Stumbled Upon Site of the Day
November 8, 2009
I usually come across strange or funny vintage photos at thrift stores. I should start collecting them. The site above has a great collection of random old photos. Love it. Below are some of the photos from the collection:
One of My Favorite Places Downtown…Is Totally on the DL
November 8, 2009
I really wanted to blog about my experience at one of my new favorite bars. But, after googling the place, I realize that one downtown LA blogger got in trouble for infiltrating the private venue. I really don’t want to be boycotted from going to the bar–because I absolutely love it there!
Cameras are not allowed on the premises of the bar. You are also not permitted to use your phone’s camera. My phone accidentally snapped a photo on the patio. It was so dark that you can’t see much. But, I wish you could. The patio of the bar is amazing. It’s an old greenhouse- lined with etched mirrors. There is also a fireplace. The patio is adorned with cute, vintage garden furniture.
The thing I like most about the bar is its intimacy and exclusiveness. Of course the drinks were fabulous, as some of LA’s best mixologists work at the bar. Yes, this place isn’t such a secret. Many people know about it–but what’s inside is supposed to be kept hidden….so I won’t divulge the name.
I’ve been invited to the bar before, but I really didn’t feel a need to go. But, I finally caved , when one of my hip friends invited me this past Friday. I’m so glad I ventured out.
The service was impeccable. A manager offered to take my coat, as soon as I arrived. The drinks were delicious, and similarly priced to cocktails at Varnish, C&S, Association, and 7 Grand. However, the selection of aged wine and tequila was amazing. Some dapper guys decided to treat us to some very well aged silver tequila.
The night started off quietly, but a well known DJ started spinning, and Julian Casablancas (from the Strokes) arrived after playing a downtown show at the Palace Theater. With him, came his entourage, and other Strokes band members. There were definitely other celebrities like Kirsten Dunst. No paparazzi are allowed on the property, so celebs can enjoy themselves without having to worry about constant photography. I heard one girl say, “The whole Bar Marmont crowd is here”. I don’t know what that meant, but immediately the word “privileged” popped into my head.
Whether or not the crowd was comprised of Bar Marmont regulars, I liked it. It was eclectic–there were lots of downtown dwellers (in the know). There were also the kind of guys who would treat you to lovely drinks without expecting anything in return (okay, maybe they expected something…but they didn’t act like it. It was more like they wanted you to experience the taste of a wonderful aged liquor while discussing existential literature).
I will definitely be going back to the bar. Apparently, we went on one of the hottest nights the bar has seen. Usually, it’s a lot more quiet. Like I mentioned above, it’s an exclusive venue, and you have to be on the list, or know someone who is on the list. It’s more classic, old LA than new superficial Hollywood. Instead of being let in by how you look, you’re let in by who you know.
CELEBRITY (CHEF) SIGHTINGS IN DOWNTOWN LA….A SCOOP #DTLA
November 5, 2009
Just left Church & State….One of my dear friends took me out for a belated birthday dinner. As we were leaving, a bunch of Celebrity Chefs arrived. I recognized Ludo Lefebvre right away—as I spent a night talking with him at Ludo Bites a few months ago with one of my French Friends. I went up to Ludo to say hi. I was happy that he remembered me—apparently we are Facebook friends (he pointed that out). Anyhow, I asked him what all the chefs were doing there–and he said they just finished filming. I asked him what they were filming, and he said he couldn’t say…But, I do think it might have to do with TOP CHEF. I recognized some of the other chefs; Mark Peel (the executive chef and owner of Campanile restaurant); Graham Elliot Bowles(three James Beard Nominations); and Wylie Dufresne (the chef/owner of New York’s highly celebrated wd~50 restaurant.). There were a few more Chefs, but I didn’t get a good look at all of them.
Definitely something rad going on…..You know you’re eating at the right place when some of the best chefs in the world sit down right next to you.
The Best Public School in LA…Has No Curriculum
November 3, 2009
http://la.thepublicschool.org/
I found out about The Public School a few months ago. I’m just now getting around to writing a post about it. The Public School is supported in part with grants from the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts and the Annenberg Foundation.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL is a school with no curriculum. At the moment, it operates as follows: first, classes are proposed by the public (I want to learn this or I want to teach this); then, people have the opportunity to sign up for the classes (I also want to learn that); finally, when enough people have expressed interest, the school finds a teacher and offers the class to those who signed up.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL is not accredited, it does not give out degrees, and it has no affiliation with the public school system. It is a framework that supports autodidactic activities, operating under the assumption that everything is in everything.
Los Angeles is not the only city with The Public School. Apparently, you can find this school in New York, Chicago, Philadelphia, Brussels, and Paris.
IN LA:
GENERAL INFO:
For more directions visit: http://www.telic.info/about.html
This class focuses on: drawing, collaboration, interpretation, catharsis, relational aesthetics, subversion, perversion, mobility, negotivity, comics, head shots, etc. etc.
All show sign up for the one night class will be invited to draw and collaborate as stated (or not) in the following manifesto:
Nude models will be on site.
MANIFESTO:
The purpose of a Fucked Up Drawing Party is to get fucked up (i.e. intoxicated) and draw things that are fucked up (i.e. disturbing). What constitutes a Fucked Up Drawing is different for everyone. Some people discover the Fucked Up in aberrant sexuality or perverse violence, for others it may be politically charged. Styles range from abstract mark making to soft-core realism- being eccentrically overt or delicately subtle. The ultimate test is that when you look at a drawing, you think to yourself, “that’s fucked up.”
Fucked Up Drawing Parties are for everyone, including “non-artists.” No one is pressured to make a “good” drawing in the conventional sense, meaning: perspective, accurate anatomy, composition, chiaroscuro, crosshatching.. such skills are not required. Collaboration is encouraged, especially between “artists” and “non-artists.” The resulting collective momentum ensures that each individual has a network of creative support. With this momentum, Fucked Up Drawing Parties can happen anywhere.. the alley, the foyer, or Texarkana. And while these events are considered “parties,” production of drawings is essential.. and of course getting fucked up.
Ideally, the Fucked Up Drawing Parties create a space where all types of people can gather and feel free to indulge their deepest, darkest, most inappropriate fantasies with out fear of castigation. This creation of abject imagery, and our exposure to it, disrupts the hegemonic flow of mass media. The affects of a Fucked Up Drawing Party can be seen in the residue of drawing and inebriation the morning after. To exit a Fucked Up Drawing Party is to embark on a walk, not of shame, but of revitalization towards your freshly fucked up life.
- Date
- January 16, 2010 at 8:00pm
- Location
- The Public School
- Teacher
- Robert Summers
- Limit
- 50
- Fee
- $5 per class or membership
- Other information
- BYOB and BYODS (Bring Your Own Drawing Supplies) Some Drawing Supplies Will be Provided and Live Models
Ryan Gosling’s Dead Man’s Bones: A Halloween Trick or Treat?
November 1, 2009
*”Lose Your Soul“
I’m way over the West Hollywood Halloween Parade. Yes, it’s fun…but there are soooooo many people, it’s hard to park, and the traffic is unbearable (even for LA). So, this Halloween, I went to see Ryan Gosling’s band, Dead Man’s Bones, perform at the Echo with one of my best friends. A great idea, in theory…since the inspiration for the music, according to the band’s myspace page includes: ” the disney haunted mansion, doo wop and 60s girl groups”.
The band is composed of Ryan Gosling, Zach Shields, a female vocalist and the Silverlake Conservatory Children’s Choir. Last night, however, many of the children from the choir were absent, as they were trick-or-treating. Two children showed up. So, at the beginning of the show, Gosling announced that the rest of the choir was made up of friends who learned the songs today. Not a great start to the show.
Speaking of the start of the show, the whole thing began with a strange warm-up act. It wasn’t really an opening band. It was a few random talent acts. I wish this portion of the show would have been better.
The first act were some singing ghosts. I liked them:
Then there were the Apple Sisters, two girls (I think there’s a missing third) put on a little variety show. Unfortunately, they were pretty boring. I’m sorry! The best part of their act was the skit when they were singing and speaking and bubbles came out of their mouth.
Then there was the guy who played the Theremin, an early electronic musical instrument controlled without the player touching it. This was kinda cool. I’d never seen someone play this instrument. But we didn’t need to hear three songs. “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” would have been fine by itself.
During the talent portion of the evening, I was a bit bored, so I started taking photos of the audience. There were some fun costumes–and no one was dressed like a hooker! Yay!
Finally, Dead Man’s Bones came on stage. They were carried up to the front of the Echo in coffins–a fun entrance.
I really didn’t know what to expect from this concert. It just seemed like a fun thing to do on Halloween….and it was. But, Ryan Gosling was the only reason the night worked. Tickets were pretty expensive for the Echo—$20 a pop, plus handling fees…But, everyone at the Echo seemed like they were okay paying $20 to see Ryan Gosling live in person. He was mesmerizing. His charismatic presence took control of the out-of-control situation (the choir not knowing their part and a little girl too shy to sing her lines),with ease. I know I was transfixed on Gosling the whole evening…and I’ve interviewed tons of celebrities in the past. He really has that “It” factor. Poor Zach Shields, a very good-looking guy and other half of the band, seemed out-of-place. He definitely seemed to be in the background.
So what did I think of the music? I think that it was very creative, theatrical and fun. I liked Gosling’s voice. It reminded me of Chris Isaak’s.
Before I purchased tickets for the show, I read a few interviews about how the band started:
“Gosling and Shields met in 2005; Gosling was dating actress Rachel McAdams (his co-star in The Notebook) and Shields was dating her sister Kayleen. “Zach was wearing high heels when I first met him, and we were forced to live in the same house on the first day,” Gosling explained, laughing. “I thought, ‘Who is this guy, what am I going to do with this character?’ And then I thought, ‘Well, I guess we’ll start a band.”
The pair bonded over a shared obsession with scary stuff like ghosts, monsters, and zombies, and set out to create a spooky musical theater production, “a Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire kind of show,” as Gosling described it. Somewhere along the way, the “theater production” aspect of it fell to the wayside, but the songs remained.
Inspired by musical classroom experiments the Langley Schools Music Project and Nancy Dupree’s Ghetto Reality, the two decided to involve children in Dead Man’s Bones from the very beginning. “We’d rather see a high school play as opposed to a Broadway show any day,” Gosling explained. “Not that Broadway shows aren’t great, but there’s just something about a high school play…you’re not distracted by the achievements, you get to watch the process, the will to make something.” *pitchfork.com
In another interview, I read the Gosling grew up in a haunted house and played in a cemetery as a kid…so the “haunted” aspect in his music seems appropriate. I think the haunted aspect works well in some songs. I do like “In the Room Where You Sleep” and “Lose Your Soul”. And these songs are pretty catchy. I just don’t know how if there’s a large enough group of people devoted to this eerie, Halloweeny genre. Gosling’s answer to the question?:
“It seems like an interesting time to come into music, because it seems like everybody’s leaving, every office we go into the guy’s packing up, and pulling all the final things from his desk in a box,” Gosling said. “It seems like, you can’t make money anymore, so people are trying to figure out how it all should work. My impression just seems to be like, it’s kind of the Wild West in a way. Whatever you think of you can do, and that’s really terrifying but also an exciting situation to be in, because you realize that you can create the way that this goes down for you…So people are in it because they want to be, and not because they think it’ll be profitable for them. It seems like it’s good creatively, but you also have to figure out how you want to present your music, because the old model doesn’t work anymore.” * Pitchfork.com
Even if this new creative model doesn’t work, people will still come to the Dead Man’s Bones concerts to see Ryan Gosling. And, I do think he’s a very talented musician. He can play multiple instruments and has a great voice. And believe me, I do love new, creative ventures like this one, but as the friend I attended the concert with posted this on her Facebook profile this morning ” Dead Man’s Bones = (Ryan Gosling) + (your third grade Halloween play when everyone forgot their cues) x (a 6-year-old girl goaded into singing about being shot to death). Arcade Fire, it is not.”
I still think they were some redeeming qualities to the concert…it felt very intimate. I’m happy with the $20 I spent on a night with Ryan Gosling and his band. I think he’s a lot more talented than many actors turned musicians. The video I shot and posted (above) will give you an idea of what the night was like.
Below, see some of the tons of photos I shot at the concert (mostly of Gosling, as he is so photogenic):
As much fun as the concert was, we were starving. We snuck out a bit early to grab TWO BOOTS PIZZA (right next door to the Echo) and TACO ZONE (a few blocks away). I totally recommend both places. The FOOD made the night.
Arrested Development on IFC
October 31, 2009
IFC, is one of my favorite TV stations. There’s always great independent movies to watch . Now, on Sunday and Tuesday nights, IFC is airing Arrested Development (one of my favorite TV shows ever). Arrested Development originally aired from 2003-2006. I actually own the first season on DVD, and I watch the episodes over and over.
“Arrested Development is one of the smartest and funniest shows of the last decade with a hilarious presentation of absurd family dysfunction,” said Jennifer Caserta, executive VP/General Manager of IFC. “It’s a perfect fit for IFC, which viewers recognize as an authority on what’s new, next and relevant in television, film, music, gaming and online, and, more recently, comedy.” *
Apparently, a feature script is in the works! Yay! But until then, you can watch the 53 TV episodes on IFC or Hulu.
Here’s the link to the Arrested Development Pilot on Hulu.
Bart’s Books-My First Time…
October 28, 2009
http://www.bartsbooksojai.com/
When I was in Ojai this past weekend, my friend insisted I visit Bart’s Books. I’m so glad I did. It’s a book-lover’s paradise. Apparently it’s been featured on many documentaries and TV shows. It’s an outdoor bookstore that relies on an honor system when closed. I love Bart’s Books!!!
From the About Section on the Website:
“Bart’s Books, nestled under the 420 year old coastal live oaktree at the corner of Matilija and Canada streets in Ojai, CA, is the home to the largest independently owned and operated outdoor bookstore in the U.S.A.
In 1964 Bart’s Books was little more than a sparkle in the eye of Richard Bartinsdale whose collection of books had gotten so overwhelming that he constructed a series of book cases along the sidewalk so that passersby could peruse the titles.
In lieu of a cash register, “Bart” left coffee cans atop the book cases. People would select a title or two and leave payment in the cans, giving birth to Bart’s world famous tradition of selling books via the honor system.
Since that time Bart’s Books has become host to nearly one million books ranging from the thirty-five cent specials which line the outside walls and are still for sale on the honor system, to rare, out of print first editions, and art books (like Dali’s Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland) valued in the thousands of dollars.
Currently Dave Ray is Bart’s Books bookseller extraordinaire. With his unique blend of expertise, vim, and pure passion for the art of the written word, he brings new life to what The Times calls “an intellectual haven.”
Nearly half a century after its inception, Bart’s Books continues to mystify patrons, journalists, and book lovers with a character and charm that beggars description and a selection of books that is beyond compare.”
Here are some photos I took while I was at Bart’s Books. I found sooooo many books that I wanted to take home. But, my loft is full of books (mostly antique/vintage first editions and art books):
From Wikipedia:
“Bart’s Books in Ojai, California is a bookstore founded by Richard Bartinsdale in 1964. Featured in documentaries and on television news programs for over 40 years, it is a novelty primarily because of being a (mostly) outdoors bookstore, and also because some books are available for sale at all hours.
Shelves of books facing the street are filled with books and patrons are asked to toss coins through the door to pay for any books they take whenever the store is closed. One television documentary had a hidden camera in a van parked across the street to study the honesty of people – how many people actually threw money into the store after hours to pay for books they took when no one was around.
Bart’s is patronized by celebrities who live in or visit the Ojai Valley, as well as a tourist destination for Southern Californians. Currently Dave Ray is Bart’s Books bookseller.”
Ojai Pumpkin Party
October 28, 2009
One of my best friends, a production designer, and her boyfriend, a music video director, hosted a Pumpkin Party at their home in Ojai, CA. What is a Pumpkin Party? It’s a party where all the food and drinks require pumpkin as an ingredient. I had a wonderful time at the party, and took tons of photos. What a great idea for a party? Everything was delicious–especially the pumpkin-infused vodka and pumpkin-ginger soup (which I helped make). See photos of my Ojai trip and the party:
Leaving LA:
Getting to Ojai:
At a Pet Store in Ojai:
My friend’s house (before the party). I love all the vintage furniture and accessories! Apparently there are amazing thrift and antique stores in the area.
Some more photos I took of things I liked around the house before the party. I should have been helping more, but I was taking photos!:
Now for the Party:
I love Ojai… and the pumpkin party was so fun! What a great idea?! Thanks Melissa and Spence!
I’m Loving…. Phil Lumbang’s “Friendly, Polite Bears”
October 28, 2009
For months I’ve seen the happy bears and elephant along Alameda. Everytime I see them, I smile. So, when I saw some more cute bear graffiti images popping up near my loft, I started to do some research. I found out they are artist Phil Lumbang’s creation.
His illustrations of bears, coined “awesome bears” by fans, spread a message of happiness. On his facebook fan page, “Lumbang states, “I’m just trying to sprinkle some smiles around the neighborhood.” He lives and works in Los Angeles with Obey Giant’s Studio Number One.
Here are some photos I took of Lumang’s creative creatures in my neighborhood:
From Giant Robot:
“After working in the production department of Shepard Fairey’s Studio Number One for several years, 23-year-old Philip Lumbang recently and abruptly left the company to pursue his own artistic career. It wasn’t a bad time to do it, since the Sacramento–bred artist’s street work is already a hit among commuters and art bloggers in Southern California. In person, Lumbang is as humble and idealistic as the polite bears that he paints on public walls seem to be.”
Stumbled Upon Site of the Day…
October 22, 2009
http://www.understandingduchamp.com/
I didn’t think anyone REALLY understood Marcel Duchamp….But this website (run by Andrew Stafford), provides insight into many of Duchamp’s aesthetic and artistic ideas via a timeline of his life.
I love art that plays with the viewer’s sense of humor. Duchamp was great at that!
Below are some of my favorite tidbits of info from the site.
