Staples Center

Last Shot: Time Is Running Out

[Editor's Note: Longtime concert photographer and fellow Weekling Andrew Youssef found out almost two years ago that he had Stage IV colon cancer. In that time, he has continued to shoot tons of music events for us on top of other freelance work and holding a day job at a hospital, of all places. As ... More >>

Morrissey - Staples Center - March 1, 2013

Morrissey Staples Center March 1, 2013 Originally slated to appear with Iggy and the Stooges but ultimately rescheduled and substituted with Patti Smith, Morrissey easily sold out the Staples Center. The show seemed to be in jeopardy when various volleys were exchanged whether meat would be served ... More >>

Franki Doll Tells Us Why She and Her Band The Broken Toys Are Breaking Up

It feels a little early in the year to be saying goodbye to a band as irreverent and irreplaceable as Franki Doll and the Broken Toys. Sadly, we've recently learned that the miniskirts, two-toned wigs and octane-fueled antics of Huntington Beach performer Franki Doll will be no more. On Saturday (Fe ... More >>

Five Potential Boyfriends For A Newly-Single Taylor Swift

Oh, sweet little "innocent" Taylor Swift. This 23-year-old country darling is known for belting out hit after hit while making teeny bopper girls squeal and making prepubescent boys play games of pocket pool. And even after all of the arenas she has sold out and all of the awards she has collected t ... More >>

Quicksand - The Glass House - January 23, 2013

Quicksand The Glass House January 23, 2013 It still felt surreal seeing the first performance of Quicksand in fifteen years at the Revelation Records 25th Anniversary party at the Glass House in June of 2012. Even though their five song set had me drooling for more, one could never imagine that Qui ... More >>

NYE EDM Festivals in 2012: Which One Was the Best?

Who would have thought five years ago that super star DJ's like Above & Beyond, Ferry Corsten, Andy Moor, Sebastian Ingrosso, Laidback Luke, Calvin Harris, Avicii and Nero would be headlining separate major EDM festivals right here in California on New Years Eve? Since Insomniac Events and Go Ve ... More >>

The Black Keys - The Joint - December 30, 2012

The Black Keys The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel in Las VegasDecember 30, 2012It was pretty obvious that theThe Black Keys were in a league of their own this year. Some of the highlights of their year include a top slot at Coachella, selling out the Madison Square Garden and numerous nights at Staple ... More >>

New Anaheim-based Podcast Aimed at Rockeros Debuts!

For all you rockeros and rockeras out there in Southern California, a new podcast show debuted yesterday just for you! Co-hosted by Christian Mejia, a local music promoter and Hector Robles, a musician on the scene, "Talking Rock en Español" is all about supporting local talent and engaging in a di ... More >>

Lucas Anthony Tang, 2 y.o Who Died in Fall, Was Not Staples Center's Responsibility: Judge

A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge has tossed the lawsuit a Garden Grove couple brought against the Staples Center after their toddler son fell to his death from a luxury suite after a November 2010 Lakers game.Arena management were not duty bound to watch Lucas Anthony Tang for the 2-year-ol ... More >>

EDC 2012: Coachella or Electric Daisy Carnival: Which One is Better?

See also: Our Complete Coachella Coverage Dance music is coming to an arena near you: Kaskade will be the first DJ ever to play Staples Center (July 27). And mainstream concert promoters such as Live Nation are diving into the electronic dance explosion. Electric Daisy Carnival, which is being hel ... More >>

[UPDATED with Property Divided, But ...] Kobe and Vanessa Bryant Reconciling?

​UPDATE, FEB. 20, 1:25 P.M.: Though Kobe and Vanessa Bryant were photographed kissing on Valentine's Day, as of this morning it was full speed ahead on their divorce.Records in Orange County court reportedly show the Newport Coast couple is dividing their assets, with the former Vanessa Laine of H ... More >>

It's Not Them, It's You: Stop Projecting Your Financial Woes onto Jay-Z and Kanye

Who are these regular dudes?​Let's pretend to pretend that you've never heard of Jay-Z and Kanye West. Partly because this appears to be the only way people can enjoy them -- especially the latter -- anymore. "Real rap fans," as they say, are so sick of these two, and rap production has gotten ... More >>

Kanye West's Funeral Will Be an A-List Affair

Laila Derakhshanian/OC WeeklyKanye West​Kanye West gets "deep" in the voice-over for his behind the scenes video of the Watch the Throne tour and contemplates his own funeral. For some reason, he thinks world leaders are going to mourn his loss. Who's he kidding?

Ringling Bros. Pays $270k Fine Over Animal Care--and Disagrees with PETA About It

Photo by Keith May/OC Weekly​We explored in August the Rashomon reactions of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus to an adult elephant hitting the ground while being loaded into a boxcar in Anaheim, with PETA claiming a sick Sarah collapsed ... More >>

Three Reasons the Michael Jackson Trial App Feels So Wrong

​So yes, there is such as thing as a Michael Jackson Doctor Trial App, a mini "media center for the iPhone and iPad and Android devices." Released by Fox Television Stations, the app includes live video of the trial proceedings, recorded local news segments, photo galleries and biographies of thos ... More >>

PETA Chides Ringling Bros. for Federal Inspection of Tiger Hurt in Anaheim and Ill Elephant in LA

​Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus was cited for "serious violations" of the federal Animal Welfare Act during this summer's engagements at the Honda Center in Anaheim and Staples Center in Los Angeles, an animal rights group charges.A U.S. Department of Agriculture inspection report ... More >>

AEG Wants to Build an NFL Stadium in Downtown LA (What Traffic?), OC Supervisors Want City of Industry

AEGA stadium will be built ... somewhere in LA County.​An NFL stadium is coming to the greater Los Angeles area, at some point. The sponsorship deal with Farmers Insurance has been sealed, the promotional propaganda has been spread, the LA city council has voted unanimously in favor of a tentative ... More >>

Mike Brown, Lakers Coach, Won't Let Traffic From Anaheim Hills Delay His Game

​As you might have heard, new Lakers coach Mike Brown and his wife Carolyn purchased a home in Anaheim Hills.That might sound like a rookie mistake given it's 44 miles to the Lakers practice facility and what seems like three days inching across the freeways if you're headed to the Staples Center ... More >>

[UPDATED: City Approves Stadium Agreement] NFL (Likely) Returning to Los Angeles: Sorry Irvine, No Team/Stadium For You

AEG/APThis stadium illustration may become a reality by as early as 2016.UPDATE, AUG. 9, 2:22 P.M.: The Los Angeles Chargers of San Diego are coming! (One can only hope.)​Earlier this afternoon the Los Angeles City Council voted 12-0 in favor of a tentative agreement with Anschutz Entertainment Gr ... More >>

NKOTBSB at Honda Center Last Night

Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly​Check out our Staples Center slideshow here!NKOTBSBJuly 6, 2011Honda Center I can think of countless childhood classmates more deserving of the opportunity to see NKOTBSB, the boybandaganza that invaded the Honda Center last night. Particularly the girls at my s ... More >>

Sons of New L.A. Lakers Coach, Mike Brown, Considering Mater Dei High

Mike Brown, the new king of the Lakers castle.​Last week, Lakers fans learned that the legendary shoes of its retiring coach, Phil Jackson, were to be filled by a mostly-unproven coach who's best known for being LeBron James' first NBA coach. The news of Mike Brown's hiring caused mixed reactions, ... More >>

Christina Aguilera to Sing at Super Bowl XLV

​​Acts such as Billy Joel, Beyonce and the Dixie Chicks have all sung the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Now, Christina Aguilera will be added to the roster. The songstress will belt the tune before Feb. 6's Super Bowl XLV match-up between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers at ... More >>

Lady Gaga Performing at One of the Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono Band Concerts

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyLady Gaga at the Staples Center Aug. 11​MTV reports that Lady Gaga is going to perform at one of the Yoko Ono's Plastic Ono Band concerts taking place at the Orpheum Theater in LA on Oct. 1 and 2 to celebrate what would've been John Lennon's 70th birthday on Oct. 9.A ... More >>

Lady Gaga Premieres New Song 'Living on the Radio'

Christopher Victorio/OC WeeklyLady Gaga at Staples Center Aug. 11​From Oh No They Didn't: Lady Gaga premiered a ballad at her St. Paul, Minn. concert last night. Called "Living on the Radio," it's reminiscent of the piano-pop staples Gaga wrote as Stefani Germanotta. It's definitely not the n ... More >>

Lady Gaga at the Staples Center Last Night

Christopher Victorio/OC Weekly​Check out our Lady Gaga slideshow here!Lady GagaAug. 11, 2010Staples CenterLady Gaga's Monster Ball gets compared to many things: West Hollywood during Halloween, Burning Man, Mardi Gras. But what it's really like is Disneyland--a well-produced, flawless display ... More >>

Olivia Munn Goes From Promoting Horse Racing in OC to Damning Circus Animals in LA

​Olivia Munn--the gorgeous Maxim model, Daily Show correspondent and Suck It, Wonder Woman! The Misadventures of a Hollywood Geek author--appeared last night at a People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals' protest against the Ringling Bros. circus at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.It's a tes ... More >>

Kobe Bryant to Team USA: Dream On

​Five-time NBA champion, back-to-back Finals MVP and gold-medal Olympian Kobe Bryant is the latest Team USA superstar to announce he won't suit up for this summer's World Championships in Turkey.The Black Mamba of Newport Coast needs the time off to mend his sore, tired and broken body.As the Ston ... More >>

It's Reader's Choice!

[Summer Guide] Choose your own musical adventure this summer—regardless of time, money or personal taste, we've got the concert for you

Kobe Bryant, at Home and on the Heli-Pad

Photo by Andrew YoussefTwo Orange County icons thrill Disneyland guests last June.​J. R. Moehringer is a former Times Orange County sportswriter and the ghostwriter of Andre Agassi's controversial autobiography Open. Moehringer profiles Kobe Bryant in the March issue of GQ. Actually, it's more lik ... More >>

[UPDATED WITH LA TIMES RESPONSE] For Times Reporter, It's Dancing With the Company You Cover

Adam Larkey/ABCDancing With the Stars host Tom Bergeron, Times reporter Dawn C. Chmielewski and her partner Jonathan Roberts soak in applause. ​UPDATED WITH RESPONSE FROM LA TIMES VP . . . Perhaps it does not fully descend into the unethical bog like the revenue-sharing arrangement with the Stapl ... More >>

Foes of Proposed Orange County Fair Sale Launch Website

Photo by Jennie WarrenAre certain fair board elements taking Orange Countians and state taxpayers for a ride?Some anonymous Orange County Fair employees have created a website that channels their displeasure with the proposed sale of the state-owned fairgrounds in Costa Mesa.OCUnfair.com takes parti ... More >>

Kanye West/Lady Gaga Tour Now Officially Official

S. Affandi, courtesy Wikimedia Commons.​After a good amount of speculation due to a lack of official announcements and tour dates disappearing from the Internets, the Kanye West and Lady Gaga "Fame Kills" tour is on for realsies, following press releases from Live Nation this morning.

18 Reasons Sammy Davis Jr. Beats Michael Jackson in Heavenly Greatest Entertainer Who Ever Lived Smackdown

Barry Gordy eulogizes Michael Jackson.At Michael Jackson's moving memorial in the Staples Center Tuesday, Motown founder Berry Gordy eulogized that the title "King of Pop" was not big enough for Jacko, calling him "simply the greatest entertainer that ever lived."Somewhere in Heaven, Sammy Davis Jr. ... More >>

Michael Jackson Memorial Tweet-Up Wrap-Up

Were you working, sleeping, distracted, saving a cat from a tree, organizing your cheese label collection or otherwise unavailable to follow our live Twitter posts from Michael Jackson's memorial? Well, you're in luck, because here they all are (and pics!), both from Matthew Fletcher of the band Sat ... More >>

What If You Threw a Lakers Parade and Only Kobe Showed Up?

Photo by Andrew YoussefM-I-C . . . See you in the paint . . . K-E-Y . . . Why? Because we OWN you!Disneyland Resort media types had said it would be Kobe Bryant and other unnamed Lakers visiting the Anaheim theme park today for a victory parade down Main Street USA. But just like the name on the MVP ... More >>

Incoming: AC/DC, Beyoncé Coming to Honda Center (Separately)

Attention, single ladies (and others): Beyoncé, will soon be touring behind her third mega-popular solo record, this one with the much-mocked title I Am...Sasha Fierce (Ben Westhoff reviewed it for us here when it came out last fall, check out the hilarious comments he attracted: "BBBBB I LOVE U GI ... More >>

Rumored/Confirmed Coachella Artists Start to Trickle In

LAist has about 20 artists they say are "confirmed" for Coachella (coming up soon! April 17-19!), and many more that are "rumored"--and given that just about every act of note is "rumored" for Coachella at this point in the year, a classification that's about as meaningful as last night's Golden Glo ... More >>

Matt Costa Models Oliver Peoples Eyewear

Matt Costa's future is so bright, he's gotta so on and so forth.The dreamy (I'm using that word to describe his music, honest!) Huntington Beach singer/songwriter is featured in the new advertising campaign for upscale eyewear retailer/maker Oliver Peoples. Also featured is similarly adorable actres ... More >>

Upcoming in LA Times Obits: The Sunday Magazine

Remember those Sunday mornings when the LA Times magazine was something to look forward to? Terrific profiles/color pieces/semi-newsy features—in-depth stuff you went back and read a second time (and, admit it, clipped and filed in your battered ol’ copy of Websters, under the appropriate word)? ... More >>

Diary of a Mad County

This Case Doesn't Gyve

An open letter to DA Tony Rackauckas

My City Kicks Your Citys Dining Ass

Dont trust the Times or Pringle: Anaheim is OCs best dining burg

Whiskey Night

An Open Letter to DA Tony Rackauckas

Capitol Idea!

Commie Girl in Sacramento

Letters

The Unbearable Lightness of Being a Rock Star

Shaw Nuff

Truth, accuracy and courage already postponed at the Times

Brand New Karn!

Summer of Sam