

So whether you’re getting married, preparing for doom, honoring the veterans, or watching a good horror flick, make sure you enjoy the significance of this special day. For you may not live to see this double prime number again, unless you live up to the next 100 years.

Photos courtesy of fsse8info via Flickr and Photographer’s Mate 2nd Daniel J. McLain and Ancient People via WikiCommons.

Here in San Diego, a major military hub since World War II, no one appreciates our soldiers more.  Here is a list of Veterans Day celebrations in commemoration of our brave troops:

Veterans Day Parade (Downtown)

An annual event that takes place along Pacific Highway from Cedar to Harbor Drive, this year’s parade theme honors all the men and women who served during Desert Shield/Desert Storm.  The parade started at 11 a.m.

USS Midway ‘s “Salute to America’s Veterans”

Veterans can attend the museum aboard the USS Midway all day on Friday for free.  All proceeds from the day’s museum tickets will go to the Veterans Village of San Diego.  For more information, call (619) 544-9600.

The Veterans Museum at Balboa Park

The Veterans Museum is offering FREE admission for everyone on Veterans Day.  See exhibits on WWI, Pearl Harbor, Korea, Vietnam and Southwest Asian conflicts.  There will also be real veterans present who are more than happy to talk about their experiences firsthand.  The museum is located at 2115 Park Boulevard, San Diego, and open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

President Obama to attend the first Carrier Classic

That’s right, President Obama is scheduled to fly into San Diego this afternoon to attend the first ever Carrier Classic, a basketball game between the University of North Carolina Tar Heels and the Michigan State University Spartans.  The game will take place at 4 p.m. (PST)on the flight deck of the USS Carl Vinson.  The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

So this Veterans Day, make an effort to commemorate the brave men and women who have served in protecting the freedoms we so often take for granted.  Take the time to march, salute, remember, or thank someone who has served.

Images courtesy of √oхΠƒx™ and US Army Africa via Flickr.

Winner of the 2010 Blues Music Award for Entertainer of the Year, Castro, 56, started playing guitar at the age of 10.  Inspired by blues legends like Eric Clapton and B.B. King, Castro quickly gained recognition as he toured with his band around the Bay Area in the 70s.  His music can be described as a combination of blues, soul, and rock and roll.

Today, Castro is a decorated musician, winning multiple honors for his accomplishments -among them Blues Male Artist of the Year (2010), Contemporary Blues Album of the Year (2010), B.B. King Entertainer of the Year (2008 and 2010), and Band of the Year (2010).

In over thirty years as a musician, Castro has performed in front of millions of people all across the world.  One of his projects, The Tommy Castro Band, served as the house band for three seasons on NBC’s “Comedy Showcase” in the mid-90s.  Afterwards, Castro opened for B.B. King’s summer tours in 2001 and 2002.

The Chicago Sun-Times has described Castro’s music as “Memphis soul-drenched R&B…top-of-the-line blues.”  His energy and enthusiasm during his performances on stage reaffirm what fans already know to be true –Castro has a relentless passion and natural gift for what he does.  His voice, which has often been compared to Otis Redding in the 60s, is remniscent of a time long before synthesized beats and autotuned vocals –just pure honest music.

Castro’s latest album, Hard Believer (2009), is currently #2 on Billboard’s Blues Chart.  It is described as “irresistibly funky…[with] a street-level grit and a soulful sincerity that’s impossible to ignore.”  It won him Album of the Year at last year’s Blues Music Awards.

Despite all of his achievements, perhaps the most accurate reflection of Castro is in his own lyrics:

“I roll when I rock, I stroll when I walk

I talk slow when I talk, Just a little bit of soul

When I rock and roll and then the whole mystery unfolds”.

For more information about Saturday’s event or for tickets, please visit: here.

SDEntertainer has compiled a list of great events, so that you could retire all those safe with zip-appeal costumes forever and don the greatest adventure of your lives. And don’t think – ditch the old witch-suit, smear on some tanning lotion along with a great boudoir wig, and adjust that wicked crackle that will surely scare away any pedestrian and you may have gotten yourselves a great Jersey Shores’ guise. Check out our list of events below – a great costume needs an even greater occasion to show-off the goods.  Let the festivities begin!

Del Mar Scaregrounds

The 14^th annual Screm Zone is San Diego County’s largest haunted experience.  From 7:00pm to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, 7:00 to 11:00pn other days, starting September 30, the Del Mar Fairgrounds will be opening up its doors to victims far and wide.  In its 14^th year, Scream Zone has amped up the terror and bloodcurdling scares.  Prepare yourselves, this year will include advanced scare-tastic attractions like House of Horror, The Chamber and The Haunted Hayride.  For more info, please visit www.thescreamzone.com.

The Haunted Hotel

The Haunted Hotel, located downtown in the Gaslamp District, is the longest running haunted house in San Diego, according to their website. It has been rated one of the top 13 haunted houses in America and was also featured on the Travel Channel in 2009. Since then, the “hotel” has worked hard to maintain the scary tradition the venue is known for.

The Haunted Hotel is open and this year you’ll go down the “Hellevator” to Freddy Krueger’s workshop which twists and turns through room after room where zombies and the un-dead will keep you on your toes.

Balboa Park’s Haunted Trail

The Haunted Trail is San Diego’s only all outdoor haunted attraction, twisting and turning through Balboa Park, which has been transformed to visitors’ worst nightmare. The mile-long trail is full of spooks and surprises; you’ll never know when someone or something will jump out.  This year you’ll also find the addition of a maze called “The eXperiment”. For an additional fee “you can find out what happens when Mother Nature takes her eye off the ball for even just a second,” says the site.

Hard Rock Hotel Halloween

On Saturday, Ocotober 29, the Hard Rock is hosting a great Halloween extravaganza in San Diego.  The hotel will be transformed into a high-end haunted house with plenty of celebrity-ghouls haunting the sanctuary.  VIP Halloween party room packages are currently available online.

11^th Annual Dos Equis XX Monster Bash

The streets of downtown San Diego will be blocked off for the annual Monster Bash block party.  This once a year bash is one of the largest and most unique Halloween party experiences in America’s Finest City.  With three themed Mega-Clubs bouncing to the beat of featured DJs that include Kurch and DJ shift, the sexiest and scariest costume will also take home $3,000 for wowing the crowd.

Haunted Harbor Cruise

Flagship Cruises and events is hosting a new Haunted Harbor Cruise on Saturday, October 29.  This extremely upscale event will feature entertainment by DJ Digital Opinion, Frankie Lektro, and DJ Business.  In addition to a Halloween costume contest, drink specials, taco bar, and a few ghouls running around, step aboard for a rendezvous over the harbor that you’d never forget.

Halloween Ball at The Prado

The Halloween Ball at The Prado at Balboa Park will be transforming the historical venue into a wonderful escapade enough to wake up the spirits into joining the fun Monday, October 31.  With a great lineup of MCs including DJhere Productions, Dtown Productions and TK Productions, the event will also be boasting over 20 bars and four different areas of music.

Photo Courtesy of Andrew Ackroyd via Flickr

Ocean Beach Oktoberfest

Ocean Beach’s Oktoberfest will last two nights, Oct. 7 – 8, and will be found at Newport Ave. and Abbott St., in the pier parking lot. Lasting to 10 p.m. on both nights, OB promises a jam-packed schedule filled with live music, beer, and lots of food. Friday will kick off the festivities with a Beer Garden Band Slam at 4 p.m.

Don’t miss this battle of the tribute/cover bands so you can help your favorite win a cash prize of $4,000.

91X will be hosting Happy Hour for 91 minutes, from 5 p.m. to 6:31 p.m., and will be broadcasting live from the event until 7 p.m.

Make sure you make it for the 2 for 1 beers and don’t miss the Beer Garden Blonde’a’thon, which guarantees free admission and a free beer-drinking boot to anyone who shows up before 6:31 p.m., sporting a blond wig or blond braids.

Saturday begins even earlier, at 10 a.m., and gets started with the OB Brew Cup microbrew festival from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It begins with a Bloody Mary Morning celebration at 11 a.m. and is followed by traditional contests, such as bratwurst-eating and stein-holding. The sausage toss contest will award $10,000 cash prize to the very lucky winner. The outdoor area will be free but there will be a $3 donation fee to enter the Beer Garden, the money going to support the OB community.

Tasting tickets will cost you $15 but they afford you 6 tastes from various local microbrews. There will also be an all-ages area available, as well as many musical performances, including Electric Waste Band, Tommy Cubs, The Heavy Guilt, the Naked Funk, Bateke Beat, Tribal Theory, and the Bavarian Beer Garden Band.

El Cajon Oktoberfest

Another festival that always satisfies is El Cajon’s Oktoberfest. Not to be outdone, El Cajon offers their festivities two weekends in a row, Sept. 30 to Oct. 2 and Oct. 7 to Oct. 9. Taking place at 1017 S. Mollison Ave., it will cost just $5 for adults and will be free for those with military IDs.

El Cajon’s Oktoberfest is known for its authentic German music and this year is no different. The band Guggenbach-Buam, from Baden-Württemberg, Germany, will be playing rousing Oom-pah songs while dressed in traditional clothing.

While listening to music you would hear in Bavaria, enjoy a wide range of German food, including bratwurst, ox-on-a-spit, potato salad, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and wide variety of German pastries. Of course, there will be no shortage of German beers and liquors. Also available will be all the games and contests one would expect, interesting vendor and craft booths, and a fun zone dedicated to all the kids.

Other Oktoberfest festivities can be found in La Mesa, Carlsbad, and Julian. All you need to do is find the one closest to you, round up a fun group of people, and drink and eat like you’re in Bavaria, Germany!

The giant celebration known as Oktoberfest began with a royal wedding in Munich, Bavaria, Germany in 1810, where Prince Ludwig of Bavaria, later to be King Ludwig I, was married to Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen.

Wanting his wedding to be a giant event and celebrated by the masses, the Prince arranged an open festival to be held on the fields in front of the city gates. He invited all the citizens of Munich to attend and organized a horse race to close the festivities. The event was so beloved that it was decided to replicate the horse race the following year, adding on an agriculture show as well.

Over the years, Oktoberfest began to take shape, eventually cutting the horse race out of the festival and holding the agriculture show every three years. Over time many more features were added, including carousels, swings, food, and beer stands that gave way for entire tents and halls dedicated to drinking Munich-brewed beer.

While Oktoberfest has reached far and is celebrated in many different countries, Munich still has the largest festival in the world, and people from all over make it their yearly vacation spot.

The festivities are still held on the same fields they were back in 1810, now named Theresienwiese (often shortened to “Wies’n”), meaning “Theresa’s Fields,” in honor of the Princess.

With roller coasters, carousels, games, music, performances, food stands, events, a hall that can fit 94,000 people, and copious amounts of beer, Munich’s festival continues to outshine every other attempt. While it began as a brief wedding celebration, today it has been stretched out to span two weeks, beginning in the third weekend of September and ending on the first Sunday of October.

That means that this year’s Oktoberfest runs from Sept. 17 to Oct. 2, and if you aren’t able to immediately hop on a plane to Germany, you may want to check out the many Oktoberfest festivals going on right now in and around San Diego. Many events take place throughout October. Stay tuned to the Entertainer for a detailed list of events in which to partake.

Over 175 local food and beverage vendors will be at the celebration this year, and guests will be able to enjoy live music, a silent auction, the Critter Casino, animal meet-ups, and rides on the Skyfari aerial tram.   “Our annual Food & Wine Celebration (formerly known as Celebration for the Critters) is a highly-anticipated event in San Diego as it marries the best culinary experiences the city has to offer with a fun night at the Zoo to support important conservation efforts,” said Mark Stuart, president of The Foundation of the Zoological Society of San Diego at the San Diego Zoo.

Cymer, Inc. has sponsored the Food and Wine Celebration for the last six consecutive years, giving $4 million to support educational, environmental, civic, cultural and health initiatives that enrich the San Diego community.

“We believe in their course towards conservation of animals,” said Blake Miller, the Vice President of Marketing for Cymer, Inc.  Not only does Cymer share a technological relationship with the San Diego Zoo, but also a philanthropic connection that strengthens the relationship, Miller said. “Plus it’s a great opportunity to support a great cause while having a great time in a great setting.”

The zoo will reserve a special area Saturday night to host the celebration , as over 3,000 guests are expected to attend this year’s event.  It is an adult event (21 and over only), and cocktail casual attire is recommended.

General admission tickets are currently on sale for $100 per person, which include food and wine samples.  All the proceeds go to San Diego Zoo’s Institute for Conservation Research.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please visit: http://www.sandiegozoo.org/zoo/celebration/2011/faqs

Images courtesy of ConspiracyofHappiness and isante_magazine via Flickr.

At the Red Carpet, SDEntertainer had the chance to speak with some of the minds behind Invisible Children.

“We’re basically a film production company,” said co-founder, Jason Russell, modestly about his project that has reached millions with its production crews and is constantly working towards increasing support for non-profits and other organizations in professional media.

An non-profit organization that has nurtured its foundation in the very hallways of UCSD campus, Invisible Children is now one of the biggest movements towards raising awareness for the mobilizing of thousands of African children from the war-trodden fields to safety.  And taking home the Most Effective Awareness Campaign by a Charity award, the Invisible Children-team only hopes to draw more of the media’s attention toward the immediate problems in turbulent war-zone areas, where young children are torn from their homes everyday.

Alongside the key speakers of the night were hopefuls relishing in the opportunity to discover new charities they could collaborate with.  One of these aspiring philanthropists was none other than Virgil Gibson, lead singer to and one of the original members of the Platters during the American doo-wop period.  Hoping to find a suitable charity to donate his time and money to, Gibson was scouting the crowds at the annual Stay Classy award ceremony for a worthy cause.  As the evening continued to unveil the different stories behind each charity and organization, the Stay Classy Awards proved to be in abundance of young entrepreneurs on the forefront of doing good for the sake of others.

But what stood out that night had to be the stories.  As the nominees walked onstage to collect their awards, many of the awardees were in tears as they shared what has impact them.  Every story and every tear shed had an almost humbling effect over the audience, and that was because for the majority of the night, the great thinkers and spirited leaders that filed onstage and filled the arena were young entrepreneurs.

And as cheesy as it sounds, this proves that anyone can make a difference.  Looking at the latest generation of iPad-crazed, technology-influenced parade of young ‘uns bears fruit to what is starting to look like a world where Internet connectivity is detracting from real time interaction, you can only hope that the next generation of youngsters will have enough stamina to tear their eyes from the screen to listen to you.  But replace all those touch-screen tablets with real life problems and our youth or generation of young adults prove they can not only impact lives, but also raise awareness for issues that plague the world.

Actress and philanthropist, Jamie-Lynn Sieger hosted the evening’s festivities, and under her direction, we gained more insight behind some of the great charities running nation-wide as well as some entertaining tidbits with one of the the founding members of the Mo’ Bros and presenter, Tebreez Verjee of Kiva.org.

Congratulations to the Winners!

Charity of the Year: The Soldiers Project from Los Angeles, California

Best New Charity: Marley’s Mission from Scranton, Pennsylvania

Philanthropic Business of the Year: Panera Bread from Saint Louis, Missouri

Philanthropic Small Business of the Year: Nika Water from San Diego, California

Without rubbing it in too much, all I can say is that, if you weren’t in Ocean Beach this past Saturday for the OB Music and Arts Festival, you missed out on one hell of a fun day.

Fortunately, this writer was lucky enough to be in attendance, so without further ado here are a few of the highlights from my day filled with sunshine, food and booze, tunes, and visual pleasure.

Food and Drink

As soon as I approached Newport Avenue, the location of the festival in Ocean Beach, a few things took me by surprise.  First, parking and traffic was not as bad as I thought it would be.  Second, buying tickets and getting wristbands for access into the festival was incredibly easy as there were multiple ticket tents set up on every corner of the street.  Right off the bat, kudos goes out to the organization of the entire event.

Once I entered the two-block radius of the festival, the art was immediately accessible and the music could be heard pouring out of many of the local venues.  It was hard not to get sucked into the tunes as I walked down the street, but as an experienced festival-goer, I knew what had to be done: a nice basecoat of food and beer for my stomach before a day out in the sun.

I chose to go for a slice of pizza and a delicious Belgian beer from Newport Pizza, a local eatery at the heart of Newport Ave.  After placing my order and flashing my festival wristband in order to get a discount, I was told that they were not participating this year and I would be paying full price.  Not a great start, and on a side note, what’s the deal with that, Newport Pizza?  You’re one of the best pizza joints in Ocean Beach, you’re at the center of the festival, why can’t you give your customers one day of discounts?  Needless to say, I wouldn’t make that mistake again.

There were plenty of other food and beer choices to be had that day at a discount price, and I for one would make the most of it.  My food for the day would include another monster slice of pizza that was being sold at a food tent set up in the middle of the street, a massive helping of french fries, also being sold at the food tent, discounted fish tacos from South Beach Bar and Grill, and plenty of delicious beer from both the beer garden and some of the musical venues.  And a coupon booklet filled with deals from local eateries was handed out with my entrance bracelet, so when I’m finally hungry again after all that food, I can go back to OB for more eats.  Nicely done festival.

Art

I can’t say that I’m a hugely artistic person, but some of the art on display at the OB Music and Arts Fest was simply beautiful.

There was a ton of variety as I walked from tent to tent on “Art Row,” from photography that featured some of the great San Diego scenery, to actual painting of that same scenery, to some more obscure pieces such as the one I ended up purchasing for a reasonable price.  There was a large amount of hand-crafted items from woodwork to surfboards to clothing available for purchase as well, which was cool.  And because much of the crowd was located in the music venues, Art Row offered a chance for some breathing room, sunlight, and a break from the tunes.

“Honestly, this is one of the best festivals I do,” artist Maynard Breese told me towards the end of the day.  “We got a lot of people coming through to check out the art.  I thought it was fun, it was well laid out, the volunteers are fantastic, it was busy . . . I really enjoyed it.”

Another great thing about the art row was that, if you didn’t want to buy a $30 wristband for access to all the concert venues, you could still check out the displays as it was free and open to the public.  Although, if you didn’t have a wristband, you missed out on a lot of great sounds throughout the day.

Music

During every show that I caught at the festival on Saturday, I thought to myself, “This is probably one of the best acts here today.”  But then I would see the next band and think the same thing.

That’s a good day of music.

The first show I saw, The Robert Walter Quartet, was at a venue called Electric Ladyland, and it was incredible.  An inconspicuous little doorway led to a dark hallway adorned with murals of Jim Morrison, Janice Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, which led to a candlelit room with more awesome artwork and Indian-style throw rugs on the floor . . . a great atmosphere for a concert to say the least.  And the band’s style, a funky jazz sound that had your feet tapping immediately, fit the mood perfectly too.  It was a great vibe to start off a day of music with.

Next up on the itinerary was the main stage featuring Dr. Lonnie Smith, a Hammond B3 organist whose style was less inviting to dance to, but captivating none-the-less.  I had never heard of him before and felt silly for it afterward as you could just tell he was a jazz legend by the way his hands worked over the keyboard.  Plus this was my first opportunity to check out the craft beer garden that was situated about 100 yards away from center stage, and that didn’t disappoint me either.

I decided to cut out of that show early to take a walk down art row when I stumbled upon this next band, Hot Club of Cowtown, at a venue called The Harp, and it was probably the best thing to happen to me all day because in my opinion they offered up, honestly, the best show of the festival.  A trio of musicians playing a fiddle, a stand-up bass and a guitar, their style of swing jazz had the crowd going wild.

Click here to view the embedded video.

It’s not that the headlining acts were disappointing by any means, but I came away with the feeling that smaller bands like this really stole the show on Saturday.

“The festival is fantastic,” Hot Club of Cowtown fiddle player Elana James told me after the show.  “We’ve never done this festival but the thing I like about it is that it’s a jazz festival.  We do play swing so we usually get grouped into more country festivals so to be at a jazz festival is really cool.  This is just a really great festival, maybe one of the best we’ve ever done in our career.”

As the day wore on, I was torn between trying to catch some of the headlining acts at the main stage and some more of the lesser-known ones at the smaller venues so I decided to do a little of both, and wasn’t disappointed in either.  Charlie Musselwhite and his blues harmonica put on an incredible show, the Donald Harrison Quartet and their New Orleans-style jazz was great, and Charlie Hunter played the jazz guitar brilliantly.  And then, of course, the day finished up with recent Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dr. Jon playing against a back drop of the sun setting and the OB Pier on a gorgeous evening, singing his famous lyrics, “Must’ve been the right place, but it must’ve been the wrong time.”

Lyrics I had to partly disagree with, at least in regards to the second line.

If you didn’t catch the OB Music and Arts Fest this past Saturday, plan accordingly for next year.  You won’t be disappointed.

photos and video courtesy of Steve Trader

Regardless of your choice in beverage, San Diego Professionals Against Cancer have pulled out all the stops in this year’s event. In addition to the drinks, food and merchandise available, there will be live music on two stages to provide the perfect summer-evening atmosphere.

The event runs from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. and costs $40 at the gate. Remember, nearly 100 percent of proceeds go to cancer-fighting charities, tickets include 10 4oz. tasters, and the first 6,000 attendees receive a souvenir sampler.

Throughout the night I will be live-tweeting from the event at my twitter handle @Twinetime22 with the hashtag #TTatFoB, for Twining’s Take at Festival of Beer. Also, with my 10 free samples, I will choosing 10 different brewers and sampling one of their beverages.

Following the event, stay tuned for a recap of my experience as well as my opinion on each beer sampled.

Hopefully I’ll see you all out there at this charity-driven event and remember, plan ahead and don’t drink and drive.

Photo courtesy SDBeerFest.org

In either location, there’s an assortment of jazz music in the form of guitars, harmonicas, organs or brass instruments taking place on a stage in front of you, offered up by musicians who grace the walls of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Perhaps you’ve spent the day perusing the art exhibits of local artists who have set up booths along the street for patrons interested in new décor for the living room or just interested in the local art scene.  Or perhaps you’ve spent the day enjoying foods at the local eateries for discount prices.  Perhaps you’ve done both.  Now you want to just kick back and enjoy some tunes and the rest of a beautiful afternoon.

Now imagine you could make this afternoon a reality.  And you can.  It’s the 6th Annual Jazz 88 Ocean Beach Music and Art Festival, and it’s happening on Saturday, September 10.

Presenting the festival in the heart of OB, on Newport Avenue between Cable Street and the ocean, is San Diego’s only jazz radio station, KSDS Jazz 88.3 FM, and it promises to be one of the best yet.  The festival will feature eight stages, 23 live bands and a street lined with over 80 art vendors from all over Southern California.

The festival will officially begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday morning when attendees can begin browsing the displays on “art row,” most of which will be available for purchase.

Musical performances will begin at 11 a.m. on each of the eight stages, three of which are outdoors and five of which are in local club venues including Winston’s, The Harp and Gallagher’s.  Headlining this year’s festival is recent Rock N’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee Dr. John and the Lower 911, who will take the main stage at 5:30 p.m.  Other guest will include Hammond B-3 organist Dr. Lonnie Smith, harmonica master Charlie Musselwhite, Grammy nominated Latin Jazz artist Wayne Wallace, and the originator of the Nouveau Swing jazz style, Donald Harrison as well as others.

Most of the musical acts will perform a couple of shows throughout the day, staggered at different stages around the festival so that all will be able to enjoy and guests don’t have to sit at one stage the entire day while missing the rest of the entertainment.

No doubt, as attendees meander down Newport enjoying the sights and sounds of the day, a hunger will begin to build.  That’s why many of the local restaurants have partnered with the festival to give customers who stop in a discount on multiple food items.  Nick’s at the Beach, Shades, Hodads, and South Coast are just a few examples of places that will be offering deals such as 10 percent off or half-price eats.

And of course, if your hunger is building, chances are so is your thirst.  This year the Jazz 88 OB music fest is offering an expanded beer and wine garden found at the end of Newport Ave where the street meets the beach.  Multiple local craft beers will be available on tap, as will wine, shade from the sun and views of the main stage.  Entrance into the beer tent is free for all festival guests; beer and wine isn’t though so make sure to bring a wallet.

Speaking of wallets, at this point you may be wondering how much access to this day of fun is going to cost?  Tickets start at $30 and are available at obmusicfest.org.  For that price, you get access to all eight stages provided you are over 21 as four of the venues are located in bars.  You also get all the food discounts throughout the day, beginning as soon as each participating establishment opens and lasting until the close of the festival at 7:30.  On top of all that, you get to move and groove to the sound of jazz all day long, and that’s something you can’t even put a price tag on.

Awesome art, beers in hand, waves in the background, getting your groove on as only OB knows how to do?

Come on, you know you want to.

Those who attended Thursday Night Thing (TNT) at the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego Downtown, Thursday, Aug. 4, will agree that the quarterly event designed to celebrate the opening of exhibitions at the MCASD Downtown will make a progressive model for a utopia of the arts.

Standing outside in line waiting for the museum doors to open, the excitement was nearly palpable.  It was obvious through the infectious energy emitting from the TNT crowd last week that this wasn’t the stuffy art connoisseurs you’d expect them to be.  TNT is renowned for unveiling inspiring exhibits at MCASD to a younger and hip crowd, reports DiscoverSD.  With activities that range across the spectrum, including live music, interactive art, and titillating cocktails that will surely awaken the palate and delicious food from the MHO Gastrotruck, there is a lot to do for the art-thirsty crowd.

The catch phrases of that night had to be: emerge and breakthrough, which is appropriate since the event, titled, “TNT: Emerge,” focused on emerging design, music, and taste.  The premiere of Product Porch, a unique six-month retail experience project will occupy a portion of the Museum’s building at 1001 Kettner Blvd. Product Porch will remain there throughout the duration of the exhibition Phenomenal, which will be on view through January 22, 2012. This will provide a good reason for people to continue returning to the Museum, says the MCASD press release.

But it wasn’t just the grand opening of Product Porch alone, a brilliant scheme in itself between MCASD and successful design retailers Brooks Hudson Thomas and Blaire Dessent, that set the scene for last week’s event.  It was this sort of hushed anticipatory excitement churning within the TNT participants that was the predominant vibe of that night’s event.

As the tastemakers of a burgeoning local art scene walked through the museum doors, the line that separates real life from art diminishes.  Most of the pieces on display at the MCASD downtown were installations that required guests to become subject to being immersed by entire works of art.  The best example would have to be Jennifer Steinkamp’s Madame Curie exhibit located in the Farrell Gallery.

Stepping into the gallery, one is initially overwhelmed by the moving pixels on the walls and the loud music plunging you deeper into the psychedelic atmosphere.  As my vision focuses, I start to notice features that I hadn’t noticed before.  Laid out across the center of the gallery are construction paper cut-outs that past guests had strewn across the floor for incoming visitors to the museum to follow their dance moves.  In the background, you can hear DJ Skyler Mic and DJ 88.88 spinning beats throughout the night in response to Jennifer Steinkamp’s installation, and just by being in the room I noticed that there is plenty to be inspired from the Madame Curie exhibit.

Steinkamp’s panoramic display of fields of moving flowers and trees is a delight to all the senses.  Though at times the pictorial delights can be overwhelming, there is something about the sensory overload that art appraisers can appreciate.  The swaying floral depictions on the walls of the museum send ghostly signals from a more primal time in us.  Thursday Night Thing’s second event this year leaves us ample room to explore and discover what it is that these exhibits are trying to say.

Upstairs in the Berglund and Betlach Rooms was Emerging ‘Dos, an interactive piece that asks participants to have their hair styled in a span of five minutes by emerging hairdressers of The Bellus Beauty Academy throughout the night.  Afterwards, participants’ photos were taken and then contributed to the hairstyles collage.

Towards the Jacobs and 1001 Kettner buildings you can find works by Larry Bell, Mary Corse, James Turrell, Robert Irwin, and Craig Kauffman.  Called, Phenomenal: California Light, Surface and Space, the TNT event was the exhibition’s premiere.  Although September 25 marks the official opening of Phenomenal, the Museum will continue to install and open certain galleries throughout the months to allow visitors partial viewing of the exhibition, which includes this year’s second Thursday Night Thing event.

The night ended with bands like Republic of Letters and The Nervous Wrecklords serenading the crowd to the close of the event.  Both bands had, had past nominations at the San Diego Music Awards, the most recent ceremony had taken place  Aug. 8.

Check out the Museum’s web page or ‘Like’ their Facebook page in order to get updates on upcoming exhibitions or events.  TNT is a quarterly event.  Be sure you make it out to the next art uprising.

Photo Courtesy of Smart Destinations via Flickr

Last year visitors to Comic-Con had a blast watching previews and panels attended by stars such as Angelina Jolie, Bruce Willis, Sylverster Stallone, Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Jeff Bridges, Brandon Routh, Milla Jovovich, Robert Downey Jr., Samuel Jackson, Natalie Portman, Chris Hemsworth, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, and many more.

This year, with Marvel, Warner Bros and Disney pulling out, there was still plenty to see.  On the movies side, Sony, Paramount, Universal, Fox – just to name a few – came in with big panels, big crews and big stars.  I spared a little bit of time watching the more intriguing this fall season’s TV pilots, “Alcatraz” (Jeffrey Pierce, Sarah Jones) and “Person of Interest” (James Caviezel, Michael Emerson), existing show “Nikita” (Maggie Q, Shane West, Lyndsy Fonseca), and roamed the exhibition floors for authentic props and goodies.  But for the most part I remained faithful to Hall H (Hall “Hysteria,” as I’d dub it) at the expense of other press events.  First and foremost, I’m an avid movie fan.

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There’s nothing like being there in person and being a part of the pandemonium.  While it’s not feasible to include every panel and every detail and nuance, here are the highlights of some of the feature film panels: (grouped by the order of the appearance and studio)

DAY 1

“Don’t be Afraid of the Dark” and “Drive” -  Jointly attended by Guillermo del Toro, Nicolas Winding Refn, Guy Pearce, Carey Mulligan, Ron Perlman.  Both footages were freaky, in different ways.  Mulligan spoke of her admiration for Ryan Gosling (co-star, “Drive”), who learned everything about cars and built one himself for to be in the role of a troubled stunt driver.  A standout was a single scene where Gosling’s character goes from being lovey-dopey with Mulligan’s on screen to brutally crushes someone’s skull in an elevator in an instant.

“Prometheus,” In Time,” “The Rise of the Planet of the Apes:”

“Prometheus” – Charlize Theron flew in from Iceland for the Q&A.  She made a striking entrance and said in jest that the director, Ridley Scott, should have been there in person; after all, it only took seven flights and one chopper.  Scott, who was still filming, later connected via satellite and addressed inquiries about the space alien thriller and 3D technology.

“In Time” – A futuristic thriller and the one I’m most intrigued about.  In the late 21st century, time has replaced money for currency.  Aging stops at the age of 25 and you would only have one year to live.  If you don’t replace your clock, you die. After a Q&A with its director-writer, Andrew Niccol,  Justin Timberlake took on the questions most times, with Amanda Seyfried standing by his side. Timberlake admitted that he still carried idiosyncracies from the film.  Olivia Wilde, Alex Pettyfer, Cillian Murphy also star in the movie.

“The Rise of the Planet of the Apes” – The lengthy trailer of hair-raising sequences of chaos was broken up into three acts.  The trailer also showed Andy Serkins (“Lord of the Rings”), shooting scenes with the performance-capture technology, translating his every movement and expression into the ape.  Serkins was on hand for the Q&A.

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DAY 2

“The Adventures of Tin-Tin: The Secret of the Unicorn” – Legendary director Steven Spielberg, arguably the most recognizable filmmaker in the world, made the long-awaited trek to Comic-Con and greeted with a standing ovation.  The panel opened with montages of the most beloved classics; “Jaws,” “Indiana Jones,” E.T.,” “Jurassic Park.”  Another visionary director and his collaborator, Peter Jackson (“Lord of the Rings,” “King Kong,” “The Hobbit”), made a surprised appearance, to the delight of fans. 

Spielberg described “Tin-Tin” as a dense detective, murder mystery story.  If Tin-Tin’s early footage was any indicator, we’d be in for an awesome adventure at the high seas.  The animators working on the movie are the same ones who did “Avatar.”   Spielberg divulged that his most favorite movie to direct was “E.T,” and produced, “Back to the Future.”  He provided  a scoop that “Jurassic 4″ already had a script, and it should come to fruition in 2-3 years.  One lucky fan, wearing a shirt emblazoned with the words of hoping to meet and handshake with Spielberg, was brought on to the stage.  Jackson hilariously embraced the role of photographer and took the fan’s picture with Spielberg.

“Haywire” – Attended by director Steven Soderbergh, Gina Carano, Channing Tatum.  It looked like a very cool, double-crossed black ops solider, spy movie.  The sneak preview showed Carano in a close-up, continuous scene of an incredible hand-to-hand combat with Michael Fassbender.  Soderberg wanted to cast an actress who could do real fights.  Michael Douglas and Ewan McGregor also star in the movie.

“Underworld 4″ – Director Len Wiseman was accompanied Kate Beckinsale and Michael Ealy.  The sleek trailer, featuring leather-clad Beckinsale in slashing action, looked more modern than the previous installments.  The stunning Beckinsale elicited adoring comments from fans.  Wiseman was open to make more sequels of the popular vampire-werewolf flick.

“Fright Night” – Attended by director Craig Gillespie, screenwriter Marti Noxon, Collin Farrell, Anton Yelchin, Christopher-Mint Passe.  The panel opened with a humorous caution that this was a bloody-gory vampire tale, not your average teenage vampire (a.k.a. “Twilight”).  The freaky footage had the combination of horror and humor.  It had the it’s-so-bad-is-good feel.  Gillespie made a comment that it’s Collin Farrell being Collin Farrell (i.e., “bad boy” facade).  Farrell generated the most number of questions and laughter.  He did a nice gesture by giving away and signing his nametag when requested by a fan.

“Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” - Showed the daredevil filmmaking by its directors, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor.  They were filming in moving speed, riding a roller blade and chained to a speeding motorcycle.  Both directors were present, along with Nicolas Cage, Idris Elba, Johnny Whitworth.  While the first installment was more of the “Grimm’s Fairy Tale,” the second one was said to showcase the nightmarish aspect of the hellish tale. 

“Total Recall” – Attended by director Len Wiseman, Jessica Biel, Bryan Cranston, John Cho, Kate Beckinsale, Collin Farrell.  An intriguing futuristic footage and a dynamic panel discussing the premise; brain vacation and reality versus fantasy.  Predictably, there’s a comment about the fight scene between the gorgeous stars, Biel and Beckinsale.

“The Amazing Spider Man” -  Amazing indeed.  Instead of  strolling onto the stage like a star, Andrew Garfield (Spider Man) first appeared in disguised as a fan in a Spider Man costume, lining up for to ask a question.  He insisted to ask a question even though Q&A is typically set toward the end.  The hall erupted in surprised cheers when this “fan” unmasked himself and out Garfield.  Garfield was joined by director Marc Webb, Emma Stone (Gwen Stacy), Rhys Ifans (the Lizard as villain).  And the extended trailer was amazing.  The Lizard came to full view in a dramatic way.  Like Tobey Maguire, Garfield embodies that down-to-earth, ‘average Joe’ persona with natural humility and awkwardness.

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DAY 3

“Immortals” -  Attended by director Tarsem Singh, Frida Pinto, Luke Evans, Kellan Lutz, Henry Cavill.  The breathtaking trailer, in “300″ style, gleamed in gold and featured stylish sword-fighting among ancient Gods and Greek warriors, and epic level of destruction.  It’s a swooning panel for fans with the handsome stars of “Clash of the Titans” (Evans), “Twilight” (Lutz) and the next Superman (Cavill) together on stage.  The moderator, knowing that fans would be interested in Cavill’s upcoming “Superman: Man of Steel” was asked to limit all inquiries to “Immortals” only.  Cavill mentioned that the hardest thing while filming the movie was to stay in shape due to the physicality of the role.  He playfully added that he had to work to maintain his form, unlike Lutz, who’s always in shape.  The latter comment, of course, drew out chuckles.  At the end of the –panel, Lutz made an exception of signing an autograph for a fan. 

“Snow White and the Huntsmen” – Attended by director Rupert Sanders, Sam Claflin, Chris Hemsworth, Charlize Theron, Kristen Stewart.  While they didn’t have an official trailer for the dark fairy tale, they managed to show a two-minute clip.  This high-quality clip, created on a very small budget, was exclusively created as a special treat for Comic-Con fans.  Photographs of the dwarfs and the actors in their medieval costumes also were also shown – Claflin as the prince, Hemsworth as the huntsman, Theron as the evil queen, Stewart as Snow White.  Theron was attracted to the role because she thought it would be interesting to play a character who’s so well known and turn it upside down.  Stewart was drawn to the character because she’s completely without vanity and doesn’t let fear affect her ability to do things she feels strongly about, not to mention having the chance to use cool weapons. Theron made it a lively panel with her fun banter and mockingly acted “evil” with Stewart.  Hemsworth joked about him being picked last after other actors turned down the role.

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Other movie panels attended were animations “The Pirates! Bands of Misfits” and “Arthur Christmas” with director-producer Peter Lord, Q&A with director-producer Robert Rodriguez, gothic horror “Raven” with John Cusack and Alice Eve, comedic action “30 Minutes or Less” with Azis Anzari and Michael Pena, ghost story “Twixt” with director Francis Ford Coppola and Val Kilmer, musical animation “Dorothy of Oz” with Lea Michele and Sir Patrick Stewart.

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There’s nothing like the largest pop culture event in the world.  Approximately 130,000 were in attendance for movie-marveling, TV-trailing, comic-channeling, star-sighting, geek-costume gawking.  The energy, the passion, the mania.  A sheer sensory overload, it’s a must-do experience at least once in a lifetime.

And that’s a wrap. Bring on 2012!

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Photos by Nathalia Aryani.

Copyright (c) 2011. Nathalia Aryani.

Nathalia Aryani is a business manager, foreign language translator, lifestyle/travel writer and film columnist. She can be reached at indotransserv@gmail.com. Nathalia owns a movies blog, The MovieMaven (http://themoviemaven.posterous.com).

Fans from all over the country and even out of the country come to sunny San Diego to enjoy the 4-day comic fest that starts on July 21^st. Some lucky fans can even see a preview of what’s to come on the night of July 20^th.

Those unfamiliar with Comic Con may ask the question: “What is all the hype on Comic Con about?” For avid comic readers, it is simply a personal haven where they can meet other enthusiastic fans, dress up in their favorite comic costume on a day that’s not Halloween, and most importantly meet the very professionals who created some of their favorite comic books.

What is so great about Comic Con is that each year, they bring in more and more artists for fans to meet. This year’s notable guests include writer/artist Alan Davis (X-Men), David Finch, (Batman: The Dark Knight), Japanese animator Tsuneo Goda ( Domo), and writer/artist David Lloyd (V for Vendetta) along with many others.

For the full list of guests, visit the Comic Con website.

While some fans are excited at the prospect of meeting the creators of some of their favorite comic books, other fans come for a different reason such as to try their luck on some celebrity sighting. Last year alone, actress Angelina Jolie, Vanessa Hudgens, Blake Lively, Eva Mendes  and Scarlett Johansson made a show on the summer day. Representing the actors, Ryan Reynolds, Mark Wahlberg, Will Ferrell were also a show at the 2010 Comic Con so expect many celebrities to make their way to Comic Con this year.

Photo by watchwithkristin via Flickr

1. 2002: After 9/11 in 2001, the most intense security precautions were taken across the country to prevent the threat of a possible terrorist attack. Americans across the nation celebrated nonetheless. Large and small tributes were made to those lost on September 11th.
2. 1976: The nation’s Bicentennial took place this year. In 1776 at 2 p.m. the Declaration of Independence was approved, and in 1976 people around the nation rang bells to celebrate the occasion. In New York, Operation Sail took place where millions watched hundreds of ships in a parade in the Atlantic Ocean. The naval ship USS Constitution fired her cannons for the first time in 95 years. The U.S. Capitol flew over 10,000 American flags, which was a record.
3. 1963: In honor of the Civil Rights Movement and Martin Luther King Jr., the annual “Let Freedom Ring” tradition began across America. Across the country, patrons simultaneously rang their bells 13 times.
4. 2006: The space shuttle Discovery lifted off at Kennedy Space Center for the first time. Wounded soldiers from Iraq publicly read parts of the Declaration of Independence at the ceremony.
5. 1993: Johnny Cash celebrated the Fourth with the nation by reciting his patriotic poem, “Rugged Old Flag” in Washington D.C., Citizens held flags in honor of prisoners of war and servicemen that were missing in action during the Vietnam War.
6. 1912: The new American flag featuring 50 stars was officially endowed.
7. 1895: The first “woman’s day” took place in Chautauqua, NY where women celebrated femininity by wearing yellow for Independence Day.
8. 1906: Oklahoma officially became a state in 1907, but in 1906 celebrated with the rest of the nation. Oklahoma was the 46th state, and commemorated the occasion by firing a 46 gun salute.
9. 2007: Thousands of people became American citizens for Independence Day in 2007. 1000 people from 75 countries took the oath of citizenship at Disney World in Florida, 31 more in Annapolis and 161 soldiers were naturalized in Camp Victory in Iraq by General David Petraeus and Senator John McCain.
10. 1974: At the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C., thousands of people attended a reenactment of the Frederick Douglass speech “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” to march in hopes of reigniting the 1960s civil rights movement.

What will you be doing this fourth of July weekend? Let us know.

Sources: http://www1.american.edu/heintze/fourth.htm

Images from braveheartsports via Flickr.

San Diego Coastkeeper will be hosting a nautical themed art show at their headquarters in Liberty Station Friday, July 1st.  “Coastal Pollution: A Whale of a Problem” will showcase three local artists whose work is inspired by the ocean and its inhabitants.

Lil’ Gray, a life-sized gray whale made of ocean debris will become a permanent installation in the Coastkeeper office.  The whale was designed by Theresa Espaniola, a local artist who uses found objects to create her “gARTbage.” She makes dioramas and installations with trash she finds on the beach to promote awareness about the problem of coastal pollution.

The project is part of Coastkeeper’s ongoing efforts to raise awareness about coastal pollution, and in particular plastics, which do not decompose and are a threat to wildlife which often mistake it for food.

To make Lil’ Gray, Espaniola constructed a 26-foot whale using six separate canvases and debris that 130 first-graders from Jefferson Elementary School in Carlsbad collected from the beach. The children were divided into six classes, each of which decorated one of the canvases with their findings.

Other artists that will be showing at the event include Myles McGuiness, a photographer based in Oceanside. His work focuses on the ocean and the people who devote their lives to celebrating and protecting it. He collaborated with Coastkeeper on their 2010 Annual Report and spearheaded the organization’s rebrand.

The third artist is Tony Peters, a painter based in Los Angeles, California. Peters draws inspiration from life in Southern California, sometimes idyllic and always eclectic. His oil paintings are homage to the city and the beauty of simplicity. He will be displaying two pieces at the event.

“Coastal Pollution: A Whale of a Problem” will take place on Friday, July 1, 2011 from 5 -8 p.m. at the Coastkeeper office, 2825 Dewey Road, Suite 200, San Diego, CA 92106.

The event will be occurring in conjunction with Friday Night Liberty, a monthly event for which all of the shops and museums of Liberty Station are open to the public, so there will be plenty to see for environmentalists and art aficionados alike.

Founded in 1995, San Diego Coastkeeper protects the region’s inland and coastal waters for the communities and wildlife that depend on them by blending education, community empowerment and advocacy.

For more information, go to http://www.sdcoastkeeper.org or call 619- 758-7743.

The tour features eight amazing headliners including Willie Nelson, Jamey Johnson, and Randy Houser, who will host a meet and greet with his custom-made Harley by the Harley Saloon at 5:30 PM. Lee Brice, Brantley Gilbert, Craig Campbell, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real, and Drake White will also be performing in this day long tour.

San Diego Entertainer will be hosting a free ticket giveaway to this amazing event! Winners will get two tickets to the show. Head to the bottom of the page or follow this link to sign up. Entry ends Monday the 20th at midnight, the winners will be announced Tuesday the 21st.

The event is organized by the same producers of the highly successful Vans Warped Tour. The Vans Warped Tour, so you know it will be a great time.

Headlining under Willie Nelson and Jamey Johnson, Lee Brice has been nominated for three ACM Awards including Single and Song of the Year. He was also recently nominated for CMT Music Awards USA Weekend Breakthrough Video of the Year.  Brice’s song “Love Like Crazy” reached the top five on the charts and was named Billboard’s #1 country song of 2010. The single currently holds the record for the longest charting song in the history of Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart. Brice is also known for his songwriting talent, writing songs for Tim McGraw and Garth Brooks.

Brantley Gilbert’s debut single on The Valory Music Co. “Country Must Be Country Wide” is a Top 40 hit and rising. Brantley also wrote Jason Aldeans #1 hit, “My Kind Of Party” and current single, “Dirt Road Anthem”. Brantley is also out on the Radio Tour and will be releasing a new album later this year.

Craig Cambell’s release of his self-titled album has had the highest first week sales for any debut made this year! His single “Family Man” is a Top 15 hit and will be included in an upcoming episode of HBO’s hit series “True Blood”. Cambell also has a popular new single “Fish.”

Being the son of Willie Nelson may give you a bit of an edge in the industry, but Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real’s have proven their talent. The group has performed for the first time on both the Late Show with David Letterman and the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Every major publication is singing their praises. And with their recent release of the band’s debut full-length album and constant roadwork, Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real are a talent you don’t want to miss.

Drake White, the 27 year-old EMI singer/songwriter, will also be performing. The Hokes Bluff, Alabama native credits many country, blues, rock, freestyle, and bluegrass influences for a unique and entertaining performance.

To complement all the heavyweight talent, Willie Nelson’s Country Throwdown Tour is also known for spotlighting up and coming singer/songwriters on the tour’s specially designed Bluebird Café stage. The Bluebird Café stage provides an intimate setting for fans to enjoy some of Nashville’s best rising artists. These artists which include Adam Hood, Caitlyn Smith, who’s had songs have been featured on “Jersey Shore”, “One Tree Hill”, and “The Real World”, Austin Lucas, Brent Cobb, Dani Flowers, and Erin Enderlin all of which will also perform on the main stage in between set changes.

As always, the tour will close out with its anticipated Willie-Nelson’s annual 4^th of July Picnic. This long time tradition will be held outside and inside of the famed Billy Bob’s Texas. Headliners at the picnic will perform on the venue’s main stage outside with many artists taking the stage indoors for a full complement of entertainers. The picnic will feature many artists such as Ray Price, David Allan Coe, Paula Nelson, and more.

To get fans ready for the show, The Throwdown Tour has partnered with iTunes to offer all fans an 8-song free download sampler. Some of the songs included are Willie Nelson’s “Man With The Blues”, Drake White’s “50 Years Too Late”, Caitlyn Smith’s “My Lover’s Gone and Left Me”, and more. You can go ahead and claim your FREE tracks here.

For all the lowdown on the Throwdown, please visit: http://www.countrythrowdown.com.

Take a different look at what our city is and could become with the help of these insightful artists.  Their work delves into the creativity that is fostered by local and international influences.  The Summer Salon Series will meet every Thursday at 5-9pm and is free with museum admission.

This is a multi-part series, with an edition each month through the end of the Salon Series. Take a look at the program coming up for the next couple weeks in June:

June 16: Dignity of Labor

Brian Zimmerman renders utilitarian furniture useless by altering their structure.  He will debut three new pieces of furniture this night, and an additional piece each week for the next three weeks.

John Dillemuth will present a new interactive sculpture that resembles a wheelchair/rocking chair hybrid.  Dillemuth’s craft plays off of some of the ideas included in our special exhibition on Gustav Stickley.

With a distinct sound influenced by New Wave, garage rock, and even reggae, the San Francisco based band, LUMPS will perform.

June 23: Identity and History

Susy Bielak will present Songs for the City, a performance based on the military identity of this region.  The performance will consist of military personnel standing guard of the Museum’s art as well as musical performances by military veterans.

Ash Smith’s site-specific performance, based on the Museum’s history as a naval hospital, will take over the main staircase for part of the evening

Save Our Heritage Organization (SOHO) will co-present a panel discussion on the issues surrounding preservation in urban centers.  Panelists include Jaye MacAskill (President of SOHO), David Swarens (member of the Golden Hill and Old Town Planning groups and a past president of SOHO), William Lawrence (writer and publisher of BorregoModern.com), and designer Constance Ramos (host of Color Correction on HGTV).

June 30: Identity and History

Artist Edward Kihn will present a multidisciplinary work involving video and live performance, which addresses the role of the military in the disposition of civic space in San Diego, notably during WWII. The piece will be projected while live actors read accounts from that time period aloud.

Edward Bosley, Director of the Gamble House at USC, will lead a discussion about Greene and Greene, craftsmen architecture, and Gustav Stickley.

Agitprop will present information about the 2837 University, a program that fosters projects, classes and workshops that are financially and locally accessible to any interested party and that promote the local businesses of the North Park neighborhood in San Diego.

SDMA is located at 1450 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, CA. Their hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.Thursdays (Memorial through Labor Days) 10:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. You can reach information at (619) 232-7931.

Food Trucks that feed the streets of the South East will be feeding the Bonnaroo crowds.  To name just a few, Taco Bus from Tampa Bay, FL will serve their “Mex-Mex” cuisine, Good You from Kansas City, MO is said to be grilling up the famous Kansas City’s best burger among its organic offerings, Pot Kettle Black from Charleston, SC prepares specialty sandwiches themed from various parts of the US and Gastropod’s will come up from Miami, FL and Chef Jeremiah Bullfrog will whip up some of his highly credentialed goodies including short rib sliders, slaw bits and white-corn arepa.

The event is also said to have a Cinema Tent offering movie action and a Splash-A-Roo, a 40 foot high, 175 foot long inflatable waterslide, for some water fun.

Tickets have sold out for this year’s event, but if you bought your tickets early, here is the complete list of musicians you are about to enjoy.

Here is the complete Bonnaroo 2011 lineup:

• Eminem
• Arcade Fire
• Widespread Panic
• The Black Keys
• Buffalo Springfield feat Richie Furay, Stephen Stills, Neil Young, Rick Rosas, Joe Vitale
• My Morning Jacket
• Lil Wayne
• String Cheese Incident
• Robert Plant & Band of Joy
• Mumford & Sons
• The Strokes
• The Decemberists
• Ray Lamontagne
• Bassnectar
• Iron & Wine
• Girl Talk
• Primus
• Dr. John with Original Meters and Allen Toussaint Performing Destively Bonnaroo
• Alison Krauss & Union Station featuring Jerry Douglas
• Pretty Lights
• Florence + the Machine
• Superjam ft. Dan Auerbach and Dr. John
• Explosions in the Sky
• NOFX
• STS9
• Gogol Bordello
• Galactic
• Beirut
• Big Boi
• Scissor Sisters
• Gregg Allman
• Ratatat
• Global Gypsy Punk Revue curated by Eugene Hütz
• Robyn
• Warren Haynes Band
• Lewis Black
• Deerhunter
• Opeth
• 420 Comedy Blaze hosted by Cheech Marin featuring Jay Pharoah, Ralphie May, the stars of Workaholics
• Atmosphere
• Old Crow Medicine Show
• John Waters
• Bootsy Collins & the Funk University
• Henry Rollins
• Wiz Khalifa
• Bill Bailey
• Matt & Kim
• Grace Potter & the Nocturnals
• The Del McCoury Band and the Preservation Hall Jazz Band
• Mavis Staples
• Henson Alternative’s STUFFED AND UNSTRUNG
• Béla Fleck & the Flecktones (the original line-up)
• Chiddy Bang
• The League Live (Paul Scheer, Nick Kroll, Jon Lajoie, Stephen Rannazzisi)
• Jovanotti
• Bruce Hornsby & the Noisemakers
• Loretta Lynn
• Donald Glover
• G. Love & Special Sauce
• Black Uhuru
• Cold War Kids
• The Walkmen
• The Gregory Brothers
• Devotchka
• Wanda Jackson
• Neon Trees
• Portugal. The Man
• Sleigh Bells
• Amos Lee
• Best Coast
• Dãm-Funk & Master Blazter
• The Sword
• Shpongle Presents Shpongletron Experience
• The Drums
• The Black Angels
• Daniel Lanois’ Black Dub
• School of Seven Bells
• J. Cole
• Nicole Atkins & the Black Sea
• Wavves
• !!!
• Junip
• Anthony B
• Kathleen Madigan
• Freelance Whales
• Justin Townes Earle
• Ryan Bingham
• Eugene Mirman
• Deer Tick
• Band of Skulls
• Sharon Van Etten
• Abigail Washburn
• Black Joe Lewis
• Omar Souleyman
• Twin Shadow
• Kylesa
• Ted Alexandro
• Man Man
• The Low Anthem
• Alberta Cross
• Railroad Earth
• Jessica Lea Mayfield
• Ben Sollee
• Smith Westerns
• Graveyard
• The Head and the Heart
• Karen Elson
• Tim Minchin
• Dennis Coffey
• Beats Antique
• Forro in the Dark
• Tig Notaro
• The Knux
• Hannibal Buress
• Naomi Shelton & The Gospel Queens
• Phosphorescent
• Craig Baldo
• Futurebirds
• Hayes Carll
• Nate Bargatze
• Hanggai
• Lelia Broussard
• The Sheepdogs
• DJ KRAZ
• DJ Logic
• DJ Neil Armstrong
• Gypsyphonic Disko
• Hesta Prynn
• Jared Dietch
• Motion Potion (San Francisco)
• Aaron “Woody” Wood
• Andrea Belanger
• The Apache Relay
• Aunt Martha
• The Band of Heathens
• The Beautiful Girls-Mat McHugh Solo & Acoustic
• Black Box Revelation
• Bobby Long
• Cheer Up Charlie Daniels
• Chancellor Warhol
• Chris Harford and the Band of Changes
• Civil Twilight
• Cory Chisel & the Wandering Sons
• Cristina Black
• The David Mayfield Parade
• Deas Vail
• Fences
• Fine Peduncle
• Gary Clark Jr.
• GIVERS
• Greensky Bluegrass
• HANNI EL KHATIB
• Infantree
• J. Roddy Walston & The Business
• Jamie McLean Band
• JEFF the brotherhood
• Kellee Maize
• Kevin Hammond
• Kopecky Family Band
• Lauren Shera
• Lionize
• Matthew and the Atlas
• MiniBoone
• Miss Willie Brown
• Parkington Sisters
• The Pimps of Joytime
• The Reverend Peyton’s Big Damn Band
• River City Extension
• Rotary Downs
• Sallie Ford & the Sound Outside
• Shahidah Omar
• Uncle Skeleton
• Tristen
• Walk the Moon
• The White Buffalo

Last year, the festival drew 90,000 people each of the three days, with 20 percent of that crowd hailing from San Diego. 2011 also brought the fastest sell-out, with all tickets purchased in just six days. Next year’s tickets for the April event will go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m.

The decision to add a second weekend, however, does not mean more musical acts. According to a statement issued by promoters Goldenvoice, the same artists will perform both weekends:

“In an effort to try and accommodate everyone who wants to experience the festival, Coachella 2012 will be two separate events, held over two consecutive weekends. We will attempt to produce two identical festival weekends. That means same lineup, same art, same place, different people.

“We know many of you were unable to attend this year’s festival because passes sold out much sooner than anticipated. We were truly surprised by the overwhelming response and remainhonored by your passion and enthusiasm. We also know some of you purchased through non legitimate sources and were inconvenienced, gouged or totally scammed. We hope that these changes will give everyone the opportunity to purchase directly from Coachella.com.”

Next year’s lineup hasn’t been announced yet, but last year’s headliners included acts such as Kanye West, Kings of Leon and Arcade Fire.

Tickets for Coachella, marking its 13th year, will only be sold as three-day passes for $269 plus fees.  No single-day passes will be sold for the third consecutive year. The presale will end next Friday, June 10, at 10 p.m.  Festival-goers will not be able to switch the weekend they attend after purchasing the tickets, but buyers can acquire tickets to both weekends. The advance sale is also the only opportunity to pay using the Coachella Layaway Payment Plan, which requires  10 percent down and eight equal monthly payments.

Theater

This  Saturday, bring the kids to the 2nd annual local playwrights showcase at the Coronado Playhouse, performing “The Adventures of Patty-Cat & Kittle.” Children can enjoy face painting and a coloring contest starting at 6 p.m. and listen to the story-telling at 7 p.m., which will have characters in full costume with songs and action.

On Saturday or Sunday, watch one of the oldest and best-loved fairy tales of all time on the stage.  Rodgers and Hammerstein’s romantic comedy “Cinderella” comes to life with the Christian Youth Theater at 2 p.m. and a 7 p.m. performance on Saturday. Tickets are $10-$15.

Music

Catch Mexican pop cultural icon Vicente Fernández this Friday at the Valley View Casino Center, formerly the San Diego Sports Arena. Known as The King of the Ranchera throughout the Latin world, Fernández has recorded more than 50 albums and contributed to many movies. The show begins at 8 p.m. and tickets are $49-$149.

Then on Saturday, witness the Animal House event with supporting acts Stir Crazy, Dipsia, Mr. Nice Guy and more at House of Blues. This 18+ dance party begins at 9 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 in advance and $30 at the door.

Community Events

Throughout the entire weekend, catch “Cinema Under the Stars: The Big Lebowski” at Mission Hills, 4040 Goldfinch Street. The movie follows an unemployed slacker and avid bowler, who calls himself “The Dude.” After a case of mistaken identity, The Dude is introduced to a millionaire with the same name. When the millionaire’s trophy wife is kidnapped, he commissions The Dude to deliver the ransom to secure her release. The movie starts at 8:30 p.m. and tickets are $14-$15.

The San Diego All American Soap Box Derby will begin on Saturday at 9 a.m. and will last until 7 p.m. on 25th street. Youths age 8-17 will be racing down a sloped hill with soap box cars they created themselves under supervised guidance. This family event is free and is expected to yield a large turnout.

Movies released this weekend:

- The Hangover Part II

- Kung Fu Panda 2 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D)

- Puzzle

- Tied to a Chair

- The Tree of Life (limited)

- United Red Army

Albums out this week:

- Aerosmith— Tough Love: Best Of The Ballads

- Against Me!—Total Clarity

- Brad Paisley—This is Country Music

- Glee Cast—Glee, The Music: Volume Six

- Lady Gaga—Born This Way

- Santana—Moonflower

- She Wants Revenge—Valleyheart