Going Green
Gusto Green previews plant-forward menu
September 6, 2021 I VOL. 50 I #36
‘Finding the Right Words’ Authors to virtually discuss their book
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Covered NEWS California will help
TENTEN unveils $200M expansion By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Staff Writer ENTEN Wilshire, a luxury residential apartment building in Downtown LA, unveiled its $200 million housing expansion to the current 1010 Wilshire, furthering its “live, work, play” model. The apartments at 1027 Wilshire, which sit across the street, boast an additional 376 luxury living/workspaces and amenities for residents, including the country’s largest 88,000-square-foot rooftop with a pool, dog park and gym. “First off, the need is there,” said Rahim Amidi, CEO and developer of TENTEN Wilshire, about the expansion. “There are a lot of young people who are moving to Downtown LA, and they are professionals in technology, entertainment or other industries. We are the only place that can provide the amenities that these professionals need.” Amidi said TENTEN Wilshire and 1027 Wilshire is attractive to professionals and entrepreneurs. “We attract a lot of people who have their own independent business, and they like to combine their day-to-day and work/life together,” he said. “We also attract a lot of younger people who like to be exposed to the people in the technology or entertainment industry who want to be a part of our community.” The new building is a former parking structure that was demolished and is now a 10-story mixed-use building. The “live, work, play” model inspired TENTEN Wilshire. The amenities and offerings of TENTEN include private offices that residents can apply for, a restaurant and bar on the ground level, along with a coffee shop and spa. Both properties, 1010
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and 1027 Wilshire, have large conference and meeting rooms, theater screening rooms and, prior to the pandemic, community networking events. “The pandemic showed people that you can live and work in the same place,” Amidi said. “You can save a couple of hours a day and you can be more efficient by combining your living situation and work situation.” Amidi said one of his goals is to create a community. “In an apartment building or office building, you won’t know any of your neighbors,” he explained. “With TENTEN, it’s about how soon you get to know people in the community. “Because they come from a similar background, most of our residents are professional people. Immediately you will feel like you fit in. You are immediately meeting people like yourself, and that’s the idea.” At TENTEN, the units are furnished, Amidi said. “This means that when you move in, everything that you need is already included. You walk in with your suitcase, and immediately you live comfortably and work comfortably,” Amidi explained. Existing and potential residents do not have to worry about finding or connecting internet, cable or other utilities. The properties also have 24-hour security and concierge services, and residents only receive one monthly bill. A grand opening ceremony will be scheduled for 1027 Wilshire’s rooftop. “We postponed the grand opening to make sure people were comfortable, but pretty soon we will have one and invite people to visit and get a look at the 1027 Wilshire rooftop.
Rahim Amidi’s global incubator, Plug and Play, will be located at the 1027 expansion and will have 100 units for office space. Photo courtesy of The Amidi Group EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero “The moreCONTRIBUTING that this type of communi1010 Kirk Wilshire location. WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala ART DIRECTORS: Arman grows, Olivares, Stephanie Torres ty (of working professionals) the A second location for a TENTEN buildSTAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: LuisconnecChavez more that residents might make ing in Glendale is under construction. It CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos tions and benefit from TENTEN. … People could house 220 residents and will be ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb should comeFOUNDER visit, get a tour and join us in ready in two years. While that is in develEMERITUS: Sue Laris
some of our networking events.” Amidi said there are plans for other locations that will follow the model as the
opment, Amidi said he’s acquiring space in Hollywood.
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Covered California CONSIDER THIS will help
Conspiracies are spreading By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Columnist
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id you know there is an existing slave colony on Mars run by NASA and populated by kidnapped children? Every time I’ve gone to the Home Depot to pick up a few child slaves for toxic jobs, there are none. Now I know why — they are on Mars. Thus goes the theory from Robert David Steele, the author of the kiddy slave heist, and propagated via Alex Jones’ weekly wack-a-doodle fest. Steele’s Wikipedia page claims that he is a “former clandestine CIA agent.” Hey, way to stay undercover, Steele. I imagine the CIA has an NDA or two that agents sign, but who’s standing on ceremony? I have a few more juicy conspiracies I’ve unearthed that, if we’re lucky, will be picked up and spread around by various and plentiful paranoid nutjobs: • Drumpf’s true heritage: The ex-president — nicknamed by Stephen Colbert’s
fans variously as Eric’s Dad, the Traffic Cone of Treason and Girth Vader — is not really the offspring of his German immigrant grandparents, the Drumpfs. For decades he has hidden his actual heritage: Donald J. Drumpf is the love child of L. Ron Hubbard and Ayn Rand! Wake up, sheeple! The evidence is right in front of our eyes: the reddish hair, the vast disregard for human empathy and autonomy, and a drive to make followers worship at his feet. Break it down, people! The name “Donald” means “world leader.” Drumpf’s mouth spouts like a Fountainhead of Garbage, and his most consistent reaction is a shrug as if he is a pudgy modern-day Atlas who is tired of sitting and watching television. He doesn’t traffic in children, but he does send the people who’ve died after attending his COVID-19 superspreader rallies to convert everyone on the planet Xenu, where Herman Cain leads the Drumpfers in chants of “Lock everyone up!”
• 5G Towers: The new 5G towers are actually powered by vast networks of gopher-run energy centers… it’s true! 5G stands for 5 Trillion Gophers. Think about it. Have you seen any gophers in your yard lately? You haven’t because they have all been snatched up by world domination-minded AT&T and Spectrum. These Gopher Overlords have also trained the rodents to squeal at such a high frequency that we are all subliminally bombarded with the message: “It’s all a conspiracy. There is nothing that is not a conspiracy,” over and over.
“What did you say?” you asked. I said, “It’s all a conspiracy!” You said, “I was thinking the same thing!” I said, “Me, too!” You said, “See!? It’s a conspiracy!” I said, “Yes, it’s all a conspiracy. There’s nothing that’s not a conspiracy.” You said, “Aren’t you listening? I just said that!” I said, “Yes, me too!” This is discourse at its finest, and all the result of the 5G towers. • Chemtrails: In one of the most insulting lawsuits of all time, my cousin Ole was sued for attempting to sell HAZMAT
SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
suits to people who promulgate the chemtrails conspiracy. “I figured if there are so many people afraid of chemtrails, they should never go outside without protection. I guess my marketing slogan, ‘They are like condoms for your whole body,’ pushed a few buttons. I was sued by Trojan. I lost my shirt… along with the rest of my chemtrail suits.” And then he added, “Just think how many COVID infections we could have prevented if my chemtrail protection garments had taken off. I mean, not taken off, but worn… Oh, gee, you know what I mean.” Poor Ole was on to something. Chemtrails are not only poisonous but full of COVID-19, including all of the variants. I’m talking not just Delta and Lambda but Chi Omega and Psi Upsilon. The discovery of the chemtrails conspiracy started in South Dakota by the young Kristi Noem, many years before her ascendency to the South Dakota governor’s office. Kristi won South Dakota Snow Queen in 1990, with her talent entry being single-handedly busting two dozen teenaged marijuana smokers and having her boyfriend videotape the busts. Go, Kristi! Now, as governor, she’s a leader in anti-masking (and anti-chemtrail suits!) and is eager to have everyone in South Dakota be infected so that she can take over South Dakota and de-
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clare herself an actual Queen. Way to go, oh, daughter of Norwegian immigrants!
SMITH’S OPINION
So many conspiracies, so little time. Here are two more you can savor, an amuse-bouche of dastardly plots: • Betsy DeVos was seen at the 1914 assassination of Archduke Ferdinand, where his wife Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, was also gunned down. DeVos, masquerading all these years as a contemporary woman, is actually a Serbian born in 1880, which can be gleaned from her views on education and reproduction. • Mike Pence is the video director of the original Drumpf inauguration, which was actually shot on the backlot of Warner Bros. studios. This was based on how Stanley Kubrick directed the footage of the supposed moon landing. The list goes on. Meanwhile, those poor little children toil away on the surface of Mars, waiting for us to join them. Ellen Snortland has written commentary for decades. She also teaches creative writing and can be reached at ellen@ authorbitebybite.com.
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Covered California will help BUSINESS
Downtown Works names board of directors By LA Downtown News Staff owntown Works, the Central City Association’s nonprofit sister organization, unveiled its newest board of directors that will strategically inform the organization’s efforts to uplift Downtown Los Angeles as a dynamic, inclusive and welcoming city center to serve as a model for other urban areas. This leadership arises at an important time as DTLA and the Los Angeles region work to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The board represents many of the industries that are core to DTLA’s historic transformation, including entertainment, urban design and development. With personal experience as employers, workers and residents of Downtown, each board member will play a role in increasing the vibrancy and livability of DTLA. The 2021 DTWX Board of Directors are: • John Adams, principal and regional managing director, Gensler. • Leticia Rhi Buckley, senior civic strate-
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gist, The Music Center. • Noel Hyun Minor, president and chief executive officer, The Brooklyn Companies. • Jessica Lall, president and chief executive officer, CCA. • Marie Lloyd, head of external affairs for Amazon in Southern California. • Marie Rumsey, vice president of public policy, CCA. The board of directors will be instrumental in DTWX’s implementation of its 2021-23 strategic plan. The plan consists of four strategic pillars that provide a comprehensive framework to help DTWX achieve its mission and vision: • Address DTLA’s challenges and opportunities through thought leadership. • Advance DTLA priorities through convenings and pilot project execution. • Enhance understanding of DTLA through research and data. • Ensure DT WX’s growth through advancement and communications. • Challenges and Opportunities Through Thought Leadership.
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“Downtown Los Angeles is the best place to pilot bold ideas to solve our most pressing challenges and harness our greatest opportunities,” Lall said. “Our committed board members and responsive strategic plan will help us maximize all that Downtown has to offer as we work together to envision a robust recovery and more resilient future for our region.” Minor added, “This board has the expertise and passion needed to deliver fact-based solutions that will guide Downtown Los Angeles’ growth into a more equitable and prosperous region.” Lloyd said she is looking forward to working with her fellow board members and civic leaders and engaging with the community. “We must elevate solutions that can support Downtown and serve as an example for other urban centers,” she added. The board and strategic plan come during a time when spurring economic development and resiliency is top of
mind for stakeholders, businesses and residents. To explore how Los Angeles can achieve a more resilient economy, CCA is hosting a virtual economic development summit in October with an announcement of DTWX’s current initiatives; a special keynote; and an expert panel to discuss best practices, policies and structures to cultivate economic development in Downtown and the city that will aid in an equitable recovery.
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Covered DINING California will help
Gusto Green previews plantforward menu By Frier McCollister LA Downtown News Contributing Writer nnounced in the fall of 2019, the opening of chef Michael Magliano’s Gusto Green is barreling forward to an expected opening within months in Downtown LA. The “plant-forward, omnivore-friendly” menu includes experiments with recipes using cannabis-derived ingredients. Located in the newly developed Green Street Building on Hill Street, it represents the latest turn from the Gusto 54 restaurant group, led by Janet Zuccarini. Enthusiasts of Magliano — or Chef Mags, as he is known — can sample the new menu at a pop-up dinner event on Thursday, Sept. 9, at Son of a Gun, the Fairfax District bastion of famed restaurateurs Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo, longtime friends and colleagues of Magliano. Magliano trained in Napa and worked in the kitchen of chef Thomas Keller, when his French Laundry was recognized as the world’s top restaurant. Magliano opened Tom Colicchio’s Craft restaurants in Dallas and Los Angeles, before joining Shook and Dotolo at their locally vaunted Animal. He then served as executive chef for both Soho House locations in New York City and Los Angeles. It’s an impressive run. Now, with the impending opening of Gusto Green, Magliano takes a new turn, collaborating with American hemp producer Ziese Farms to develop recipes and dishes incorporating cannabis. “The project materialized a few years ago, officially announced in fall 2019,” Magliano said. “It’s the ninth concept from Gusto 54 restaurant group. Gusto Green is the first wellness and lifestyle-minded restaurant to open in Los Angeles under the Gusto 54 umbrella.” Gusto Green is a progressive restaurant, he added. It will provide access to and advocate for plant medicine and cannabis. “It’s ideal, considering our home is inside the Green Street Building,” he said. The Green Street Building at 718 S. Hill Street was recently restored by M-Rad Architecture, with cannabis consulting firm Green Street Agency as the anchor tenant. The seven-story building between Seventh and Eighth streets also features a rooftop deck space that Gusto Green will use for special events. “The Green Street Building represents an incredible meeting of creative minds in the cannabis industry,” Magliano said. “We knew this was the right home for us. Gusto Green sits at the intersection of food and cannabis. Downtown itself is constantly evolving. It’s a hub of energy and entrepreneurship and an ideal location for our concept,” Magliano said. “The pop-up event at Son of a Gun will be an opportunity to preview Gusto Green’s menu and experience our partnerships with forward-thinking industry partners like Ziese Farms.” The pop-up dinner at Son of a Gun will begin seating at 5:30 p.m. and costs $80, excluding beverages and gratuity. Tickets are available at resy.com.
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The California halibut comes with pea shoots, fennel pollen and sungold tomatoes. Photo courtesy of Gusto Green
The menu consists of five courses with optional bio-dynamic wine pairings as well as zero-proof cocktails. The cannabis influence appears in the amuse-bouche introduction of a crispy spelt pancake garnished with a hemp zaatar from partner Ziese Farms. A hamakua palm heart follows, accompanied by reed avocado and citrus colutura. A salad of Lil Gems lettuce dressed with a honey-Moscato vinaigrette, bee pollen and edible flowers comprises the next course. Flattened sweet potato with makrut lime, jalapeno, coconut and holy basil sets up the main course. Fresh wild-caught California halibut and sungold tomatoes with pea shoots and fennel pollen serve as the main attraction. A palate cleanser of Weiser melon granita with spruce tip oil follows the halibut. Dessert will be extra virgin olive oil pistachio cake with cultured pistachio cream and matcha. So-called “cannabis cuisine” is still in its infancy. It is perhaps most prevalently seen locally in CBD additives to coffee drinks and smoothies. Previous iterations tended to center on dishes inclined to satiate “the munchies” or the amplified sense of appetite, sometimes induced by cannabis intoxication. Magliano’s approach at Gusto Green is a bit more elevated and mindful. “Our innovative dishes are centered on intentional indulgence. It’s food that you feel great about enjoying, and wellness will be a welcome addition within the community,” Magliano said. Ultimately, Magliano and his team are anticipating the introduction of its plant-forward menu and wellness-centered atmosphere to Downtown’s gourmands. “Locals we’ve connected with and fellow members of the Green Street Building have expressed their enthusiasm for our debut,” he said. “They have extended the warmest of welcomes. We’re so appreciative of everyone’s support and excited to introduce a new gathering space for the community. We’re thrilled to join this diverse, vibrant community.”
Gusto Green Five-Course Pop-Up Dinner WHEN: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9 WHERE: Son of a Gun, 8370 W. Third Street, Los Angeles COST: $80 INFO: resy.com
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
Covered California will help FEATURE
Science brings together Moby-Dick, dementia
Cindy Weinstein will participate in an upcoming Zoom discussion. Submitted photo
By Jana J. Monji LA Downtown News Contributing Writer he book “Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief and the Brain” covers something that will touch everyone — death and senior moments. Someone will grow old and grow forgetful, and so will we, but it’s a matter of to what degree and how we will handle the inevitable. Caltech Eli and Edythe Broad professor of English Cindy Weinstein and neurologist Bruce L. Miller will virtually discuss their book at 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9. Weinstein was a college graduate student at UC Berkeley when she learned that her father had early onset Alzheimer’s at 58. “When I first moved to Berkeley, my parents were living in New Jersey, where we had lived all our lives,” Weinstein said.
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“They were on the cusp of a really big transition and moving to Florida. Eventually, all of my father’s official time with the disease he was in Florida, and I was in Berkeley.” Weinstein was “extremely close” to her father and recalled, “I was crushed.” Her two older siblings were still living on the East Coast. Although she thought of transferring to a program on the East Coast, that didn’t seem practical. Knowing her father would have wanted her to continue her degree and become a professor, Weinstein continued schooling on the West Coast (1982-89). “My sister is almost nine years older, so she heroically did much of the caregiving, for my father and for my mother as well, who was caregiving for my father,” Weinstein said. “My brother handled much of the legalistic, money sorts of things, and he’s six and a half years older than I. I was
like a deer in headlights. I did what I could and traveled back to the East Coast when I could.” When her father was diagnosed in the 1980s, very little was known about Alzheimer’s and dementia. Although Weinstein had the idea for the book over a decade ago, it took time for her to find the perfect writing partner. Miller is at the UCSF Weill Institute for Neurosciences and the director of memory and aging. He started as an English major, and although their tastes in literature weren’t the same, they hit it off. Miller brought an interdisciplinary program to Weinstein’s attention: the Global Brain Health Initiative (GBHI). In 2015, the Atlantic Philanthropies granted $177 million to UC San Francisco and Ireland’s Trinity College in Dublin to create GBHI, with a goal of “creating a generation of leaders worldwide who have knowledge, skills and drive to change both the practice of dementia care and the public health and societal forces that affect brain health,” said the president and CEO of The Atlantic Philanthropies, Christopher G. Oechsli, in a 2015 article for UCSF. Taking a sabbatical from Caltech, Weinstein learned science. With her grasp of literature and science, her book is, in many respects, a holding of shiva for her father. The five-chapter book begins with “Diagnosis” and a subchapter by Weinstein (“Hitting the Fan”), which is then followed by a subchapter (“The Detective Story”) with Miller explaining how dementia has become an umbrella term. Miller wrote, “Considering the time, it is not surprising that Cindy’s father never received a comprehensive assessment. In 1983, standard of care for the evaluation of cognitive symptoms was a brief visit with a physician, 2 to 5 minutes for the history and assessment, followed by a cold goodbye and good luck.” Miller described his background and how now the medical establishment has “changed regarding the recognition of the serious burden faced by caregivers and the patient.”
In the second chapter, “Word Finding,” Weinstein examines words (“Call Me Ahab”), first discussing the novel “Moby-Dick” before looking at how her father, a man who attended Rutgers University on the GI Bill, began to lose words, fumbling around searching the dark corridors of his mind, which, in real life, led to an expedition for croutons. According to Weinstein, her father’s story was a real rags to riches. He ran an electric supply house in a time when Home Depot didn’t dominate the national landscape. But it was her mother who gave her a love for language. Her father’s fall into the oblivion of dementia went until his death in August 1997, over a decade after Weinstein learned of his diagnosis. Taking the crouton crumb, Miller builds upon the food culture that gave us croutons before leading us to the medical reality behind “Where Dementia Decides to Dance.” He defines the main differences among the three variants of primary progressive aphasia. So much has changed since then. For Weinstein, she was studying Melville’s “Moby-Dick,” and, in the book, she recounts how she returned to the novel and how life changes gave her different perspectives. There are other literary references, such as “The Scarlet Letter.” “This corner of my mind had a very different relationship to literature,” she said. “It didn’t seep into my professional way of thinking about literature, but it gave me a different way, different identifications that one can have with literature. Less like an approach and more like what literature started meaning for me, a container for a lot of energy, a lot of grief, like an escape.” Yet literature and cinema can give us understanding of events. In the book, Miller discusses how the understanding of dementia has changed and even how most people carry around memories that are false or distorted, but with Alzheimer’s disease, “false memories become more common, even leading to delusional endorsement of events that never happened.”
Cindy Weinstein and Bruce L. Miller discuss “Finding the Right Words: A Story of Literature, Grief and the Brain” WHEN: 5 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 9 WHERE: via Zoom COST: Free INFO: http://bit.ly/WeinsteinRSVP
SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
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Covered California will help FEATURE
Pacsun, Lady Gaga team up for ‘kindness’ By LA Downtown News Staff he Born This Way Foundation, a nonprofit organization co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, has launched its annual #BeKind21 campaign, a movement that calls on the public to practice an act of kindness each day from Sept. 1 to Sept. 21. This year marks the foundation’s largest #BeKind21 campaign to date, and Pacsun is honored to participate for the first time, alongside more than 400 other organizations. The retailer ’s partnership with the foundation began in October 2020 and works to support youth mental health. This initiative to encourage kindness is part of the overall brand partnership to help foster mental wellness in the youth community. “Born This Way Foundation’s focus on the mental health of youth is truly inspiring, and we are honored to be a continued partner and part of such an impactful campaign and the biggest #BeKind21 to date,” said Brie Olson, Pacsun president. “At Pacsun, we strive to eliminate stigmas every day, across everything we do, including our campaigns, collections and products. Participating in this campaign and pushing the importance of kindness is a natural extension of our dedication to the well-being of our consumers.” This year’s campaign has been purposefully designed to meet the needs of the present day and promote kindness in global environments heading into the fall season, including schools, classrooms, workplaces, homes, the public sector and beyond. Pacsun has set up a Born This Way Foundation link on the PacCares dedicated landing page pacsun.com/paccares to encourage people to take the pledge and sign up. Those who take the pledge will join Born This Way Foundation’s community, receive access to kindness calendars, tips and inspiration from the foundation’s
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co-founders and partners and have the opportunity to be featured on the foundation’s youth stor ytelling platform ChannelKindness.org. “We are grateful for Pacsun’s support of Born This Way Foundation online and through their in-store activations. With their collaboration, #BeKind21 has a significant role to play in nurturing empathy, connection, hope and wellness,” said Germanotta, president and co-founder of Born This Way Foundation. In the flagship DTLA and SOHO stores, Pacsun has intentionally built kindness walls for consumers to write notes of kindness. Consumers will also be encouraged to sign up for the pledge on location in stores where Pacsun has set up signing forms at cash wraps and QR codes for signing activation. Pacsun and Born This Way Foundation co-branded black tees will be offered in-store for consumers after Labor Day, with 100% of the proceeds going to Born This Way Foundation. The QR code is also featured on the outside of the tee for easy sign-up. To culminate the efforts with note writing on the kindness walls in both the DTLA and SOHO flagship stores, Pacsun and Born this Way Foundation will align with #HashtagLunchbag to include the notes in lunch bags to people experiencing homelessness. #HashtagLunchbag is a humanity service movement with a mission of connecting individuals through organized acts of love. Volunteers create bagged lunches, complete with love messages, as a vessel to spread kindness, while inspiring and empowering others. Pacsun will also post to TikTok and other social media platforms to help promote #BeKind21. In 2020, #BeKind21 generated more than 112 million pledged acts of kindness globally with 5 million participants, and across the United States over 350 schools, 500 nonprofits and 300 brands joined Born This Way Foundation for the campaign.
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SEPTEMBER 6, 2021
Covered California will help ARTS & CULTURE
because of the Delta variant. “I always get such a kick playing live,” Duchovny said. “We make our show into a whole evening and take people on a journey. I can’t wait to do a version of this album for a tour.” Duchovny said he recorded his albums the way he grew up listening to music he bought. “If I bought an album, that was a commitment,” he said. “Once I had that album, I played that album, I looked at the lyrics and I just enjoyed it. “I want listeners to have a relationship with the album.” Singing wasn’t always Duchovny’s goal. “That’s an understatement,” he said with a laugh. “Literally I was told to mouth the words to Christmas carols. I did not have a natural voice. Nobody would have thought I would be a singer. “It’s been a journey of discovery for me, really discovering my voice. I knew I sounded terrible, and if you know you’re off, you can get there with practice. I’m never going to have one of those voices like Lady Gaga. I can sing in tune pretty much. I’ve worked at it, and I hope other people enjoy it.”
Singing is a surprise to David Duchovny By Christina Fuoco-Karasinski LA Downtown News Executive Editor ultihyphenate entertainer David Duchovny calls his latest single, “Nights are Harder These Days,” a “rocker.” He even sneaks in a few listens while driving. “I don’t want to be caught playing it in my own car, though, so I have the windows up,” he said with a smile. “It works in the car, and that’s important. It’s a rocker.” “Nights are Harder These Days” appears on his third full-length album, “Gestureland,” which is available now. The follow-up to 2018’s “Every Third Thought,” “Gestureland” represents three years of songwriting that strengthened the band’s relationship. “At first, we were thrown together to make the first album,” he said. “They are a good bit younger than me, and they were very conscious of trying to do what they thought I wanted to do, when, in fact, I really didn’t know what the hell I was doing.
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“By the second album, I said there were no hands off. I want to collaborate; make me better, please. By the third album, it was less me writing a song on GarageBand and then sending it to them.” The band he’s referring to is keyboardist Colin Lee, guitarist/synths Pat McCusker, bassist Mitchell Stewart, guitarist Keenan O’Meara and drummer Davis Rowan. “They’re really great musicians,” he said. “I feel like I’m fairly limited in what I can do and what I can come up with. I certainly, in the first album, I made, what you call ‘musical mistakes.’ “The guy I started making any kind of music with was Keaton Simons, a terrific singer-songwriter. I gave him my first, probably, three songs, maybe two. We were just recording them in his garage. He said, ‘I love working with you because you remind me of me, with the way you play and write.” D uchovny is best k nown as an award-winning actor, director and novel-
David Duchovny said if he bought an album, that was a “commitment.” Photo courtesy of David Duchovny
ist starring in shows like “The X-Files” and “Californication,” winning a Golden Globe for both. His first novel, “Holy Cow,” was released by Farrar Straus and Giroux in February 2015 and hit the New York Times Bestsellers list. With several books behind him, Duchovny just wrapped shooting “The Bubble,” a new Judd Apatow film, and appears in the Netflix series “The Chair.” On the music front, Duchovny is eager to take the show on the road but is hesitant
David Duchovny davidduchovnymusic.com
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Covered California will help ARTS & CULTURE
Shows coming to Microsoft Theater and Staples Center By LA Downtown News Staff he Microsoft Theater and the Staples Center are hosting a slew of concerts through 2022. Upcoming concert and entertainment events at Microsoft Theater:
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Roberto Tapia: Sept. 26 Quebradita Time!: Oct. 2 Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years: Oct. 6 Jesus Adrian Romero: Oct. 8 Intocable: Oct. 9 Hasan Minhaj: Oct. 15 to Oct. 16 Cumbia Power: Oct. 17 Mike Epps: Oct. 22 Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour: Oct. 23 Dream Theater: Oct. 30 Jose Luis Perales: Nov. 2 Karol G: Nov. 4 Moein: Nov. 6 American Music Awards: Nov. 21 Fuerza Regida: Nov. 24 L.O.L. Surprise! Live: Nov. 26 Los Alegres del Barranco: Nov. 27 Pedro Fernandez: Dec. 12
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The Go-Go’s: Dec. 29 Il Divo: Feb. 6 Ricardo Montaner: Feb. 18 Gerardo Ortiz: May 28 Upcoming concerts and events at the Staples Center: Lil Baby: Sept. 24 Gold Over America Tour: Sept. 25 Kane Brown: Oct. 2 Luke Bryan: Oct. 8 Dan + Shay: Oct. 15 Pepe Aguilar: Oct. 17 and Nov. 6 Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin: Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 Calibash: Jan. 14 to Jan. 16 Banda MS: Feb. 18 Kacey Musgraves: Feb. 20 Bad Bunny: Feb. 24 Justin Bieber: March 7 and March 8 The Weeknd: March 18 to March 20 Tyler, the Creator: March 31 Celine Dion: April 14 and April 15 Eric Church: May 7 Roger Waters: Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, 2022
L.O.L. Surprise! Live comes to the Microsoft Theatre on Friday, Nov. 26. Photo courtesy of L.O.L. Surprise!
Hits & Misses By Rohit Lakshman LA Downtown News Staff Writer
LOGIC, “Bobby Tarantino III” (Def Jam): HH Maryland rapper Logic returned to the studio after a retirement that lasted less than one full year. After the surprisingly good “No Pressure” in 2020, this entry in the “Bobby Tarantino” series yields mixed feelings. While it doesn’t blatantly bite Kendrick Lamar like the first in the series, the songs are objectively less catchy and oftentimes laden with subpar lyricism — even for Logic. However, Logic is himself on this record, and no one else. Unlike the egregious near-plagiarism of tracks like “Deeper Than Money” off of the first “Tarantino” mixtape, the moody lo-fi production on the tracklist of III is original. Of course, Logic has his influences, as do we all, but this mixtape is mediocre. Highlights include “Vaccine” and “Call Me.” LINGUA IGNOTA, “Sinner Get Ready” (Sargent House): HHHH Absolutely electrifying. Rhode Island based singer-songwriter Kristin Hayter takes the best of her former works and cranks it up. With more wicked Christian imagery in the lyrics and medieval group vocals inspired by the Ephrata Cloister, a monastic community that used to operate in Pennsylvania, Lingua Ignota has once again thrown all genre labels into a woodchipper and danced in the splinters. This record is unnerving, more bold and more technically dense. Every track is a masterpiece. IGGY AZALEA, “The End of An Era” (Bad Dreams): ½ There is nothing new on “The End of An Era.” It’s the same mind-numbing refrains, obnoxious synth motifs and signature cultural appropriation that is practically the Azalea brand. However, if there is one track that stands head and shoulder above the rest, it is the opening, “Sirens.” The hook for this track is this insufferable pitch-shifted refrain that is just barely comprehensible as English, backed by this quiet bouncy melody that plays in the background. Do not give Iggy a chance, but if you do, watch out for such wonderfully subtle and sublime lyrics such as, “Feelin’ too lit to cry/ I love drugs.” LORDE, “Solar Power” (Universal Music): HHH Critics darling Lorde returns to music after a quick jaunt to Antarctica in 2019 (seriously, check out “Going South,” the memoir she wrote about her experience). Inspired by the aforementioned trip to Antarctica, “Solar Power” is just as good as Lorde’s previous work but in a wholly different mood. The Lorde on “Solar Power” is casual, relatable and a little more relaxed. The lines here are witty and clever, rather than the, well, melodrama on her 2017 record “Melodrama.” “Solar Power” is a nice album to cozy up to, nothing revolutionary, but certainly not worth overlooking. Highlights include the title track “Solar Power” and “Secrets from A Girl (Who’s Seen it All).” BEN PLATT, “Reverie” (Atlantic Records): HH Most famous for his Broadway career, Ben Platt proved himself to be a competent songwriter with his 2019 debut “Sing to Me Instead,” where we were treated to powerful, loud emotional ballads for 45 minutes. Platt’s debut was not anything wild, but hey, not a bad start for someone thought only of as “the guy that played Evan Hansen.” However, with “Reverie,” Platt is a pop artist. The tracks on this record are more commercial than his debut, which leaves the audience with a bit of a mixed result. While the sometimes-overbearing dramatism of “Sing to Me Instead” is gone, the amped-up commercial is not always a positive. Highlights include “happy to be sad” and the interlude series “king of the world.”
12AUGUST DOWNTOWN NEWS 23, 2021
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Tomer Peretz Brings Depth and Raw Emotion to Downtown Los Angeles
By Danielle Casilio Walking into Ouro Gallery, located at 211 S Broadway, you are immediately welcomed into a world of contrasts. The space is rugged - once serving as a textile factory, with exposed steel beams and exposed brick walls. Elegant canvas paintings are mixed with graffiti-style street art and conceptual installations like re-finished wooden palettes and a hot pink shopping cart. This is Ouro Gallery, the creation of Los Angeles-based Israeli conceptual artist Tomer Peretz. Who is Tomer Peretz? Tomer Peretz moved to Los Angeles 17 years ago. An artist since he was a child growing up in Jerusalem, moving to America allowed Peretz to fully express his talents and find inspiration. His work spans across different mediums, including oil and acrylic paintings and contemporary installations. Currently, he is represented by Giancarlo Pedrazzini in the ‘Fabbrica Eos’ gallery in Milan, Italy, and his artwork has been exhibited in galleries throughout the United States, Israel, Central America and Europe. Speaking with Tomer, it is clear that his perspective on the world around us is unique. He is curious about the world and urges us to re-think the issues we face as a society, or just as human beings. He isn’t saying all of this with his words - that’s what the art is for. The art tells a controversial story about our culture and the forces behind it. The exhibit currently being showcased at Ouro Gallery entitled ‘Welcome To America’ in fact says all of this quite loudly.
Welcome To America The first time I visited the gallery was during the live showing of the ‘Welcome To America’ exhibit. The space is very DTLA, filled with expensive art and beautiful people. A harpist plays in the background as we purchase $20 cocktails. No one bats an eye, because this is Los Angeles and we are in an art gallery, of course. Experiencing the first floor of the gallery gave visitors a sense of status. I am here with the wealthy, with the trendy, with the important. Along one side of the gallery were canvas paintings - portraits mostly. Detailed and striking, some were incomplete to allow you to focus on the part of the image you were intended to see - the part that held the most emotion, perhaps. Across the exhibit, along the opposite wall, were 6 re-finished wooden pallets. Each came with a hefty price tag, upsetting most viewers. One woman next to me sneered in disgust as she read the price aloud. Emotional responses to wood pallets? Fascinating. Next, we were ushered into the next part of the exhibit. Working our way up the four flights of stairs, we came across a man. A homeless man. A crazy homeless man, talking to himself and surrounded by garbage. Nobody from the exhibit seemed to notice him, but everyone in my group began shifting uncomfortably. Why is this person here and why wasn’t security doing anything about it? Enter into the 8000 square foot space, and your senses seem unable to adjust to what’s happening. The lighting is dim, the air is thick and hot, it smells like garbage, and it is quiet except for a few distinct noises - the crying out of homeless people, and the bleating of live sheep. All around you are tents, suitcases, mattresses and dirty old furniture. By now you start to realize that this is the exhibit, the 20+ homeless people are in fact actors, and your emotions are part of it as well. The art that Tomer displayed in this section of the gallery was a bit different from the first section. Old framed pieces that had been found in thrift stores were spackled with cement, and tagged with graffiti messages that told you the story behind the exhibit. Art dealers crowded around the ex-
Tomer Peretz is at Ouro Gallery DTLA
Tomer Peretz at Ouro gallery, in front of his “Incomplete” series
Photo by Gabriel Ervin
Photo by Casey Reynolds
pensive pieces, pushing sales and disregarding the disgust that lay behind them. However, the true art form showcased was Peretz’ ability to use installations such as a barbed-wire enclosed student working in solitude, CRT televisions, and old newspapers boasting headlines that tell the story of a nation. What’s next for Ouro? Although the live exhibit is currently not showing, Peretz notes that it will be back at a later date. Since the closing of the live exhibit, Ouro Gallery is continuing to bring artists and creative thinkers together in a collaborative way. Regularly hosting tattoo artists, there is an underground vibe within the space. Tomer boasts a warm and welcoming energy, making the gallery feel like home to everyone. Ouro Gallery brings vibrancy to Downtown Los Angeles. A perspective on American culture that is subtle and well-thought out, instead of raging and sporadic, the emotional depth of the gallery is sure to attract critical thinkers and art lovers alike.
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