New Angeles Monthly by Diana James

M O N T H L Y

06 NOV. 07 A MONTHLY MAGAZINE DEVOTED TO THE REVIVAL OF DOWNTOWN AND THE “NEW” EASTSIDE

CONCRETE DREAMS:

RE-IMAGINING THE L.A. RIVER

BY MIKE SONKSEN

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NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 4

CONTENTS

Features: 22: URBAN ALCHEMY

The teenage son of L.A. River activist Lewis MacAdams introduced him to a graffiti crew and helped birth the notion of painting the concrete-bottomed body back to life. Here is the story of what might have been

24: EARTHY MERCHANTS Before sunrise, they fill their trucks with produce and crafts and bring the goods to town. These are the folks of your local Farmer’s Market

28: CABLE IS DEAD! It brings home cursing, drug use and nudity, but aren’t there deeper truths in snowy reception and Cal Worthington?

Columns: 5: YOUNGEST IN CHARGE

Housing K-Town’s wealthy few and poor masses

8: SNAPSHOTS Nokia Theatre, Point Break Live! Tarfest

15: WARES Unearthing the best garden stores

16: FOODSTUFF Fresh doings in Atwater Village

18: INNERVIEW Peanut Butter Wolf is now ballin’ at a whole ’nother level

20: BLUEPRINT Assessing the One Sante Fe project

39: CALENDAR Selected events for November

Nashville native Malakhi Simmons got his start in journalism as a columnist and photographer for BRE magazine, but his roots as a shooter go back to the tutelage of his father, Hollywood cinematographer John Simmons, A.S.C. In documenting the making of a historic Los Angeles River mural, Simmons has shown immense empathy and technical care. Graphic artist Tanner Goldbeck conjured up the flower from concrete that is Lewis MacAdams’ vision of the river. Mike Sonksen, author of this month’s New Angeles cover story, shows how Friends of the Los Angeles River view the hard-bottomed body as a four-decade reclamation project. Goldbeck lives Downtown.

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YOUNGESTINCHARGE

Afraid to Buy? Afraid to Sell?

can we really go in reducing poverty?” One of KIWA’s ongoing concerns is the influx of capital coming from South Korea. From Seoul to the hinterlands, that country is maxed-out on physical growth, and real estate has reached the market’s top. So, investors are bringing their money to Koreatown, which is fine. It is, in fact, similar to Japan’s investment here during the 1980s, and with the imminent signing of a Korea-U.S. free trade agreement, the markets are likely be opened even more. Based on what’s been going on in K-Town – and, frankly, most of town – in the recent past, this spells for the neighborhood a higher concentration of undocumented, low-wage workers, not to mention more problems for schools, more prostitution, and other low-level crimes that can hurt quality of family life. In and around K-Town, there’s a vernacular that speaks to the very distinct partition between the neighborhood’s haves and have-nots. There’s the upper part where the wealthiest dwell. Then, there’s the section where those who set the table for the money-rakers live, generally in overpriced, crowded and crappy apartments. “The sense among folks in Koreatown is that north of Wilshire is where the high-end, developing, newer apartments [are]. And there’s south of Wilshire. The further south you go, there are the older buildings and a higher percentage of the Latino community. That’s seen as the not-sonice part of Koreatown.” Nguyen and I visited a few apartments in the “not-so-nice” expanse of south K-Town and, let me tell you, I’ve been in discos that were quieter than some of these buildings’ hallways. And the rents there rivaled what I was then paying in Silver Lake. Sounds crazy, but people will go to great lengths in order to live close to their children’s schools and their places of work. They will take in relatives and their relatives’ (sketchy) relatives. “Koreatown is not the immigrant enclave it once was,” Nguyen says. “Over time it’s become this node in the global economy. So, it’s this gateway for trade with South Korea, a part of this transnational economy. But, at the same time, it’s people’s homes. It’s home to over 200,000 people. And 70 percent of those people are poor. At a certain point, there has to be a better balance.” You know a community has lost its way once it starts mistaking its neighborhoods for ATMs. –dEA

Let me help you in this changing market make the right choice.

>> For me, Vy Nguyen, Campaign Coordinator of the Koreatown Immigrant Workers Alliance (KIWA), has done more than anyone this side of MTA to bring home the realities of L.A.’s masses of working poor. That’s because she gigs in the thick of our city’s densest enclave of gaudy wealth and back-breaking poverty. When I met Nguyen in the spring of 2005, KIWA was deep into a very successful campaign to organize workers in K-Town’s dominant few supermarkets. So, let me acknowledge straight out of the gate that Nguyen and KIWA are among those party-poopers who insist upon matching the growth of business in Los Angeles to the conditions of the people who fundamentally make it rain. You know? Things like affordable housing and livable wages. That’s what she wakes up thinking about. KIWA’s supermarket campaign was so successful – this spring saw an unprecedented signing of living-wage agreements with the grocers – that the alliance moved on to organizing around issues of housing, specifically the phenomenon of gentrification. Anyone who’s watched Koreatown over the past five years knows that it’s something of a bellwether; L.A. on fast-forward, where housing costs are concerned. “We had seen over time the gentrification. Our members had had problems with illegal evictions, illegal rent increases. They were increasingly having to move to areas like South L.A., where the rent was cheaper,” Nguyen says. Astutely, KIWA deduced that there was marginal separation between workplace-earning issues and housing. “With the supermarket campaign we were trying to address poverty by raising wages for low-wage workers,” she continued, “and we also felt you can raise wages to a certain extent, but if people are still paying over a third of their rent on housing – and on top of that it’s substandard housing – how far

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SNAPSHOTS

NOKIA THEATRE The antiseptic confines of the Nokia Theatre makes some Downtown residents uneasy. The bohos see it as a glass and metal first incursion of L.A. Live!—O.G. loft-dwellers’ Star Wars Death Star— not the revitalization wormhole that proponents hail it as. Christening the joint with a performance from iconic Boomer cheeseballs the Eagles didn’t help perceptions. Yet the fact is that Nokia provides competition for the Greek Theatre and Gibson Amphitheatre. Better concerts should be on the horizon.

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SNAPSHOTS

POINT BREAK LIVE! Despite accusations that more than one audience member selected to play Keanu Reeves’s part in the satirical Point Break Live was a ringer, each performance at Main Street’s Charlie-O’s yielded loads of ironic laughter. The 1991 film features Reeves as Johnny Utah, an FBI agent who, having played quarterback at Ohio State, is just the man to infiltrate Patrick Swayze’s gang of radical surfers/bank robbers. In the staged version this past October, a “randomly-selected” amateur speaks the lead’s lines in their best Keanu; which is to say, in monotone.

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TARFEST 2007 Don’t get it twisted: Girl singers are amazing. The kids will always come out for ’em. But it’s the laser-resuscitated mastodons that made this year’s Tarfest memorable. Local rock, R&B, reggae, chamber, hip-hop, pop and experimental musicians graced the Miracle Mile stage. And the gigantic-eared turntable kid truly rocked. But, for real? It was all about the laser-resuscitated mastodons.

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WARES

CAN YOU DIG IT? Cool stuff for gardeners, farmers, landscapers and people who just like dirty fingernails

got a cute little old house and all of a sudden an apartment building goes up next to you, living bamboo fences are pretty and provide privacy. Gardens are essential. They keep you in touch with the earth, says Sally, That’s an important thing, a bit of nature so you understand the world around you. It’s such a narrow life without plants. Indeed, electric skylines present complicated replacement for stars. At certain Downtown intersections, the tide of tents and sidewalk shanties slip into dusty avenues like wild brush into a riverbank. The city is wondrous in its hard-shell lack of vegetation. We run from it at quitting time, escaping to the low light of restaurants, to the cushion of cars, the warmth of homes, and, if we’re lucky, to the sanctuary of gardens. But what does it take to build a garden well? We’ve found a few good places to start. NA

BY MARCO VILLALOBOS ★ Marco Villaobos’ s grandfather tended garden for child star Shirley Temple.

>> Sunset Boulevard Nursery offers inspiring solace. Rustic lanterns hang among ferns. Fountains trickle beside oversized Buddha heads pocking rows of plants. Kiln-dried California Redwood box planters rest stacked across from Koi, shimmering in their shallow tub. Rod Kitamura chews his morning snack, waxing over 20 years as a Sunset employee. There are beautiful things in gardens, namely plants; they’re what stay popular, he says. People want plants because they provide more oxygen. How can you get any more useful than that? Fellow employee Dennis Callahan agrees, but as a landscaper his loyalty lies with shovels. You can’t do anything without a shovel, he says. A quick look around the store reveals full size and hand-held shovels, rakes, and cultivator claws. Most notably, a set of tools marked Classic, which combines sleek, oak handles with carbon steel blades, taking cues from antique simplicity. A nearby pruning shears display of right- and left-handed models by Bahco boast ergonomic curves so precise you should measure your hands repeatedly before selecting the best set for you. Afloat in more options but less intimacy, I grab a scuffle hoe from a line of gear at Orchard Supply Hardware. There’s a tool for every job, says Adam, who’s stocking shovels. That’s the Ames True Temper, he says, referring to my hoe. The handle is maple ash. These are fiberglass, he says, pointing to durable takes on traditional wooden handles. Fiberglass is lighter and still offers clean, balanced lines. I scan the astonishing variety of gardening gloves. Flower-print pigskin HandHelpers catch my eye. Adam pretends not to notice. Good gloves are a good start, he says, turning my attention to sinister latex-palm gloves. They match the classic black PVC knee boots, perfect for keeping your Chuck Taylors out of the mud.

INFØ: Sunset Boulevard Nursery, Inc. 4368 W. Sunset Blvd., LA, CA 90029 (323) 661-1642 Orchard Supply Hardware 5525 Sunset Blvd., Hollywood, CA 90028 (323) 871-1707 www.osh.com

A day later, I find myself Downtown. Abundant as it is with blossoms, the Flower District lacks hardware. There are only slight exceptions. Raw, bamboo-trunk pots at Kobata Growers are one. You have to knock around upstairs to find them, but they offer an attractive option for keeping live herbs fresh and within reach. The District’s other point of interest is Dalsol Orchid Warehouse. Its crowded loft presents eclectic furniture and outdoor items: Thai rattan

patio sets, custom birdhouses, even an old wood and iron rickshaw – they’re popular in Beverly Hills, nods the floor man. I go back to Sunset Boulevard Nursery for respite. Founded by the Kuga family in 1958, Sunset’s critical hardware section offers a core of sleek gear. Its pots and planters are among the city’s most terrific, ranging from traditional wood boxes to oxidized metal planters and luxurious glazed clay. Sally Melcher’s worked here 13 years. What’s beautiful and useful? Bamboo for fast screens, she answers. When you’ve

Dalsol Orchid Warehouse 766 San Julian St., LA, CA 90014 (213) 614-1925 Kobata Growers Inc. 758 S. Maple Ave., LA, CA 90014 (213) 623-1857 www.kobatagrowers.com

Los Angeles Flower District http://laflower district.com/

15 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

FOODSTUFF BY NEILLE ILEL ★ Neille Ilel is a writer and editor in Los Angeles, public radio and beyond. More of her work is at www.neille.com ★ Photos by Noé Montes

FRESH TURNS ONE Atwater Village’s Canelé reaches for greatness

>> It surprises my friends, who know me as an avid cook, when I tell them that prior to my mid-twenties I never cooked; I heated. My meals were made up of unholy quantities of canned, packaged and preserved “stuff.” But after moving to Paris for a spell at 26, I had an awakening. I tasted actual food: real, fresh, flavorful and simple food. It was neither packaged nor trucked-in from distant parts. I found succulent produce, creamy dairy, choice cuts of meat and fish, not at a fancy organic food store, but fairly cheaply at any corner grocery or, better yet, at the daily markets. Besides turning me into a gourmand – that’s French for can’t-stop-eating – all these delicious ingredients took away my fear of cooking. Starting out with vine-ripened

NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 16

tomatoes, curiously flavorful cheese, warm, fresh, baked bread and just-picked herbs, I’d have to make a lot of wrong turns to end up with a bad meal. Dinner at Atwater Village’s Canelé operates on this same principle. Chef and co-owner Corina Weibel serves dishes made from produce she buys at local farmers’ markets that day or a day before. Her meats come only from trusted ranchers and fishmongers. That uncompromising taste is evident. The simple mixed-green salad teems with subtle flavors. The peach cobbler bursts with fruit, but is plenty sweet and rich. The heirloom tomatoes are at peak ripeness. With ingredients this fresh, there’s nothing to hide – Canelé’s kitchen runs open along the side of the space. Sitting

at the bar, I got to watch countless racks tender and moist with no lack of flavor. of lamb, filet mignons and desserts come Beside it is a crispy potato tart, with what out of the oven. With the hum of the quantity of butter I don’t want to know. kitchen, the pleasant din of diners under I was disappointed in the spinach, which soft, orange lights reflecting on the polwas bitter with a metallic aftertaste. ished wood tables, Canelé The rack of lamb came in might have the perfect dining a close second for the main INFØ: atmosphere on the new courses. Juicy, tender, it was Eastside. The one thing that impossible not to eat every Canelé keeps me from saying definibite, even though there was 3219 Glendale Blvd. tively that it does, is a pesky Los Angeles, CA 90039 too much for one person. The (323) 666-7133 fluorescent light intruding eggplant beside it proved from the back of the kitchen. uneven, however; one piece But the food! Not every was undercooked, dish is prepared with total precision, but in and then a second, thoroughly-cooked most cases the quality of the ingredients piece tasted delicious. The danger of makes up for it. The beef tenderloin is understated cooking is that small mistakes divine and probably the best item on the have no sauce or gimmick to hide behind. fall menu. Served without a heavy sauce, it’s The red snapper with peppers, also

cho Park has been a creative hub ever since Charlie Chaplin filmed his silent movies there. Thanks to a new influx of innovators and restored pride in the community, the historic neighborhood is resurgent, and Sunset & Lemoyne is the epicenter. Since 2004, Masa of Echo Park has become a favorite neighborhood restaurant due to an eclectic menu, home-style vintage decor and warm hospitality from its two sets of owners/couples: Rhonda Reynolds and Rob Rowe, and Tom Keeney and Julia Jackson. Locals converge on Masa for morning pastries, panini, chorizo-studded meatloaf, Chicago-style pizza and croissant bread pudding. A long-time Echo Park resident, Reynolds calls her home a “small city within a bigger city” that swells with “a sense of history.” The intersection’s future is about bulge, too. Phil Hartman plans to open the first non-New York outpost of his Two Boots pizza chain, next to edgy nightclub The Echo. “I was never interested in doing a branch in Los Angeles,” Hartman said, ìuntil undercooked, felt a little naked with only pepI was introduced to Echo Park. It seems like pers and light vegetables next to it. Luckily, the a great mix of the old East Village and bread basket was good, and the Corona, Queens; really tight-knit and interbutter heavenly. If you must have fish, choose esting.” As these two boots represent Italy the fish soup: a blond bouillabaisse, offered as and Louisiana, expect Cajun toppings such an appetizer and a main course. An excellent, as tasso ham, andouille sausage, crawfish hearty bowl of clams, mussels, halibut and snapand BBQ shrimp. per, it’s best as a main, and especially nice now, Spaceland’s venerable Mitchell Frank just as the weather is turning chilly. has turned The Echo into a live Finally I tried the duck confit, offered for the first time that weekend. There’s music destination since its work to be done on the duck. Either December 2001 opening. the bird itself is too tough, or the Beck, irascible Mississippi preparation wasn’t right. Duck is a bluesman T-Model Ford, > > difficult dish to pull off. If it’s cooked and the late Elliott Smith in too much fat, it can be greasy and >> Sunset Blvd. &. have all played the club. overbearing. Too dry, it’s a total failne St y o Below it, The Echoplex is a m e L ure. This one was too dry, but it’s likely cavernous annex that has the chef can get it right with more time. drawn such indie giants as In any case, be sure to eat dessert. M.I.A. and Of Montreal. “I know The first time I ate at Canelé, they’d run out of the peach cobbler, so I made sure to order it on my there’s a lot of change going on,” said next visit. There’s no hyperbole here: it’s the best Hartman, who also serves as President of peach cobbler – or peach anything – I’ve ever tastthe Echo Park Chamber of Commerce. ed. If they’ve run out, go for the flourless chocolate “And I hope it’s going to be change that cake with toffee. doesn’t compromise the uniqueness. Finally, I want Canelé’s wine-by-the-glass list Hopefully in five to ten years, Echo Park is to be better. The small imperfections on some of just as quaint.” the plates I can overlook, especially with the –Joshua Lurie gutsy reliance on freshness. But the meats are

OT THE H R CORNE

just begging for a bold wine pairing, and all the reds fell short. Canelé just celebrated its first anniversary, and I can only guess that with each seasonal cycle, the menu will become more sure-footed, and perhaps even great. In the meantime, definitely order a salad, stick to the red meat and don’t skip dessert, and you’ve got the perfect place to linger over three delicious courses with friends. Maybe bring your own bottle of wine, or two. Appetizers, $6-$12; mains, $10-$24; dessert, $6. NA

The Echo 1822 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, 213-413-8200 The Echoplex 1154 Glendale Blvd., Echo Park, 213-413-8200 Masa of Echo Park 1800 W. Sunset Blvd., Echo Park, 213-989-1558

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INNERVIEW

O LF

>> Mount Washington’s Peanut Butter Wolf (government name: Chris Manak) is a DJ’s DJ. He hits a ginormous festival here and there, but dude’s primarily a grinder: a turntable artist who’s lugging his equipment from small club to medium-sized club and then, back to the studio, where his Stones Throw label makes smart music. This month Peanut Butter Wolf presents a local straight-up rap show that steers clear of the Afro-pop, house, dub and whatnot that made last June’s Seven Days in L.A. – a week of different genres at different nightspots – such a novelty. In support of Stones Throw’s video game compilation, B-Ball Zombie War, he’s launching a 14-city tour at the El Rey Theater November 8. Madlib, J. Rocc and Guilty Simpson are among the headliners, while Talib Kweli, Q-Tip and gangsta pioneer Arabian Prince show up on the compilation. PB Wolf and I talked after he had gigged with A-Track, the soundboy behind Kanye West’s live shows. >>

NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 18

dEA edits New Angeles Monthly magazine and blogs at MOLi.com ★ Illustration by Antony Hare, siteway.com

INTERVIEW BY DONNELL ALEXANDER ★

PEANUT BUTTER

★

Seven Days in L.A. was great, but are you in the scene as much as you used to be? I feel like I’ve been in the scene equally for the past 10 years. I’ve been kinda touring the world ever since ’97 and I’m at the same-sized venues. I do festivals, where it gets big. That’s why I did Seven Days. I wanted to show that there are seven different scenes here, where you can play totally different music and still have a crowd. I mean, a lot of people went to all seven days. Was it hip-hop that you were doing with A-Track last night? The stuff A-Track was playin’ wasn’t really hip-hop at all. It was electronic dance music, instrumentals. Then I DJ’d. I actually DJ’d with music videos. That’s what I’ve been doing lately, because I don’t see any other DJs doing that.

★

That’s what I’ll be doing at the El Rey show as well. What kind of videos? Mainly old-school hip-hop; first of all, videos for songs that people have heard a million times in the club – but the kids have never seen the videos. It’s a real pain in the ass to cart up all the equipment and lug it around and stuff, so I only do it for special events. Pioneer has these things called DVJs. They’re like CVJs – DVD turntables, I guess. Then I have special mixer that’s compatible with it. There’s a bunch of little things you need. I really can’t travel with it unless I’m on a tour bus. When we did the U.S. tour last year I was able to take it, because we had it all on a tour bus. I’m curious, do the videos get people amped? Are they dancin’ and all that? Or are they lookin’ at the monitors? Oh yeah, it’s a combination: Like, half the people are in a trance, watching the videos and just taking it all in. A lot of people are watching, too. Last night, I only did a half-hour set, and it was a little

★

performance-oriented, so people were watching more. But, when you do it for two or three hours, it gets to be a little bit of both. Doing music for videogames is sorta like playing hoops in Europe. With these videogames compilations, a lot of careers are kept alive. Definitely. The record sales really aren’t doing it anymore. You have to get creative and find other ways to keep your company alive. It’s funny, I went to school with a guy who ended up playing for the NBA. I was tellin’ him I was gonna be a DJ. We both ended up following what we wanted to do. It’s ironic that I ended up doing an album for the NBA. It’s crazy that you’ve got Arabian Prince on this joint. He’s somebody whose stuff I really liked as a kid and he’s become a close friend of mine. He has a videogame company, too. He’s a good basketball player. And he’s a really good golfer. He’s trying to go pro. Gangsta rapper turns pro golfer: it’s a reality show, right? NA

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“vertical gardens” on the walls of the building, as well as additional trees to beautify the landscape. Chuck Cowley, the current spokesman for the project, claims that the development will be especially marketed to Metropolitan Transit Authority employees and SCIArc students (the architecture school and MTA facilities lie adjacent to the project). He also cites commitment to current residents, claiming that One Santa Fe will include “not only student housing opportunities, but also new live/ work spaces for creative professionals.” Despite these concessions to the community, there are still some compelling arguments from those who oppose the project. The size of the development seems to be the primary concern, as the structure (as currently planned) will tower over the district, with most of the allotted space built up, as opposed to being left open. Some fear that the structure may become a wall between the Arts District and East LA, complicating recent efforts to create an integrated city out of the disparate communities around Downtown. As revealed in the official opposition statement: “At a time when many Angelenos, and particularly artists, have been working to make connections across the river,

BY MAXWELL HARWITT ★ Maxwell Harwitt maintains a blog at www.city-space.blogspot.com.

>> Depending on your aesthetic inclinations, the Downtown L.A. River area is either one of the most intriguing or most desolate parts of the city. On the western side, what seems to be a vast reliquary of aging infrastructure and former industrial spaces makes up the Arts District, one of the progenitors of Downtown’s recent residential boom. Many of the community’s long-standing residents find themselves at odds with that boom, fighting for neighborhood improvements, while at the same time trying to keep developers from forcing them out of the area they helped create. Both of these struggles have come to the fore in “One Santa Fe,” a proposed development that may fill several city blocks close to the river. The 500,000 square foot project, designed by Michael Maltzan Architecture, would sit between First and Fourth streets (on roughly four acres) and contrary to the current Downtown trend, would be comprised mainly of rental units. The structure would also add 55,000 square feet of badly needed retail space to the district, along with a 5,000 square foot community center that residents have long hoped for. Some other concerns have been addressed as well, as the project will now include two much-referenced

'One Santa Fe' project brings struggle to fore this development will erect a threeblock long barrier.” The opposing group also cites the yet to be implemented L.A. River Plan, which would revive the waterfront as an urban attraction. They claim that the project will limit the accessibility of the river, making it more of an exclusive park for residents of the project. The developers have answered this concern by breaking up the building’s design so as not to obstruct views or prevent access to Arts District residents. There will also be throughways at the built-over streets. Another grievance voiced by the opposition group is the fact that none of the units at One Santa Fe will be Artist in Residence (AIR) spaces. This classification, which until recently was most prevalent in the Arts District, would limit occupation to city-designated artists, as opposed to the planned live/work units, which can be occupied by anyone. This seems like a clannish complaint, since all of that ground-floor retail would probably need to be activated by a more heterogeneous population than currently exists. It also seems contradictory to claim that a project will hinder the city’s integrative efforts, while at the same time demanding exclusive cultural qualifications for

★ ★ ★ your neighborhood. Additionally, the AIR designation could mean that units would not be available to the architecture students and city employees that Cowley claims the project is best suited for. The most curious complaint about the project concerns the fact that, although it will be built on public land, there was no apparent bidding process for development. The developers of One Santa Fe were allegedly given what the opposition calls a sweetheart — one not offered to anybody else — and will be paying the city $500,000 a year to lease the space. While somewhat unusual, it isn’t terribly surprising to see an arrangement of this nature. The communities on the periphery of Downtown seem generally eager to accept whatever part of the current investment boom comes their way. The Arts District in particular has not had much ground-up construction, and as far as development goes, this situation certainly could be much worse. The scale is definitely massive, probably too big for the neighborhood, but at least the project leaders seem eager to work with some of their detractors’ concerns. Community consideration and concessions at One Santa Fe attest to the strength of the Arts District, which should continue acting as a voice of reason in shaping the expanding waterfront community. NA

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21 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

BY PERRY CROWE ★ Perry Crowe is still an L.A. freelance writer with something stuck between his teeth. ★ Illustration by Thaddeus Couldron

NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 22

Do the Damn DVD’s & Rock Rabbit Ears Cable is for squares; real Angelenos go commando >> I vividly remember the cable man’s initial visit to our home. He splayed a booklet open and slid it across a cleared dinner table as my family huddled ’round. He spoke of the magical world to which we would soon be given access – a world where kids had their very own network. And that was just one choice among many. But only so many. Mine was a thrifty clan and we kept things basic. It’s no wonder then, that as an adult and payer of my own bills, I opt out of subscription television altogether, staying off the grid, living as a technohemian, subsisting on rabbit ear antennae, DVDs and videogames for my entertainment fix. Rabbit ears are kinda crappy, don’t get me wrong. There’s always a blizzard on CBS and sometimes the storm catches NBC, too. Bam, two channels gone, right off the bat. But it’s CBS, so I’m only really missing AFC football at worst (I mean, come on, this is the network that gave us Two and a Half Men, which, sadly, has now spread to syndication on KTLA and, therefore, clear reception, and, therefore, habitual viewing). And having NBC on-again-offagain provides a much-appreciated governor to Must See TV consump-

tion. And that moment I realized holding one rabbit ear in my fleshy, bioelectric grip actually improved reception was a priceless moment of technohesion. Rabbit ears just want to be touched. I can relate. There was more excitement upon discovery that the heavy, metal screen door component of my front door hugely impacted reception. These were high-end rabbit ears (which is possibly oxymoronic) and needed to be plugged in. The heavy, metal screen door was hinged to the wall bearing the outlet into which the rabbit ears were plugged. When friends would drop by, I’d notice a sudden surge in picture clarity accompanied by the whining of the screen door’s hinges and then the rap of friendly knuckles on my wooden front door. One day I applied this practical knowledge and propped the screen door a few notches past wide open and lashed it to the front railing of my deck with bungee cords. Metal and electricity worked in concert, forging a super antenna, the wide-open screen door becoming a rabbit ear hearing aid. I sated myself on riveting, crystal clear AFC football, then discovered the full day’s lashing had bent the shit out of the screen door’s hinges to the point that pushing the door closed until it latched amounted to setting a mousetrap. With the fear of security deposit loss heavy on my heart, I abandoned the super antenna concept and took the rabbit ear in my crackling, fleshy grip once more. Scraping my entertainment together by broadcast alone, I find myself watching a lot of KCAL 9 (and since it’s owned by CBS, I’m not totally frozen out of the Tiffany network). It’s an obscene amount of live, local and late-breaking, with the channel producing and airing hour upon hour upon hour of newscasts a day, but it does give a great sense of place. Its bland presentation pierces the star-studded fog of Hollywood and pegs the dusty soil under girding our city of angels. Stirs childhood memories of cross-country family vacations, watching the morning news in motel rooms, getting the lay of the land. Hearing of traffic snarls and city council votes and weather reports in different accents, under different lighting, but essentially the same. Chicago, Louisville, Orlando, Bangor, Washington, D.C.; Pigeon Forge, Cincinnati, Amarillo, Fond Du Lac,

Issaquah, Pittsburgh, Phoenix, Twin Falls, Fort Wayne. Los Angeles? Might as well be Tulsa when you’re watching KCAL. Harold Greene? How the fuck did this guy end up on TV in the entertainment capital of the world? It’s that Tulsa feel. The city unglamorous. Clippers fans in the Showtime city. The true, blue-collar blood coursing through the glittering steel and monumental concrete body of cities worldwide. The population making themselves ugly with joy on a Saturday night, humoring the hustlers and loons on the train but not getting taken, stepping lightly over streams of piss and knifing through patches of cloying body odor on Spring, punching the clock with pragmatic vigor on Monday, raising families, raking leaves, supping from the marrow of immediacy. Had I a cable or satellite subscription, I’d be lifted to lofty planes where reception is immaculate and television offers foul/real language, open drug use and frequent breast exposure. Nice, but where is the local auto dealership? How do you know where you are when you’re swimming in national brands, head in the clouds, drugged by the technopiate into living abstractly at the corner of Madison Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard. But when you’re squeezing a rabbit ear in your hand and watching Cal Worthington hawk and gesticulate, you couldn’t be anywhere else than right where you are. But I’m neither superhuman nor a masochist, and there’s only so much Huell Howser and Garth Kemp and That ’70s Show reruns a guy can take. KDOC helps a great deal, offering classics like The Twilight Zone, I Dream of Jeannie, The Wild Wild West, Cheers, and repeated airings of The Endless Summer, but living off past faves only keens the hunger for new, quality programming. I splurged for the cheapest DVD player I could find after the original player, a parental Xmas gift (most of my big ticket electrical gadgetry comes as a gift), went belly up. And while watching movies on DVD is a wonderful experience in the strict rent-amovie-night kind of way, the true joy of DVD technology is found in the presentation of a television series in complete season format. Like trade paperback collections of comic books, TV series DVDs allow condensed viewing of a medium usually divvied out piecemeal over a protracted timeframe. Plotlines are easier

Had I a cable or satellite subscription, I’d be lifted to lofty planes where reception is immaculate and television offers foul/real language, open drug use and frequent breast exposure. Nice, but where is the local auto dealership? to follow, character development is more apparent, nuance appreciation rises; everything stays fresh and can be enjoyed in its entirety. And while I spend sizable chunks of my viewing in the grip of nostalgia (hence my KDOC affinity), watching classics like Transformers Season 1, The Prisoner, Here Come the Brides, Buck Rogers in the 25th Century, The Fall Guy, CHiPs, and Diff’rent Strokes, I do stay contemporary with shows like Reno 911, Nathan Barley, The Venture Bros., The Shield, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and Rome. And it’s important to keep up on contemporary premium kinetic visual entertainment because most of us work in offices and we’ve got to talk to each other about something and small talk about spent weekends and physical ailments and people I don’t know and will never meet gets old pretty fucking quick. Besides, talking about the same show gives that shared experience feeling; like the Hindenburg conflagration, the Challenger explosion or 9/11 (though,

note, these were all broadcast events). Naturally watching a show on DVD puts me at least several months behind the subscribers, but ever since TiVo blew primetime to shit, the viewing window has proven elastic. People do things in their own sweet time, renting whole series from Blockbuster or Netflix. TiVo, iPod, newsgroups … everyone’s locking themselves into elaborate and individualized digital worlds while rushing through the communal physical realm like a cat caught in a sudden downpour. And I’m no exception. I’ve strolled up to Vons with my iPod (another Xmas gift) budded firmly in my ears, strolling the aisles with the new Holy Fuck EP thumping, pushing a shopping cart lockstep to a beat to which only I am privy. And I dig the beat, I really do, but I miss the symphony of humanity just beyond the earbuds; the child proudly slamming a retrieved pack of shredded mozzarella into his mother’s shopping cart, the couple debating the merits of a bottle of wine, the overly friendly produce man making sure I’m finding everything okay, parsing out what the woman in front of me in line and the cashier are talking about with my high school Spanish. Budded, my mind splits between here and there and when you’re only halfway up, you’re neither up nor down. Such is the danger of technology: building baubles of mass distraction and existential insulation. Not all baubles isolate. My handheld Nintendo DS (merry Xmas again) has enough tinkling audio and flashing lights to send me into autistic ecstasy, but its multiplayer function reaches out to a real, honest-to-goodness people, linking for direct-if-virtual competition. Sure, the WiFi could potentially link me to the far ends of the earth, but I prefer sitting around my living room with friends, drinking beers and playing MarioKart or Brain Age 2 or Tetris headto-head; hooting and hollering, talking shit, laughing ’til the tears come. On comes the sense of technomunnion, the digital and physical embrace. Sacks of crackling biomass hold electrically animated constructs in their once knuckle-walking hands and respire the charged ether; the tension of past and future pressing in on the present from opposite sides, squeezing it tight as a hand ’round a rabbit ear. NA

23 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

THE FARMER DOWN THE BLOCK PHOTOS BY JACK GOULD

>> Most toil in the outskirts’ soil. Then, they come here, to the land of smog, traffic and Type-A organic shoppers to sell their wares. We couldn’t help but wonder about the vendors at our Certified Farmers’

Markets. For most, the markets in Los Angeles provide 100 percent of their income. And in the hours not spent selling — or driving to and from selling — they battle weather, disease and pests in order to farm. Also, there are musicians,

whom everyone just loves. The work exhausts them, but these aggies and artists wouldn’t have it any other way. They love their farms, crafts, and most of all, their independence —Neille Ilel

‘I GOT TIRED OF WORKING FOR SOMEBODY, SO I WORK FOR MYSELF. MY KIDS, THEY NEVER HELP ME. I HAVE TO HIRE PEOPLE!

‘TODAY TRY THE CACTUS. IT’S THE BEST.’ >> SANTIAGO SANTILLAN FARMER LONG BEACH, CALIFORNIA AT THE VERMONT/ADAMS CFM

>> DAVID K. MARTIN MUSICIAN,ECHO PARK AT HOLLYWOOD CFM NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 24

‘I DO MUSIC TO FIND THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE. THE KIDS LOVE ME BECAUSE OF MY POSITIVITY. KIDS PICK UP ON THAT.’ >> KING SWAMI G MUSICIAN, PHOTOGRAPHER AND PAINTER, PASADENA AT THE LARCHMONT CFM

‘I ALWAYS BRING SOME NEW CHEESE EVERY WEEK. THEY LOVE MY PERSONALITY, MY SERVICE, MY STORIES.’ LAURENT BONJOUR CHEESEMONGER, LOS ANGELES AT THE LARCHMONT CFM

25 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

POLITICAL FILMS AT

THE COUNTERFEITERS

BLIND MOUNTAIN

LUCKY MILES

DIR Stefan Ruzowitzky

DIR Li Yang

DIR Michael James Rowland

Austria / Germany | World Cinema

China | World Cinema

Australia | Intl. Feature Competition

In 1936, the Nazis set up the largest counterfeiting operation in history at the Malthausen concentration camp as part of an attempt to destabilize the pound and the dollar. Within the camp, two Jewish prisoners with very different philosophies clash over where their loyalties lie as the war rages outside the walls. Director Stefan Ruzowitzky presents August Berger’s memoir as an uneasy study in contradiction, refusing to give his audience — or his characters — any easy answers.

A demographic time bomb haunts China today, as Deng Xiaoping’s One-Child Policy has left too few women available for Chinese men to marry, especially in the less prosperous countryside. The promise of a decent-paying job lures the naive, ingenuous Bai Xuemei (beautifully played by newcomer Huang Lu) to a desolate farming village in northern China. Director Li Yang has created a story that symbolizes an entire society caught in the disorienting crisis of radical change.

Michael James Rowland in his feature debut tells this true story. Combining comedy, survival drama and shrewd political commentary, an Indonesian fishing boat abandons a motley group of Iraqi and Cambodian immigrants on a remote Australian beach. Three men with little in common but their history of misfortune elude capture and begin an epic journey, pursued by a bumbling army reservist unit. LUCKY MILES is a wry, insightful take on immigration and border issues.

Sat. Nov 10, 9:00 pm ArcLight 11 Sun. Nov 11, 3:00 pm ArcLight 12

Sun. Nov 4, 12:00 pm ArcLight 12 Mon. Nov 5, 10:00 pm ArcLight 11

Mon. Nov 5, 9:30 pm ArcLight 13 Wed. Nov 7, 4:15 pm ArcLight 11

ATENCO, A CRIME OF STATE

BODY OF WAR

4 MONTHS, 3 WEEKS AND 2 DAYS

A film by Klamve Colectivo

DIR Ellen Spiro, Phil Donahue

DIR Christian Mungiu

Mexico | Intl. Documentary Competition

USA | Documentary Showcase

Romania | World Cinema

Impunity, terror, abuse, massive violations of human rights, murders, hundreds of detentions, rapes and sexual abuse ... a crime of state. On May 3, 2006, the Mexican government repressed a group of florists from the Belisario Domínguez Market, betraying an agreement made the day before. The resulting unrest, as presented with unblinking veracity by the filmmaking Klamve Colectivo, shook a community to its core.

“Support our troops” has long been a rallying cry for war proponents, but that glib phrase will never sound the same after you meet Tomas Young, the eloquent former soldier whose story is told in BODY OF WAR. Raised in Kansas City, Young enlisted in the Army full of patriotism two days after September 11, 2001. His subsequent deployment to Iraq, instead of his preferred destination of Afghanistan, was only the beginning of his mistreatment by the government he volunteered to serve.

The list of Cannes Film Festival’s Palme d’Or winners includes some of the greatest talents in cinema history. This second feature by Cristian Mungiu, a young Romanian director, was the latest winner. In this incredibly riveting drama, a young woman undergoes an illegal abortion during the last days of communist rule.

Mon. Nov 5, 10:00 pm ArcLight 10 Thu. Nov 8, 4:15 pm ArcLight 12

Tue. Nov 6, 7:30 pm ArcLight 10

NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 26

Sat. Nov 3, 6:45 pm ArcLight 11 Mon. Nov 5, 4:30 pm ArcLight 10

CHAN YANG FARMER, FRESNO AT HOLLYWOOD CFM

‘I GET OUT WITH THE BEES TWO OR THREE DAYS A WEEK. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR THEY NEED DIFFERENT ATTENTION TO KEEP THE HIVES AS STRONG AS POSSIBLE. A LOT OF BEEKEEPERS GO TOWARD THE ALMONDS IN EARLY FEBRUARY. YOU SET ‘EM DOWN FOR THE BENEFIT OF CROSSPOLLINATING THE ALMOND TREES.’ MICHAEL SCHWENN BEEKEEPER, LONG BEACH AT THE VERMONT/ADAMS CFM

27 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

ALCHEMY

ARROYO SECO

at the

CONFLUENCE

THE LASTING POWER OF ART WE CAN NO LONGER SEE

★ Editor’s note: From the last week of September through the last week of October, a vivid new mural hung along a half-mile stretch of the Arroyo Seco confluence, courtesy of more than 300 artists working in partnership with Friends of the Los Angeles River. County Supervisor Gloria Molina visited FoLAR’s office on Oct. 22 and voiced her displeasure with the new river imagery. Within days, the heart of this mural was destroyed. As our story goes to press, about 30 percent of the FoLAR mural remains. High-powered spraying machines cleared away the artists’ work. FoLAR claims to have completed all the required paperwork for the mural, which, according to the Army Corps of Engineers spokesman Matt Fuderer, lay in county jurisdiction. Supervisor Molina, through her press secretary, Roxanne Marquez, declined to comment on what she termed “the graffiti controversy.” Since no one in authority has taken responsibility for the destruction of this mural, perhaps all that can be done now is relate how the art came to be, however fleetingly, and reveal the ideals behind its creation.

NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 28

>> Though it is all now paved in concrete, our river used to be a fertile valley with flowing water. The Los Angeles River is the reason why the city is where it is. When Los Angeles was founded in 1781, the original settlement near Olvera Street – just south of the mural’s location – was next to the river for the lush vegetation and water. Now, 226 years later, the concrete channels containing the river make it resemble a paved sewer. Shopping carts float downstream and the homeless bathe in its waters. In its virgin state, the L.A. River’s course was an ecology of marshlands, willow thickets, sycamore groves, cottonwood trees, wild roses, trout, and even grizzly bears. Tongva and Chumash villages located on the L.A. River watershed relied on it for nearly all facets of their existence. Much of the Los Angeles basin was wetlands, from Marina del Rey all the way to Long Beach. Most people know the Hahamungna watershed as the Arroyo Seco. The waters of the Arroyo Seco start above Mount Wilson, running down through Altadena, Pasadena, and Highland Park, all the way to the confluence just north of downtown. The confluence is where the magic happened.

It drew together the alchemists and produced a magnificent, ephemeral vision. >> Below the cranes in the core of Los Angeles are urban alchemists, working in the community to make the city greater for the next generation. Alchemists like Lewis MacAdams, poet, activist, journalist and visionary. But credit for the mural ultimately goes to MacAdams’s 17-year-old son, Torii. Last year, Torii took his father to a Main Street art gallery called Crewest. It is the only L.A. gallery dedicated exclusively to graffiti art. “Torii was literally the person that brought FoLAR and Crewest together,” the 60-year-old poet said. MacAdams met Crewest leader, Man One, and the two men hit it off. The spirit of Crewest reminded him of Dogtown and the Z-Boys. Like those influential skaters, the graf artists needed a point person to guide their passion away from the outlaw margins. He saw Man One nurturing a whole generation of youth. Crewest’s greatest painters saw graffiti as an avenue for change. “I like what he’s doing with the artist crews,” thought MacAdams. Watching these artists also reminded him of Friends of the Los Angeles River.

>> MacAdams has published more than a dozen books of poetry – The River is considered his finest – but nothing he’s written changed his life like the piece he composed 27 years ago, after forming FoLAR as a loose confederation with sculptor and architect Pat Patterson and gallery owner Roger Wong. The idea was to establish a 40-year performance-art piece. “We asked the river if we could speak for it in the human realm. We didn’t hear it say no, and that was how Friends of the Los Angeles River began.” Then the poet put pen to paper and the words took on a life of their own. “Onstage at the Wallenboyd Theatre, Pat Patterson built a 15-foot-high Los Angeles River totem pole out of timbers [that] he’d hauled out of the channel, while I turned into William Mulholland in a white suit, retracing the life of the father of modern Los Angeles, from the day he rode into town and spotted the Los Angeles River for the first time as an Irish immigrant, through old age and obloquy in the aftermath of the collapse of the San Francisquito Dam – the greatest man-made disaster in the history of California.” The Los Angeles Times wasn’t impressed. Its art reviewer wrote, “With friends like Lewis MacAdams, the Los

BY MIKE SONKSEN ★ PHOTOGRAPHS BY MALAKHI SIMMONS

Angeles River doesn’t need any enemies.” That critic could not have been more wrong. Twenty-two years later, FoLAR boasts several thousand members and has spearheaded a growing environmental movement determined to re-naturalize our concrete wasteland. Its members remove 30 tons of garbage from the river every year. In 2001, the Friends led a multi-class and multi-ethnic coalition that defeated developers’ plans to build industrial warehouses on the river-adjacent cornfields and Taylor Yards. FoLAR’s annual River School Day takes students by the busload on educational hikes. Hundreds of carp have been spawning near Frogtown, and, earlier this year, the City of Los Angeles unveiled its L.A. River Restoration Masterplan, which MacAdams calls “a wonderful document. It aims to take out concrete and restore the wetlands.” “By calling Friends of the Los Angeles River a 40-year artwork, I hoped to fortify us all against impatience and frustration and cynicism,” MacAdams reflects. “It took more than 40 years to screw the river up. I’m sure it will take more than 40 years to bring it back to life again.” At the center of itself the river is silence,

and that’s where I come in: with the sounds in my head and the words in my heart. —Lewis MacAdams, The River >> The biggest problem about the river was the occasional floods that barreled down the basin. Rainwater would build momentum from the top of the San Gabriel Mountains and come down the river to the ocean. Though the rain was inconsistent, the river poured down from the mountains like nobody’s business. According to writer D.J. Waldie, many old-time Angelenos called it a “tramp river,” because every year it changed beds. After the flood of 1938, the Army Corps of Engineers decided to pave the river. For almost the next 50 years, it faded from the city’s memory. >> In late September, FoLAR linked up with Crewest Gallery to paint a giant mural along the river. The event, curated by Man One, was called “Meeting of Styles.” MacAdams has titled the resulting painting The Hahamungna Mural, after learning from fellow waterwarrior Tim Brick that the Tongva Tribe that lived in the Arroyo Seco watershed called it “Hahamungna.” Brick

told MacAdams that “Hahamungna,” means, in Tongva, “Flowing water, fertile valley.” MacAdams hopes the mural “will open peoples’ eyes in a no man’s land.” It featured dozens of L.A. letter kings, like Chaka, Vyal, Wisk, Size, and numerous international graffiti writers. The respected Mear One spent $700 on paint, he was so amped for the enterprise. His expectations were justified. It was a magical two days of painting. “I felt the wind blowing from the ocean, an electromagnetic positive charge,” said Mear One in the immediate wake of his work. He wasn’t alone in feeling a natural, progressive vibe. Crewest’s Harry Reynolds says “the overriding energy was harmony and art.” >> Like the people whose name it bears, most of The Hahamugna Mural is gone. Still, Lewis MacAdams keeps thinking bigger. His next goal is to turn the the town’s last train yard into a parkland. The Los Angeles Transportation Center – located between San Fernando Road and the river – or, as it’s sometimes known, the “Piggyback Yard,” “is the biggest piece of redevelop-able land and potential park space this city will

likely ever see. Converting this land will make the first new park built in the Eastside in 100 years. It’s the biggest opportunity for the next generation,” he says. To make this vision real, the L.A. River’s best friends will have to paint it into being. In September of 2008, an even bigger mural will be painted on the river channel wall between the Cesar Chavez and 101 freeway bridges, on the river side of a major warehouse and railroad spur embankment just north of Downtown. The owner of the wall has already given FoLAR permission. This mural will be a vision of the river’s potential. MacAdams sees parklands with cottonwood trees, steelhead trout, and sycamore groves. “The mural’s intent will be much more focused on creating visions of what the river can be.” “I see this as one, vast, 25,000 squarefoot mural,” says MacAdams, “done in their own styles by dozens of crews, an act of both art and politics, which is the very nature of Friends of the Los Angeles River; a 40year artwork to bring the river back to life.” The way this man sees it, once you paint it, it’ll happen. And he’s got the track record to back it up. NA

29 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

CALENDAR

â&#x2DC;&#x2026;

NOVEMBER [07] Listings Compiled by Julie Rasmussen Send listings to

calendar@newangelesmonthly.com

GIANT ROBOT BIENNALE: 50 ISSUES ART EXHIBITION In celebration of its 50th issue, Giant Robot presents â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Giant Robot Biennale: 50 Issues,â&#x20AC;? featuring artists from the critically-lauded magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s pages, as well as its associated gallery spaces in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York.

Giant Robot magazine began in 1994, as a staple-and-fold â&#x20AC;&#x2122;zine and has grown into a full-fledged bi-monthly. Its first store opened in 2001, offering a range of pop culture goods, from Japanese import toys to graphic design and art books. In the wake of the magazine and stores have come monthly gallery exhibits and even a West Los Angeles restaurant called gr/eats.

Highlighs in the biennale exhibition include Pryor Praczukowski's cinematic photography, David Choe's graffitilike murals and remarkable pieces by Seonna Hong, Gary Baseman, APAK, Souther Salazar, and Saelee Oh. Exhibition runs Nov.3-Jan.13 with an opening reception on Nov. 3 from 6 to 10 p.m. Japanese American National Museum, 369 East First St., Little Tokyo. (213) 625-0414 or www.janm.org

ART NOV. 1-27 STEPHANIE HAN WINDHAM Floral paintings inspired by Japanese comic books and 19th Century European posters. Opening reception Nov. 3 from 7 to 10 p.m. Chango Coffee House and Gallery, 1559 Echo Park Ave, Echo Park. (213) 977-9161 or www.myspace.com/chango coffeehouse

NOV. 2-DEC. 15: DIA DE LOS MUERTOS EROTICA An exhibition of erotic art depicting Day of the Dead. Opening reception Nov. 2 from 6 to 9 p.m. $5 Antebellum Gallery, 1643 N. Las Palmas Ave., Hollywood. (323) 856-0667 or www.antebellum.us.ms

NOV. 3-4: INTERTRIBAL ARTS MARKETPLACE More than 100 Native artists from around the country selling pottery, jewelry, sculptures, paintings, NEW ANGELES â&#x2DC;&#x2026; NOVEMBER 2007 â&#x2DC;&#x2026; 30

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In celebration of its 50th issue, the pop-culture magazine Giant Robot has assembled works by ten cutting-edge artists from around the country in Giant Robot Biennale: 50 issues. This is the first in a National Museum series. APAK | Gary Baseman | David Choe | Seonna Hong Sashie Masakatsu | Saelee Oh | Pryor Praczukowski Souther Salazar | Eishi Takaoka | Adrian Tomine This exhibition is sponsored by the Imprint Culture Labtm, with additional support from the James Irvine Foundation, Department of Cultural Affiars, City of Los Angeles and Scion.

Massive Attack Eagles of Death Metal Giant Drag Madonna Depeche Mode Coldcut Navigating the Desert Dancefloor Revenge of the Heshers The Tesla Coil vs. the Giant Robots

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NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 32

HIGHLIGHT

AFI FEST 2007 The longest-running film festival in Los Angeles is also one of the most influential in North America. Each year the American Film Institute presents one of the world’s most anticipated showcases of international film, demonstrating the institute’s commitment to celebrating the art form. This year, AFI Fest spans 11 days, beginning November 1st, and will screen 148 films. Also featured are international competitions of new films from emerging filmmakers, film masters’ global showcases and nightly red-carpet gala premieres. Two documentaries, Public Enemy: Welcome to the Terrordome and 1000 Journals, premiere, while The Tracey Fragments and With Your Permission make their U.S. debuts. For schedules and pass purchases, visit www.afi.com/afifest or call (866) AFI-FEST. ArcLight Cinemas, 6369 W. Sunset Blvd., Hollywood.

mixed-media works, weaving, beadwork, woodcarving, and cultural items. Admission for both marketplace and museum is $12, $8 for seniors/students and children under 10 are free. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Nov. 3 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Nov. 4. Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. (323) 667-2000 or www.autrynationalcenter.org

NOV. 4: ROCK THE CATSBAH The ninth annual Pet Art Auction featuring artwork by some of the most renowned contemporary artists in the country including Catherine Opie, Robbie Conal, Laddie John Dill, Joe Goode, Tim Ebner, Kenny Scharf, and Gary Baseman. Tickets are $50, event is 4:30 to 8 p.m. and all ages are welcome to attend. Avalon, 1735 N. Vine Street, Hollywood. (323) 464-7297 or www.pawsla.org

and Jimin Lee. Opening reception Nov. 9 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Andrewshire Gallery, 3850 Wilshire Blvd., #107, Los Angeles. (213) 3892601 or www.andrewshiregallery.com

NOV. 9-30: Unsung new works and installation by Matthew Feyld, Timothy Karpinski, Kenneth Lavallee, Anthony Clarkson. Opening reception Nov. 9 from 7 to 11 p.m. Thinkspace Gallery, 4210 Santa Monica Blvd., Silver Lake. (323) 913-3375 or www.thinkspacegallery.com

NOV. 9-JAN. 12: VIEWING PLATFORMS A photographic installation by artist Kaucyila Brooke. Opening reception Nov. 9 from 7 to 9 p.m. Michael Dawson Gallery, 535 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 469-2186 or www.michaeldawsongallery.com

NOV. 6-30: BITTERS AND SWEETS GROUP EXHIBITION curated by Hi-Fructose Magazine that includes work by Ron English, Ashley Wood, Travis Louie, Camilla d'Errico and others. Opening reception Nov. 6 from 7 to 10 p.m.

NOV. 10: HONEY TIME WITH THE HIVE A handful of live painters do their thing alongside a group show of artists, all curated by Nathan Cartwright of The Hive Gallery. This show coincides with the monthly club night, Ultraluxx. Free. 10 p.m. to 2 a.m. and those 21 and up are welcome to attend. The

Gallery 1988, 7020 Melrose Ave., Los Angeles. (323) 9377088 or www.gallery1988.com

Mountain, 473 Gin Ling Way, Chinatown. (213) 622-0915 or www.myspace.com/ultraluxx

NOV. 8-DEC. 29: CLIVE BARKER An exhibition of new works by the artist comprised of 45 paintings and 30 works on paper. Opening reception Nov. 8 from 6 to 9 p.m. Bert Green Fine Art, 102

NOV. 10: EVERYTHING MUST GO Video installation, photography and sculpture by Pascual Sisto. Opening

West 5th Street, Downtown. (213) 624-6212 or www.bgfa.us

reception Nov. 10 from 6 to 9 p.m. de Soto, 108 W. 2nd St., Suite 104, Downtown. (213) 617-0434 or www.gallery desoto.com

NOV. 9-25: FLIGHT OUT OF TIME An exhibition of work by contemporary printmakers Tadayoshi Nakabayashi, Barbara Foster

NOV. 15-JAN. 5: BLACK MARKET AT BLACK MARIA A group exhibition with a shopping mall theme where paintings are suspend-

ed on clothing hangers, displayed in shoe boxes, etc. Opening reception Nov. 17 from 7 to 10:30 p.m. Black Maria Gallery, 3137 Glendale Blvd., Atwater Village. (323) 660-9393 or www black mariagallery.com

LA A little bit of Provence in Downtown

NOV. 17-DEC. 22: JUDITH LINHARES FIGURATIVE WORKS by the artist that place outlined figures against luminous backgrounds. Opening reception Nov. 17 from 5 to 7 p.m. Jancar

1936 E. 7th Street Los Angeles

Gallery, 3875 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1308, Los Angeles. (213) 384-8077 or www.jancargallery.com

THROUGH NOV. 16: TIME SENSITIVE A 40-year survey on the work of Barbara Zucker in which the gallery has been transformed into a “sculptural environment.”

213.623.4028

arin Cuisine Authentic Minand the Hear t of Chinatown

Another Year in LA, 2121 N. San Fernando Road, Glassell Park. (323) 223-4000 or www.anotheryearinla.com

Zagat rated & the top choice for Chinese-Style dining for nearly 30 years

THROUGH NOV. 20: TERRA INCOGNITA WORKS OF HIGH-BROW CONTEMPORARY BY PAUL TORRES. Bamboo Lane Gallery, 424 Bamboo Lane, Chinatown. (213) 6178137 or www.bamboolane.com

Free valet parking

913 N. BROADWAY • L. A. • 213.613.1819

BOOKS/TALKS/ SPOKEN WORD NOV. 4: CURATOR'S TALK Join curators Malena Ruth and CCH Pounder for a conversation addressing the history of the Ardmore Ceramics Studio and how these unique works are rapidly becoming highly prized collectables. Admission is $5 and includes museum admission. Talk begins at 3 p.m.

You're closer to the Mediterranean than you think!

SEAFOOD - PASTA - SANDWICHES - SALADS

Craft and Folk Art Museum, 5814 Wilshire Blvd., Miracle Mile. (323) 937-4230 or www.cafam.org

101 WEST 9TH STREET • 213.622.2262

(We're at the CORNER of Ninth and Main)

NOV. 10: TRAGIC BITCHES PROVOCATIVE performances as two gay Chicanos and one lesbian Xicana talk their magic in English, Spanglish and Spanish poetry. Tickets are $15, show starts at 10 p.m. The Village,

Still in the family after 46 years and going strong

1125 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood. (323) 860-7300 or www.lagaycenter.org

NOV. 14: MICHELIN GUIDE 2008 Los Angeles Panel discussion about the book and insight into the local dining scene with Jean-Luc Naret, Director of the Michelin Guides and along with other special guests. Free. 7 p.m. Barnes & Noble, The Grove, 189 Grove Drive, Fairfax

North of ith the border w South of the s border flavor

Now Serving You at three Locations:

Breakfast Lunch Dinner

1538 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles (213) 250-4256

814 S. Central Ave. Glendale (818) 243-1103

730 N. Victory Blvd. Burbank (818) 848-2325

33 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

District. (415) 277-4909 or www.michelinguide.com

NOV. 15: THE OFFICIAL PUNK ROCK BOOK OF LISTS Amy Wallace discusses and signs the book which features over 200 of the funniest, craziest lists — from the Most Offensive Songs to Stupidest Band Names, from Punk Sell-outs to Fashion Don’ts — culled from historical archives and generated by celebrity guests. Event starts at 7:30 p.m. Skylight Books,

TRANSFORMATIONS With live animal presentations, learn about the animals encountered while living in Los Angeles. Also, a look at the geology of Los Angeles and a talk about how the city is changing. Event includes tour of the Museum. Tickets are $9 for adults, $6.50 for students/seniors, $2 for children 5 to 12 and under 5 is free. Event is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Natural History Museum, 900 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 763-3230 or www.nhm.org

1818 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Feliz. (323) 660-1175 or www.skylightbooks.com

FILM FAMILY ACTIVITIES NOV. 4-18: FAMILY SUNDAYS Each Sunday in November is fun day at LACMA! The museum offers art-making, gallery activities, and bilingual tours for families. Free. 12:30 p.m. LACMA, 5905 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 857-6000 or www.lacma.org

NOV. 10: SUNPRINTS WORKSHOP Using familiar materials and lightsensitive paper, participants will make a photograph without using a camera. Free. 1 to 3 p.m. and is best for children ages 8 and up. California African American Museum, 600 State Drive, Exposition Park. (213) 744-7432 or www.caam.ca.gov

NOV. 17: LOS ANGELES

NOV. 16: EXPERIMENTAL/ ANIMATION NIGHT A night of video and animation including works by Jeff Kwong, Kelly Sears, Helen Hill, Heather Bursch, Joel Fox, Amy Lockhart, Mark Sequrson, the Ladies of Dungeon Majesty, and more. Tickets are $5 and screening begins at 8 p.m. Echo Park Film Center, 1200 N. Alvarado Street, Echo Park. (213) 484-8846 or www.echoparkfilmcenter.org

NOV. 21-JAN. 6: ENCHANTED A mix of live-action and animation is used to tell the tale of an evil Queen trying to break up a romance between a princess and prince. After the film, attendees then enter the Disney's Enchanted Experience where they can see real props and art from the movie. The youngsters can meet all the Disney

princesses, scale a rock wall, jump in a bounce house and more. Please see site for showtimes and ticket prices. El Capitan Theatre, 6838 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood (323) 467-9545 or www.disney.go.com/disneypictures/el_capitan

NOV. 30: FUSION — THE 5TH LOS ANGELES LGBT PEOPLE OF COLOR FILM FESTIVAL A group of films featuring dynamic stories of inspiring personal journeys and the exuberance of youth. Films include: Pariah, The Matchmaker, Make a Wish, Kali Ma and El Primo. Tickets are $10 and $8 for students/ seniors. The festival begins at 8 pm. Egyptian Theatre, 6712 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 466-FILM or www.egyptiantheatre.com

MUSIC NOV. 3: TYRESE, GINUWINE, TANK, AVANT AND 112 A night of R&B presented by Hot 92 as part of Al B. Sure's R and B Live! Tickets are $46-$81, show is at 7:30 p.m.

NOV. 8: MADLIB, PEANUT BUTTER WOLF, J.ROCC, PERCEE P AND MORE Hip-hop, soul and funk by Stones Throw Records artists as part of the B-Ball Zombie Tour. Tickets are $21, doors at 8 p.m. El Rey Theatre, 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (323) 936-6400 or www.theelrey.com

1111 S. Figueroa St., Downtown. (213) 742-7340 or www.staplescenter.com

NOV. 24: BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY A night of contemporary swing tunes from this Los Angeles band. Tickets are $28.50-$32.50, doors at 7 p.m. The Wiltern, 3790

Theatre, 842 S. Broadway, Downtown. (877) 677-4386 or www.laorpheum.com

Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 3881400 or www.livenation.com

NOV. 9-10: SHE WANTS REVENGE Put on your black eyeliner and enjoy this local band’s dark new wave sounds. Tickets are $25, show at 8 p.m. The Music Box, 6126 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 464-0808 or www.henryfondatheater.com

The Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont, Griffith Park. (323) 6655857 or www.greektheatrela.com

NOV. 10: DIMITRI FROM PARIS They call him the "French Ambassador of House Music" ... need we say more? Tickets are $20$25, doors at 9:30 p.m. and those 21 and up are welcome to attend.

NOV. 7: THE HIVES Punk/garage rock from the Swedish group known for wearing black and white matching suits. Tickets are $17, doors at 7:30 p.m. Avalon, 1735 Vine St., Hollywood. (323) 462-8900 or www.avalonhollywood.com

NOV. 18: GENE LOVES JEZEBEL This Goth band began in 1980 and are still going strong after all these years. Tickets are $15, show is at 7 p.m. Safari Sam's, 5214 Sunset Blvd.,

Vanguard, 6021 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. www.giantclub.com

ORCHID fresh room. DJ DON P 18 exclusive private karaoke rooms 3 ultimately stocked bars steel waterfall surroundings multiple plasma screens VIP table reservations convenient valet parking guestlist & reservations 213.251.8886 21+ sexy fresh attire 6pm - 1am (Tues-Thurs,Sun) 6pm - 2am (Fri,Sat) orchid nightclub & lounge 607 s. oxford ave. los angeles, ca 90020 www.orchidlosangeles.com

NEW ANGELES ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ 34

NOV. 20: VAN HALEN David Lee Roth returns for the first time in 22 years to re-create the original rock band that had everyone 'Hot for Teacher.”Tickets are $49.50-$149.50, doors at 6:30 p.m. Staples Center ,

NOV. 8-9: BEN HARPER & THE INNOCENT CRIMINALS An evening of souful acoustic music from the group’s new album. Tickets are $50, doors at 7 p.m. Orpheum

indulge e in n L.A.'s best t kept t secret...

6 Nights a Week

Hollywood. www.safari-sams.com

NOV. 27: WOMAN'S LIVES AND LOVES — A MUSICAL EXPLORATION Mezzo-soprano Diana Tash explores the female experience through song and opera, focusing on compositions written by and about women. Free. 8 p.m. USC Fisher Gallery, 823 Exposition Blvd., Los Angeles. (213) 740-4561 or www.fishergallery.org

OUTDOORS/ FESTIVALS NOV. 3: LIVE ART An event packed with art, music and film that is considered Best of the Best from the livelargehere.com submissions. Free. 1 to 10 p.m. Hollywood & Highland, 6801 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 817-0200 or www.hollyoodandhighland.com

Available November 6th from Amoeba Records!

n April 1969, the Flying Burrito Brothers played three special dates at the Avalon Ballroom in San Francisco, opening for the Grateful Dead. On these nights the Burritos came to play, Delivering some of their most outstanding performances. Those performances—with Sneaky Pete at his most inspired and Gram displaying a focus and clarity to his vocals rarely heard even in his studio recordings— had long been lost to time and memory . . . until now.

Captured with pristine quality by Grateful Dead engineer Owsly “Bear” Stanley, and liberated from the vaults after almost 40 years, these are the recordings that every Gram fan has been waiting for . . . the band at its best, with the open, fragile voice of Gram Parsons—a voice that has haunted us since his untimely death—reaching out to us from the past at the absolute height of his undeniable talent.

• TWO NIGHTS OF THE AVALON SHOWS • AMAZING RARE TRACKS • BOOKLET PACKED WITH NEVER-BEFORE-PUBLISHED PHOTOS BY ANDEE NATHANSON • LINER NOTES BY PAMELA DES BARRES • RECEIVE A FREE, LIMITED-EDITION POSTER WITH PURCHASE OF GRAM PARSONS ARCHIVES VOL. 1 AT AMOEBA (WHILE SUPPLIES LAST) • DIGITAL DOWNLOAD AVAILABLE EXCLUSIVELY AT AMOEBA.COM

THURSDAY - NOVEMBER 8 - 7PM

GRAM PARSONS MUSICAL TRIBUTE AT AMOEBA! Festivities include: A SPECIAL APPEARANCE by Original Flying Burrito Brothers Member, Chris Ethridge and other surprises! FEATURING: The Sin City All Stars, Dave Gleason, Mike Stinson, Quincy Coleman, Soda, Brandi Shearer and more! ALSO APPEARING: Miss Pamela Des Barres, Andee Nathanson, and Polly Parsons to make this a night filled with music and memories.

Also available from Amoeba Records:

BRANDI SHEARER: Close To Dark Delivering songs steeped in torchsong longing with a voice accurately described by the LA Weekly as “heart shuddering,” Brandi Shearer stole our very souls and became the first artist signed to Amoeba Records. Close To Dark, produced with Larry Klein (Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux), is an album for late nights, long drives and wounded hearts. See Brandi live at Hotel Café as a part of ROCK FOR DARFUR November 10th with Meiko, Quincy Coleman, and Coby Brown!Tickets $12 – proceeds benefit Oxfam relief efforts in Sudan! 35 ★ NOVEMBER 2007 ★ NEW ANGELES

NOV. 4: MAINLY MAIN A tour of the city's oldest streets and the latest hub of revitalization, downtown L.A.'s Main Street. Tickets are $25 to $30, tour goes from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Los Angeles

8874 or www.historicechopark.org

Conservancy, 523 W. 6th St., Suite 826, Downtown. (213) 623-2489 or www.laconservancy.org

NOV. 2-18 WIN/LOSE/DRAW Three related short plays that range from comedy to tragedy by writers Ara Watson and Mary Gallagher. Tickets are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. Performances are Fridays and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sundays at 7 p.m. Stella Adler,

NOV. 24: ECHO PARK STAIRWAYS WALKING TOUR From small stairways to the impressive 230-step Baxter steps, this tour will both educate and exercise its participants. $5 donation is requested, tour starts at 10 a.m. Echo Park Stairways Tour, 1590 Baxter St., Echo Park. (323) 860-

STAGE

The Studio C Theatre, 6773 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 465-4446 or www.stellaadler-la.com NOV. 3: MAX MAVEN A night of

entertainment from the mentalist and magician, Max Maven. Tickets are $20, show starts at 8 p.m. Steve Allen Theater, 4773 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood. (323) 666-9797 or www.steveallentheater.com

NOV. 7-DEC.2: DAWN'S LIGHT THE JOURNEY OF GORDON HIRABAYASH Set in 1942, during World War II, student Gordon Hirabayashi discovers a greater meaning of the United States as he is called to put his life on hold for the “good” of the country but refuses. Tickets are $30-$35 with performances Wed. through Sat. at 8 p.m. and Sun at 2 p.m. East West Players, 120 N. Judge John Aiso St., Little Tokyo. (213) 625-7000

or www.eastwestplayers.org

NOV. 7-DEC. 9: THE HISTORY BOYS This comedy follows the senior year of eight history students in the north of England as they try to crack admission to Oxford and Cambridge. Tickets are $30 to $80, showtimes vary so please refer to website. Ahmanson Theatre, 135 N. Grand Ave., Downtown. (213) 628-2772 or www.centertheatregroup.org NOV. 17: TEACHING DISCO SQUARE DANCING TO OUR ELDERS: A CLASS Presentation A comedy that swirls around two students and the school project that tests the strength of their friendship. Written by Larissa

FastHorse. Free. 2 p.m. All ages. Reservations are required to (323) 667-2000 x354. Autry National Center, 4700 Western Heritage Way, Griffith Park. www.nativevoice attheautry.org

NOV. 30-DEC. 2: THE MISMATCH GAME The most unhinged group of improv comes to the Renberg Theatre for three nights of impudent, racy ’70s game-show insanity. Tickets are $15, performances at 8 p.m. on Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, 7 p.m. on Dec. 2. The Renberg Theatre, 1125 N. McCadden Pl., Hollywood. (323) 860-7300 or www.lagaycenter.org

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