Two hundred fifty years ago, one of the greatest figures in the history of Western civilization was born. UCLA Live and the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra have plans to celebrate that birth in a way unlike anything this country has seen. Read more...

In December, it’s almost impossible to go to the movies and spend less than two hours in the theater. The better the movie, it seems, the longer the necessary running time. Read more...

Freedom is a subjective concept. Just ask the stars of “After Innocence.” The documentary film, which screens at the James Bridges Theater tonight courtesy of Melnitz Movies, tells the stories of seven men who were wrongfully imprisoned for years, sometimes even decades, before their innocence was proven. Read more...

While I usually complain about the ridiculous rent I pay to share a room in a small apartment in Westwood, there’s nothing like a trip home over the holidays to make me appreciate it. Read more...

As I sat in Brenna Youngblood’s studio among thousands of photo clippings, observing what has emerged from the chaos, she apologized for the mess. “Write that it was pristine,” she said with a short laugh. Read more...

One interesting part of winter break is poking around one’s old room and finding things from the past. Typically, I find old books and pictures, along with Post-it notes on which I used to write down things that struck me as clever (like trying to phonetically transcribe “awesome guitar riffs,” most of which turn out to have been bass lines). Read more...

Model. Actress. The face of Air Madagascar. Somehow adding “local independent musician” to that list doesn’t seem to fit, but singer/songwriter Maylin Pultar is full of surprises. Read more...