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

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Starts Friday, December 13 I DINA MARTINA CHRISTMAS SHOW 2013 – THE BEST OF THE BEST!

“This year’s Dina Martina Christmas Show will have it all, because this year’s show will be THE BEST OF THE BEST!”

PAGEANTRY AND PATHOS!  GLAMOUR AND GIFTS!  HILARITY AND HITS!  This year’s Dina Martina Christmas Show will have it all, because this year’s show will be THE BEST OF THE BEST!  It’s time for Miss Martina to acquiesce and appease her admirers by performing – along with famed musician/composer CHRIS JEFFRIES – her ALL-TIME GREATEST HOLIDAY HITS – EVER – from the fourteen pretty much all-new, pretty much all-unique Christmas shows she’s done in Seattle over the years. From the beloved mash-ups to the treasured abominations, this festive evening will be jam-packed with genius comedy and holiday chestnuts – and there ain’t a rotten one in the bunch!  This is the first time Miss Martina has performed her all-time greatest holiday hits in one show, so GET YOUR TICKETS NOW, BECAUSE PRETTY SOON THEY’LL BE GOIN’ LIKE HOTCAKES! (more…)

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

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TONIGHT! Thursday, December 12 I AND THE KIDS with very special guest AUDREY RYAN

“Playing what they call accessible unconscious existential indie folk rock glitter popsicle crisis music, they have been packing the sidewalks and clubs…with their fierce infectious harmonies, tight and unique grooves and songwriting…”

Slowly building an audience by winning over one wide eyed fan after another – this young highly creative band has found a home up the street at sister club TOAD. Now it’s time to bring their “accessible unconscious existential indie folk rock glitter popsicle crisis music” to the loyalists of The Lizard! Very special guest, and a creative powerhouse in her own right, Audrey Ryan opens the show.

And the Kids is made up of Hannah Mohan (lead vocals, electric ukulele and guitar), Rebecca Lasaponaro (vocals, drums, bells) and Megan Miller (vocals, synth, glockenspiel, woodblock). Playing what they call accessible unconscious existential indie folk rock glitter popsicle crisis music, they have been packing the sidewalks and clubs from Northampton to Boston to New York City with their fierce infectious harmonies, tight and unique grooves and songwriting that has the ability to reach down and tug at the truths of their generation and beyond.  Hannah and Rebecca met in their grade 7 music class and have been collaborating ever since.  Megan Miller direct from Canada met Hannah and Rebecca at the Institute for the Musical Arts (IMA) in Goshen, MA at a women’s recording and sound engineering program and together the trio is on a mission to inspire the hearts of all living beings of light and laughter one stage at a time. (more…)

As many musicians out there know, a large portion of learning to be a instrumentalist or songwriter is learning to properly steal from your influences. Many musicians struggle to be original but chances are, someone has played the combination of chords and notes that you “wrote” before. That said, if you really get down to it, the actual notes and chords don’t really matter. It’s what you bring to those chords that matters; your unique perspective and individual playing style. No matter what you do to differentiate your sound from sounds of the past, there’s bound to be a little of your influences in there somewhere. That’s okay, as long as you also bring a little of yourself into the mix as well.

With that said, there are two very different ways to approach a tribute show. Some artists attempt to re-create the exact sound of the artist they’re paying tribute to, others choose to re-interpret an artists songs in their own unique way. I find the latter to be more enjoyable because it really distills music down to its pure form and pays homage to the folk tradition, where songs were passed down over the years; constantly changing and being re-interpreted. By interpreting a song in their own voice, a musician ensures that those songs will continue to grow and change for years to come. Songs by revered songwriters like Bob Dylan or Leonard Cohen are constantly being changed and re-interpreted by musicians, while artists like Elvis or Neil Diamond often get impersonated, with musicians donning their cadence, look and stage presence.

Today on the Mid-Week Beat, we feature both kinds of tributes: impersonations and interpretations. If you’re a fan of the original artists, chances are you’re going to enjoy hearing the songs you love regardless of whether they’re done straight or in an entirely different style. What matters are the songs. (more…)

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.

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Starts Thursday, December 12 I Those Silly Reindeer!

“Li’l Buds continues it’s tradition of casting professional actors and children together to create a high quality theatrical experience that speaks to kid and adult audiences alike.”

Li’l Buds Theatre presents Those Silly Reindeer! This original musical for families was co-written by J. Preddie Predmore and the critically acclaimed actress Jenny Lamb most recently praised for her work as Sally Bowles in Cabaret at Light Opera Works. Li’l Buds continues it’s tradition of casting professional actors and children together to create a high quality theatrical experience that speaks to kid
and adult audiences alike.

It’s almost Christmas Eve at the North Pole and something is wrong! Holli, the Snow Princess has gone on vacation and since she left, temperatures have been rising. All the snow has melted and those silly reindeer can’t take off and fly, because the grass tickles their hooves. Santa must send Jack the Bird and LeeLee the Christmas tree off on an adventure to find Holli and bring her back before Christmas Eve. Will they reach Holli in time? Will Christmas be saved?
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Every Wednesday at noon, GMT, Brown Paper Tickets will post upcoming events happening in the UK. Here are this week’s Hot Tickets for events taking place at the end of October and the start of November. Check back for great events that fit the interests of locals and tourists alike.

Friday, December 13 I House of Burlesque presents Love Madame JoJo’s,  London   The award winning critically acclaimed House of Burlesque celebrates 2013 with an explosion of romance, roses, decadence and sparkle with their latest Burlesque show inspired by LOVE; its glory, beauty and glamour, but also its lust, longing and passion.  Selecting their most beautiful and elegant routines designed to tug at your heart strings and ignite your passions this evening will present the absolute best in elegant and extravagant burlesque and cabaret led by international star Tempest Rose.

Friday, December 13 & Saturday, December 14 I Flash Gordon – The Panto! The Bishopsfield Theatre,  Farenham   This annual pantomime is inspired by the 1980 British-American science fiction film, Flash Gordon, based on the comic strip of the same name. You’ve seen the movie and heard the Queen soundtrack, now enjoy Alan Christison’s hilarious new pantomime version of the screen classic! You’ll encounter familiar faces like Flash and Dale and their adversary, Emperor Ming the Merciless; then some new ones: Dame Aerial Gordon (Flash’s Mum), the eccentric Professor Blastoff and a very funny comic duo, local fishwives Ellie and Nellie. Emperor Ming’s evil plan is to cancel Christmas, Easter and Love, so he kidnaps Santa, the Easter Bunny and Cupid. Meanwhile Flash is having problems proposing to Dale! When both of them rush to save Santa & Co, assisted by the Dame and Professor Blastoff, they are themselves captured by Ming’s ally and former girlfriend, the Bird Queen, on Planet Mongo. Can Flash save the Universe and manage to pop the question? You bet he can!

Saturday, December 14 I Sarcassy Sneek’s Seasonal Southside Soiree The Shed,  Glasgow   Want to escape the winter blues, the shopping frenzies, the songs of Slade? Sarcassy has the cure ………. burlesque, cabaret and the down right bizarre. Back in The Shed with an xmas extravaganza of seductive, stirring, side splitting and slightly sinister guests. All proceeds will be going to the second Southside Fringe, a fortnight of arts and entertainment spanning the Southside in May 2014. Joining Sarcassy to celebrate the sensations of the season is a phenomenal line-up showcasing Southside talent by the spoonful, with The Creative Martyrs, Willie Dick, Raven Rose, GSR, Shakewell Tarts, Kevin P Gilday and Iain Ewing. (more…)

I’ve always felt that there were a lot of similarities between the roller derby community and the burlesque community. Both are predominately run by women. Both take something that was once exploitative and  and turn it into something that is empowering. Both seem to have sprung out of the punk and retro scenes and both require adopting some sort of moniker; tough names for roller girls and sexy names for burlesque girls.

Both communities also seem to love Brown Paper Tickets! We’ve had a long-standing relationship with both derby and burlesque and we’ve seen both grow at a rapid rate over the last decade with practically every town boasting its own roller derby league or burlesque troupe. We like to think that we helped that growth but the full credit should be bestowed upon the hard-working, DIY-minded producers that have put their blood (literally in the case of derby!) and sweat into building their local communities, often for little or no monetary reward.

Of course there’s even more overlap between the two communities with many roller girls dabbling in burlesque and vice versa, so this week I thought I’d highlight two upcoming shows that bring these two worlds together. (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.

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Tuesday, December 10 I Johnny Boyd and His Sensational Swing Lover Band (with Stompy Jones and Victor & Penny)

“…singer, songwriter and swing lover Johnny Boyd and His Sensational Swing Lover Band and will perform LIVE your favorite Indigo Swing songs and dance tunes…”

Fresh off a highly successful string of U.S. performances, the crooner who fronted the popular band Indigo Swing will sing and swing for dancers as he continues his first tour in 12 years!

The wonderful duo Victor & Penny from Kansas City, MO will open the show, followed by San Francisco’s own Stompy Jones and then singer, songwriter and swing lover Johnny Boyd and His Sensational Swing Lover Band and will perform LIVE your favorite Indigo Swing songs and dance tunes from Johnny’s brand new album, Never Been Blue!

There’s even a free swing dance lesson before the show!

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Welcome to The Pronto! Brown Paper Ticket’s event guide for Seattle.

Tune in every Tuesday to check out a few of our favorite events in the Emerald City! You can check back to the blog every Tuesday at 10am or hit “subscribe” on the player and get each week’s Pronto delivered right to your computer.

Have a friend that’s visiting Seattle this week? Why not share this podcast with them and give them ideas of something to do? 

This week’s podcast features puppet shows, Christmas concerts, a fashion show and more!

TONIGHT! Tuesday, December 10, check out some up and coming artists at Fremont Abbey Arts Center with Release: Performances by Emerging Teen Artists. Spoken word artists, dancers, musicians and more. This is the next generation of cool.

Wednesday, December 11, the place to be is downtown at Perkins Coie for Batteries Included. As you might suspect, this panel discussion is all about batteries and where the technology is headed in the future.

Saturday, December 7, and Sunday, December 8, head over to the Northwest Puppet Center in Maple Leaf for their Season Subscription. That’s five different puppet shows including Madeline and the Gypsies and Snowflake Man.

Friday, December 13, and Saturday, December 14, St. Mark’s Cathedral on Capitol Hill hosts Cathedral Christmas— An Irish Christmas. You’ll hear a number of classic Irish Christmas songs in this gorgeous venue. Bound to get you in the mood.

It’s the Rat City Rollergirls’ 2nd Annual Black Eyed Ball and Auction on Friday, December 13, at 1927 Events in Belltown. This holiday party is 1920’s themed. So look out for the flappers.

Saturday, December 14, head over to Neighbors on Capitol Hill for the Accessory Runway Showcase by Chance Fashion. You’ll see the latest by Genius Threads, Creatrix Headdresses, Zero Mask and more.

If Sunday, December 15, sounds like movie night, the Northwest Film Forum on Capitol Hill has a great one. An Education was nominated for several oscars but few people have seen this sweet film about a starry eyed high school student in 1961 suburban London. Flashback!

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Welcome to this week’s Artist Ticket Picks! The Artist Ticket program gives our customers a way to donate to causes that we care about.

If you’re an event producer, you can allow your ticket buyers to purchase limited-edition tickets printed with original artwork in your event settings. The ticket buyer will pay a small, additional charge of $0.25 and receive a limited edition, collectible ticket imprinted with original artwork. The current charity of our choosing will receive 100% of the additional charge. Physical tickets must be enabled on the event.

If you’re a ticket buyer, you can check to see if the limited edition ticket is available to you at the beginning of the ticket checkout process or by visiting the Artist Ticket page. You receive a small piece of collectible art and support a valuable cause just by checking the box in the Artist Ticket widget when you’re purchasing your tickets!

See a full list of events carrying the tickets on the Artist Ticket page, as well as find out more about the beneficiary for the current run of Artist Tickets.

So, without further ado, here are this week’s Artist Ticket picks:

Saturday, December 21 I The Winter Solstice Party with L’Orchestre d’Incroyable – Seattle, Washington

Assembled in the gray light of a Seattle winter’s eve by the shadowy lunatic, M. Incroyable, L’Orchestre D’Incroyable exists on the premise of arcane calculus, moonlit ceremony, copious poison potions, and the occasional sacrificial slaughter. L’Orchestre lulls you into a trance, and stirs your inner demons to the point of driving the body to wild and sensual shaking. Armed with a melange of musical weaponry (homemade stringed boxes, banjo, upright bass, theremin, cello, percussion, baritone guitar and more) Incroyable’s meticulous methods of hypnosis and musical abuse are certain to render any audience slave to its sonorous tonic.
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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.

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Wednesday, December 11 I Evening @ the Barn: Hollywood at the Dawn of the Movies

“To kick of what will be the centennial year of the film in the building where Jesse L. Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille made ["The Squaw Man"], Hollywood Heritage is hosting an in-depth presentation of Hollywood’s earliest years…”

In December,1913 filming began on Hollywood’s first feature-length motion picture The Squaw Man. To kick of what will be the centennial year of the film in the building where Jesse L. Lasky and Cecil B. DeMille made the film, Hollywood Heritage is hosting an in-depth presentation of Hollywood’s earliest years with a distinguished panel of film historians and authors who will speak on the following topics:

ROBERT S. BIRCHARD
The Lasky Feature Play Company

KURT COX
The Burns and Revier Studio

BRUCE TORRENCE
Hollywood when the movies came to town

MARC WANAMAKER
Moviemaking in Los Angeles and Hollywood

The program will also feature a screening of the legendary 1914 version of THE SQUAW MAN, the directorial debut of Cecil B. DeMille.
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