Sorted by date Results 226 - 250 of 299
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) opened its "Baroque Conversations" series on Thursday at Zipper Concert Hall at The Colburn School in downtown Los Angeles. It was a special affair honoring James Arkatov, artistic founder of LACO and original member of the cello section. There was a champagne toast for him at the pre-concert reception attended by musical director/conductor Jeffrey Kahane and then Arkatov kicked things off by saying a few words of...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Legendary folk rock band "America" featuring the highly-talented harmonizing of duo Dewey Bunnell and Gerry Beckley will be making a stop on their tour at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on December 7. Formed in 1970, their recording success has continued to delight audiences by performing over 100 shows per year. Their anthem is "Horse With No Name," but also are known for "Ventura Highway," "Sister Golden Hair," "Tin Man," "Daisy Jane," "Lonely...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Verdi Chorus triumphed in their presentation of their fall concerts titled “Distant Lands” this past weekend at the acoustically-sound First United Methodist Church in Santa Monica. The chorus is one of the jewels of the Los Angeles opera scene and showed the audience why as they presented two flawless performances. The concerts honored Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s retirement after 40 years of service to Southern California. Musical director/conductor An...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Los Angeles Kings and Anaheim Ducks “faced-off” in the always much-anticipated “Freeway” rivalry at Staples Center on Saturday. The Ducks were playing without an injured Corey Perry, one of their premiere players and also missing was a retired Teemu Selanne. The game took on a strange feel without Selanne out there on the ice. He was such a force for many years and one of the greatest poster-boys that the NHL ever had. Selanne retired after the Ducks l...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Los Angeles Master Chorale, a cultural icon heralded around the globe for its exceptional artistry, presented its “Renaissance: Reawakened” performance on Sunday at the acoustically-sound Walt Disney Concert Hall where the Chorale has been residing since 2003. Not only did Artistic Director/Conductor Grant Gershon conduct the chorus, but so did his associate Lesley Leighton, and she did so very capably. “Rebirth: Music of the Spirit” is how Gershon...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Verdi Chorus will present its “Distant Lands” fall concert in honor of Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s retirement after 40 years of service to Southern California. This is the chorus’ 32nd year of showcasing glorious operatic repertoire and will highlight an exotic program of selections that span the globe. The program opens with the heartfelt cries of the people of Greece from Mozart's youthful masterpiece Idomeneo. From there the travel continues to the...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The stage was finally set for the Los Angeles Clippers home opener on the day before Halloween. The NBA strategically chose the Oklahoma City Thunder, a great rival who eliminated the Clippers in the second round of the playoffs last season, to kick things off. Commissioner Adam Silver was in attendance...maybe to make sure that former banned Clippers owner Donald Sterling didn't crash the party. Sterling's former wife and co-owner, Shelly, was sitting...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Eddie "Two Tickets To Paradise" Money will make a stop on his 2014 concert tour on November 9 at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills. With over 28 million records sold worldwide, this classic rockers' trademark raspy, husky voice is still easily recognized today, arguably one of the most distinctive voices. Fans will be treated to all of his most popular hits which include "Two Tickets," Baby Hold On," Think I'm In Love," and "Take Me Home Tonight," among...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter It was a big day for the Los Angeles Kings last Wednesday. They opened up the 2014-15 NHL season, received their long-awaited championship rings the day before, and finally got to raise their second Stanley Cup championship banner to the rafters at Staples Center in front of a standing-room only crowd of 18,514. All while the coveted Lord Stanley's Cup was on display at center ice during the pre-game ceremony hosted by Bob Miller, Kings long-time...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter The Dodgers tried to avenge their loss to the Cardinals in the 2013 NLCS, but again fell short, losing the 2014 NLDS to the Cardinals 3-1 in a five-game series which ended at Busch Stadium. The Dodgers went with their elite pitcher, Clayton Kershaw twice, to try and stop the bleeding, but to no avail. It seems as if the Cardinals have become the "Dodger-Killers," especially Matt Carpenter, who some say is the "Kershaw-Killer." In the first game at Dodger...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Get ready for a blast-from-the-past as the triumvirate of famous classic rockers - Stephen Bishop, John Ford Coley and Bill Champlin make an appearance at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on September 20. Collectively, having sold over 100 million records, these three musical giants will take the stage simultaneously performing all of their great hits and also entertain the audience with stories from their experiences on the road and background of the...
Get ready for a blast-from-the-past as the triumvirate of famous classic rockers - Stephen Bishop, John Ford Coley and Bill Champlin make an appearance at the Saban Theatre in Beverly Hills on September 20. Collectively, having sold over 100 million records, these three musical giants will take the stage simultaneously performing all of their great hits and also entertain the audience with stories from their experiences on the road and background of the songs they wrote…a trip down memory l...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter "Roll up! Roll up for the Magical 'History' Tour! Step right this way!...the Magical 'History' Tour is waiting to take you away..." Did you know that Beatles living legend, Paul McCartney, has a step-mom and a step-sister? And that they live and work right here in Playa del Rey? Well...now you do. Angie, 84, met Paul's dad, Jim, when they were both widowed at the time and got married soon thereafter in 1964. Ruth, Angie's daughter, was four years old at the...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Steve Ballmer, Clippers new owner, approached the stage at Staples Center today like a boxer making his way to the ring as all of his adoring fans lavished him with praise and high-fives. It's his first-ever Fan Fest, but you wouldn't have known it – he handled it like a champ. The only thing missing was the "Rocky" theme. After subtracting his bank account by $2 billion in order to buy the team from Donald and Shelly Sterling, the former Microsoft CEO a...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw got off to a rocky start in the second game of the two-game homestand against their “I-5” rival Angels, but thanks to closer Kenley Jansen striking out all three batters he faced in the ninth, and then pinch-hitter Andre Ethier sealing the deal with a walk-off hit, the Dodgers got the win, 5-4. It was Ethier’s 12th career walk-off hit and the Dodgers fifth of the season. With five Angel players defending the infield, Either hit a...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter Every July, there is summer excitement brewing at the Toyota Sports Center, the Lakers headquarters and practice facility in El Segundo. No, it wasn't the news that Jeremy Lin was just traded to the Lakers from the Rockets. There were over 450 capable young women trying out to become a dancer for next season's Laker Girls dance team. And one capable male was even in the mix this time. It was an open audition, a cattle call. The only requirements - be 18...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter During the season-opening concert on Saturday at the Starlight Bowl in Burbank, I closed my eyes and listened to The Fab Four sing a Beatles song and thought that the boys from Liverpool had transported themselves back from the '60's. That's how accurate and authentic their sound is – arguably the world's best Beatles tribute band. It's the 50th anniversary of the Beatles appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, so it was apropos that The Fab Four brought a...
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers pitching ace and arguably "the best pitcher in the world" according to teammate Matt Kemp, finished off the Cardinals on Sunday by hurling 13 strikeouts in seven innings en-route to a 6-0 shutout and helped the Dodgers win the four-game series, 3-1. This was his third straight scoreless start, capping off a career month in June -- six wins, a no-hitter, a 0.82 ERA, and a streak of 28 scoreless innings. It's the longest scoreless streak by any pitcher in the Majors this...
By Steven Lieberman Culver City Observer Barry Gibb is still “Stayin’ Alive” as he appeared last week with his 11-piece band at the Hollywood Bowl, the last stop on his solo six-concert “Mythology” tour.” Gibb was carrying the torch for his two late brothers, twins Robin and Maurice…and his little brother, Andy, who had a solo career. Maurice died in 2003 of cardiac arrest, Robin two years ago after a long battle with cancer, and Andy was just 30 years old when he died in 1988 suffering fro...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter No team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) has ever won the Stanley Cup by winning three seventh games on the road in the first three playoff series leading up to the finals, but the Los Angeles Kings did just that, and then beat the New York Rangers, four games to one, to then hoist the prized trophy at Staples Center. And the Kings completed their run for the Cup on Friday, the 13th, which proved to be their “lucky” day. And the fans fel...
By Steven Lieberman Culver City Observer Barry Gibb is still “Stayin’ Alive” as he appeared last week with his 11-piece band at the Hollywood Bowl, the last stop on his solo six-concert “Mythology” tour.” Gibb was carrying the torch for his two late brothers, twins Robin and Maurice…and his little brother, Andy, who had a solo career. Maurice died in 2003 of cardiac arrest, Robin two years ago after a long battle with cancer, and Andy was just 30 years old when he died in 1988 suffering fro...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter No team in the history of the National Hockey League (NHL) has ever won the Stanley Cup by winning three seventh games on the road in the first three playoff series leading up to the finals, but the Los Angeles Kings did just that, and then beat the New York Rangers, four games to one, to then hoist the prized trophy at Staples Center. And the Kings completed their run for the Cup on Friday, the 13th, which proved to be their “lucky” day. And the fans fel...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter After a recording of Los Angeles Clippers owner Donald Sterling making racist remarks was released in April, he was fined $2.5 million, banned from NBA games for life, and forced to sell the team along with all of his ownership rights in the franchise by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. Sterling's inflammatory remarks to girlfriend V. Stiviano spawned outrage among NBA fans, players and executives -- especially Clippers players, who at one game, as a sign of...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter It was a magical, awe-inspiring close to the 2013-14 season for the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra (LACO) on Sunday at Royce Hall. Maestro Jeffrey Kahane pulled out all of the stops and created a transcendent piano “festival.” Not only did Kahane, LACO’s music director, masterfully play piano on two of the compositions, but the pieces he played required two pianos. So he gathered up Los Angeles Philharmonic’s pianist sensation Joanne Pearce Martin for Moz...
By Steven Lieberman Observer Reporter It has been a miraculous run for the Los Angeles Kings so far in the playoffs. In round one, they managed to pull off a reverse sweep of the San Jose Sharks, winning that series 4-3 after losing the first three games, and then finishing off the Anaheim Ducks, 6-2, at the Honda Center in the seventh game of the second round -- an away-game in a hostile environment. This is the first time the freeway rivals met in the playoffs. Ducks superstar Teemu Selänne di...
