There’s no shortage of information today, and for anything you’re after there’s likely to be an abundance of options.  That’s great if you want a car deal, a news story, or an airline ticket, but when it comes to entertainment, especially in large cities like New York and Los Angeles, it’s hard to sift through the B.S. and find something interesting.  For one, the listings are too often the same.  I’ve heard or read at least a hundred times in the last month that The Killers have a new album and will be playing at the Wiltern in LA on October 6 and 7.  You begin to think LA doesn’t have much happening and that its entertainment sources are becoming stale, unless of course you want to see Ashton Kutcher’s latest attempt at serious acting in The Guardian.

And that’s where Flavorpill comes in.  Currently serving NY, LA, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, and London, Flavorpill simplifies your quest for entertainment by offering two things its competitors do not: 1) A reliably off-beat list of happenings, and 2) a broad range of events.  Currently in Flavorpill’s LA events calendar: A National Geographic film festival, several worthwhile DJs playing in small venues, the theatre production Don Carlo, an architecture exhibit, and, of course, many film events which you’re not likely to find in the LA Times’ Calenderlive.com.  If they’re listed, however, it’s likely they’re so buried among the other 10,000 options that you’re fortunate to locate it.

What I appreciate most about Flavorpill is the simplicity of its presentation and the lack of suggestions.  In last week’s newsletter (which is released every Tuesday), only 24 events covering 9 categories were listed.  Every Wednesday I open the electronic newsletter and find a few options for the next five days that pique my interest.  It takes little time, I’m exposed to events other than film and music, and I leave feeling that my entertainment needs are covered.  The minimalist approach is fresh and conducive to my schedule, and there’s no snobbishness about it.  The approach is less, “Here are the only things that matter,” and more, “Here are some suggestions you might not have come across on your own.”