Richard Abowitz

Richard Abowitz is a writer for the Los Angeles Times, the Las Vegas Weekly, and Rolling Stone. He writes the blog and print column Movable Buffet for The Los Angeles Times.

Story Archive

Strip Silence: What happens when a city that has to keep moving suddenly stops?; Thursday, Oct. 9, 2008; Recently, in a typical two-day stretch for work, I checked out the grand-opening gala of Donny & Marie at the Flamingo and the soft opening of Criss Angel Believe at Luxor. Sadly, the week before, I was out of town during the celebrity-packed openings of SushiSamba and Lavo.
Assembly District 5 - Toussaint vs. Loop vs. Woolbright: Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2008; Republican Donna Toussaint, Democrat Marilyn Loop and Independent Don Woolbright are all vying for the District 5 state assembly seat.
The Buzzcocks are one punk band that never sold out: Thursday, Nov. 18, 1999; So, even though they get on better than ever, does that mean they get along at all? "It's a wonderful thing to get away from each other, but when you get back together it's even better," Shelley says. In fact, since reuniting, the Buzzcocks have moved through one entire rhythm section and only Shelley and guitarist Steve Diggle remain from the original group.
Life and Crimes in Las Vegas: Thursday, Sept. 2, 1999; "Johnny Rotten hates everybody and Pat Boone loves everybody and I'm right in the middle somewhere," Cooper tells me. It is the dubious fate of every successful revolutionary to become the establishment and though once one of the most controversial figures in popular culture, Alice Cooper has long past being surprised by this twist of fate. "If I had them both at a concert I'd sit them next to each other."
The Flaming Lips shine on: Friday, July 30, 1999; On Friday music fans who head to the Joint to see Oklahoma City's Flaming Lips are going to experience perhaps the most unique rock show of the summer.
Goo Goo for GoGos: Thursday, July 15, 1999; Jane Wiedlin in particular has become a much sharper guitar player over the years (she also entertained the audience with her illicit desires for Siegfried & Roy). Of course, in the end the crowd wanted the hits and the band played them all including their cover of "Johnny Are You Queer." The Go-Go's may not have a future but they are better than most at re-living their past, and on Saturday that is all that the audience wanted.