Well, it looks like everyone needs a vacation. Not many choices but maybe you’ll run into your favorite local band as you stumble your way home. If not then, check out these three bands and see if they could be a part of your July 4th plans!

• Spindrift, The Flash Express | 8:30pm at The Echo - Map | 18+ | Tickets $10 Buy now
• Castledoor | 9:00pm at The Scene - Map | 21+

Photo by Rich62

Fireworks

• Nine best places in LA to watch Fireworks | July 4th | Most fireworks start around 9pm - but check each individual listing for day time events or possibly changes | Don’t miss out! No mater where you are in the city there is sure to be a place near you that has great fireworks for you to enjoy!

Dance

• Drop | July 4th and every first Friday of the month | 11:55pm | Cost $10 | Every month at a different loft - this month it’s located at 651 South Anderson St, Downtown LA (Map) | Looking to dance the 4th away? They’ll be spinning reggae, dancehall, mashups, and dubs all night long. E-mail dropafterhours@gmail.com to RSVP and get on the list for $5.

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Here is your Thursday night music lineup. Go get a drink and take in a show, you owe it to yourself.

• Get Back Loretta, The Union Line, Golden Animals, The Deadnotes | 7:30pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $10 Buy Now
• Constantines | 12:00pm (That’s noon!) at Little Radio Warehouse | Ages not specified | Tickets $TBA
• My Imaginary Friends, Man and the Motorcar | 8:00pm at Silverlake Lounge - Map | 21+ | Tickets $8 Buy Now
• The Flying Tourbillion Orchestra, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, Summer Darling, Fol Chen | 8:30pm at The Echo - Map | 18+ | Tickets $5

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Your Official Amy Winehouse Update

Alright, so whoever had “punches fan at festival” in the Amy Winehouse trouble pool congratulations, you win $50. England’s favorite drugged out sweetheart appeared to punch a fan during her Saturday night performance at the famed Glastonbury Festival in the United Kingdom. According to CNN.com, Winehouse stepped down into the pit between the outdoor stage and the audience during a rendition of “Rehab,” and seemed to lash out at a member of the crowd before being gently escorted back to the stage by security staff (I’m betting the crowd member already has some sort of deal with a British tabloid). According to festival organizer Michael Eavis, Winehouse lashed out at the fan because someone had grabbed her breasts. Notice that he didn’t say that the fan grabbed her breasts, just “someone.” If you haven’t been playing the “What in the World Is Up With Amy Winehouse” home game, then you’ve missed recent incident with Winehouse which have included singing racial slurs on tape at a drug den, wandering outside in a diaper and reportedly being diagnosed with emphysema as a consequence of chain smoking cigarettes and crack.

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Burlesque

• Midsummer Night’s Madness Burlesque | July 3rd | 8pm | Safari Sam’s - 5214 West Sunset Hollywood (Map) | Must be 18+ | Presale general access costs $20, VIP access costs $50 (free booze included) | Want to get a bit naughty with a bunch of pinup girls? Well here is your chance to enjoy music by Luis and the Wildfires, Lil’ Gizzelle, and Lil’ Mo and the Unholy 4, accompanied with performances by Violet Valentine, Masuimi Max, and Laura Byrnes. Then to top it of, a little fashion show with Pinup Couture and Dixiefred Clothing.

The Joy of Giving

• Soles for Souls Shoe Drive Opening Reception | July 3rd | 6pm-9pm | Located at Twenty Two Shoes Los Angeles -  8304 W 3rd Street Los Angeles (Map) | Give and you shall receive 50% off! Starting tonight if you bring in gently worn pair of shoes for donation you will get 50% off a new pair of your choice! The event starts tonight and runs through the entire month of July.

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LA.CityZine brings you band, The Pity Party as a part of our Know Your LA Bands series. These two people, who are too good looking for their own good, can be compared to a Rilo Kiley pair. However, that’s just at a first glance. Forget the red hair comparison. The Pity Party brings you music that is moody, punk, pop and rock all at once. With both members playing multiple instruments (Heisenflei on drums, keys and vox and M on auto orchestra/electric guitar), this party is nothing to pity. Creating a sound that is almost ahead of our time (definitely not for those teeny boppers, but maybe for hipsters who have good taste and aren’t snobby about it), the Pity Party brings us music that is unfamiliar yet addictive.

The Pity Party has already gained critical acclaim as LA Weekly’s “Best Band in LA” in their weekly reader poll of 2007, Number 1 MySpace find by Supersweet Magazine, and NME’s Radar Band of June 2008. Being asked to play abroad isn’t unusual for bands in the states but The Pity Party is increasing their fan base in the US with each day as their multi-tasking inflict awe on their audiences. Don’t be fooled by all those instruments being set up on stage. There’s only two of them. If you want to get a taste of this futuristic punk as f*** band, head on out to the Echo Curio tomorrow on Thursday, July 3rd at 8:00 PM. The red hair, all their multi-tasking limbs and eerily fascinating Silverlake sound will be there. If you can’t make it out, make sure to purchase their first EP, Orgy Porgy, which is available through their myspace. The EP is eco-friendly and comes with 7 different covers featuring very lovely creatures designed by Ronald Dezerigian. Photo credited to Timothy Norris.

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I swear, sometimes Wednesdays are the liveliest days of the week. Forget about Hump Day - by the time you get to these shows, the worst part of Hump Day is over! Here is your music tonight!

• Coco’s Cut Rate Circus! | 7:30 pm at House of Blues Sunset Strip - Map | 18+ | Tickets $10 Buy Now
• July 4th Spectacular with the LA Dodgers | 7:30 pm at Hollywood Bowl - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $ 12 Buy Now
• An Evening with Jon Lovitz! | 8:00 pm at Laugh Factory Hollywood - Map | Ages 18+ | Tickets $20 Buy Now
• Latin Laugh Fest | 8:00 pm at Acs Lounge - Soboba Casino - Map | Ages 21+ | Tickets $30 Buy Now
• Modey Lemon Featuring the Muslims | 8:30 pm at Echo - Map | Ages not specified | Tickets $8 Buy Now

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Fireworks and Music

• July 4th Fireworks Spectacular: A Ball at the Bowl with the LA Dodgers | July 2nd | 7:30pm | Hollywood Bowl (Map) | Tickets range from $10-$114 - Buy here | Fireworks, Dodger super stars, and music by special guest Randy Newman. Need I say more? Pack some wine and come and enjoy!

Theater

• 1984 | July 2nd-6th | 8:30pm | The Redcat (Map) | Tickets $18-$36 | You can buy tickets online here or call 213-237-2800 | There’s never a bad time to be reminded of what a tool you are. Tim Robbins’ (who was recently interviewed on LA.CityZine) production of 1984 is more poignant than you could ever imagine. It’s a great show, only playing through this weekend that I think everyone should see.

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A simple idea…Get a band to play an acoustic set in a low-key outdoor environment. Make it a party and invite some friends to come down and watch. Have the band talk about their songs and themselves a little bit. Now, film the whole thing and what do you get?

In June, Southern California band Francisco the Man! was the first guest in the The Garden Party series. Lead singer Scotty Cantino writes deceptively simple tales of love, faith and drifting under diamond skies. The band dresses these tunes up in gorgeous harmonies that you could cut with a knife and a backbeat as steady as the freight trains that roll through the Inland Empire.

LA Cityzine presents Francisco the Man! in The Garden Party #1. [ Read The Full Story -> ]

Happy Hour

• Poolside Happy Hour | Now until December 31st | 5pm | Located at Velvet Blue Restaurant - 750 Garland Ave (Map) | Want act like a super star without having to pay like one. Come just the Velvet Blue Restaurants happy hour Monday - Friday at 5pm and enjoy $5 drinks, dollar a minute massages, complimentary hor d’oeuvres prepared by Executive Chef Jonathan McDowell, and lie by the pool.

Comedy

• Comedy Death Ray | Tuesday, July 1st | 8:30pm | Tickets $5 | Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theater (Map) | Tuesday’s suck. So grab a beer and enjoy some comedy. Tonight at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade, will be Andy Kindler, Greg Proops, Jen Kirkman, Morgan Murphy, Mike O’Connel, and Dr. Ken.

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Free show night! Here is your round up of your local bands playing in LA tonight - with times, directions, ticket info and more. 

• Nash with DJ Funknastyfrench | 8:00pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $10 Buy now
• Rumspringa, The 1912A, Slang Chickens, The Amazements | 8:30pm at The Echo - Map | 21+ | FREE
• Afternoons, The Happy Hallows, The Movies, Boxing Lesson | 9:00pm at Spaceland - Map | 21+ | FREE
• The Death Set, Cheeseburger | 9:00pm at King King - Map | 21+ | FREE (RSVP Required) 
• Kyle Mabson & Josh Taylor, Dommm, Laco$te, Extreme Animals, Hard Place, The Amazements | 9:00pm at Pehrspace - Map | All Ages | Tickets $5 

Photo by Stan D Payne

Hey kids! The weekend comes to an end with some great shows. If you’ve never seen Meshell Ndegeocello perform live then do not miss out on the opportunity to do so at The Key Club.  If you’re in the mood for a sillier, more lighthearted show, Weird Al Yankovik is gracing the Ventura Theatre with his strange  and oh, so catchy remakes of pop songs.  My top pick for the evening, however, would have to be Fleet Foxes.  Their sound is the perfect combination of earthy folk and ethereal harmony.  Whatever you decide, you should definitely end the weekend musically with one of the following shows:

• Ours |7:00pm The Glass House - Map | All Ages. Tickets $15 Buy Now
• Weird Al Yankovic| 7:00 pm at Ventura Theatre - Map| All Ages. Tickets $40 Buy Now
• Joey Gian |  7:30pm & 9:30pm at Catalina Bar & Grill - Map| 21+ | Tickets $20 Buy Now
• Rick Ortiz Presents Jim Bailey as Judy Garland| 8:00pm at House of Blue Sunset Strip- Map| 18+ Tickets $35 Buy Now
• Meshell Ndegeocello | 8:10pm at Key Club - Map| 21+ | Tickets $25 Buy Now
• Pilbilly Knights | 8:30 pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $10 Buy Now
• Fleet Foxes| 9:00pm at Spaceland - Map| 21+ | Tickets $10 At Door
• JB Beverley and the Wayward Drifters | 9:30 pm at Knitting Factory - Map | All Ages | Tickets $10 Buy Now
• Sacred Cowboys | 10:30 pm at Knitting Factory - Map| All Ages | Tickets $10 Buy Now
• Gilberto Gil/Devendra Banhart/The Album Leaf (featuring Mike Heron) | 7:00pm at Hollywood Bowl- Map| All Ages | Tickets $10 Buy Now
• Captain Ahab| 9:00pm at The Smell - Map| All Ages | Tickets $5 at door 

Photo by oliver.peel