New data from the Downtown Center Business Improvement District’s “Q1 DTLA Market Report” has shown that the residential and hospitality/tourism markets have begun to replace the office market as drivers of future economic growth in DTLA.
The recent rises in interest rates coupled with the lasting impact of the pandemic, which upended the nature of work in much of Downtown’s office buildings, have sent the office sector into a state of flux while the neighborhood’s residential and tourism sectors have continued to enjoy a rebound over the past quarter.
“The amount of residential has exploded; the amount of hospitality, hotels and tourism has exploded; the amount of arts and culture, nightlife, dining, entertainment, retail, all of those sectors have exploded over the last 20 years of the Downtown renaissance,” DCBID Executive Director Nick Griffin said. “That’s created more of a balance in what Downtown is and who’s here. Now with shifts in the office sector, that trend, that evolution, has just been accelerated, but we see it as a continuum. We see it also as very healthy for the overall economic vitality and the social vitality of Downtown.”
The key statistics marked on DCBID’s market report was that Downtown had a 22.6% office vacancy rate, 92.9% residential occupancy rate and $151.79 year-to-date hotel revenue per available room in the first quarter. It also noted that the year-to-date hotel occupancy stands at 67.3%, more than 5% higher than the first quarter of 2022.
Griffin explained that no city should have a monoculture with an overreliance on the office sector, where “everyone leaves at 5 o’clock and it’s empty at night,” or the residential sector, creating a suburb. Instead, a city’s sectors should be balanced and interact to create a dynamic and resilient economic ecosystem and desirable social hub.
“That supports a really wide range of businesses,” Griffin said. “When you have residents, (they’re) going to grocery stores, going out to eat at night, using various services, that supports a whole range of local businesses. Then the office (workers,) they’re here during the
day and they’re getting lunches, they’re getting their dry cleaning and they’re doing those kinds of things, that creates a bunch of business opportunities.
“With tourism, people are coming to the hotels, but they’re also … going out to restaurants, going to arts and culture, going to entertainment venues. So when you get all three of those sectors, all three of those markets growing at the same time, that’s when you get a really dynamic, vibrant Downtown. And I think that’s the direction that we’re very much moving in.”
DCBID’s first quarter report showed that Downtown’s hospitality and tourism market is nearing pre-pandemic levels, revealing that there are 9,945 current hotel rooms in the neighborhood with 1,815 under construction and 6,695 proposed. There are also 5,501 residential units under construction and 28,649 proposed. Despite concerns surrounding the office market, Silverstein Properties completed a $60 million renovation of the U.S. Bank Tower’s lobby and meet-
ing floors while Waterbridge Capital paid $110 million for Union Bank Plaza.
Griffin explained that each of the three sectors and their activities are interlinked. For example, negative activity in the office market could mean that Class B and Class C office buildings become less desirable and are converted into residential spaces. This leads to an influx of new Downtown residents, increasing the need for retailers and restaurants, like Flor y Solera, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Hilltop Coffee + Kitchen.
“Adaptive reuse is really in Downtown’s DNA,” Griffin said. “The original adaptive reuse ordinance, which was passed in 1999, … spurred the creation of approximately 12,000 new residential units over the following 20 years in terms of conversions of old commercial buildings, and that equated to an increase in the population of about 20,000. … That was the major catalyst for Downtown’s renaissance.”
The DCBID report showcased a rich tapestry of new mixed-use, residential
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and hospitality projects in the works for Downtown, namely Brookfield’s 64-story residential tower Beaudry and Mitsui Fudosan’s 42-story luxury residential tower 8th & Figueroa, which Griffin described as “a great leap forward,” as well as Lightstone’s 727-room AC/Moxy Hotel.
“(The hotel) is also part of the city’s plan to reach 10,000 hotel rooms in walking distance to the convention center,” Griffin said. “That’s been a long-held goal of the city because that’s what enables the convention center then to lure the largest conventions. For years, we didn’t have enough convention center-serving hotel rooms. … Now they’re getting to enough hotel rooms, and that will make possible the convention center expansion plan, which AEG is ready to move forward on hopefully very soon to expand the convention center pretty significantly, by 50%.
“You can’t underestimate the importance of the regional connector, too. It’s three new stations in Downtown. It connects all four lines, so it connects Downtown to the region more fully. That is a project that’s obviously been in the works for a long time, … but it’s really important, really impactful.”
With an office market in retraction and a growing residential population that already exceeds 92,000, Downtown finds itself at a tipping point. The neigh -
borhood remains LA’s largest office center, but it has also become a hub for entertainment and home to a burgeoning residential sector that the DTLA 2040 Plan predicts will double within the next two decades.
In 2026, the city will welcome the FIFA World Cup. In 2028, it’ll host the Summer Olympics. Looking to the future of LA and Downtown’s role in this upcoming chapter, Griffin hopes that the neighborhood will recognize and act upon the importance of placemaking and the essential role of parks, public spaces and streetscapes.
“Making Downtown a place that people want to be, whether they want to be here to work, to live, to visit, to go out at night, to go out dinner or to go to a concert, … that is something that cuts across all markets and is probably one of the most important ways that we as an organization and Downtown in general can improve and can assure its success going forward,” Griffin said. “We’re really focused on the renovation of Pershing Square. … We’re really focused on the Seventh Street improvement project, which is already underway. … We’re really focused on the regional connector.
“We think that making Downtown a beautiful, vibrant, appealing, welcoming and safe place is really key to our success and one of the biggest priorities for the day.”
LA City Council President Paul Krekorian plans to call for the suspension of Councilmember Curren Price Jr. after the district attorney charged Price with five counts of embezzlement, with three counts of perjury, and for conflict of interest.
Price’s conflict of interest stems from allegedly voting in favor of development projects that financially benefited his now-wife’s consulting firm without disclosing the connection. Between 2019 and 2021, Del Richards allegedly received over $150,000 in funding before Price voted to approve projects that would benefit her firm. Price was also charged with embezzling approximately $34,000 in medical coverage for Richards, who he claimed to be married to despite being married to another woman.
“(The) charges against Councilman Curren Price are the result of a thorough investigation into allegations of public corruption. This alleged conduct undermines the integrity of our government and erodes the public’s trust in our elected officials,” District Attorney George Gascón said in a statement on June 13, when the charges were announced. “We will continue to work tirelessly to root out corruption at all levels and hold accountable those who betray the public’s trust.”
Price, who called the charges “unwarranted,” notified Krekorian he would step down from committee assignments and as council president pro tem while the case is still pending.
“While I navigate through the judicial system to defend my name against unwarranted charges filed against me, the last thing I want to do is be a distraction to the people’s business,” Price wrote.
The LA City Council is responding swiftly to Price’s charges in the wake of criticism that the council dithered after city council President Nury Martinez and Councilmembers Kevin de Leon and Gil Cedillo were caught on tape making racially charged comments about the city’s redistricting process. Following Martinez’s resignation, many officials and the public called for de Leon’s suspension, without success.
Price’s embezzlement charges also follow the controversy surrounding
charges filed in March against former Councilman Mark Ridley Thomas, who was serving on the county board of supervisors at the time. He was found guilty of seven federal felonies, including bribery, fraud and conspiracy.
Mayor Karen Bass has yet to respond to the charges against Price. Following the district attorney’s announcement,
her spokesperson Zach Seidl issued a statement saying, “The mayor has yet to review the charges filed earlier today, but she is saddened by this news.”
Krekorian said there will be a news conference following the city council meeting to announce the council’s decision regarding the suspension. Krekorian stated online that he would reach
out to the Ninth District, which Price represents, “to ensure that they are not harmed by a potential vacancy of the council seat and that they continue to receive the services of their council office.”
A date has not been set for Price’s arraignment, but the city council will vote on his suspension Wednesday, June 21.
Over 40 years ago, Cal State LA Downtown launched its Paralegal Studies Certificate Program.
Since then, well over 300 students have completed the American Bar Association-approved paralegal program, which is one of the earliest approved programs in a California university setting.
Faculty coordinator Lisa M. Rauhauser said 94 students are currently enrolled across the six required courses in the program.
The Paralegal Studies Program is beneficial to students in a number of ways, Rauhauser noted.
For example, the program faculty is made up of practicing attorneys, paralegals or judicial officers who are experts in their field and substantive areas of the law.
“Having a professor who is actually working in the trenches really solidifies the learning experience. Our students receive first-hand knowledge of what
it is like to work as a paralegal from our faculty,” she said.
“Additionally, we focus on giving our students practical experience, be it through homework assignments, presentations in class, written exams or lecture material. We want to prepare our students to succeed in their careers, and we try to simulate experiences in classwork to experience of working in the legal field.”
From students who are interested in going to law school one day and those who wish to work for a legal services delivery team to paralegals who want to boost their skill levels, Rauhauser said the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program can definitely help.
“One thing that fascinates me about working in the legal field is that you can really create a diverse career path for yourself,” she said.
In addition to acquiring a solid foundation of legal knowledge, as well as how to apply it to real-world scenarios in the legal profession, students in the program learn how to perform legal research, interview clients, and analyze and draft legal documents.
To ensure students get as much real-world exposure to the law as possible, the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program includes a unique internship program.
“We place paralegal student interns into private law firms, public interest groups and governmental agencies where they earn academic credit for the internship,” Rauhauser said.
Rauhauser added that the internship program aligns with Cal State LA Downtown’s philosophy of making homework assignments and learning materials “practical.”
“This way, the intern is already preparing for his or her first paralegal position. The internship program is a great way for a student intern to work with an attorney and gain academic credit.”
Another positive feature of the program, Rauhauser said, is that Cal State LA’s Downtown Campus’ location (801 S. Grand Avenue, Suite 600, Los Angeles) is within walking distance to the LA Law Library, the court systems, and a number of law firms and corporations.
“Our students have had the opportunity to physically tour the LA Law Library when I teach the American Legal
Systems course,” she noted.
“Being close to law firms has been advantageous when we host MCLE and other paralegal-related professional events. Our students have access to attending these events for free or at a nominal cost.”
Rauhauser, who earned her paralegal certificates in corporate and real estate, worked in litigation before transitioning into recruiting lawyers and paralegals for temporary and direct hire opportunities with law firms and corporations.
“I am currently the division director at Beacon Hill Staffing Group in Los Angeles. However, I was always interested in working in education, and when the opportunity came up to use my legal skills and knowledge in the classroom, I finally found my passion and my dream job,” she said.
As someone with a longtime interest in law, working with the students at Cal State LA Downtown has been immensely positive for Rauhauser. “Our students at Cal State LA are extremely hardworking in the classroom, and many of them are working full time and coming to school at night,” she said.
“For some of them, our program is the first look at the legal field for them. They are highly intelligent and inquisitive. Those two characteristics are important in the legal field. I love hearing from former students and learning how they have developed their legal skills.”
Chrissy Davie, who completed the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program in the summer of 2014, is one of the many former students who has kept in touch with Rauhauser.
Davie, who is now a senior legal specialist-GBS Legal at Wolter Kluwer, said the corporate and contract classes in the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program were very beneficial.
“I learned new concepts in different areas of law, which provided me with knowledge that I’m able to access in my current position when needed,” Davie said.
Hearing this type of positive feedback from Davie and other former students who are working in the legal field or who have decided to go on to law school is one of the most rewarding parts of Rauhauser’s work.
“It is wonderful to watch them progress as they pursue their dream careers
in the legal field. But every day that I interact with students is a great, rewarding day,” she said.
Applications for the fall cohort opened on May 1. Seats are limited for this high-demand program, given its accessible location and affordability as an officially ABA-approved program.
Thus, interested students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Note that applicants must have a baccalaureate degree or an Associate of Arts or Science degree from an accredited post-secondary institution for admission to the program.
For application requirements, tuition, and general information about the Paralegal Studies Certificate Program at Cal State LA’s Downtown Campus, call 1-888-541-DTLA (3852) or visit calstatela.edu/dtla/paralegal-studiescertificate-program-downtown-la.
I’ve been reflecting on monolithing: the human tendency to think that all people within one group should think or act alike.
Dominant groups can mostly avoid this (e.g., very few people think that all straight white men are all alike). However, as a member of the cis straight white older woman group, I often hear people say things to me like, “I didn’t know women like you could swear like a sailor.” Some of us do; some of us don’t. Another invisible rule: You don’t snitch on other people in your nondominant group. Snitching on other women — or anyone else in a group one identifies with — is verboten when one is in the middle of a significant social revolution. However, because June is dedicated to LGBTQIA+ awareness, the following anecdote is a little “snitchy.”
I am and have always been an ally for the
LGBTQIA+ family. That said, this story illustrates that no matter what group one identifies with, we are all fundamentally people
and fallibly human.
As a newly minted California lawyer, I was married to a bright, up-and-coming studio engineer who worked at Cherokee Studios with some of the biggest acts at the time. Walking into Cherokee, I was likely to meet Ringo, Harry Nilsson, Skunk Baxter or John Mellencamp.
I had responded to a Daily Journal ad for an executive position at a nonprofit where the mission was to get violent images of women off of album covers. At the time, cruel album covers were rampant. If the graphic designers had used any other marginalized group — such as African Americans, Jewish folks or Native Americans — in the same violent settings and poses, the NAACP, Anti-Defamation League or AIM would’ve been all over it.
What a bargain I would have been for them! My hubby made a good living, and while I couldn’t volunteer, they could still have me: a passionate feminist with non-
profit experience plus a lawyer with ready access to the world’s most influential recording artists and managers.
I submitted my resumé, which listed my work in theater as a director, writer, producer, singer and actor. I got an interview immediately. I was over-the-top excited! I walk into the interview:
“I’m Ellen Snortland,” I say. Wow, this is going really well!
“Take a seat,” she says. “I’m a lesbian. Are you a lesbian?”
“Uh, no,” I say. If only I’d said, “Could you beat around the bush, har, har, a little more than that?” The problem is my snappy comebacks fail when I’m flabbergasted. “Do all job interviews start this way?” I think. “It’s illegal to ask if I plan on being pregnant, right? Is it legal to ask if I want to sleep with women?”
But hey, I’m a good sport, so I keep going. “I just want you to know that I have access to a lot of influential people in rock ‘n’ roll,” I
sputter.
“Oh, like who?”
I give a short litany of the people I know personally and those my husband also knows.
“I could get meetings with a lot of people and influence cover art. I would love to work on this project and would give you 110%,” I proclaim.
She looks over my resumé.
“Do you want to know anything about me?” I ask.
“No, I know enough,” she says. “I’ll talk to my board.”
I called a few days later to follow up.
“Have you had a chance to discuss my application?” I ask, barely being able to choke out the words. I don’t know why, to this day, I get scared on phone calls. What will they do, reach through the phone and pummel me?
“We discussed you,” she says.
“Oh, who’s ‘we’?” using my smiling and chipper telephone voice.
“My board,” she says.
“Is there anything else you want to know?” I ask.
“No. We won’t be hiring you. You’re too pretty,” she says.
That was the last time I ever held women to a higher standard of sensitivity than men.
Sure, I thought she should know better; she shouldn’t discriminate based on looks. I’m sure she got stereotyped all the time because she — in her own words — identified
as a lesbian. I decided early on that women will not get far if we expect our “sisters” to hew to a higher standard than simply being human. We’re supposed to be “better” people than men, too?
Women have the right to be as short-sighted, greedy, mean and discriminatory as men. If we base women’s rights on being perfect, we will dig ourselves into yet another deep, double-standard hole.
So wherever that woman is (sorry, I don’t remember the organization’s name) … you blew my mind. Of course, the please-everyone-all-the-time part of me was, “Wait! I’ll cut my hair! I’ll dress like you! I’m an actor! I’ll get a girlfriend! I can do it! Just give me a chance.” Yeah, that people-pleaser part always needed attention and still does. Even more annoying was that, in my view, I was normal and not that pretty at all.
Looking back at this from my 2023 perch, I realize it was their loss and another potent reminder that there’s nothing monolithic about anyone.
2023 marks the 30th year that Ellen Snortland has written this column. She has an LA Press Club nomination for Journalist of the Year. She also teaches creative writing online and 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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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.
Light, air and views of Los Angeles — that is how the Beaudry development in Downtown Los Angeles aims to create an optimized lifestyle for its residents. Standing at over 600 feet tall, the Beaudry residence strives to elevate classic California modern architecture. With 785 apartments, from studios to three-bedroom layouts, the building is surrounded by views of Los Angeles from mountains to ocean.
Through the numerous amenities at Beaudry, Leo Marmol, managing partner and founder of Marmol Radziner, said residents can look forward to deepening their connection with the community. With Beaudry, classic modern architecture is not just about appearing beautiful it is about seeing the high rise as a home.
“Our inspiration comes from the LA kind of modern masters, whether those be Rich-
ard Neutra and Rudolph Schindler and John Lautner, the touchstones of modern living,” Marmol said.
Neutra, an Austrian American architect, worked in Southern California for much of his career. He is known for his experimentation and has even designed an unbuilt, affordable housing plan using Dodger Stadium.
Schindler and Lautner also helped shape modernist architecture and are noted as modernist pioneers. Some notable buildings they have designed include the Desert Hot Springs Motel and the Lovell Beach House.
Unlike many living spaces in Downtown Los Angeles, Beaudry put a lot of time and effort into the amenities spaces.
These spaces are meant to encourage residents to connect and to be part of the
“Shortly after classes began, my employer recognized how the Project Management Certificate Program increased my value within the company and immediately promoted me.”
-Lea Fukutakito feel like they really are at home.
“The amenity spaces become the places to gather and for there to be a true social experience connected very directly to your living experience,” Marmol said. “It’s something that we all long for and certainly learned through the pandemic years.”
Beaudry’s amenities include a pool and spa, a premier athletic club, indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces, and a poker game room.
The 57th floor of Beaudry acts as a rooftop lounge where residents can enjoy the city views and sunsets every day. Much of these amenities touch on the Los Angeles lifestyle, focused on art, food and nightlife.
Additionally, one of Orange County’s
most well-known chefs, Amar Santana, will soon be opening up his Spanish restaurant, Vaca, in the building.
For Marmol, feeling a connection to the space a resident lives in is crucial.
“The goal was to infuse the more commercial housing world with the luxury, comfort and beauty of single-family living,” Marmol said. Fundamentally, our interests are very much rooted in the modern tradition, which means a connection of the interior living space with the exterior.
“I think we’re trying with all our work to really respond to our fundamental desire to have the home reflective of luxury. We’re infusing the amenity spaces with scale and texture and warmth.”
Wednesday evening and Saturday morning class schedules to choose from.
Enroll now for Fall 2023
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor
The Microsoft Theater and its adjacent 40,000-square-foot openair plaza, XBOX Plaza, are taking on new names, thanks to a partnership with Peacock and the venues’ owner, AEG.
Starting July 11, LA Live’s 7,100-seat concert and special events venue formerly known as Microsoft Theater will be named Peacock Theater, and XBOX Plaza will be monikered Peacock Place.
“We’re very excited,” said Lee Zeidman, president, Crypto.com Arena, Peacock Theater and LA Live.
“Microsoft’s deal was ending in April, and our global partnerships division went out searching for the next big thing in naming rights. They contacted Peacock and NBC Universal, and the partnership was formed. While Microsoft was a great partner, they brought a lot of technological advances. We’re now truly aligned with an entertainment partner.
“We’re excited about the entertainment that the events division and the entertainment division of Peacock and NBC Universal can bring to the table for us.”
The signage change is first on the docket. Soon the two entities will “get into the weeds” about incorporating premieres and other NBC and Peacock events.
“We’re excited about all the content that is on Peacock,” he said.
“The theater will be fantastic for their premieres, grand openings and red carpets.”
Peacock will become the streaming partner for the campus and theater.
“There are a lot of different things that we’re working our way toward and through as to what they want to do,” Zeidman said.
“They have a say in certain content. We’re going to continue booking award shows, concerts and corporate events. But we’ll be working with their events division and team. We hope to bring
more opportunities for us to do other things at the theater.”
LA Live hosts over 20 million visitors a year and showcases more hospitality options, events, award shows, sporting competitions and concerts than any other destination in the world, according to a statement.
At the same time, Peacock Theater hosts over 125 music, family shows, dance performances and comedy acts, televised productions, corporate and shareholder meetings, and product launches annually.
Since its opening in 2007, the theater has had more than 7.5 million guests and a variety of artists and performances, including the Eagles, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, The Who, Charlie Wilson, Ed Sheeran, Gabriel Iglesias, Marc Anthony, John Legend, the Avett Brothers, Neil Young, Steely Dan, Trey Songz, Kelly Clarkson, Rush, Nicki Minaj, Juanes, Marca MP, Cat Stevens and the Metallica Helping Hands Concert (2022); the 2013 and 2022 Rock ‘n’ Roll
Hall Fame Ceremony; and the film premieres of blockbusters including Michael Jackson’s “This is It,” “Straight Outta Compton,” “The Hunger Games” and the “Twilight” movie series.
The theater is also home to internationally renowned events such as the annual Grammy Awards, Primetime Emmy Awards and the BET Awards.
The partnership comes as LA prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics, of which Peacock will be streaming exclusively and for which LA Live will host key events.
Peacock will have a significant brand presence across the LA Live campus as well as digital signage elements including a dedicated LED marquee at the corner of Figueroa and Olympic boulevards.
The LED marquee will feature two state-of-the-art video boards permanently attached to LA Live’s façade, the largest of which will measure more than 29 feet high and 56 feet wide and the second of which will stand at over 29 feet high and 88 feet wide.
O LY M P I C B Y W I N D S O R
1 0 0 0 G R A N D B Y W I N D S O R
R E N A I S S A N C E T O W E R
7 : 3 0 A M
8 : 0 0 A M
8 : 3 0 A M
6 : 3 0 P M
7 : 0 0 P M
7 : 3 0 P M
* D o g g i e B u s S h u t t l e S e r v i c e F r e e f o r O n e ( 1 ) M o n t h W h e n Y o u S i g n U p f o r a M o n t h l y D o g g i e B u s S u b s c r i p t i o n
After a successful national tour, the Venice Beach instrumental rock duo Movie Club is celebrating all-things wolves in DTLA.
They have teamed with the local cinema group Craig Hammill’s Secret Movie Club to host “Teen Wolf” on 35 mm, followed by a screening of Movie Club’s music videos “Bones and “Moonbow,” in which they star as white wolves. The event is 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 19.
“We discovered the film fan group Secret Movie Club after naming our band Movie Club,” said drummer Jessamyn Violet, who is joined in the band by guitarist Vince Cuneo.
“We always wanted to do a mashup event because of our obvious love of film. We came up with the idea to do a ‘Teen Wolf’ screening on 35 mm followed by a performance by our band after releasing two music videos in early 2020 that featured us wearing wolf masks.”
The event will be in a DTLA warehouse that, Violet said, “feels more like a secret clubhouse for cinema lovers.”
“The entrance is on the most awesome graffiti alley. They have a huge open space behind the theater inside that is perfect for parties.”
“Teen Wolf,” the classic 1985 version starring Michael J. Fox, was a logical choice for the event.
“We are huge film buffs,” she said. “Right from the start, we bonded over our love for many of the same films, and we started our instrumental band based on the inspiration we feel when we listen to movie scores.”
Cuneo added, “It is one of our favorite movies of all time, and that film and Michael J. Fox’s portrayal of a good-natured ‘cool’ werewolf was also a huge reference for the wolf characters in our videos.”
A Boston native, Violet has lived in Venice Beach since 2007, save for a three-year break to attend graduate school in San Francisco. Cuneo hails from Pittsburgh and has lived here for five years.
Violet and Cuneo have long wanted to be musicians. She “begged” her parents for piano lessons when she was a child. Meanwhile, Cuneo was raised by a music teacher mother and a music
fan father. Their first concerts were Veruca Salt/Bush for Violet, while Cuneo caught Garth Brooks.
“I always knew music was going to be a huge part of my life from the beginning,” he added.
Formed in October 2018, Movie Club performed their first show for a Cal Jam party, headlined by the Doors’ Robbie Krieger. Inspired by the evening, the two started writing every day and playing around LA.
“We thrive on collaborating with other artists,” she said. “From the start, we have been fortunate enough to work with legendary instrumentalists on our records and epic videographers. We love letting the talents of others around us influence us in the best ways and have managed to figure out how to be sustainable enough to keep writing, recording and releasing music.”
Their instrumental psychedelic sound constantly evolves, which is “the freeing part of creating instrumental music,” he said. Movie Club’s first two records, “Kraken” and “Hammerhead,” possessed
a surf vibe. With “Man o’ War,” “Black Flamingo” and “Fangtooth,” Movie Club dove into a heavier psycho rock sound. She described the forthcoming album “Great White” has having a “wide range of genres and more cinematic than our other records.”
Violet and Cuneo said it’s easy to stay passion about music, thanks to evenings like the “Teen Wolf” screening/ performance.
“Doing unique events like this keeps me in the game (along with) meeting people who are passionate about different art forms and striving to be unique with every move,” she said.
“We just did a national tour that was a book/talk show into rock show, called the Reading Rocking Rainbow Tour, to promote the release of my debut novel, ‘Secret Rules to Being a Rockstar.’ It went amazingly, and we feel so fortunate to have been able to pull it off.”
Cuneo agreed.
“Attending live shows and listening to new records has always motivated me as a musician. Sometimes you can get caught up in creating your own art. But then you go see a new band and you remember how much I love music and why we continue on this journey.”
“Teen Wolf” and music by Movie Club
WHEN: 7:30 to 11:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 19
WHERE: The Secret Movie Club Theater, 1917 Bay Street, second floor, Los Angeles
COST: Tickets start at $18
INFO: movieclubtheband.com/live, eventbrite.com
Actors fumbled with their costumes outside the Frida Kahlo Theater in Downtown LA as the cast of “Mystery Theater Horror Show” prepared to pose for character portraits. It was an important rehearsal, with everyone ready for a technical run-through of the show.
“Can you tell who I am?” Kelsey Gibson asked. “Usually, people can spot the inspiration pretty quickly.”
Gibson was referring to her character Janet, inspired by Susan Sarandon’s character in the cult classic film “Rocky Horror Picture Show.” The production loosely follows the plot of the movie and uses puppetry, shadow theater and live acting to tell the story of a theater troupe from outer space who comes to Earth after they are displaced by Elon Musk from their home planet.
Michael Bierman and Meri Pakarinen gathered the group and ensured everyone
had all the components of their costume before photography began. Bierman and Pakarinen founded the Strindberg Laboratory as a nonprofit that creates community-based theater with persons of diverse backgrounds.
Most of the actors involved in the production are people with autism or other learning disabilities and returning citizens. Bierman explained the cast was deeply involved in creating the script and “at the end of the day, this is a very professional production.” The central theme of displacement, he said, echoes the actors’ real-life mission to find belonging and purpose in society.
“To watch this group of actors evolve and grow as people and adults and create these roles — their personalities have blossomed — it’s been a marvel to watch. I feel very fortunate to be an observer and a participant in this process,” Beirman said.
David Krieger, who plays the leading role of Frank, gave some insight into how “Mys-
“I can relate to (Frank) because he has no filter. He can just be whatever he wants to be and doesn’t care what people think,”
Krieger remarked. “I feel like I’m that person more and more, and I am becoming more comfortable with myself. Being Frank has really made it easier to open up and show a different side of myself that I don’t normally show other people.”
Michael Esparza, the puppeteer who plays characters Stan and Joe Shmoe, echoed Krieger’s sentiments.
“The reason I started doing puppeteering was because I could say things as this little muppet that I can’t say myself. Stan is just all the thoughts in my head that build up all day.”
Esparza emphasized that beyond being a fulfilling production, “Mystery Theater Horror Show” and other plays produced at the
Strindberg Laboratory provide professional opportunities unavailable elsewhere. As a scriptwriter, Esparza felt it was important to note the opportunities the nonprofit has given him to pursue his passion, especially in light of the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike.
Elizabeth Beltran, who plays Callaca, noted that the production is accessible because tickets are free.
“I want to make sure people know that this is a free event. It’s not very likely that there’s anything free like this in LA, and it’s important to get audiences to return to the theater after COVID,” she said.
Harriet Levine, who became involved in the show because her daughter Becca was
June 20, 2023 | 7:30 p.m.
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one of the actors, explained that the production of “Mystery Theater Horror Show” began over Zoom during the pandemic. Once things started to open up, the group evolved into acting with puppets in the park. Eventually, once restrictions were lifted, they began seriously developing a script.
Gibson elaborated on why Strindberg Laboratory has been so important to her as an actor.
“I’ve been (acting) with Strindberg for six years now. It’s really opened up a whole new window for me in performing arts (and has shown me) that the arts can be inclusive for everyone. It shows that you can be creative even if you don’t stick to a script; you can be creative with improv and other ways like puppets.”
The creativity is evident in the final product the Strindberg troupe has created. Becca, whose goal is to become a voice actor, brought that passion into the production with a musical number. Esparza demonstrated his talent for stand-up comedy using his puppet, Stan, who riffs off the audience
as they are seated for the show.
The production is interactive, another way the actors chose to express their creativity. The show commences outside the Frida Kahlo Theater as the audience trails newlywed couple Janet and Brad as they discover a strange and otherworldly audition. As Janet and Brad move inside for their chance to be cast in a Hollywood production, the audience accompanies them and is seated as if they were fellow actors waiting to audition.
The troupe didn’t want to spoil the surprise ending, so they concluded by returning to the theme of displacement and belonging.
“I feel like we need theater,” Krieger said. “It’s a way to express ourselves and tell everyone that even though we all have different interests or come from different backgrounds, or have different beliefs, we are all human beings on this planet. (We want to) spread joy to everyone and say that you’re not alone and people should be proud of who they are.”
WHEN: 1:30 p.m. Friday, June 23, 4 p.m., Sunday, June 25, and 4 p.m. Saturday, July 1
WHERE: Frida Kahlo Theater, 2332 Fourth Street, Los Angeles
COST: free
INFO: strindberglaboratory.com
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski
LA Downtown News Executive Editor
Leaving a community chorus practice, Dan Wilson was approached by a fellow singer about a Chicks concert she attended the previous year.
“She said they played one of her favorite songs by anybody, ‘Not Ready to Make Nice,’” said Wilson, whose daughter is in the chorus with him.
“She saw it at the Chicks tour last year here in LA. She had no idea I made that song with them. She was suddenly like, ‘Oh my gosh, you’re the guy who wrote that song?’”
Most music fans know Wilson as the Semisonic frontman, but he’s also behind Adele’s “Someone Like You,” the new Celine Dion single “Love Again,” and Joy Oladokun’s “Changes.”
He’s also written with and produced with the likes of Leon Bridges, Phantogram, the Chicks, Pink, Halsey, Ricky Reed, Chris Stapleton, Carole King, Noah Cyrus,
Dierks Bentley, Jim James, Ethan Gruska, Taylor Swift, John Legend and Mike Posner.
“I really love that one,” Wilson said about “Changes.” “I usually love the newest one that comes out, but I feel like that’s a legitimate beauty of a song.”
After focusing on family and songwriting for decades, Wilson and Semisonic are back for a monthlong trip — the Last Summer on Earth Tour — with Barenaked Ladies and Del Amitri. It hits the Greek Theatre stage on Friday, June 23, and Fantasy Springs Resort Casino in Indio on Saturday, June 24.
“I’ve been to so many gigs at the Greek, but we’ve never played there,” Wilson said. “It’s beautiful and so legendary. I’ve seen some amazing gigs there. It’s a real treat to be able to actually perform there.”
Barenaked Ladies and Semisonic last toured together when Wilson and Co. scored a hit in 1998 with “Closing Time.”
“They were fun to tour with,” he said.
“One of the best things about touring with Barenaked Ladies was they weren’t what I expected. I knew they were a fantastic band. Standing side stage and watching their shows was so entertaining. Every night it was different, so spontaneous and so witty, obviously.
“They’re successful musicians and they’re great improvisers and they jam great. They banter amazingly with each other. It’s fun to realize, ‘This is a really spontaneous, in-the-moment band giving it up in a different way.’
“It’s not true of all musicians. Many musicians are out there to deliver the same product every night. That’s fine, especially if it’s good music. I don’t mind that. But Barenaked Ladies are spontaneous and joyful.”
Semisonic’s set will feature classic tracks — “Closing Time,” “Chemistry,” “Singing in My Sleep” and “DND” — as well as those from the 2020 EP “You’re Not Alone.” The release was its first since 2001’s “All About
Chemistry.”
“We have a bunch of new songs, but then that basically means that everything else on the set list is going to be a banger,” he said with a laugh.
“Because we hadn’t toured for 20 years and we hadn’t put out a new record in 18 years, when we put out ‘You’re Not Alone,’ it was almost like we had to rediscover who we are. It allowed us to look at some of the songs in a fresh light, songs that we might have taken for granted before. We’ve played ‘Chemistry’ at a lot of the shows, for example. Suddenly, it’s just extra fun for us to play. Now I realize it’s a jam.”
Semisonic — which also includes drummer Jacob Slichter and bassist John Munson — is slated to release the new record by the end of the year. Wilson said he “unexpectedly” wrote 26 songs over the last two and a half years.
“We’ve been weeding it out and making the list as great as we can,” he said. “It’s
been a big focus of my energy the last 12 months. It’s hard for the three of us to get together. Jake’s in New York, John’s in Minnesota, and I’m in LA. In a way, getting together makes it more special for us. We’ve spent a bunch of time — 18 months — creating new music and experimenting a lot.”
The Minnesota-born band has been playing a few of the songs live, including “Little Bit of Sun,” “If You Say So” and “The Rope.”
“‘The Rope’ is almost like ‘Exile on Main St.’-era Rolling Stones, at our most Rolling Stones throwdown mode,” he said. “It’s a little bit like ‘Happy’ from the Stones or ‘Rocks Off’ by the Stones. It’s a loud, fast, Stonesy jam.
“It’s fun. The new songs are really, really good, in my humble opinion. It’s fun to add those in, and the rest of the set is going to be singles that people have heard a lot. We’re going to take advantage of it being a monthlong tour and shake up the
set list a little bit for us.”
Another song is “Grow Your Own,” which Wilson joked may or may not be about cannabis.
“It’s not about weed, but maybe it is,” he said with a laugh. “It’s also about if you love music, one of the greatest responses is to make your own music,” Wilson said. “‘Grow Your Own’ is about loving music and responding to that by making your own stuff.”
That’s exactly what he’s doing now — putting production and writing for other artists on the backburner. However, he’s still proud of his work.
“I heard ‘Someone Like You’ by Adele and me in a store recently and I was like, ‘That is so good.’ Not to toot my own horn, but that is a really good song. I’m really proud of that one.
“A lot of production and writing of mine is coming out, but the biggest focus is let’s make this Semisonic album as great as we can.”
WHERE:
COST:
By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor
Louise Post is an advocate of acting up instead of retreating. So when the Veruca Salt guitarist/vocalist got depressed over the state of the world, she put pen to paper and wrote music.
In early June, she released her debut solo album, “Sleepwalker.” For the collection, she parlayed three decades of experience co-fronting the alt-rock band Veruca Salt into a haunting album that pulls from the past and acknowledges the future. The offering’s moniker is a nod to her sleepwalking tendencies as a youth.
“There’s always this feeling of being exposed,” Post said via Zoom about “Sleepwalker.” “When you release your own music, it’s no longer yours, per se. It’s opened up to whoever hears it. I have high hopes that people will connect with it and love it the way I do. Therein lies the nervousness.”
Post said songwriting is excruciating and exhilarating because it’s so personal. The tunes represent what’s brewing in her subconscious and “whatever needs to be dealt with and addressed.” She finds relief through the expression of turning it into poetry, art or music.
Now was the perfect time for “Sleepwalker,” she said, because Veruca Salt wasn’t considering a new album.
“There were no bad feelings or acrimony or anything,” said Post, who was joined in Veruca Salt by Nina Gordon.
“People were just doing separate things and had gone off to their own lives. I found myself writing, writing, writing, as I often do, and it became clear that I was writing a solo record and I needed to release it. There was no need to wait for the band to come meet me where I was. I needed to do it on my own. It was really fun to make a record on my own and collaborate with different people in the studio.”
She joked with Gordon that she was terrified to do a photo shoot solo. Gordon reassured Post that she would “be great.”
“She’s been really encouraging,” she added. “There’s a lot of love there. I will support her if she ends up making a solo record. Eventually, we’ll probably make another record together, but this is definitely the right time for this album for me, personally.”
Post’s music has evolved as she has,
she said.
“I’ve certainly evolved a lot from between 2006 and 2015,” she explained. “In between albums, motherhood came into play, and that changed me profoundly. I didn’t know at that point that I’d ever make music again. I wasn’t really looking forward to it. All my guitars were in my closet, and I felt like it was an uphill battle and I wanted to swim downstream, not upstream.”
When Post’s child was 2, Gordon emailed her saying peers Mazzy Star were playing Coachella and questioned why Veruca Salt was not.
“That led to coffee and dinner and shutting down the restaurant and then meeting up with the band and shutting down the restaurant and so forth,” she said with a smile.
“Since (2015’s) ‘Ghost Notes,’ a lot has changed: The pandemic happened and Trump happened and the whole world shifted, and the existential crisis of our global warming happened.”
That made her depressed and afraid. The best thing she could do was pick up a guitar, play, write, and listen to the songs and melodies that were coming to her. She needed to make something beautiful out of the crises.
“I needed to connect with other people and to hopefully uplift other people because I was certainly turning to music as solace during all of that,” she said.
“The best thing I can do and the best way I know how to help at all or be of service and connect with my fellow humans is to write and release music. It’s my artistic obligation. I encourage anyone who feels like they have stuff inside of them to honor that voice, because it does matter.
“Instead of just cowering and retreating, I decided to be part of the solution in whatever way I can. I can find the joy in even the darkest corners. I’m not personally going to roll over and retreat and get smaller because of outside external circumstances. I’m going to take the opportunity to explore, find my voice and figure out who I am now.”
Post will share the songs live at The Echoplex at 7 p.m. on Friday, June 23. Fans can expect a blend of new and old songs on the set list. At first, she was hesitant to perform songs from Veruca Salt, who scored hits with “Seether” and “Volcano Girls.”
“I thought I might play ‘Sleepwalker’ from start to finish,” she explained. “I thought that would be really interesting. That was my original vision, and then it came to my attention that some hardcore fans would be really excited to hear Veruca Salt songs.”
She said she realized she should
probably consider it.
“Once I started playing them and bringing them back to life with the band I’m playing with, it was really fun,” she said.
“I realized, ‘This is going to be a blast.’ It’ll be a celebration of the past to the present altogether.”
Louise Post w/Buckets
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, June 23
WHERE: Echoplex, 1154 Glendale Boulevard, Los Angeles
COST: Tickets start at $20
INFO: ticketmaster.com, louisepost.com
Jason Mraz is recalling the early days of his career by playing a solo acoustic show at the Grammy Museum on Thursday, June 22.
It serves as a release party for his eighth album, “Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride,” due Friday, June 23. An audience Q&A is also planned.
With “Mystical Magical Rhythmical Radical Ride,” Mraz continues his message of hope while offering guidance.
“I feel like music has always been a guide for me,” Mraz said during a Zoom call.
“So, when I tap into something that I’ve read or downloaded on a retreat or a long walk or learned a new life lesson, I try to weave that into my songs. I’ve tried to do that on many, many albums.”
This album, however, will get listeners off the couch and moving.
“It’s so easy to lose touch with reality when we’re living in a virtual reality all the time,” Mraz said.
The lead track, “I Feel Like Dancing,” did just that, inspiring a popular TikTok dance.
“I love that,” he said. “I saw it coming. Dancing on the internet, it’s been around since as long as the internet has. I also wanted to create a dance song because I needed it in my life. I needed a kick in the ass to move my body. I’ve spent too much of my life standing on the sidelines of the dance floor as an ‘almost dancer’ just hyping on the side, but never got into the center to take my moment. I wanted to have that moment.”
Mraz said the song has been a long time coming as well. He was inspired to write it during a 2015 tour when he saw other performers who danced.
“I made a song in 2017, ‘I Feel Like Dancing’ was the first version, (but) it didn’t make sense at the time to have a song that was so visual,” he said.
“The song just sat on the shelf forever. Since 2015/2017 everyone understands I like to dance, and it looks like this is a big part of our online culture. So, this is an idea whose time has finally come.”
The title of the album is apropos. Mraz said he has been on quite the mystical, magical, rhythmical radical ride the past few years.
“The rhythmical part is what’s comforting because it implies that there’s a pat-
tern and we get another chance,” Mraz said.
Mraz is constantly mystified by music.
“There are ways to drop out and give yourself a mystical, magical, rhythmical, radical ride,” Mraz said.
“I think we can also do that with breathwork, with singing and with music. Singing is an opportunity to experience your breath, and breathing in and out is all of what life is about.”
According to Mraz, the album’s tracks were written over a period of years be -
cause, just like “I Feel like Dancing,” they were ideas that needed time to be fully realized and “fit into a pie.”
Most of the songs were started in 2019 and written throughout the pandemic with the band Raining Jane, part of whom he refers to as his “Super Band.”
“Music was a way for myself and my colleagues to counter a lot of the negativity that was in the media,” Mraz said. “It was a way for us to counter that with hope and optimism and continuing to breathe life into relationships and our joy
and our loves and our hobbies.”
Each time they got together, they took COVID-19 tests to ensure their safety.
“It felt like we were actually traveling to a bubble like going to outer space to do science experiments with songs to see what we could come up with,” Mraz said. “And it was a fun process because every song is born on acoustic instruments. We were sitting around playing acoustic songs, but then knowing we’re going to try to get into the studio and energize them.”
Mraz said he had a blast writing the songs because it was collaborative.
“I didn’t put pressure on myself to try to come up with every answer and solution for the world,” Mraz said. “I really wanted to lean on or listen to others and hear what a council had to think about age and time and healing and forgiveness and gratitude going forward.”
Earlier this year, Mraz opened for Jimmy Buffet at the inaugural concert for Snapdragon Stadium in his hometown of San Diego. Mraz was thrilled to be a part of that event.
“The experience was great,” he said. “Jimmy Buffet is an icon. He survived decades of partying and drinking and telling jokey songs, and I like to think that my music is also lighthearted. I’m glad they saw there was a similarity between the two of us.”
Mraz’s favorite part of every concert is standing backstage, right before he walks out.
“Because I’m aware that only people with badges get to be backstage and so I’m still geeking out that I have a badge like, ‘Oh my gosh, they let me backstage,’” Mraz said.
“And then this feeling of walking out into the light and being welcomed by an audience is such a huge boost to one’s emotions, confidence, ego, spirit and nervous system. All of it is just like firing. I’m left with this sense of wonder and gratitude and enormous privilege.”
Mraz said he feels incredibly privileged to have 90 minutes to two hours of people’s time.
“Time is our greatest wealth, and people are sharing their time with me so that I could do my little song and dance, and so it’s such a cool feeling to drop into that,” Mraz said.
Mraz, 45, released his debut studio album, “Waiting for My Rocket to Come,” in 2002. It spawned the Top 20 hit “The Remedy (I Won’t Worry).” His next two
studio albums, 2005’s “Mr. A-Z” and 2008’s “We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.” peaked in the Top 5.
After 21 years of releasing music, Mraz said it’s easy to stay passionate. It allows him to make something out of nothing.
“As soon as we strike an instrument, we have created something,” Mraz said. “That chord, it’s resonating through the room; it’s echoing and reverberating around. That to me is alchemy. That’s magic. That’s something to be mystified by, and that’s what keeps me coming back.”
Mraz remembers his mom sitting him at a piano when he was 3 or 4 and just
getting to bang on it. Mesmerized by the sound, he could sing and harmonize with it, entertaining himself and hoping others were, too.
“That magic trick is what keep me going back to music again and again and again,” Mraz said. “If I burned myself out on a tour and constant playing, I might take a short break, but the break is never long enough because the magic is too potent. I want to sit back down and rediscover something.”
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Thursday, June 22
WHERE: Grammy Museum, 800 W. Olympic Boulevard, Los Angeles COST: Tickets start at $50
INFO: 213-725-5700, grammymuseum.org
Barenaked Ladies just finished recording the follow-up album to 2021’s “Detour de Force.” But fans can get preview the new music on the Last Summer on Earth Tour with special guests Del Amitri and Semisonic.
Set lists reveal the Canadian pop band has performed three new tracks in a 21song concert that also features “Odds Are,” “If I Had $1,000,000,” “Enid,” “Blame It on Me” and “Matter of Time.” Among those is “Lovin’ Life,” a single set for release on June 23. The album’s street date is to be announced.
Covers and their trademark medleys are on the docket, too.
Multi-instrumentalist Kevin Hearn said fans should expect everything they’ve come to love about BNL shows.
“We’ve got the hits that people hopefully will be expecting, and then we’ve
also brought out a few songs that we haven’t played before or in a while,” he said.
“We’ve rehearsed for a couple weeks. We have a new rap as well, a medley of different songs. That’s always fun.”
Sometimes, though, the set list is hard to determine, as the Barenaked Ladies have 13 studio albums worth of songs.
“We have so many songs now to choose from,” he said. “We each have our favorites. We have to change it up. We can’t go out and do the same set, of course. This tour gives me a chance to look back and refresh song songs. It’s nice to give others a turn.”
This marks the seventh edition of the Last Summer on Earth Tour, founded by Barenaked Ladies in 2012 — the year the Mayan calendar predicted would be the last.
Each year, BNL brings along its favorite bands and that has included Toad the Wet Sprocket, Cracker, Big Head Todd &
the Monsters, Blues Traveler, Guster, Ben Folds Five, Violent Femmes, Colin Hay, OMD, Howard Jones, Better Than Ezra and KT Tunstall.
This year’s iteration is a bit of a reunion, as Semisonic opened for BNL on its “Stunt” tour in 1999. Hearn said the band comes up with a “wish list” of
bands to tour with and have so far been successful.
“We feel very lucky that we’ve had a good batting average of getting bands that we really like,” he said. “It often becomes like summer camp at the end of the tour.”
Barenaked Ladies w/Semisonic and Del Amitri
WHEN: 7 p.m. Friday, June 23
WHERE: Greek Theatre, 2700 N. Vermont Avenue, Los Angeles
COST: Tickets start at $19.50
INFO: ticketmaster.com
WHEN: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 24
WHERE: Fantasy Springs Resort Casino, 84245 Indio Springs Drive, Indio
COST: Tickets start at $39
INFO: fantasyspringsresort.com, barenakedladies.com, semisonic.com
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 at 213-453-3548.
