Here in the Pacific Northwest, Memorial Day weekend kicks off our music festival season. The Sasquatch Festival takes place at the Gorge, a huge outdoor ampitheater east of Seattle, and the Northwest Folklife Festival, the largest free music festival of its kind in North America, takes over Seattle Center in the heart of the city.

That said, the Pacific Northwest isn’t the only place where folks want to get outside and enjoy some music. A quick perusal of our site reveals a number of festivals happening all over the country this weekend and I thought I’d give you a brief list of some of the ones that caught my eye in Washington, California and Virginia.

What are you waiting for? Dig out the tent, grab the cooler and get out there and enjoy some live music in the great outdoors.

Port Angeles, Washington

Friday, May 24 to Monday, May 27 I 20th Annual Juan de Fuca Festival of the Arts   Four days of music, dance, theater, and comedy fill the days and nights at the 20th annual Juan de Fuca Festival in Port Angeles over Memorial Day Weekend. If you buy your four day pass early you’ll save $10/person over the gate price! Pick them up right over here. Headlining this year are Sierra Leone’s Refugee All Stars, The Slide Brothers, Delhi 2 Dublin, Tony Furtado Band, Houston Jones, Groove For Thought, LoCura, Shook Twins, Kaumakaiwa Kanaka’ole and more! The festival is free for kids 12 and under plus there will be a street fair filled with an eclectic collection of artisans and a food court with tasty treats from cuisines of the world will keep you browsing and munching on a daily basis. When the Main Stage closes, the fun continues with performances/dances around town with festival artists and these after hours shows are INCLUDED in your wristband price. Also this year there will be an OPEN MIC area outside. Come on down with you guitar or trumpet and help create that festival vibe.

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Here are this week’s Hot Tickets in the Chicago area. Check back every Wednesday at noon, CST for stellar events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

After each event we’ve asked three topical questions that we encourage you to use to start a conversation with your fellow blog readers.

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Wednesday, May 22 I European (and one Asian!) Craft Brewers Trolley Tour

“They will tempt and tease you with their nuances and flavors.”

While you’re on the tour you’ll hit up the best craft beer bars in Lincoln Square, Andersonville and Uptown.

At each pub you’ll enjoy specialty craft beers and meet some of the brewmasters and founders. While on the trolley, Liz Garibay of Tales, Taverns & Towns, will provide tibdits of tavern and Chicago brewing history. On this delicious tour you’ll experience brews both foreign and domestic. They will tempt and tease you with their nuances and flavors. A good time will be had by all.

Discuss.

Best beer you’ve ever tasted?

Do you make your own beer? What’s your secret ingredient? (more…)

Every Wednesday at noon, GMT, Brown Paper Tickets will be posting upcoming events happening in the UK. Here’s what’s happening over the next week. Check back for stellar events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

Friday, May 24 to Sunday, June 02 2013 Bath Fringe Spiegeltent Presents   Bath Recreation Ground, Bath   The Bath Fringe Festival takes place over 17 days in May/June and has a programme bursting with theatre, dance, music, visual arts, childrens festival, street theatre and circus events. The beautiful Speigeltent will be back again this year on Bath Recreation Ground, with the pick of folk/roots music, cabaret and comedy.

Friday, May 24 2013 I Vasquez / Alright the Captain / Billy Ray Osiris / Crusades  Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh   Edinburgh’s foremost instrumental dance/shred machine Vasquez headline an evening of choice entertainment with Derby’s constantly touring math-rock trio Alright the Captain, improv-noise collective Billy Ray Osiris and melodic post-hardcore combo Crusades joining the fray. Expect improvised collaborations, spontaneous outbursts and loud noises.
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Since the dawn of time, one question has plagued all of  humanity, “Should I go out tonight or just stay home and watch TV?” And finally, after years of study, a solution has been found! Why not do both? And while you’re at it, you can make both going out and staying in unimaginably better by adding burlesque into the mix.

New York, New York

TONIGHT! Tuesday, May 21 | Hotsy Totsy Burlesque STAR TREK tribute  Boldly go into the final frontier tonight with Hotsy Totsy Burlesque! Here’s what they got to say about their tribute to the original 1960s series:

“Following on the footsteps of Hotsy Totsy Burlesque’s successful Mad Men, Game of Thrones, Big Lebowski and Star Wars 1978 Holiday Special tribute, Cherry Pitz and Joe the Shark proudly present a burlesque tribute to Star Trek – The Original Series! We are New York’s only episodic, monthly burlesque show featuring a different script each month and a rotating cast.  Hotsy Totsy is a high camp soap opera featuring some of the best burlesque talent New York has to offer. Long before nerdy burlesque shows became trendy there was Hotsy Totsy Burlesque!”

Lord knows Captain Kirk was never one to shy away from a pretty face. Here are some of his more memorable moments with some of the universe’s sexiest ladies:

Tonight’s show will feature performances by Apathy Angel, Cherry Pitz, Delirium Tremens, Hazel Honeysuckle, Melody Jane, Ruby Solitaire, Handsome Brad, with go-go dancing by Webster Hall’s Anna Kickarse and kittening by Izébel Vivant! (more…)

Here are this week’s Hot Tickets in the San Francisco area. Check back every Tuesday at noon, PST for stellar events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

After each event we’ve asked three questions meant to spark discussion with your fellow blog readers. Enjoy!

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Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays until Saturday, June 29 I  STAND UP COMEDY WITH RISING STARS

“Participating comics in “Stand Up Comedy with Rising Stars” represent different nationalities, regions, cities and countries around the world…”

Funny is funny. It doesn’t matter where it is or where it comes from.

Participating comics in Stand Up Comedy with Rising Stars represent different nationalities, regions, cities and countries around the world— including Africa, Asia, India and San Francisco.

Some of Stand Up Comedy’s performers have been featured on Comedy Central, HBO, BET, Stand-Up Live, and London Weekend Television, so you’re sure to enjoy a fabulous night of hilarious entertainment. Come out for a cheerful night of stand-up comedy as five or more comics take the stage to create tons of laughter.

Discuss.

Who is your favorite rising star on the SF comedy scene these days?

Would you ever dare to take the stage as a stand up comedian? (more…)

Here are this week’s Hot Tickets in the Los Angeles area. Check back every Monday at noon, PST for stellar events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

After each event we’ve asked three topical questions that we encourage you to use to start a conversation with your fellow blog readers.

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Thursday, May 23 I Melodrama Workout Night

“Become a hero and a villain. Struggle with virtue and evil.”

It’s a dark and stormy night— and you’re in the middle it. You may die…

Melodrama joins music and drama using spectacle, gesture, pantomime, bold characters and physicality. Become a hero and a villain. Struggle with virtue and evil.

The most expressive of the dramatic forms, we’ll play with high stakes and emotions as we fully express in the body. Unlike method based psychological acting, Melodrama is akin to Artaud‘s “athlete of the emotions.” An emotionally powerful evening, you will learn to experience and express deep feeling that will inform your craft and your life. All levels welcome.

Discuss.

Do you ever feel melodramatic in your real life?

What do you hope to learn from this workshop? (more…)

Welcome to Spit Take Saturday, courtesy of Brown Paper Tickets’ Comedy Doer Julie Seabaugh and her professional comedy criticism site The Spit Take. Julie’s goal with the site is to “elevate the public perception of stand-up comedy to that of a legitimate art form, and to enable comedy criticism be taken as seriously as that of theater, film, music, food, even video games. No a**-kissing. No bias. No mercy. Just honest, unfiltered, long-form reviews written by professional, knowledgeable comedy critics.” 

Every week Julie will select an entry from the site to be included on our blog and hand-pick some related events happening that week that she feels all you comedy lovers out there will appreciate.

So, without further ado, let us introduce you to this week’s Spit Take Saturday!

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Pete Holmes is a “friendly fellow,” he says, unable to contain his giddy chuckles. He’s “the kind of guy that likes to get to the airport a couple hours early, get a few white wines in me and start telling old people they still got it.” And if your name’s Anna, he’s calling you “Banana.” The You Made It Weird host is a silly, silly man.

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Now that the weather is starting to warm up a little, we can start turning, once again, to simple and fresh ingredients to build flavors in our meals. Raw vegetables are healthy and when combined in the right ways, delicious. The simplicity of a fresh vine-ripened tomato with a little coarse sea salt is one of my personal favorites. The sweet and tangy tomato with the crunchy salt just speaks to me.

When I think of raw recipes the first thing that comes into my mind is Gazpacho, a wonderful cold soup that is absolutely packed with flavor. As is true with many simple recipes this gem can be altered to fit your style. It also easily becomes a vehicle for bay shrimp, bay scallops, or even cucumber sorbet if you have the ambition. It can also be made completely vegan if you leave out the Worchestershire sauce. Enjoy! (more…)

Here are this week’s Hot Tickets in the New York area. Check back every Friday at noon, EST for stellar events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

After each event we’ve asked three topical questions that we encourage you to use to start a conversation with your fellow blog readers.

Friday, May 17 to Sunday, May 19 I Xanadu

“She’s on a quest to inspire a struggling artist named Sonny to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first ROLLER DISCO!”

Broadway Workshop and Project Broadway present Xanadu. This show follows the journey of Kira, a magical and beautiful Greek muse, who descends from the heavens of Mt. Olympus to Venice Beach, California in 1980. She’s on a quest to inspire a struggling artist named Sonny to achieve the greatest artistic creation of all time – the first ROLLER DISCO! But when Kira falls into forbidden love with a mortal man, her jealous sisters take advantage of the situation and chaos abounds.

This hilarious, roller skating, musical adventure about following your dreams despite the limitations others set for you, rolls along to the original hit score composed by pop-rock legends Jeff Lynne and John Farrar.  The soundtrack includes, “Magic”, “All Over The World”, “Suddenly”, “I’m Alive”, “Evil Woman”, “Have You Never Been Mellow” and “Xanadu.”  This extravaganza is based on the Universal Pictures’ cult classic movie of the same title, which starred Olivia Newton-John and Gene Kelly.

Discuss.

Have you ever seen the movie?

What was Olivia Newton-John’s finest moment? (more…)

Today we feature another guest post from Brandon Collins and Mike Brown of Comedy Outliers. Brandon and Mike offer great advice to comedians, or performers in general, on how to survive and thrive in today’s competitive artistic climate.

The Comedy Outliers have a show coming up this Saturday, May 18 at Lily O’Brien‘s in New York City. Their shows are free but we highly recommend you pick up tickets so you don’t show up to a full house.

If you’re in New York or headed that way, be sure to check out their show. It’s rare to see comedy of this calibre without a cover charge or drink minimum. That said, if you want them to continue bringing these great shows to the Big Apple, we highly encourage you to support their efforts by hitting the “Donate” button on their website.

So, without further ado, I give you Brandon and Mike of The Comedy Outliers:

When we at Comedy Outliers produce a show and say “You’ve been such a wonderful audience” – we mean it. A wonderful audience member is appreciated and always welcomed to comedy shows! Here are a few ways you can make sure you’re one of the wonderfuls.

1. Turn off your phones

Why would you have them on anyway? Pay attention! It’s a LIVE show! You silence your phones before a movie starts, and it’s a movie. Unlike a movie, a comedy show is with real people who can’t afford to ignore you (on screen or on the street).

2. Don’t talk during the show

In the crowd, you may whisper “That’s the funniest comedian I’ve ever seen. I want to support them financially forever.” On stage, all a comic hears is “Blah blah blah – I don’t like this person’s show so I’m going to talk through it.” Comics are insecure!

Don’t talk. We’ll think it’s a heckle. Or talk, if you WANT to heckle and leave the show in tears. Don’t invite that negative energy into a show. (more…)