Celebrate the Year of the Snake in Chinatown LA

Photo Credit: LA Chinatown Business Improvement District

Head out to Chinatown LA to celebrate the Year of the Snake with a midnight ceremony, a memorable festival and parade weekend, and a world record-breaking attempt in paper folding! 

The World Comes to Luckman Fine Arts Complex

Truly, the best thing about working with ExperienceLA.com is all the amazing and exciting events we come across on a daily basis. Especially as a new mom, many of these events have taken on new meaning for me as they provide an opportunity to share an experience with my young daughter and witness her reaction as she takes in the world.

Looking Back at the Musicians of Stagecoach 2011

I love Stagecoach, one of the nation's premiere country music festivals and have been going since inception. Stagecoach like its sister festival Coachella (in which 2012 tickets just went on sale with two weekends to choose from) occurs out in Indio at the Empire Polo Grounds. Stagecoach has always provided a look at past, present, and future in its artist lineup. Take this year's 2011 women performers over the weekend of April 30 and May 1 of Wanda Jackson (below), Carrie Underwood (below), and Joanna Smith (lead photo).

Stagecoach: California's Country Music Festival with Return of Carrie Underwood

Go to the Coachella Valley desert this weekend, April 30 and May 1, for a fun day or two featuring the return of Carrie Underwood (pictured above from Stagecoach 2008 taken by me) to Stagecoach and a variety of other country music and bluegrass musical talents. With the setup still in place from the Coachella Music Festival out in Indio, California, Golden Voice is ready for Stagecoach: this weekend's premiere country festival that is considered the start of the summer music season.

This Week's Newsletter: Celebrate

Don't miss this week's issue - Celebrate! Come on down and let the good times roll by checking out these great Festive Events.

• Experience an evening of traditional celtic dance, music and food through the 25th Annual Samhain Fleadh Cheoil - Celtic New Year Celebration.
• The 6th annual Los Angeles International Children's Film Festival is filled with more than 100 short films from around the world made for children and teens!
• Win Tickets to: Randy Newman's Harps and Angels  

Find out about these events and more in this week's newsletter!

-ExperienceLA Staff

Looking Back at 2009 Stagecoach Country Music Festival: Part One

Three years in a row of great weather and music at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival in Indio, California, organized by Golden Voice and AEG during the weekend of April 24 and 25, 2009. What amazes me are the organizational abilities (and tastes in Country Music) of Golden Voice/AEG to pull off something of this scale two weekends in a row. Whereas, Coachella has tent camping, Stagecoach is set up with RV camping. Both are temporary small cities with their own social networks supported by temporary telecommunications infrastructure by ATT and Verizon along with public computers and WiFi, cellphone recharging, breakfasts and Bloody Mary's, ice, portable showers, etc.


With regard to the great weather in the day and cool evenings requiring warmer clothing, a Coachella Valley newspaper ran a headline something like "God is Country Fan" after 3 years in a row of searing weather at the Coachella Music Festival which ran the prior weekend. The other major difference is the Stagecoach fans can bring their folding chairs into the Polo Grounds which are not allowed during Coachella. Finally, I want to give a shout out to Altmans RV Rentals in Carson for hanging in there during tough economic times to provide another hassle free and quality RV rental for Stagecoach living.Almost their entire rental fleet was at Stagecoach.

There is one picture I wish I had taken and that was the security poster with the picture of approximately 50 wristbands reflecting the different types of tickets, vendors, performers, staff, VIP status, press, photographers, over 21 to drink (which changed on the second day), camping, etc. I wouldn't be surprised to see the organizers go to some wristbands with RFID chips next year, as it may make it easier to figure out who is allowed in certain areas in low light situations, and it may also, help in getting people through certain gates that became gridlocked with people traffic. I do want to give cudo's to the California Fire Department for making sure that there were well marked and wide fire lanes that helped to create expressways thru different parts of the venue.


Without the blazing heat, there sunstroke wasn't an issue at Stagecoach for these ERT personnel.
However, one problem was that in the desire of creating an atmosphere of 40,000 around the Mane Stage, the vendors seemed to have been set up relatively too close. Three huge screens make it possible for all to enjoy the stage show from where-ever one sets up. Each day when the gates opened, there was a mad dash for those with general admission tickets to set up their lawn chairs right behind those with the higher priced tickets in their corralled space. We choose to set up near one of the firelanes so we could easily find out seats, once it got dark. The Stagecoach Mane Stage at night with 40,000 people sitting in their folding chairs watching the performers on 3 huge video screens, and several more when Kenny Chesney performed, made me think of a modern drive-in movie theater of the 21st Century. And the setting with the sun going down was always spectacular.
With spaces safely secured, we headed off for the BBQ competition to get our five tastes for $10. There were over 50 competitors, most of which were selling to the public. Number one selling item was pulled pork, followed by beef brisket, then spareribs, tri-tip, and chicken. I tried many different types of brisket, some with sauce and others with lots of smoke. To learn more of the rules of a Kansas BBQ competition, I was told to check out the official KC BBQ site. Picture below is of 3 generations from Ribs A Rockin, followed by some BBQ closeup, and one of the many colorful BBQ displays to entice you to sample.


A carry-over from earlier Stagecoach events was the mechanical bull riding that drew a crowd cheering on all that were brave enough to pit themselves against the bull with 50 people or more watching. New to Stagecoach this year was Sony's Play Station Sing Star Country music karaoke video competition with well over a hundred people crowded into the booth to see who sounded like they could make onto the next Country Star competition. Ironically, I met Paulina Bozek,the executive producer of SingStar at E3 several years ago, and I am sure she would have loved seeing this fully interactive Stagecoach social scene.
Then there were the children actitivities that were organized by the Girl Scout Council of San Gregonio. The kids were having a great time doing arts and crafts, dressing up, playing games, and listening to age-appropriate music. Back again for this year was the hay bale maze. Several too tall kids were seen cheating.What would be the West without horses, and so this year, the organizers brought in the Budweiser horses for a promotional stint. Here is one taking a morning stroll through one of the RV campgrounds.
Both Coachella and Stagecoach provided temporary weekend jobs for thousands working security, selling tshirts, working behind the scenes, running the campgrounds, and many other tasks that are required to put on a festival of this magnitude. Here is Sara who was one of such workers, selling Stagecoach souvenirs.And of course Stagecoach is all about the fans of Country Music. Here are Miranda Lambert's fans trying to get a little closer to the music.

Keep watching the ExperienceLA Blog for Stagecoach Part 2 that features performance and music pictures, as I close with pictures of me doing Twitter posts from the RV Campground Interenet and WiFi Tent.

Stagecoach: It's Not Just for Country Fans

I'll put it this way: My husband treats me right, my dog - well, my cat - is not my only friend, and my Volvo station wagon runs great, but it looks almost as out of place parked with all the trucks and SUV's as I feel--make that felt for the first few minutes--at the Stagecoach Country Music Festival this weekend.



So what was I doing there, and why do I want to go back next year?
First, and most obviously, there's the music. If you don't consider yourself a country music fan, but you don't exactly hate it--you should check this out. The over-35 Rock crowd was singing along with me on Pure Prairie League's "Amy" (..Fallin' in and out of love...)and would be just as excited about Poco with guest appearances by absolute legends (no doubt there will be other blog posts from the weekend with more details on the amazing bands.) I fell in love with The Knitters, (punk fans will remember X) and a favorite musical moment was a little Jimi Hendrix riff in one of Brad Paisley's songs. (I am, truly experienced!) The bluegrass, the crossover hits, the really talented new bands were all a treat to the ear--even if I couldn't always sing along. And the energy at the "Mane" stage with all the headliners was nearly nuclear. The Stagecoach festival rocks--without the rock!


I learned that cowboy boots and cowboy hats go with everything. Bathing suits, sun dresses, beer guts in t-shirts and jeans, Celtic tatoos, footed PJs on the under 5 set. They're not just for Daisy Dukes any more--but there were plenty of Daisy Dukes. I was thinking I was a fish out of water in my sun hat and long sleeves, but there were plenty others like me. Everyone was comfortable in "whatever." Perhaps that was because they were all having such a great time. And that is not the alcohol talking although they had a wide variety of wine, mixed drinks, and some pretty respectable beers. If you don't mind Budweiser, you're in luck, but if you do mind it, you're still in luck! Fat Tire was available along with a couple of other craft beers. My beverage of choice was the Stagecoach souvenir bottle that could be re-filled free with cold filtered water from H20 booths. This was a great program that cut down on all those plastic bottles--but even that was interesting because if you turned in 10 empties you got a new full one free. A concert with a conscience. There were lots of booths sponsored by Global Inheritance who returned this year. Take a look at this non-profit and all they do at http://www.globalinheritance.org/
Another great deal was the BBQ contest--a festival for your mouth. (Again, I'm sure there will be other posts with more on that for all the foodies.) Five tastes for ten bucks. That filled me up, and each taste was different from the last. The adventure didn't stop there! For the first time, I tried funnel cake. I know--most people have that by their first or second school carnival. But somehow I never did. So now I am really and truly experienced! If you like great music, great food and drink, and an amazing experience, this is the place. It's fun for everyone!

Photo of The Knitters (John Doe and Exene) by karenfromthelbc. Watch the ExperienceLA blog for Stagecoach pictures from Curt Gibbs and additional commentary.

Weekend Festivals FTW!

Yay for the coming summer months and spending time outdoors (not that we already don't do that in the awesome year-round weather of Southern California... but it's nice to still have something to be excited about)! With that in mind, there are a lot of festivals coming up during the weekend that are worth checking out. A little something for everyone...


May 31st: BioBlitz Festival
Grab your backpack and join the National Geographic Society and the National Park Service for this 24-hour event. Teams of scientists, naturalists, community leaders, students and the public join forces to discover and inventory the biodiversity in the nation’s largest urban national park.

May 31st: 3rd Annual T.O.M. Film Festival
Film goers will not only enjoy free admission for the festival, but they’ll have the opportunity to find out more about local and global initiatives to fight and end modern day slavery.

May 30th-June 1st: Los Angeles Accordion Festival
The first annual festival kicks off TODAY, featuring 15 accordion players and their bands showcasing diverse styles from Cajun to Irish to Rockabilly, and even an accordion workshop for those of you who want to learn more about the instrument.

And don't forget that the LA Film Fest tickets go on sale on June 2nd!

Happy Friday everyone!
-ExperienceLA Staff

Earth Day in LA

LA is a place known more for its car-friendliness (have you seen the traffic out there?), but that doesn't mean it's lacking in more eco-friendly options (especially as those gas prices rise). So take some time out to learn how to boost the green power in your life. Experience the arts and cultural offerings of LA and save the world in your own way...

Interview: Ayuko Babu and the Pan African Film and Arts Festival

Daood interviews Ayuko Babu, film festival director for the Pan African Film and Arts Festival. Read on for great insights about this annual film/arts festival and this year's events.


Daood: As president of PAFF and this year being the 16th annual event, [who are] the co-stars of this organization [that] have been essential to the longevity and success of this vision?

Mr. Babu: The people who were the co-founders of the festival and essential to the longevity of the festival [are] Danny Glover (actor), Janet DuBois (actress), Asantewa Olatunji, Esq. (General Manager/Director of Programming of the Festival, [and] Miki Goral (Director of Research).

Daood: Philosophically, how significant is film as an art-form?

Mr. Babu: Film, is the key art form for the 20th and 21st century. The reason for this is that all other art forms fold into it. And also film has mass appeal where it influences millions and millions of people around the world.

Daood: Since the onset of PAFF to the present the films underscore certain esthetic themes regardless of subject matter. What is the selection process for those films chosen to be apart of the PAFF?

Mr. Babu: The criteria for the selection of films entered in PAFF is 1) Does the film speak to us and our people?; if it attempts to explain us to other people PAFF is not interested; 2) Does the film tell a good story?; and 3) Is the film entertaining?

Daood: Your experience with the Republic of Guinea film industry is unique and I'm sure the audience would enjoy reading about it. Would you say that memorable epoch perhaps gave ground for the PAFF?

Mr. Babu: The idea for the Pan African Film Festival came from Mr. Gilbert Minot, who was the Director General of Silly-Cinema. Silly-Cinema was the governmental arm in charge of all film productions, theatres for exhibition films and he also was the person that convinced Kwame Toure (Stokley Carmichael) and Miriam Makeba (African singing superstar) to move to Guinea.

Daood: Tell us about the relationship that you have with the third largest film industry in the world Nigeria?

Mr. Babu: I have been invited several times to be a Juror at the African Academy Awards, which is held annually in the city of Lagos, Nigeria. I also have extensive and formal ties with various entities in the Nigerian Film Industry.

Daood: Have there been any films spoken of with great adulation, creating a buzz with anticipation thus far?

Mr. Babu: Yes, Return to Goree (Senegal), Namibia – the Struggle for Liberation (Namibia), and the Yacoubian Building (Eqypt).

Daood: Last year Saturday February 17th was the 51st anniversary of Ghana's Independence. How did the PAFF celebrate this special occasion?

Mr. Babu: We acknowledged Ghana’s independence by showcasing a film from Ghana entitled A Goat’s Tale and hosted a reception for the Ghanaian Community.

Daood: In addition to the films, there are events such as Spoken-Word Fest, Stand-Up Comedy and a PAFF Fashion Show. Can you elaborate upon them?

Mr. Babu: Spoken Word is a poetry showcase that sells out every year, hosted by Shihan, one of the members of the Deaf Poetry Jam family (Friday, February 8th at 9pm and Friday, February 15th @ 9pm). Stand Up Comedy, this year’s PAFF comedy night will be hosted by J. Anthony Brown on Sunday, February 10th at 7:30pm at the Spot Comedy Club. In addition, Alex Thomas will host a Comedy Night at Comedy Union. And this year the Fashion Show will take place Sunday, February 17th from 2-4 at the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza. This year’s theme is Wearable Art on the Move.

Daood: With the multitude of films that you seen, have you ever got the notion to write a script, direct a film or act?

Mr. Babu: All the time, but I just can't find the time to do it. Being a Film Festival Director is a full-time job.

Daood: At this time I know you're extremely busy and I would like to extend my gratitude for this interview.

Mr. Babu: Thank you for giving us the opportunity to speak about the Festival. And I would like to say to the readership that if you are tired of the "Soul Planes" of the world, come out and see what we screen at the festival. And then go next door to the Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza, and see all the wonderful fine arts and unique crafts and beautiful designed clothes.

For more information about the Pan African Film Festival, visit ExperienceLA.com.

Antonio Banderas Wants You to Go Metro!

Antonio Banderas wants you to Go Metro to the Los Angeles Latino International Film Festival. Check out the video (courtesy of Metro) to see why you should Go Metro to one of Los Angeles best annual film festivals.



Antonio Banderas quiere que tomes el metro al Festival de Cine latino Internacional de Los Angeles. Mira el video (cortesia de Metro) donde explica la buena razon para tomar el metro a uno de los mejores festivales de Cine de Los Angeles.