An L.A.-based TV screenwriter who turned to crime novel writing after his father died in 1985, Robert Crais (pictured) is listed in the company of Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler as a top mystery author. He invented the popular Elvis Cole series with his first book, The Monkey’s Raincoat, and in the 20 years since has been both prolific and poignant, returning class and craft to a genre full of hacks.
Welcome to Eye on I.V., our new Independent.com column about all things Isla Vistan, from Del Playa keg parties and the latest on the college town’s music scene to random eviction notices, county government crackdowns on outdoor couches, and why I.V. isn’t just a college town. Starting the column off will be Mollie Vandor, an editor at UCSB’s Daily Nexus, an Isla Vista resident, and junior film/law & society major originally from Malibu. Mollie’s first column, about how MySpace.com is the place to go for the skinny on I.V.’s musical matters, will be up shortly. But we’re also looking for more contributors to Eye on I.V., so those with journalistic skills, insider info, and a good sense of what makes Isla Vista tick are encouraged to email The Independent‘s Senior Editor Matt Kettmann at matt@independent.com.
Thanks for reading!
G Love hit hits the Pozo Saloon on Sunday, September 24, and editor Matt Kettmann takes the way-back backroads with his crew to check it out.
Welcome to Montecito Montage, Independent.com‘s new column about what’s happening in everyone’s favorite wealthy enclave. Bringing you the column each week will be Montecito’s own J’Amy Brown, whose insider knowledge and award-winning investigative reporting skills will unveil the town’s true inner workings. In the weeks and months to come, expect news scoops, high society, and a fresh perspective on life in Montecito. And, most importantly, expect J’Amy to let you know how to get involved with decisions that will affect your life.
Del tha Funkee Homosapien Gears Up for Best Album Yet
For someone who’s been winning in the rap game since his 1991 debut, Del tha Funky Homosapien isn’t rolling in the dough and a household name like many of his contemporaries. The Oakland-raised, Richmond-residing emcee-who founded the hip-hop collective and record label Hieroglyphics that’s home to such underground stars Souls of Mischief and Casual-had a whiff of international fame in 2005 as the lyricist on the song “Clint Eastwood” by the cartoon band Gorillaz. But the rapper was so distracted by bad things in his life, from a violent girlfriend to a battle with Legionnaires’ disease, that he didn’t even know the band’s Demon Days album went platinum.
The spontaneous and melodramatic nature of live theater leaves much room for innovation, whether via surprising turns of Shakespearean phrase or through casual outdoor settings that turn the venues themselves into meaningful characters. But perhaps never before-at least in Santa Barbara-have theatrical tricks gone as far as in UCSB doctoral candidate Hank Willenbrin’s The Earthquake Predictor Rides the Bus.
Although unquestionably a powerful performer in her own right, Bonnie Raitt’s path to musical stardom is largely built on collaborations with bluesmen of the highest order. Those experiences both validated her early on and provided the experience to grow into one of the most endearing faces in modern blues. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that, as she expands her own catalogue into such meaningful gems as the recent Souls Alive release, Raitt continues working with the baddest bluesmen around.
One thing’s for certain: Santa Barbara is a perfect town for premiering blockbuster movies. We’ve got the bright lights, the fancy main drag, the cinematic history, the star-studded populace, and the nightlife to make trips up here from Hollywood well worth the drive. What’s not certain is why it’s taken so long for that notion to become a reality.
A short, rather dark video of Karl Denson on Thursday night.
The following is an email sent out yesterday by Josh Eymann, owner and operator of The Hard to Find Showspace in Goleta, which will be closing after the November 8 Xiu Xiu show. It’s a bluntly honest, at times painful, and thoroughly moving swan song for one of the only all-ages venues on the South Coast. Read on.
