On Saturday, 3/15 at 9 PM, The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra with special guest Billy Shire on harp and The Skip Heller Trio will fill the desert night with song! No cover charge but donations will be accepted for the performers gas tanks and there will be snacks and refreshments available from the Joshua Tree Listening Lounge – 61597 Twenty-Nine Palms Hwy, Joshua Tree, California 92252 (760) 475-4860
On January 31, my favorite Los Angeles area group, Spindrift makes their first appearance at Viva Cantina and considering the horse and cowboy theme of the Burbank Equestrian Center area establishment, it is a perfect place for them to perform their mesmerizing psychedelic cowboy spaghetti western music as part of their Ghost of the West Tour 2014 promoting their new LP on Tee Pee Records, along with their upcoming film of the same name (view a trailer of the film here .) Co-headlining this show are my friends and the group I play bass with, The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra plus former Gun Club and Pontiac Brothers member Ward Dotson’s current group Golden Sombrero. This is a free all-ages show and there is plenty of free parking available in the Pickwick Bowl lot across the street!
As we get closer to year’s end, lucky Southern California residents have two fabulous holiday events to attend this weekend – on Saturday, 12/14 A Very Vintage Xmas variety show and marketplace at the mid-century Mayflower Club in North Hollywood and on Sunday 12/15, Jonny Whiteside’s rockin’ Messaround at the Viva Cantina across from the Pickwick Bowl in Burbank
Saturday, Dec. 14, 2013: 6 PM A Very Vintage Xmas featuring The Martini Kings, Burlesque, Comedy, a Vintage Marketplace and More!
Mayfair Club
11110 Victory Blvd.,
North Hollywood, California 91606
(818) 769-9805
Doors Open for Vintage Vending at 6:00 pm – LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY SHOPPING!
Show Starts at 8:00 pm-Midnight
$15.00
Tickets available here – or at the door if there are any left!
FREE PARKING in the Mayfair lot
Fans of swanky lounge music (a la Rat Pack era), cocktails, dancing, modernism, exotica and tiki, lowbrow comedy and magic, burlesque, vintage fashion, accessories collectibles and art – join us for a night of retro madness at one of the valley’s oldest private clubs!
Join The Martini Kings for a very special night of vintage variety acts. Hilarious Comedy, Amazing Magic, Titillating Burlesque, Dancing, DJ Lee Joseph, Delicious Cocktails and Tasty Snacks, Vintage Vendors, and of course – the intoxicating sounds of L.A.’s leaders in lounge – The Martini Kings featuring our 8 piece big band including our vocalists, the fabulous Sonny Moon and fantastic Miss Kate Campbell…..with this year’s special guests Emmett Hadley’s Olde-Tyme Christmas Band! And a special visit from the Big Man himself….Santa!
Sun., Dec. 15, 2013, 6 PM: Jonny Whiteside’s Messaround
Viva Cantina
900 West Riverside Drive
Burbank, CA 91506
All ages; FREE SHOW!
FREE PARKING across the street at Pickwick Bowl (same owners).www.vivacantina.com
with Golden Sombrero, The Mau Maus, The Billybones, South Bay Surfers, Dick & Jane Family Orchestra
It’s an All Ages Free Admission Yuletide Frolic of Deep Mayhem, High Merrymaking and All-Around Untamed Unparalleled Musical Ka-Pow!
Messaround shotcaller Jonny Whiteside rallies five of the finest, freakiest bands in all of Los Angeles for this flat-git-it, once in a lifetime shimmy-shakin’ shindig. The participation by epic, epochal 1977-era Los Angeles punk rock pioneers The Mau Maus and the Billybones is an event of such rollicking tribal significance that there is not hyperbole enough to adequately capture the Olympian-scaled artistry and achievement these men carry with them. Rick Wilder and Billy Bones are not only history making trailblazers and proud punk tradition bearers they are performers both yet capable of absolutely sizzling, high-voltage stage presentations and vocal performances of masterly, arresting interpretive power. Their creative resources, as evidenced on two recent and respectively superb albuns, are as emphatic and fiery as ever, demonstrating just how fortunate we are to be able to witness this level of sheer rock & roll disrectitude. MAUS MAUS! BILLYBONES!
Golden Sombrero, led by Ward Dotson, the skewed guitar genius (who’s brilliant playing defined the Gun Club’s sound just as much as did Jeffrey Lee Pierce’s vocal) finally returns to the ‘Mess! Throwing down a kaleidoscopic selection of late 50’s-early 60’s Adult Contemporary, every song is like a case of spontaneous combustion and the resulting incandescent conflagrations are wondrous to behold. With boss bassist Steve K and jazz-informed drummer Charles Maxey, Golden Sombrero extends and enhances the Dotsonian School of Musical Cool with admirable, reckless velocity.
Underground Bombshell Jane Cantillon scrubs up her unruly brood The Dick & Jane Family Orchestra for another intoxicatingly unpredictable visit. DJFO is magnificently pop-centric exercise in real-now, old school oddball that’s laid waste to audiences everywhere from the Cinegrill to NYC’s Limelight. Teamed with indefatigably swinging-strumming-spouse Richard Ross, an uptown head with a dog-eared downtown hep that lends the proceedings an bewitchingly indefinable cool, and steady-rolling rock apostle Lee Joseph on bass, Dick & Jane Family Orchestra’s mixture of offbeat charm, earthy aggression and expectation defying creativity—including a brand new Jane-composed Christmas tune—is assuredly gonna knot your tinsel into a terrific twist!
The South Bay Surfers These Paragons of mind shattering underworld rock & roll impurity once again convene to deliver their traditional Christmas set–you’ll hear everything from “Feliz Navidad” to “Run, Run Rudolph” in an entirely new and wild, wild, wild way!! Damaging cerebellums across the Southland since the 1980s, the indescribable SBS show–an alchemical combination of fetishistic passion and naked inadequacy–is second to none. Not for the timid, the SBS’ dedicated employ of aimlessness, chaos and deep reverence is revelatory in its sheer, bizarre display of sideshow weird (“so woefully deficient in the talent department that they could possibly be the world’s worst rock & roll band.” — All Music Guide) Ho, Ho, Ho
Thurs., March 29, 2012
8:00 pm – 11:00 pm
FREE – No Age Limit!
Wacko / La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90027
phone: 323-666-7667
www.laluzdejesus.com
info@laluzdejesus.com
Dave Foley (The Kids in the Hall, NewsRadio, A Bug’s Life, Celebrity Poker Showdown and The Late Late Show) will be the Master of Ceremonies at Wacko / La Luz de Jesus’ monthly music and performance salon “Billy’s Thursday Night Fish Fry and Community Social”
This Month’s Fish Fry Features Dave Foley as Master of Ceremonies introducing these fine acts:
Gitane DeMone
Pinky Turzo
The Dick & Jane Family Orchestra (with Dionysus Records’ Lee Joseph on bass)
Eli Presser presents an Untitled Puppet Show
Projections by Gio Toninelo
of The GI Joe Stop Motion Film Festival
Michael Rozon on pedal steel
Francois and John (Motorcycle Boy) outside
plus other special guests TBA!
On the last Thursday of each month, Southern California’s axis of underground pop culture, Wacko / La Luz de Jesus Gallery hosts Billy’s Thursday Night Fish Fry & Community Social. The monthly event presents a diverse multi-media mixed-bag variety show of acoustic based music, spoken word, unusual performance and more. Billy Shire calls the night a “21st century salon” and aims to re-connect the local creative community with a free, two plus hour “in the round” show, with the performers in the center of the gallery. The show is open to all ages and there is no cover charge!
Music, Mexican food and beer —
what MORE could you want for Father’s Day?
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra
with Lee Joseph and Michael Peffer
is proud to be back at
Jonny Whiteside’s Messaround
this coming Sunday, June 19
VIVA FRESH CANTINA
900 W Riverside Dr
Burbank, CA
(next door to LA Equestrian Center)
along with a bunch of mighty fine
musicians and performers
including
Dick Deluxe
the Mighty Mojo Prophets
and the Messaround Tabernacle Choir
Show starts at 5 pm and goes until 9 pm
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra goes on at 7pm
Click here for Facebook event page
NO COVER!
Full Bar and Dinner Menu
FREE PARKING (at Pickwick Bowl across the street)
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra will be playing the final night of the Amanda Jo Williams Monday Night Residency at The Echo
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Echo
1822 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA
NO COVER!
9:00 pm The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra
10:00 pm The Overstreets
11:00 pm Amanda Jo Williams
12:00 am Matthew O’Neill
Mark Gleason “Mannerism”
Daniel Lim “Sweet IMperfections”
Danni Shinya Luo “Chaotic Harmony”
Heather Watts “Small Heroes”
April 1 – May 1, 2011
Opening Reception: Friday, April 1, 8-11 pm
La Luz de Jesus Gallery
4633 Hollywood Blvd.
Los Angeles CA 90027
323-666-7667
www.laluzdejesus.com
info@laluzdejesus.com
Official afterparty, Friday April 1, 11 pm – TAIX Restaurant in Echo Park featuring The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra – Free admission!
Mark Gleason – “Mannerism”
In “Mannerism,” Mark Gleason continues to use Mannerist techniques with oil on canvas to explore existential themes via absurdist situations. Animals are often included to define aspects of the relationship of a central character’s orientation or connection to the world via communion or costume in psychologically fraught, private environments. Gleason’s subjects are shown in moments of preparation and conflict — his figures have roles to assume, and in doing so, a form of inner self is revealed. His metaphoric images may seem cryptic but represent the underdog and the disenfranchised deriving fearsome capability from the mask of the powerful; figures communing with animals, or donning the guise of animals, holding knives out like some kind of animal self-protection stance or the Sisyphean struggle of attempting to lift books when you’re standing on them.
“Hopefully, my wit comes through in each painting. I would feel successful if I could convey the same kind of absurd humor found in Samuel Beckett’s writing. The imagery is a construct that has multiple meanings and layers and I leave blanks for the viewers to fill in. I’ve come to see that others bring their own stories and feelings to the work. I’ve intentionally fostered that kind of response with recent work, and I’m honored and challenged in creating something that may spark others to open their own responses to the work. I resonate to a statement by Degas to the effect that art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” states Gleason, whose work is also inspired by novelist Cormac McCarthy and silent film star Buster Keaton.
In addition to painting, Mark teaches high school art in Palo Alto, California and writes a daily music blog, “what do we have for entertainment”. This is Gleason’s second featured exhibition at La Luz de Jesus Gallery. www.markgleason.net
Daniel Lim – “Sweet IMperfections”
Fawn Fruits aka Daniel Hyun Lim relishes the spontaneity of the art and moves things as he goes with colored pencils and acrylics. His works are somewhat timeless with a striking juxtaposition of muted versus vibrant hues. The colors are an anchor to reality and are a huge factor to the symbolic message that he is telling. “Somewhere over the colors of the rainbow there lies a significantly beautiful truth, a truth that can only be realized with an intimate encounter. “Sweet IMperfections” is an artistic interpretation of a promise between the creation and his/her creator” states the artist. Rather than forcefully preaching to the viewer with religious imagery and symbolism, Lim brings new life to the genre by producing work that is based on his personal views on religion. “Although we see ourselves as imperfect souls, in the eyes of a loved one, we are perfect” states Lim who feels that there are enough serious paintings in the world that shout and make big statements. He wants his work to be more subtle and speak peacefully to the viewer and to bring a moment of tranquility. His dream is to show the world some love, one Fawn Fruits at a time. Lim is an illustration instructor at Otis college of Art and Design, Santa Monica College and Red Engine Studios. www.fawnfruits.com
Danni Shinya Luo – “Chaotic Harmony”
Danni Shinya Luo’s female forms breathe with a sensuality and intuition that will shatter your preconceptions about her chosen medium, the watercolor painting. Shinya’s fluid and organic figures are full of feminine mystery and romance. Her colorful animals are magnificently fierce, emanating a primal magnetism that is practically pheremonic. In “Chaotic Harmony,” using whimsical and subtly erotic figures, the interactions of human beings with their avatars from the animal kingdom convey modern psychological truths while relating age-old mythologies. The concept of this new collection is birthed from the artist’s own internal world; her past experiences are transformed into physical creatures, textures and color palettes. The subtextural inclusion of archetypal symbolism is never forced nor heavy-handed, but further enriches the central, “surface” view with allegorical depth –a reward for those willing to investigate just a bit further…
Originally from Shanghai, China, Danni Shinya Luo moved to California in 1995. She fell in love with art in grade school and after a few years of private study (and an apprenticeship with Chinese watercolor master, Ding Ha) was accepted into Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, where she majored in illustration and graduated with honor in 2006. Shinya participated in key group shows, select solo exhibitions, and saw her work published in periodicals like Bust and Initiativa, books like “Eye Candy” and “Sugar & Spice,” as well as design projects like Nickelodeon’s Neopets and a line of toy dolls for Hasbro. In the year that has passed since her last featured exhibition, “Spiritual Deficiencies,” Shinya has published a now sold-out collected volume of her gallery exhibited work, “Breaking the Ice.” She also helped develop the re-branding of Marvel Comics’ signature female mutant “X-23” (providing the cover art for the first three issues). Later this year, her second book, “Soft Candy: The Art of Danni Shinya Luo,” will be released through seminal art publisher Last Gasp Books, featuring a collection of 200 full color pages of brand-new drawings and paintings. www.fawnfruits.com
Heather Watts – “Small Heroes”
Suffused with pessimistic shadows and redemptive illumination, Canadian pop-surrealist painter Heather Watts’ intricate paintings harness the pageantry of anthropomorphic heroes and martyrs to tell the story of individuals grappling with forces larger than themselves. “Some of the pieces for this show are quite dark thematically, but I’m not interested on focusing on the darkness for its own sake in my work, I’m interested in using it to show light, to paint darkness as something that reveals light, to see the darkness as a canvas for light, an opportunity for light to shine” states the artist.
Watts, who is well-known for her past tiki-inspired paintings has exhibited works in galleries across the US and overseas, including La Luz de Jesus, Strychnin, The Shooting Gallery, M Modern, and Roq la Rue among others. She is a self-taught painter with a Bachelors Degree in Asian Area Studies from the University of British Columbia. www.heatherwatts.com
Official After Party with
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra
Free admission!
Taix Resturant
1911 Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90026
(213) 484-1265
www.taixfrench.com
Incelebration of this show and La Luz de Jesus’ out-of-town guests, Heather Watts (Vancouver, BC) and Mark Gleason (Palo Alto, CA) there is an official after-party in the bar at TAIX, a beautiful French restaurant established in 1927, just a short drive from the gallery on Sunset Blvd in Echo Park. The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra features vocalist Jane Cantillon, her husband Richard Ross on guitar, percussionist Michael Pfeffer and La Luz de Jesus publicist Lee Joseph on bass. The combo plays a hybrid of urban garage folk. The show starts at 11:00 pm and the band starts at 11:30 pm. No cover charge!
DD Divas at The Redwood Bar and Grill
Sunday, March 13, 2011, 8:30 pm
Redwood Bar & Grill
316 W. 2nd Street (at Hill)
Downtown Los Angeles, CA
9:00 pm The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra — featuring Jane Cantillon
10 pm Patria Jacobs
10:30 pm Exotiki
11:30 pm Candye Kane.
(Okay, Exotiki are all guys, so they’re not “divas”, much less “DD divas,” but we need something for the ladies.)
Of course, “DD” stands for “Divinely Delightful.” What do you think it stands for??
Friday, Feb 25 2011 9pm
The Skip Heller Trio
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra
Christopher Lockett
At Rafa’s Lounge and Gallery
1836 Sunset – at Glendale Blvd, right next to The Echo / The Echoplex – enter on Glendale Blvd
Rafa’s is a well kept secret, right in the middle of Echo Park – the beautiful but small hand-built gallery shows sculpture and paintings, and also boasts a small stage with a intimate living-room vibe.
Historian, music fan, guitarist, singer, songwriter Skip Heller has researched and produced records with the likes of Les Baxter, Robert Drasnin, Sammy Masters, has played with legends such as Yma Sumac, has written and produced music for The Flinstones and Dexter’s Laboratory, among many other things. His current group, The Skip Heller Trio, provides Heller with a vehicle to play and sing his songs which are as inspired by great American songwriters of the Brill Building era as they are Americana roots, country and rockabilly. The Trio performs covers such as Jimmy Skinner’s “Doin’ My Time” which showcase Heller’s ability to really smoke on lead – played on an acoustic guitar. Backed by Dionysus Records’ head honcho Lee Joseph on bass and Mark Borinstein on drums, the combo also has the ability to whip out cover tunes they’ve never played before and make them sound like they’ve rehearsed them!
The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra were formerly known as Dick and Jane, a husband-wife duo featuring Richard Ross and one of Los Angeles original “100 punks,” filmmaker and producer Jane Cantillon who has worked with the likes of Tyra, Hard Copy, Howie Mandell and many others. When Lee Joseph was approaching the end of his almost decade long DJ residencies, he was invited to see a screening of Cantillon’s “The Other Side” documentary. The duo performed and Joseph told them that that they could use a bassist. After dusting off an instrument he pretty much put down in 2000, Joseph joined the duo in February of 2010. Shortly after, Michael Peffer, drummer of Biblical Proof of UFOs joined the threesome as their percussionist and the group became The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra (with Joseph and D&J’s “fake” son and Pefffer as their “fake” nephiew.) The group plays a hybrid of beat, folk and garage with acoustified versions of Velvet Underground, Question Mark and The Mysterians and Jimi Hendrix, along with Cantillon’s catchy and humorous originals about Los Angeles, the last taboo (smoking)and of course, men.
The two groups will be joined by singer-songwriter Christopher Lockett.
A $5 donation is appreciated!
This Thursday – 2/10 – Dionysus Records brings you three bands at The Redwood featuring exotica with a twist from The Ding Dong Devils, The Dick and Jane Family Orchestra with Dionysus’ Lee Joseph on bass, and Casino 66, formerly The Huntington Cads and featuring ex members of The Finks, The Witchdoctors and The Tiki Tones. Only $5.00!
9:30 PM
$5.00 Cover
The Redwood Bar and Grill
316 W. 2nd St.
Los Angeles, CA. 90012
213.680.2600
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