I Nyoman Wenten can be anybody! Born in a small Balinese village, Wenten studied traditional Indonesian culture with his master-puppeteer grandfather. He now holds an MFA from Cal Arts, a doctorate from UCLA and is chair of the World Music Program at Cal Arts. He and his ensemble Gamelan Burat Wangi will perform the Indian epic Ramayana tonight and tomorrow at REDCAT. This interview by Drew Denny.

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When my friend invited me to The Decemberists show at UCLA’s Royce Hall, here’s what I agreed to (from the band’s website): “The debut of Here Come the Waves: The Hazards of Love Visualized, a collaboration between the band and four filmmakers, Guilherme Marcondes, Julia Pott, Peter Sluszka, and Santa Maria—each of whom have created animation to accompany a section of the album.” Sounds rad, right? It was.

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alice rutherford
Sparks is one of L.A. RECORD’s favorite bands—re-enacted on two of our covers and interviewed here—and they will be playing a giant hometown show on Sat., Feb. 14 (Valentine’s Day—hello, young lovers!) at Royce Hall at UCLA! Tickets go on sale tomorrow and are available here. More info below.

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claire cronin

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