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dealing with metro charter school’s move

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Veteran DJ Armand Van Helden is one of the headliners at this weekend’s new music festival.

monster trucks invade downtown

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Dog Park Opens in Skid Row

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he residents of Skid Row have a new place to take their four-legged friends.

The Weingart Center, a nonprofit service provider based at 566 S. San Pedro St., held an opening ceremony for a dog park on Friday, Aug. 10. The Weingart Center Dog Park, next to the facility’s headquarters, measures 22 by 23 feet, and was designed pro bono by the architecture firm Moore Ruble Yudell. The quaint park features pup-inspired artwork, benches and garden plots. Kevin Murray, president and CEO of the Weingart Center, said that the park was built as part of the center’s efforts to ensure that pet ownership is not a barrier for homeless people who want to access services. “We believe not just in co-sheltering, but also in providing a network of services to ensure people and their pets are integrated into the community,” Murray said in a prepared statement.

Parker Center Demolition To Begin Next Week

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fter standing in the heart of the Civic Center for 63 years, Parker Center is coming down: The city will begin demolition of the structure at 150 N. Los Angeles St. on Mon-

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day, Aug. 20. Mahmood Karimzadeh, principal architect for the Bureau of Engineering, recently explained that the demolition would take place over the course of 500 days and cost $16.7 million. Particular attention will be placed on mitigating hazards caused by debris and hazardous materials as crews work to strip the 63-year-old edifice. The demolition will precede construction of a 27-story tower that will house city employees now working in many different buildings across Los Angeles. The new building is expected to cost $708 million. The timeline and details of the demolition were first reported in Rafu Shimpo. Parker Center, which opened in 1955 and was later named for former LAPD Police Chief William Parker, has been largely empty since 2009, when the department moved to the new Police Administration Building on First Street.

Second Metropolis Condo Tower Opens

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ne of Downtown’s largest developments has hit another milestone. Metropolis Tower II, a 40-story building with 514 condominiums, opened for residents on July 28.

Construction wrapped earlier this year, according to developer Greenland USA, which is the U.S. branch of the Chinese firm Greenland. Downtown-based architecture firm Gensler designed the complex. Tower II’s units range from studio to two-bedroom residences, starting at 482 square feet and going up to 1,431 square feet. Prices go from $600,000 for a studio to $1,2 million. Residences in-

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clude Miele and Bosch appliances, ceilings that are at least 10 feet high, and expansive “window walls.” The first tower in the $1 billion mega-project, a 308-unit, 38-story building, opened in 2017. The development’s Hotel Indigo opened last year as well, but was put up for sale in January. Earlier this year, Greenland USA put the last tower, a 56-story skyscraper that will have 736 condos (it is still in construction), on the market.

It’s Taco Saturday at Grand Park

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njoy tacos for a good cause when the eighth annual Taco Festival heads to Grand Park on Saturday, Aug. 18. Running from noon-8 p.m., vendors including Kogi, Epic Tacos, Monster Tacos and Taco Negro will sell the delicacies, and there will be live music and activities for children. More than 6,000 people are expected to flood the park at 200 N. Grand Ave., and proceeds benefit Jovenes, Inc., a nonprofit organization in Boyle Heights that provides housing and supportive services to homeless youth. The event is free, though there is a suggested donation of $5.

More information is at latacofestival.com.

Bugs Bunny and Friends Pop Up in Grammy Museum

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he trend of Downtown pop-up exhibits continues, this time with a cartoonish twist. Warner Bros. and the Grammy Muse-

AUGUST 13, 2018

um have partnered to bring The Get Animated Invasion, an interactive exhibit that celebrates and highlights the history of Warner Bros. animation, to the South Park museum.

The exhibit will be on the second floor of the museum at 800 W. Olympic Blvd. from Saturday, Aug. 18, to Sept. 9. It will include features that explore the musical elements of Warner Bros. animation and shorts including classic Bugs Bunny, Flintstones and The Jetsons cartoons. Tickets are available at the box office and at grammymuseum.org.

Metro Looks to Develop Little Tokyo Site

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he Metropolitan Transportation Authority is looking to build a transit-oriented development at one of its upcoming Downtown stations. Metro recently released an “opportunity overview” for the site of the Little Tokyo/Arts District station at First and Alameda streets, which is being transformed as part of the 1.9-mile Regional Connector.

The $1.77 billion project, which will debut in 2021, will link the Gold, Blue and Expo lines, streamlining and speeding up cross-county travel. What the actual Little Tokyo project will look like, and what housing, retail or other elements it contains, will be determined by pitches from developers; Metro intends to send out a request for qualifications this month. In a presentation on the site, Metro notes that the location requires “out-of-the-box thinking to create a compelling project with design solutions that are truly innovative.”

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EDITORIALS

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AUGUST 13, 2018

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

New and Old Advice on Vehicle Break-ins

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s with any modern metropolis, crime is a serious concern in Downtown Los Angeles. It particularly comes into play with car break-ins, which is a growing issue in the area.

Los Angeles Downtown News recently reported on a nearly 30% surge this year in shattered windows and items stolen from cars.

Through the middle of July, according to the Los Angeles Police Department, there were 893 thefts from a vehicle in Central Division (which covers most of Downtown), up from 690 at the same time last year. Clearly this is no temporary blip — thieves have recognized an opportunity and will continue to exploit it until there is a sufficient response.

That response involves police, but it does not start with them. Rather, as we’ve all heard so many times, the first line of defense lies with vehicle owners. People must change their behavior, and while that includes actions that are obvious, it also involves steps that will surprise individuals who already consider themselves aware of the threats that come with living in a busy city.

While we shouldn’t have to say it, everyone needs to lock their car door, even when parking and dashing into a store or somewhere else for a minute or two. LAPD crime reports note that some people still fail to click their locks. Downtown in 2018 is not classic Mayberry.

And, for the billionth time, do not leave valuables such as laptops, cell phones and purses in clear view. Ever. Again, this is obvious, but even level-headed individuals might occasionally do this if they are time-rushed and intend, say, to grab a quick cup of coffee or something they left at home or in the office.

Then there are steps that are less obvious, but that reflect how criminal activity has changed. Central Division representatives said that, these days, thieves will break a window if they see a pair of sunglasses, or even a case for sunglasses. They’ll smash and grab if a pile of clothes is visible, reasoning that someone might have shoved a valuable under the pile. The presence of phone chargers and electronics wires can prompt a thief to attack one vehicle over another.

The best move is to take everything out of the car, or at least shove it in the trunk (and ideally, before parking in Downtown).

We also need the police to step up enforcement activities. Officers noted that criminal break-in teams are operating in Downtown, with groups of thieves who travel in a van, look for opportunities, and then bust into several cars in a few minutes. The LAPD is constantly honing its use of data and responding to crime trends. They need to continue tracking where and when the rings operate and arrest the perpetrators. To help with that, victims of any crime must always report it.

You can’t prevent all car break-ins, but in many instances avoiding being a victim starts with common sense.

Robert Towne • Screenwriter

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August 4, 2018

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COMMENTS

Regarding the article “Get Ready for the Electric Scooter Invasion,” by Sean P. Thomas, and the editorial “Dockless Scooters Should Be in Downtown” What about some sort of identifying marks or plates on each scooter in case of “hit and run” or criminal activity involving a scooter? Will there be some way of identifying the scooter if the rider uses it to commit a crime and scooter away?

—John Richards

one to get hit by a car and propelled into the air, as the riders for the most part are careless. I’m not sure how to deal with the danger for the rider as well as the pedestrian or car driver, but something has to be put in place to have the riders follow the rules of the road.

—Xiliary Twill Regarding the article “Number of Car Break-ins in Downtown Jumps by Nearly 30%,” by Sean P. Thomas

If they’re not allowed on sidewalks, where do people ride them? In the street? Is that safe?

—Blair Jockers

Could parking lot attendants be in cahoots? Or do they leave because they don’t want to be harmed by those varmints? It’s time to get some detectives on the job!

Break up that band of thieves!

—Jan Thomas

Under California law, motorized vehicles must be in the street.

—Brandon R. Guzman-Johnson

Hey You! Speak Up!

Here are my observations: The renters for the most part are under 30 with a few exceptions. No one wears a helmet. No one looks when they dart out of a side street into oncoming traffic. No one signals as to what direction they are turning. The scooters are just dumped on the sidewalk, in front of garage doors, anywhere. There is absolutely no enforcement or adherence to any motor vehicle laws or rules of the road. I am waiting for someEDITOR: Jon Regardie STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton, Sean P. Thomas CONTRIBUTING EDITOR: Kathryn Maese CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tom Fassbender, Jeff Favre,

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 5

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MOCA Doesn’t Make Mistakes, Just Happy Little Accidents Will Hiring Klaus Biesenbach as Director Push the Museum Into the Future, or Just Repeat Past Failures?

By Jon Regardie wo weeks ago, the Museum of Contemporary Art announced that Klaus Biesenbach, a New York museum honcho who has nearly no in-depth knowledge of how Los Angeles works, will take the reins of the venerable institution. He will replace Philippe Vergne, who when he started four years ago was a New York museum honcho who had

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THE REGARDIE REPORT nearly no in-depth knowledge of how Los Angeles works.

Vergne, by the way, succeeded Jeffrey Deitch, who had arrived in 2010, and if you expect me to say that Deitch was a New York museum honcho who had nearly no in-depth knowledge of how Los Angeles works, that’s not the case at all — Deitch was a New York gallery honcho who had nearly no in-depth knowledge of how Los Angeles works.

What does this mean? For one, the MOCA board, which hired Biesenbach, has an inexplicable crush on New York, and doesn’t think anyone in L.A. can run an L.A. arts institution. Beyond that, all I can come up with is a couple famous quotes. One is Albert Einstein’s, “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.”

Then there’s the artistic angle, and maybe the MOCA board will come to echo kitschtastic, curly haired sage Bob Ross’ gem, “We don’t make mistakes, just happy little accidents.”

One should never quote Ross in a piece about serious art, but when Biesenbach and MOCA come into play, anything is possible. MOCA, after all, is the institution where Deitch was planning a show about the influence of disco music, though he got canned and it fortunately never came to pass.

Then there’s the 2015 exhibition that Biesenbach built

around musician Björk at New York’s MoMA PS1, where he previously worked. The show was excoriated, instantly infamous, and wound up as the museum equivalent of Ishtar. In its review the New York Times declared that the exhibit “reeks of ambivalence,” and later stated, “the Björk exhibition stands as a glaring symbol of the museum’s urge to be all things to all people, its disdain for its core audience, its frequent curatorial slackness and its indifference to the handling of crowds and the needs of its visitors.”

After that it got really negative.

This was only three years ago, but MOCA has apparently decided that the Biesenbach Björk bomb was an aberration, and that his decades of experience make him the right guy to guide the Los Angeles institution into the future.

The phrase “failing upwards” comes to mind.

Board Bungles Is the above unfair to Biesenbach and MOCA? Perhaps, and I hope Biesenbach succeeds, because I’ve been a MOCA fan for decades and have repeatedly visited the Downtown Los Angeles locations on Bunker Hill and Little Tokyo. I’ve taken in fantastic exhibitions built around big names such as Claes Oldenburg, Robert Rauschenberg and Jean-Michel Basquiat, among others, and have been exposed to lesser-known artists, too; like many people I was thrilled by last year’s Kerry James Marshall: Mastry.

The problem is, MOCA has been so darn inconsistent and unpredictable in the past decade. Occasional awesomeness — even Deitch had a moment, with the 2011 graffiti-powered Art in the Streets — is matched by a baffling ability to effectively stab itself in the eye with a paintbrush.

Continued on page 9

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Klaus Biesenbach, a museum executive and curator at MoMA PS1, will be the third consecutive New York-based figure selected to lead Downtown’s Museum of Contemporary Art.

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6 DOWNTOWN NEWS

AUGUST 13, 2018

Downtown Families Wrestle With Metro Charter’s Move Elementary School’s Shift to Lincoln Heights Forces Some Parents to Look Elsewhere, Though Many Remain

By Sean P. Thomas n May, many Downtown families were rocked by the news that Metro Charter Elementary School, which had opened five years ago and quickly became popular with local residents, was moving to Lincoln Heights. The shift was sparked by high rents in Downtown and an inability to buy or secure a long-term lease for a facility.

Now some of those families are dealing with the reality of the loss of their neighborhood school. While many children will take classes at the new location when school begins on Wednesday, Aug. 22, overall enrollment is expected to decline by up to 50 students, in part due to space constraints.

A number of families are going elsewhere, whether a traditional Los Angeles Unified District School — where classes begin on Tuesday, Aug. 14 — or another charter or private school.

Those moving on include Ginny Brideau, whose 9-year-old daughter had attended Metro Charter since 2014. Brideau said she was saddened by Metro Charter’s departure from the heart of Downtown, and instead the family has chosen the UCLA Community School on Wilshire and Normandie in Koreatown.

Although Lincoln Heights is just a few miles from the Central City, Brideau said that the location is not viable for her family.

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“It’s unfortunate, but thankfully I was able to find a school off of the Purple Line,” Brideau said.

The uncertainty of Metro Charter’s future also prompted Anthony Barrera to follow through with a move. He shifted his first grader to a school in the Wiseburn Unified School District (in the El Segundo area) through a permit.

“Kids need stability and that wasn’t happening at Metro,” Barrera said in a Facebook message to Los Angeles Downtown News.

The move to Lincoln Heights continues a difficult period for Metro Charter. The school initially opened in a space at California Hospital Medical Center in 2013 on Grand Avenue and remained there for four years, growing by a grade each year. It ultimately reached about 250 students, though the inability to find a permanent home forced administrators to adopt a split-campus plan for the 2017-18 school year, with some children taking classes in a Financial District office building, and the youngest students going by bus each day to a site in South L.A. (the latter occurred when plans to have classroom space in the Ketchum-Downtown YMCA fell through).

Metro Charter staff have long sought to find a permanent home, and have toured dozens of locations and begun negotiations on numerous spaces. School leaders previ-

In May, Metro Charter Elementary School announced plans to leave the heart of Downtown for a facility on Pasadena Avenue in Lincoln Heights. Classes begin Wednesday, Aug. 22

photo by Sean P. Thomas

The move has forced some families to scramble. Allison Yun, whose daughter is preparing to enter third grade, said she had heard great things about Metro Charter, which propelled the school to the top of her list after she and her husband moved to Downtown from the San Gabriel Valley in April.

Yun said she was disappointed to learn that the school was moving.

Continued on page 8

ously detailed the inability to find a landlord, in a heated economy, that was willing to offer an affordable, long-term lease.

The new Metro Charter location is a former Boys and Girls Club building at 2653 Pasadena Ave. While school brass acknowledge that it is out of the Central City, they noted that it is still in the area, and allows them to have the entire kindergarten through fifth grades on a single campus.

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Although Misra initially estimated that the school would have to cut enrollment by 25%, from 200 students down to a cap of 150, “My husband and I had to weigh our op- many families are remaining.

“We’re still getting enrollment numbers, tions and we decided that it was better for our family not to enroll,” Yun said in a phone so I couldn’t get you a number,” Misra said.

“But I would say that most of our families are interview.

Free public school options in the area saying that they are returning, but you never are limited, though choices exist, including know until that first day.”

Simon Ha, who helped found the school Castelar Elementary School in Chinatown and Ninth Street School on the edge of Skid five years ago, initially was uncertain whethRow. The lack of high-quality options is what er or not his daughter would attend Metro makes Metro Charter’s departure so impact- Charter this year. He examined options inful, said Downtown Los Angeles Neighbor- cluding nearby Solano Elementary School, but eventually decided to stay. hood Council President Patti Berman.

“It is sort of an inconvenience to have to Berman said she is concerned that families will begin to leave when their kids commute, but there are a couple of families that are trying to figure out a ride-sharing reach school age.

“This is a big issue on so many levels,” she strategy,” Ha said.

Scott Bytoff, another founding parent, said. “I think we all just need to realize that Downtown needs to have a strong education said he sees benefits in the move, and hopes that more families will give the new system or we will not have families.”

School officials previously expressed hope campus a try.

“Just yesterday my daughter was talking that a downturn in the real estate market would make a deal more likely. Metro Charter about looking forward to the week-long representatives want the Lincoln Heights lo- trip to Catalina that Metro Charter sends cation to be temporary, and for Metro Char- their fifth graders on,” Bytoff said in a text message. ter to return to the center of Downtown.

However, Bytoff noted that if services “Our mission has never changed,” Chinmaya Misra, Metro Charter board president, continue to migrate out of Downtown, he said last week. “That has always been the wouldn’t be surprised if more families start to center of our effort. We’re hoping that this look at living outside of the area.

“When you find you are driving outside for is a temporary reprieve. What this allows us to do is not have to re-evaluate on a year- soccer, gymnastics, tennis, etcetera, and now 800.900.5788 aerioconnect.com Broadband I Voice I WiFi I HDTV school, youIbegin to ask yourself if it is worth to-year basis.”

She added, “We see this as a phase, and it,” he said. sean@downtownnews.com definitely not the final goal.”

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

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MOCA, 5 The MOCA board of directors bears ample responsibility for this. Museum boards are generally comprised of highnet-worth individuals who are brought on to donate cash and occasional art, and a board’s primary responsibility is to watch the finances. In the mid-2000s MOCA’s board apparently decided it would rather attend cocktail parties, and under then-Director Jeremy Strick an endowment north of $35 million shriveled to about $6 million, putting the museum’s very existence in jeopardy. It took an Eli Broad bailout to keep MOCA afloat.

Strick soon left and the board tapped Deitch, a successful gallery operator who had never overseen a museum. While Art in the Streets drew praise and record-setting crowds, Deitch clashed with and fired Chief Curator Paul Schimmel, the widely admired dude who was responsible for many of MOCA’s most important exhibits, including the 1992 survey Helter Skelter: L.A. Art in the 90s. Why a board member couldn’t mend that rift remains a mystery.

Other moves deserve credit. A board-powered giving campaign has boosted MOCA’s endowment to an unprecedented $130 million. The museum’s self-sufficiency is now assured for decades, as long as no financial gophers come a-tunneling.

Yet this achievement was countered by current Director Vergne pulling a Deitch and clashing with his chief curator, Helen Molesworth. She arrived in 2014, orchestrated the Marshall exhibit and curated this year’s lauded show by Brazilian artist Anna Maria Maiolino. Molesworth was adored in local art circles, but something was rotten in MOCA, and Vergne orchestrated her departure in March.

No one has clearly explained the divide, but more importantly, no board member prevented the past from repeating itself. Shortly after Molesworth left, Vergne announced he would step down when his contract expires.

Enter King Klaus.

More Competition In 2018, MOCA is like the onetime most popular kid in class who now shuffles on the side of the playground, hoping for occasional attention. The L.A. County Museum of Art generates far more buzz these days, and the Getty Center, with its castle on a hill, is the place most visitors want to see. There’s more competition than ever, including, oddly, from a Wilshire Boulevard museum opened last year by Maurice Marciano, who just happens to be co-chair of the MOCA board.

MOCA has also been knocked from its high perch in Downtown, where the primary art attraction is now The Broad, across the street from MOCA’s location on Grand Avenue. The $140 million Broad opened in 2015, and although the approximately 2,000 artworks in Eli and Edythe Broad’s collection pales compared to MOCA’s extraordinary 7,000 objets d’art, The Broad’s beautiful building and free admission win out. Unless there’s a Marshall-caliber exhibit, do people really want to pay $15 to enter MOCA, or do they wind up there because the line at The Broad is too long?

This isn’t an effort to slag MOCA, but these are the issues Biesenbach must wrestle with when he arrives. Plenty of people are skeptical, and his hiring also prompted some grumbling about choosing another white male leader, an issue that gained fuel this year when artist Mark Grotjahn declined to be honored at the museum’s annual gala, citing a lack of diversity in gala honorees. The party, a major moneymaker, was canceled. Oops!

Yet perhaps this is where Biesenbach’s potential lies. He has been touted for growing the board at MoMA PS1, and maybe a board that thinks different is what MOCA needs. It’ll be fascinating to see if, over time, Biesenbach tries to weed out the board members who hired him.

With any luck Biesenbach will prove to be a director equivalent of a Rauschenberg or Marshall exhibit, and will have a long tenure and make MOCA the stable jewel it should be.

On the other hand, he could wind up the next Deitch/Vergne, or maybe even our very own Bob Ross. The fun will be seeing how the paint dries. regardie@downtownnews.com

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AUGUST 13, 2018

The Central City Crime Report

By Nicholas Slayton n the Central City Crime Report, we survey the recent week in public safety. All information is provided by the LAPD’s Central Division.

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■ A man was at the Seventh Street/Metro Center station on the morning of July 1 when someone tried to grab his phone.

When the man resisted, the assailant reached into his pocket and stole his wallet.

■ Shortly after midnight on July 1, an unidentified individual punched another person in the head on Broadway. The attacker fled; the wounded man needed stitches.

■ On the evening of July 1, a man invited two people back to his apartment on Ninth Street. The guests drugged him.

When he woke up in the morning, his jewelry was missing.

■ At 4 a.m. on July 1, someone walked into a Hope Street hotel restaurant, grabbed a bottle of liquor from the bar, and walked around the hotel, drinking the alcohol.

■ Two people got into an argument about stolen property at Seventh and Mateo streets on July 2. One person grabbed a wooden board and struck the other in the head.

■ At mid-day on July 1, someone walked into a Broadway cell phone store and grabbed a number of phones from the counter. The person then fled.

■ An unidentified individual entered a department store on Figueroa Street on the morning of July 2, grabbed a television, and carried it out of the store without paying.

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■ At Seventh Street and Ceres Avenue on July 3, someone accused a man of stealing his bike. A fight ensued, and the accuser pulled out a knife and chased after the other man, stabbing him in the back and neck.

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■ An elderly individual was on the Red Line at the Seventh Street/Metro Center station on July 5. An unidentified individual reached into the rider’s front pocket, stole some cash, then fled the station. nicholas@downtownnews.com

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

Video Game Event Space Coming to Arts District WePlay Live Will Host Competitions and Have Broadcast Facilities

image courtesy of WePlay

Venice-based company WePlay is opening a 35,470-square-foot space for competitive gaming on Santa Fe Avenue.

The interior will be modular, using shipping containers to house gaming centers.

By Nicholas Slayton owntown Los Angeles is increasingly a destination for music clubs, museums and escape rooms. Now another unique entertainment venue is headed to the community: Marketing firm WePlay, which specializes in staging corporate events for companies, is launching a hub for video games and e-sports.

WePlay Live will host broadcasts as well as events with a live audience, according to Rich Williams, a WePlay co-founder. The 35,470-square-foot industrial space at 667 Santa Fe Ave. will be constructed out of shipping containers that can be reconfigured in multiple ways. Each container can hold gaming equipment and cameras.

Video games and competitive gaming are not new to Downtown. The League of Legends finals have been held in Staples Center.

The Los Angeles Convention Center annually hosts the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, and temporary gaming spaces have popped up in surrounding neighborhoods.

Williams said WePlay has worked on some of those, but the demand for broadcasting competitive gaming calls for something permanent.

“We’ve worked on temporary events, but there was nothing turnkey in the industry right now helping publishers solve this. It can be expensive to execute a 100-player live broadcast,” Williams said.

WePlay Live will hold a mix of special events and live broadcasts, with some gaming spaces open to the public, according to WePlay CEO Anne-Margot Rodde. She said the Venice-based company plans to have the space fully operational by next spring. The budget was not disclosed.

Renderings from WePlay show an old warehouse lit up with neon, and the interi-

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or filled with shipping containers. A stage for live events can be set up on the main floor.

Demand for competitive gaming spaces is growing, according to Edgar Pastrana, head of properties with Allied Esports, an Orange County company that specializes in the field.

Even though many games are played online, Pastrana said that, as with poker, players and fans get a unique experience from being in the same space as other competitors.

“You can sit at home and play poker online, or you can go to a casino or play in a tournament. What we’ve found is there really isn’t an either/or, it’s an ‘and,’” Pastrana said.

“It’s similar with gaming. You can hold a tournament online, but community is a big term when it comes to e-sports.”

WePlay Live won’t be directly affiliated with any game company or e-sports team, according to Rodde and Williams. Instead, they said the space will operate on a membership model, and have a cafe, bar and food options.

The company expects a variety of uses on site. There could be gaming nights where dozens of individual compete in a tournament, while on another night the space might have two teams facing off in front of a live audience.

Rodde said the company chose Downtown over locations on the Westside in part for the real estate, but also because of the activity in the area. Rodde cited E3’s Downtown presence, as well as the number of media companies moving into the Arts District, among them Warner Music Group.

WePlay Live won’t be the only gaming destination in the Arts District; Two Bit Circus’ planned “micro amusement park” will open this fall on the other side of the same block, at 634 Mateo St. nicholas@downtownnews.com

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12 DOWNTOWN NEWS

Online Coupon Company Leases Entire Arts District Building Honey to Occupy Former Coca-Cola Plant

Honey, an online coupon service, is slated to move into the former Coca-Cola manufacturing plant at Fourth Street and Merrick Avenue.

photo by Sean P. Thomas

By Sean P. Thomas he trend of tech and youth-skewing businesses flooding the Arts District continues, with the announcement that an online coupon company will move into a former manufacturing facility in the quickly changing neighborhood.

Honey, which offers extensions for web browsers that automatically scour the Internet for coupons and discount codes, signed a 10-year lease for a Coca-Cola plant that originally opened 103 years ago. The building at 963 E. Fourth St. has undergone a complete renovation since being purchased in 2015

T

by Hudson Pacific Properties. The structure is now dubbed Fourth and Traction.

Terms of the lease were not disclosed.

News of the deal was first reported by the Los Angeles Times.

Honey will occupy the entirety of the 130,000-square-foot edifice. It will move its headquarters from a 23,300-square-foot space at 990 W. Eighth St. in Downtown.

Hudson Pacific acquired the building three years ago, paying nearly $50 million, and embarked on a plan to modernize the three-floor structure and reposition it as creative office space. Renovations were

largely completed in 2017.

Corey Davidson, executive managing director for Savills Studley, and Liron Nelik represented Honey in the deal. CBRE’s Phillip Ruhl, John Zanetos, Rob Waller and Patrick Amos, along with RKF’s Mark Finkel, represented the landlord.

Davidson said that Honey was attracted to the building’s features, which include 14foot ceilings, steel-frame windows and a roof space for events.

“They wanted a really cool environment like most of the tech world wants,” Davidson said.

Davidson would not comment on the number of employees who will work in the Arts District space. He said that Honey is envisioning a mid-2019 move-in.

“They are growing,” Davidson said. “They have a pretty healthy pace of growth.”

Located at Fourth Street and Merrick Avenue, the property opened in 1915 as a syrup manufacturing plant for Coca-Cola. It served as the company’s Pacific Coast headquarters, and was further expanded in the 1930s and 1960. Coca-Cola sold the property in the 1990s. A toy company last used the building before Hudson Pacific acquired it.

The lease continues a shift in the Arts District. In July, music giant Spotify announced plans to move into the complex At Mateo.

Warner Music Group in 2016 inked a lease to move from Burbank to the Ford Factory Building on Seventh Street. That property is being upgraded and WMG is expected to arrive this year. sean@downtownnews.com

AUGUST 13, 2018

Monster Trucks To Roar at Staples Center Grave Digger, Megalodon, El Toro Loco and Other Vehicles Roll Into Downtown

By Sean P. Thomas ave you ever sat in seemingly endless Los Angeles traffic and thought to yourself: What if I had a massive Monster Truck that could roll over everything in sight?

Of course, you would never go through with such an act, but you can experience a bit of catharsis when the Monster Jam comes to Staples Center on Friday-Sunday, Aug. 1719. The five shows over three days marks the first-ever monster truck event — complete with all of the metal-crunching, high-octane action — in Downtown Los Angeles.

The Monster Jam Triple Series is actually a competition. It features eight teams competing head-to-head in seven point-based endurance and freestyle events. Though each show (7:30 p.m. on Friday and 1 and 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday) can be experienced on its own, the participants are collecting points that will help determine an overall season champion (similar to how

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DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

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BIA Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter presents Mutt Dalmation is one of eight teams participating in the Monster Jam Triple Series this weekend. There will be five shows at Staples Center on Friday-Sunday, Aug. 17-19.

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NASCAR points are accumulated). Fans are allowed, through a smart phone app, to help judge the event.

Cynthia Gauthier, who drives for the team Mutt Dalmatian, said that although the monster trucks bring out hyper-competitive individuals, the intent is to entertain the audience.

“It’s always show first,” Gauthier said. “We all want to win, but before winning our first goal is to give a show to the fans.”

The roughly 12,000-pound Monster Trucks are exactly what you expect: large vehicles with huge tires bearing names such as Grave Digger, Megalodon, El Toro Loco and Wonder Woman. There are also smaller speedsters and ATV events.

During the show the vehicles zip around a dirt track, with

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drivers racking up points for speed, style and finesse. They’ll soar for jumps and pop tricks like donuts and wheelies.

Driving requires serious skill, but Gauthier conceded that winning also depends on luck. Each vehicle handles differently, and the dirt on the Downtown track has to be built where teams usually play basketball or hockey. Controlling the monstrous machines, Gauthier said, takes a high level of mental and physical training.

“I think that everybody should be on the edge of their seat because you never know when something crazy is going to happen,” Gauthier said.

The Monster Jam Triple Series runs Friday-Sunday, Aug. 17-19, at Staples Center, 1111 S. Figueroa Blvd. or monsterjam.com. sean@downtownnews.com

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CALENDAR

8 Can’t-Miss Acts at the AMF Festival

photos courtesy AMF

photos courtesy All My Friends

Well-Known and Under-the-Radar Highlights at the EDM and Hip-Hop Celebration at Row DTLA

Dozens of electronic dance music, hip-hop and R&B artists will appear at the Row DTLA complex this weekend. The performers include (l to r) Armand Van Helden, RL Grime and Wax Motif.

By Sean P. Thomas dd another music festival to the Downtown Los Angeles roster: This week, the inaugural All My Friends event (AMF for short) brings a collection of electronic dance music, hip-hop and R&B to the community.

Dozens of acts will perform on Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 18-19, at Row DTLA, the shopping and office complex in the Industrial District. There will be three stages set up for the festival that runs from 3 p.m. to midnight each day.

Founded by DJ and music festival veteran Gary Richards (who spins under the name Destructo), the All My Friends moniker fittingly features a collection of artists he met and worked with over the decades.

“It has a real meaning,” Richards said in an interview. “All the other events just come up with stupid names. I was born on New Year’s Eve and over the years there are all these people who have come to my parties. So many friends have been made over these events.”

Richards, who sharpened his teeth organizing festivals including HARD Summer, the precursor to the Electric Daisy Carnival, and RaveAmerica, said that during the decades of driving past the Row DTLA campus he always wanted to throw a music festival there. This week he’ll do that with three headliners each night, including Gucci Mane, RL Grime and rapper-turned-political activist M.I.A. In advance of the weekend, Richards ran down eight highlights, dividing them between well-known names and

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under-the-radar acts.

Big Names Armand Van Helden: If you’re a fan of EDM, then you have long known of the Boston-born Van Helden. The 47-yearold DJ first touched a turntable at 13, and made a name for himself through a mix of commercial and underground dance grooves. Hits like his 1998 breakout jam “You Don’t Know Me” and his 2004 “My My My” are dance hall staples.

“Other than maybe Daft Punk, he has written the most dance hit records that you have heard,” Richards said. “He’s old school and has been presenting dance music since I was a DJ and was creating music.”

Van Helden performs Sunday at 7:30 p.m. at the AMFAMFAMF Stage.

Gucci Mane: There is trap music, and then there is Gucci Mane’s brand of trap music. Raised in Alabama and then Atlanta, his music is downright ferocious. Since 2017, the rapper with the ice cream cone face tattoo has dropped three projects: Mr. Davis, El Gato: The Human Glacier and Droptopwop. Rumblings that another album, The Evil Genius, will come soon are circulating. “He’s kind of the inventor of trap music and he has probably rapped on more songs then anyone on planet Earth,” Richards said. “He is one of the best rappers, in my opinion.”

Gucci Mane performs Saturday at 9:15 p.m. at the AMFAMFAMF Stage.

RL Grime: Continuing with the trap theme, the 27-yearold DJ/producer joins Gucci Mane and others as an AMF headliner. Grime has courted a devoted audience of festival fans through his ability to bridge grime, trap and electronic sounds into something unique to his turntable. Grime has had his fingers in a number of remixes, working alongside superstars such as Rihanna, The Weeknd, the Beastie Boys and Chris Brown. Grime released his second studio album, Nova, this year as part of the Los Angeles-based collective WeDidIt. Richards said that he only expects Grime’s footprint in the music industry to grow. “I booked him in his first show ever in L.A. and over the years he has grown into one of the largest international trap producers in the world,” he said.

RL Grime performs on Saturday at 10:30 p.m. at the AMFAMFAMF Stage.

Jamie xx: Jamie xx, the final performer of the weekend, is a man of many talents. The drummer and driving force of the English indie pop band The xx, Jamie xx has also dabbled in producing and DJing, earning a Best Dance/Electronic Album Grammy nomination in 2016 for his debut studio album, In Colour. He has developed a style all his own on the turntables, Richards said, and he has worked with everyone from Gil Scott-Heron to Alicia Keys.

Jamie xx performs on Sunday at 10:45 p.m. at the AMFAMFAMF Stage Continued on page 16

AUGUST 13, 2018

DOWNTOWN NEWS 15

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Restaurant Buzz Shekarchi Reopens, More Salad and Some Fashion District Fare

By Sean P. Thomas ow Sweet It Is: There’s yet another fast causal option in Downtown Los Angeles, though this one offers a health-conscious twist. A second Central City outpost of Sweetgreen, the popular East Coast salad bowl chain, opened on July 25 at Eighth and Hill streets; it follows in the footsteps of a Fifth and Grand location. The eatery offers indoor and patio seating, and a large mural by Katy Ann Gilmore takes up the majority of the interior walls, wrapping around the patio. As for the food, the Sweetgreen menu includes both traditional salads such as the Spring Chicken, and a Salami and Spicy Pickle option. There are also warm salad bowl choices including the fish taco and chicken pesto parm offerings. Prices are generally in the $12-$13 range. Sweetgreen also allows patrons to create custom-made bowls and salads.

At 408 W. Eighth St. or sweetgreen.com.

Shekarchi’s new Downtown home is just a short walk from the location it occupied for 30 years.

It continues to serve kebabs, stews and other Middle Eastern favorites.

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Adios, Mas Malo: After eight years, the Financial District Mexican restaurant Mas Malo has shut its doors. Executive chef

photo by Sean P. Thomas

Robert Luna’s sister restaurant to Sunset Boulevard’s Malo opened in 2011, putting a spin on East L.A. Chicano cuisine. The news was announced on July 20, on the restaurant’s social media accounts, and both the Silver Lake and Downtown locations closed on July 30. “We are deeply appreciative of all our customers and investors, who have shown us incredible support over the years. It’s been quite the ride!” a post on the restaurant’s Facebook page read. Located in a 1920s-era space at 515 W. Seventh St. that was once occupied by a jewelry store, the three-level Mas Malo was

known for its cuisine, its bar and its tequila room, nestled inside of a cavernous security vault.

Bay Area Spinoff: The options at the Industrial District complex Row DTLA continue to expand. In May, the East Coast-based Rappahannock Oyster Bar opened its doors, and area denizens are eagerly awaiting the impending debut of Tartine Manufactory.

Now, the team behind San Francisco’s celebrated Frances and Octavia restaurant has announced plans to open at the Downtown complex. Spearheaded by Michelin-starred

chef Melissa Perello, the as-yet-unnamed restaurant will follow the style of Frances and Octavia, where menu favorites include Wagyu Beef and the King Salmon Sakura Pork Loin. Studio Unltd will design the 4,200-square-foot space, which will have an open kitchen and an extensive beverage menu. Lunch and dinner service is planned.

Perello’s Downtown restaurant is scheduled to open next spring. Other options coming to Row DTLA include Japanese fried chicken spot Pikunico and the coffee hangout Go Get em Tiger.

Coming to 777 Alameda St., (213) 988-8890 or rowdtla.com.

Boomin’ Broadway: The team behind the Santa Monica LGBTQ-friendly establishment Bar10 WEHO is bringing a new bar and event space to Downtown Los Angeles. Planned for a former McDonalds, next to the constantly buzzing Maccheroni Republic and across the street from Grand Central Market, the two-story location will house the joint operation Bar Menagerie and French Exit. The latter will serve as an event hub, offering live music, burlesque shows and more. Bar Menagerie, which will be on the ground floor, is described on Bar10’s Facebook page as a “garden oasis in the middle of an urban setting.”

The location is a partnership between DTLA Proud festival co-founder Andrés Rignal and the team behind Bar10. Plans call for a 2019 opening.

Coming to 330 S. Broadway.

Continued on page 16

16 DOWNTOWN NEWS

RESTAURANTS, 15 Movin’ Over: Fans of Middle Eastern fare have been making the pilgrimage to Shekarchi at 914 S. Hill St. for almost 30 years. That came to an end recently. But don’t fret, as the Downtown favorite has not closed, but simply moved to a new location. Shekarchi debuted a 7,500-square-foot restaurant at 920 S. Olive St. on July 16, and the restaurant continues to serve the kebabs, stews and other Persian favorites for which it is known. There are plenty of chicken, beef and vegetable options in the new space, which is just a short walk from the original home.

At 920 S. Olive St., (213) 892-8535 or shekarchirestaurant.com.

Fashion District Fare, Part 1: Fashion District favorite Rossoblu has a new neighbor.

Dama, a chic Latin-inspired restaurant and lounge, held a grand opening on July 11, just around the corner from Rossoblu’s San Julian Street location. Dama, part of the City Market South project, offers more than 200 seats and an expansive patio, and the two-level space boasts an eloquent bar, lounge and dining area. Executive chef Antonia Lofaso oversees a menu that includes dry-aged ribeye steak, whole red snapper and rotisserie chicken. Pablo Moix and Steve Livigni have combined to create a drinks menu that draws from tropical blended options such as the Latin Lover, with tequila, pineapple and lime mix, and the Fair and Warmer, a rum, orange liqueur and grenadine concoction. Dama is

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open from 5 p.m. to midnight daily.

At 612 E. 11th St., (213) 741-0612 or damafashiondistrict.com.

AUGUST 13, 2018

FESTIVAL, 14

Fashion District Fare, Part 2: Speaking of Rossoblu, chef Steve Samson has expanded into the pizza game. On July 19, Samson opened Superfine Pizza. Like Rossoblu and Dama, Superfine is part of the City Market South development at the southern end of the Fashion District. Samson’s foray into the thin-crust pizza trend is starting slow, with service currently only from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. The pies start at $20 before sprinkling down any toppings, and a single slice goes from $4.

At 1101 S. San Pedro St. or superfinepizza.com.

The Up and Comers Phlegmatic Dogs: We’ll forgive you if you have yet to hear of this Russian EDM act.

The duo has garnered attention with bassheavy bangers such as “Cuatrocats” and “Bounce.” Keeping with the friendly vibe, Richards said that he has been making tracks with the canine-inspired group for the past two years. Fittingly, their latest EP is titled No Cats. “Their tracks are just nasty,” Richards said.

Phlegmatic Dogs perform Sunday at 5 p.m. at the Friendzone Stage.

They Got Next: If you needed any more proof of Downtown Los Angeles’ place in the nation’s food pantheon, then look to foodie website Eater’s Young Guns 2018 list. Locals grabbed two spots on the annual rundown of the nation’s next big chefs and food industry players. The list was released on July 18 and includes Majordomo General Manager Christine Larroucau, who leads front of house operations at celebrity chef David Chang’s first Los Angeles restaurant. Also making the cut was Nico de Leon, sous chef at Far East Plaza standout Lasa; de Leon has worked closely on the Filipino menu with founders Chad and Chase Valencia. The full list, with accompanying stories on the winners, is at eater.com.

Got any juice food news? If so, email Restaurant Buzz at sean@downtownnews.com.

Wax Motif: A veteran of pretty much every noteworthy tent festival in the United States, Wax Motif is one of the unsung heroes of electronic dance music. A major player in the G-House brand of bass-riddled underground electronic music, Motif has partnered with Richards on a number of singles and EPs. The Los Angeles-based DJ and producer has drawn critical acclaim from industry giants Diplo, Major Lazer and A-Trak. “He is definitely one to watch out for,” Richards said. “I have been hanging with him for years, but people in the industry are starting to take notice.”

Wax Motif performs Sunday at 7 p.m. at the Friendzone stage.

ABRA: Nicknamed the Darkwave Duchess,

singer/songwriter ABRA blurs the line between synth pop, indie pop and R&B, creating an ethereal and shadowy sound that would fit in a noir film. ABRA’s 2015 album Rose blasted her onto the scene, and she has followed up with a string of singles, including 2018’s lo-fi inspired “B.R.A.T.” Richards noted that ABRA was one of the first acts to agree to perform at All My Friends.

“She sings, she produces her own music, she is just amazing,” Richards said.

ABRA performs Sunday at 4:10 p.m. at the AMFAMFAMF Stage.

Sheck Wes: Listen to rapper Sheck Wes and you’ll find yourself lost in the energetic and catchy beats. But dig deeper: Priding himself on his lyricism, as well as his musicality, Wes considers himself a renaissance man, with angles on design, modeling and message-heavy music. Many first learned of the Senegal-born Wes via his 2017 hit single “Mo Bamba,” named for his childhood friend and recent NBA firstround draft pick. “He’s a rapper from Harlem who is one of the hottest dudes coming up right now,” Richards said. “Expect big things from Sheck Wes.” Sheck Wes performs Sunday at 4:55 p.m. at the AMFAMFAMF Stage.

All My Friends is Saturday-Sunday, Aug. 18-19, at Row DTLA, 777 S. Alameda St. Tickets and additional information at amfamfamf.com. sean@downtownnews.com

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Five things I saw on TV, that you don't want to miss!

EVENTS

One You know Metro for its buses and trains But it also has an entertainment arm, and this week Metro Art’s food-centric Filmmm at Union Station series wraps up with a screening of the 2009 Italian romantic drama I Am Love. Starring Tilda Swinton, the film follows the Recchi family as they plan a dinner party for the family patriarch. Food plays a central role in the movie, and if it inspires any hunger pangs, some food trucks will be on campus, including Comet BBQ, Phillyfornia and Nitropod. The free screening starts at 8 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 17, and will be screened on the station’s north patio. An as-yet-unrevealed special guest is scheduled to introduce the film. At 800 N. Alameda St. or unionstationla.com.

photo by Clayton Cubitt

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end. This week, the Grand Performances series is taking its final bow. As usual, it’s going in style, with a pair of standout performances. On Friday, Aug. 17, the stage at the Cal Plaza Watercourt will welcome La Santa Cecilia lead singer La Marisoul Hernandez, who will curate a night of musical performances by two of her favorite local acts — the California Feetwarmers and Hermanos Herrera.

Then, on Saturday, Iranian underground hip-hop artist Sogand (shown here) will take the Bunker Hill stage. Both shows are at 8 p.m., and as usual at Grand Performances, the entertainment is free. At 350 S. Grand Ave. or grandperformances.com.

photo courtesy AEG

Three Flush with an energy that begs the body to move, the band The Kills has been a force in rock since 2000. The duo, made up of American Alison Mosshart and the U.K.’s Jamie Hince, is known for mixing overwhelming guitar hooks with catchy lyrics. Get acquainted with the duo when they perform at The Regent on Monday, Aug. 13. With five albums under their belt and a full catalogue of high-energy tunes, it’s apt to be a sweaty night. At 448 S. Main St. or theregenthteater.com.

Four Enjoy a night of side-bursting and chop-busting with four of standup comedy’s giants. Cedric The Entertainer, Eddie Griffin, D.L. Hughley and George Lopez long ago conquered the stand-up comedy circuit individually. On Friday, Aug. 17, they are joining forces in a night dubbed The Comedy Get Down, based off the BET mockumentary of the same name. The laughs will float to the rafters of the Microsoft Theater, and expect an ample amount of ha-has, some ribald lines, and a few tears when these jokesters bring the heat. For your own sake, please do not heckle.

At 777 Chick Hearn Court or microsofttheater.com.

Five

photo by Department of Recreation and Parks

Two

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E. S. Onizuka St., (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com.

Aug. 13: Sameer Gupta.

Aug. 14: Kenton Chen Group.

Aug. 15: Sara Gazarek Band & Horns. The number and type of horns have not been indeitifed.

Aug. 16: Hristo Vitchev Quartert.

Aug. 17: Isaac Wilson Group.

Aug. 18: Joshua White & SixOfOne. Aug. 19: Adam Levy, Jonathan Richards, Kevin Yokota, Chris Speed.

Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

Aug. 13: The duo behind Cones continue their residency, hoping to avoid fans of the film “Coneheads.”

Aug. 14: The Mosaics appropriately play psychedelic rock.

Aug. 15: A Night of Roxy Music, featuring Adele Bertei, Abby Travis, and more. Go ahead and dream of Bryan Ferry.

Aug. 16: Jenn Champion brings moody electronic music to City West.

Aug. 18: Detroit’s Olivia Jean has a sound rooted in the garage and surf rock of the 1960s.

Escondite 410 Boyd St., (213) 626-1800 or theescondite.com.

Aug. 17: Talia Keys, Jawknee Lawhorn & the Outhouse Gang.

Guess what the latter act plays. Just guess.

Aug. 19: The Tens.

Continued on next page

By Sean P. Thomas

photo courtesy Metro Art

THE DON'T MISS LIST

CALENDAR LISTINGS

THURSDAY, AUG. 16 Nancy Rommelmann at The Last Bookstore 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com.

7:30 p.m.: The author and longtime Los Angeles journalist comes Downtown to discuss her new nonfiction book “To the Bridge,” an investigation into a 2009 murder in Portland.

FRIDAY, AUG. 17 Dance DTLA Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave. or grandparkla.org.

7 p.m.: It’s DJ night at the park’s weekly dance series, so check out what’s spinning and show off your own moves.

The Comedy Get Down Microsoft Theater, 777 Chick Hearn Ct. or microsofttheater.com.

8 p.m.: Laugh it up with sets form George Lopez, D.L. Hughley, Cedric the Entertainer and Eddie Griffin.

SATURDAY, AUG. 18 Nisei Week Rubik’s Cube Open Japanese American Cultural & Community Center Plaza, 244 S. San Pedro St. or niseiweek.org.

8 a.m.: The outdoor festival offers a coterie of contests featuring puzzle-solving wizards adept at unscrambling the multicolored cube. There’s even a race in which contestants solve it with just one hand.

Nisei Week Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship Japanese American Cultural & Community Center Plaza, 244 S. San Pedro St. or niseiweek.org.

2 p.m.: Downtown’s most disgustingly awesome event has preliminary rounds, including an LAPD-LAFD battle, followed by 10 minutes of mass consumption featuring Joey Chestnut, who last year ate 377 of the bite-sized dumplings in 10 minutes.

LA Taco Festival Grand Park, 200 N. Grand Ave. or latacofestival.com.

12 p.m.: Feast on tacos from some of Los Angeles’ best taquerias and enjoy live music at this free celebration.

Risk! LA Bootleg Bar, 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org.

9 p.m.: Comedians and actors share true stories in a live podcast taping.

DOWNTOWN NEWS 17

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

photo courtesy Grand Performances

AUGUST 13, 2018

Hey now Financial District music and film fans. The Downtown Stage series at Pershing Square is, like the Cal Plaza concerts mentioned above, nearing an end, and this is the final weekend of activity. A screening of the early 1990s cultural touchstone Clueless, starring Alicia Silverstone, is scheduled for Friday, Aug. 17. On Saturday, “All-Star” rockers Smash Mouth will take the stage. Note: Free Smash Mouth tickets available at eventbrite.com were completely reserved at press time, but those who arrive early could get in if there are no shows. At 532 S. Olive St. or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

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LISTINGS, 17 Exchange LA 618 S. Spring St., (213) 627-8070 or exchangela.com.

Aug. 17: Sikdope, Lookas.

Aug. 18: Oliver Smith, Jaytech, Jerome Isma-Ae. Grammy Museum 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or grammymuseum.org.

Aug. 14: Death Cab for Cutie’s Ben Gibbard talks about the band’s new album and plays a stripped-down set.

Grand Performances Two California Plaza, 350 S. Grand Ave. or grandperformances.org.

Aug. 17: La Marisoul Hernandez oversees sets from the California Feetwarmers and Hermanos Herrera.

Aug. 18: Hip-hop and R&B from Iranian-German artist Sogand closes out the GP season.

Ham and Eggs Tavern 433 W. Eighth St. or hamandeggstavern.com.

Aug. 19: Snowball ii, Jake Tittle, New Balance, Celebrity Crush.

Moroccan Lounge 901 E. First St., (213) 395-0610 or themoroccan.com.

Aug. 13: Ruby Haunt has the August residency at the Moroccan, so get your fill of their indie rock sounds.

Aug. 14: Synth-popstress Allie X’s upcoming album is “Super Sunset,” which feels like it could be an ode to that one sunset everyone posted about on Instagram.

Aug. 15: Eternal Summers is both a rock band and a reminder that climate change is fueling more intense heatwaves and wildfire seasons in California. Also, the band’s latest album is “Every Day It Feels Like I’m Dying…”

Aug. 16-17: Timbre Timbre paints its latest album in grandiose dystopic science fiction overtones, which is a new twist on describing’80s throwback synth music.

Aug. 18: William Black.

Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

Aug. 8: Close out the Wednesday concert series with the GB Duo. Aug. 18: It’s 2018, you’ve likely been on the Internet and seen the memes, so go on and sing along to “All-Star” when Smash Mouth plays.

Resident 428 S. Hewitt St. or (323) 316-5311 or residentdtla.com.

Aug. 14: DJs spin all night at Samplenhold.

Aug. 15: Sneaks, Automatic, Red Channel.

Aug. 16: Necrot, Deadbeat, Mysticism, Mortal Wound.

Aug. 17: It’s ’60s Motown with the Los Angeles District Soul Club.

Aug. 18: Dance the night away with Indian music at Non Stop Bhangra.

Aug. 19: Graf Orlock brings you hardcore punk with allusions to 1920s German horror films.

Seven Grand 515 W. Seventh St., (213) 614-0737 or sevengrand.la.

See website for schedule.

Spring St. Park 428 S. Spring St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

Aug. 16: She’s not just the DLANC president, she’s also an accomplished singer!

Enjoy a set with Patti Berman.

The Novo 800 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 765-7000 or thenovodtla.com.

Aug. 17: Ski Mask the Slump God. The Redwood 316 W. Second St., (213) 680-2600 or theredwoodbar.com.

Aug. 13: A.J. Froman, Wires, Miles Gonzales, Los Alamos.

Aug. 14: Waterloo, Negro Galactus, Haley Katrin.

Aug. 15: CC Potato.

Aug. 17: Karma Vulture, Mal, Altered Revelations, Courage You Bastards.

Aug. 18: Trap Girl, Punk Bunny, Unko Atama, Rock n Roll Suicides, Purgatory, Jose.

Aug. 19: Sashclock & Axes, Sins, ASPS, Light Shadows.

The Regent 448 S. Main St., (323) 284-5727, or theregenttheater.com.

Aug. 13: You can holler, you can wail, you can scream, you can flail, because The Kills play tonight.

Aug. 18: Metalheads, rejoice in doom! Armored Saint is performing.

The Smell 247 S. Main St. in the alley between Spring and Main or thesmell.org.

Aug. 17: C.I.A., C57BL/6, Vice Cooler. No word yet if C.I.A. is an actual CIA operation.

Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St. or teragramballroom.com.

Aug. 13: Atmospheric synth pop from Aquilo.

AUGUST 13, 2018

Aug. 14: Psychedelic outfit Mystic Braves are throwing a record release show.

FILM

Filmmm at Union Station 800 N. Alameda St. or unionstationla.com.

5 p.m.: Metro Art closes out its series of food-oriented movies with Tilda Swinton in I Am Love, a 2009 Italian romantic drama. It follows the Recchi family as they plan a

dinner party for the family patriarch.

IMAX California Science Center, 700 State Drive, (213) 744-2019 or californiasciencecenter.org.

It’s a throwback trip to a bio-diverse land in Amazon Adventure 3D. The film follows the journey that naturalist and explorer Henry Walter Yates undertook through the Amazon rainforest in the 1850s.

Who doesn’t love pandas? The adorable bears take center stage in the appropriately titled Pandas 3D. Kristen

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All submissions are subject to federal and California fair housing laws, which make it illegal to indicate in any advertisement any preference, limitation, or discrimination because of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, national origin, ancestry, familial status, source of income or physical or mental disability. We will not knowingly accept any advertising for real estate which is in violation of the law. All persons are hereby informed that all dwellings advertised are available on an equal opportunity basis.

LEGAL CIVIL SUMMONS SUMMONS (CITACION JUDICIAL) CASE NUMBER (Número del Caso): BC689685 NOTICE TO DEFENDANT: (AVISO AL DEMANDADO): UNITED PARCEL CARRIER INC d/b/a UNITED PARCEL CARRIER, an Idaho corporation; ADRIAN TODOR, an individual; and DOES 1 through 10, inclusive.

YOU ARE BEING SUED

BY PLAINTIFF: (LO ESTA DEMANDANDO EL DEMANDANTE): National Funding, Inc., a California corporation.

Notice! You have been sued.

The court may decide against you without your being heard unless you respond within 30 days. Read the information below.

Aviso! Lo han demandado.

Si no responde dentro de 30 dias, la corte puede decider en su contra sin escuchar su version. Lea la information a

continuacion.

You have 30 CALENDAR DAYS after this summons and legal papers are served on you to file a written response at this court and have a copy served on the plaintiff. A letter or phone call will not protect you. Your written response must be in proper legal form if you want the court to hear your case. There may be a court form that you can use for your response. You can find these court forms and more information at the California Courts Online SelfHelp Center (www.courtinfo. ca.gov/selfhelp), your county law library, or the courthouse nearest you. If you cannot pay the filing fee, ask the court clerk for a fee waiver form. If you do not file your response on time, you may lose the case by default, and your wages, money, and property may be taken without further warning from the court.

There are other legal requirements. You may want to call an attorney right away. If you do not know an attorney, you may want to call an attorney referral service. If you cannot

the happy time murders

Starts August 17

afford an attorney, you may be eligible for free legal services from a nonprofit legal services program. You can locate these nonprofit groups at the California Legal Services Web site (www.lawhelpcalifornia.org), the California Courts Online Self- Help Center (www. courtinfo.ca.gov/selfhelp), or by contacting your local court or county bar association. NOTE: The court has a statutory lien for waived fees and costs on any settlement or arbitration award of $10,000 or more in a civil case. The court’s lien must be paid before the court will dismiss the case.

The name and address of the court is: (El nombre y dirección de la corte es): Los Angeles Superior Court, Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 The name, address, and telephone number of plaintiff’s attorney, or plaintiff without an attorney, is: (El nombre, la dirección y el número de teléfono del abogado del demandante, o del demandante que no tiene abogado, es): Neal S. Salisian/ Stephanie Chau, 550 South Hope Street, Suite 750, Los Angeles, CA 90071; Telephone: (213) 622-9100.

Date: (Fecha) January 9, 2018, Sherri R. Carter, Clerk of the Court (Secretario), by Marlon Gomez, Deputy (Adjunto).

PLEASE TAKE NOTICE that a Continued Case Management Conference and Order to Show Cause Hearing re: Proof of Service will be held in this case on September 7, 2018, at 8:30 a.m. in Department 69 of the Superior Court of the County of Los Angeles, located at 111 North Hill Street, Los Angeles, California, 90012.

FICTITIOUS BUSINESS NAME Fictitious Business Name Statement

Bell narrates the film about the efforts to reintroduced captive-born pandas into the wild.

It’s all about space in Hubble 3D, which carries audiences on a celestial journey, touching on everything from spacewalking astronauts to distant galaxies.

Dive into the history of Egypt and the impact of the Nile River as Omar Sharif hosts Mysteries of Egypt.

Pershing Square 532 S. Olive St., (213) 847-4970 or laparks.org/pershingsquare.

Aug. 17: Enjoy the excesses of 1990s rich kid culture and the fact that Paul Rudd looks the same now as he did then in Clueless.

Regal Cinemas LA Live 1000 W. Olympic Blvd., (213) 763-6070 or lalive.com/movies.

Through Aug. 19: Crazy Rich Asians (1:20, 4:20, 7:20 and 10:30 p.m.); Blackkklansman (11 a.m., 12, 2:20, 3:20, 6:20, 9:40 and 10:20 p.m.); Slender Man (1, 4:40, 7:40 and 10:20 p.m.); The Meg (11 a.m., 12:30, 2, 3:40, 5, 7, 8, 10:10 and 10:55 p.m.); Dog Days (12:20 and 3:30 p.m.); Christopher Robin (11 a.m., 12, 3, 6 and 9 p.m.); The Spy Who Dumped Me (1:20, 4:30, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.); Mission Impossible: Fallout (12:10, 3:40, 6:40, 7:20, 10 and 11 p.m.); The Equalizer 2 (12:10, 3:10, 7:30 and 10:30 p.m.); Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (1:40 and 4:20 p.m.); Ant-Man and the Wasp (11:50 a.m., 2:50 p.m.).

Rooftop Cinema Club Level DTLA, 888 S. Olive St. or

File No. 2018175382 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Finishing Studio Inc, 1264 W 2nd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 LA COUNTY (2) FS Digital, 1264 W 2nd St, Los Angeles CA 90026 LA COUNTY are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Finishing Studio, Inc. 1264 W 2nd St, Los Angeles, CA 90026. This business is conducted by a Corporation.

Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 07/2018 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on July 17, 2018.

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 statement 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. 7/30, 8/6, 8/13 and 8/20.

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018180249 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Wurstkuche, 800 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013 LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Wilson Pitruzzelli Investments, LLC, 800 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

This business is conducted by a Limited Liability Company.

Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 11/2008 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los

Angeles County Clerk on July 20, 2018.

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 statement 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. 8/13, 8/20, 8/27 and 9/3.

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018179749 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Vibes Trading, 5143 Bakman Ave #209, North Hollywood, CA 91601 LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Yoichi Yamaguchi, 5143 Bakman Av #209, North Hollywood, CA 91601. This business is conducted by an Individual.

Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 07/2017 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on July 20, 2018.

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 statement 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. 7/30, 8/6, 8/13 and 8/20.

Fictitious Business Name

rooftopcinemaclub.com/los-angeles.

Aug. 14: Enjoy pirates, romance, Inigo Montoya getting his revenge and Andre the Giant in The Princess Bride.

Aug. 15: Witness the strength of street knowledge in Straight Outta Compton.

Aug. 16: Relive all of your childhood memories of discovering Disney films with The Little Mermaid.

Aug. 17: If you missed it the last few times it screened here, or Mayor Garcetti’s public love for the film, enjoy La La Land.

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.

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Statement File No. 2018173332 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) KR Interior Design Group, 430 S Broadway, Unit 508, Los Angeles, CA 90013 LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Kendrick S Rustad, 430 S Broadway APT 508, Los Angeles, CA 90013. This business is conducted by an Individual. Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on July 13, 2018.

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 statement 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. 7/30, 8/6, 8/13 and 8/20.

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018184621 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Avon Construction, 4422 Franklin Avenue, Los Angeles, CA 90027 LA COUNTY, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Hedid Woke, Inc. 12016 Wilshire Boulevard Suite 10, Los Angeles, CA 90025. This business is conducted by a Corporation.

Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: 02/2018 This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los

Angeles County Clerk on July 26, 2018.

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 statement 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. 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 and 8/27.

Fictitious Business Name Statement File No. 2018168143 The following individual(s) is (are) doing business as: (1) Victors of Assault, 15154 Rayen St, Notrh Hills, CA 91343 LA COUNTY. Mailing Address: P.O. Box 461581, Los Angeles, CA 90046, are hereby registered by the following registrants: (1) Melvin A. Rideout, 15154 Rayen St, North Hills, CA 91343. This business is conducted by a Trust. Registrant(s) began to transact business under the fictitious business name or names listed above: N/A This statement was filed with DEAN C. LOGAN, Los Angeles County Clerk on July 10, 2018.

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 statement 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. 8/6, 8/13, 8/20 and 8/27.

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Mass Chewing and Puzzle Solving

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Little Tokyo Festival’s Gyoza Eating And Rubik’s Cube Contests Return

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The World Gyoza Eating Championship will see competitive eaters including Matt Stonie (shown here) and Joey Chestnut swallowing more than 300 bite-sized dumplings in 10 minutes. It takes place Saturday, Aug. 18, at the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center plaza.

By Nicholas Slayton isei Week is well underway, with the colorful Tanabata Festival and the Grand Parade taking place over the past weekend. But the highlights are hardly finished: The crowds will fill Little Tokyo all week, and will swell on Saturday, Aug. 18, when the celebration of traditional Japanese-American culture goes decidedly modern with a gyoza-eating championship and a Rubik’s Cube competition.

Both events are tests of quickness, strategy and endurance, though that’s where the similarity ends: One involves immense brain power, and the other requires an iron stomach.

The two contests are relatively new to Nisei Week, now in its 78th year, but have proven to be big draws for attendees, according to Nisei Week President Cory Hayashi.

The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship starts at 2 p.m. in the plaza of the Japanese American Cultural & Community Center. After an amateur round and one contest between members of the Los Angeles Police Department and the Los Angeles Fire Department, the professional competitive eaters will step up to the long rectangular table. Returning champion Joey Chestnut — who last month broke the record at Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest by consuming 74 frankfurters in 10 minutes — will be back this year, facing off against topranked competitors such as Matt Stonie and Geoffrey Esper.

The contestants have 10 minutes to stuff as many of the dumplings down their gullet as possible. They usually stand and wiggle back and forth as they eat, and take frequent gulps of water. Last year Chestnut scarfed down 377 of the bite-sized dumplings. While he emerged victorious, he fell short of his record-setting performance from 2014, when he ate 384 gyoza.

“It’s disgustingly awesome,” Hayashi said. “You’re in shock of how many gyoza they’re eating. Your brain can’t process it.”

The day starts on a far tamer but equally impressive note, as the Rubik’s Cube Open runs from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. As with the gyoza contest, it’s free to attend.

Contestants play their way though multiple rounds (there’s even one for solving a cube with one hand) before the finals.

Last year’s event drew more than 100 competitors, Hayashi said, and the Nisei Week organizers are expecting a larger turnout this year.

The contest is overseen by the World Cube Association, an international group that holds puzzle-solving competitions.

Fingers will be flying as people race to line up the colors on all six faces of the cube.

The JACCC plaza will host other activities during and after the competitions. Audiences can enjoy music, food, vendors and a beer garden.

The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship and the Nisei Week Rubik’s Cube Open will be held on Saturday, Aug. 18, at the JACCC Plaza, 244 S. San Pedro St. or niseiweek.org. nicholas@downtownnews.com

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