the BEAT of the week: Culture Collide Festival.

I really can never say enough about the plethora of great music and concerts that we have available to us here in Los Angeles. We're oh so lucky to have bands consistently play our venues, and we're lucky to have a number of unique and fun opportunities to find the next slew of up-and-coming bands.

The latest example: Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival. In its third year, the event is going stronger than ever, getting 25 notable bands from all over the world to come and represent their home countries. On the homefront here in the U.S., we've got the likes of Of Montreal, Zola Jesus, Diiv; there are bands like the Wombats and Patrick Wolf repping the U.K.; there's even John Talabot for Spain and Bondo de Role for Brazil.

They're all taking over the eastside for four days this weekend -- and I bet you can't even believe that the entire weekend, all shows for all four days, will only cost you $20. One Andrew Jackson! Spend it well.

Filter Magazine's Culture Collide Festival takes place Oct 4-7 in various locations all over the eastside of L.A. Get more info here.

-- Chau Tu

the BEAT of the week: Taste of the Eastside.

L.A.'s 'eastside' neighborhoods -- including that of Silver Lake, Los Feliz, Atwater Village, Eagle Rock, among others -- have become well-known for their 'hip,' young populations, a sort of nerve center thriving with those who care about all things culture: art, music, fashion.

And you can add food to that list. Among the classic eastside standards like Intelligentsia, Little Dom's and Cliff's Edge have come a slew of new restaurants and eateries in the past few years, enticing foodies and locals alike to dine on some of the best and creative foods coming out of this city.

Need to catch up? Get your forks out. This weekend is the second edition of the Taste of the Eastside, a full-on food and drink fest celebrating all that is cuisine on the Eastside. Participants this year include Elf Cafe, Good Girl Dinette, Hugo's Tacos, L&E Oyster Bar, Malo, Pazzo Gelato, Proof Bakery, Xoia Vietnamese Eats, Eagle Rock Brewery, Golden Road Brewery and Silver Lake Wine. A simple $35 gets you unlimited tastings from all the restaurants, another $10 will also buy you a flight of wines or beer. There'll also be cooking demonstrations, and the proceeds will help to benefit the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, Barnsdall Park, Rose Scharlin Nursery School and SEE Los Angeles.

Time to get hip, and be well-fed while at it.

Taste of the Eastside takes place from 1pm-5pm this Sunday, May 6 at Barnsdall Park, located at 4800 Hollywood Blvd. in Los Feliz. Get tickets here (price goes up the day of the event, so purchase now!).

-- Chau Tu

the monthly BEAT: Silver Lake. Broome Street General Store.

A fantastic new addition came to Silver Lake this summer--the Broome Street General Store. They serve New York's Gimme! Coffee, and make a mean scone too.

From Rifle Paper Co. cards to Morris Kitchen ginger syrup, this is the best west coast place for great east coast goods!

2912 Rowena Avenue in Silver Lake, (323) 570-0405, facebook.com/broomestgeneral

-- Leslie Anne Wiggins

Photo credit: Broome Street General Store via facebook

Check It. Awesome bear graffiti in Silverlake.

If you've ever spent some time traipsing around the Eastside, you're sure to have come across them: the cartoon bears and other forest animals, smiling and giving you a friendly wave. The 'awesome bears' have appeared in other random, hidden parts of L.A., but here in Silverlake, against a green meadow and blue skies, they seem right at home.

But not for long. As Phil Lumbang has told Public Ad Campaign and Eastsider LA, the mural--which is displayed on the wall of and was commissioned by private property residents Amy Seidenwurm and Russell Bates--will be taken down March 1 for violating the city's restrictions on outdoor advertisements.

As a passionate fan of and advocate for street art, I am truly disappointed by this news. If there is any sort of street art that can be easily defended for its lack of threat to the community, it's this mural here. It's a cartoon bear waving 'Hello!', for goodness sakes! And that's without taking into consideration that this is part of a private property, was commissioned by that property's owners and isn't even an advertisement of any kind...unless you count happiness?

Councilman Eric Garcetti has responded that he'll look into the issue, which hopefully will lead to good things. In the meantime, watch this delightful video below of Lumbang painting the piece, and then make it over to the Eastside and pay your respects: the animals will be happy to see you.


-- Chau Tu

Photo credit: Public Ad Campaign