The Mid-Week Beat: Rachel Wong – Here’s to the Indies!

November 27, 2013
By Jimmy Berg

This week on the Mid-Week Beat, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, we want to say how thankful we are for all the incredible independent musicians out there. We are thankful that these musicians continue to get out there and make great original music despite all the hardships that go into trying to build a music career.

If you are an independent artist, don’t get discouraged if you haven’t achieved “success” in the industry sense of the word. You are doing something that most folks don’t get an opportunity to do: pursuing your dream. You do what you love, often times while working day jobs, raising kids and enduring all the other stresses of daily life.

Independent musicians’ undying perseverance is something to be admired. Many nights are spent loading gear in and out of venues, waiting around for hours during soundchecks, sometimes to only play to a handful of people. But if they weren’t out there persevering, music fans would never be fortunate enough to discover the musical gems that sometimes appear out of nowhere. Chances are your favorite artists had many years of hard work behind them before they got the recognition they deserved.

Case in point, Brown Paper Tickets’ own Rachel Wong. When Rachel isn’t working wonders with our digital marketing, she’s often found playing her unique brand of acoustic pop in local coffee shops, at community festivals or, sometimes, on TV!

Influenced by the late Michael Jackson, John Mayer, Lauryn Hill, James Morrison and Sara Bareilles, Rachel mixes a soulful vocal style with beautiful pop melodies. Her music is infused with self-determined passion and her unique perspective as an Asian American woman. This determination has helped her garner international recognition as tracks off of her debut album Curtain Fall can now be heard on radio stations in Canada and the Philippines.

Rachel beat out over 3,000 bands in the US to secure her top 12 finalist spot for Ford’s Gimme the Gig II Contest. As part of the contest, she was able to showcase her original music in front of Grammy-award winning producer Don Was and renowned sound engineer Krish Sharma for a KTLA TV feature.

Tuesday Tease: Brown Paper Ticket’s Burlesque Buffet!

November 26, 2013
By Jimmy Berg

The holidays are upon us! Later this week Americans will be gorging on turkey and stuffing and spending time with their families and loved ones. Not many people know that the night before Thanksgiving is actually one of the busiest nights of the year for bars and clubs because everyone has family in town and no plans for the weekend other than eating and drinking and nursing their hangovers.

Therefore, it makes sense that this would be a perfect weekend to get out and see a burlesque show and, boy howdy, have we got some good ones. We even have a few that aren’t in America. So even if you don’t celebrate “thanksgiving” in the American sense of the word, this is still a great weekend to go out, enjoy some cocktails and celebrate time with family and friends.

A little holiday burlesque could be just the ticket for a great night out with the family (assuming they’re not puritans) and we got a bursting “buffet” of burlesque action to feast on. There’s even an actual burlesque buffet happening on Saturday so you can get food and flirty fun all in one shot.

So, whether you’re in Seattle, New Orleans, D.C., Toronto or Paris, France, we got some tasty holiday treats in store for you this week! Have a great holiday everyone.

TONIGHT! Tuesday, November 26

Lipgloss Crisis Presents: The Day Before The Day Before Thanksgiving!! – New Haven, Connecticut

This full-length cabaret at Lipgloss Crisis is stuffed like a Thanksgiving turkey with all kinds of entertainment!

Hosted by one of New Haven’s premier drag queens, Miss Robin Banks! Lipgloss Crisis herself will hit the stage with some singing and Viking action. Miss Kitty Katastrophe, New Haven’s cutie, will shake and shimmy some of her burlesque skills, and Uber Dami from Circus Delecti will be doing tricks and tap-dancing her way straight to your heart!

Mat Stokes will be playing 1920’s tunes with his guitar and harmonica. There will also be some surprise performers! There will also be an intermission with light refreshments and wine between acts.

Start your Thanksgiving season right with Lipgloss Crisis!

Wednesday, November 27

Kinky Parade Au Standard Porte Maillot – Paris, France

At the heart of the golden triangle and just a stone’s throw from the Champs-Elysees, is Le Standard and its elegantly sophisticated pleasures. Spend an evening among unforgettable, funny, sexy and glamorous burlesque artists in an interactive show that will be an extraordinarily unforgettable experience!

Le Standard’s cuisine, like the club itself, combines classic and contemporary for a menu built around seasonal ingredients. You’ll be surprised by the concoctions of Le Standard’s mixologists and their custom cocktails featuring rare alcohols, fresh juices and mixers, as well as a wide assortment of classic cocktails.

Performing this Wednesday will be: Lightning Love, Lila Chupa -Hoops, Betty Frizzy Patsy, Polly Pony Girl and Eva Valentina.
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Arts >

Foodie Friday: Homemade Side Dishes for the Holidays

November 22, 2013
By Patrick

The holidays are upon us, and it’s time to get cooking. Along with our main course or meat courses in our house we need a lot of sides. For some of us, the pressure can make the decision to grab a can of cranberry sauce or box of stuffing mix an obvious choice. This does not have to happen! While we all know it’s harder to make everything from scratch don’t we owe it to ourselves as cooks and our families to make them the good stuff? After all, these are the most important meals of the year, perhaps of our lives in some cases. Do we really want to remember the tin-flavoured green bean casserole or the canned candied yams? The answer is no.

This week, I wanted to share a couple of quick and easy side dishes that will hopefully take some of the stress out of your holiday meal planning. Along with these recipes I would also like to share some tips from a few of my other posts. Think of this post as a holiday montage show. giving us the chance to think back over all the other epic meals we have prepared. Armed with these tips and a little bit of luck, you can surely make your holiday meal go off without a hitch.

Let’s get started! Planning and organization are key as mentioned in my earlier posts “Mise-En-Place Part 1” and “Part 2”. There is no substitution for working and thinking ahead. For example, if you want to make your stuffing from scratch you can make your croutons weeks in advance, the same is true for chicken, veggie, or turkey stock. You can freeze and store stock when ever you make a batch to be used later in a number of dishes. Practicing and perfecting recipes in the weeks leading up to the big day can also be a great way to grease the wheels. Your family and friends will not complain about a roasted turkey dinner believe me. Plus, this gives you a head start on preparation as you can pre-make some ingredients for certain dishes, as I mentioned earlier.
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Food & Drink >

Foodie Friday – Thanksgiving Edition: Roasted Turkey

November 16, 2012
By Patrick

Thanksgiving, the day of all days for Foodies, allowing us to pull out all the stops and create a cornucopia of cuisines. A day for reflection and gratitude for all of life’s gifts and generosities past, future and present. Some of my fondest childhood memories are of spending time with my loved ones on Thanksgiving.

I remember watching my grandmother as she expertly cut vegetables and stirred simmering pots of delicious sauces and side dishes. This may very well have been one of the catalysts that sparked my interest in cooking in the first place. There was a level of wonder in watching such an experienced cook whisk and stir in a calm, controlled, yet vigorous pace. Year after year everyone that was at our house for Thanksgiving walked away full, content and with at least two plates of leftovers. I’m sure most people feel this way about their grandmother’s cooking, and I don’t blame them. The memory of some of those flavors and textures still boggles my mind to this day. I may never unlock the full power of my grandmothers recipes, but I will keep trying to get them as close as I can. For me it’s something to strive for year after year.

Everybody has a favorite holiday dish. Cranberry sauce, stuffing, green bean casserole, candied yams, and mashed potatoes are just a few of the many items enjoyed across the country on Thanksgiving day. Whether you bacon wrap, deep-fry, grill or roast it, in my house the big day isn’t quite the same without turkey. There are many tricks and tips to “the perfect turkey” and in this weeks edition of Foodie Friday, I want to share my recipe with you.

This recipe, as usual, is open to your own interpretation and should be used only as a rough guide in your journey to a great bird.
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Food & Drink >

The Mid-Week Beat: Rachel Wong – Here’s to the Indies!

Tuesday Tease: Brown Paper Ticket’s Burlesque Buffet!

Foodie Friday: Homemade Side Dishes for the Holidays

Foodie Friday – Thanksgiving Edition: Roasted Turkey

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