The California Institute of Abnormalarts in Burbank

by Reviewer Rob

Here’s some pics from Friday the thirteenth at California Institute of Abnormalarts in Burbank, from the first visit I had there. Radio Relay League and True Violet were the bands this night. I had been meaning to get in those circus doors for a long time but every time I was in the neighborhood the bar hadn’t opened up for the night yet or it was its day off.

All of these photos but one of these were shot by me.

I’m really glad I went. I had a chance to join an informal tour of the occult bric-a-brac on its grounds from Carl Crew, the bar proprietor. I got some photos and met the girls from True Violet, which seeing them play was especially nice. Jenna’s voice is amazing. All original tunes and all good too.

CIA has Stone Brewery beer too! Finally I’ve found a bar in the great and mighty city of Los Angeles that doesn’t just sell Budweiser, Heineken or Newcastle. So this bar is now my new oasis in the sprawling beer desert that is LA.

Its online press describes it as:
“The California Institute of Abnormalarts – also written as the California Institute of Abnormal Arts and abbreviated as CIA – is a nightclub and sideshow museum located in North Hollywood, California. Owned and operated by actor-screenwriter Carl Crew and Robert Ferguson, the venue primarily hosts underground musical groups, performance art, movie screenings and sideshow acts including burlesque and freak shows.”

BURLESQUE AND FREAK SHOWS!

The following is an incomplete list of some of the more notable bands, musicians, performers and artists who have appeared at the CIA:

8 Bit Weapon
Art of Bleeding
Bastard Noise/Amps for Christ
ComputeHer
Count Smokula
Dame Darcy
Dead Kansas
[Independent zombie web-series filmed at C.I.A in 2012. Actors Irwin Keyes and Ben Woolf were in the scene.]
The Dickies
Duncan Trussell
The Enigma
George the Giant
Ghastly Ones
Glen Meadmore
Green Jelly
Haunted Garage
[Horror punk band hosted their first reunion show in five years at the CIA in October 2013. Singer Dukey Flyswatter wrote the screenplay for 1987’s Blood Diner, starring CIA co-owner Carl Crew.]
IAMEVE
Jack Dagger
Josh Robert Thompson
Katja Glieson
Matt Scott of the Bob Baker Marionette Theater
The Megas
The Radioactive Chicken Heads
[Comedy punk band who have been regular performers at CIA since 2002. The band’s 2012 music video “Headless Mike” was partially shot at the CIA.]

Remember Paul Martin
Slymenstra Hymen and the Girly Freak Show
Stolen Babies
Trash80
Zamora the Torture King

One of the many surreal attractions at the California Institute of Abnormalarts: according to Carl Crew I think he said it's a mummy embalmed with murcury from the Chinatown district of San Francisco. ~caption and photo by Reviewer Rob.
One of the many surreal attractions at the California Institute of Abnormalarts: according to Carl Crew I think he said it’s a mummy embalmed with murcury from the old Chinatown district of San Francisco. ~caption and photo by Reviewer Rob.

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At California Institute Of Abnormalarts in Burbank on 11-13-15.
At California Institute Of Abnormalarts in Burbank on 11-13-15.

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