Nestled behind the breathtaking 2000 building on the Avenue of the Stars is a rare gem for the burgeoning art culture of Los Angeles.  The Annenberg Space for Photography recently eagerly opened its doors to the general public and has no intentions of looking back.  Along with other media outlets, Evil Monito was invited to a special media preview of the stunning gallery which promises to become a very special stage and gathering place for the creative minds of this city. →

(Finals video courtesy of Transworld Skateboarding)

The contest of contests–no, not the X Games–happened over the weekend, and the official results are in.  It looks like is Milwaukee’s best, Greg Lutzka, is the winner of the contest’s highly coveted streetskating title yet again.  This marks Lutzka’s third time winning the contest, and it could easily have been his fourth in a row if it weren’t for Koston taking it home in 2007.  Speaking of Koston, he was noticeably absent from the leaderboards this year.  Also of note, it appears that Chaz Ortiz is the real deal contest-wise, following up last year’s monster of a year on the Dew Tour with an equally impressive outing that earned him third place just behind P-rod (there are worse places to be in the standings).
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The first of 15 issues of Back Door Man, the South Bay’s original rock ‘n’ roll  fanzine, is now available free online. More will be added as later issues are scanned and prepared.

Although having lived a part of my early childhood in Torrance, a suburb in the South Bay of Los Angeles, I don’t have a lot to say about the city. I remember it being pleasant and quiet and that the Del Amo Mall was featured in Tarantino’s Jackie Brown. It was one of those typical Califorian suburbs with carefully manicured lawns and a sizeable Asian American community. But in the late ’70s Torrance was home to one of the seminal music zines during a time when punk was just blowing up. →

Luckman Theatre- Los Angeles, CA
Live Review: 03/15/09
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In a perilous time, when political unrest was active and the military dictatorship was feared, the working class of Brazil used music as a form of subtle resistance. Struggle and opposition went hand in hand, accompanying the exploration of music and the arts which served as a popular front of expression. However, the military of the mid ‘ 60s and early ‘ 70s used pop culture as a means to promote political ideologies, resulting in the polarization between the elite and the middle and urban class.

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I’ve been following my favorite KUCI radio show (@zmradio) on twitter lately and stumbled upon a bit of wonderful news. They’re giving away tickets to Coachella. Entering is easy. →

Shepard Fairey is arguably the most famous artist of the Arkitip alumni group, and could quite possibly be the artist most remembered of his generation. This issue will be truly historic, as Arkitip will celebrate 20 Years of Shepard’s seminal “Obey” campaign. Because Shepard has not been a guest of Arkitip magazine since issue edition No. 0003, this reunion collaboration has been long overdue and is a guaranteed to be another groundbreaking Arkitip classic. →

The Anastasia Boutique and Gallery in Laguna Beach presents selected paintings and illustrations by artist/designer Brett Westfall in an installation titled “Rethought Memories.” His latest foray into wearable concept art is available through the Spring/Summer 2009 collection “Seasons of Non.” →

“Fight back! Fight back! Fight back!” was being chanted as a few thousand angry people gathered at Hollywood and Vine to protest the occupations in Iraq, Afghanistan, Palestine and Israel on Saturday, March 21st, the sixth anniversary of the unlawful invasion of Iraq. →

As the open source, DIY music scene brings us more amazing ways to control audio and video for live performances, it’s no surprise that bigger companies are trying to get in on the ground floor.  With the Monome and the Arduino platforms already being pushed to the creative limits, Livid has brought these same user-defined, open ended concepts to a much wider audience. →

You’d think that subway stations, with their stuffy recycled air and droves of people, wouldn’t be the best place to buy fresh fruit, but from my experience, I’ve bought better-tasting fruit sold in the Paris Métro than I have at some grocery stores here in the U.S. The apples sweet and crispy, the raspberries plump and juicy. →