Weekend Docket: 1/28/11

It's going to be a very easy going weekend for me... Tonight, No Strings Attached with B & V, followed by a midnight Shabby at UCB to see a sneak peak of Proxima Centauri: A Musical About Space.  Tomorrow, a little Rockreation with the Cha before some Beer & Cheese tasting deliciousness at Froma on Melrose and a birthday at the Surly.

Sunday I'll be working on a few trial runs of my next Cupcake of the Week.  Kegs N' Eggs.  Get excited!

All Weekend 

Brendan Fowler. Courtesy of UNTITLED, New York

Art Los Angeles Contemporary
Thursday, 1/27 through Sunday, 1/30

The fair presents 70 top international blue chip and emerging galleries from around the world, with a strong focus on Los Angeles galleries. Participants showcase some of the most dynamic recent works from their roster of represented artists, offering an informed cross section of what is happening now in contemporary art making. The fair provides a sophisticated yet accessible environment for art collectors, curators, and patrons of the arts alike to enjoy.  In addition, the fair hosts a comprehensive programming series, including world class artist talks, museum curator led panel discussions, and an artist film screening and performance series. Special events are staged on site at the art fair as well as throughout the city in satellite locations. $18/day pass $28/weekend pass || Barker Hangar, 3021 Airport Ave., Santa Monica www.artlosangelesfair.com

Saturday, 1/29

Beer & Cheese Tasting @ Froma on Melrose
5pm - 7pm
Froma has brought in beer expert Jeff Musial to create a unique and fairly unusual pairing series... 6 varieties of beer paired with cheese. FinerThingsLA reports that "this will not a be a Bud Light and Kraft singles kinda tasting (just a bit classier than that). Think Scoth Ales paired with Blue di Buffalo (oh god that sounds good), or on the fruitier side a Cabicou paired with a Peche Lambic (yes it tastes like the best sparkling fruity cocktail ever, but it is in fact a Belgian BEER, and is absurdly delicious.)"  And you can bet I'll be there guzzling away like a champ!  Tickets are $20 per person and reservations are recommended.  Froma on Melrose - 7960 Melrose Ave R.S.V.P. 323-653-3700 www.fromaonmelrose.com

IPA Express: Beer Tasting Event 
12:45-4pm
The Big Red Bus will transport drinkers from the Seaport Hotel to Congregation Alehouse and then to Brix for a total of 10 4-ounce tastes. At the final destination, Brix, beer savvy folks from Bootleggers, Strand and Noble Ale will be on hand to answer questions and pour some beer. $35. Seaport Hotel, 6400 East Pacific Coast Highway, Long Beach Reservations: (562) 852-9888  Big Red Bus

Patton Oswalt Book-signing at Book Soup
Starting at 5pm
Prepare yourself for a journey through the world of Patton Oswalt, one of the most creative, insightful, and hysterical voices on the entertainment scene today. Widely known for his roles in the films Big Fan and Ratatouille, as well as the television hit The King of Queens, Patton Oswalt—a staple of Comedy Central—has been amusing audiences for decades. Now, with Zombie Spaceship Wasteland, he offers a fascinating look into his most unusual, and lovable, mindscape. Book Soup, 8818 Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood www.booksoup.com

'Misappropriation' a pop-up art exhibition in Culver City
6pm - 9pm
Artists Ray Beldner, Brendan Lott, Sonja Schenk, and Annie Seaton are pleased to announce their upcoming exhibition, "Misappropriation." The pop-up show, which takes place during the Art Los Angeles Contemporary Art Fair, includes paintings, mixed media, digital prints, and small-scale installation all using and misusing found photo-based imagery. Each artist in the show collages images they have taken or found on the Internet or elsewhere, and they re-purpose and re-contextualize them in a way that reflects on their origins. They are in a sense "meta-images" misappropriated for the purpose, in part, to reflect on the picture's original purpose and meaning. Studio Orange - 8526 Washington Blvd - Culver City, CA misappropriationart.blogspot.com

Sunday, 1/30

Moveable Feast @ La Descarga
Starting at 8PM
Escape to little Havana for an evening of great food and creative cocktails. Catch Chef Meg Hall as her Moveable Feast travels to La Descarga. Enjoy Cuban inspired hors d’oeuvres and cocktails crafted by Chef Meg and famed mixologist, Steve Livigni. Tickets include 6 courses of delicious apps, a sexy signature cocktail in a hot locale for an unpredictable culinary experience. $50 || La Descarga, 1159 Western Ave., Hollywood moveablefeastcuban.eventbrite.com

The Angel City Derby Girls at Rush Street
7pm - 10pm
Angel City Derby Girls' roller derby league (not to be confused with L.A. Derby Dolls) is setting up shop in Culver City. To celebrate, the tough chicks are holding a huge post-game party this Sunday at Rush Street. The morning marks the restaurant's usual weekend bottomless bloody mary-fest before the game starts at Veteran's Auditorium at 5:00 P.M. When it's over, athletes from both teams will rally at Rush Street at 7:00 P.M., with ticket-holders getting 10% off of their orders, plus beer pong and raffle for tickets to the next derby match-up. Rush Street - 9546 Washington Boulevard, Culver City angelcityderbygirls.com

Syrah 4 Ways & Heirloom LA at Silverlake Wine
Starts at 3pm
Spend a wonderful Lazy Sunday afternoon sipping on Syrahs and noshing on fine apps from Heirloom LA. The Syrahs you’ll be tasting include Tintero “Grangia” Vino Bianco Piedmont NV from Italy, Chante-Perdrix “Empreinte” Saint-Joseph 2008 from France, Chono Reserva Elqui Valley 2008 from Chile, Grammercy Walla Walla Valley 2008 from Washington and California’s own Qupe “Sonny’s Vineyard” Edna Valley. $20. Silverlake Wine, 2395 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles www.silverlakewine.com

MEAT WEEK IS REAL
Starts on Sunday
It was a hot winter's day in Tallahassee Florida. Two bored co-workers, Chris Cantey and Erni Walker, sat in an office pretending to edit video footage of an insurance seminar. To take a break from the monotony of escrow lectures, they decided to play with the random word generator on Chris's website. It summoned the holy combination of Meat-Week. They decided it would be a holiday during which BBQ was eaten every night of the week. It was scheduled for two Sundays later (the day after Sorcerer Day), which happened to be the last Sunday in January.  As the coming event was hyped for the following week, friends laughed at the two prophets as though this was a joke. As the week actually arrived, many phone calls and emails ensued. "Hey, are you guys still doing that BBQ thing tonight?" The reply always came back affirmative. The nightly gathering gained steam, new friendships were forged and traditions evolved. When it ended as it began, at Sonny's Real Pit BBQ, everyone involved knew for sure that these traditions would last forever.  And so it was that in the year of our meat, 2005, as ordained by the patron saint Sonny and materialized by the humble prophets Erni and Chris, that Meat Week descended from the cosmos and took its rightful place on the throne as The Holiday That Time Forgot. Welcome to It.  Various Locations all over town http://www.meatweekisreal.com/