Happy Hour International

Rock the Bells’ raucous roar
The crowd bellows its approval as A Tribe Called Quest and the Pharcyde turn in kinetic hip-hop sets at the annual Devore festival.

You know a music festival is stacked to the gills with talent when Rakim, considered the father of modern hip-hop lyricism, is stuck playing the 2:30 p.m. slot in the scorching San Bernardino summer sun.

Tuesdays at CineSpace
Steve Aoki and the ironic-hipster set do Tuesdays right

China Art Objects Presents Art Nite at Mountain Bar
Where local artists mingle and compare muses

‘A Wedding’ at the Lobero Theatre
William Bolcom’s comic work, based on a Robert Altman film, is hitched to an exceptional cast in Santa Barbara.

SANTA BARBARA — Every wedding he ever attended was, in some way, a disaster, the late filmmaker Robert Altman claims in a featurette that accompanies the DVD of his 1978 comedy, “A Wedding.” The more wealth involved, of course, the greater the potential for madcap mishap.

Dim Sum Olympics Menu @ Noe
  Noe Restaurant & Bar gets in the Beijing Olympics spirit with an exotic dim sum menu for the duration of the games. Available only at the indoor/outdoor lounge, chef Glen Ishii’s menu will include classic dim sum dishes with a gourmet twist, such as foie gras dumplings. Available…

Summer Olympics Specials @ West
  Go for the gold at West restaurant with food and cocktail specials in honor of the Summer Olympics. On 8/8/08, watch the top events from Beijing on the big screen and enjoy $8.88-priced sport-themed finger foods like the beef javelin throw (skewers), stuffed mushroom discus, and white bean…

Olympic Spirit @ Beacon
Beacon celebrates the Beijing Olympics with Chinese-inspired specials, offered daily for the duration of the Games. Of course, chef Kazuto Matsusaka’s menu of progressive Pan-Asian creations will also be on hand. Specials from the kickoff weekend included: • Potstickers of pork, leek and…

DETOx-RetoX Sundays @ blue on blue
Soothe your hangover or keep the party going at blue on blue?s poolside DETOx-RetoX Sundays.  Detox choices include comfort foods like BBQ brisket sliders, Thai chicken with cucumber cream, and crab and corn hushpuppies.  Cure the hangover with detox beverages like the mixed…

Beefsteak Sundays @ Bacaro
  Bi-monthly Beefsteak Sundays offer the unusual pleasure of all-you-can-eat steak, along with all-you-can-drink beer and “beefsteak” wines, for a mere $25.  Enjoy prime beef, bread from Breadbar, and seasonal vegetables from the farmers market.  There are only 32 seats…

Pot Roast Sundays @ Tender Greens
  Tender Greens hosts old-fashioned pot roast dinners every Sunday.  For just $10, you’ll get a Coleman Farms beef short rib “roast” braised in red-wine sauce, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, and either a salad or vegetable.  

BBQ Saturdays @ Vinoteque
Vinoteque fires up the grill for Saturday barbecues on its shady patio.  Each week features a different world theme, from Mediterranean to Australian to a New England clambake.  The price includes four to six courses and one glass of paired regional wine or two glasses of…

Summer Olympics Specials @ West
  Go for the gold at West restaurant with food and cocktail specials in honor of the Summer Olympics. On 8/8/08, watch the top events from Beijing on the big screen and enjoy $8.88-priced sport-themed finger foods like the beef javelin throw (skewers), stuffed mushroom discus, and white bean…

Live: Robin Thicke at West Hollywood House of Blues
The British heartthrob sings soulful sentiments Thursday.

Thursday night at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, Robin Thicke introduced “Dream World,” a track from “Something Else” (due out Sept. 9), by telling the packed room that the song is about “an ideal world with no racism and no poverty.” The tune offers a few more features of Thicke’s utopia: “The ice caps wouldn’t be melted,” and “energy would fall down from the sky.” Oh, and also — the singer “wouldn’t be so damn sensitive.”

Happy Hour at 626 Reserve
International wine happy hour in Downtown

Spa-music makers seek respect for music that melts away
Malibu’s Gemini Sun is among labels whose music helps set the mood for soothing treatments.

IN COUNTLESS spa treatment rooms, therapists knead muscles and array rocks on chakras to the sound of tinkling chimes, muffled chants and meandering guitars.

‘Ordo Virtutum’ performance proves a memory challenge
Chloe Veltman goes behind the scenes as San Francisco Renaissance Voices works to wrangle the 12th century Hildegard von Bingen work.

IF YOU’VE ever struggled to learn a poem or piece of music by heart, you may have been abashed at the effort required. But consider how much worse you would have felt in medieval Europe.

‘Ordo Virtutum’ performance proves a memory challenge
Chloe Veltman goes behind the scenes as San Francisco Renaissance Voices works to wrangle the 12th century Hildegard von Bingen work.

IF YOU’VE ever struggled to learn a poem or piece of music by heart, you may have been abashed at the effort required. But consider how much worse you would have felt in medieval Europe.

I Palpiti
The string orchestra shows polish in its showcase concert at Disney Hall.

By the time the Festival of International Laureates’ I Palpiti string orchestra enters Walt Disney Concert Hall for its annual showcase, it usually sounds ready to take on the world. Such was the case again Saturday night; the young 24-member ensemble played with a ripeness and polish that is easy to take for granted, yet testifies to the fine preparatory work by its conductor-founder Eduard Schmieder.

Taste of Tuesday @ Whist
Taste of Tuesdays happen poolside at Whist through Labor Day. From 6 p.m.-9 p.m. Tuesdays, ?tastes? of Chef Warren Schwartz’ creative dishes as well as cocktails are available for $5 each. An outdoor grill serves most of the bites, which might include miso soy salmon with spicy cucumber or…

Rock Steady Lounge Mondays at Akbar
Irie Mon…day

Ground Control
Goth-themed karaoke! Cheap Goth grub!

Annual Barbecue Night @ Lucques
Lucques’ Sunday Supper becomes a barbecue for one night only. The menu might include pork ribs, lamb ribs, corn bread, greens and other sides, as well as specialty cocktails. Bluegrass and country tunes playing in the background should set the mood. Be sure to reserve well in advance.

Super Soul Sundays at the Short Stop
Sunday’s ultimate soul music dance party

Weekend Barbecues @ The Peninsula Roof Garden
  The Peninsula Beverly Hills hosts weekend barbecues at its newly remodeled Roof Garden Bar & Restaurant.  The prix-fixe menu starts off with a medley of salads:  tomato with fresh mozzarella, cucumbers and jicama zested with achiote, and farfalle pasta tossed with roasted…

Olympic Spirit @ Beacon
Beacon celebrates the Beijing Olympics with Chinese-inspired specials, offered daily for the duration of the Games. Of course, chef Kazuto Matsusaka’s menu of progressive Pan-Asian creations will also be on hand. Specials from the kickoff weekend included: • Potstickers of pork, leek and…

Weekend Barbecues @ The Peninsula Roof Garden
  The Peninsula Beverly Hills hosts weekend barbecues at its newly remodeled Roof Garden Bar & Restaurant.  The prix-fixe menu starts off with a medley of salads:  tomato with fresh mozzarella, cucumbers and jicama zested with achiote, and farfalle pasta tossed with roasted…

Scars on Broadway’s Daron Malakian takes a read of the times
With fellow System of a Down vet John Dolmayan, Malakian strikes some dark notes on Scars’ debut album.

“IDON’T get it when people complain that baseball games are too long,” says Daron Malakian, watching the action from a seat behind home plate at Dodger Stadium during one of the team’s recent home games. “This is my favorite place in the world. I don’t care how long it goes, I’ll be here to the end.”

Savory and Sweet Tea Lunch @ Jin Patisserie
Jin Patisserie brings together savory and sweet for a two-course tea lunch.  On the savory side, there’s cold tomato soup with parmesan tuille, a prosciutto avocado sandwich, and an olive choux puff with anchovy cream cheese filling.  On the sweet side, there’s raspberry…

Three-Course Prix Fixe Dinner @ Blue Velvet
  Blue Velvet introduces a weeknight three-course prix fixe dinner menu, a pared down version of its decadent nine-course spontanée tasting menu.  Start with spot prawn ravioli with pea tendrils, asparagus, and ruby red grapefruit.  For an entrée, choose between…