Pitchfork: ArthurBall Coming This Weekend

Although it lost to Prague's Sperm Festival for the Most Unfortunately Named Avant-Garde Music Festival Grammy, Arthur magazine's inaugural ArthurBall will no doubt draw an enthusiastic crowd of post-punkers, hippies, and noiseniks to venues around the Echo Park section of Los Angeles this weekend.

The indoor winter version of ArthurFest boasts such big names as Joanna Newsom, Queens of the Stone Age frontman Josh Homme (performing with Chris Goss as the 5:15ers), Unknown Instructors (featuring Joe Baiza and Jack Brewer of Saccharine Trust, and George Hurley and Mike Watt of the Minutemen), Josephine Foster's band Born Heller, Entrance, Mi & L'au, Growing, and tons more.

On Friday, January 24 at the Ex_Plex, legendary post-punk/proto-rap foremothers ESG will kick off the festivities with their first Los Angeles performance since 1980.

ArthurBall will also feature readings, a "Full-Spectrum Vibrational Healing Center" (whatever that means), and film screenings, including the World Premieres of the latest films from the Sun City Girls' Sublime Frequencies imprint.

No, Test Icicles won't be making an appearance:

February 25 at the Echo and Ex_Plex:

Joanna Newsom, Brightblack Morning Light, Unknown Instructors, OM, Pearls & Brass, Colleen, Entrance, Mi & L'au, Winter Flowers, Starter Set Dancers, Society of Rockets, dublab DJs

February 26 at the Echo and Ex_Plex:

The 5:15ers, Born Heller, Tarantula A.D., Moris Tepper, Growing, Lavender Diamond, Afrobeat Down, Earthless, Plastic Crimewave Sound, Citay, Indian Jewelry, Town & Country, dublab DJs