Moments of Joy
June 6, 2022 I VOL. 51 I #23
Andrea Bocelli’s show is a love letter to LA
‘King James’ New play pays tribute to basketball legend
+ Farmer Boys
Women in Business Issue
June 20, 2022
July 12, 2021 I VOL. 50 I #28
Girl & the Goat
Restaurant offers Windy City whimsy
Class of 2021-22
13 community leaders awarded sabbaticals
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Huntington’s Disease Society’s LA Virtual Team Hope Walk
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Berggruen Institute welcomes new fellows By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor n an age when global warming has begun to melt glaciers and raise sea levels, a novel coronavirus has killed an estimated 6.3 million people worldwide and Russia has invaded its neighboring Ukraine, the Berggruen Institute’s 20222023 class of fellows will join forces to develop new ideas around governance and society that could change the world. Since 2010, the Berggruen Institute has created a diverse network of academics and authoritative voices from myriad backgrounds to raise solutions for the most pressing political, economic and social issues of the 21st century. “Our co-founder Nicolas Berggruen and co-founder Nathan Gardels had a discussion, and they realized that there was no such institute that could answer the needs of our current time,” said Jennifer Bourne, director of Fellowship. “So, they decided to establish their own.” The Berggruen Institute’s objective is to create an enduring impact on the progress and direction of societies around the world. To date, projects inaugurated at the institute have helped develop a youth jobs plan for Europe; fostered a more open and constructive dialogue between Chinese leadership and the West; strengthened the ballot initiative process in California; and launched Noema, a new publication that brings global leaders and innovators together to share ideas. “( The founders) put on a series of events and convened a lot of conferences, and they realized they can’t do this on their own,” Bourne explained. “They had to seek help from other like-minded people. So, they were thinking about having a fellowship program to put the best possible minds from across cultural and political boundaries to explore their urgent issues over time and to help advance the solutions of the institute.” In partnership with the University of Southern California Dornsife Center on Science, Technology and Public Life, Berggruen Fellowships offer scholars flexible periods of work and study in both the United States and China. The 202223 Berggruen Fellows will deliver and produce lectures, books, scholarly workshops, colloquia and academic articles throughout their fellowships. “We will take the fellows to USC on a regular basis, and they will have oppor-
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tunities to engage dialogue with USC faculties,” Bourne said. “They can give a colloquium and have USC faculty and students attend. So, they can engage a conversation within this academic setting, but on top of that we offer them something more. … By having them also with us at the Berggruen Institute’s office in Downtown LA, we actually offer them a cross-cultural and interdisciplinary working environment.” This year’s class is comprised of fellows from fields as varied as sociology, geography, journalism, economics, history, technology and governance, and from regions as diverse as Austria, Hong Kong, South Africa and Greece. Since the program’s genesis in 2015, the Berggruen Institute’s Fellowship boasts over 110 alumni fellows so far. Their fellows have also published 28 books written either during their fellowship year or in the immediate year after. Over the last seven years, the themes of the Fellowship have evolved from comparative philosophy and religion to the unprecedented and accelerating changes reshaping the foundations of the modern world. Berggruen fellows’ independent research and points of collaboration will extend the institute’s programmatic work on what they call the Great Transformations: The Future of Capitalism, the Future of Democracy, the Planetary and Future Humans. “One program area I’m really excited about is the Planetary program,” Bourne said of the program that will use Earth science to help inform international governance. “This foundational concept is a break from the traditional human-centered understanding because some problems, like the COVID-19 pandemic or global warming, are not defined by nation states. They are whole Earth issues. “You would never think that things happening in Ukraine would be so close to our daily life here in the United States. Every inflation … the gas prices, even the inflation of just consumer goods … it’s a whole chain system. It’s planetary and everybody, human and nonhuman, is involved. It only takes some severe incidents for people realize, but it’s the work that we have been doing all this time. “We’re developing this new program area to try to seek clarification and to foster what it means to be human, then de-
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Since 2015, the Berggruen Institute’s Fellowship has welcomed over 110 fellows and developed critical analysis of political, economic and social institutions around the world. Berggruen Institute/Submitted
velop new means and mechanisms to foster collaboration addressing planetary level challenges.” In addition to the Planetary, the Future of Capitalism will retell the history of monetary policy and stability while studying efforts to reimagine its future, the Future of Democracy will examine the framework of social and political life
mediated by the rise of new technologies, and Future Humans will explore why the idea of space as a “Western frontier” persists in contemporary aerospace culture. Since COVID-19 restrictions have eased across LA, the Berggruen Institute is excited to welcome their new class of fellows back to a physical shared space
where they can collaborate face to face at either USC or in their Downtown office. By uniting a collection of accomplished minds from different backgrounds and
professions, the Berggruen Institute hopes to use examinations of the past and collaboration in the present to help shape the future of humanity.
The Berggruen Institute INFO: berggruen.org
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Movember supports men’s health through Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor he Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride united more than 470 riders and raised more than $88,000 for Movember during its recent 11th annual event in Los Angeles. The global event, which spans over 700 cities and 100 countries, brings together riders of classic and vintage motorcycle garner awareness for prostate cancer research and men’s mental health. Over 340,000 riders have taken part in the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, raising over $31 million for men’s health since 2012. “Seeing that community come together was really incredible,” said Keith Sexton, senior manager of community development at Movember. “You’re seeing the slew of motorcyclists just coming down the street. … Everyone is dressed to the nines. They’re wearing fancy clothes. Their ties are tied with knots I’ve never seen. There’re bowties, fancy hats, and everyone’s riding really cool motorcycles.” The event began at Cheviot Hills Park off Motor Avenue and led riders through the streets of LA until they reached the Arts District’s Bike Shed Moto Co. With the money raised through the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride, Movember funds prostate cancer research projects and implements programs like its Veterans and First Responders Mental Health Grant. “The coolest part was just seeing the community aspect because these people all have a really close tie to motorcycles and enthusiasm for bikes, but they also really want to support men’s
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health,” Sexton said. “Movember has always been about that community feel and driving community because that helps men talk. When you feel part of the community, you’re going feel more likely to open up.” One of the core pillars of Movember’s mission is to raise awareness, provide resources and reduce the stigma around men’s mental health. “When men grow up, most people I think are taught that men don’t talk about their feelings,” Sexton said. “You get hurt, you rub some dirt on it, you walk away. But that’s not a healthy way of doing it.” Men will stray from sharing physical struggles relating to testicular or prostate cancer, which can lead to a heightened sense of isolation and take a toll on their mental health. “We really want to open up those conversations to get people to learn how to have those conversations, talk to people and especially talk to the men in their lives,” Sexton said. “We want to be a change before someone ends up down the road where they think suicide is their only option. “When it comes to your mental health, I think everyone understands that isolation is not good for you and keeping things to yourself is terrible. One of the things we talk about, especially when it comes to men’s mental health, is as men get older, they tend to lose connection with their friend groups. They get married, they have kids and they lose that kind of connection. “Social connectedness is a huge part of men’s mental health, and so to be able to get everyone together to see
The DRG began at Motor Avenue’s Cheviot Hills and led riders through the streets of LA to the Arts District. Sam Bendall/Submitted
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More than 470 riders took to the streets boasting extravagant outfits and vintage motorcycles. Sam Bendall/Submitted
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In the wake of the pandemic, the DRG encouraged social connectivity and open conversations about mental health. their friends and be part of a community where everyone has this shared interest is really incredible.” In the wake of the pandemic, events such as the Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride have helped unite folks to encourage connectivity and dialogue between
men, to raise awareness around issues such as testicular cancer, and to support programs that benefit men’s physical and mental health. “Our community is the touchstone of our organization,” Sexton said. “We couldn’t do anything that we do or fund
Sam Bendall/Submitted
the programs that we do without our community. They mean the world to us, and we want to make sure that we can
The Distinguished Gentleman’s Ride gentlemansride.com
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BELL’S OPINION
A bittersweet Father’s Day By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist m writing this in time for y’all to fret about what to get your father for Father’s Day on June 19. If you’re anything like me, that’s easier said than done — not the fretting part, the gift part. Ugh. “Daddy, what do you want for Father’s Day?” I said. “Having you is more than enough for me,” he said. “Oh, daddy! You know what I mean. What gift would you like?” I said. “I have everything I want. If I need something, I go out and get it, or your mom gets it for me,” he said. Foiled, I stomped off.
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Ellen Snortland
Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community. Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.
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Dad was, in many ways, a typical white man of his time, receiving typical gifts. He got his ties, his golf accessories, my handprints in plaster of Paris, more ties, tie clips, another tie … the man drowned in ties. When I was 12, I gave him a yellow sweatsuit, top and bottom. He wore it at home, bless his heart, until I told him he looked like a banana. Oops! I next saw it in our rag bag. What he really wanted was a long life, and he did pretty well with that. He lived to 86, way beyond predictions and outliving many men in his family. The celebration of Father’s Day goes back to the 1500s. Its history is steeped in St. Joseph, the legendary stepfather of Jesus. Think how intimidating it had to be for Joseph: “Jesus is not really your child — he is God’s — but God is busy, so you’ll have to step in.” Maybe that’s why these men are called stepfathers. At least Jesus didn’t have to give Joseph golf clubs or plaster of Paris ashtrays. Dad passed away in 1999, which was the day I’d feared the most in my adult life. I had no idea how I would survive in the world without my father, even though I didn’t really know him, if I’m being honest. I find that is also true of many other people I’ve known. The codes of masculinity, then and now,
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don’t allow for knowing men at the depth that I long for. My dad avoided feelings like an infection, yet was super-sensitive. I was a keen observer of him since he was so rarely around. I watched him like a frog watches a fly, ready to zap him into my domain fast before he left again. He traveled for business, and when he wasn’t traveling, he was on the golf course. When he was home, he was glued to the television, especially on holidays. What happened to me emotionally was that he became an object of my worship since he was so rare and elusive. As a child, I decided I wasn’t very interesting. I can’t remember daddy asking me anything about myself, which I figured was normal because I was boring. I set out to become interesting to a man who didn’t dare show interest. I once asked him why he didn’t come to my piano or violin recitals. “I’m afraid of you messing up, and I don’t think I could take it.” What? I was a child — of course I wasn’t going to be perfect! His desire to avoid cringing told me a lot about him instead of me. Later in life, I discovered that perfectionism is a coping strategy for traumatized people. Dad was an adult child of
an alcoholic (ACA). People who grow up around alcoholism often grow up to be tightly wound, afraid of emotion, and are teetotalers. That fit dad to a “T.” I’m an adult child of an adult child of alcoholics, an ACACA. Yes, I’m a caca, which I just made up since I am occasionally fond of stupid jokes. I miss my dad every day. Arnold Snortland imparted the following wisdom during the year he had to take me to junior high in Rapid City, South Dakota: Me: I have decided to be happy all of my life. Dad: Not a good idea. It’s almost impossible to be happy all the time, but you can always be of service. And… Me: I am worried the kids here at West Junior High don’t like me. Dad: You wouldn’t worry so much about what others think of you if you realized how seldom they do! (Both mom and dad were big New Deal geeks. I didn’t know dad was quoting Eleanor Roosevelt until I was an adult.)
And… Me: If Winston Churchill was a Renaissance man, can I be a Renaissance girl? Dad: I don’t see why not. Sure. Yes. I regret not getting to know him better. However, we both did our best to give each other what we were capable of giving at the time. Take this time to ask your dad what you’ve always wanted to ask. Someday, you won’t be able to. Happy Father’s Day, daddy. June 19 also happens to be a new federal holiday, Juneteenth, commemorating the day that the enslaved people in Texas finally found out about the Emancipation Proclamation. I dream of the day that Juneteenth is as important to everyone as it is to many African Americans. Ellen Snortland has written this column for decades and also teaches creative writing. She can be reached at ellen@ beautybitesbeast.com. Her award-winning film “Beauty Bites Beast” is available for download or streaming at vimeo.com/ ondemand/beautybitesbeast.
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New play is a love letter to the king of basketball By Jeff Favre LA Downtown News Contributing Writer ajiv Joseph was in middle school the first time he saw his beloved Cleveland Cavaliers play basketball live. It was a moment so key to his sports-loving adolescence that, decades later, he felt compelled to use it in his latest play. But in “King James,” the character feels bittersweet recounting the game. He had to watch it on television when his dad worked late and couldn’t take him. “I held the tickets the whole time watching the game,” he said. “They got damp in my hand, damp and soggy, because my hands were sweating so much.” “King James,” which Joseph wrote with actor and friend Glenn Davis in mind, is directed by Kenny Leon and opens Wednesday, June 8, at Downtown’s Mark Taper Forum. The two-character play, also starring
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Chris Perfetti, explores the friendship between two basketball players who share key moments in the career of onetime Cavaliers star and now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers LeBron James. Joseph used that long-ago game as a bonding moment in the first scene, in part, because it shows how passionate the men are about the Cavaliers. “But, also, that line hits an audience because you don’t care about the sports, you just care about the sad kid who is just so disappointed,” said Joseph, whose best-known play is the Pulitzer Prize-nominated “Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo.” “It’s a human experience that touches people.” It’s why Joseph believes the play, which premiered earlier this year at Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theater Company, where Davis is a co-artistic director, has a universal appeal. However, as a sports fan, he makes sure that the language and details of the game are authentic.
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The origins of “King James” can be traced more than a decade ago to “Bengal Tiger,” which starred Davis and premiered at Center Theatre Group’s Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City. Joseph and Davis ran out of rehearsals to a nearby bar to watch James on television. “We’ve been friends ever since then,” Davis said. “He was a big Cleveland Cavaliers fan, obviously. LeBron was younger in his career, but a phenom even then. And for me, I grew up in Chicago and I was a big fan of Michael Jordan. We would be talking about what basketball means to our lives.” Davis played basketball at Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois, and it was on his way to a practice that he happened upon a notice for a play and decided to audition. He got the part, and that’s when his life’s direction changed, thanks to a theater teacher. “I haven’t thought about this in a long time,” Davis recalled. “It was Miss Dar-
celle Williams. She said, ‘You could do this for a living.’ And here I am today.” Soon after its first run, “Bengal Tiger” became a hit that eventually moved to Broadway and starred Robin Williams. Davis and Joseph remained friends. And in 2015, Davis saw the playwright’s two-person “Guards at the Taj,” loved it, and told Joseph he’d wanted to be in one of his two-handers someday. “He said, ‘Great. Let me think about what that play would be about, something central to our lives, and I’ll figure it out and I’ll come back to you.” At first, “King James” was written as a single scene taking place after the Cavaliers won the NBA championship. “Then I decided I should split this up into four different scenes, which also mirrors the structure of an actual game, four scenes and four quarters,” Joseph said. One he created the structure, he developed the characters and then let
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them start talking to him. In between early revisions he would put the script away and allow it to marinate, until he gradually found the drama in their lives that made it more than two guys simply talking sports. The play was scheduled to open at Steppenwolf in 2020, until the pandemic hit, so Joseph continued rewriting. “There are many drafts, and the guys changed quite a bit,” he said. “And when we were in Chicago, I think I was rewriting parts of the script almost every day until we started previews.” “King James” was a clear fit for CTG, which, after “Bengal Tiger,” also produced the word premiere of Joseph’s “Archduke” in 2017. “We just love working with him,” CTG Associate Artistic Director Tyrone Davis
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said. “We commissioned this with Steppenwolf, so it’s homegrown. For me, any time I can combine my love of sports with the theater, I’m all in. To have this play in Los Angeles, with LeBron James here playing basketball, it feels like a perfect fit.” The other ideal piece of timing, Joseph said, is that the NBA finals will be happening at the same time as the play’s run — although James and the Lakers will not be in it. But a missed postseason for James might mean he’s in town with no plans. “I’m a big fan. I love him as a player and as a public figure,” Joseph said. “I would understand if he felt weird watching two guys onstage talking about you the whole time. But we all want LeBron to come.”
“King James” WHEN: Various times Wednesday, June 8, to Sunday, July 3 WHERE: Mark Taper Forum, 135 N. Grand Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $35 INFO: 213-628-2772, centertheatregroup.org
Rajiv Joseph wrote “King James,” which opens at the Mark Taper Forum on Wednesday, June 8. Submitted
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Covered ARTS & California CULTUREwill help
Superchief Gallery celebrates city’s underground artists By Luke Netzley LA Downtown News Deputy Editor eneath the surface of the city’s famed museums and glitzy galleries, Los Angeles hosts a thriving ecosystem of emerging artists with unique styles and powerful statements. In celebration of its 10-year anniversary, independent artist-run space Superchief Gallery is launching a new summer show with more than 100 artists from Saturday, June 11, to Saturday, July 30. Born from a fascination with the punk culture of New York’s underground art scene, Edward Zipco and Bill Dunleavy founded Superchief Gallery in 2012 as a space to support underground artists and elevate them to a global stage. “The founding ethos of Superchief was really about uniting that underground and then giving it a support structure as well as trying to elevate it, trying to get it more access and more opportunity,” Zipco said. “We were really lucky to be part of a generation and a movement that was going on in Brooklyn in the early 2000s. A lot of our friends and community were into graffiti
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and street art. It was a bit of an opportunity for the art scene to interact with the New York city culture and the actual city itself. … It was a really nice DIY environment to have ideas of what you’d want your community to be as a young person and the kind of world you’d want to live in. You could just make it.” What started as group art exhibitions in Brooklyn has since spread to nine exhibition spaces in New York as well as warehouse galleries in Miami and LA. The Superchief founders were especially drawn to Los Angeles in 2014 because the city reminded them of the landscape they’d witnessed before founding the gallery in New York. “What was so exciting about Los Angeles, especially Downtown LA, was that there was so much barren warehouse land,” Zipco explained. “That was part of like that apocalypse emptiness that was so attractive about Brooklyn in the early and mid 2000s. There was space. You could bring your friends, your community and your people together, and it wasn’t like you were really bothering anybody. “That led to so many cool things devel-
Edward Zipco and Bill Dunleavy founded Superchief Gallery to elevate underground artists to a global stage. Superchief Gallery/Submitted
opmentally for us. I think being able to find spaces where we’re not displacing somebody, we’re in a warehouse district, is just an opportunity for us to create a sandbox.” Superchief has stood as both a unifying space for creatives to work and connect as well as a means for survival for many artists during times of economic hardship. As a gallery, they’ve had to evolve and adapt to
changing times, including the last two years of the COVID-19 pandemic and the emergence of NFTs into the art world. In 2016, Superchief opened its first digital art gallery in Soho, New York, and became the world’s first IRL NFT gallery in 2021. “It’s been an honor to get to bring these artists to this at a high level,” Zipco said. “The fact that this is being written on the block-
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chain and the fact that an artist is able to be credited as the creator is really important. The way that these NFTs are sold on the blockchain creates an immediate path for the revenue to always hit the artist in a way that is fair and is arranged.” Zipco and Dunleavy have spent the last year consulting for tech brands, NFT platforms and crypto currency chain ecosystems to provide digital artists with drops and placements on high-end platforms. Alongside partners Artblocks, Bright Moments, Infinite Objects and Obscura, they’ve also created the NFT Art Biennale at the Eu-
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ropean Cultural Center for the 2022 Venice Biennale, bringing their digital artists’ work to an international stage. “We felt it was really important that people would respect digital artists as artists and not just people that had a skill set for branding and marketing,” Zipco said. “It’s been really special because we’ve used the opportunity to not only center around underground artists, but we leaned into communities that have done important work in getting access for women or getting access for African Americans.” Their new summer exhibition in LA will
LA-based photographer Parker Day will be one of over 100 artists featured in Superchief Gallery’s new summer show. Superchief Gallery/Submitted
combine traditional artists specializing in physical mediums, such as paintings, photography, street art and graffiti, with digital artists whose work will be displayed on digital canvases provided by WHIM. It will be the first time that the gallery shows physical and NFT art on a major scale in one show. Zipco and Dunleavy wanted to create a unique physical location where both artistic worlds can merge, and gallery guests can experience works by new artists with upcoming solo shows this year as well as pieces from longtime Superchief favorites. “The whole fact that people can experience digital artwork as if they might actually live with it in the home, I think that’s the really important thing,” Zipco explained. “It’s about getting it off of your cell phone or your laptop and actually having it on a digital canvas on the wall. I think that’s that futuristic way that we’re going to start living with NFTs and digital art.” The new summer gallery will include artists like JJ Villard, Sickid1, Swoon, Parker Day, Will Carsola and Yu Maeda.
When Superchief moved to LA over eight years ago, its founders were surprised to find that the artistic subcultures they had fallen in love with throughout New York existed in their own iterations across LA. With their new open-space warehouse gallery site on South Los Angeles Street, they remain committed to elevating the city’s underground art communities at what they believe is a critical time for artists. “I think we’re about to see the real birth of art stars,” Zipco said. “I think we’ve been ahead of it and predicting it for about a decade at Superchief, where we think that creativity is a great untapped resource. “Artists don’t get their shake at things. They always have to be transformed into a different medium to have value. … But I think artists are about to have it where they’re the star, and that’s going to ripple out into a really interesting world to live in. Creativity is going to start having a prominence that it hasn’t had before, so I’m excited to see what that looks like, because it’s what we’ve been believing in for a long time.”
Superchief Gallery LA 10-year Anniversary Show WHEN: Noon to 7 p.m. Thursdays to Sundays from Saturday, June 11, to Saturday, July 30 WHERE: Superchief Gallery LA, 1965 S. Los Angeles Street, Los Angeles COST: Free admission INFO: superchiefgallery.com
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Barenaked Ladies have nothing to prove By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor arenaked Ladies singer Ed Robertson knows there’s something to be said for talent. But the “One Week” band’s show comes with impromptu jams and, well, mistakes. “I know the songs are going to go great because we work really hard on them,” Robertson said via Zoom. “We take that part seriously. For me, the whole ‘show’ is the stuff that happens between the songs — the banter, spontaneity and the funny, stupid songs we make up. That other stuff happens every night.” Robertson contended that stale shows cause burnout or boredom with other bands. Barenaked Ladies keep it fresh. “We’re on a tightrope every night. We’re swinging for the fences,” he said, laughing. “We never know what we’re going to do, let alone what the other guys in the band are going to do. “It’s so exciting. It adds such a layer of
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Barenaked Ladies are, from left, drummer Tyler Stewart, multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn, singer/guitarist Ed Robertson and bassist Jim Creeggan. Barenaked Ladies/Submitted
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excitement and the unknown for every single show. It keeps it fresh for us and the audience. I was saying to another performer the other day, the superpower of Barenaked Ladies is that we do not care if we screw up. If you don’t care if you screw up, then you have nothing to be nervous about.” Fans can see that for themselves when the “Last Summer on Earth” tour comes to the Greek Theatre on Friday, June 10. A few of Barenaked Ladies’ “spectacular train wrecks” are hilarious to Robertson. The band — which also includes bassist Jim Creeggan, drummer Tyler Stewart and keyboardist Kevin Hearn — just shrugs it off and move on. “It’s how people know our shows are real,” he said. The last two years have been strange for everyone, including BNL, which had to postpone its tour twice. Now that the jaunt with the Gin Blossoms and Toad the Wet Sprocket is back on track, Robertson is relieved. “I’m thrilled that we were able to keep the lineup and all the shows,” Robertson said. “We actually were able to add a show to the tour.” During Barenaked Ladies’ European leg of their tour, the set list included a mix of hits; tracks from their latest album, “Detour de Force”; and deep cuts.
The collection continues Barenaked Ladies’ penchant for writing quirky-yetheartfelt songs. Produced by Juno and Grammy Award winners Eric Ratz and Mark Howard, “Detour de Force” fuses the band members’ writing voices into a cohesive work. The 14 tracks include the sonically adventurous “Flip,” the hopeful and infectious “Good Life,” and “New Disaster.” “It was a weird one to make because everybody had to roll with the punches through this weird time,” Robertson said. “But for it, (the pandemic break) afforded us something we’ve never had while making a record — that’s time. We got to actually listen to the songs for a few months while everything was closed and think about what some of them needed. Some of them needed things taken away; some of them needed to be fully reapproached.” O n e ve r s i o n o f “ L i ve We l l ” wa s scrapped, and Barenaked Ladies went back to the studio and played live, as opposed to recording one instrument at a time. Nearly all the overdubs were removed. “New Disaster” was completely rebuilt from the ground up, something Barenaked Ladies hadn’t previously had the luxury to do. “It’s very expensive to make a record,” he said. “We tour so much that we
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only build in a limited window to make a record and then everybody’s plans changed.” The plans stuck, however, to record songs that blend dark lyrics with upbeats. Sometimes, it’s the other way around. “Even ‘Flip,’ which is a very positive-sounding song, is really about all the insanity of social media and this strange point in communication that we find ourselves in,” he said. “It’s sort of encouraging that there is another side to this discourse. “Like the old saying, ‘If it rages, it engages.’ Unfortunately, it’s just a bug in the human operating system, and the companies are exploiting it. We need to step away and step back. I heard somebody say recently, ‘I think to myself, did I know that person 5 minutes ago. And if not, I move on.’” That wordplay is something that keeps Barenaked Ladies relevant — that and caring. “I think we’ve always really taken our
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good fortune seriously, and we never take it for granted,” Robertson said. “We respect our audience, and we try hard every time. I love what I do, and I love that I get to do it. So, I do everything I can to nurture that. It’s also communication within the band. It’s making sure everybody’s engaged and attached to what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. “I always say this, because it’s true: It’s more fun than ever. Now, I’ve got nothing to prove. I’ve accomplished 10 times more than I ever thought I would. The fact that I still get to be a guy in a rock band and get to get onstage in venues that, frankly, I would pay to play in is amazing. I get paid to play in them.” Robertson said his good buddy, Canadian musician and actor Alan Doyle, explains it best. “He’ll say something to the effect of ‘How lucky are we?’ I’ve really taken that to heart over the years,” he said. “Literally all my dreams came true 20 years ago.”
Barenaked Ladies w/Toad the Wet Sprocket and Gin Blossoms WHEN: 7 p.m. Thursday, June 9 WHERE: Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $19.50 INFO: livenation.com
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Dean Lewis’ pain is tempered by fans’ love By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor itting in his Montreal hotel room, Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis is a bit husky. The previous night, he played “a big show” in Boston, which led to an impromptu post-concert singalong with fans outside the club. Fans have had this rabid response to his honest, thought-provoking music. He’ll showcase his music — most notably his new single “Hurtless” — at the Fonda Theatre on Wednesday, June 8. “I think my songs are always very personal,” Lewis said. “I like to write very specific stories. I get right down to the scene I’m describing, like reaching for a hand or walking through a front door. A lot of people don’t like to do that. Their songwriting is more abstract or more metaphorical.” “Hurtless” follows the road of honesty, as it is an emotional replay of a relationship’s end. It balances the despair of a breakup with a feeling of hope and
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a brighter future. For his music, Lewis is inspired by Bruce Springsteen, among other writers. “Like ‘Dancing in the Dark’ by Bruce Springsteen, I love that he’s painting a picture through very specific things,” he said. “So, I try to tell stories, and all my songs give raw, raw emotion.” Writing songs like “Hurtless” takes Lewis on an emotional roller coaster. They’re cathartic while he’s creating them, and he’s admittedly “excited about life.” When he moves on, he falls victim to stress during the recording process. “Then I think it was good to get my emotions out,” he said. “I write every morning in my notebook. I find that really helpful, but this is how I express stuff. It’s hard to let them go, but once I let them go, I never listen to them again at least for a year. “There’s a real power in doing something and focusing on it so much and putting absolutely everything into it, and then listening to it 1,000 times and
making it the best you can, then letting it go. It becomes dead to you.” Three days ago, Lewis wrapped up his latest album, which journeys even further into his psyche. The new music, which has yet to be scheduled for release, is the perfect continuation of 2019’s “A Place We Knew.” “I write music for me, to be honest,” he said. “I want to get it out. I’m bad at so many styles of music. I’ve tried different things. I’m good at this one little thing. I’m going to keep going down that lane and seeing how far I can push it. This album is more ‘me,’ I think. I’m defining my little thing, and I’m really proud of it.” The COVID -19 pandemic afforded Lewis the time to look back and see what worked from “A Place We Knew.” “I thought, ‘Well, how can I implement some of that?’” he recalls. “I think it’s an evolution of what I do, and if people like what I do, I think they’re going to like this.”
Lewis admits he was a little hesitant to share his music. The 34-year-old inked his record deal in his mid-20s. He said there are two kinds of people: those who think they’re great and artists who are unsure. “(The latter) needs a big team of people to tell them, ‘You’re good at this, man,’” he added. “My friend passed a demo on to someone who is now my manager. As soon as I felt the first rumbling of attention and decided to dive into it. I read books and I read enough about people who were successful. They knew that when the opportunity came, they never felt ready, but you just do it.” Before his major label showcase, he sat for 10 minutes in car, nervous because he couldn’t play piano that well and was average on guitar. “I never really played in front of people, apart from open mic nights,” he said. “I knew that I had to say yes.” Lewis thinks about the previous night
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in Boston. Although it was uber successful, he had to tell himself he could do it. “We’re all waiting to be ready, unless you’re one of those delusional ultra-confident, narcissistic people,” he said. “They can bluff their way through anything. But ‘normal’ people just have to say, ‘Yes. Let’s just do it.’” The shows have worked out in his favor — much to his surprise. Lewis has been smiling because of the turnout. “I didn’t know we’d have this many people turning out at the shows, because I haven’t had a lot of heat in America for a couple of years,” Lewis said. “But there are so many people singing all the songs. There’s lots of energy. I play a couple of songs on piano and then I bring everyone in. It’s just a great vibe. It’s just amazing.”
Dean Lewis w/Forest Blakk WHEN: 9 p.m. Wednesday, June 8 WHERE: The Fonda Theatre, 6126 Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles COST: Resale tickets available INFO: ticketmaster.com
Australian singer-songwriter Dean Lewis plays the Fonda Theatre on Wednesday, June 8. Dean Lewis/Submitted
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Andrea Bocelli’s show is a love letter to LA By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor or opera singer Andrea Bocelli, playing the Hollywood Bowl is a can’t-miss event for himself and his fans. “As an artist, singing in the amphitheater of the stars, under the Hollywood sky, is one of those moments of joy and celebration that stays in your heart for a long time,” Bocelli said. “I lived unforgettable moments at the Hollywood Bowl, such as when, a little over a decade ago, I was given the thrill of greeting Elizabeth Taylor, who was seated in the audience.” The outdoor amphitheater’s audience, Bocelli added, is special, just as this city is special. He considers his fans as dear friends. “I keep them in my heart, and I always thank them for the kindness shown to me for so long,” he said. “The positive energy that flows, under the benevolent gaze of the ‘Queen of Angels,’ is magic that renews itself at every concert.” Bocelli’s career has spanned more than a quarter of a century. He’s one of the most celebrated singers, having amassed millions of fans around the world with his emotive and instantly recognizable voice. He has performed for four U.S. presidents, three popes, the royal family and many prime ministers. He has sung at the ceremonies of the Olympic Games, UEFA European Championship, world expos and Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee.
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Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli said his voice is merely an instrument through which he funnels his talent from the heavens. Luca Rossetti/Submitted
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“As an artist, I think it is my responsibility to touch the hearts of everyone I can reach, and thus it is always a great honor to make my contribution to sports, artistic or social events at the global level,” he said. “After all, culture and art, in every corner of the globe, are channels of mutual knowledge and support for world development and peace, bringing us together and quelling distrust.” With sold-out shows around the world, Bocelli has a Golden Globe, seven Classical BRITs and seven World Music Awards under his belt, plus a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. “Music is my main passion,” Bocelli said. “It’s my medicine — as necessary as the air that I breathe. It’s a friend that has always accompanied me throughout my life. As a boy, it was a perfect pastime and diversion I could rely on, giving me moments of great happiness. As an adult, it became my profession but also an instrument of faith (as any fruit of human ingenuity can be) because, as St. Augustine reminds us, ‘the one who sings prays twice.’” He never tires of performing live because he said it’s the best way to “concretely thank all those throughout the world who have followed me consistently and affectionately for so many years.” During the pandemic, those fans called him a “beacon of hope.” He said he was pleased to have offered a diversion. As a result of COVID-19, he produced 2020’s “Believe,” the Italian tenor’s 17th studio album. “It was a hard time for everybody,” Bocelli said. “Beyond the severity of the social-health crisis, I was distraught by how, on many occasions, unbridled fear had, in effect, limited a fundamental value inherent to humanity, and that is freedom. “Good music can serve, for everyone, as an antidote to fear and anxiety. I wanted to make my modest contribution during the pandemic, by continuing to make art, and disseminate it with the utmost commitment. The ‘Believe’ album is the result of that complex and uncertain time, representing my wish to offer a moment of serenity and beauty, and especially offer a call to the driving forces of the soul.” He released new operatic works, all of which were digital productions for the
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recording company UMG — “Lucia di Lammermoor,” “La Forza del Destino” and “Othello.” He called these “immortal masterpieces of the Italian opera, with which I wished to experiment in recent years. These are compelling stories that depict the eternal conflict between good and bad through the creative genius of musicians Gaetano Donizetti and Giuseppe Verdi.” As for pop, a new album is in the pipeline with many unedited pieces and “surprises.” He hopes fans will see it next year. Bocelli has a special relationship with Los Angeles. He said he has “many extraordinary memories” here. “I can randomly quote a few: a dinner, a friendly evening with Stevie Wonder, or the special that I had at the Dolby Theatre, dedicated to the musical scores of the big screen, together with my friend David Foster. “(It’s) not without some embarrassment. I remember years ago, the Grammy Museum dedicated a solo exhibition to me. And I can’t forget the many marvelous evenings spent celebrating music and beauty on that very stage we’ll be on in mid-June.” He considers his voice as a mere instrument through which he funnels his talent from the heavens. “For which I have no merit,” he continued. “For over a quarter of a century, I have tried to honor this gift and make it available. I may be repeating myself, but it’s important for me to say that my hope, when I sing, is to transmit positive emotions. My ultimate goal is to spread positive values, optimism. “If a member of the audience goes home after a concert a bit more serene, with a smile on their face, with a feeling that they shared a moment to remember with pleasure, then I can say I am a fulfilled man.”
Andrea Bocelli WHEN: 8 p.m. Thursday, June 16 WHERE: Hollywood Bowl, 2301 N. Highland Avenue, Los Angeles COST: Resale tickets available INFO: hollywoodbowl.com
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Touché Amoré to host an official book launch party By Alex Gallagher LA Downtown News Staff Writer lthough “The Art of Touché Amoré” has been on bookshelves for just over five months, the post-hardcore band is celebrating the release of the 416page tome on Tuesday, June 14, at The Last Bookstore. “The Art of Touché Amoré” traces its history from the 2008 formation through 2020’s “Lament.” Included in it are the books slid into each deluxe edition of its releases; photographs from its early shows; exclusive interviews; and photos of every vinyl, T-shirt and poster. “We’ve done a book for every one of our albums, and this was basically a compendium of our deluxe packages we began offering with our second record,” guitarist Nick Steinhardt said. “It eventually became a series, and we began to figure out a way to work our way back to our first record in more of a historical sense.” Although each of the books was released in a limited capacity, Steinhardt said he feels “The Art of Touché Amoré” is the ul-
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timate gift for fans who missed out on limited-edition releases or who want the ultimate guide to the act’s background. “Because we do a lot of limited-edition things that sell out quickly, we decided we should put together a product that put everything in one with some additional context around each record, including interviews and archives,” he said. Vocalist Jeremy Bolm agreed, saying the book would appeal to fans who do not consider themselves to be audiophiles. “There’s a section of people who are interested in our band who do not collect vinyl,” Bolm said. “This gives them an opportunity to have all of that material in one book, as opposed to five different books that have a music format that they don’t completely need.” “The Art of Touché Amoré” serves as a rare glimpse into the Steinhardt’s creative process for the albums’ artwork. “It was just a way to expand the artwork in a way that went beyond a front and back cover and a lyric insert,” Steinhardt said. “At the root, those images can be the iconography that sticks in people’s minds to rep-
Touché Amoré is, from left, vocalist Jeremy Bolm, guitarists Clayton Stevens and Nick Steinhardt, bassist Tyler Kirby and drummer Elliot Babin, who will be stopping by The Last Book Store on Tuesday, June 14, for a Q&A session and to sign fans’ copies of “The Art of Touché Amoré.” Touché Amoré/Submitted
resent a record, but there’s often more of a story to tell than just a single image.” Steinhardt is elated to share his artwork. “It is challenging to figure out a central image for an album cover, hence why we want more pages to tell that story,” he said with a laugh. Although Steinhardt said he could have added pages to “The Art of Touché Amoré,” he had to work within the confines of the binding. “It’s 416 pages, and anything past that was legitimately stretching the point of the integrity of the binding,” he said. Despite the thickness of the light read, Steinhardt hopes “The Art of Touché Amoré” will inspire the creative legion of fans Touché Amoré has spawned.
“Given that we live in a subsect of a genre that has a tight creative community, I think that our fans gravitate toward us not only for the music but because we make the art our focus as well,” Steinhardt said. “I hope that this can even inspire younger artists to want to think about their creative vision in a wider sense.” Bolm said the band delayed the celebration until COVID-19 settled down. He and Steinhardt worked tirelessly on finding the perfect venue. “(The Last Book Store) feels like the right place since it mixes music with art and records,” Bolm said. “I’m excited to give the book a spotlight since it came out during a time where it was hard to do an event like this because of the pandemic.”
“The Art of Touché Amoré” launch party WHEN: 5 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 14 WHERE: The Last Book Store, 453 S. Spring Street, ground floor, Los Angeles COST: $64, includes book INFO: https://bit.ly/3ak4ZJA
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The Kills fete 17 years of ‘No Wow’ By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor ands often look back on albums and think about what they would do differently. The Kills singer Alison “VV” Mosshart and guitarist Jamie “Hotel” Hince considered that with the reissue of their 2005 album, “No Wow” — until they spoke with renowned producer/mixer Tchad Blake. “He said, ‘I don’t want to do too much to this. I don’t want to reinvent it,’” Hince recalled. “He didn’t want to change anything. We agreed just sonically to move it up a little bit.” The limited-edition 17th anniversary deluxe reissue of their second album, “No Wow,” features two LPs, the original recording and a new mix by Blake that brings a fresh perspective to the 11 tracks. It hit stores June 3 via Domino, with the deluxe edition featuring a gold foil gatefold LP jacket, black-and-gold smoke vinyl LP, an exclusive 5-by-7-inch print and a four-page booklet. The reissue is also available as 2xCD, including both versions, a single LP version of the Tchad Blake Mix 2022 on black vinyl and indie exclusive gold vinyl and a single LP version of the original “No Wow” album on black vinyl. “No Wow” was released in 2005 and won acclaim for its scuzzy energy. The album’s stormy fusion of darkness and the dance floor was reflected in songs like “Love Is a Deserter” (“You got one eye as white as a bride/ The other eye, as black as the devil”), and
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tracks like “Good Ones” radiated with heat and desperation (“You got to burn down your house, keep your dreaming alive”). And the record’s whirlwind creative timeline only enhanced its fiery pitch. The Kills proved to be more than just another one of the garage rock bands in vogue at the time. Hince said Blake was vital to the project. “I think he brought fresh ears,” he said. “We wrote this in 2004 and recorded it way back then.” Mosshart added, “It’s a different perspective sonically. It’s a really cool thing.” The Kills will play shows in Los Angeles (Monday, June 6, and Tuesday, June 7, at the Mayan Theatre) and Brooklyn (Saturday, June 11, and Sunday, June 12 at Brooklyn Steel). They are the first shows for The Kills since the pandemic. “It’s a different kind of adrenaline that I very much missed,” Hince said.
The Kills WHEN: 9 p.m. Monday, June 6, and Tuesday, June 7 WHERE: The Mayan, 1038 S. Hill, Los Angeles COST: $40 INFO: axs.com
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NOTICE OF BRANCH OPENING Notice is hereby given that Open Bank, headquartered at 1000 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 500, Los Angeles, California 90017, will be filing an application with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation on June 7, 2022 for the authority to establish a branch at 5599 Spring Mountain Rd. Las Vegas, NV 89146. Any person wishing to comment on the application may file his/her comments in writing with the regional director of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, 25 Jessie Street at Ecker Square, Suite 2300, San Francisco, CA 94105, within 14 days of this newspaper publication. The non-confidential portions of the application are on file in the appropriate FDIC office and are available for public inspection during regular business hours. Photocopies of the non-confidential portion of the application file will be made available upon request. This notice is published pursuant to 12 CFR 303.7.
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It’s time to VOTE It’s once again time to show your favorite DTLA businesses some love! From May 23rd to June 23rd, you can vote for your favorite DTLA businesses simply by going to ladowntownnews.com – look for the Best of DTLA “VOTE” button. You can vote one time per device per day! Voting starts at noon on May 23 and closes at noon on June 23. If you have a business and would like to be involved in the Best of DTLA this year, please contact Catherine Holloway at 213-308-2261 or Michael Lamb 213-453-3548
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Farmer Boys is celebrating 40 years of “Farm Fresh.”
The Farmer’s Burger is the restaurant’s signature dish. Farmer Boys/Submitted
Farmer Boys/Submitted
Farmer Boys brings fresh ideas and food to LA By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor he restaurant opened in April 2000 and, at that time, the Los Angeles-Downtown location was the 14th Farmer Boys eatery of what is now a chain of 100 locations throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. The Southern California-based, fast-casual concept opened its first location in 1981. This year, the chain is celebrating 40 years of “Farm Fresh.” “We have a team who is committed to quality,” said Daisy Alvarez, senior director of marketing for Farmer Boys. “Our team members, franchisees and local purveyors are inspired by what the farm gives us, what’s fresh and what’s irresistible. Everyone in the Farmer Boys family is committed to making great friends of our customers and creating community connections using the power of food.” Farmer Boys has set the standard for serving high-quality, farm-fresh food in a fast-casual setting. The menu consists of award-winning burgers; cooked-to-order, all-day breakfast; hand-chopped salads; specialty sandwiches and more, all prepared with quality ingredients that are locally sourced whenever possible. Produce is delivered fresh and whole to each restaurant every morning. Instead of sitting in a warehouse for weeks, the produce can be enjoyed at the pinnacle of crispness and flavor. By going the extra mile for delicious, flavorful food, guests can count on fresh, cooked-to-order meals every visit. Farmer Boys’ mantra is “Nobody does it fresher.” Farm-fresh food doesn’t just taste better; it feels better. Guests know the difference between vegetables served right off the farm and fast food processed from a factory. After a meal, guests are not ready to take a nap; they’re recharged to get to work. That’s the difference between fast food and farm-fresh food. She said the restaurant’s signature dish is the Farmer’s Burger. “It is special because of the farm-fresh topping and high-quality beef. Avocados, tomatoes, lettuce and onions arrive whole to each Farmer Boys and are hand-cut daily. Fresh ground beef is grilled to order over an open flame and topped with bacon, cheese and a sesame seed bun. Great food comes from fresh produce and hard work.” Farmer Boys invites foodies to visit the Los Angeles-Downtown location and take advantage of the coupon offers in LA Downtown News. Enjoy award-winning burgers, summer salads, all-day breakfast or one of the new Farmer Boys fried chicken sandwiches. The fried chicken sandwiches are made with an all-natural chicken breast, double dipped in a batter seasoned with paprika, garlic and onion, then fried to lock
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in the flavor and ensure maximum crispiness. In addition to a crisp, flavorful chicken breast, the classic includes mayonnaise and pickles on a brioche bun. The fiery fried chicken sandwich includes a house-made Fiery Farmer’s Sauce on a brioche bun to elevate the heat and add a kick. It’s delicious. Farmer Boys is privileged to serve fellow Angelenos and this community. It is honored that Farmer Boys, Los Angeles-Downtown, has been nominated for the LA Downtown News Best of Downtown 2021. They can’t thank their customers enough. This year Farmer Boys has been nominated in six categories — Best Sandwich/ Wrap, Best Takeout and Best Bang for Your Buck. Vote and help Farmer Boys win. Visit ladowntownnews.com before June 23 to vote. “We are delighted,” Alvarez said about the nominations. “Nominations and food awards that our fans help us earn are confirmation that we are keeping palates interested.” Stop in Farmer Boys, Los Angeles-Downtown, and experience a delicious, flavorful, fresh, cooked-to-order meal. The staff goes the extra mile every time — count on it. Farmer Boys, which can be reached at 213-228-8999, is open 24 hours, offering dine-in, drive-thru, phone and takeout service. Guests can take advantage of the free, plentiful parking. It has plans for growth as well. “We are continuing to grow in California, Nevada and Arizona,” Alvarez said. “In 2022 we plan to open at least two locations and have several more in the pipeline. We are growing with existing franchisees, and we are also searching for new franchisees to join the Farmer Boys family.” To s e e t h e m e n u o r l e a r n m o r e a b o u t Fa r m e r B o y s , v i s i t farmerboys.com. Follow the brand on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. Farmer Boys encourages fans to download the Very Important Farmer (VIF) app for news, personalized offers and more.
Farmer Boys 726 S. Alameda Street, Los Angeles 213-228-8999 farmerboys.com
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CA residents scramble to get State Silver Bank Rolls
CALIFORNIA - Once California residents got wind that California State Bank Rolls filled with Silver Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s were being handed over, there was a mad dash to get them. That’s because they are the only Bank Rolls known to exist with the exclusive State Restricted Design. “The phones will be ringing off the hook. That’s because everyone will be trying to get them while they still can,” according to officials at the National Mint and Treasury who say they can barely keep up with all the orders. In fact, they had to impose a strict limit of 4 California State
Bank Rolls. So, if you get the chance to get your hands on these State Bank Rolls you better hurry because hundreds of California residents already have and you don’t want to miss out. You see, the U.S. Gov’t stopped minting these Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars in 1947 and there can never be any more which moves them into the collectible coin status. And here’s the best part. The rolls are unsearched so there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value. That’s why the state minimum set by National Mint and Treasury of just $39 per Silver Walking Lib-
erty, which is just $585 for the full Bank Roll is a deal too good to pass up. But you better hurry because these California State Bank Rolls themselves have been marked State Restricted by price which means the state minimum set by National Mint and Treasury is restricted to California residents and non-state residents must pay full price if any remain. That’s because they make amazing gifts for children, grandchildren and loved ones. Just imagine the look on their face when you hand them one of the State Bank Rolls — they’ll tell everyone they know what you did for them.
■ GOT ‘EM: These are the only Walking Liberty Bank Rolls known to exist with the exclusive State Restricted Design. Each Bank Roll is loaded with U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars some dating back to the early 1900’s so everyone who wants them better hurry.
Only State Restricted Silver Walking Liberty Bank Rolls go to California residents California residents get first dibs on Sealed Bank Rolls loaded with U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties dating back to the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value starting at 7:30 am today CALIFORNIA - “California residents get first dibs. That’s why Hotline Operators are bracing for the flood of calls,” said Laura Lynne, U.S. Coin and Currency Director for the National Mint and Treasury. Beginning at precisely 7:30 am this morning State of California Sealed Bank Rolls loaded with rarely seen U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars are actually being handed over to California residents who call the State Toll-Free Hotlines listed in today’s newspaper publication. “National Mint and Treasury recently spoke with its Chief Professional Numismatist who said ‘Very few people have ever actually saw one of these rarely seen Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars issued by the U.S. Gov’t back in the early 1900’s. But to actually find them sealed away in State Bank Rolls is like finding buried treasure. So anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these Bank Rolls had better hold on to them,’” Lynne said. “But here’s the good news. The Bank Rolls themselves have been marked State Restricted by price which means the state minimum set by National Mint and Treasury is restricted to California residents only and non-state residents must pay full price if any Bank Rolls remain,” Lynne confirmed This is important to note. “These are the only California State Silver Walking Liberty Bank Rolls known to exist. You can’t get them at banks or credit unions or the Government since they do not produce State Silver Walking Liberty Bank Rolls. In fact, you can only get them bearing the exclusive State Restricted Design and rolled this way directly
from National Mint and Treasury,” Lynne explained. “Now that the State of California Sealed Bank Rolls are being offered up we won’t be surprised if thousands of California residents claim the maximum limit allowed of 4 Bank Rolls per resident while they still can,” said Lynne. “That’s because after the Bank Rolls were loaded with 15 U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties, each verified to meet a minimum collector grade of very good or above, the dates and mint marks of the Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars found inside the Bank Rolls have never been searched. But, we do know that some of these coins date clear back to the early 1900’s and are 90% pure silver so California residents who get their hands on them will be glad they did,” Lynne went on to say. And here’s the best part. If you are a resident of the state of California you cover only the $39 per coin state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury, that’s 15 U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberty Half Dollars worth up to 100 times their face value for just $585 which is a real steal because state residents who miss the deadline and non state residents must pay $118 per coin which totals $1,770 if any coins remain after the 2-day deadline. “U.S. Gov’t issued coins like these are 90% pure silver and a favorite of dealers, collectors and the like,” Lynne said. “We know the phones will be ringing off the hook. So the only thing readers need to do is make sure they are a resident of the state of California and call the State Toll-Free Hotlines printed in today’s publication,” Lynne said. ■
SILVER: One of the last Silver coins minted for circulation
LAST MINTED: in Philadelphia, Denver & San Francisco
STATE MINIMUM: Of just $39 per coin set by National Mint and Treasury
ENLARGED: Year varies 1916-1947
RARELY SEEN: Minted by the U.S. mint in the early 1900’s
TO CLAIM THE CALIFORNIA STATE BANK ROLLS CALL: 1-800-260-7945 EXT. WHH1009 Are these Silver Walking Liberties worth more than other half dollars:
Yes. These U.S. Gov’t issued Silver Walking Liberties were minted in the early 1900’s and will never be minted again. That makes them collectible. The vast majority of half dollars minted after 1970 have no silver content at all and these Walking Liberty Half Dollars were one of the last silver coins minted for circulation. So there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.
How much are State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls worth:
It’s impossible to say, but some of these U.S Gov’t issued Walking Liberty Half Dollars date back to the early 1900’s and there are 15 in each Bank Roll so you better hurry if you want to get your hands on them. Collector values always fluctuate and there are never any guarantees. But we do know Walking Liberties are collectible so anyone lucky enough to get their hands on these Silver Bank Rolls should hold onto them because there’s no telling how much they could be worth in collector value someday.
How do I get the State Restricted Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls:
California residents are authorized to claim up to the limit of 4 California State Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls by calling the State Toll Free Hotline at 1-800-260-7945 Ext. WHH1009 starting at precisely 8:30 am this morning. Everyone who does is getting the only California State Walking Liberty Silver Bank Rolls known to exist with the exclusive State Restricted Design. That’s a full Bank Roll containing 15 Silver Walking Liberties from the early 1900’s some worth up to 100 times their face value for just the state minimum set by the National Mint and Treasury of just $39 per Silver Walking Liberty, which is just $585 for the full Bank Rolls and that’s a real steal because non state residents must pay $1,770 for each California State Walking Liberty Silver Bank Roll if any remain.
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JUNE 6, 2022
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