It is sad and true…The Best American DJ Tour Competition has officially ended its run in Los Angeles last Saturday the 14th with an EXCEPTIONAL performance by Miguel Migs! Club Avalon was packed and the energy inside was at an indescribable level. Although everyone was dancing, a sharp change occurred at 1am: Miguel Migs slides into the DJ booth and slowly starts his set. You could see the swarm of people migrate towards the DJ booth as the music picked up a distinct beat and the moment fans had been waiting for had arrived: Miguel Migs was at work and the crowd was LOVING it!

I watched in awe as the dance floor became dense with bodies, each picking up the rhythm and moving to the incredible base booming out of the speakers. His music is definitely of an ineffable nature; the influences and beats present in his music is not just for the clubs or the dance scene, it is for every place at any time. There is an innate soul, a discernible rhythm, a movement provoking melody, and an irresistible hypnotic pull. Avalon, the crowd and myself were taking it all in; screaming, whistling and dancing as if the sun was not going to come up. Suffice to say Miguel Migs managed in an incredibly short amount of time to bring us all into a frenzied state of euphoria and keep us there throughout his whole set.

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That’s right…this is your last opportunity to see, in Los Angeles, the Best DJ Tour 3rd annual competition in the works and get your groove on! That’s right ladies and gentlemen, get out your glowsticks, put on the glitter, get decked out in your most fabulous club clothes and come witness this amazing annual competition!

Now in its 3rd year, America’s Best DJ Tour allows fans to vote for their favorite American born DJ. The competition caters to the well known names as well as to DJ’s just breaking into the scene nationwide. Over a time period of four months (May to late August) DJ’s will be hitting up the hotspots across the nation while participating in this competition. To view dates/tours for additional cities go to: djtimes.com and look out for your favorite DJ!

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All I can say, and I know I speak for many, many dance music fans, is that Kaskade’s performance — the first of only two performances to be hosted in Los Angeles for the America’s Best DJ Tour Competition — was ABSOLUTELY PHENOMENAL! I have never seen the Vanguard so packed! The dance floor looked more like a standing music concert than a club with one of the largest dance spaces in Los Angeles! People were standing shoulder to shoulder; some moving their bodies ever so slightly to the beat of the music in anticipation of Kaskade’s entrance. At 12:30am sharp, he smoothly and with an unassuming manner entered the DJ booth - and without so much as even a verbal introduction or stark change in music style (so often rendered jarringly obvious by other DJ’s) transitioned into the beginning of his performance with ease and absolute mastery, starting with a song from his new album Strobelite Seduction.

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That’s right ladies and gentlemen, get out your glowsticks, put on the glitter, get decked out in your most fabulous club clothes and come witness this amazing annual competition!

Now in its 3rd year, America’s Best DJ Tour allows fans to vote for their favorite American born DJ. The competition caters to the well known names as well as to DJ’s just breaking into the scene nationwide. Over a time period of four months (May to late August) DJ’s will be hitting up the hotspots across the nation while participating in this competition. To view dates/tours for additional cities go to: djtimes.com and look out for your favorite DJ!

Last years winners included George Acosta in 1st place from Miami, Florida. 2nd place went to one of our nationals, Los Angeles based DJ BT and 3rd place to Bad Boy Bill from Chicago. [ Read The Full Story -> ]

This post is the first in a series attempting to capture the lifestyle and feel of LA’s music venues. The small clubs and bars where stars are born, and destroyed. Places where you may be standing 3 feet from a Grammy winner, or simply witnessing an artist convey their passions and pain. I urge you to take one night a month and journey to one of the many internationally known stages in Hollywood, and experience a live show. You just might fall in love with music again.

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If you’re like me, you’re probably frustrated with the conventional nightclub choices we have in Los Angeles. Its the same old thing every week, let it be go-go dancers, annoying tourists, or the lack of glamor in dress. Billy Burgess and Corey Deist are brilliant masterminds behind a new monthly sophisticated and chic event called Society. An event that is “for those who conform to nothing and desire something different.” Deist describes the party’s vibe as “upscale fashionistas mingling with highbrow-meets-Lower East Side.” Society is held at the spectacular bar and lounge Republic and everyone from all walks of life is invited to attend.You definitely have to check this out!No date has been announced for the next event however, for more information you can visit Society on the web at www.myspace.com.

The following are a few images I shot from Society on February 17:

Left to Right: Corey Deist and Billy Burgess

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I had been waiting patiently (or rather impatiently) for work to finally finish last Wednesday. This day was not like any other day you see, because I was going where few mere mortals had gone before: The Magic Castle. I was lucky enough to have ventured there before, on assignment for my University newspaper in 2006. Back then or last Wednesday, the experience was an incredibly amazing one and I realized one thing:

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• Talib Kweli at the House of Blues at 8pm. Insightful hip-hop artist Talib Kweli will be performing tonight. Location: 8430 Sunset Blvd. West Hollywood, 90069 (Map)
  • Cost: $22.50

• LA Art Show Running until this Sunday. Photography, paintings, sculptures, videos, prints, they  got it all. Around 10,000 pieces of art from the 19th century. One of the biggest art shows LA has ever seen. Taking place at the Barker Hanger at the Santa Monica Airport at 3021 Airport Avenue, Santa Monica (Map)
  • Cost: $20

• Free Vodka from 10-11pm at Jimmy’s Lounge. Hosted by Gracie cakes, with photo booths and stripper polls. Located at 6202 Santa Monica Blvd. Hollywood (Map)
  • Cost: Free until 11pm!

• Tilt -Brings LA to Victorville (if you want to go there) with and electro dance party featuring Killed By Synth, Bul!m!atron, and Audio Puppet.
  • Cost: $10, $3 drinks, food.

Photo by gabyu via Flickr

Friday - January 11th:
Warhol Dead at 21 - $5- Warhol superstars with live music and an open vodka bar! “WOW brings us a tribute to the visionary that predicted the 21st century future world of 15 minute-youtube-myspace weblebrity/celebutante fame of the world that’s been pulled over our eyes! 21 years after his death…” Crazy photos of crazy strippers and such. Enjoy! Located at 6650 Hollywood Blvd, Hollywood (Map).

Urban Underground presents Evidence, Humanbeings, Learning Curve, Lost Animals, with Pow Shadow hosting and Ron and DJ Leviathan on the 1’s and 2’s at The Airliner at 2419 N. Broadway, Los Angeles (Map).

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Still looking for somewhere to go? Here is a list of some of the top parties to go to this New Years. If you have any to add, please let us know!

• Karme at Les Deux- Les Deux will have Mickey Avalon with Special Guest Drummer Travis Barker, Dom Perignon Champagne toast, and the usual popular crowd -$15o dollars for a ticket of $5,000 for a table.
• New Years Eve Ball - At the Renaissance Hollywood Hotel and Grand Ballroom. Includes Wolfgang Puck dinner and MANY entertainers including DJ Peter G, Jennifer Braff, Jeff Goldblum, Mildred Snitzer Orchestra, Las Vegas Style Rock Show by The Exclusives, DJ Casey, DJ Chris Brazil, Sambajah and Oya BRazil Smaba Dancers, Fire and Water Shows, and Simon the Magican. At midnight Fire Groove, Cirque Aerialists, Burlesque, and Body Painting Artists. General Admission $150, casino tables ranging from $500 to $2,000.

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New Year’s Eve can often be an enormous let down. Wherever you end up, you’re probably in the vicinity of drunk couples making out in between incoherent yelping to no one in particular. If you happen to be one of these people you’re probably not disappointed in the least. For those of us who don’t yelp in public places and have no significant other, I recommend you spend the wee hours leading to 2008 at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood.

A paltry $40 gets you a reservation and a top notch show from L.A.’s own Gray Kid, who will be performing with his new band for the first time. The Gray Kid brings his ‘A’ game to every show whether it’s for 3 people or 300 people. He’s got the bravado of an Andre 3000 and spits out infectious rhymes to shake your ass beats. Now he used to rock you straight from his ipod and a telephone for a mic, but now he’s got a live band backing him. The lineup includes the guys from Oliver Future, another L.A. band on the rise.

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New Year’s Eve can often be an enormous let down. Wherever you end up, you’re probably in the vicinity of drunk couples making out in between incoherent yelping to no one in particular. If you happen to be one of these people you’re probably not disappointed in the least. For those of us who don’t yelp in public places and have no significant other, I recommend you spend the wee hours leading to 2008 at the Standard Hotel in Hollywood.

A paltry $40 gets you a reservation and a top notch show from L.A.’s own Gray Kid, who will be performing with his new band for the first time. The Gray Kid brings his ‘A’ game to every show whether it’s for 3 people or 300 people. He’s got the bravado of an Andre 3000 and spits out infectious rhymes to shake your ass beats. Now he used to rock you straight from his ipod and a telephone for a mic, but now he’s got a live band backing him. The lineup includes the guys from Oliver Future, another L.A. band on the rise.

[ Read The Full Story -> ]