Broadway Gets a Gap : 5 Rocking Out at the Library : 14
JANUARY 19, 2015 I VOL. 44 I #3
FINALLY, REDBIRD LANDS Neal and Amy Fraser’s Restaurant Opens After Five Years of Work
photo by Gary Leonard
SEE PAGE 6
THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES
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AROUND TOWN
Beer and Wine Coming to Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live
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he upcoming Alamo Drafthouse at the renovated Macy’s Plaza, now known as The Bloc, will offer beer and wine to moviegoers when it opens this fall, but it won’t be the only theater in Downtown that allows customers to quaff while they watch. Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live has applied for a beer and wine license, and received the approval of the City Council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee on Tuesday, Jan. 13. Final approval from the full council is anticipated in upcoming weeks. “In order to enhance the movie-going experience at Regal Cinemas, as operators of the theaters we are finalizing plans to… include beer and wine to our menu, as is done in most other premium movie theaters in the area,” said Michael Roth, a spokesman for Anschutz Entertainment Group, which owns and operates L.A. Live. AEG has not yet determined when the 14-screen Regal Cinemas will begin the alcohol service, according to Roth.
Soil Contamination Delays Renovation at Los Angeles State Historic Park
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he extensive renovation of Los Angeles State Historic Park, the 34-acre facility on the edge of Chinatown, has hit delays, and its
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS spring opening has been pushed back. State Department of Parks and Recreation Superintendent Sean Woods said the project, which began in April 2014 and was scheduled to last a year, is now expected to reopen in November. Workers were putting in utility lines when they ran into a section of a brick building they had not seen on historical maps, Woods said, and it had to be excavated. More significantly, he said, heavy metal contaminants were found in several layers of underground ash, the byproduct of the trains that ran on the site in the mid-20th century. The discovery halted construction while the department crafted a remediation plan, which has now been approved by the state Department of Toxic Substances Control, Woods said. Despite the delay, the budget remains at approximately $20 million, Woods added. Completed work thus far includes excavation and grading of the two-acre restored wetlands area, construction of a scenic pedestrian bridge, and framing of a welcome center, ranger station and public restrooms.
Group Looking for Volunteers to Count L.A.’s Homeless
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eeping track of how many Angelenos are homeless is a tall task, and one that requires thousands of volunteers in addition to hired staff. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is asking for just that this month, as it conducts its 2015 Greater L.A. Homeless Count. “[This] is a critical opportunity to gain information about the size and scope of the challenge we face to house community residents experiencing homelessness,” said LAHSA Executive Director Peter Lynn in a prepared statement. “We use this infor-
January 19, 2015
TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD
The School of Light
1933 S. Broadway
Andrew Hall
mation to better target our homeless service resources.” LAHSA needs about 6,000 volunteers for the regional effort on Jan. 27-29, and interested individuals can sign up at theywillcountyou.org. Volunteers, who receive training, will meet at one of more than a dozen deployment centers before heading out for the count. The portion of the count that includes Downtown Los Angeles will take place at 8 p.m. on Jan. 29. Volunteers can select their preferred deployment center in the registration process. The count, which is conducted every other year, helps determine how much federal money is directed to local homeless aid programs. In 2013, LAHSA found that 39,000
January 7, 2015
people were experiencing homelessness in the county on any given night.
Neon Artwork Illuminated After Being Dark for a Decade
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n ultra-bright neon rainbow is poised to illuminate the International Jewelry Center on Thursday, Jan. 22. Dark for nearly a decade, the artwork “Generators of the Cylinder” will be re-lit during a ceremony at 550 S. Hill St. Continued on page 12
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EDITORIALS
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January 19, 2015
Urban Scrawl by Doug Davis
The Right Kind of Riot
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owntown Los Angeles is increasingly emerging as a hub for festivals. The base was laid years ago at the Convention Center, and the South Park complex continues to host the annual E3 video game extravaganza and the summer Anime Expo. Newer additions to the roster include Stan Lee’s Comikaze, and at L.A. Live, the BET Fest. Downtown’s role on the music festival front also is growing. The indie-themed FYF Fest has been based in the Downtown area for several years, whether at Los Angeles State Historic Park or, last year because of construction, at Exposition Park. The bigger play came Labor Day weekend with the inaugural Made in America Festival. Although a second installment has not yet been announced, the recent press release indicating that the event turned a profit for the city, and Mayor Eric Garcetti’s championing of the initial happening, means there is a better-than-average chance of it returning to Grand Park. The Riot L.A. comedy festival, which was scheduled to take place Jan. 16-18 (after Los Angeles Downtown News went to press), didn’t bring nearly as many people to Downtown as Made in America, and it didn’t shut down as many streets. However, the event is a fine addition to the Central City. We’re thrilled with how it has grown since its inception in 2012, and we hope it remains part of the entertainment landscape. Los Angeles Downtown News last week wrote about the festival and how one woman, Abbey Londer, brings more than 150 performers to seven Historic Core venues. It mixes well-known names, among them Al Madrigal, Fred Willard and Maria Bamford, with a collection of other comics. It is all served in bite-sized and generally affordable chunks — most shows lasted 90 minutes and many tickets were $10-$15. As with all festivals, it has the capacity to show off Downtown to people who don’t often come here. This is important as the biggest local comedy clubs are in Hollywood and West Hollywood. While Downtown hosts several weekly alternative comedy nights, these are usually smaller affairs. Riot L.A. has the potential to draw a lot of people to the area, and perhaps a show combined with a nearby meal or a drink at a bar will inspire them to come back. We also like the use of venues. Much of Riot L.A. takes place on Main Street between Second and Third streets, and Londer has successfully convinced the operators of places such as the rock club The Smell and the movie theater the Downtown Independent to host comedy shows for a weekend. Another addition is the new, nearby Regent theater. If there’s an uncertainty about Riot L.A., it’s how big it can grow and how long it can continue. Londer orchestrates everything herself, a monumental task. Hopefully others in the Downtown entertainment scene can recognize the value of the festival and can offer logistical and planning support. After three installments, Riot L.A. is a strong and worthy addition to Downtown. We hope it continues, and that the laughs roll, for many years to come.
Crime Concerns in Downtown
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he LAPD Central Division crime statistics for 2014, which Los Angeles Downtown News reported on last week, are disturbing. The number of violent crimes soared 25% over 2013 levels, rising from 840 to 1,051 incidents. Aggravated assaults rose 34%, from 361 to 485. The number of reported rapes more than doubled: There were 29 in 2013 and 68 last year. Total Part One crimes, which encompass the most serious offenses, including burglary and grand theft auto, rose by nearly 10%. There were 4,239 Part One crimes in 2014, compared to 3,864 the previous year. LAPD officials have sought to rationalize the increase, saying that a primary reason for the spike is a change in how crime is classified. A shift occurred after the Los Angeles Times last August reported that the department incorrectly classified more than 1,000 violent crimes in 2012 and 2013 as less serious offenses. The change resulted in a large uptick in Downtown’s reported rapes and aggravated assaults. Capt. Mike Oreb, who oversees Central Division, told Downtown News, “I don’t think Downtown was less safe in 2014.” That might be the case, but it also might not matter much. Crime statistics are important on a quantitative level, but the impact extends beyond the numbers and can shape the perception of the community. Even if Downtown was technically as safe as it was in 2013 — something impossible to prove — there is now the intangible feeling that the Central City is a bit more dangerous. That is exacerbated by comparing Central Division’s figures with those from the rest of the department. Crime in Los Angeles was up across the board last year, reversing a decade of declines. In announcing the 2014 statistics, LAPD Chief Charlie Beck and Mayor Eric Garcetti pointed, indeed, to the shift in reporting standards. However, the citywide violent crime increase of 14.3% was below the nearly 25% rise in Downtown. Additionally, Central Division’s 34% surge in aggravated assaults outpaced the 28% increase citywide. The numbers of rapes also stands out in a shocking manner: The citywide increase was 21%. Downtown recorded a 135% jump. This is not intended to cause undue alarm. Crime citywide remains historically low, and extended decreases become virtually impossible to sustain at some point. The current Downtown
figures are pretty close in many cases to 2012 levels. Additionally, a preponderance of Downtown crime occurs in Skid Row, and while this doesn’t make matters any less serious, it does mean that the vast majority of Downtown residents and workers are generally not at risk. So what happens now? First and most importantly, the department needs to take the statistics seriously, and not try to downplay or spin them. Even if Central Division leadership truly believes that Downtown is just as safe as it has been in the past, they need to recognize that not everyone will see things the same way. There should also be concrete steps to counter the trend, even if the numbers result from a classification change. After announcing the citywide figures, Garcetti and Beck said the LAPD program to combat domestic violence would be expanded. There should be other steps, too. Downtown businesses and residents have historically partnered well with Central Division leadership and beat cops. Now, Oreb, his top brass and the senior lead officers who regularly interact with Downtown should recognize the potential perception problem and make sure their presence is known, whether this involves hosting and attending community meetings, enhanced communication via social media, or another tactic. The department will find that Downtowners want to be involved and will go to great lengths to keep the community safe — they just need leadership and, in many cases, to be told how they can help. Additionally, there should be a clear explanation and accounting of why the Downtown figures for aggravated assaults, rapes and violent crime exceed the citywide statistics. The change in reporting standards impacted the entire department, so what specifically happened here? The crime statistics are unsettling, but if this is positioned correctly, it can also be an opportunity. The people living in and moving to Downtown are, frequently, individuals committed to the community. In many cases they will happily participate in a neighborhood watch. If told about crime trends and what to look for, they’ll keep their eyes open. The communication has to be open and free flowing. The vast majority of Downtowners want to work with the LAPD and recognize the benefits of doing so. The citizenry is just as important as the police force in keeping the community safe.
January 19, 2015
Downtown News 5
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
With Broadway Gap Open, More Businesses May Follow
Gap Factory Store General Manager Yvette Slattery at the business that opened in December. The shop, which sells discounted Gap goods, is at 737 S. Broadway.
Company’s ‘Factory Store’ Debuted Last Month, and Other Retailers Are Touring the Area By Donna Evans t Broadway and Ninth Street, shoppers of a certain solvency can drop $1,500 on a leather and lamb fur skirt at Acne Studios, then walk across the street and pick up a T-shirt for $185 at Oak. Amble a couple blocks north and pricing for the masses comes into focus, with 50%, 60% and 70% off signs affixed to dozens of racks at the Gap Factory Store. The business, which opened last month at 737 S. Broadway, is the latest addition to a string of clothing stores that began opening on the historic street two years ago. Downtown observers expect the growth to continue. They also anticipate that the businesses will hit a variety of price points. “There is no comprehensive retail strategy,” said Downtown business consultant Hal Bastian. “It’s the diversity of stores that separates us from the sameness in every other retail-built environment.” The Broadway shop is the first Downtown outpost for the San Francisco-based chain. The items hanging from hooks and folded on display tables at the Factory Store are lower priced than in traditional Gaps. Sales signs are apparent throughout the space with 12-foot ceilings and large plate-glass windows. The 7,842-square-foot space, filled with racks
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of sweatshirts, dresses and outerwear, has been busy since opening on Dec. 15, said general manager Yvette Slattery. Even though the store missed a chunk of the holiday shopping season, it made its sales target for December, she said, declining to reveal dollar amounts. “People are super happy to have us here, and the factory stores appeal to people of all economic strata,” she said. Derrick Moore, a retail brokerage expert at Avison Young, said the arrival of Urban Outfitters and Ross Dress for Less helped pave the way for Gap’s bargain-friendly store. Urban Outfitters opened in the former Rialto Theatre at 812 S. Broadway in December 2013. Ross debuted at 719 S. Broadway in March of that year. Once the Gap Factory Store signed a lease, representatives from other retailers, including Guess and Nike, started touring buildings in the area, Moore said. Shiekh Shoes, which is popular among young shoppers, has rented the space next to Gap, he added. Moore said the increase in stores selling clothing or “soft goods” on Broadway signals a strong belief in the future of Downtown retail. “Let’s not forget Burlington [Coat Factory], TJ Maxx and Nordstrom are actively looking to lease in Downtown,” Moore said. “This will be the year when we actually see more recognizable brands in the market including certain
photo by Gary Leonard
hospitality names and new boutique hotel projects.” The Gap addition is another win for the Bringing Back Broadway initiative, launched by 14th District City Councilman José Huizar in 2008. The renaissance underway is not only providing new retail, restaurants and other services to residents and tourists, it is also creating jobs and boosting the economy, he said in an email. “The rapidly expanding Broadway is attracting a wide range of boutique retailers and national brands, all in unique, one-of-a kind settings and historic structures you can only find on Broadway,” he wrote. While Downtown pioneer Steve Needleman, who refurbished the Orpheum Theatre in 2001 and turned the building above it into apartments, is hesitant to make predictions about Broadway’s retail renaissance, he believes this is just the beginning for the street. Needleman is also transforming the nearby structure at 806 S. Broadway into seven apartments.
“I think in three to five years we’ll be back to the [bustling] Downtown retail from decades ago, and Broadway is a big factor, as is the residential base we’re bringing in,” he said. “To be a success, here, you have to accommodate different price ranges, and that’s happening: You’re seeing all spectrums from Acne, Tanner Goods and Aesop to Ross. I think it’s fantastic.” Back at the Gap Factory Store, general manager Slattery compared the resurgence in Downtown Los Angeles to one that occurred in downtown San Diego. She left the San Diego store to open the Broadway business, and sees a parallel between the two communities: San Diego underwent a redevelopment burst in 1985 with the Gaslamp Quarter revival and the completion of the San Diego Convention Center. In 2004, the San Diego Padres’ Petco Park opened and a wave of residential projects followed. She’s not the only one who expects the same thing to continue to happen here. donna@downtownnews.com
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January 19, 2015
Redbird Takes Flight After Years of Delays, Chef Neal Fraser’s Restaurant Opens at Vibiana By Eddie Kim nce upon a time, a Catholic cardinal lived and worked out of the tidy concrete rectory adjacent to the St. Vibiana cathedral at Second and Main streets. If only he could see his old home today, transformed into a colorful altar to modern Los Angeles dining. Maybe he would scratch his head at the refined and sumptuous dishes streaming out of the kitchen. Or perhaps the cardinal would simply be flattered that the restaurant was named for him, albeit with a tongue-in-cheek reference. Either way, Redbird is finally here, having begun serving in mid-December. The restaurant at 114 E. Second St., next to the Vibiana events space (the name for the deconsecrated cathedral), has long been one of the most anticipated arrivals in the city. It took more than five years of planning, design and construction to open the project. The rebirth of the space also represents a kind of resurrection for chef Neal Fraser. Fraser has been a force in the Southern California dining scene since the mid-1990s, and was best known for Grace, the Beverly Boulevard restaurant he opened in 2003 with his wife Amy Knoll Fraser. Grace shuttered in 2010, and though the duo tried other things — the casual BLD, the hot-dog joint Fritzi Dog — it’s the return of a Fraser flagship that diners have been waiting for. The couple got hooked on the Vibiana rectory back in 2008, when Amy Fraser stum-
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bled upon it while working a corporate event at Vibiana. The appeal of the historical space was immediate. “We didn’t look anywhere else in the city. We knew this was the place,” she said. Redbird arrives as Downtown surges into a new phase of growth, with thousands of housing units expected to open in the coming years. It has the couple thinking not just of the present, but also the future. “This was an opportunity to build something that is bigger than us and will live on beyond us,” Neal Fraser said. “Redbird is synonymous with me and Amy right now, but in 10 years it could be an iconic space associated with someone different. That, to me, is a great situation to be in.” Classic But Clever The first steps into Redbird lead to a warm lounge full of cheerful colors and a mess of plush chairs. A large circular bar, topped with gray-veined white marble, occupies the center of the room. The main dining area is outdoors, beneath a retractable canopy. Thick steel beams frame the inky night sky, hazy with light from Downtown’s streets. Once diners are seated, two quirky touches arrive. There’s an “amuse-booze,” a light aperitif that riffs off the traditional “amuse-bouche” appetizer. Then comes a small cloth sack filled with what turns out to be chewy, cheesy gougeres and flaky squares of focaccia bread. The clever touches extend into the menu,
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Neal and Amy Knoll Fraser together run Redbird, the restaurant in the rectory of the former St. Vibiana Cathedral. It has been five years in the making.
which features “kickshaws,” or small barfriendly appetizers, a selection of more traditional starters, main-course entrees and a handful of larger shared meat plates. Appetizers generally run $15-$20, while entrees are around $25-$30 and up. Neal Fraser’s cooking is elegant and modern without grasping for exotic techniques or esoteric flavor combinations. It instead hones in on execution and a smart use of ingredients, as with the roasted duck entree: A seared breast with silky, melting fat and crisp skin arrives sitting on a puddle of Southern “Hoppin’ John,” a rustic mix of cowpeas and rice that gets a spicy kick from “chorizo” made with duck leg. Some bites are simple: The potato-crusted
smoked pork shank is served as crunchy fried balls of falling-apart pork, boosted by a few swipes through some ruddy romesco sauce. Others are more complexly whimsical, as with the dish of briny Santa Barbara sea urchin served with sweet shrimp and a dusting of nitrogen-frozen wasabi “snow,” which disappears on the tongue with a fragrant heat. “I’m a firm believer that I’ve created nothing new,” Neal Fraser said about his menu. “But we take the best ingredients and put them in combinations that just make sense. I try to overcomplicate things less than I used to. That comes with age and experience, I think.” Paging Bill Chait After seeing the Vibiana rectory in 2008, the
January 19, 2015
Downtown News 7
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
photo courtesy Redbird photo by Gary Leonard
Redbird features an outdoor dining area with a retractable roof, as well as an indoor lounge for more casual gatherings. A large circular bar sits between the two spaces.
Frasers began negotiating for the building and looking for financing. Plans didn’t take off until 2010, however, when the couple sold the Grace space to restaurateur Bill Chait and revealed their Downtown plans to him. A deal was soon hatched, echoing Chait’s partnerships in Bestia (with Ori Menashe) and Republique (Walter Manzke), among others. Chait has a reputation for trusting a chef’s vision and providing the business acumen success requires. This time, he was sold on the Frasers’ experience and reputation, Chait said. “I thought Neal had a flexible, diverse perspective on dining, having done Grace as well as more casual concepts,” Chait said. “It’s im-
portant, whether you’re a chef or a manager, to have a youthful mentality and a sense of how people are eating today. It’s easier said than done. Neal and Amy have that.” Chait led the talks with property owner Tom Gilmore, and eventually ended up partnering with Gilmore to take a stake in Vibiana and the rectory. “Bill is a very skillful negotiator,” said Amy Fraser, who is managing partner at Redbird and Vibiana. “He deconstructs ideas and reconstructs them and ends up convincing everyone to go along with it.” Work on the restaurant soon began, and with it came challenges: rehabbing the inte-
Highlight dishes at Redbird include roasted duck breast with “Hoppin’ John,” duck chorizo and Pedro Ximenez sherry.
riors, finding ways to get piping around solid concrete walls, designing the canopy roof outside, determining whether or not to build a new kitchen or use the one down a long hallway in the back of the original cathedral (they chose the latter). The Frasers also took over operations of the Vibiana events space in 2012. Despite a more than $2 million build-out fraught with delays, Redbird is worth the work, the Frasers say. Looking ahead, the influx of new residents in Downtown promises a wide and diverse customer base. That will also provide culinary inspiration to tweak the menu to diners’ changing tastes over time, Neal Fraser said.
“There’s so much creative energy down here that you don’t find in other parts of the city,” Amy Fraser said. “It’s walking around seeing development, the culinary talent coming here, the people walking in the doors who are looking for a cosmopolitan experience.” It’s been quite the journey for Neal and Amy Fraser, who made a pact 17 years ago to one day live in Downtown. The Silver Lake residents haven’t done so yet. For now, a beautiful new restaurant in a cardinal’s old home will have to do. Redbird is at 114 E. Second St., (213) 788-1191 or redbird.la. eddie@downtownnews.com
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Architecture and Design Museum Coming to Arts District
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be bringing the A+D to the community. The museum began in the Bradbury Building, a move facilitated by the late Ira Yellin, a noted architecture fan who owned the historic property. The museum was not paying any rent to occupy the ground-floor space and as a result, it had to relocate after his death in 2003. In the following years it ping-ponged to various donated spaces, finally landing at 6032 Wilshire Blvd. in 2010. Dunbar had looked forward to ending the museum’s nomadic existence when she signed the Wilshire Boulevard lease. However, not long after the build-out, A+D was thwarted by eminent domain: The MTA will raze its building and some surrounding structures to make way for the Fairfax station of the under-construction Purple Line. The museum will operate at its current location through Jan. 31 and Dunbar anticipates an Arts District opening in May or June. Construction on the Downtown site has already begun, she added. Progressive Exhibits Dunbar describes the A+D museum, which has two full-time employees, as a place devoted to exhibiting progressive architecture and design in Los Angeles. She imagines offering programs in conjunction with SCI-Arc, though nothing has been set. A+D also provides a forum for contemporary issues in architecture,
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• Best Wedding Day/Engagement Story • Most Romantic Story • Best Worst First Date Story (for those less bullish on Feb. 14) Stories should be no more than 200 words!
ENTRIES: Deadline Monday, February 2 at 5 p.m. Email it contests@downtownnews.com (subject line: Love Story Contest) Mail it 1264 W. First St., Los Angeles CA 90026 (postmarked by Feb. 1st) All or part of the submissions may be published in our special Romance in the City issue (or online), which hits stands Feb. 10 and become the property of Los Angeles Downtown News.
Must be 21 years of age to enter. Room night subject to availability. Performance tickets subject to availability, artist and program subject to change. Performance tickets will be held at will call under the winners name. All other prizes will be mailed to winners.
New
January 19, 2015
LOVE LINES
A vacant one-story brick building at 900 E. Fourth St. will become the new home of the A+D Architecture and Design Museum. The institution is leaving online publishing February 9. its current home on Wilshire Boulevard and expected to open in Streetcar... I can’t waitisto have you Downtown by June.
Express Your Love
Move Marks a Homecoming for Institution That Began in Bradbury Building By Donna Evans ive years after leaving the Central City, the A+D Architecture and Design Museum is coming home. For executive director Tibbie Dunbar, the return to Downtown Los Angeles is bittersweet. The institution opened in the Bradbury Building in 2001, but for the last half decade has been based on Museum Row on Wilshire Boulevard. Construction on an upcoming Metropolitan Transportation Authority project is forcing the move. Last month, Los Angeles Downtown News reported that the museum has inked a deal to open in an 8,000-squarefoot space at 900 E. Fourth St. The location is, fittingly, mere blocks from the Southern California Institute of Architecture. “We’re looking forward to the synergy with our neighbors, SCI-Arc, and to being the first museum in the Arts District,” Dunbar said, describing the community as “a very exciting neighborhood that is growing and changing.” Dunbar has signed a two-year lease for the vacant, one-story brick building at Fourth and Colyton streets. Dilip Bhavnani, a principal at Legendary Developments, which owns the property, originally considered a bowling alley for the building. But a museum is more in line with the fabric of the neighborhood, he said. Bhavnani said he is “completely thrilled” to
New love in your life? A special valentine for mom?
in our romantic Love Lines section
It’s FREE!
ride all over me... Broadway
All you have to do is…
photo by Donna Evans
• Email your message to lovelines@downtownnews.com interior, and to sublease the remaining space, urbanism and design. said Danielle Cornwell of brokerage firm Jones Although she would not detail future pro• 20 words or less Lang LaSalle. Dunbar suggested a cafe or bookgraming in Downtown, Dunbar said examples • Include your exhibits contact info phone and email) store(name, are possibilities that “go well with our misof what to expect come from previous sion. ” at the Wilshire Boulevard location. One example • Don’t forget the name of the person you are she cited is Never Built: Los Angeles, which ex- line to When the Fourth Street lease ends in two sending the love years, Dunbar would like to stay in Downtown, plored a host of projects throughout the city’s • Limited 1 FREE message per reader she said. history that didn’t make it off theto drawing board. (don’t tryontodisplay: be sneaky, we know) Dunbar said she wants to preserve much Then there’s the exhibit currently
of the building at Fourth and Colyton streets, Public Work is the first exhibition to focus exclueaDline for entries including some “beautiful graffiti elements” sively on Los Angeles-based artist Peter Shire’s on the walls. Inside Dunbar will maintain the public and private architecturalebruary commissions. It wooden, bow-truss ceiling and exposed brick includes tabletop models, framed sketches and walls. The museum will also have 25 parking even an installation hanging from the ceiling. Another exhibit, Eames Words, took the com- spaces. The aesthetics of the museum’s new location ments of designers and suspended them in reflects the neighborhood’s grittiness, which the air. The intent was to put visitors inside the Dunbar said she hopes the Arts District can minds of designers so that they could see their hang on to as it sees a wave of upscale eateries, creative process, and have more insight into a shops and housing complexes. She hopes the building than just the final product. A&D will also attract more museums and gallerA+D has tapped architecture giants Gensler and RTKL to design the Arts District space. They ies to the area. donna@downtownnews.com plan to use 6,000 square feet of the building’s
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Thinking about proposing? New love in your life? A special valentine for mom?
LOVE LINES Express Your Love
in our romantic Love Lines section online publishing February 9.
It’s FREE!
All you have to do is…
Streetcar... I can’t wait to have you ride all over me... Broadway
• Email your message to lovelines@downtownnews.com • 20 words or less • Include your contact info (name, phone and email) • Don’t forget the name of the person you are sending the love line to • Limited to 1 FREE message per reader (don’t try to be sneaky, we know)
DeaDline for entries february 3
Yo Robert Lee… Wende Lee
Jerome… You lov and my air. I
M Dennisse… lov yesterday, I will… Luis
m Dan… You night sweete
Valentine gr Chicago! Gr deeds… Ca
Velt Villain We’re on th wished it e
TB129… someone day more than tod
Alyssa…
Marc Ja
Downtown News 9
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
The Central City Crime Report
arrested on suspicion of robbery.
A Rundown on Downtown Incidents, Trends and Criminal Oddities
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Big Loss: Unidentified thieves stole approximately $800,000 worth of electrical parts, copper piping and an air conditioning unit from a commercial building under construction in the 100 block of West 11th Street. The break-in occurred at 11:30 a.m. on Jan. 2. Not So Funny: Burglars drilled open a storage unit door in the 800 block of South Hill Street between October 2014 and Jan. 5
and made off with $12,000 worth of comic books. Shopping Spray: An employee of Office Depot, at 401 E. Second St., attempted to stop a suspected thief from making off with a backpack. When the worker confronted the man, at 10:30 a.m. on Jan. 8, he was hit in the face with what appeared to be pepper spray. Fast Food Blues: A man waiting in the drive-thru line at the McDonald’s at Seventh and Alameda streets was pulled from his vehicle by a person in the parking lot. The suspect stole $250 and took the passenger’s purse during the 1 a.m. incident on Jan. 8. The victim then called police and followed the suspect, who was
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Paintball Surprise: An unidentified group of men drove around Downtown streets at 11 p.m. on Jan. 5 randomly firing paintball pellets out of the car window. One man was hit in the shoulder in the 100 block of West Fourth Street and suffered a large bruise.
fice
By Donna Evans n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.
Say No to Drugs: A man pedaling his bicycle near Fifth Street and Broadway at 3:30 a.m. on Jan. 10 was stopped by another man and offered marijuana. When the cyclist said no, the dealer grabbed his bag and bicycle and fled.
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January 19, 2015
Downtown’s Eager Sneaker Cleaners Drop-Off Sneaker Care Business Opens in Little Tokyo
photo by Gary Leonard
Jason Angsuvarn started an online business selling sneaker cleaning solution in 2006. In June he opened a store in Little Tokyo, Jason Markk, where customers bring their shoes for cleaning.
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to Jason Markk for a $15 cleaning. Depending on the service package, customers spend up to $32, but can tack on extras such as swapping out laces ($8) and adding a water repellant ($10). Cleanings take about three days, but expedited service is an option. To customer Corey Populus, the service is invaluable. Populus has a pair of 20-year-old black and red Jordan 1s and wanted them to shine like new. The shoes he got back after a cleaning, he said, looked like they rolled off the factory floor in 1994. “It’s a great thing because what if you have that pair of kicks you really love and they aren’t ever going to come back out and you just need that deep clean you can’t do yourself,” Populus said. In the Shoe Zone Before opening a bricks-and-mortar shop, Angsuvarn had an online business. He originally launched jasonmarkk.com in 2006 to sell biodegradable sneaker cleaning solutions and kits. Angsuvarn got the idea for a location at 329 E. Second St. in Little Tokyo from Jeff Malabanan, who co-owns RIF LA. The store that sells rare and limited edition sneakers is across the street from Jason Markk. Angsuvarn and Malabanan have known each other since they both started their respective businesses eight years ago. In 2007, RIF LA began buying used shoes on consignment that the staff would clean up and sell. They used Jason Markk products because the solution worked on a variety of materials, from patent leather to ostrich skin to pony hair. “The businesses complement each other. It’s perfect,” Malabanan said. Angsuvarn admits that sneaker cleaning is not a new phenomenon. Anyone who is enthusiastic about their athletic footwear has probably long drummed up home recipes for removing smudges and other imperfections.
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By Donna Evans magine a dry cleaning service for sneakers. It may seem an unusual idea to most people, but Jason Angsuvarn knows that his customers aren’t “most people.” They’re sneaker enthusiasts, and not only will they pay more for a pair of kicks than other Angelenos, they’ll take unexpected steps to keep them in pristine condition. Angsuvarn’s thinking in launching the business dubbed Jason Markk, which opened on Second Street in Little Tokyo last June, was simple: People leave expensive clothes at the cleaners and hand their car keys to a detailer, so why not take your shoes, which cost from $250 all the way to about $3,000, to a professional? In the first week in his 1,900-square-foot space, Angsuvarn said he cleaned about five pairs of shoes per day. Now the Arts District resident’s team of what he dubs “sneaker care technicians” scrubs, polishes, deodorizes and details about upwards of 30 pairs each day. “A big part of the sneaker culture is keeping them clean,” said Angsuvarn, 34. “No one wants to have fresh kicks and have them all busted. It’s not a good look.” On a weekday afternoon, Nagchampa incense wafted through the store and a mix of reggae and jazz played from the overhead speakers. A display case featuring a collection of rare sneakers, including one worn by Michael Jordan in the film Space Jam, greeted customers, and a handful of racks offering hats, cleaning kits and T-shirts stood nearby. Then there’s the wooden shoeshine chair, complete with leather seat and metal footrests. Behind rows of shoes covered in canvas bags waiting to be picked up, two of Angsuvarn’s technicians were restoring some worn Nikes and a set of vintage Air Jordan 6 Carmines that had never touched a human foot. The retro high tops looked immaculate except for one blemish, so the owner brought them
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photo by Gary Leonard
photo by Gary Leonard
Ward Landis (front) and Jino Jinowat clean a variety of sneakers, from a pair of never-been-worn Air Jordans to a customer’s running shoes. Prices run up to $32.
Jeff Malabanan, who co-owns RIF LA, a rare and limited edition sneaker retailer, suggested the idea of opening a store to Jason Angsuvarn.
Take Ward Landis, for example. Known to his 42,000 Instagram followers as “Shoe Wolf,” Landis owns some 800 pairs of sneakers (he is trying to trim that number to 600). As the sneaker care technician supervisor for Jason Markk, Landis uses the store’s products to clean the parade of shoes that pass before him, but years ago it was trial and error with Palmolive and toothpaste. To the diehards, an artistic component accompanies the busi-
ness side of footwear. The shoes Landis sported on a recent workday, Nike SB Air Jordan 1s, were bright white all over, with underlying traces of red, black and blue. The white will wear, Landis said, and slowly expose the layer of vibrant colors. Landis doesn’t mind sticking his hands into other people’s shoes because, most of the time, he said, customers take good care of them. Of course, there are also run-of-the-mill workout sneakers, like the Nikes that Jino Jinowat was giving a deep
cleaning recently. The pair did cause Jinowat to take pause, as the customer admitted they were her hiking shoes, and that she doesn’t wear socks. Smiling, he and Landis said they don’t mind that. “We all love sneakers. That’s one big part of the job,” Landis said. Jason Markk is at 329. E Second St., (213) 687-7060 or jasonmarkk.com donna@downtownnews.com
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AROUND TOWN, 2 from 4-6 p.m. Refurbishment of the work cost about $120,000, said spokeswoman Roxie Sarhangi. The 270-foot long sculpture, created by Michael Hayden, lines the ceiling of the pedestrian arcade along Hill Street just east of Pershing Square. The installation debuted in 1982. Over time, though, said Sarhangi, “airborne detritus” contaminated the piece and caused it to lose its luster. Michael Grosswendt of All Coast Construction was hired by the building’s owner to refurbish the sculpture as part of an overall property update. He tapped Damion Gardner of DG Designs to replace the outdated technology.
New Restaurants Headed to Financial District, South Park
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izza lovers will soon have another option in Downtown, thanks to the imminent ar-
rival of 800 Degrees Pizzeria. The latest addition to the Central City’s pantheon of pie will be a fast-casual concept from Umami Burger honcho Adam Fleischman; it is filling a space at, fittingly, 800 Wilshire Blvd., and is expected to open in February. The restaurant specializes in thin-crust Neapolitan-style pizza, which customers can customize with various sauces and toppings. The individualsized pies only take a few minutes to cook in the wood-fired oven and cost around $10 and up (depending on toppings). Meanwhile, in South Park, big changes are coming to the former Rivera space at 1050 S. Flower St., which closed at the end of December. With the departure of chef John Sedlar, restaurateur Bill Chait (Redbird, Bestia) is flipping the space near L.A. Live into the new home for another pan-Latin concept, chef Ray Garcia’s Broken Spanish. Renovations are starting soon and Broken Spanish is slated to debut in late spring. Garcia is best known for his six-
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year stint as chef of Santa Monica’s Fig, where he melded French technique with seasonal Californian produce.
Tell a Love or Bad Date Story, Win a Prize
L
ove is a many-splendored thing. Then again, so are bad dates. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Los Angeles Downtown News is looking for stories about either experience. Yes, it’s our annual Love Story Contest, and those who pen the best true tale of their positive or negative encounter can win a sweet prize. There are three categories: Best Wedding Day/Engagement Story; Most Romantic Story; and Best Worst First Date Story. Stories must be less than 200 words (we’re serious about this) and the Downtown News editorial staff will select the winners. The grand prize is a one-night stay at the Omni Los Angeles Hotel at California Plaza including dinner for two at Noé restaurant, and a pair of tickets to see the Tania Perez-Salas dance company at the Ahmanson Theatre in May. Other prizes include gift cards to the Patina Restaurant Group, Chaya and Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live. Email stories to contests@downtownnews.com or mail them to 1264 W. First St., L.A., CA 90026. All entries must be received by Monday, Feb. 2, at 5 p.m. No exceptions.
Free Screening of Frozen This Week
A
ny family with an elementary school age daughter, pay attention: There will be a free screening of the animated film Frozen
January 19, 2015 this week in Downtown. On Wednesday, Jan. 21, the story of Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff, Sven and others from the land of the ice and the snow will be shown at the FIGat7th shopping center as part of the Flix at FIG series. A DJ and happy hour start at 5 p.m., and the movie begins at 6 p.m. inside Taste, the complex’s food court. The first 150 guests will receive free kettle corn. As part of the evening, MAC Cosmetics will host a Frozen Beauty Bar, offering Frozen-inspired hair and make-up. The event is at 735 S. Figueroa St.
Dog Daycare, Boarding Facility Opens in Arts District
T
he legions of Downtown dog lovers have another place to take their four-legged friends, as doggie daycare business Uptown Pup opened at 819 Mateo St. in the Arts District this month. Jason Bornstein, who co-founded the business with his cousin, Trevor Kershaw, said the two built out the 7,100-square-foot space — the indoor pup play area is 3,000 square feet — inside a former textile mill. Bornstein said that with so many dogs in Downtown, and no daycare or boarding facilities in the Arts District, he saw an opportunity. “We both had similar [negative] experiences with taking our dogs into boarding facilities and knew we wanted to make it better,” Bornstein said. In addition to daycare and boarding, services at Uptown Pup include training, grooming and walking. Bornstein expects to hold a grand opening next month. He said a future addition will be 24/7 streaming video so that people at work or out of town can peep in on their pet.
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photo courtesy of Wooster Group
January 19, 2015
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New York’s Wooster Group Returns to REDCAT With Show Embracing American Spiritual Music
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with LeCompte and other members of the comBy Eddie Kim roductions from the Wooster Group, New pany to the Sabbathday Shaker community in townNews Maine. The experience of meeting the Shaker com/L.A.Downtheater York City’s ebook.avant-garde Facfamed sisters, celibate Christians who focused on work troupe, often employ chaotic uses of and worship, and speaking to them about their technology, wild staging and well-timed doses Like Downtown News on Facebook life’s mission was a “revelation,” Valk says. of madness. Whether with the dark drama of & Be Entered to Win Movie Tickets! “They lived and worked communally with a Cry, Trojans! or the techno-remix wonders of higher goal, and the community was the strucHamlet, the company has rarely shied from beture that gave them the ability to pursue spirituing forceful in its storytelling. ality,” Valk said. “I guess that’s what I was looking Its newest production, opening at REDCAT for myself: a place to work and learn and someon Wednesday, Jan. 21, steps away from such stresses, instead embracing the peace of Amer- one to follow. [LeCompte] was becoming my mentor, and the parallels fueled my imagination.” ican spiritual music. Early Shaker Spirituals lacks a narrative arc, Early Shaker Spirituals, which runs through but it is an examination of the emotions and Feb. 1, is an austere but joyful interpretation of an unexpected musical record: a 1976 album of motivations of the Shakers. Music played a significant role in their worship, as did their exhymns and monologues performed by women pressive and ecstatic dancing, which gave the from the Sabbathday Lake Shaker community, “Shakers” their name. the only active Shaker community in the counEWS In the production, members “It’s about how, by being devoted and tryE-N today. of the om News.c SIGN UP Sign up at Downtown humble and giving yourself over to this ducompany, directed by longtime Wooster Group tiful way of life, you find great beauty and member Kate Valk, perform 18 songs and SignOther Up for Our E-News & peace,” Roche said. “It’s about stillness in a two speeches. performers join in as Blasts the Be Entered Movie Tickets! world full of movement.” group dances to some ofto theWin songs. Sit and Sing It’s a curious and unlikely culmination of The 1976 Shaker record and the trip to Maine more than 30 years’ worth of research and sat in the minds of Valk and LeCompte for dethinking about the subject for Valk and compacades. The idea to produce it for the stage ny artistic director Elizabeth LeCompte, who is didn’t come until 2012 when Valk was in a bar one of the show’s four main performers, along with McDormand, who had been working with with Cynthia Hedstrom, Suzzy Roche and Osthe theater director Martha Clarke on another car-winning actress Frances McDormand. In 1980, a 21-year-old Valk went on a field trip Shaker-related show.
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New York City’s acclaimed Wooster Group returns to REDCAT on Jan. 21-Feb. 1 to present Early Shaker Spirituals, an interpretive performance based on a 1976 album of Shaker songs and monologues.
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no videos of their dancing, Roche said, so much “Fran just turned to me and said, ‘I want to of Wooster Group’s interpretation comes from be a Shaker,’” Valk recalled. “Then it just came historical Shaker texts and other cultures with to me.” similar traditions. The dances range from comThe idea sparked an impulse for the Wooster Group to revisit whatStarts Valk terms the Jan. 9 / 16posed and choreographed to wild and spontaneous, with jerks, jumps and other expressions “record interpretation” form it had used in of uninhibited happiness. 1981’s Hula and 1984’s L.S.D. (...Just the High The Wooster Group has made its bones by Points...). The company saw potential for thetackling unconventional and challenging mateatrical power in the Shaker melodies, which rial, said David Bridel, director of the MFA acting were sung in unison. program at the University of Southern CaliforDespite the album’s merits, Valk thought the piece would be difficult for audiences. The sing- nia. He called Wooster Group the “grandparent” of modern avant-garde theater, but noted that ers largely sit in chairs, their backs straight and their palms folded in their laps, for the first “act.” the company continues to push the limits on what constitutes an evening of theater. It’s anything but visually dynamic in the tradi“What’s fascinating is how they disassemble tional sense. “I didn’t think the piece was going to be well- the art form and put the pieces back together in disconcerting and interesting ways to an audireceived. I had no idea there was an audience ence,” Bridel said. “It’s truly amazing how it isn’t for it,” Valk said. “It was more about getting tojust intellectual fireworks, but real human emogether to sing these songs.” Starts Jan. 16 tion in their storytelling, too.” Since debuting at the Performing Garage So don’t be fooled by the Shakers’ austerity in New York City last summer, however, Early — it’s a community that found pleasure in the Shaker Spirituals has received accolades. Part simple things, after all. Just like the source maof its appeal is in how the songs’ positivity and terial, Valk hopes that Early Shaker Spirituals deemotion resonate, Roche said. “Down in the lowly veil/living waters never livers an essential feeling: pure joy in the form of song and dance, just like it did for her more fail/Moved by the present gale/gentle breezthan 30 years ago. es blowing,” said Roche, reciting a lyric. “It’s Early Shaker Spirituals runs Jan. 21-Feb. 1 at all about the joy of humility. It’s not self-agREDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or grandizing.” redcat.org. Unlike with the singing, the dancing is not eddie@downtownnews.com a replica of how the Shakers moved. There are
Starts Jan. 23
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14 Downtown News
January 19, 2015
Rocking Out in the Library Photo Exhibit Chronicles Guns & Roses, The Nymphs, Redd Kross and Other ’80s L.A. Bands By Donna Evans ibraries are, by their very nature, quiet places. That said, a new exhibit at Downtown’s Central Library may make visitors want to jump up, dance and perhaps even sing or scream. From Pop to Pit: the LAPL Photo Collection Celebrates the L.A. Music Scene, 1978-1989 is a collection of 31 black-and-white prints featuring both well-known and largely forgotten bands of the era. It is on display in the History & Genealogy Department (fourth floor below street level) through June 28. The show, culled in part from the 2 million photographs in the Herald Examiner photo collection stored in the library, and with other images from shooters including Gary Leonard, revisits a heady time in the local music scene. Back then, recalled Wendy Horowitz, a Central photo librarian, Los Angeles was awash in punk, pop, hip-hop, ska, metal, thrash and rock. The medley of sounds, she recalled, echoed from tiny clubs on the Sunset Strip through the beach communities and into the San Fernando and San Gabriel valleys. Horowitz worked with Senior Librarian Christina Rice to pick bands that defined the era in all genres. The framed prints depict acts including Guns & Roses, The Nymphs, Oingo Boingo, El Vez, Social Distortion and The Blasters, though in no particular order. “That was premeditated,” Horowitz said dur-
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ing a recent tour of the show. “We wanted to emphasize that there’s no preference, there’s no bias, no one is more important than anyone else. We’ve got relatively obscure bands sitting alongside household-name bands.” Though the Herald Examiner collection was huge, it also had gaps. Rice and Horowitz realized that they couldn’t find an impactful image of prominent metal band Mötley Crüe. “They were a really huge band who ushered in the ’80s rock era,” Rice said. “If we didn’t have Mötley Crüe, we weren’t doing the exhibit.” That’s when the curators turned to Leonard, who shoots for Los Angeles Downtown News and has the Take My Picture gallery on Ninth Street between Spring and Broadway. Leonard didn’t have a picture handy, but he recalled shooting the band, which features Vince Neil and Tommy Lee, during a rehearsal at a theater in Pasadena. He knew it had been printed in the L.A. Reader, a now-defunct alternative weekly. Rice tapped into her fandom and figured it had to be November 1983, when they played the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium. So she pored through the archived L.A. Readers and found a rarely seen image of the band. Then Leonard was able to print and donate it to the collection. Coming to L.A. Horowitz and Rice have an easy manner when they discuss the era. They’re also both
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Mötley Crüe ushered in the ’80s rock scene, according to Christina Rice, co-curator of the new Central Library photo exhibit From Pop to Pit: the LAPL Photo Collection Celebrates the L.A. Music Scene, 1978-1989. This image was shot by Gary Leonard during a rehearsal in 1983.
huge music fans. Horowitz says she even moved to Los Angeles from Connecticut in 1989 so she could regularly attend shows by one of her favorite bands, Redd Kross. “Wendy is alternative and punk. I’m the rocker. We love music,” said Rice. They also strove to provide captions for each image. That meant sometimes tracking down band members directly or contacting people through Facebook. For photographer Todd Everett’s image of what looked to be a snowstorm engulfing The Dickies in 1989, Horowitz
called her friend Leonard Phillips, the band’s lead singer. Turns out, those white specks flecked about the image were tiny Styrofoam balls from the beanbag that Phillips liked to destroy on stage. Another shooter represented is Lucy Snowe. A stringer for the Herald Examiner, she spent at least three nights a week at local clubs, raising her lens amid flailing limbs and sweaty bodies. She remembers bouncers holding up hunks of plywood to separate her from the encroaching mosh pit. Then it was off to deposit her Kodak
January 19, 2015
Downtown News 15
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
photo courtesy of the Central Library
photo courtesy of the Central Library
Eddie Van Halen goes ahead and jumps in a 1984 image by Paul Chinn.
Photographer Steve Grayson captured Eazy-E in 1989. The rapper made his name as a member of N.W.A.
Lucy Snowe’s photo of Redd Kross is one of 31 images in the show. It runs through June 28.
Tri-eX 400-speed film in the newspaper’s night drop box, at about 3 a.m., before heading back to her West Hollywood home. “I thought it was combat photography. I was energized by it,” Snowe said by phone from her Oregon home. Snowe, who leads a much quieter life raising chickens now, recalled that even the band members back then had day jobs. Laughing, she said a lot of musicians worked at printing stores so they could make hundreds of posters to market themselves on the Sunset Strip. Snowe has five pieces in the exhibit, including pictures of
Warrant, Perry Farrell of Jane’s Addiction, and Steven and Jeff McDonald, the brothers who as teenagers formed Redd Kross. The image depicting sheets of hair flying, mismatched polyester outfits and Steven McDonald wailing on his warlock bass resonated with Rice, even if Horowitz was the bigger fan. “This is a spectacular photo,” Rice said. “They’re having fun and that’s another thing I wanted to get across with this exhibit: These L.A. musicians were free to be themselves.” While Snowe survived her freelance shooting of the late 1980s unscathed, she did once upset a house manager at Bor-
dello on Santa Monica Boulevard, she said. The man snatched her camera and ripped out the film that held frames of a seemingly drunk Axl Rose, who was partying with the crowd. Snowe wasn’t phased. She just picked up her camera, fetched more film and continued snapping photos at another cramped Los Angeles Club. From Pop to the Pit: LAPL Photo Collection Celebrates the Los Angeles Music Scene, 1978-1989 runs through June 28 at the Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lapl.org. donna@downtownnews.com
photo courtesy of the Central Library
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January 19, 2015
CALENDAR LISTINGS EVENTS
ROCK, POP & JAZZ Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. Jan. 19: Kinsey-Willis-Borial. Jan. 20: McGregor-Crawford-Coye featuring Bennie Maupin. Jan. 21: Nick Mancini’s Organ Trio with Brian Charette. Jan. 22-23: Ben Wendel Quartet. Jan. 24: Zach Danziger and Mark Guiliana. Jan. 25: Maurizio Rolli’s California Dream Band. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. Jan. 19, 8 p.m.: After tonight, Sego will be gone but not forgotten. Jan. 21, 8 p.m.: Have a Blind Date with this noteworthy indie showcase and this month’s guests Royal Tonuges, Brown Shoe, Saturn City and Waterbed. Jan. 22, 8 p.m.: Moon Hooch achieved brief fame through aggressive busking in New York City subway stations. Can you say the same? Jan. 23, 9 p.m.: There will presumably be dancing when The Wombats come to town. Jan. 24, 2 p.m.: For those with a Friday night curfew, the Wombats will return for a Saturday matinee. So bring your best girl, then after the show, take her for a soda pop. Jan. 24, 9 p.m.: More music from that great and gentrified promised land known as Brooklyn with The Mast. Club Nokia 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or clubnokia.com. Jan. 22, 7 p.m.: Byun Jin Sup, the ever-gregarious entertainer with slang for a last name, pops in to L.A. Live. Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com. Jan. 20, 10 p.m.: The Get Down Boys’ name refers to getting
Read carefully folks, because Frank Portman, aka Dr. Frank of the Mr. T Experience, is headed to the Redwood Bar and Grill on Friday, Jan. 23. The Mr. T Experience has nothing to do with the Mohawk-sporting former A-Teamer, but everything to do with the golden age of tuneful California punk rock. Portman will be recounting his experiences on the road as he promotes his latest literary effort, King Dork Approximately. Packed in with the nostalgia will be a bit of live music from Berkeley’s own punk laureate. Those who arrive early will be treated to some songs from Kepi Ghoulie, Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Turkish Techno. At 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.
The literati this week are invited to a solid week of programprogram ming at the Historic Core’s Last Bookstore. Bookstore On Wednesday, Jan. 21, at 7 p.m., literary agent Steven Hutson opens up about etiquette and the all-too-frequent faux pas that mar the process of securing representation. Those who have been submitting manuscripts once a week with query letters written in blood should plan to attend. On Thursday at 6:30 p.m., author George D. Morgan reads and signs his latest work of nonfiction. Rocket Girl chronicles the life of the first female rocket scientist, Mary Sherman Morgan, who also happens to be the author’s mother. Both events are free. At 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.
image by © Dan McCoy - Rainbow/Science Faction/Corbis
saTurday, January 24 Heidi Duckler Dance Theater SCI-Arc, 350 Merrick St. or heididuckler.org. 8 p.m.: Duckler revisits and updates her 1992 work Parts and Labor, which explores this country’s love affair with the automobile. Dancers will perform on and around a 1970 Cadillac Coup de Ville. The $100 tickets include a post-show party.
It’s always a treat when Emmanuel Ax returns to Downtown Los Angeles, and this week he’ll be showing off his prodigious piano skills a whopping four times at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Ax joins the L.A. Phil’s Chamber Music allstar team on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 8 p.m. to execute a trio of pieces from Mozart and Beethoven. Then on Thursday-Saturday, Ax and conductor Miguel Harth-Bedoya lead the Philharmonic through a rousing program of Liszt, Chopin and Prokofiev. At 111 S. Grand Ave., (323) 850-2000 or laphil.com.
photo by Dina Graves
Thursday, January 22 Think, Sync and Drink at MOCA MOCA, 250 S. Grand Ave., (213) 626-6222 or moca.org. 6 p.m.: In the face of shrinking arts budgets, K-12 teachers in the visual and creative pursuits are invited to coalesce into a supportive and somewhat inebriated body of mutual discovery. Ideas will be discussed. Art and beverages will be enjoyed. Rocket Girl at Last Bookstore Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 6:30 p.m.: George D. Morgan reads from his latest effort, Rocket Girl, a biography of the first female rocket scientist who was, coincidentally, his mother.
By Dan Johnson calendar@downtownnews.com photo by Lisa Marie Mazzucco
Wednesday, January 21 Jeff Change and Justin Simien at Aloud Central Library, Mark Taper Auditorium, 630 W. Fifth St., (213) 228-7500 or lfla.org. 7:15 p.m.: Hip-hop scholar and author of the recent Who We Be: The Colorization of America joins the director of Dear White People on stage. They’ll discuss the status of American ethnic identity in the age of Obama. Jose Sanchez at SCI-Arc SCI-Arc, 255 S. Santa Fe. Ave, (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu. 7 p.m.: In a lecture entitled “Gamescapes,” Sanchez enumerates the plethora of contributions video game engineering has given to the world of design. Not sure whether or not these games have actually helped us save the princess from Donkey Kong. Steve Huston at Last Bookstore Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 7 p.m.: What better event to host at a bookstore than a literary agent who discusses everything you as a writer have done wrong to self market?
Documentarian, filmmaker and all-around good American Ken Burns comes to the Ace Hotel on Monday, Jan. 19, at 7 p.m., and you have cancer to thank for his appearance. Yes, cancer. That’s because Burns will screen and discuss the first of three segments from his latest project, Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies. While the two hours of subject matter may not be the cheeriest entertainment on record, a chance to probe the dynamic intellect of Burns the storyteller is an unprecedented opportunity. Snag your tickets today. At 929 S. Broadway, (213) 623-3233 or acehotel.com/ losangeles.
“Leave the gun, take the parking validation,” will be the words of the day as Nokia Theatre hosts a live orchestral accompaniment of Francis Ford Coppola’s seminal 1972 cosa nostra epic The Godfather. On Saturday, Jan. 24, at 8 p.m., the film’s Nino Rota score will be played live by the Hollywood Studio Symphony while the movie is shown on a big screen. Tickets were still available at press time, so make yourself an offer you can’t refuse and head down to L.A. Live for the 8 p.m. event. At 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.
January 19, 2015
Downtown News 17
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down with old-fashioned bluegrass, not the promise of promiscuity. Jan. 21, 11 p.m.: Fiddle & Pine, a lovely band with a name that seems as if it should adorn a pretentious gastropub. Jan. 22, 10 p.m.: Black Hole Past is not your ex-girlfriend. Jan. 23, 11 p.m.: Welcome back Trevor Menear! Jan. 24, 10 p.m.: Soda Gardoki! Why not? Jan. 25, 10 p.m.: RT N the 44s will entertain you in many grand ways. Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com. Jan. 23: Omnia & Lange. Jan. 24: Solomun. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-6800 or grammymuseum.org. Jan. 20, 8 p.m.: Liverpool, England’s Billy J. Kramer looks a bit like Billy Ray Cyrus. Jan. 21, 7:30 p.m.: Former Grammy’s producer Ken Ehrlich. Redwood Bar and Grill 316 W. Second St., (213) 652-4444 or theredwoodbar.com. Jan. 19: Bradley Riot and Divided Heaven. Jan. 20: Throwing Rocks, Way to Go Genius, Band Aparte and Modpods. Jan. 22: Thursday Night Booty. Jan. 23: Dr. Frank, Kepi Ghoulie, Bad Cop/Bad Cop and Turkish Techno. Jan. 24: Arthur Alexander & The Sorrows, Bloodhounds, Dr. Boogie and Veneer. Jan. 25: Guitars a Go Go with 3 Balls of Fire. Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la. Jan. 19, 10 p.m.: WOW Factor with Bijon Watson is not a World of Warcraft gathering. Jan. 20, 10 p.m.: The Makers are an improvised jazz collective with deep inroads into the Illuminati conspiracy to replace humans with ears of genetically modified corn. Jan. 21, 10 p.m.: Journey to the heart of this nation’s musical identity with Rick Taub’s Midnight Blues Review. Jan. 22, 10 p.m.: The Pickers appear to be some sort of Americana affair. Staples Center 1111 S. Figueroa St., (213) 742-7326 or staplescenter.com. Jan. 23, 8 p.m.: Country mega-entertainer Eric Church visits Downtown Los Angeles. Jan. 24, 8 p.m.: Mega 96.3 FM hosts Pitbull as part of the Calibash concert. The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org. Jan. 19: R.ariel & Thanksgiving, Michael Vidal and Naomi Elizabeth. Jan. 22: Sacred Destinies, Young Lovers and Brent Mitzner with Pauline Lay. Jan. 23: Wyatt Blair, Adult Books, The Rich Hands and Paul Collins Beat.
FILM Downtown Independent 251 S. Main St., (213) 617-1033 or downtownindependent.com. Jan. 23, 1, 3 and 8:30 p.m., Jan. 24, 4 and 6 p.m., Jan. 25, 12 and 5 p.m.: We empathize with the narrative of a curly hair identity crisis as presented in Mariana Rondon’s Pelo Malo. IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org. Galapagos 3D. If it was good enough to blow Charles Darwin’s mind, it’s probably good enough for you! Forces of Nature promises a panoply of nature’s worst destruction. Experience the gripping story full of hope, crushing disappointment and triumph in Hubble 3D. Nokia Theatre 777 Chick Hearn Court, (213) 763-6030 or nokiatheatrelalive.com. Jan. 24, 8 p.m.: The Godfather screens complete with a live orchestral score accompaniment. Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies. Through Jan. 22: American Sniper (12:30, 1:10, 3:40, 4:20, 7, 7:40, 10:20 and 11 p.m.); Blackhat (12:50, 4:10, 7:30 and 10:40 p.m.); Paddington (12:05, 2:25, 4:50, 7:10 and 9:40 p.m.); Spare Parts (12, 3:50, 6:50 and 10 p.m.); The Wedding Ringer (11:55 a.m., 2:30, 5:10, 8 and 10:45 p.m.); Taken 3 (12:40, 1:40, 3:30, 4:30, 7:20 and 10:10 p.m.); The Woman In Black 2: Angel of Death (12:15, 2:50, 5:40, 8:15 and 10:50 p.m.); Into the Woods (12:50, 4, 6:55 and 10 p.m.); Selma (12:20 and 3:20 p.m.); The Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies (12:35, 2:50, 6:10 and 9:30 p.m.).
MORE LISTINGS Hundreds of listings of fun and interesting things to do in Downtown Los Angeles can also be found online at ladowntownnews.com/calendar: Rock, Pop & Jazz; Bars & Clubs; Farmers Markets; Events; Film; Sports; Art Spaces; Theater, Dance and Opera; Classical Music; Museums; and Tours.
2YOUR EVENT INFO
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4 WEB: LADowntownNews.com/calendar 4 EMAIL: Calendar@DowntownNews.com
Email: Send a brief description, street address and public phone number. Submissions must be received 10 days prior to publication date to be considered for print.
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LOS ANGELES COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT CASE NO. VD084541 PETITIONER’S NAmE IS: JEANETTA RANDALL notice to reSponDent: barry Darnell Fantroy notice! you have been sued. read the following information. you have 30 calendar days after this Summons and petition are
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January 19, 2015 courts.ca.gov/selfhelp). At the California Legal Services website (www.lawhelpca.org), or by contacting your local county bar association. NOTICE: The restraining orders on page 2 are effective against both spouses or domestic partners until the petition is dismissed, a judgment is entered, or the court makes further order. The orders are enforceable anywhere in California
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ue Laris wn Eastin
Fictitious Business Name Fictitious Business Name Statement
• 5 minutes from shopping • 9 miles from downtown Albuquerque • 8817 4th Street, NW
For appointment call Alex Sanchez or cell 505.362.6488
One of the few remaining property of this size in the North Valley
File No. 2014353157 The following persons doing business as: LAMUSICBOOKING, 639 S. Spring, St., 8A, Los Angeles, CA 90014, is hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Justin Louis Wesley, 215 W. 7th St., 705, Los Angeles, CA 90014 (2) Richard Daniel Taub, 639 S. Spring, St., 8A, Los Angeles, CA 90014. This business is conducted by a general
ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield
S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News
AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
twitter: DowntownNews ©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles. One copy per person.
hmidt
G MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway oji Cole, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway dia Hernandez
CROSSWORD
Salmon r: Salvador Ingles ts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield
. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center
ews is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles ay throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los
Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin
S I N C E 19 7 2
os Angeles Downtown News First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 s.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com
ok: wntown News
twitter: DowntownNews
ExEcutivE Editor: Jon Regardie stAFF writErs: Donna Evans, Eddie Kim coNtributiNG Editor: Kathryn Maese coNtributiNG writErs: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristin Friedrich, Kylie Jane Wakefield
partnership. Registrants have not begun to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed herein. This statement was filed with the County Clerk of Los Angeles on December 16, 2014. NOTICE—This fictitious name statement expires five years from the date it was filed in the office of the county clerk. A new fictitious business name state-
ment must be filed before that time. The filing of this statement does not of itself authorize the use in this state of a fictitious business name in violation of the rights of another under federal, state, or common law (see Section 14411 et. seq. Business and Professions Code). Pub. 01/12, 01/19, 01/26, and 02/02/2015.
LAST WEEKS ANSWERS
Editor & PublishEr: Sue Laris GENErAl MANAGEr: Dawn Eastin
Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins
ison or: Yumi Kanegawa 505.898.3934 hics: Alexis Rawlins
Leonard
Jeanetta Randall 10853 Firestone Bl., Apt. 64 Norwalk, CA 90650 562-219-0983 Pub. 01/12, 01/19, 01/26, and 02/02/2015.
PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard
• Beautiful view of Regardie Sandia mountains Evans, Eddie Kim • Great for large homes Kathryn Maese • Alfafa field with s: Jeff Favre, Greg Fischer, Kristinirrigation Friedrich,
Downtown News 19
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
S I N C E 19 7 2 Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-250-4617 web: DowntownNews.com email: realpeople@downtownnews.com facebook: L.A. Downtown News twitter: DowntownNews ©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.
One copy per person.
AccouNtiNG: Ashley Schmidt clAssiFiEd AdvErtisiNG MANAGEr: Catherine Holloway AccouNt ExEcutivEs: Yoji Cole, Steve Epstein, Catherine Holloway sAlEs AssistANt: Claudia Hernandez circulAtioN: Danielle Salmon distributioN MANAGEr: Salvador Ingles distributioN AssistANts: Lorenzo Castillo, Gustavo Bonilla
Art dirEctor: Brian Allison AssistANt Art dirEctor: Yumi Kanegawa ProductioN ANd GrAPhics: Alexis Rawlins
©2014 Civic Center News, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Civic Center News Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles.
PhotoGrAPhEr: Gary Leonard
One copy per person.
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
20 Downtown News
Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore!
January 19, 2015
Nearly $1 Million Raised In Huizar-Molina Race Incumbent Retains Big Financial Advantage; Challenger Gets Big Endorsements
It’s our business to make you comfortable... at home, downtown. Corporate and long term residency Call Now Fo is accommodated in high style at the Towers Apartments. Contemporary singles, studio, one r bedroom and two bedroom apartment homes provide fortunate residents with a courteous full service lobby attendant, heated pool, spa, complete fitness center, sauna and recreation room Move-In Spec with kitchen. Beautiful views extend from the Towers’ lofty homes in the sky. Mountain vistas and ial slender skyscrapers provide an incredible back drop to complement your decor. Far below are a host of businesses s ready to support your pampered downtown lifestyle. With spectacular cultural events nearby, even the most demanding tastes are satisfied. Downtown, it’s not just big business anymore. Visit the Towers Apartments today.
Grand Tower
255 South Grand Avenue Leasing Information 213 229 9777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dishwasher (most units) ~ Central Air Conditioning & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
On-site: ~ Dry Cleaners / Dental Office / Restaurants
Promenade Towers
123 South Figueroa Street Leasing Information 213 617 3777 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Pool / Spa / BBQ Grills ~ Fitness Center ~ Covered Parking
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove & Dishwasher ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Solariums and/or Balconies
On-Site: ~ Convenience Store / Beauty Salon
museum Tower
225 South Olive Street Leasing Information 213 626 1500 Community Amenities: ~ 24 Hr. Manned Lobby ~ Concierge ~ Pool / Spa / Saunas ~ Fitness Center ~ Gas BBQ Grills ~ Recreation Room
Apartment Amenities: ~ Refrigerator, Stove, Microwave & Dish washer (most units) ~ Central Air & Heating ~ Balconies (most units)
8 7 7 - 2 65 - 714 6
TOWERS T H E
A PA RT M E N T S
www.TowersApartmentsLA.com MAID SERVICE • FURNITURE • HOUSEWARES • CABLE • UTILITIES • PARKING
RESIDENCES: SINGLES • STUDIO • ONE BEDROOM • TWO BEDROOM
photos by Gary Leonard
Former County Supervisor Gloria Molina hopes to win the 14th District City Council seat now held by José Huizar.
By Jon Regardie he race for the City Council seat that includes Downtown Los Angeles is getting close. It is also getting expensive. Nearly $1 million has been raised by candidates hoping to represent the 14th District on the City Council. The election takes place March 3. Documents filed last week with the City Ethics Commission show that, as of Dec. 31, a total of $980,000 has been raised by five candidates. Incumbent José Huizar has raised the lion’s share of the amount, $817,000, and has received another $100,000 in city matching funds. With $311,000 in expenses, he has $619,000 in cash to spend. Longtime County Supervisor Gloria Molina, who only filed papers to run in September, reported raising a total of $132,000. With $53,000 in expenses, she has about $86,000 in cash on hand. Though she trails in money, Molina picked up three endorsements last week, from former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Sen. Barbara Boxer, and Councilman Gil Cedillo. The endorsements, revealed on a League of Women Voters mailer, were first reported by the Mayor Sam website. The district, which counts approximately 250,000 residents, runs from Boyle Heights to portions of Highland Park and Eagle Rock. Following a city redistricting process, it now includes almost all of Downtown. Huizar has represented the district since 2005. Huizar raised $82,000 in the period between Oct. 1 and Dec. 31, with donations from a number of attorneys, real estate players and business people in Downtown. Filing records for the quarter show contributions from prominent Downtowners including architect Michael Maltzan and Nelson and Christopher Rising, who head the firm Rising Realty Partners. All three gave the maximum individual amount allowed of $700. Molina raised $99,000 in the last three months of the year. Her list of donors includes numerous individuals who work for L.A. County, 11 employees of the law firm Glaser Weil, and the Olvera Street restaurant La Golondrina, which gave $700. Former City Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski and Nick Patsaouras of Polis Builders also contributed $700. Despite Huizar’s hefty fundraising advantage, observers have said that Molina’s high name recognition and longtime role in communities in the 14th District will help her make headway with voters. She spent 23 years on the board of supervisors and four years before that on the L.A. City Council. She was termed out of her supervisor’s seat last year. Three other candidates have qualified to appear on the ballot, but all trail significantly in terms of money raised. The closest is Nadene Diaz, who reported donations totaling $21,000. If no candidate earns more than 50% of the vote, the top two finishers would move on to a May runoff. regardie@downtownnews.com
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