After a 5 year hiatus, underground performance party pioneer Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) returns to the limelight with I Am Vegetable at the Premiere Events Center (aka Lot 613) in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 8, 2011.  I Am Vegetable is a delectable interactive costume party that merges theater, story telling, music, performance art, and dancing with imaginative sets that integrate the audience with the action.  The event soundscape incorporates dubstep, electro/breaks, house, tech house, and ambient/downtempo with a tasty DJ line-up that features John Kelley, Shayn, Trevor + Travis Wyse, Petey, and more. The creative brains behind I Am Vegetable are musician and event director Teo Castro and costume designer Mikiko Nagao, who have collaborated on creative underground events since the 1990s.  I Am Vegetable runs from 9:00pm to 3:30am. Tickets range from $20 to $40. Premiere Events Center/Lot 613 (http://www.lot613.com) is located at 613 Imperial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021. 

Underground Performance Party Pioneer
Dream Circus Theatre Presents
I Am Vegetable
A Wildly Costumed Interactive Theatrical Dance Event
At Premiere Events Center (Lot 613) in Downtown LA
Saturday, October 8, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – September 16, 2011 – After a 5 year hiatus, underground performance party pioneer Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) returns to the limelight with I Am Vegetable at the Premiere Events Center (aka Lot 613) in Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday, October 8, 2011.  I Am Vegetable is a delectable interactive costume party that merges theater, story telling, music, performance art, and dancing with imaginative sets that integrate the audience with the action.  The event soundscape incorporates dubstep, electro/breaks, house, tech house, and ambient/downtempo with a tasty DJ line-up that features John Kelley, Shayn, Trevor + Travis Wyse, Petey, and more. The creative brains behind I Am Vegetable are musician and event director Teo Castro and costume designer Mikiko Nagao, who have collaborated on creative underground events since the 1990s.  I Am Vegetable runs from 9:00pm to 3:30am. Tickets range from $20 to $40. Premiere Events Center/Lot 613 (http://www.lot613.com) is located at 613 Imperial St., Los Angeles, CA 90021. For more information, please visit http://www.dreamcircus.com or call 310-853-3075.

Attendees are encouraged to wear vegetable-themed costumes and bring their favorite organic vegetables for the communal soup that will be served all night long. The event will be streamed live at http://www.stickam.com. Guests must be 21 years of age or older to attend. A limited number of advance tickets can be purchased for $20-25 at http://fla.vor.us/1100057-I-AM-VEGETABLE-tickets/I-AM-VEGETABLE-Los-Angeles–.html. On the day of event, tickets are $30 with vegetable costume and organic vegetable for the communal soup, $40 “plain jane.” Street parking is free.  $10 secured valet parking will also be available. Please also see DCT’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/dreamcircus.theatre as well as the event page at http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/event.php?eid=247783768584432

I Am Vegetable welcomes Fud-gee Bear and Electric GrassHopper back from a Deep Hi Bear Nation. Climbing out from the underground city of Zion, rising like a phoenix from the ashes, they will bring magic, mystery and fantasy back into our world once again.  Event attendees will be transported into a world where they can mingle with roaming I Am Vegetable characters in elaborate costumes, get a scrub down in the make-believe “Vegetable Wash,” and wander down the interactive “Vegetable Brick Road” (a floor with interactive screens and projections) on their way to the “Veggie Voyeurism Museum” (a “green light” district of steamy vegetables).

In the “Market Membrane” front room, a farmer’s market-themed area, guests can enjoy dubstep/electro breaks DJ sets, VJs, theatrical performances, and a costume contest. The outside “Mushroom Garden,” is a place for attendees to sit, lounge, drink, and eat.  More DJs, VJs, an ambient room, and photo booth will be set as a soup bowl.  Out back, attendees will find the “Psycho-Ponics Ward,” a black-lit room with house/tech DJ sets, VJs and theatrical performances with a backdrop of vegetables hooked up to tubes. The upstairs area houses the chill zone known as “The Refrigerator” with VJs and ambient music.

Interactive characters will roam throughout the event space.  Examples include the “Mr. Snails” characters (like the Mr. Smiths from the Matrix movies) – Secret Service snails who try to capture veggie attendees – and “The Garlic Informant,” who saves the veggies from the Mr. Snails.

The event is a vehicle to launch nutritional vegetable awareness and support the organic health movement for sustainable living.  Organic local food companies will be participating.

Featured DJs by Event Area:

Market Membrane - a vegetable marketplace full of sinful, carnal delights features dubstep/electro breaks with:
- John Kelley (Ball of Wax / Moontribe) - site
- Shayn Almeida (Intetech / Deep LA) – site
- Bartek (Quade / Ball of Wax) – site
- SuneviL LovechiLd – site
- Petey (Technique) – site

Psycho-Ponics Ward – veggie crazed madness, with padded walls and black lights, is hosted by Fade Dra and features house/tech house with:
- HAWT DJs Mikey + Eddie B. (HAWT Music) - site
- Frank Fader (Dogtown DJs) – site
- Ben Annand (Moontribe / Tropical) – site
- DJ Xian Fayette (I Am)
- DJ M*Linss (Dogtown DJs)

The Mushroom Garden - outside chill area features ambient/downtempo with:
- Imagika – site
- Trevor + Travis Wyse (Green Sector) – site
- Maggie (Moontribe) – site
- Kevin Chills (See Thru Sound) – site

Click here to watch Dream Circus Theatre in action.

Teo Castro, Co-Founder Dream Circus Theatre / Producer / Writer
Party planner, performer and legend in the L.A. underground circuit, Teo Castro runs Dream Circus Theatre with his wife, Mikiko Nagao.  The collective organizes the legendary “I Am” series of themed events that merge theatrical performances and electronic music into party environments. Castro and Nagao also created a street music and clothing company called Stoner Generation. He worked with Bill Manspeaker (Green Jello), Lou Maglia (former president of Island Records), and Art Jaeger (former executive at Capitol Records) in executive and production capacities at QTOPIA Event Center in Hollywood, which later became the Vanguard. For Insomniac Events, he created Dream Circus Village at Electric Daisy Carnival.  Other organizations and artists he has worked with over the years include Red Bull, M-Audio, Native Instruments, Magic (Las Vegas), Jane’s Addiction, Snoop Dog, Lollapalooza LLC, Coachella Music Festival, Burning Man, Cirque du Soleil, Dance with Films, House of Blues, Charlie Armstrong (Paramount Pictures), and PF Chang’s.

Mikiko Nagao, Costume Designer / Event Creator –
Mikiko Nagao is an innovative costume designer who has worked on commercial, film, television, and theater projects for the past 10 years. With her husband Teo Castro, she runs Dream Circus Theatre.  She has created custom designs for over 100 productions including costumes for stilt walker clowns, medieval soldiers, angelic space gods, large monsters, Victorian characters, and more. Past large-scale productions include creating costumes for Dream Circus Theatre’s 2003 tour of 35 cities with Lollapalooza.  Nagao studied at Bantan Design Fashion Institute (Tokyo) and Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (San Francisco and Los Angeles).  http://MKOCostumes.com

Dream Circus Theatre –
Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) was initially involved in the local underground scene in the mid 1990s, the first in the Los Angeles area to merge theatrical performances such as fire dancers, aerialists, performance artists, and art installations in a DJ dance party environment.  DCT is known for their innovative series of event/parties called “I Am” – costume, themed parties, which fuse all the elements mentioned above. DCT has self-produced, created and written over 100 original events and shows.

Castro, Nagao and/or Dream Circus Theatre have been featured in news and entertainment media around the world including the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, KCRW, KPFK, KROQ, KLOS, MTV, CNN, FNN, CBS-TV, Bad Boys, MTV, Rolling Stone, and Time Magazine (Asia).

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For more information, images, or to request an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Inaugural Zeitgeist Media Festival 2011
Brings Socially Conscious Art

To The Music Box in Hollywood
Sunday, September 11, 2011


With Additional Global Events: 9/9/11 to 9/11/11

LOS ANGELES, CA – August 25, 2011 – The inaugural Zeitgeist Media Festival (ZMF), uniting the world through socially conscious art, happens in Los Angeles on Sunday, September 11, 2011 at The Music Box in Hollywood… and around the world on the same weekend!  The not-for-profit festival features music, visual and interactive art, poetry, comedy, and theatrics including a concert featuring forward-thinking artistic powerhouses such as world musician Natacha Atlas, El Willy & the Wolves with special guest guitar legend Billy Gibbons, violin virtuoso Lili Haydn, Ben Stewart’s Hierosonic, and the social comedy of Rick Overton (MC) and Lee Camp.  The Zeitgeist Media Festival runs from 2:00pm to 10:00pm and is an all ages event.  In addition to $40.00 per ticket, attendees must also contribute a small canned/sealed food donation to gain entrance. The Music Box is located at 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028. For more information on the venue, please call 323-464-0808 or visit http://www.themusicbox.la.  For online tickets, please visit http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=8104. This is a Non-Profit/At Cost Event, where the ticket price reflects the expenditure of the event itself.  For additional information on the Zeitgeist Media Festival, please see http://zeitgeistmediafestival.org.

ZMF is a global, multimedia event working to utilize the Arts as an avenue to create sustainable values in the pursuit of a better world. The event features a magical 3,000 square foot rooftop “living garden” environment, which will house fine art, video projections, and more music with the help of LA’s Dream Circus Theatre. Notable artists with work in the rooftop garden include Banksy and Mear One. Interpretative live painter Norton Wisdom will also perform in the rooftop garden.  ZMF will also host a regional food drive, in partnership with the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank, to provide relief to the growing number of people struggling with poverty in LA County. A list of recommended goods can be found here. Several nonprofits will also be on hand at the Los Angeles event with information booths on-site.

From Canada to London to Israel, ZMF expects over 70 parallel events.  In addition to socially conscious art, the global event encourages participants in other regions to also conduct similar, local, resource-based drives for those in need in their respective regions.  The global events are being updated on the ZMF website as they are finalized. A short list can be found near the bottom of this page.  If you wish to follow the global events’ progress on Facebook, please see: 
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Zeitgeist-Media-Festival/194115850637429. The Facebook page for the ZMF LA event is at: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=229754137068117.



LA Performers –
Los Angeles ZMF performers include:

- Rick Overton (MC) – social comedy – site
- Lee Camp – social comedy – site
- Natacha Atlas – world musician – site
- El Willy & the Wolves with special guest Billy Gibbons – site
- Lili Haydn – violin virtuoso – site
- Dream Circus Theatre – rooftop atmosphere and performance – site
- Hierosonic- filmmaker Ben Stewart’s hybrid rock project – site
- Peter Joseph – multimedia, performing “Zeitgeist: Requiem for One” – site
- Norton Wisdom – live visual art – site
- Charles Fleischer – comedy – site
- Garret John LoPorto – “The Wayseer Manifesto” – site
- The Lions – dub reggae musical group – site
- Master Zero – theatrical – site
- The Lost Children of Babylon - “The Protectors of Spiritual Hip Hop” – site
- Heather Donavon – singer-songwriter – site

Performer bios and descriptions of participating organizations are summarized below.

Webcast –
The entire ZMF LA main event will be webcast live for free at http://www.stickam.com (details TBD).

Peter Joseph, the creator of the Zeitgeist Film Series and founder of the “Zeitgeist Movement” who helms the festival, explains, “Since antiquity, the Arts have been a powerful catalyst in the development of the ‘zeitgeist’ of the time. From the awe-inspiring aesthetics of religious art and music throughout the ages to the Renaissance and the dawn of the Age of Reason, the Arts have given way to powerful awareness, often opening the doors for social and cultural evolution. The Arts have continually challenged common beliefs in order to initiate progress. It is no wonder that many of the greatest thinkers and scientists in history have given tremendous credence to its power and utility.”

The Zeitgeist Film Series –
The award-winning, controversial Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007) obtained over 100,000,000 views during its first year online.  In 2008, the sequel, Zeitgeist: Addendum, premiered at the Artivist Film Festival in Hollywood, CA.  As with its predecessor, the award-winning Addendum was a huge viral internet phenomenon obtaining over 50,000,000 views within its first year.

In January 2011, over 300 independent groups around the world hosted theatrical screenings of the third installment, Zeitgeist: Moving Forward, in 30 languages across 60 countries.  The headcount for the global premiere was over 50,000 in attendance.  Zeitgeist: Moving Forward may be the widest nonprofit, global theatrical premiere in history with the most languages, countries and locations — ALL with no major distributor but solely on a volunteer and nonprofit basis. This follows on the footsteps of Zeitgeist: The Movie being the most watched documentary in internet history!

The three films have become a cultural film series project, which continue to consider the current “zeitgeist” or “spirit or awareness of the time.”

http://zeitgeistmovie.com
- Zeitgeist: The Movie (2007)
- Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008)
- Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)

Participating ZMF LA Nonprofit Organization (NPO) Partners:

Los Angeles Regional Food Bank –
Los Angeles Regional Food Bank is a nonprofit charitable organization that has been serving the disadvantaged in the Los Angeles community since 1973.   To fulfill the organization’s mission, the Food Bank sources and acquires food and other products to distribute to needy people through charitable agencies or directly through programs.  The Food Bank energizes the community to get involved and support hunger relief.  The organization conducts hunger education and awareness campaigns.  And it also advocates for public policies that alleviate hunger.  The goal is for no one to go hungry in Los Angeles County.  The Food Bank is at the heart of a charitable food distribution network that includes over 1,000 charitable agency sites throughout Los Angeles County.  The organization partners with Feeding America, the nation’s largest non-governmental, domestic hunger relief organization. As part of this partnership, the Food Bank follows the guidelines put forth by the network and is subject to monitoring. http://www.lafoodbank.com

Inside Out Community Arts –
Through visual arts, performing arts, and media workshops, Inside Out Community Arts promotes healthy interaction among diverse at-risk and underserved Los Angeles middle school and high school youth. Led by both specially trained teams of professional artists and high school age mentors, Inside Out bridges cultural, geographic, socioeconomic, and differently-abled boundaries to support youth in creating and presenting topical theater, art, and media. The organization’s goal is to empower youth with the tools, confidence, and inspiration to make a positive difference in their communities and the world … “from the inside out.” http://www.insideoutca.org

KPFK 90.7 FM –
KPFK 90.7 FM is a member station of the Pacifica Foundation, which consists of five radio stations, over 100 affiliate stations, and the Pacifica Radio Archives, responsible for preserving the voices of artists, activists and progressive journalists since 1949, when the foundation was established by peace activist Lew Hill. To further peace through broadcasting activities, Hill determined that radio sponsored by individual listeners would be the best way to ensure editorial freedom. http://www.kpfk.org

NextAid –
NextAid is a Los Angeles-based humanitarian organization that harnesses the power of music to support sustainable development projects that serve vulnerable children, youth and women in Africa. Through music events and public education initiatives, NextAid provides empowering opportunities for concerned individuals to make a difference. NextAid’s current initiatives benefit youth in Nairobi, Kenya, specifically the Kawangware Vision Centre (KVC).  KVC is a project based in the Kawangware slum of Nairobi, Kenya, run by a community-based youth group, which makes silk-screened gift bags out of recycled paper to sell to local businesses. Recognizing the organization’s potential to make a bigger impact, NextAid has partnered with KVC to build a new “green” workshop and multipurpose facility in order to expand KVC’s operation and serve more youth. On August 12th, International Youth Day, NextAid’s Bids Build Hope Online Auction kicked off featuring over 50 unique items to raise funds for KVC. http://www.nextaid.org

Venice Arts –

Venice Arts’ mission is to ignite youths’ imagination, mentor their creativity, and expand their sense of possibility through high quality, accessible media–based arts education programs. Venice Arts also serves as a catalyst for people of all ages, living in low–income or underrepresented communities, to create and share personal and community stories through photography, film, and multimedia. http://www.venice-arts.org



Additional NPO participants to be confirmed.

Performer Bios:

Rick Overton –
Rick Overton is the son of two musicians — his father was Thelonious Monk’s arranger and a teacher at Julliard, and his mother was in the pop quartet The Chordettes, the girl group famous for the singles “Lollipop” and “Mr. Sandman.”  So, of course, he had no choice but to go into comedy. He has been in over 100 films and countless TV shows (most recently in Bad Teacher with Cameron Diaz), but still has time to do his own brand of comedy that combines quick routines with deeper questions, theories, and “quantumplations” about how we all wound up here.  He has an Emmy Award for his writing and just returned from a successful run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.  In his over 40 years of getting laughs, he’s been a rabble rousing alternative comic since long before being socially aware was an “alternative.” Comics have always led the way in pointing out naked emperors, never more so than in these last few years. He is a Patriot with a true love for the global experiment of America and its founders, as well as a Matriot with a strong love for planet Earth. He loves Human Kind for, among other things, paying his bills. Though he is not as fond of Human Unkind, who are screwing everything up.  According to Overton, “We’re stuck in a brightly lit Dark Age these days with only one smart door to choose in this game show — a Renaissance beats a Dark Age every time.”  The answer, according to Overton, is in good alpha role models — bold souls to defend us from encroaching malice.

Lee Camp –
Lee Camp is a stand-up comic, actor, activist, and writer.  He provided a catharsis for millions of people when he went live on Fox News and called the network a “parade of propaganda and a festival of ignorance.”  He’s a contributor to The Onion and has performed stand-up comedy at events featuring Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, and Al Gore.  He was recently on Showtime’s series The Green Room with Paul Provenza with Roseanne and Bob Saget.  Called one of the best new faces at the Montreal Comedy Festival, he ran for president on Comedy Central’s Fresh Debate ’08 and he has performed comedic commentary on PBS, E! Network, SpikeTV, MTV, and ABC’s Good Morning America. He is also featured in the bestseller Satiristas! with the likes of George Carlin, Bill Maher, and Stephen Colbert.  He is also popular on the college circuit — hundreds of schools across the country have raved about Camp’s unique and fast-paced comedy. He is a regular contributor to New Dissident Radio and The Jeff Santos Show on Revolution Boston Radio and bears a tattoo on his left forearm, a quote from Howard Zinn, which says, “Small acts, when multiplied by millions of people, can quietly become a power no government can suppress, a power that can transform the world.”

Natacha Atlas –
Anglo-Egyptian singer Natacha Atlas has spent more than a decade fusing electronic beats with North African and Arabic music, finding links between seemingly disparate musical genres, exploring new and different sonic settings, and working with a wealth of like-minded collaborators from across the world along the way. Her music has been influenced by many styles including Arabic, hip hop, drum ‘n’ bass, R&B, Hindi pop, French chanson, and reggae. Atlas began her career as part of the world fusion group Transglobal Underground. In 1995, she began to focus on her solo career with the release of Diaspora. She has since released seven solo albums and been a part of numerous collaborations. Atlas’ list of collaborators include artists as varied as singers Sinead O’Connor and Sarah Brightman, the avant-garde classical composer Jocelyn Pook, British Asian visionary Nitin Sawhney, and the multi-instrumentalist and musical director of Ana Hina, Harvey Brough. Her version of “Mon Amie La Rose” became a surprise success in France, reaching 16 on the French Singles Charts in 1999. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Conference Against Racism.

El Willy & The Wolves –

El Willy, aka El Willy & The Wolves, is an art derivative drawn from Elwood Francis and Billy F. Gibbons and their infamous alliance within the New City and Williamsburg community of experimental soundscapists.  The communal exchange between the long-standing association of Francis and Gibbons extends into signal and audio bending within a contemporary backbeat driven framework without the exclusion of blues based art forms. To the contrary, the unusual combination is a blend of elements ranging from solid twelve and sixteen bar patterns toward modern surrealist interpretations.  An antagonists’ design termed by observers as “Redneck Tech.”

Lili Haydn –
Before launching her solo career, Lili Haydn established herself as one of the most sought after violinists in Los Angeles playing with the LA Philharmonic, Porno for Pyros, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Victoria Williams, Tom Petty, Robert Plant, Herbie Hancock, Sting, Roger Waters, Funkadelic, and Jimmy Page. In 1994, she formed her own band and started a two-year stint at the Viper Room in West Hollywood.  By 1997, she had a record contract with Atlantic and released her debut album, Lili.  Since that time, she went on to record three additional, critically acclaimed, major label recordings as a solo artist.  Her last CD, Place Between Places, was a favorite on NPR, and Hadyn performed the single “Strawberry Street” on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno and HBO’s Californication.  A humanitarian and activist, she performs regularly for various human rights organizations.  In addition to the previously mentioned artists, she has also played with Brandy, Tony! Toni! Tone!, and No Doubt.  George Clinton calls her “the Jimi Hendrix of the violin.”

Dream Circus Theatre –
Dream Circus Theatre (DCT) was involved in the local underground scene in the mid 1990s, the first in the Los Angeles area to merge theatrical performances such as fire dancers, aerialists, performance artists, and art installations in a DJ dance party environment.  DCT is known for their innovative series of event/parties called “I AM” – costume, themed parties, which fuse all the elements mentioned above. DCT has self-produced, created and written over 100 original events and shows. They have worked with numerous organizations and artists over the years including Red Bull, M-Audio, Native Instruments, the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, KCRW, KPFK, KROQ, KLOS, MTV, CNN, FNN, CBS-TV, Rolling Stone Magazine, Details Magazine, Time Magazine (Asia), Bad Boys television show, Magic (Las Vegas), Jane’s Addiction, Snoop Dog, Lollapalooza LLC, Coachella Music Festival, Burning Man, Electric Daisy Carnival, Dance with Films, Qtopia, Vanguard, House of Blues, Lou Malia (former president of Island Records), and PF Changs.

Hierosonic –
Hierosonic, filmmaker Ben Stewart’s hybrid rock project, prides itself on raw, energetic performances both on stage and in the studio. Originally conceived in 2002 out of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the band’s career has spanned over 9 years and several hundred performances, solidifying the band as a staple within the realm of underground rock music.  Keeping it fresh, the band redefines its rock music heritage with the musical language of industrial and hip hop. With a healthy dose of thought-provoking lyrics, dirty bass lines, and pop hooks, Hierosonic strives for new sounds with a unique familiarity.  The band is widely known for performances with A-list acts such as A Perfect Circle, Incubus, Jane’s Addiction, 30 Seconds to Mars, Audioslave, Filter, Sick Puppies, Jimmie’s Chicken Shack, The Used, Cold, Lacuna Coil, and Halestorm.

Peter Joseph –
Peter Joseph, born in North Carolina to a mailman father and a social worker mother, began his creative interests with music at a young age. He moved to New York to attend a conservatory, only to drop out after an inability to afford the tuition. As the creator of the world famous, award-winning Zeitgeist Film Series and founder of the controversial “Zeitgeist Movement,” which seeks to shift our social system into a more sustainable paradigm, Joseph continues to focus on media-related expressions, including music composition, performance, and film production, each with a focus on affecting society for the better. He has lectured around the world on the topics of social sustainably and has been featured in the New York Times, Russia Today, TedX, and many other outlets.

Norton Wisdom –
Since 1979, interpretive performance painter Norton Wisdom has worked with numerous musical ensembles, spontaneously painting images that capture the essence of the moment. He regularly performs live with bands/musicians onstage, creating art inspired by the music. Working on an illuminated Mylar surface, his imagery emerges, evolves and dissolves throughout the performance. He has worked with members of Jane’s Addiction, The Rolling Stones, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Beck, the Grateful Dead, George Clinton, David Navarro, LTJ Bukem, Lili Haydn, Ivan Neville, and DJ Nobody.  He is also deeply connected to the LA improv jazz scene, and specifically to guitarist Nels Cline.   He contributed his creative efforts to the Winter Olympics 2002 (Salt Lake), the opening of the Bellagio Hotel (Las Vegas), and premiere of Cirque Du Soleil (Las Vegas). Museum and festival projects include Coachella, UC Santa Barbara Art Museum, Laguna Art Museum, Skirball Museum, Orange County Art Museum, San Diego Museum, WOMAD World of Music, Arts and Dance Festival, Milwaukee Museum Art, and others.

Charles Fleischer –

Comedian Charles Fleischer is best known as the voices of Roger Rabbit, Benny The Cab, Psycho, and Greasy in Disney and Amblin Entertainment’s film Who Framed Roger Rabbit.   Fleischer’s other voice roles include work on The Polar Express and We’re Back! A Dinosaur Story. On-screen roles include Back to the Future Part II and Gridlock’d.   Roles on television include a recurring role on the 1970s hit series Welcome Back, Kotter as Carvelli, and as Chuck on the hit series Laverne & Shirley.  Fleischer’s stand-up routines are known for an intelligent but unusual take on obscure topics. A musician and songwriter as well, he has performed as a guest with the group Blues Traveler.  Fleishcher writes for film and television plus continues to do stand-up.  He also hosts his own weekly web show, Fleischer’s Universe.

Garret John LoPorto –

College dropout turned sonic drug dealer, best-selling author, YouTube sensation, rabble-rouser, troublemaker, and champion for free-thinkers everywhere, LoPorto is raising an army of the world’s misfits, mavericks, visionaries and pioneers – dubbed “Wayseers” - to help bring greater alignment with the mysterious source of genius known as “the Way.” He uses music, video, books, and social media to call this legion of Wayseers to turn on to what they are, tune in to the Way, and drop out of unhelpful institutions, blazing a trail for what the world really needs. He has been written about in The New York Times, Money Magazine, The London Financial Times, and The Boston Globe, and many other national newspapers. LoPorto and his projects have been featured on national television, including CNN and ABC.

The Lions –
Many of The Lions met through the LA rare groove outfit Breakestra and have collaborated on various projects throughout the past 10 years. The LA dub reggae collective came together as the result of an impromptu recording session, which included members of not only Breakestra, but also Connie Price and the Keystones, Rhythm Roots All-Stars, Orgone, Sound Directions, Plant Life, Poetics, and Macy Gray (to name a few).  Their live show is a healthy mix of vocal and dub tracks, balancing classic reggae, soul cuts, and new originals, while incorporating the sounds of Ethiopia, Colombia, and Africa. The Lions have performed at Sierra Nevada World Music Festival, Sunset Junction, El Rey Theatre, The Roxy, Belly Up, Slims, and The Echoplex.  They have supported the likes of Antibalas, Fat Freddy’s Drop, The Aggrolites, Bedouin Soundclash, and Ooklah the Moc.  They were also the backing band on two occasions for reggae legends The Heptones. LA radio stations KCRW, KPFK, and KXLU all support the group.

Master-Zero –
Born from the ethers of the universe, Master-Zero is an inter-dimensional being who views the world as we live in it.  A master of zero is a void, nothing. In that emptiness, there is a place to be open to everything. Master-Zero is a question of what is or isn’t, right or wrong, good or bad. A voyeur of the human condition, Master-Zero embraces music as the portal into reality, the key to unlock the door of this dimension. Singing about what is present in the world of now with electronic beats that pulsate rhythm and subsonic bass, Master-Zero gravitates to the electric guitar to awaken the sirens.  Human theatrics play a part in the story through movement of dance and expression.  Artful scenic designs, along with visual images projected as moving light, create the backdrop to set up a voyeuristic live drama where the story remains the question and in that question is the story.

The Lost Children of Babylon –
The Lost Children of Babylon (LCOB), aka “The Protectors of Spiritual Hip Hop,” are a Philadelphia-based conscious hip hop group founded by Rasul Allahu in the mid-1990s. The group is known for their conscious and spiritual style with lyrics influenced by Nuwaubian philosophy, Islam, and The Nation of Gods & Earths.  They first appeared in 1996 on Jedi Mind Tricks’ Amber Probe EP.  Combining underground hip hop with esoteric ideologies and political zeal, LCOB has released four albums. The first three were released through Babygrande Records — The Equidivium: Where Light Was Created, Words From the Duat: The Book of Anubis, and The 911 Report: The Ulitmate Conspiracy. The latest album, Zeitgeist: The Spirit of the Age, was released by Chamber Musik/LCOB Productions in 2010.  They are also affiliated with Killah Priest, Black Market Militia, The Maccabeez, Wu-Tang Killa Beez, and the Sunz of Man.

Heather Donavon –
Hailing from Atlanta, GA, and raised in Dallas, TX, Heather Donavon is a performing songwriter, studio/session singer, and voice over artist.  She has opened for Keb’ Mo’, Fiona Apple, and Tori Amos.  Her voice has been heard in national TV and radio commercials for brands like Toys R’ Us, Coke Zero (Super Bowl), TJ Maxx, MTV, and Hyundai Elantra.  She has independently released two albums on iTunes.  Her first album, Mosaic, is a compilation of soulful jazz and Spanish classics along with intimate interpretations of her favorite songwriters’ material. Donavon’s second album of piano pop driven melodies, Sense of Me, was co-written with Jonathan Hayes and Bonnie Hayes.  The title track, “Sense of Me,” was awarded “Song of the Year” from the West Coast Songwriter’s International Song Competition and “Honorable Mention” from The Billboard Songwriting Competition. She has performed at the SXSW Music Festival in Austin, TX, at Ground Zero in New York City, alongside the San Francisco Glide Ensemble Gospel Choir, and at Agape Church in Los Angeles, CA.

Visual Artist Bios:

Banksy –
Banksy, an internationally known graffiti artist, activist, director, and painter based in England, creates satirical street art and subversive epigrams that combine irreverent dark humor with graffiti using a distinctive stenciling technique. His work gives a voice to the voiceless living in urban environments.  Bansky’s work was born out of the Bristol underground scene, which involved collaborations between artists and musicians. His first film, Exit Through the Gift Shop, billed as “the world’s first street art disaster movie,” made its debut at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival.  In January 2011, he was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary for the film. Banksy has also self-published several books that contain photos of his work in various countries as well as some of his canvas work and exhibitions, accompanied by his own writings.

Mear One –
Mear One, born in Santa Cruz, California, is a Los Angeles-based artist known for his often-political street graffiti art.  He sees himself as a messenger and spiritual warrior using his imagination as a communication device. He is commonly associated with the CBS (Can’t Be Stopped – City Bomb Squad) and WCA (West Coast Artist) crews. As a graphic designer, Mear One designed apparel for Conart, Kaotic, and his own Reform brand. He has done album covers for artists like Limp Bizkit and joined artists Shepard Fairey and Robbie Conal to create a series of anti-war, anti-Bush posters. A well-known street artist and prolific graffiti writer for over 20 years, his partners have included Skate One, Az Rock, Tren, Item, Anger, Yem, and Cisco.

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For more information, images, or to request an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Paradox Media and Vau de Vire present the highly anticipated return of The Edwardian Ball to Los Angeles on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at The Music Box.  Once again, the splendid San Francisco tradition flies south for the winter, presenting an elegant, turn of the century celebration of music, theatre, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology and, of course, the ominous art and stories of beloved author Edward Gorey. Hosted by Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the night promises an unforgettable blend of audience participation and performance with darkness, humor, and style in a stunning historic venue. The event also features “Belle of the Ball” Jill Tracy, DJ Xian, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and many special guests. Costumed attire is highly encouraged — all in attendance are invited to return to a time of gentility by creating characters for the occasion.

For Immediate Release:  November 11, 2010 [updated 12/23/10]

The Edwardian Ball
Returns to Los Angeles!
At The Music Box
Saturday, March 5, 2011

LOS ANGELES, CA – Paradox Media and Vau de Vire present the highly anticipated return of The Edwardian Ball to Los Angeles on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at The Music Box.  Once again, the splendid San Francisco tradition flies south for the winter, presenting an elegant, turn of the century celebration of music, theatre, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology and, of course, the ominous art and stories of beloved author Edward Gorey. Hosted by Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the night promises an unforgettable blend of audience participation and performance with darkness, humor, and style in a stunning historic venue. The event also features “Belle of the Ball” Jill Tracy, DJ Xian, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and many special guests. Costumed attire is highly encouraged — all in attendance are invited to return to a time of gentility by creating characters for the occasion.

The Music Box is located at 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028.  For more information on the venue please call 323-464-0808 or visit http://www.themusicbox.la.  Doors open and show begins at 8:00pm, and all ages are welcome (minors must be accompanied by an adult 21+ with valid ID).  General admission tickets are $28-$35 in advance, and a very limited amount of VIP Booths ($450) and VIP Balcony Couches ($500) are available for parties of up to 8.  VIP packages include best/reserved seating, table service, and complimentary absinthe cocktails.  For more information and online tickets, please visit http://www.edwardianball.com.

Since 1999, The Edwardian Ball has steadily grown from a Bay Area underground club phenomenon into a full-fledged festival of arts and culture, focusing on the esteemed works of the late, great author/illustrator Edward Gorey. Now, with the blessings of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, this one-night-only Los Angeles event of everything-under-the-midnight-sun reaches across cultural boundaries to include audiences of all ages and backgrounds, where literary fans are as welcome as goth clubgoers, where the high-flying trapeze and steam-powered machines create the backdrop for elegantly dressed ballgoers waltzing their way into the antique portrait studio. Event founder Justin Katz muses, “The demand for this event to return to Los Angeles has been incredible. It’s clear that no one city can contain this celebration, where the old world meets the world-to-be with a tip of the top hat, a cinch of the corset, and a splash of absinthe poured over a silver spoon.  We’re thrilled to bring The Edwardian Ball back to LA.”

For over a decade, The Edwardian Ball has been featuring Gorey tales brought to life on stage.  A truly prodigious and original artist, Edward St. John Gorey (1925-2000) gifted the world with over one hundred works, including The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Doubtful Guest, and The Wuggly Ump; prize-winning set and costume designs for innumerable theater productions from Cape Cod to Broadway; a remarkable number of illustrations in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times; as well as illustrations in books by a wide array of authors from Charles Dickens to Edward Lear, Samuel Beckett, John Updike, Virginia Woolf, H.G. Wells, Florence Heide, and many others. His well known animated credits for the PBS Mystery! series have introduced his work to millions of television viewers. Gorey’s masterful pen and ink illustrations and his ironic, offbeat humor have brought him critical acclaim and an avid following throughout the world.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gorey

Rosin Coven performing (singer: Midnight Rose; photo credit: Tracy Bugni) 2010

Paradox Media –
For over 13 years Paradox Media, owned by Justin Katz, has been producing an eclectic variety of art and music events in the San Francisco Bay Area, including festivals such as ArtCar Fest, How Berkeley Can You Be!?, The Oakland World Music & Jazz Festival, ArtFest’s Spectra Ball, Mission Bazaar, and Burning Man’s annual SF Decompression; independent theater with Everyday Theatre’s “The Bright River;” and nonprofit community events with Epic Arts.  Paradox is the exclusive presenter of Rosin Coven, the founders of The Edwardian Ball in 1999.  Executive Producer Katz also works for Goldenvoice/AEG Live, producing all of their concerts in the San Francisco region. http://www.paradox-media.com/production/index.html

Vau de Vire –
Founded in 1997 by husband and wife team Mike and Shannon Gaines, San Francisco-based entertainment company Vau de Vire Society has been titillating crowds around the world with their unique brand of interactive art, dance and circus events. This avant-cabaret community consists of classically-trained dancers, some of the nation’s most acclaimed acrobats, aerial artists, contortionists, side-show acts, fire-performers, thespians, and beautiful circus freaks. The group has been cross-pollinating genres by collaborating with an eclectic variety of world-renowned musicians and DJs in creating original stage shows spanning a range of social groups and subcultures. Notable recent collaborators include Cirque du Soleil (Corteo), the San Francisco Symphony, Paul Oakenfold, Moby, Paul Van Dyke, The Dresden Dolls, Peaches, Alkaline Trio, The Madd Vibe Orchestra, Crystal Method, and Tiesto. Vau de Vire has provided live support performances for James Brown, Primus, 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean, Velvet Revolver, The Cure, and many other highly respected international artists. In addition to producing The Edwardian Ball since 2005, Vau de Vire produces and hosts the West Coast’s longest-running and most outrageous circus-infused dance party, San Francisco’s Bohemian Carnival.  Through the years, Vau de Vire has received numerous commissions from high profile music and arts festivals to curate live music stages and program multi-day variety entertainment amidst a Vau de Vire custom built environment complete with thematic installations and large scale aerial art sculptures.  Past and ongoing clients include: Bumbershoot Festival, Download Festival, Outside Lands, Lightning in a Bottle (’07,’08, ’10), Xingolati Groove Cruise, Vegoose Festival, Exprescion on Alcatraz, and Super Village at Super Bowl ’08. http://www.vaudeviresociety.com

The Music Box –
The Music Box, renowned for its auditorium with ornate period details and stunning rooftop views of the hills, has hosted a dazzling array of nightlife events for nearly a century.  Originally a vaudeville theater from the 1920s with a speakeasy upstairs, the Henry Fonda Theater was transformed into The Music Box, a lavish sanctum of glamour and spectacle. The world-class venue is well known as one of LA’s busiest and most prestigious live entertainment destinations. The historically significant edifice, in the heart of Hollywood, was painstakingly refurbished recently to its original Golden Age glory. The dramatic, newly remodeled Music Box features a moodily lit, antechamber design with original flourishes. Luxurious theater curtains surround the ballroom and Bosch art imagery adorns the walls. The new design also features plush private booths with optimal viewing, a two-sided main bar and checkered dance floor. The original sloped seating has been replaced with a level floor. The balcony offers a unique party perspective with a commanding view of the main stage.  To complete the venue’s recent Hollywood makeover, the marquee was updated with lighting from the original 1926 movie theater design.

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For more information, images, or to set up interviews with the event producers or any of the cast and crew, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Tejada (née Hasty) at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Vau de Vire Society at the 10th Annual Edwardian Ball (photo credit: TheBlight.net /Nightshade/Neil Girling)

Photo credit Aaron Gautchi

When Lucent Dossier Experience started their new artist residency in the heart of Hollywood last month, they were presented with an unusual challenge: the h.wood space they now inhabit on Wednesday nights is a series of small, den-like chambers without a large, conventional stage. While this could have been a liability, the inventive troupe rose to the occasion by reconfiguring their show, conceptually transforming h.wood’s labyrinth of rooms into a modern day cabinet of human curiosities. Wednesdays through December 23, 2009, Lucent Dossier Experience opens h.wood’s doors every week at 8:00 p.m. with the troupe’s tantalizing performances from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, and DJs/dancing continuing until 2:00 a.m. The residency runs through December, culminating with their Orphan’s Ball on December 23rd which benefits Cuddle The World, Lucent’s charity project for disadvantaged children.For Immediate Release: December 6, 2009

Lucent Dossier Experience Transforms h.wood
Into a Modern Day Cabinet of Human Curiosities
With Performances On Wednesdays
Running Through December 23rd 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA – When Lucent Dossier Experience started their new artist residency in the heart of Hollywood last month, they were presented with an unusual challenge: the h.wood space they now inhabit on Wednesday nights is a series of small, den-like chambers without a large, conventional stage. While this could have been a liability, the inventive troupe rose to the occasion by reconfiguring their show, conceptually transforming h.wood’s labyrinth of rooms into a modern day cabinet of human curiosities. Wednesdays through December 23, 2009, Lucent Dossier Experience opens h.wood’s doors every week at 8:00 p.m. with the troupe’s tantalizing performances from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, and DJs/dancing continuing until 2:00 a.m. The residency runs through December, culminating with their Orphan’s Ball on December 23rd which benefits Cuddle The World, Lucent’s charity project for disadvantaged children. Admission to Lucent Dossier Experience is $15 on Wednesday nights. h.wood (formerly the Stork Lounge) is located at 1738 N. Orange, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Valet parking is available at the venue and self-parking is in the Hollywood + Highland Center complex (rates are $2 for 4 hours with validation, easy entrance to the parking on Orange or Highland). For information on the venue please call 323-871-2262 or visit www.thehwood.com. For more information on the event and to purchase advance tickets, please visit www.lucentdossier.com.

Historically, curiosity cabinets (aka wunderkammer or cabinets of wonder) were eclectic collections of artifacts including natural specimens, religious artifacts, art works, fantastical imaginary beings, historical relics, and other exotica. These rooms of wonder emerged in the sixteenth century and are considered the precursors to museums. They originally provided a retreat for contemplation and a view into strange new worlds with menageries of preserved fish, feathers, curious shells, stuffed reptiles, coins, coral, minerals, horns, tusks, skeletons, clocks, and a fascinating assortment of man-made objects. Often, the displays would contain a mix of fact and fiction, including mythical creatures. The Lucent Dossier Experience h.wood residency arouses a sense of awe similar to the static curiosity cabinets of yesteryear, but here the exotic specimen are in human form and operate in four dimensions (i.e., three dimensional physical space + the performative element of time.

The industrial vintage h.wood space, in the heart of Hollywood, with its two floors of dark nooks and crannies, perfectly houses Lucent Dossier Experience’s otherworldly spectacle into modern day wonder rooms. The club’s distressed leather couches, antique bookshelves, and old fashioned portraits echo the aristocratic library feel of the original wunderkammer.

Until Christmas, on Wednesday nights, Lucent Dossier Experience activates the h.wood maze of rooms into an exotic display of ethereal seductions with aerial artistry, soulful belly dancers, sleek other-worldy creatures, astral readings, decadent rose water foot baths, gypsies offering soul cleansing herbal elixirs, a post portal post office, temporary tribal tattoo parlor, and impish pranksters — all in fantastical haute couture costumes and makeup. Overhead, luminous aerial performers share the rafters with the antique chandeliers. A menagerie of exotic creatures add magic and mayhem including bizarre and alluring burlesque dancers, a bearded lady, spoken word poets, clowns, contortionists, elves, singers, jugglers, stilt walkers, and a sword swallower in a theatrical spectacle of feathers, chains, and lace.

Lucent Dossier loosely translates to a “collection of glowing light.” In the new residency, the interactive troupe provides a curious twist on the conventional, creating an experience that’s like stepping into a fractured Lewis Carroll dream. The result is a weird and wonderful funhouse where the performers activate the boho chic space, mixing with the local Hollywood flora and fauna, transforming Wednesday nights into a realm of new possibilities.

“All the different elements — the performers, the music, the space, the audience, and chance — come into play to create a very fluid, surrealistic wonderland where no two evenings are ever the same,” says Creative Director Dream Rockwell, “And we encourage guests to dress up in their finery, transform into exotic creatures, express themselves, and become part of the experience.”

A different DJ is featured each week along with live musical elements mixed in (that might including sitar, violins, drums, keyboards, guitar, vocals, or bass). On December 9th, Venice-based DJ, composer, and dance floor messiah KRADDY (founding member of the Glitch Mob) will hit the decks with a futuristic fusion of dubstep, hip hop, dance hall, and crunk all bumping together with his signature style of edits and remixes that make his sound super danceable and unique.

“The music is such an important part of the experience. We come from a very organized, and yet still underground, art and music scene. The sounds that came out of our scene 5-6 years ago are what’s being cultivated into the mainstream now,” says Rockwell, “The music makers, DJs, and producers around us are cutting edge and we are thrilled to be able to feature them. Many of them are now touring worldwide but they’re all still our friends. It’s great to have them come down and create musical magic for a night.”

DJs for December 16th and December 23rd TBD.

On December 16th, as a special treat, visual artist Jocelyn Marsh will show her work in collaboration with Lucent Dossier Experience, further enhancing that evening’s cabinet of curiosities. For ten years, Marsh has been collecting bones, insects, metal boxes, and various other interesting items — bringing them together into whimsical assemblages. She lives in Los Angeles with her cat skeleton, Whiskers. For more information on Marsh and her work, see: jocelynmarsh.com

The weekly residency will culminate with an Orphan’s Ball on December 23rd benefiting Cuddle The World. This Christmas Eve Eve-nt, a time to dance and celebrate with extended family, features a toy drive and other surprises. Guests are encouraged to bring something cuddly (new or gently used) for Lucent Dossier Experience to distribute at an orphanage this Spring when the troupe hits the road.

Cuddle the World is Lucent Dossier Experience’s non-profit organization that brings inspiration in the form of inter-active performance, musical instruments, clown noses, costumes, and fairy wings as well as sparks of love and security, in the form of teddy bears and snuggle blankets, to orphans around the globe. These children are in conditions where they receive very basic care but nothing more.

“We believe that we can help inspire these kids to think more creatively when they are dumped into the world at age 16 or 18 so that they will be able to make better choices for their lives as they are forced to fend for themselves with little or no support,” says Rockwell, “It’s the greatest project I have ever been a part of. I just love to see the little kids’ faces light up and know that what we are doing is worth every bit of time, money, and effort we have put into it.

Rockwell, in partnership with Shrine, a Pasadena-based artist, originally founded the troupe in December 2004 to nourish her love of the avant-garde in the form of dance, performance, music, and costuming. Now, five years later, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles-based tribe of inspiring artists has been featured in television commercials, print advertisements, music videos, and large-scale, live productions such as Coachella here in the US, Summer Sonic in Japan, and Electric Picnic in Ireland. Their h.wood residency follows up their hugely successful year-long run of sold-out shows at The Edison in downtown Los Angeles, which ran from April 2008 through April 2009. Also included in the group’s impressive resume is a photo spread in Italian Vogue (as captured by Steven Meisel); shows at top clubs throughout Los Angeles; and performances on MTV and at the official Grammy® Awards Party.

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For more information, photos, or to arrange interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Event Details:

Lucent Dossier Experience
- weekly artist residency -

h.wood
1738 N. Orange
Los Angeles, CA 90028
323-871-2262
www.thehwood.com

8:00pm – 2:00am
- Doors: 8:00pm
- DJ & dancing all night
- Shows: 9:00pm – 12midnight

Admission $15
- Join their mailing list for discounts

- Valet parking available at the venue
- Self parking in Hollywood + Highland complex – $2 for 4 hours with validation

www.lucentdossier.com

Photo by Phil Holland

After a long summer on the road, the critically acclaimed Lucent Dossier Experience, an otherworldly circus-style spectacle, brings their mystical revelry back to Los Angeles for a brand new weekly artist residency at industrial vintage club space h.wood in the heart of Hollywood. Premiering Wednesday, November 11, 2009, Lucent Dossier Experience’s Gateway 11.11 opens its doors every week at 8:00 p.m. with the troupe’s tantalizing performances from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, and DJs/dancing continuing until 2:00 a.m. Having traveled the high seas and highways, making stops in Tokyo, Korea, Portugal, Central America, England, Ireland, and across the United States over the past two years, this carnival of curiosities returns home to Los Angeles to take up their new residency through the end of 2009, if not beyond. Admission is $15. h.wood (formerly the Stork Lounge) is located at 1738 N. Orange, Los Angeles, CA 90028.For Immediate Release: November 6, 2009

Lucent Dossier Experience Announces “Gateway 11.11″
A Celestial New Artist Residency at h.wood
With Performances Every Wednesday
Premiering November 11, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA – After a long summer on the road, the critically acclaimed Lucent Dossier Experience, an otherworldly circus-style spectacle, brings their mystical revelry back to Los Angeles for a brand new weekly artist residency at industrial vintage club space h.wood in the heart of Hollywood. Premiering Wednesday, November 11, 2009, Lucent Dossier Experience’s Gateway 11.11 opens its doors every week at 8:00 p.m. with the troupe’s tantalizing performances from 9:00 p.m. to midnight, and DJs/dancing continuing until 2:00 a.m. Having traveled the high seas and highways, making stops in Tokyo, Korea, Portugal, Central America, England, Ireland, and across the United States over the past two years, this carnival of curiosities returns home to Los Angeles to take up their new residency through the end of 2009, if not beyond. Admission is $15. h.wood (formerly the Stork Lounge) is located at 1738 N. Orange, Los Angeles, CA 90028. Valet parking is available at the venue and self-parking is in the Hollywood + Highland Center complex (rates are $2 for 4 hours with validation). For information on the venue please call 323-871-2262 or visit www.thehwood.com. For more information on the event and to purchase advance tickets, please visit www.lucentdossier.com.

Lucent Dossier loosely translates to a “collection of glowing light.” At Gateway 11.11, the interactive troupe provides a curious twist on the conventional, creating an experience that’s like stepping into a lucid Lewis Carroll dream. The result is a weird and wonderful funhouse where the performers activate the boho library chic h.wood club space, transforming Wednesday nights into a realm of new possibilities.

In the nooks and crannies of the club, among the sumptuous leather couches, antique bookshelves, old fashioned portraits, and exposed brick, the Lucent Dossier Experience family creatively breaks down the fourth wall between performer and audience via the ethereal seductions of soulful belly dancers, astral readings, decadent rose water foot baths, gypsies offering soul cleansing herbal elixirs, a post portal post office, and impish pranksters — all in fantastical costumes and makeup. Overhead, luminous aerial silk performers share the rafters with the antique chandeliers. A menagerie of exotic creatures add to the magic and mayhem including burlesque dancers, a bearded lady, spoken word poets, clowns, contortionists, elves, fire eaters, singers, jugglers, stilt walkers, and a sword swallower in a theatrical spectacle of feathers, chains, and lace.

Every Wednesday, a different DJ will be featured along with live musical elements mixed in (including drums, keyboards, guitar, sitar, voice, and bass). On the celestial occasion of 11.11, Pumpkin (Kabinet Theatre, the Wandering Marionettes) will be the featured DJ. The following week, on Wednesday, November 18th, underground house maven Porter Tinsley will grace the decks.

“All the different elements — the performers, the music, chance, and the audience — come into play to create a very fluid, surrealistic wonderland where no two shows are exactly the same,” says Creative Director Dream Rockwell, “And we encourage guests to dress up in their finery, become part of the experience, and express themselves.”

Rockwell, in partnership with Shrine, a Pasadena-based artist, originally founded the troupe in 2004 to nourish her love of dancing, acting, music, and costuming. Now, five years later, the critically acclaimed Los Angeles-based tribe of avant-garde artists has been featured in television commercials, print advertisements, music videos, and large-scale, live productions such as Coachella. Their new h.wood residency follows up their hugely successful year-long run of sold-out shows at The Edison in downtown Los Angeles, which ran from April 2008 through April 2009. Also included in the group’s impressive resume are festivals in Tokyo, Portugal, and Ireland; a photo spread in Italian Vogue (as captured by Steven Meisel); shows at top clubs throughout Los Angeles; and performances on MTV and the official Grammy® Awards after-party

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For more information, photos, or to arrange interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn (at) greengalactic.com.

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Recent media coverage to check out:
http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/last-night/lucent-dossier-hwood-opening/
http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/lucent-dossier-experience-to-get-up-close-and-personal-at-hwood/12754

Cirque Berzerk photo credit: Brion Topolski

Cirque Berzerk, a wild, sexy, decadent and demented alternative circus, that isn’t exactly for kids, makes its triumphant return to downtown Los Angeles for an exclusive engagement debuting June 18, 2009, and running through 4th of July weekend (at least). The event of the summer will take place at the Los Angeles State Historic Park 1245 N. Spring St. Los Angeles, CA 90012. All ages are welcome. Tickets will range in price from $25 to $80.

For Immediate Release: April 20, 2009

Cirque Berzerk Returns to Downtown LA
For Seven Performances per Weekend
At Los Angeles State Historic Park
June 18 – July 5, 2009
.
Parental discretion is advised.

“Equal parts trippy and sinister, Cirque Berzerk seems like the sort of phantasmagoric
spectacle Tim Burton would dream up, if he quit filmmaking to join the circus.”

Los Angeles Times, July 2008

LOS ANGELES, CA – Following the amazing success of last year’s completely sold-out and held-over engagement, Cirque Berzerk, a wild, sexy, decadent and demented alternative circus that isn’t exactly for kids makes its triumphant return to downtown Los Angeles for an exclusive engagement debuting June 18, 2009, running through 4th of July weekend.

As Los Angeles’ only established circus troupe, Cirque Berzerk promises an even more twisted big top experience than ever before, adding several new acts under an even bigger big top. The 35-artist troupe is a tight-knit “family” of professional performers and musicians. Instead of typical circus fare emphasizing live animal acts and wholesome family fun, Cirque Berzerk features jaw-dropping acrobatics, stunning male and female aerialists, sexy, fiery burlesque dancers, gothic stilt walkers, punk rock clowns, psychedelic vaudevillian tomfoolery, and one very voluptuous contortionist.

Cirque Berzerk performs cutting-edge choreography by Neal Everett set to an entirely original live musical score composed by Cirque Berzerk co-founder Kevin Bourque. “Stylistically, we’re a little grungier, darker, rougher and more theatrical than a typical circus,” says Bourque’s wife and co-founder Suzanne Bernel. Attendees from last year’s show described it as a “circus on acid,” “French burlesque meets ‘Sweeney Todd’ meets Cirque du Soliel” and “P.T. Barnum’s worst nightmare.”

To accommodate the anticipated crowds, Cirque Berzerk has commissioned and imported a massive custom-built new big top tent from Italy, which can accommodate over 1,500 spellbound guests. Cirque Berzerk’s three-weekend engagement begins Thursday, June 18, 2009 – with one performance each Thursday at 8:30pm, two shows Fridays and Saturdays at 7:00 and 10:00pm and two shows every Sunday at 5:00pm and 8:00pm – scheduled to run through Sunday, July 5, 2009.

To get into the spirit of the evening, revelers are encouraged to arrive early before the show to dine (and drink with valid ID) picnic-style around the big top – bring your own or purchase dinner on-site – and enjoy interactive carnival-themed attractions before entering into a whole new big top ‘surreality.’ After the nightly performances, the audience is invited to party with the Cirque Berzerk circus troupe and enjoy a live performance by Vaud & The Villains at the nightly post-show party held in the “The Berzerk Lounge,” a club-like atmosphere adjacent to the big top that will enable guests to continue their Cirque Berzerk experience well into the night.

Since its debut at Burning Man in 2005, Cirque Berzerk has been entertaining audiences – large and small – with their signature spin on contemporary circus theater, blending hardcore circus choreography with the sexy and comedic undercurrents of cabaret and vaudeville. Spearheaded by husband and wife team Suzanne Bernel and Kevin Bourque, Cirque Berzerk’s astounding acrobatic feats and bawdy circus sensibility has entertained various types of events and clients including Carmen Elektra’s New Year’s Eve Bash at Paramount Studios, Best Buy, PlayStation3 Computer Entertainment System and a host of private shows at locations ranging from nightclubs to the Ritz-Carlton. Stunts include aerial performance, contortion, and various stunts involving fire.

Cirque Berzerk takes place at the Los Angeles State Historic Park, 1245 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012. Formerly known as “The Cornfield,” the last vast open space in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, The Los Angeles State Historic Park spans 32 acres, sits adjacent to Chinatown and is easily accessible by bus, rail, car or bicycle. Recently, the Not a Cornfield project transformed the area from what was historically a brown patch of earth into a blooming mecca of springtime flora. The big top tent will sit in the heart of the park, providing ample space for anyone wishing to picnic.

Alternate forms of transportation are encouraged. The circus is offering a 10 percent discount for those arriving by bus or rail. Just show your Metro pass or ticket for the discount.

Significant marketing partners have joined forces with Cirque Berzerk this year to help promote the show through various media and marketing programs. Partners to date include: Clear Channel, American Express, Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transit Authority (Metro) and Flaunt magazine.

Online ticketing will begin the week of April 20th, with ticket prices ranging between $25 and $80. For more information please visit http://www.cirqueberzerk.com.

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For more information, photos, or to arrange interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

Images:

[Show as slideshow]

Paradox Media, Vau de Vire and Cirque BerzerkThe Edwardian Ball – Los Angeles on Saturday, January 31, 2009. A splendid San Francisco tradition flies south for the winter, presenting an elegant, turn of the century celebration of music, theatre, dance, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology, and of course, the art and stories of Edward Gorey. Costumed attire is requested! Held in the historic Tower Theater, and hosted by LA’s own big top phenomenon Cirque Berzerk in partnership with Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the night promises an unforgettable blend of audience and performance with humor, darkness, and style. Also featuring Helios Jive, DJ Xian (LADEAD), Jill Tracy, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and many special guests.

presents

LOS ANGELES, CA – Paradox Media, Vau de Vire and Cirque Berzerk presents The Edwardian Ball – Los Angeles on Saturday, January 31, 2009. A splendid San Francisco tradition flies south for the winter, presenting an elegant, turn of the century celebration of music, theatre, dance, circus arts, DJs, ballroom dance, fashion, technology, and of course, the art and stories of Edward Gorey. Costumed attire is requested! Held in the historic Tower Theater, and hosted by LA’s own big top phenomenon Cirque Berzerk in partnership with Edwardian Ball co-creators Rosin Coven and Vau de Vire Society, the night promises an unforgettable blend of audience and performance with humor, darkness, and style. Also featuring Helios Jive, DJ Xian (LADEAD), Jill Tracy, Miz Margo, Dark Garden Corsetry, and many special guests.

Tower Theater is located at 802 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90014. For more information on the venue please call 213-629-2939 or visit http://www.towertheaterla.com. Doors open and show begins at 8:00pm, and all ages are welcome. General admission tickets cost $25, and a limited amount of $75 VIP tickets are available that include reserved balcony seating and hosted absinthe bar, courtesy of Obsello Absinthe (21+ only). Tickets can be purchased at Necromance (7208 Melrose Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90046; 323-931-2997). For more information and online tickets, please visit http://www.edwardianball.com.

Since 1999 The Edwardian Ball has steadily grown from an underground club phenomenon into a full-fledged festival of arts and culture, focusing on the esteemed works of the late, great author/illustrator Edward Gorey. Now, with the blessings of The Edward Gorey Charitable Trust, this one-night-only Los Angeles event of everything under the midnight sun reaches across cultural boundaries to include audiences of all ages and backgrounds, where literary fans are as welcome as goth club goers, where the high flying trapeze and steam-powered machines create the backdrop for elegantly dressed ballgoers waltzing their way into the antique portrait studio. Event producer/founder, Justin Katz, muses, “No one city can contain this celebration where the old-world meets the world-to-be with an unforgettable tip of the top hat, curtsey, and a splash of absinthe poured over a silver spoon… So we’re thrilled to bring the Ball to LA.”

For almost a decade, The Edwardian Ball has been featuring Gorey tales brought to life on stage. A truly prodigious and original artist, Edward St. John Gorey (1925-2000), gave to the world over one hundred works, including The Gashlycrumb Tinies, The Doubtful Guest and The Wuggly Ump; prize-winning set and costume designs for innumerable theater productions from Cape Cod to Broadway; a remarkable number of illustrations in publications such as The New Yorker and The New York Times, and in books by a wide array of authors from Charles Dickens to Edward Lear, Samuel Beckett, John Updike, Virginia Woolf, H.G. Wells, Florence Heide and many others. His well-known animated credits for the PBS Mystery series have introduced him to millions of television viewers. Gorey’s masterful pen and ink illustrations and his ironic, offbeat humor have brought him critical acclaim and an avid following throughout the world (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Gorey).

Heralding dozens of various performers, Cirque Berzerk has been performing since 2005. Spearheaded by husband and wife team Kevin Bourque and Suzanne Bernel, Cirque Berzerk is a tight-knit family of performers who have banded together to put their unique spin on the face of contemporary circus theater. Complete with their own big top tent (and still buzzing from their sold-out, multi-weekend “Beneath” shows at the Los Angeles State Historic Park in summer 2008), they have performed for various types of events and clients including Carmen Elektra’s New Year’s Eve Bash at Paramount Studios, Best Buy, PlayStation3 Computer Entertainment System and a host of private shows at locations ranging from nightclubs to the Ritz Carlton. The troupe’s signature style blends hardcore circus choreography with the glamorous themes of cabaret and vaudeville. Stunts include aerial performance, contortion, various stunts involving fire and incredible stilt action. More information on Cirque Berzerk is found at www.cirqueberzerk.com.

A hidden gem in downtown LA’s Broadway movie palace district, The Tower Theater was the first theater designed by renowned architect S. Charles Lee. The Tower opened in 1927 as the first movie palace in downtown LA wired for sound films, and was the sneak preview location for the Warner Brothers’ classic, The Jazz Singer (1927). The theater’s opulent exterior and interior feature French Renaissance motifs with lavish Spanish, Romanesque and Moorish influences. Popular with film industry location scouts but rarely used for live events, the venue owners saw how special this production was and on January 31st… so will enthralled audience members.

For more information, images, or to set up interviews with the event producers or any of the cast and crew, please contact Green Galactic’s, Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.

For Immediate Release: January 2, 2009

“Art of Change Inaugural Ball – Los Angeles”
Featuring The Mutaytor at The Mayan
Presented by Wonderland adVentures
Tuesday, January 20, 2009

LOS ANGELES, CA – The “Art of Change Inaugural Ball – Los Angeles” brings artists and creative thinkers from all communities together to celebrate the swearing in of President Barack Obama on Tuesday, January 20, 2009. The revelry will take place in Downtown LA at the beautiful Mayan featuring The Mutaytor as well as DJ Motion Potion, DJ Wolfie, a surprise special guest performer TBA, and others. Creative formal attire is encouraged! Located at 1038 S. Hill Street, Los Angeles, CA 90015, to learn more about the venue please call 213-746-4674 or visit http://www.clubmayan.com. Doors open at 7:00pm and guests 21-years old or older are welcome. Tickets cost $10 and an advance purchase is highly recommended as the event is expected to sell out the Mayan’s 1,500-person capacity. For more information or to purchase tickets please visit http://www.wonderlandadventuresinc.com.

The time-line for the evening is as follows:
- 7:00pm – Doors open. Tunes provided by SF’s DJ Motion Potion (www.motionpotion.com). Dine on healthy, organic fare catered by Carbon Grill (separate cost), a farmers market favorite.

- 8:00pm – Rebroadcast of President Obama’s Inauguration Speech in HD on six BIG SCREENS. DJ Motion Potion spins until 9:30pm

- 9:30pm – The Mutaytor takes the stage for their celebratory theatrical extravaganza, hot off the heals of their San Francisco New Year’s Eve show (with Thievery Corporation and Bassnectar) with extra special musical and visual surprises to salute our new President (http://mutaytor.com)

- 10:30pm – An “Extra Special Guest Artist” takes the stage and rocks out until we cant stand up anymore (around midnight)

- 12midnight – DJ Wolfie (www.djwolfie.com) brings it home for those who want to party into the wee hours (wrap up by 2:00am)

Visuals for the evening will be provided by VJ Victorious from Visual Symphony (as seen at Coachella), a multi sensory experience told through images, lights, and lasers set to music. He’ll be doing a commemorative audio/visual display unveiled for the first time at the Art of Change Inaugural Ball (www.myspace.com/evictor; http://visualsymphony.us).

Lighting designer extraordinaire Dan Reed, is on board to light the show for the evening. For the past 8 years Reed has served as an Associate Lighting Director for Bob Dickinson, Bob Barnhart, and Ted Wells at Full Flood Inc., coordinating the preparation and distribution of lighting designs for over 500 broadcast and special events, such as the Democratic National Convention in Denver, as well as Obama’s acceptance speech on November 4th in Chicago. Reed has also worked in key theatrical lighting positions on the Oscars, Grammys, Emmys and so much more (http://danreedlighting.net).

At the outset of his presidency, Obama may well be labeled ‘The Artists President.’ As the author of two best-selling books – Dreams from My Father and The Audacity of Hope – Barack Obama uniquely appreciates the role and value of creative expression. Observing that our nation’s creativity has filled the world’s libraries, museums, recital halls, movie houses, and marketplaces with works of genius, he agrees that the arts embody the American spirit of self-definition.

During their campaign, Obama and Biden ran on a platform in support of the arts and pledged to:
- Reinvest in Arts Education
- Expand Public/Private Partnerships Between Schools and Arts Organizations
- Create an Artist Corps
- Publicly Champion the Importance of Arts Education
- Support Increased Funding for the NEA
- Promote Cultural Diplomacy
- Provide Health Care to Artists
- Ensure Tax Fairness for Artists

The “Art of Change Inaugural Ball – Los Angeles” celebrates this new spirit in our government. The producers of the Ball purposely kept ticket prices low ($10) to encourage an inclusive celebration.

The Mutaytor is part hip-grinding electroinc-retro-funk, part audience-interactive post-modern circus. The act takes drastically advanced elements of the Grateful Dead, Parliament-Funkadelic, the Crystal Method, Louis Prima and Blue Man Group and throws them directly at the audience as riotous surreal entertainment notable for “turning Civilians into Rockstars.” The sound is tight, the show manic, the vibe all-inclusively friendly. They are on stage, above the audience, IN the crowd. There’s nothing like the Mutaytor in show business today and they’ll probably have to spin off parts of itself in order to have any competition in the future.

Motion Potion aka Robbie Kowal is one of the Bay Area’s hardest working, most innovative, and versatile DJs. Alternately called the DJ for people who hate DJs (SF Weekly) and the “Swiss Army DJ,” he seems to have something for everyone. Funk impresario, mashup enthusiast, and live collaborator with such bands as Parliament-Funkadelic, the Mutaytor and Galactic, his career has been defined by an attempt to break down genre and scene barriers, playing every conceivable kind of music in the course of a night, a set, or a seven-minute mash-up. His own mix CD’s range wider than most label’s catalogs; live mixes that range from underground hip hop to electronic breaks to world fusion to rare southern rock. Legends such as Isaac Hayes, Dr John, and Maceo Parker have all called upon “Mopo” to open their shows and rock their set-breaks.

DJ Wolfie headlines parties from coast to coast, both in mainstream venues and the underground circuit. In 2008 he played at Coachella Music Festival on the bill with Prince and Roger Waters, at The Optimus Alive festival in Portugal with Rage Against the Machine, Bob Dylan, and Neil Young, and at The All Points West Festival in New York with Radiohead, Underworld, and Jack Johnson. His music features a broad range of funky tunes with ass shaking beats. He throws some of the wildest invitation-only events in Los Angeles, regularly packing in 1000 or more people to artistically fueled musical extravaganzas.

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For more information, images, or to set up interviews with the event producers or any of the talent, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.