Posts Tagged ‘Matt Groening’
February 7 — An Evening with Dave Barry in conversation with Matt Groening
Thursday, February 7, 2013
8:00pm (Reception 6:30-7:30pm)
An Evening with Dave Barry
in conversation with Matt Groening
discussing his novel, Insane City
The Aero Theatre
1328 Montana Avenue
Santa Monica, CA
SOLD OUT
$20 General Admission
$40 Includes Dave Barry’s new book, Insane City
$95 includes reserved seating + pre-event reception
INSANE CITY is Dave Barry’s first solo novel in ten years. But it’s not like one of America’s favorite Pulitzer Prize-winning humorists hasn’t been busy. He’s got a Tony Award-winning show on Broadway, Peter and the Starcatcher. And his critically acclaimed recent collaboration with Alan Zweibel, Lunatics, was bought by the movies for a film to star Steve Carrell.
In INSANE CITY, Barry returns to the comic suspense genre of which he is a past master. Here is a madcap, hilariously complicated, heartfelt tale of a groom, Seth Weinstein, and his numbskull posse of pals, set on the eve of his spectacular wedding.
Dave Barry has been a professional humorist ever since he discovered that professional humor was a lot easier than working. For many years he wrote a newspaper column that appeared in more than 500 newspapers and generated thousands of letters from readers who thought he should be fired. Despite this, Barry won the Pulitzer Prize for commentary, although he misplaced it for several years, which is why his wife now keeps it in a secure location that he does not know about. One of Barry’s columns was largely responsible for the movement to observe International Talk Like a Pirate Day every year on September 19. This is probably his most enduring achievement.
Interviewing Dave at his latest Live Talks LA appearance will be Matt Groening, best known as the creator of The Simpsons. While he hasn’t been awarded a Pulitzer, Matt happens to be one of America’s other funniest people. Matt and Dave have something else in common besides humor: They are members of the band The Rock Bottom Remainders, which raises money for charity while offending legions of fans with their out-of-key music. Join us for an evening that’s sure to be memorable, as well as funny.
Matt Groening created the longest-running comedy in television history…The Simpsons. It exploded into a cultural phenomenon in 1990 and has remained one of the most groundbreaking and innovative entertainment franchises, recognizable throughout the world. He followed it with his creation of the hit sci-fi series FUTURAMA, currently one of the top rated shows on Comedy Central. As a cartoonist, Groening began his “Life in Hell” weekly comic strip series in the 1980’s which he concluded in 2012.
June 22 — Rock Bottom Remainders w/ Stephen King, Dave Barry, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Scott Turow and more at The El Rey
Friday, June 22, 2012
An Evening with The Rock Bottom Remainders
a concert featuring Stephen King, Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Scott Turow,
Mitch Albom, Matt Groening, James McBride, Roy Blount, Jr.,
Ridley Pearson, Greg Iles & Sam Barry
with special guest, Roger McGuinn of The Byrds
The El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Boulevard
Los Angeles, CA 90036
6:30-7:30 pm — Reception
8:30 pm — Concert (doors open at 7:30 pm)
PURCHASE TICKETS
$40 — Concert (doors open at 7:30 pm)
$200 — Concert + Pre-reception (6:30-7:30 pm)
$295 — Concert + Reception + signed lithograph by the band (illustration at left by David Horsey)
*$150 — Signed lithograph (includes shipping)
*$300 — Signed books by all participating band members (includes shipping)
* These ticket options do not include concert tickets. Orders will be shipped after the concert.
At Live Talks Los Angeles, we typically feature conversations, but we are excited to be producing a concert featuring some luminaries of the literary world. The Rock Bottom Remainders — the all author rock band — will perform at the El-Rey Theatre, June 22. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds, whom we featured in conversation in November 2011, joins as musical guest.
Marking the band’s 20th anniversary, the band has decided its 20 year run will mark the end and will host their final public concert at the El Rey Theatre on Friday, June 22. The show is part of the band’s final two city concert tour –The Past Our Bedtime Tour.
Confirmed for the concert are Stephen King, who hasn’t performed with the band since 2007; Amy Tan, Dave Barry, Mitch Albom, Scott Turow, Matt Groening, James McBride, Greg Iles, Ridley Pearson, Roy Blount, Jr, and Sam Barry. The band dedicates these two concerts to founder Kathi Goldmark, who passed away on May 24th after a courageous battle with cancer.
On the upcoming concert Stephen King, who plays rhythm guitar says, “A few years ago, Bruce Springsteen told us we weren’t bad, but not to try to get any better otherwise we’d just be another lousy band. After 20 years, we still meet his stringent requirements. For instance, while we all know what ‘stringent’ means, none of us have yet mastered an F chord.”
King adds, “I’m looking forward to reuniting with all my bandmates. We’re older but not dead. Some of us can remember all of the words; all of us can remember some of the words; but NONE of us can remember all of the music. That’s why they call it rock and roll.”
Dave Barry, co-lead guitarist, chimes in, “It’s not that we had a ‘creative differences’ issue, or some in the band wanted to launch solo music careers, but the fact is that we can no longer play an entire set without aving to pee.” Barry adds, “We realize the Rolling stones are celebrating 50 years this year, but we don’t want to reach the point where our stage moves involve motorized scooters.”
Since the band’s founding in Anaheim in 1992 — at a book convention — they have strictly performed to support causes, and have raised over $2 Million for various literacy causes. Proceeds from the El Rey show will benefit the Los Angeles Downtown Women’s Center, the Midnight Mission and the launch of an Emerging Author Series at Live Talks Los Angeles.