Retro Friday: A Very Special Christmas

OK, one more Christmas-related video… and then we’ll see you next week. From the magic of YouTube: A clip from what appears to be a 1988 Christmas special dedicated to the Special Olympics — the organization founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver, hence the appearance of so many Kennedys (including Maria Shriver and Arnold Schwarzenegger). Marvel at this performance of “Santa Claus is Coming to Town,” featuring Schwarzenegger, Mike Tyson (yes, Mike Tyson), Randy Travis and others.

And with that, we say, Happy Holidays!

Merry Christmas!

And RIP to Eartha Kitt, whose rendition of “Santa Baby” will remain a holiday tune for the ages.

Franklin Avenue returns on Monday.

Soundtrack to the Holidays, Hawaiian Style

Sadly, as you know, my KCSN radio show “Hawaiian Eye” (later retitled “Aloha Friday Radio”) went off the air this fall as part of a format tweak.

One of my most popular episodes year after year was my pre-Christmas edition of “Hawaiian Eye,” in which I played wall-to-wall Christmas tunes from the islands. Slack key, reggae, ska, traditional, contemporary — all the forms were represented.

By popular demand, here’s a copy of last year’s holiday edition of “Hawaiian Eye,” cut into 6 pieces for easy streaming. It’s a nice alternative to the same-old, same-old on KOST or KRTH. Put it on in the background today as you finish up your Christmas Eve chores — perhaps it’ll calm you down, and get you in the mood. Mele Kalikimaka!!

Retro Friday: Frank and Bing Toast the Holidays

Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Christmas tunes. ‘Nuff said, right?

All Aboard Travel Town’s Santa Claus Express

Griffith Park’s Travel Town — long a favorite spot of Blogger Preschooler’s — continues its train ride to Santa through Dec. 23 (weather permitting).

Sunday night was one of the chilliest nights of the year — and it made the whole “train to North Pole” experience feel that much more real. On the down side, it was cold. And because Santa takes time to talk with each child, we remained in the slow-moving line for at least 45 minutes.

Still, Evan got a kick out of the nighttime train ride, and we got a decent pic of him on Santa’s knee.

Travel Town’s Train to Santa takes place from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. each night from now until Dec. 23; tix are $7 per person (kids under 18 mos. are free). Also, you can take your own photos, or spend $5 for one of theirs.

After visit, Santa hands kids a candy cane, and a ticket good for a free ride on the Travel Town railroad in the new year.

A few more shots:

The Aquabats, DJ Lance and Friends Rock the Halls

Thanks to Metblogs LA, we scored tix Friday to check out The Aquabats’ famous annual holiday show at the Henry Fonda in Hollywood.

The Aquabats’ MC Bat Commander and crew.

Fellow Orange County bands Suburban Legends and Dusty Rhodes and the River Band opened the show — along with DJ Lance Rock, the host of our fave preschool show, “Yo Gabba Gabba.”

The whole Yo Gabba Gabba! gang on stage.

Yep, that’s right — Maria and I get a sitter to see our first concert together in ages, and wouldn’t ya know, we go to the one featuring characters from the kids’ show we watch with the Blogger Preschooler. As you know, we’re quite the “Yo Gabba Gabba” fans at Franklin Avenue HQ.

It felt like we were cheating on our little guy, especially when we looked around and saw quite a few hipster parents with their kids in tow. But we figured (a) the show was late — the Aquabats wouldn’t go on until 10:30 — plus the B.P. is a bit under the weather — so bringing him was a non-starter.

Brobee, attempting to keep his moustache on.

The “YGG!” characters all made it to stage to dance along to some of the show’s most popular grooves — “It’s Time to Dance,” etc. Plex also proclaimed that “This is Radio Clash” is his favorite song. Poor Brobee’s mouth kept coming off. And I marveled that all of the characters stayed so long in costume — as I learned from our visit this summer, it’s so hot inside that the actors who play Brobee, Muno, et. al., can only stay zipped up for a few minutes at a time.

DJ Lance and Plex bust some moves.

The crowd itself was quite a mix: Older attendees (some of whom, we learned later, were parents of the bands); plenty of aging hipsters — some with kids, most without; and a ton of teens. So many teens, it was the first time I’d seen people playing “Duck, Duck, Goose” on the venue floor between bands.

We caught most of the evening upstairs from the Fonda balcony — perfect for us old farts.

One more DJ Lance/Plex shot.

After DJ Lance, we dug the sounds of Dusty Rhodes and the River Band. The group’s mix of rock, jazz, bluegrass, country and folk comes courtesy their use of violin, accordion, organ, mandolin and other instruments.

Then, the ska-tinged Suburban Legends opened with an old Alfonso Ribiero “how to breakdance” ad, walking on stage with their own moves. They survived a bad mic to get the crowd going; lead singer Vince Walker proclaimed it “the best L.A. show ever.”

Fans flash the Aquabats sign.

And then, the main event…

We’d never been to an Aquabats show, but I’d come knowing what to expect: A lot of energy. The ‘Bats — MC Bat Commander, Crash McLarson, Jimmy The Robot, Ricky Fitness and Eagle “Bones” Falconhawk — performed our favorite, “Pool Party,” fought off bad guy White Buffalo, screened a clip from their TV pilot, and played long after the 11:30 curfew.

Finding Southern California’s Best Santas

(From the Life magazine photo collection; by Ralph Morse.)

The Rundown newsletter offers up its list of some of the area’s best Santas. “The best are worth the journey,” the said. Here goes:

Swankiest Santa: Rodeo Drive
Take a trolley ride to Beverly Hills’ most successful Santa. On the way to his HQ at the Paley Center, you’ll chat with Mrs. Claus, who shares stories and songs. They’ll even pour you some cider while you’re waiting for seat time with the big guy.
Sat-Sun until Christmas at 11a, 12p and 1p. Pick-up at corner of Rodeo Dr. and Dayton Way. (310-285-2442/2550). $5 adults; $1 children under 12.

Sexiest Santa and Dancers: The Beverly Center
A Beverly Center tradition since 2000. This year’s Santa (actor Eli Wilhide) was chosen from a pool of more than 350 hopefuls. He and his female Candy Cane Dancers (some on stilts) perform live each night.
Fri, Sat and Sun evenings and Dec 22nd-24th. 8500 Beverly Blvd. (310-854-0071). Picture packages $17-49.

Multicultural Santa: Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza
Celebrate diversity with a non-white Santa who also accepts wishlists in Spanish.
Through Dec 24 during normal mall hours in front of the Sears Court. 3650 W. Martin Luther King Blvd. (323-290-6636). Picture packages run $13-$40.

Most Realistic Santa: Santa’s Reindeer Roundup at Disneyland
Experience more than just the man here. See Santa’s entire lifestyle — complete with live reindeer — as part of Disneyland’s panoply of holiday festivities.
Nov 21 – Jan 4 in Frontierland during normal park hours. 700 W. Ball Rd., Anaheim (714-781-4565). Tickets $59 and up.

Your Own Santa: AlwaysJustForFun.com
Hire your own jolly fat man to appear at home or an event. Real beards cost more, so tug at will, you paid for it.
Available anytime in Orange County, San Bernardino, Inland Empire, and Los Angeles County. (909-598-3119). Real beards $175-$350 for the first hour; fake beards $149-$179. Christmas Eve/Day appearances are higher. Mileage fees sometimes apply.

Anyone Else Having A Hard Time Getting Into the Holiday Spirit?

Maybe it’s the down economy. Perhaps I’ve been preoccupied with my office’s recent move, and other things. Our Christmas tree’s not up yet, so maybe that’s it. Could it be the stress of the holidays — get a tree, mail out cards, shop for gifts, attend a myriad of events — that’s turning me off? Then there’s the fact that some of the annual holiday events we attend, like the Los Feliz Holiday Festival, have been canceled.

Whatever it is, I’m just not feelin’ it. The holidays, that is. I haven’t caught the bug, and Christmas is just 17 days away. Every year, I feel less prepared for the season… and every year, it feels like it creeps up faster on us.

Perhaps I’m not the only one. From Wall Street Journal:

y early this year, as the housing downturn accelerated and gas prices rose, the Cleveland-based company’s research showed that consumers, spending more time at home, were focusing on personal relationships and reminiscing about happier times together.

“We could tell the mood was changing fast,” says MJ Smith, American Greetings’ director of consumer and cultural trends. “In the last few years, we’ve had cards with lots of glitter, but that’s just not the mindset anymore — people are more traditional now.”

So American Greetings, which produced some 3,000 holiday-card designs this year, started to recalibrate. One of the first changes: deeper reds and greens.

“Santa is a true, traditional red, instead of the cherry red we’ve used in the past,” says Susan Sliede, director of seasonal planning. “And instead of a shiny pattern on his coat, we’re using flocking,” she said, as she touched the velvet-coated paper.

Any of you having a hard time getting into the spirit this year?

Christmas Tree Lighting Attracts Massive Crowd in Atwater Village

More than 1,000 people showed up to usher in the holidays Thursday night in Atwater Village.

The occasion: Atwater Village’s 17th annual tree lighting ceremony. Yes, it’s big — and so is the tree, a natural one that sits on a Glendale Blvd. median all year round, waiting for its annual spotlight come December.

Not only is the Atwater Village tree lighting ceremony one of the biggest of any L.A. neighborhoods, but I’m guessing that it’s the only one sponsored in part by the Black Eyed Peas. That’s right, the group, which records in the neighborhood, was one of several donors who helped make the event possible.

Of course, the event dragged on a little too long for my taste — light the tree, dammit! But the crowd wasn’t just there for the tree; they were also there to catch their children and neighbors from various schools perform. And, perhaps, to feel the Eric Garcetti love.

By the end, Blogger Preschooler was falling asleep, but we managed to prop him up long enough to witness Santa roll in on his fire truck ride. A few more shots:

Atwater Village Gets Into the Holiday Spirit

A reminder, Atwater Village will throw its free Christmas tree lighting festival tonight at 6:30 p.m. on Glendale Blvd.

Unlike the Grove and Americana trees, the tall one in Atwater Village is very much alive. The event is also a chance to get your kid up close and personal with Santa, without having to plop down those insane mall photo prices.

I’ve been slow to feel the holiday spirit — it really snuck up on me this year — so I hope this event will jump start that cheer. If you see the Franklin Avenue trio there, feel free to unlurk and introduce yourself.