nocturnal wonderland

By day, the dark-suited men and women of Eighth and Figueroa streets fret about the sub-prime market in their offices, emerge for lunch, then head back inside. But come sundown on Saturday, Sept. 29, the phrase "sub-prime" will no longer be uttered, and the suits will give way to bright colors and plenty of skin.


Superstar DJ Paul van Dyk is among the highlights at Nocturnal Wonderland, a massive dance party that unfolds in the Financial District on Saturday, Sept. 29. Photo by Olaf Heine.
The huge electronic music event Nocturnal Wonderland - with four stages and tens of thousands of expected revelers - goes right through the night. The gathering that debuted in 1995 now comes to Downtown Los Angeles via a collaboration between producing entities Insomniac and Giant, and their respective leaders, Pasquale Rotella and Dave Dean.

It's the latest in a long line of projects for the duo. Dean's weekly club Giant Hollywood is held in the Vanguard, of which Rotella is a partner; Rotella has worked on the summer follow ups to Giant's annual New Year's Eve bashes; and Giant sponsored a stage at Insomniac's Electric Daisy Carnival this year. The duo's recent coup was a sold-out Sports Arena show in August, when 14,000 revelers showed up to see DJ Tiesto.

Nocturnal Wonderland will take place at the same site Dean negotiated for last year's New Year's party. "We've been Downtown since 2002," Dean says, "but we can expand with this, because Pasquale reaches a vast audience. I think arguably, Giant is the largest 21 and over event producer in L.A., and arguably, Insomniac is the largest festival producer."



The Looking Glass


The design, as always, is a bit of a nod to Alice in Wonderland - each "area" transformed into a separate storybook environment with a cluster of electronic music acts, fire performers, stilt walkers and giant sculptures. Some of the events will be open air, with the Financial District's high-rises looming in the background; others unfold under massive tents.


Famed DJ Paul van Dyk and the Chemical Brothers will play in "The Labyrinth." It's akin to a cavernous warehouse, with smoke, lights and lasers, shapes hanging from the ceiling, and if the event's history repeats itself, trapeze and hooping artists performing above the pulsing crowds.

"I like the dark walls, a big room and that intense feeling," van Dyk said by phone recently from his home in Berlin.

Perhaps that stems from his childhood. Van Dyk grew up in East Berlin, the business side of the Wall, where he and his friends listened to Western radio stations and copied smuggled mix tapes on the sly. The Wall came down, and van Dyk worked the DJ decks in Europe through the 1990s. His singles ultimately gained traction in England's "superclub" scene (cavernous clubs often owned by dance music labels) and he developed his brand of cleanly produced, usually danceable trance music.



Globetrotting DJ




Today, van Dyk is one of the world's biggest names in electronic music, but he makes no bones about dabbling in pop. His new album, In Between, features accessible melodies and vocals from artists including David Byrne and Jessica Sutta of the Pussycat Dolls. Van Dyk usually takes the stage with dual computer systems, but for the Nocturnal event, he'll also be joined by musicians.

"This is just an extension of the way I usually play," van Dyk said. "It's not DJ tables anymore. Instead of vocal tracks, there will be vocalists on stage. Jessica will be there, a keyboardist instead of sampling units, a drummer - all interacting on the crowd. It's a very special experience."

He's about one-third of the way through his 12-country tour for the album. Van Dyk, in fact, is known to hop on planes for the next gig when the sun comes up and re-work tracks on his laptop during flights. He's played Downtown Los Angeles before, but has never explored it. (He does remember that last year's Giant New Year's Eve event was freezing.) For this job, it will go like this: "I play in San Francisco the night before. I fly early in the morning. I sleep a little. There's a sound check. Maybe I have dinner. Then it's time."



A 'Massive' Vet


Downtown resident and photographer Dave Bullock has been attending raves and "massives" for 15 years. The latter, he explains, are just really big raves, with multiple areas and huge crowds. In June, he was at Insomniac's Electric Daisy Carnival in Exposition Park. He's looking forward to the event not far from his home.

"I think it's going to totally rock," Bullock said. "Downtown is awesome. That's why I live here and I can't wait to be able to attend a massive in my own backyard. There is nothing quite as thrilling as being surrounded by towering buildings and having fun at the same time."

The festival runs 7 p.m. to 4 a.m., and one can only imagine the scene at the Pantry come 4:15. Rainbow psychedelia invades a pocket of earth tones and Naugahyde, pancakes for everyone.
When the second US Festival took place at Glen Helen Regional Park in 1983, many attendees regarded David Bowie a highlight of Day 3.

At the time, the British rock legend was riding high with the platinum-selling "Let's Dance."

Four years later, he launched the "Glass Spider" tour - a bizarre, theatrical outing that had dancers (choreographed by Toni Basil), dialogue, pretentious props and Peter Frampton on guitar.

Fans can relive the David Mallet-directed Sydney concert film in a special 20th anniversary DVD edition (Virgin/EMI), with remastered audio in surround sound and a two-CD set taped in Montreal.

Much of it hasn't aged well.

The setlist revolves around the middling "Never Let Me Down," but also includes some hits and slick takes on Iggy Pop's "I Wanna Be Your Dog" (Charlie Sexton guests on guitar) and Velvet Underground's "White Light/White Heat."

Elsewhere in the label's Bowie reissue campaign is the CD+DVD retrospective "Best of David Bowie: 1980-1987" (the rarely seen "Drowned Girl" and "When the Wind Blows" are among the video clips) and a new 5.1 mix of 1975's "Young Americans."

The latter "plastic soul" effort contains the excellent title track, No. 1


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single "Fame" with John Lennon and a young Luther Vandross on backing vocals. The real treat is a bonus DVD with a "Dick Cavett Show" appearance and detailed liner notes.
In 1993, Bowie and "Glass Spider" tour musician Erdal Kizilcay teamed up for a soundtrack to BBC miniseries "The Buddha of Suburbia." Previously hard-to-find, the disc is available on Tuesday.

"This may well have been one of the most enjoyable projects I've been involved with," said Bowie at the time.

Frequently jazzy and ethereal, a couple instrumental passages contain Mike Garson's supple piano work. They often recall Bowie's collaborations with Brian Eno.

Rock-oriented songs "Strangers When We Meet" and "Buddha" (Lenny Kravitz on guitar) are the clear standouts here.

Finally, Bowie enthusiasts can revel in a newly-restored, two-DVD anniversary edition of Jim Henson's 1986 fantasy film "Labyrinth" (Sony Pictures), co-starring Bowie and Jennifer Connelly. Fresh commentary and bonus content are the extras.


Temecula violinist/singer Antonio Pontarelli, a two-time Inland Empire Music Award winner (Best Instrumentalist, 2006; Best Male Artist, 2007), will appear at the L.A. County Fair in Pomona this weekend.

The teenage rock musician plays Saturday and Sunday at 6 and 11 p.m. on the Family Marketplace stage.

He can be heard on "Elect the Dead," the upcoming solo debut CD of System of a Down's Serj Tankian.

Shows are free with fair admission. For more information, go to antoniomusic.com.


Nocturnal Wonderland, the annual electronica music festival, used to be held at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino.

This year, it was moved to the streets of downtown L.A. The Chemical Brothers co-headline on Saturday, alongside Paul Van Dyk, Christopher Lawrence, Carl Cox, LTJ Bukem and others.

The Chemicals' latest CD "We Are The Night" (Astralwerks) - delves into trance, electro and indie dance with members of Klaxons, Midlake and Pharcyde guesting. To purchase event tickets: www.nocturnalwonderland.com.

Anyone lucky enough to attend Inland Invasion II at Glen Helen in Devore caught the Sex Pistols reunion.

The seminal punk rock band just re-recorded its tune "Anarchy in the U.K." for the upcoming "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" video game.

Meanwhile, the 30th anniversary of the Pistols' landmark album "Never Mind the Bollocks" is being commemorated with a vinyl reissue on Oct. 29 with the original poster and 7" of "Submission."

For more music news, reviews and interviews, visit my blog: dailybulletin.com/extendedplay My husband, Tim, and I are avid travelers and adventurers, so when our friend, Betty Levin, phoned and invited us on an invitation-only wildlife safari to Kenya and Tanzania in Eastern Africa, we jumped at the chance.

Levin is a tour guide with Smartours. We had been on one trip with her and her company to Australia, New Zealand and Tahiti last year, so we knew we would be in good hands.


Karen Soro

During a wildlife safari to Kenya, the only shots Tim and Karen Soro took were with their camera -- to capture images such as cheetahs in the Masai Mara.

Ed Levin

Tim and Karen were watching the sunset from the rim of the Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania when traveling companion Ed Levin caught this shot.

Karen Soro

"I haven't told you how warm and wonderful the people are," writes Karen. "I am going to leave some things for you to discover."

After dinner by the river, the Soros and other guests were escorted back to their rooms by a Samburu warrior.

Photos by Karen Soro

A pink-backed pelican glides over Lake Naivasha. "We also saw two leopards, lions, ostriches, water buffalo, gazelle of all sorts and so many more animals."

It's not unusual to see elephants lumbering past the hotel rooms at Samburu Natural Reserve.

"There is so much to see and do, so many people to meet -- I suggest you get out there," writes Karen Soro, who got acquainted with members of the Samburu Tribe in Kenya.

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Our journey began on Feb. 2 and was to last for 15 days. Our tour group of about 20 people met at JFK Airport in New York and flew to Nairobi via London.

To answer everyone's first question: Yes. it was a long flight. We went to the other side of the world.

"Was it worth it?" Absolutely. And no, we did not go there to kill anything. We got some amazing photographs, though.

As soon as we disembarked the plane, we were divided into groups of no more than six people and were shown to our touring vehicles -- Toyota minivans with pop-off tops.

Each person always had a window seat for the duration of the trip, and you could stand up and see everything because the top came off.

As we left the airport our mouths fell wide open -- there -- in the middle of the fields that spread out between us and the hazy silhouette of Nairobi's skyline, were giraffes and zebras. Right there ... right off the main road.

The ride through Nairobi was a bit disconcerting. Hustle and bustle, traffic jams and people everywhere. Luckily, we didn't stick around the big city long and by the end of the next day we were checking into a wonderful wilderness lodge at the Samburu Natural Reserve.

Although the land is semi-desert, the Ewaso Ngiro River runs through it, making the Samburu an extraordinary oasis with some of the rarest game species on the planet.

Nile crocodiles, up to 18 feet long and as still as logs, float down the river past the lodge, hoping to surprise some thirsty antelope. An elephant lumbered past our hotel room and black-faced velvet monkeys played on our balcony.

Leopards, cheetahs, lions, elephants, the very rare Grevy's zebra, baboons and the shy oryx are all present and accounted for in this amazing place.

Delicious evening meals were taken beside the river where many of

the crocodiles gather at dusk and a black leopard will sometimes make a rare appearance on the opposite bank.

After dinner, we were escorted through the inky night by a Samburu warrior armed with a spear, back to our comfy rooms, safe and sound.

After a couple of days in the Samburu Reserve, we traveled on to Mt. Kenya National Park, an enormous mountain with a wonderland of dense forests and tumbling waterfalls. Our accommodations were in the first-ever "tree hotel," built around a natural watering hole and salt lick. Every room had incredible views of wildlife as they showed up for their nocturnal drinks of water. You could even put in an order at the front desk to be awakened if and when certain animals showed up.

Then it was on to Lake Nakuru and Lake Naivasha. Located in the magnificent Rift Valley these soda lakes are covered with huge flocks of pink flamingos. On Lake Nakuru we took a scenic boat ride through the area where the movie "Out of Africa" was filmed.

At Lake Naivasha we stayed at a world-class lodge and saw the almost-extinct white rhinoceros -- only 400 of these amazing creatures exist and we have a photo of 12 of them grazing together. We also saw two leopards, lions, ostriches, water buffalo, gazelle of all sorts and so many more animals.

We opted for the four-day extension into Tanzania, where the best was saved for last. We traveled onto the Ngorongoro Crater, known also as the Eighth Wonder of the World. This area is actually a remnant of an extinct volcano. The area it covers is vast and stretched for miles and miles. From certain vantage points you can see all the way across it, from rim to rim. It also has the highest concentration of wildlife on the planet. The rim itself has very steep walls and makes for quite some excitement getting in and out.

A soda lake covered with pink flamingos stands in the center of it. No lodges are allowed to be built in the crater itself, but they cling along the top of the rim making the views unbelievable.

That night we climbed to the top of our lodge. It was a crystal clear night and we could see a billion stars.

I have left out a lot of things. The way Africa changes your soul. The overwhelming feeling of joy you have when you realize just how amazing and magical this planet is. I haven't told you how warm and wonderful the people are. I am going to leave some things for you to discover.

They say travel makes this world a better place, the more we know about other places, the more we care about them. There is so much to see and do, so many people to meet -- I suggest you get out there.

Karen and Tim Soro are "The Downtown Realtors" for Sowell and Co. They live on Mud Island in Harbor Town.

Getting there

Our tour was an amazing bargain, and although ours was an "invitation-only" tour you can do the same thing. Prices begin at $2,899 with airfare, lodging, all interior travel and meals included. Contact Smartours (800) 337-7773 or check their itineraries out on the Web at smartours.com.

Following are some of the major events in Western North Carolina's 18 counties through the fall.


Avery County

Sept. 13. (15, 21, 22): Hudson Dinner Theatre presents "The Fantastics". 7 p.m. Hudson Upton Building. 728-8272.

Sept. 16, 23, 30: Mountain Music Jammin'. This event includes mountain music, bluegrass and gospel. Bring an instrument and play along folklore award winner Glenn Bolick. Snacks will be served. Bring a chair. 2 p.m. Bolick and Traditions Pottery. 295-5099 or visit www.traditionspottery.com.

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Sept. 16: Bridge to Bridge Incredible Cycling Challenge. About 1,000 cyclists will participate in this 100-mile ride. Begins in Lenoir at 1,080-feet elevation and rises to 5,280 feet atop Grandfather Mountain. Registration is closed.7 a.m. Caldwell County Chamber of Commerce. www.grandfather.com.

Sept. 29-30. Great Train Robbery and Emporium. 10 a.m. Festival features fine artists and crafters, wines, wild life exhibit. Banner Elk. 733-0675.

Oct. 13. Sugar Mountain Oktoberfest Celebration. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Sugar Mountain Ski Resort, Banner Elk. Arts and crafts, live music, German cuisine and beverages and ski lift rides. Admission and parking free. 898-4521. www.skisugar.com.

Oct. 19. Woolly Worm Woad Wace. A 10K (6.2-mile) footrace starting at 3:30 p.m. Mountain course winds over paved and graveled roads, including a short mountain trail. Start/finish at the Lees-McRae College track in Banner Elk. $20 entry fee, $25 race-day. 898-5605.

Oct. 20-21. Woolly Worm Festival. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Banner Elk Elementary School. Named one of the Top Ten Fall Festivals in North America by the Society of American Travel Writers. Crafts, food, mountain music and the world famous caterpillar races to determine which one woolly worm will have the honor of predicting the winter weather forecast. $5 for adults and $2 for ages 6-12. Children 5 and younger are fee. No pets. 898-5605.

For more information on Avery County events, call the Avery-Banner Elk Chamber of Commerce at 898-5605 or 800-972-2183 or visit www.averycounty.com.

Buncombe County
(All locations are Asheville unless otherwise noted)

Sept.-Oct.: Exhibition: Scenic Overlook, The Blue Ridge Parkway. Blue Spiral 1, 38 Biltmore Ave. 251-0202. www.bluespiral1.com.

Through Sept. 30. Month of Cerf (Craft Emergency Relief Fund). Grovewood Gallery, 111 Grovewood Road, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. www.grovewood.com.

Through Oct. 7. Summer Art Camp Exhibition. Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Free. 253-3227. www.ashevilleart.org.

Through Oct. 7. Exhibition: Groovy Garb: Paper Clothing from Mars Manufacturing Company. Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Tues-Sat. (Fridays until 8 p.m.), 1-5 p.m. Sun. 253-3227. www.ashevilleart.org.

Through Oct. 28. Harvest Home Celebration. The Biltmore Estate. A celebration of Appalachian heritage with craft and farm-life demonstrations, exhibits, games, storytelling, winery events, music and dance. 800-624-1575. www.biltmore.com.

Through Oct. 31. Exhibition: "Around the World: Places, People and Plants � Watercolor by Ann Vasilik." N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmstead Way (between N.C. 191 and Blue Ridge Parkway). Parking fee $6 per vehicle. 665-2492. www.ncarboretum.org.

Through Oct. 28. Exhibition: Living by Design: Mid-Century Modern. Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square. 253-3227. www.ashevilleart.org.

Through Oct. 31. Exhibition: "Second Nature." Regional artist Barbara Webster exhibits unique quilts incorporating nature photography. N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmstead Wa. Parking fee $6 per vehicle. 665-2492. www.ncarboretum.org.

Through Oct. 31. 2nd Annual RiverSculpture Festival. French Broad River Park, Amboy Road. Contemporary outdoor sculpture exhibition. Special weekend events with kids' art, music. Free. 225-3766. www.riversculpture.com.

Sept. 9. LAAFF (Lexington Avenue Arts and Fun Festival). Throughout downtown, 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Free, unique, all-local music and arts event. Two stages, local food and beer, arts and craft vendors, healing arts, kids areas, bicycle jousting and more. 582-0431. www.arts2people.org.

Sept. 12. Tot Time at the Museum. Asheville Art Museum, 2 South Pack Square, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Free with membership or museum admission. 253-3227. www.ashevilleart.org.

Sept. 15-16. Carolinas Dahlia Society Annual Show. noon-5 p.m. Sat., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sun., N.C. Arboretum, 100 Frederick Law Olmstead Way, Parking fee $6. 665-2492. www.ncarboretum.org.

Sept. 15. Asheville Citizen-Times Half Marathon/5K/WNC Parent Fun Run. Citizen-Times building, 14 O. Henry Ave., 8 a.m. Half Marathon $35, 5K $25, Fun Run $15. Applications available at area running stores, Asheville Citizen-Times or at www.citizen-times.com/race.

Sept. 15, Oct. 20, Nov. 17, Dec. 16, Feb. 17 (2008). Asheville Symphony Orchestra Concerts. Thomas Wolfe Auditorium, 87 Haywood St., 8 p.m. (3 p.m. Dec. 16 for holiday concert). 254-7046. www.ashevillesymphony.org.

Sept. 15-16. Heritage Weekend. Folk Art Center, Milepost 382, Blue Ridge Parkway, 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sat., noon-5 p.m. Sun. Traditional craft, music and storytelling, annual World Gee Haw Whimmy Diddle competition from 2-3 p.