Winners of 10 straight, it’s safe to say the Los Angeles Lakers are on a roll. They flattened the Miami Heat last night 106-88 as Jordan Farmar came off the bench to lead the team, scoring a career-high 24 points. Kobe chipped in with 21 of his own and Ronny Turiaf showed defensive fortitude by blocking three shots and collecting 12 rebounds. Today, Purple and Gold flew to Portland, Oregon where they’ll face the 30-28 Trailblazers for the second time in four days. The Blazers are 21-8 at home this season and hungry for revenge after last week’s 96-83 loss inside Staples Center. Watch the KCAL 9 broadcast starting at 7:30 pm to see if LA can keep the streak alive and make it to lucky number 11.

Intolerable Cruelty is unlike any Coen brothers’ movie I’ve ever seen. While only halfway through, their usual bluntly dark wit is veiled in superfluous lawyer jargon and doublespeak from an animated George Clooney, whose slapstick timing hearkens back to bygone days of debonair, yet physical, comedy. From this performance I can see why Regis Philbin embarrassingly compared him to Cary Grant on the Academy Awards red carpet last Sunday. Catherine Zeta-Jones is his litigious nemesis turned love interest while Cedric the Entertainer, Geoffrey Rush, and Billy Bob Thornton round out the bulk of the cast list. With age comes a change in tastes and some added patience as I can remember when this film was released being entirely uninterested in the concept. Five years later, the actors’ chemistry appeals to me and a premise once derided and dismissed as formulaic is merely a springboard for the unexpected that tends to manifest itself in a Coen brothers’ story.

Wear & Tear would like to wish you a great weekend of rest and relaxation, or action and excitement, whichever you prefer. Don’t forget, you’re always welcome to add to our discussions with a comment or two. Whatever you decide to do, make sure to come back and refresh with us on Monday; we promise we’ll have plenty of new stories to share.

Internet hype got the best of me today as I purchased a ticket for the mysterious Wyld Stallyons show at Silverlake’s Club Spaceland on March 18. One of my favorite blogs, Losanjealous.com, mentioned this might just be a stealth Black Crowes gig, while others speculate that the unknown headliner could turn out to be Green Day or The Bravery. Not wanting to be left out in the cold for a potentially excellent evening of music at the intimate venue, I picked one up to be safe. We’ll find out in a few weeks if this gamble proves wise or otherwise.

I made it out to Viper Room last night to see Into the Presence but was foiled by an erroneous MySpace set time of 10 pm because they only played until 10:20. From what I heard, they’ve improved as a group since their last time in Hollywood and it was great to hear and see Tim Alexander slam the skins like only he can, but the evening ultimately turned out to be a bust. Tonight will undoubtedly provide more bang for the buck as we head to the Lakers’ game in a few hours. LA’s trying for their 10th consecutive win, while Miami would love to get back to back victories for only the second time this season. Make sure to visit Wear & Tear tomorrow for a recap of tonight’s contest.

Thanks to a gutsy comeback victory against the Portland Trailblazers last night at Staples Center, the Los Angeles Lakers have now won nine straight. Purple and Gold went to the locker room down by seven at the half, but roared back with help from Jordan Farmar, who matched his career best of 21 points, and Kobe Bryant’s team-high 30 points. LA overcame poor shooting from two of their starters, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton, and first-half foul trouble for Kobe and Lamar Odom on the way to the 96-83 final. On Thursday they face the dismal Miami Heat, who notched their first W in the post-Shaq era yesterday against the Sacramento Kings. This will be the fifth Lakers game for Wear & Tear this season, and will hopefully end with the Lakers celebrating a 10th consecutive win.

Netflix delivered a few of the Coen brothers DVDs I added to the queue following Sunday’s Oscar honors for No Country for Old Men, so first up is The Ladykillers, the remake of a 1955 crime comedy starring Alec Guinness and Peter Sellers, with Tom Hanks taking the reigns in the lead role. I’m not sure how this film eluded me during its 2004 theatrical release, but the time is ripe to give it a chance. The Man Who Wasn’t There and Intolerable Cruelty will be screened later this week, as those will be the only two movies that remain before my viewing of the Coens’ entire filmography is complete.

The recent weather in Los Angeles caught me a bit off guard as the thermometer climbed to 76 degrees in West Hollywood on Tuesday while I wore a fleece in anticipation of colder temps. Today should be equally pleasant with a high of 74 forecast for Santa Monica. There are a few concerts of interest tonight, most notably Into the Presence at Viper Room and Perpetual Groove at Knitting Factory. An electronica influenced jam-rock band from Athens, Georgia, Pgroove get the crowd moving with their restless tempo and dynamic lighting display. Into the Presence are a guitar, bass, and drums trio that feature Tim Alexander of Primus behind the skins. At the Roxy last year, cellist Ana Lenchantin was invited to join them on stage for a cover of Led Zeppelin’s “No Quarter” during their hour-long set. The cozy Viper Room is always a good place to see a band from up close, and with the unexpected warmth proving to be rather inviting, there’s really no good reason to stay at home this evening.

The Coen brothers got their due as directors last night at the Academy Awards where No Country for Old Men collected four Oscars including Best Picture. They’ve been at it a while, directing for close to 25 years since Blood Simple, but that’s not to say their win was overdue. This just happened to be their most balanced and mature work, if not their best. The Bourne Ultimatum also won three, for editing and sound, and that, combined with Ratatouille’s win for Animated Best Feature meant one third of the awards were of movies I had seen. The Netflix queue got a number of additions during the ceremony including three from the Coens’ back catalog and Michael Clayton, so there’s no lack of DVDs to watch in the upcoming evenings.

On at the same time as the ceremony, the visiting Lakers defeated the Seattle Supersonics 111-91, completing a perfect weekend of back-to-back victories that started with a 113-95 suppression of the Clippers on Saturday night. Purple and Gold are riding an eight game winning streak and have really begun to gel as a team, so much so that Kobe’s third quarter ejection last night for arguing with a referee wasn’t even much of an issue when all was said and done. After enduring their long road trip, LA gets to reap the rewards with six of their next eight games home at Staples, starting Tuesday against the Portland Trailblazers.

LA earned some different accolades as our tap water won the 18th Annual Berkeley Springs Water Tasting, held in West Virginia. 120 different entries from ten countries competed and Metropolitan Water District of Southern California came out on top, tied with water from the Canadian town of Clearbrook, British Columbia, so don’t be afraid to get your H2O fresh from the faucet the next time you’re parched. Parents, watch out for the evil talking Elmo doll that was discovered in Florida last week. The programmable Elmo Knows Your Name toy has taken to threatening the life of its owner, reminiscent of “The Living Doll” episode of The Twilight Zone with Kojak himself, Telly Savalas. Wear & Tear can guarantee that none of the Elmo costumes here will wish you any ill will, but we can’t responsible for the kids wearing them!

The 80^th Academy Awards, hosted by Jon Stewart, are Sunday night at Hollywood’s Kodak Theatre. They’re being aired on ABC starting at 5 pm and you can find a list of this year’s nominees here. We’ve written down our predictions for the winners and are going to keep track to see who got the most right or you can play a fun game of Oscar Bingo from Thrillist. Just pull up a few different ones from the link (they’re randomly generated) and keep your eyes peeled during the ceremony.

I saw the first four episodes of Breaking Bad On Demand and the show easily lived up to the critical praise and recommendations it has received so far. The AMC original series stars Bryan Cranston as a high school chemistry teacher diagnosed with lung cancer who decides to make and sell methamphetamine so he can save money for his family. Cranston was always the best part of Malcolm in the Middle and here he really shines as a morally conflicted patriarch caught in a web of deceit and ruthless crime, along with Dean Norris as his DEA agent brother-in-law. New episodes are Sundays at 10 pm, with a fresh batch being cooked up for after this weekend’s awards wrap up.

In a potentially record-breaking story of excess, one Detroit-area restaurant has prepared an 134-pound cheeseburger with hopes to earn top spot in the Guinness book as the “Largest Hamburger Commercially Available.” Mallie’s Sports Bar & Grill in Southgate, Michigan offers the “Absolutely Ridiculous Burger” and, if verified, it will dethrone the 123-pounder made in 2007 at Denny’s Beer Barrel Pub in Clearfield, Pennsylvania. The bun alone is 50 lbs, and the gargantuan sandwich sells for $350. May we suggest a keg to wash it down?

Last night’s Lakers’ game against the Phoenix Suns was so good that I completely forgot about getting out to see the total lunar eclipse. LA won 130-124 in a raucous, back and forth, down-to-the-wire battle where Shaquille O’ Neal’s debut in the desert was spoiled by Purple and Gold, firing on all cylinders. A determined Kobe Bryant tallied 41 points and two blocks and Pau Gasol showed remarkable awareness and dexterity as he improvised for 29 of his own. Lamar Odom also played magnificently, scoring 22 and grabbing 11 boards. The Suns weren’t far behind, as Amare Stoudamire poured in a monstrous 37 points and Shaq earned 15 with nine rebounds, but ultimately fell short in what ended up being the most exciting game thus far this season. Purple and Gold are now 20 games above .500 at 37-17 and second place in the West as they enjoy two days off before Saturday’s contest against the Clippers. It’s a Clippers’ home game and Wear & Tear will be there to give you the low-down on Monday.

Three summer music events announced their lineups today: All Points West Music & Arts Festival in New Jersey, 10,000 Lakes Music Festival in Minnesota, and All Good Music Festival in West Virginia. For its first year, All Points West is being held at Jersey City’s Liberty State Park on August 8-10, features headliners Radiohead and Jack Johnson, and includes a diverse array of other groups including The Roots, Underworld, Kings of Leon and Rodrigo y Gabriela as well as dozens of others. I’ll nickname this one “Coachella East” for the time being, though there is no camping on-site at All Points West. The sixth annual 10,000 Lakes Music Festival is July 23-26 in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota and the organizers have put together a jam-heavy list of Phil Lesh and Friends, The Flaming Lips, George Clinton and Parliament-Funkadelic, Medeski Scofield Martin & Wood, and plenty more. The 12th annual All Good Music Festival will once again take place at Marvin’s Mountaintop in Masontown, West Virginia from July 11-13. I’ve been to this location before, for the moe. or Les Festival in 2002, and it is a positively inspiring plateau looking over a vast and lush valley. This year’s All Good campout also showcases Phil Lesh and Friends at the top of their bill and is sure to draw a huge crowd with Widespread Panic, Gov’t Mule, and Michael Franti & Spearhead among those booked to entertain the fans. All of these festivals have their own merits in terms of lineup, location, and staging, but I’m still leaning towards Rothbury as my top pick for a summer vacation.

Congratulations to the US Navy who, Pentagon officials said, destroyed a faulty spy satellite 130 miles above the Earth Wednesday evening. Our military continues to astound in terms of its technological efficiency and, at an estimated cost of around $50 million to eliminate the potentially toxic threat, I’m glad they hit it square the first time. Netflix just delivered Why We Fight, a 2005 documentary about the United States armed forces and this country’s propensity towards war, so I’m eager to delve into that following tonight’s Democratic debate now that Helmet canceled their appearance at The Echo. I can’t say I’m too upset as it’s likely to rain all night, making it preferable to stay in and watch a movie.

Wear & Tear went to see Iron Maiden at The Forum in Inglewood last night as part of their Somewhere Back in Time world tour and it was quite a rocking evening. I’d been a fan since the 1988 album Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, and having never experienced them live until now, this one was worth the nearly 20 year wait. The stage decoration was ancient Egyptian-themed with a pyramid backdrop and sarcophagi to match the art of Powerslave and all but one of the songs were from the ‘80s. Their undead mascot Eddie emerged at the end of their main set, a 15 foot tall version of the cyborg depicted on the cover of Somewhere in Time, and for a fitting touch stage hands briefly dressed it in an oversized Los Angeles Lakers jersey. Pyrotechnics, fog, and pillars of flame were some of the effects used to bring the music and lyrics to life as a sold-out crowd of 14,000 fans erupted at the numerous calls to “Scream for me Los Angeles!” Instrumentally they were about as tight as could be, so if you’re even remotely interested in the band, these are the shows to attend. For me, it was a throwback of sorts, but the group is entirely serious about taking this production all around the globe as they’ve already played India, Australia, and Japan in just this month alone. More US tour dates for this year were announced during the show; they’ll be back to Southern California at the end of May for two nights at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, once known as Irvine Meadows, where they’ve promised more elaborate props and an even bigger presentation at the outdoor venue. Given the opportunity, this concert would be well worth seeing again as an early start to the long, hot summer. “Up the Irons,” indeed!

Following a 122-93 blowout victory over the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center yesterday, the Los Angeles Lakers visit Phoenix today to oppose Shaquille O’Neal in his first game with the Suns. Now that Shaq’s back in the Western Conference, playing for the Lakers’ playoff nemesis, there’s a good chance we’ll see more competitive fire from him than in recent years. This highly anticipated game will be televised on KCAL 9 starting at 6 pm and a Lakers win ties them with Phoenix for best record in the Pacific division.

Rain has returned to Southern California and, in glancing at an extended forecast, showers can be expected today through Sunday. While red carpet festivities at the Academy Awards this weekend are in jeopardy of being drizzled upon, that isn’t the only reason people are focusing on the sky. The US Navy is spending $60 million to destroy a faulty spy satellite by missile and this evening at 7:30 pm PST would be their first chance to get a clear shot if the weather and ocean swells cooperate. With only a 10-second window for a successful “kill,” they need to get it right the first time and only have until early March before it re-enters Earth’s atmosphere with the potential to release toxic gas. Read the entire news article here and keep your fingers crossed for a direct hit. Also dependent on visibility, if cloud coverage disperses enough, a total lunar eclipse and the rings of Saturn can be seen after 7 pm PST tonight for approximately one hour. The next total lunar eclipse isn’t until the end of 2010, so be sure to get outside and glance upwards for this rare sight that, unlike a solar eclipse, is safe to the naked eye.

Yesterday’s NBA All-Star Game had the usual high-flying aerobatics and copious scoring that I expected given the talent on the floor but what left an indelible impression was the musical smorgasbord honoring its host city, New Orleans. My ears perked up when Rebirth Brass Band played as the house announcer read the starting lineups and the halftime show was utterly splendid in showcasing piano duets between legendary local figures including Art and Ivan Neville, Allen Toussaint, Dr. John, and Harry Connick, Jr. backed by a big band. The game went to the East and LeBron James earned his second All-Star MVP honors with 27 points and nine assists. Kobe Bryant played only three minutes, nursing a damaged pinkie that he’s decided not to have surgery on until the season is over. The Lakers resume their quest for a championship tomorrow at home where they face the Atlanta Hawks before traveling to Phoenix later this week to see Shaq and the Suns. With 30 games remaining, this is where the race to the playoffs starts to tighten up.

Maceo Parker and his eight-piece band wowed the Roxy Sunday night with a blast of funk the likes of which I had never seen on the Sunset Strip’s west end. Maceo’s effortless runs on sax and flute propelled the crowd to escalating stages of ecstasy as his horn section consisting of trombonist Greg Boyer and Ron Tooley on trumpet was on point and powerful. Their takes on “Gimme Some More,” “Pass the Peas,” and “I Want to Take You Higher” were top notch and more than a few Parliament-Funkadelic references were tossed in for good measure along the way. A friend once said one of his most favorite concerts to attend was a Maceo gig, but for the longest time I didn’t have a frame of reference to fathom quite what he meant. After experiencing yesterday’s two and a half hour show I now am starting to understand how and why Maceo Parker is as revered as he is; it was that good.

Halfway through Vacancy and it’s kept me guessing thus far, which is always a good sign for a mystery/thriller. I made the mistake of looking on Rotten Tomatoes to see the approval rating and one reviewer compared it to Hostel , so have a feeling about what might happen to Luke Wilson and Kate Beckinsale before it’s over. The movie is also reminiscent of the Alfred Hitchcock classic Psycho with its motel setting in the middle of nowhere. If you’re a fan of either one, here’s a good place to get a light-up Bates Motel sign for Halloween or if you just want to make overnight guests sleep with one eye open.

Welcome to a very special weekend edition of Wear & Tear. This year’s Academy Awards ceremony is next Sunday and I finally made it to see No Country for Old Men last night at AMC in Century City. I don’t know how it will fare against the other nominees but it was without a doubt the best movie I’d seen all year. A methodical, tense, and shocking film with moments of deadpan humor, it represents an evolution in the Coen brothers’ inimitable style while still retaining much of what their fans have come to expect. The best performances come from the JB’s: Josh Brolin as a hunter who stumbles upon the aftermath of a drug deal gone wrong and Javier Bardem, the psychotic killer hot on his trail. Set in 1980, the film depicts and muses on a violent world where the frustrated sheriff Tommy Lee Jones is always one step behind the outlaws and unable to stop the killing. Enjoy it in the theater while you can, because seeing this on the small screen will do no justice to the vast Texas landscapes captured by cinematographer Roger Deakins.

Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic won the NBA Slam Dunk competition last night in New Orleans after a series of aerial feats that left the crowd stunned and cheering. The Superman dunk in the picture above wasn’t even the contest winner, the one that earned him the title involved a Nerf-style mini-hoop affixed to the backboard. Give a look at the highlights here, including a unique cupcake-aided dunk by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Gerald Green. The All-Star Game itself airs tonight on TNT at 5 pm PST and starter Kobe Bryant has been put in an interesting position due to his injured pinkie and league rules. He’s being forced to participate or else face a suspension because players who are healthy enough for the regular season games surrounding the All-Star break must also join in the All-Star Game. So long as he doesn’t re-aggravate the torn ligament in his finger, this shouldn’t be an issue as he intends to limit his minutes on the court to as few as possible.

We’ll be at the Roxy tonight to see Maceo Parker in what is sure to be a dance workout. Maceo celebrated his 65th birthday on Valentine’s Day and is still going strong since the last time I saw him with Medeski, Martin, and Wood at the 2006 Vegoose Festival in Las Vegas. This will be my first chance to experience a full set of his funk band and the possibility of guest stars is always present as Prince joined him at the House of Blues in Mandalay Bay for a bit that Vegoose weekend. I’m glad I got to see James Brown at the Hollywood Bowl before he passed and Maceo is sure to honor his memory through music, as he was a saxophonist for the “Godfather of Soul” in the ‘60s.

There was recently some confusion about how to register and post comments on our site but it seems to be working fine. Feel free to leave a comment about anything discussed here or something that you think has been left out. Enjoy the rest of the weekend and be sure to come back and refresh at Wear & Tear!

Purple and Gold ended their nine-game road trip in style, dismantling the Minnesota Timberwolves 117-92 last night in frigid Minneapolis. Kobe scored 29 to lead the team and Lamar Odom earned a triple double with 10 points, 16 rebounds, and 10 assists. Six Lakers in all reached double figures of points, most notably Pau Gasol who shot 9-11 from the field. LA is now 18 games above the .500 mark and can relax until Tuesday when they face the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center. Injuries are still a concern as Kobe’s dislocated pinkie may keep him from participating in the All-Star Game and 3-Point Shootout this weekend, and it was announced that forward Chris Mihm had surgery on his foot yesterday and will be recovering for the next six weeks. Time will tell, but if Andrew Bynum, Trevor Ariza, and Mihm are all healthy by season’s end, the depth of this Lakers squad will make them a dominant playoff force certain to go further than their recent first-round exits.

I watched Primeval last night On Demand and found it to be rather engaging given the B-movie cast and plot. The special effects for the man-eating crocodile were surprisingly fluid and, at times, horrifying as the 25-foot CGI beast snacks on anything it can get its teeth around. The pace and editing definitely added to the tension of this tale “based on a true story.” A sprinkling of comedy helped lighten the mood just enough to draw sympathy when characters start getting munched. Filmed in South Africa, it sets out to scare and accomplishes this goal a whole lot better than the similar Lake Placid.

Les Claypool is returning to LA to promote his mockumentary Electric Apricot: Quest for Festeroo. This spoof of the jam-band scene has made the rounds at film festivals across the country, even winning an award or two along the way, and can be seen at Laemmle’s Sunset 5 through February 21^st. Les will do a Q&A following tomorrow’s 7:35 and 10:00 screenings; those are the shows you’ll want to catch if you haven’t seen it before so you can hear his quirky responses to the audience inquiries.

Wear & Tear knows that Valentine’s Day is the one pseudo-holiday to elicit the most derision from those not celebrating so I’ll spare you any further discussion on the matter. Instead, today’s entry will close with some concert announcements. The final North American tour dates for The Police were divulged today and they’ll perform at Hollywood Bowl with Elvis Costello and the Imposters on May 27^th. After flipping through the LA Weekly, intellectual rockers Helmet are playing at The Echo on February 21^st and Key Club on April 18^th. Helmet recently replaced a guitarist, but have retained the Milwaukee-based rhythm section of Jon Fuller on bass and Kyle Stevenson on drums. Singer/Guitarist Page Hamilton always puts on a great show, so these gigs earn a hearty recommendation from Wear & Tear.