Follow Guest Of A Guest On Instagram For All Things NYFW

Courtney McGowan — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 02:09:10 +0000

Didn't snag a seat at fashion week? Well, we did, and we're willing to share. Follow GuestofaGuest on Instagram for all the fashion from Lincoln Center to Milk Studios-and every after-party from Le Baron to the Electric Room. Go HERE to stalk our stylish snapshots.

Gadgets, Beer & Nicolas Cage: The Ultimate Guide To What To Get Your Boyfriend For Valentine's Day

Guest of a Guest — Sat, 11 Feb 2012 01:33:50 +0000

Ladies, let's talk for a second. As you very well know, next Tuesday is Valentine's Day, which means that if you're in a domestic partnership of some kind, you've probably already built up an elaborate fantasy wherein your man* will whisk you away to a private beach alcove for a seven-course meal of gastronomic delights, followed perhaps by a moonlight trail ride and the gift of a diamond-and-sapphire-encrusted engagement ring. I am pleased to inform you that this is exactly what your boyfriend is planning.Provided, of course, that you mean to do something special for him as well. Why play games with your future? Guarantee the lifelong happiness you've always dreamed of by getting him something from our Guest of a Guest Boyfriend Valentine's Gift Guide *NB: The GofG L.A. staff fully acknowledges the wide range of relationships out there, and intends this to be an open guide to partners in all forms of relationships. As the guide was written by two heterosexual men, we're using the pronouns appropriate to our situation, but we wish everyone a happy Valentine's Day and sincerely hope this guide is used by anybody that loves steak, beer, sports, and other stereotypical guy shit, or as it's otherwise known, awesome shit.

The GofG L.A. 2012 Grammy Week Party Guide!

Guest of a Guest — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:25:35 +0000

With Grammy Weekend now officially upon us, Awards Season has kicked into high gear. And while that's the closest we get to business time out here, don't stress it– after all, our definition of "business" is pretty interchangeable with "open bar." And this may be the biggest open bar week of all, so for your, um, business needs, we present our Official GofG L.A. 2012 Grammy Weekend Party Guide, your one-stop resource for all the parties, after-parties, hotel lobbies, and everything in between. [via]

Last Night's Parties: Another Whitney Houston Hot Mess, Grammy Parties Galore, "Eastbound & Down" Premieres & More!

Andrew Chen — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 23:23:14 +0000

L.A. Confidential Magazine and Tony Bennett enjoy an elegant dinner at Crustacean in Beverly Hills to celebrate the Grammys; Jerry Ferrara and P. Diddy showed up for the premiere of Think Like A Man; Mary J. Blige rocks the Avalon for the (Belvedere) RED Pre-Grammy Party; Mark Ronson DJs the Re:Generaton Music Project World Premiere; Paris Hilton and The Black Eyed Peas hit the 1st Annual Trans4Mation pre-Grammy party; Kelly Price and Whitney Houston take the stage at For The Love of R&B Grammy party before Whitney is angrily escorted out; Christina Milian and Eric Stonestreet of “Modern Family” celebrate L.A.’s music industry with a party at The Getty House; Lily Aldridge shows off her baby bump at HBO's "Eastbound and Down” season three premiere; Bill Nye the Science Guy and Chris Evans, celebrated the worldwide debut of a new 100% electric Tesla SUV—from Whitney Houston's latest public adventure in being a hot mess to new electric cars, we've got the details on what went down Thursday in Los Angeles in this edition of Last Night's Parties! [Caleb Followill, Lily Aldridge photo via]

Everything You Need to Know About the 2012 Grammy Awards

Georgia Bobley — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 21:14:57 +0000

The Grammy Awards are upon us once again, but it's been a busy week here in New York. Between the Giants Super Bowl win last Sunday and the start of Fashion Week, few of us have even had time to give thought to the biggest music event of the year. There's just over 48 hours until the Grammys, but there's still time to get filled in on the most important details of what's sure to be a memorable show!

Where and When:

This Sunday, February 12, 8pm E.S.T. at the Staples Center in LA. Or, for those of us who won’t be able to make the ceremony (or who weren’t invited…) tune into CBS at 8pm. But don't forget to watch the red carpet coverage, which begins at 6pm. Sometimes the best moments happen before the show even begins (Ex. Lady Gaga arriving to the 2011 Grammys in an egg.)

Host:

LL Cool J will be hosting the 54th Annual Grammy Awards, and this will be the first time in seven years that the event has a host. A Grammy winner himself, LL Cool J is no stranger to the stage. In fact, he’s hosted the live Grammy Nominations concert since it started in 2008. [Photo via]

Can't Miss Performances:

Adele is set to take the stage and belt out some of her Grammy-nominated songs in what will be her first performance since undergoing vocal chord surgery last fall. The Beach Boys will be reuniting for their first appearance in two decades, and in an unlikely collaboration, they’ll be performing with Foster the People and Maroon 5. Let’s hope the guys of Maroon 5 have their Hawaiian shirts ready! Other paired up performers include Tony Bennett and Carrie Underwood, Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson, Coldplay and Rihanna, and Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt. Katy Perry, Nicki Minaj, Paul McCartney, and Taylor Swift are among this years solo performers, so hopefully loose-cannon Kanye won’t pull a 2009 VMA stunt this year. [Photo via]

Nominees:

Kanye West is nominated for 7 awards including Song of the Year for “All of the Lights,” and he’s even nominated against himself with "Watch the Throne" and "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" both up for Best Rap Album of the Year. Adele, Foo Fighters, and Bruno Mars are all up for Album of the Year (21, Wasting Light, and Doo-Wops & Hooligans, respectively,) and all three have been nominated for a total of six awards. Adele’s "Rolling in the Deep" is also nominated for Record of the Year and Song of the Year.

A new category—Best Dance Recording—has been added for the first time this year, and the nominees are:

deadmau5 and Greta Svabo Bech—“Raise your Weapon” Duck Sauce—“Barbara Streisand” David Guetta and Avicii—“Sunshine” Robyn—“Call your Girlfriend”

Skrillex—“Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites”, Swedish House Mafia—“Save the World”

[Photo via]

BFFs and former band-mates Beyoncé and Kelly Rowland are up against each other for Best Rap/Sung Collaboration. Beyoncé and Andre 3000 are nominated for their hit “Party,” while Kelly Rowland and Lil Wayne are nominated for “Motivation.” Other nominees in the category are Rihanna and Drake for “What’s my Name?”; Dr. Dre, Eminem and Skylar Grey for “I Need a Doctor”; DJ Khaled, Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne for “I’m on One”; and Kanye West, Rihanna, Kid Cudi and Fergie for “All of the Lights.” For a complete list of nominees click HERE.

Presenters:

The Grammy’s always have a pretty eclectic lineup of presenters, but with LL Cool J hosting this year, the pressure is more on him than the presenters to make sure the show runs smoothly. After performing at last year’s award show, Glee’s favorite substitute teacher is taking a backseat this year and limiting her stage-time to just presenting an award. 2011's big winner Lady Antebellum will also be presenting this year, as well as Fergie, Drake, Marc Anthony, and Jack Black. While Ringo Starr won’t be joining his fellow Beetle Paul McCartney on stage during his performance, he will be at the Grammys to present an award.

Where to Party:

The show isn't until Sunday, but the parties have already started. Click HERE to check out the hottest parties to attend before, during, and after the show. [Photo via]

"Best $2k I Ever Spent!" Mark Ronson, DJ Premier, Skrillex & More Hit The 'Re:Generation Music Project' Hollywood Premiere

Alex Gilman — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:40:39 +0000

As the multitude of amazing, exclusive Grammy parties going down this weekend surely proves, we love our music stars out here. But this is Hollywood, first and foremost a movie town, so what better way to celebrate the Grammys than with a movie about music? That must have been the thought process behind Re:Generation Music Project, a documentary that challenged music producers Mark Ronson, DJ Premier, Skrillex, Pretty Lights and The Crystal Method to compose and produce a song from a completely different genre. They all showed up to last night's premiere at Grauman's Chinese Theatre, and it looks like it was a hell of a party. [Mark Ronson via @tasyavanree]

The Top 10 Party Venues For Spring New York Fashion Week 2012

Chelsea Burcz — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:21:28 +0000

Fashion Week, for those of us who are not so into "fashion," is essentially a week of killer parties, booze, and model spotting. So here's the list that you actually care about: the best places to party your pants off this NYFW.

Follow Guest Of A Guest On Spotify

Courtney McGowan — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 20:18:12 +0000

Here at the Guest of a Guest offices, we listen to straight up jams all day long. We've decided to share the wealth with you by creating our very own Spotify account. To christen this occasion, we've created a lovely, albeit varied, survival playlist for NYFW. From LCD Soundsystem, to Phantogram, and Wu Tang Clan- these tunes are sure to keep you going well into next Thursday. Go HERE to subscribe to our NYFW KILLS playlist.

Last Night's Parties: The Kills Perform At The Boom Boom Room, And CFDA Turns 50

Yumi Matsuo — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 19:15:28 +0000

Last night, Lindsay Lohan and Zoe Kravitz were at the Kills performance at the Boom Boom Room, Alexander Wang and Vera Wang celebrated 50 years of the CFDA, Eve strutted down the stripper's stage at Westway, and so much more. Last night's parties were all about fashion and music coming together! [Photo: The Kills via] - - - - - - - -

Interview: Filmmaker Jonah Ansell On 'Cadaver,' A Film Starring Tavi Gevinson, Kathy Bates, And Christopher Lloyd

Daniel Reynolds — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:49:23 +0000

Tavi Gevinson, the wunderkind of fashion reporting and editor of the new teen mag Rookie, adds two more gold stars to her already stylish resume: acting and singing. This Sunday, the tween queen is set to sing Neil Young's "Heart of Gold" at The Standard East Village, promoting her first voice acting role in CADAVER, a short animated film starring Kathy Bates and Christopher Lloyd. We spoke with director Jonah Ansell about his upcoming film, working with Tavi, and his fondness for food and Chicago. [Photo: Jonah Ansell, Tavi Gevinson] How did this project come about? About a year and a half ago, my little sister, who is a medical student at Northwestern, sent me a frantic email. They were making the med students do some sort of creative assignment, like, “tell us what you think this cadaver’s life must’ve been like, write a haiku, or draw a picture,” I think it was intended to get the kids to realize that the body that they were going to spend the next semester dissecting was once a living, breathing human and that they needed to treat it with respect. So, I wrote this little poem, a love story in fact, about a cadaver who wakes up and begs the med student to help him say a last goodbye to his wife -- who he didn't get to say farewell to, before he died. I didn't think anything of it. I went on with my day. In fact, I think a whole year went by. But something in the story kept drawing me back to it. Mr. Ansell expands upon this concept on the film's website: CADAVER isn’t just any old love story. It is a cinematic poem. Literally, it rhymes. Inspired by the wit of Shel Silverstein and the wisdom of William Shakespeare, it is a 21st century love sonnet that seeks to awaken the hopeful romantic within even the harshest cynic. (A line spoken by Christopher Lloyd is: "Romantic vows indeed deceive, and crush what I wear on my sleeve.") [Tavi Gevinson, animated] And what was it like working with Tavi? Tavi's a great family friend and we've had a really fun time collaborating on creative stuff. We share these kind of dorky, goofy esoteric senses of humor and we we come from this little town back in Oak Park, a suburb of Chicago. We first started working on creative projects in my parents living room. For CADAVER, we went to a friend's basement home studio on the North Side of Chicago last Easter Sunday, ordered in some takeout, and recorded the dialogue and scenes of the film. Film-making is problem solving, and Tavi brings a preternaturally acute, aware, observant, incisive and curious mind to the table. It wasn't just like, "Ok, Tavi do the lines," we would talk about why the lines were the lines, she really took time to understand the character. In fact, at one point, we actually changed a couple of lines of the script because through working together we realized "the character would never say that." And, at one point, when she read one of the lines wrong -- we both slowed down to say -- "Hey, I know that was an accident but... isn't that funny?" And we went with it! And how did Christopher Lloyd and Kathy Bates become involved? We made a wish list. A list of our absolute dream actors to work with -- and at the top of the list was Christopher Lloyd. One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is one of my favorite movies of all time and I literally have a Back to the Future poster on the wall of my office in L.A. As for Kathy Bates, well this one was a little more difficult, more on an emotional level, because I've had nightmares about Kathy Bates ever since seeing Misery. Any good writer should! But we thought about how cool it would be to get Kathy to be the cadaver's love interest -- a very non Katherine Heigl choice -- and we asked her. She bludgeoned one of our production assistant's ankles and then happily agreed to come on board. No, she loved the story, really loved this bittersweet little love story that we created -- and we're really pumped to announce that she loves the film so much that she and Christopher Lloyd have both agreed to reprise their roles in the feature-length version of Cadaver. We are currently looking to bring on an Executive Producer to help us develop the film into a feature project. So, uh, Ron Howard if you're listening, I have your next film. What artists/writers/filmmakers inspire you? I really look up to David Byrne, the former frontman for the Talking Heads. He has a brilliant mind and has applied that mind to all sorts of cultural realms. From music, to art, to writing, to film, to bicycling and more, he has categorically refused societal attempts to silo him to a single vertical. "Oh, you're David Byrne, the guy from the Talking Heads." Perhaps, but what he really is, is an explorer and commentator of the human condition. And no matter what medium he chooses, you're always curious to what his perspective is going to be. And I bring him up because it was my love for music that actually led me to film. And even though I sucked at music, I absolutely loved how music unlocked the barriers within people. We try to put up walls to safeguard ourselves from the world around us and music just doesn't give a shit. Good music will knock those walls down. Good film will do that too. And even though I couldn't play the cello as a kid (my first film (also starring Tavi) was based on a true story of how fifth-grade me would trick my mom into thinking I was playing my cello), I had always been a pretty okay writer. So I chose film. I chose film because I want to craft stories that explore the tragedy of the human condition. What tears people apart and what inspires them to keep going. Alexander Payne is a guy who is doing this particularly well today -- from Election to Sideways to more recently, The Descendants. Even Toy Story 3 really explores the concept of "aging" and "What is our purpose on earth when our intended function's long gone?," in a truly remarkable way. Also, they use humor. Which is essential. Where do you like to go out in LA? To be honest, I've never been to a club in LA. I am a total foodie though and honestly, I almost wish my phenotype reflected my love of food to boldly declare to the world just how much I love to eat. One of my favorite spots is The Cheese Store of Beverly Hills. My wife and I love to go there and just give them our disposable income. I also love how L.A. has reinvented the burger. You'll spend about $14 bucks, but I love Father's Office and I'm starting to warm up to Umami. But all that said, I'm from Chicago, and man, Chicago has the best food in the country. You just can't beat Johnnie's Beef sandwiches. Eating a Johnnie's Beef combo feels like life is giving you a blowjob. Always dipped with a fork. Always giardiniera. [Jonah Ansell] If you could have a superpower, what would it be, and why? I want the power to eat whatever I want and have it not affect my rapidly ascending cholesterol levels. And why should Guest of a Guest readers watch your film? CADAVER is a story for the romantics. It's a story for the cynics alike. It explains why we go out, as opposed to where we go out. Cadaver screens this Sunday at midnight to a private audience at The Standard East Village. For more information, go HERE. [CADAVER - The Film - Trailer from JAMS on Vimeo]