Comedians at last Wednesday's Punk House comedy show at the Westside Comedy Theatre used superficial topics such as Facebook, Twilight, vagazzling (yes, that is a portmanteau for bedazzling one's vagina), and even a particularly austere audience member to get viewers to laugh. So, when budding Mexican-American comedian Manuel Zermeno focused his performance on his gay identity, he immediately stood out.

The annual Paid Dues music festival, now in its 5th year, is one of the most prominent hip hop festivals in the United States.This year, the headliners were Ice Cube, Murs & 9th Wonder, Tech N9ne, and Raekwon of the Wu-Tang Clan. Artists performed at two different stages, the Paid Dues stage (indoor) and the Dues Paid stage (outdoor).