Events for Oct. 11-17, 2012

Get With THE PROGRAM

AWOLNATION

THURSDAY, OCT. 11

MUSIC

AWOLNATION @ Club Nokia (Downtown)
Trust me, there ain't no dance party like an AWOL dance party. Aaron Bruno is always an electrifying host, whether he's surfing on a boogie board over the crowd's shoulders, throwing his body around the stage or reaching the heights of his falsetto on "Sail." Imagine Dragons provide the musical appetizers.

CULTURE

Drain a Vein Blood Drive @ Hell Break L.A. (Hollywood)
Ralph Garman, entertainment reporter for KROQ's Kevin & Bean show, gives out prizes like tickets to see Deftones, Mumford & Sons and Taking Back Sunday at this Halloween-themed blood drive at Hollywood's newest haunted maze attraction.

FRIDAY, OCT. 12

CULTURE

Oktoberfest @ Fairplex (Pomona)
Be transported to Bavaria when the Fairplex's Oktoberfest kicks off tonight. Oom Pa Pa music, games, prizes, authentic German dishes and gallons of beer await you. KLOS' Heidi & Frank are on hand Saturday night from 8 p.m.-10 p.m., and the festival runs every weekend through Oct. 28.

FILM

In Theaters This Week
Ben Affleck directs and stars in Argo; Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson and Sam Rockwell in Seven Psychopaths; Ethan Hawke in Sinister. Also in theaters: Atlas Shrugged Part II; Here Comes the Boom; The House I Live In; Middle of Nowhere; Special Forces; War of the Buttons; Wuthering Heights

Strange Talk

MUSIC

Strange Talk @ The Echo (Echo Park)
The convergence of a former classical violinist and a club DJ/producer, Melbourne's Strange Talk layers dreamy vocals, synth beats and organic instrumentation for a sound all their own. Songs like "Cast Away," from their upcoming debut album, are futuristic, incredibly infectious and danceable.

SATURDAY, OCT. 13

CULTURE

That Dam Mud Run @ Santa Fe Dam (Irwindale)
What says fall like some filthy, slimy crawling through Mud? The inaugural That Dam Mud Run is brought to you by the same forces behind the Irvine Lake Mud Run, and they've got plenty of grimy obstacles for you to trudge through. If you just want to watch the mayhem, there's a beer garden and plenty of food vendors.

MUSIC

Field Report @ Wilshire Ebell Theatre (Mid Wilshire)
Prepare to be transfixed by the mesmerizing melodies of Chris Porterfield's Field Report. Garnering rave reviews for his recently released self-titled debut, Porterfield paints complex sonic landscapes that emphasize the beauty of his lyrics. The gorgeous Wilshire Ebell is the perfect setting for his aural masterpieces.

SUNDAY, OCT. 14

BOOKS

Robert Landau @ Book Soup (West Hollywood)
Author/photographer Landau chronicles the hand-painted, larger-than-life signs that decorated the boulevard circa 1967 in Rock 'n' Roll Billboards of the Sunset Strip. From ads for the Beatles and the Doors to Cher and James Taylor, they are immortalized in these pages. Join Landau as he discusses and signs his book that released this week.

CULTURE

Haunted Hullabaloo @ The Bob Baker Theatre (Westlake)
This fundraiser for Bob Baker's historic marionette theater features a monster-making workshop creepy cartoons, vintage Halloween safety films, musical shorts, a screening of Mad Monster Party and a special performance by the legendary puppet troupe. Comedian Emo Philips hosts the evening of eccentricity.

Terraplane Sun (Jake Niles Getter)

TUESDAY, OCT. 16

MUSIC

Terraplane Sun @ Dakota Lounge (Santa Monica)
The Venice Beach quintet celebrates today's release of their new Friends EP with a celebration show at Dakota Lounge. Ben Rothbard's syrupy vocals float over the band's swampy, southern delta sound on tracks like "Get Me Golden" and "Ya Never Know." Expect to be dancing at the sound of their first note.

WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17

FILM

Alex Cross/Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story @ Egyptian Theatre (Hollywood)
Director Rob Cohen screens and discusses his upcoming film, Alex Cross (in theaters Oct. 19), and his 1993 release, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story. Tyler Perry stars as the DC detective, the hero of several best-selling James Patterson novels, alongside Matthew Fox and Giancarlo Esposito. Jason Scott Lee plays the martial arts superstar in Cohen's informative biopic.