February 3, 2011 - blogdowntown Weekly

NEWS FOOD EVERYDAYDRINK$84-million Downtown jail finally opens

Fast food is out at 6th and Grand

Q Pop looks to add funk in Little Tokyo

He’s bringing 100 beers to Broadway

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LIFE IN DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES / BLOGDOWNTOWN.COM / FEBRUARY 3, 2011 2.05

LOOKING FOR THAT ELUSIVE CONVENTION CENTER TOUCHDOWN

FREE

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While the potential return of the NFL to Los Angeles is the news making headlines, speakers at a Tuesday press confer-ence where AEG and Farmers Insurance announced their $700-million naming rights deal for “Farmers Field” were just as excited about the chance to finally energize the Los Angeles Convention Center, a facility that has always seemed to be one step away from greatness since opening in 1971.

Construction of AEG’s proposed stadium would require the demolition of the Convention Center’s original West Hall, space that the company has promised to replace via a new convention hall and multipurpose room in the stadium “events center.”

“I really look forward to this project because I know that this project is not about nine football games and a Super

Continues on Page 3

By Eric Richardson

UPCOMING SHOWSTHE LEAGUE OF IMAGINARY SCIENTISTS MOCA THU FEB 3

MICHAEL FEINSTEIN WALT DISNEY CONCERT HALL SAT FEB 5

SARAH MCLACHLAN NOKIA THEATRE L.A. LIVE WED FEB 9

1oA FEW MOMENTS WITHEXENECERVENKA 11

LEVEL-HEADEDLINKIN PARK

SupporterS of AeG’S StAdium plAnS At tueSdAy’S fArmerS field Announcement —photo by eric richArdSon

News

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Long Completed, New Jail Finally OpensAfter it sat empty for 18 months, inmates finally entered LAPD’s $84-million Metropolitan Detention Center this week. Facility staff will include 88 sworn police officersBy Lauren MattiaA year and a half has passed since the Los Angeles Police Department’s $84-million Metropolitan Detention Center was ready to operate, but only this week will the facility receive its first residents.

The inmates from the outdated Parker Center jail began the half-block move start-ing at midnight on Tuesday.

The facility will open at the expense of

policing on the streets, however, since 88 sworn police officers will be required to supplement civilian staff at the new facility.

At a City Council committee meeting on Monday, members of the union for civilian detention workers objected to the city plan, saying that their members would cost the city less while performing the same work. LAPD Assistant Police Chief Michael Moore told the committee that the move was the

By Lauren MattiaThe City Attorney’s office is one step closer to making Skid Row a safer environment for its residents. All but two of the 80 known drug dealers that were named on a criminal injunction intended to curb the neighbor-hood’s drug dealing have been served.

In early April, the City Attorney’s office teamed up with LAPD to get what it calls “commuter drug dealers” off the streets within the “Central City Recovery Zone,” bordered by 3rd, 9th, Broadway and Central. “We worked with LAPD to get that infor-mation based on people who had already been charged with selling narcotics in the area,” said Anne Tremblay, the Supervising Assistant City Attorney for L.A.’s anti-gang section.

Those named in the injunction “had statu-tory time to respond and are still pending litigation for the judge to issue final orders,” Tremblay said, referring to the 45-day grace period that those listed on the injunction have before it becomes enforceable.

“The process is a little tricker because it was such a large group,” said Tremblay. It is now in the judges’ hands in the courts. “We’ve submitted all our paperwork but the judge does her work and reviews it and

department’s only choice due to budget cuts that have eliminated 600 civilian positions.

Other costs at the new facility will also be higher than those at the antiqued one next door. An additional $700,000 will be used to pay for custodians, medics, and other positions.

The Parker Center jail opened in 1955, and has had a series of health and safety violations in recent years. “It hasn’t been

makes her decision,” she said.A series of hearings have already begun for

the 80 individuals already in the injunction. “The folks in the first group have already been tried,” Tremblay said. “But litigation is still pending in terms of what will result in criminal enforcement.”

Nobody included in the injunction has filed paperwork to start a formal remov-al process but several have voiced their concerns.

While there were protests at the announce-ment of the injunction, Trembley noted that they have received largely positive feedback. “The community appreciates that we are making an effort to stop the people who are preying on those who are trying to get services and the help they need,”

“In the end, we are preventing folks from being able to have an open air drug market,” Tremblay said.

As for what’s next in the legal process, “Next Wednesday we have another hearing in the court for the next set of defendants.” Tremblay said. “Another group will be tried in April.”

acceptable for 15 years,” said Councilman Bernard Parks, a former police chief. “The elevator doesn’t work, the plumbing doesn’t work. It’s been that way for 15 years.”

Hope was expressed at Monday’s meeting that the officers could be moved back to the streets in six months.

Skid Row Injunction Process Continues to Move Forward

MDC By the Numbers:

• 512 beds, 72 more than the old facillity at Park-er Center

• Inmates are split into four pods, each with 128 beds

• Wrapped construc-tion in 2009, 54 years after the opening of the Parker Center jail

• Cost $84 million to build, $77.8 million more than the Parker Center jail

• 172,000 square feet, 40% larger than the Parker Center Jail

• Hiring detention offi-cers instead of LAPD officers would cost the city an extra $800,000

photo by eric richArdSon

photo by ed fuenteSCity Attorney Carmen Trutanich speaks to protesters during the April announcement of the drug dealer injunction on Skid Row.

blogdowntownWeekly2 Online at blogdowntown.comFebruary 3, 2011


Mark Liberman, president and CEO of LA INC, speaks in front of a slide showing that Los Angeles comes 15th in the country on a list of convention center facilities sorted by size.

Tuesday’s festivities included a miniature Farmers Field set up on the patio of the Convention Center’s West Hall. Farmers also brought a hot air balloon and a blimp.

A updated rendering released Tuesday shows the Farmers Field logo as it would look from the Farmers Insurance blimp.


Convention Center: Always One Step AwayContinued from Page 1Bowl,” said Councilwoman Janice Hahn, chair of the City Council’s Trade, Commerce and Tourism committee. “It is about that, and it’s also about getting a new stadium, but … it’s about getting a brand new Conven-tion Center.”

Even when this facility was brand new, though, the Los Angeles Convention Center was already behind the game.

Early Plans

Talk about the city’s need for a convention facility first began in the early 1940’s. World War II delayed planning slightly, but by the end of the decade backers had coalesced around the concept of building an audito-rium and trade fair hall next to Bunker Hill. The facility would have risen on the blocks today occupied by the Bonaventure Hotel, Union Bank tower and the World Trade Center. Three times in the early 1950’s voters turned down propositions that would have funded the project.

In the 1960’s, simultaneous efforts were put into building convention center facilities in Elysian Park and underneath Exposition Park. 63 of Elysian Park’s 575 acres would have gone to the facility, which would have

created 485,000 square feet of convention space. The proposal brought an outcry from citizens who valued the city’s green spaces.

The underground exhibit hall located a few miles down Figueroa would have added 250,000 square feet of open space, with meeting rooms to seat 7,300.

Both proposals were killed in August of 1966 when the City Council selected 31 acres at Pico and Figueroa as the center’s new home.

The Center Opens

On July 10, 1971, the city opened its new Los Angeles Convention and Exhibition Center, the building now known as the West Hall. A 700-voice choir sang as Mayor Sam Yorty cut the ribbon to dedicate the new facility.

Even once the site had been selected, getting it built had been no easy process. Councilman Marvin Braude objected strenu-ously to the plan put together to sell $38.5 million in bonds to construct the facility, calling it “an incredible tangle of unveri-fied claims enticingly packaged in dazzling wrappings.”

His objections sound much like those of opponents of the stadium plan today. He

worried that the city would end up on the hook for the bonds’ $47 million in interest if the facility failed to be self-supporting.

It turns out, he was right. By the end of the 1979 fiscal year the facility was running a $700,000 yearly deficit on its bond payments. Blamed for the losses was an office and hotel project that was supposed to have been built next door, the additional rooms making the facility more attractive to visiting conventions.

Expansion Plans

In 1980, the city spent $2.5 million to add 105,000 square feet to the Conven-tion Center in the form of the North Hall, but already there was talk of a much larger expansion project to keep up with the grow-ing size of marquee conventions.

A $350-million expansion plan approved in 1986 and opened in 1993 only ended up exacerbating the center’s financial woes. The green-glassed addition won acclaim for its design and the center’s new space, but the 1992 Watts riots and the 1994 Northridge earthquake took a toll on convention book-ings.

In 1996, Councilmembers struggling to balance the city’s budget were shocked to find themselves on the hook for a $21 million payment to cover debt payments at the Convention Center.

Again, the blame went to hotels.“The client reaction to the center is

extremely favorable. The biggest single impediment in terms of selling the center is really the hotel industry,” Convention and Visitors Bureau President George Kirkland told the L.A. Times. He pushed the city to develop a plan for hotels near the Conven-tion Center.

In Steps the Arena

Only a few months later, developer Ed Roski sent the city a proposal to develop a $200-million arena on the site of the Convention Center’s North Hall. He asked that the city issue up to $70.5 million in bonds to pay for land that they would turn over to the arena developers, who would then privately finance a facility to become home to the NHL’s Kings—a team that Roski and

Phil Anschutz had recently purchased out of bankruptcy—and the NBA’s Lakers.

The development team set an aggressive deadline, saying that construction would need to begin by September of 1997—just 13 months after the proposal was first made—in order to open for the 1999 basketball season. To make that happen, they told the city that they needed an answer in just two months.

They did not get one.While the City Council fawned over the

arena concept, Councilman Joel Wachs was the most vocal in balking at issuing bonds that the city could be left responsible to pay. Even Rita Walters, Councilwoman for the 9th district and an early proponent of the plan, eventually came out vocally against it.

As summer turned to fall in 1997, Kings President Tim Leiweke negotiated a deal that should sound very familiar in the current stadium debate: L.A. Arena Co. would guar-antee to pay back any bond costs not covered by increased tax revenues.

With the current stadium plan, Leiweke, now CEO of AEG, came out of the gate prom-ising that AEG would make the same deal on the $350-million in bonds that it expects the city to issue. That money would go toward building a new exhibit hall over Pico Blvd.

On Tuesday he reiterated that pledge, and said that he expects to pay out over the deal’s first few years. “And if there is ever a shortfall—and there will be on an annual basis, we predict—when there’s a shortfall, each and every year, on paying that debt service, Mayor, we will step up and we will pay the shortfall until the bonds are paid off,” Leiweke said. “We will never ask for a dollar from you, from the general fund or from the taxpayers. I promise.”

That promise was enough to get a deal done in 1997. The next few months should tell whether it is enough to get a deal done in 2011, and whether this time the deal is finally right to turn the Convention Center into the self-sustaining asset the city has always wanted

renderinG by GenSler

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Grammy Museum Hip-Hop Exhibit Set to OpenThis Saturday, the Grammy Museum will debut “Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey,” the first major museum exhibition to survey the four-decade history of Hip-Hop in America.

The exhibit’s interactive mixing and listening stations, video footage, rare photographs and original artifacts docu-ment some of the hip-hop trail blazers who forever changed the genre.

On display are original, handwritten song lyrics by rapper Tupac Shakur; Run DMC’s leather jacket and pants worn during their “Walk This Way” performance with Aerosmith; and Grandmaster Flash’s turntables, to name a few.

“Hip-Hop: A Cultural Odyssey” will be on display from February 5th-May 4th with public and educational programs available.

By Lauren MattiaSome may think that working to create the animation for cartoons like SpongeBob Squarepants and the PowerPuff Girls may be all fun and games. But after years creating cartoon art, Chris Mitchell was ready for a career change.

“I was tired of working in the animation industry,” said Mitchell. He and co-owner Miki Paneepo finally turned their dreams into a reality in the form of Q Pop Shop, which soft opened in November.

The idea behind Q Pop was often a topic of discussion for the duo, but after a trip to Japan and Thailand where they were inspired by the countries’ “creative energy,” they decided to turn the idea into a reality.

“We’ve gotten a lot of positive response,” said Mitchell. “We have a lot of people coming in saying ‘this is exactly the kind of shop that I’ve wanted to be in Little Tokyo.’”

Mitchell, who is part Japanese, saw Little Tokyo as the perfect location for Q Pop. “I thought there needed to be more Japanese stuff in Little Tokyo,” he said.

To celebrate its contribution to the neigh-borhood’s retail growth, Mitchell and Panee-po hosted a grand opening party on Satur-day night with a culmination of live music,

art from 40 different artists, and Japanese refreshments. Although the couple is still navigating the ins and outs of opening their shop, over 400 people attended the “What is Q?” event, which runs through February 11th.

The shop’s aesthetic is the brainchild of interior designer and artist Justin K. Thomp-son and is as unique as the items sold within it. The bright colors and illuminated display boxes compliment the funky art, clothing, and kitsch.

Also adding color and conversation to the store is a collection of murals from local artists like Kevin Dart, Chris Turnham, and Elizabeth Ito.

While Mitchell is no longer working to create the art behind cartoons, his dedication to foster the both local and global art makes the shop a pop-infused gem in Little Tokyo.

Q Pop Shop / 128 Astronaut E S Onizuka St / (213) 687-7767

Bringing Funk to Little TokyoNewly-opened Q Pop Shop adds pop art in Little Tokyo

photo by lAuren mAttiA

diScuSSonline bdtwn.com/ 6076

LL Cool J TROOP Suit and Kangol Hat on display at the Grammy Museum.

GrAmmy muSeum


By Lauren MattiaAfter an appeal by a neighboring property owner was thrown out last week, the Down-town Women’s Center now has the go-ahead for Made off Main, a retail shop that it plans to open next year in its Los Angeles Street facility.

The store will offer vintage, handmade and new clothing and accessories.

Zoning restrictions prohibit the sale of “secondhand goods” in the C4 zone given to the property, and the owner of the Medal-lion Lofts development appealed a recent decision to grant a variance allowing the use, much to the disappointment to local residents in favor of new retail options.

“They are putting all kinds of nice names on this,” said Medallion owner Saeed Fark-hondehpour. “But this is nothing but a secondhand goods store.”

Ellia Thompson, DWC’s legal representa-tive, countered Farkhondehpour concerns. “It is not our intent to establish a thrift store,” she said. “Our goal is to establish a high end vintage store that caters to the local residents.”

DWC provides job training and employ-ment opportunities for women who have few chances in more conventional job markets due to homelessness, poverty, drug abuse,

and mental and physical health issues.“For a group of women that come here,

they are able to work and that is part of their plan of gaining personal stability,” said Patrick Schandrick, DWC’s Director of Communications.

“My participation in my job training program has helped with my self esteem and self worth and helped me realize I can be a part of public society,” said Diana Penta-grass at last Tuesday’s Central Area Planning Commission hearing.

Local residents like Sharon Kitfer, who spoke at the hearing, look forward to Made off Main’s future. “My husband and I have lived Downtown for five years,” she said. “We watch with interest when there are new Downtown projects that gives us a much needed choice for shopping.”

MADE by DWC, DWC’s first, smaller boutique/cafe at their new San Pedro facil-ity, will offer “high-end items and handmade craftwork products created by the women of the Downtown Women’s Center,” and is slated to open in March.


Banners promoting the 2011 NBA All-Star Game hang from a street pole on Figueroa

photo by lAuren mAttiALooking south on the Los Angeles Street block where the Downtown Women’s Center hopes to open Made off Main, a vintage clothing store


All-Star Sellouts

Women’s Center Gets OK for Retail Plans on Los Angeles

Looking to book a night Downtown? If your out-of-town guests are coming in two weeks, they may find things a little full

A planning commission last week denied an appeal challenging the facility’s right to sell vintage goods



By Eric RichardsonTwo weeks before the NBA All-Star Game descends on Los Angeles, a quick check of hotels around Downtown shows the central city almost entirely booked up.

Still available are a few rooms at the Bonaventure, but a regular king bed will start at $380 per night for the weekend of February 20.

A standard room at the Ramada located six blocks west of the 110 will run you $280, while a king bed in Little Tokyo’s Kyoto Grand will cost you $359 on Friday and Saturday nights.

Food & Drink

By Lauren Mattia While construction has not yet begun for Broadway’s Umamicatessen and Two Boots Pizza, just up the street, L.A. Brewing Company’s owner Ralph Verdugo is work-ing furiously to open his new restaurant next month.

Located at 8th and Broadway on the ground floor of The Chapman—a building that once housed the first offices for Bank of America—L.A. Brewing Company will offer beer lovers a spot where they can enjoy a full menu, outdoor dog sitting, and a place to kick back after the weekday grind.

“I didn’t want to do the whole Holly-wood or Beverly Hills thing,” Verdugo says. “You’ve just got to go with Downtown.”

Verdugo is definitely going with Down-town: L.A. Brewing Company is his second Downtown endeavor. He opened Club 740 next door in 2005.

As a pairing to the eatery’s 100 beers on tap—served at a chilly 22 degrees—Verdugo has hired a celebrity chef to design the menu. “When people are watching the game, they can eat the finger foods,” Verdugo says. “Or they can come for dinner and have a wonder-ful meal.”

Brewing Co. Bringing 100 Beers to Broadway

more online bdtwn.com/ 6081

Ralph Verdugo stands outside the future home of the Los Angeles Brewing Company, which he is working to open at 8th and Broadway.


Offerings are to include steaks, burgers, signature salads, bread baked on the prem-ises, and “ceviche Sundays.”

And for the Downtown dog devotee, the restaurant plans to feature a ten-foot-by-ten-foot gated lawn area near the front entrance for a “dog check.” “Someone will give you a ticket, you give us your dog and go inside and have a good time.” Verdugo said.

Drawing inspiration from Downtown’s unique theaters and buildings, Verdugo is staying true to the space’s 100-year-old architecture as much as possible. “So many restaurant owners cover everything up,” he says. “It’s easier, less expensive. But when you have something so beautiful, you just can’t.”

Verdugo plans to refinish the original bank tile flooring and install the bank’s original lights over the upstairs bar, which will feature cocktails made with fresh, organic fruit.

Construction began three months ago, and Verdugo has workers renovating the space around the clock. Unlike some Down-town restaurant owners whose openings have been slowed, Verdugo says progress has been rapid.

“The reason we are moving so fast is pretty much thanks to the [Central City Associa-tion],” says Verdugo. With the Restaurant and Hospitality Express Program the group pushed, “they grab you by the hand and take you through everything.”

The CCA can’t take all the credit for Verdu-go’s speedy construction process, though. He also thanks Councilman Jose Huizar, Chap-man owner Fred Afari and the building’s developer, Mark Farzan. “They are strong believers like I am in Bringing Back Broad-way,” said Verdugo. “We had their blessing and went full force.”L.A. Brewing Company / The Chapman / 756 S. Broadway

So many restaurant owners cover everything up . . .But when you have something so beautiful, you just can’t.

“ “New restaurant and bar from Club 740’s Ralph Verdugo will offer a hefty list of brews on tap, plus a doggie check-in outside


Fast Food Out, Gourmet In at 6th and Grand By Lauren Mattia

Watch out L.A. Cafe, Syrup Desserts and Spring for Coffee--a new caffeinated compet-itor is coming to town by early February.

While that stretch of Spring Street is already dripping with coffee—all four are within 500 feet of each other—owners Michael Leko and Will Shamlian will be opening CoffeeBar at 600 S. Spring and say they will offer coffee lovers an unparalleled cup of joe.

Leko and Shamlian are busy Downtown. They own Library Bar as well as nearby Spring St. The duo will also be opening Pizzeria Urbano in Wolfgang Puck Cafe’s former location.

By Lauren Mattia Last Friday’s patrons at Carl’s Jr. on 6th and Grand may not know it yet, but they are some of the last customers that this location will serve after over 20 years of business.

“In the late 80s, [Carl’s Jr.] did a lot better,” says Eric Schomof of Pacific Invest-ments, owner of the Milano Lofts. “But Downtown has been changing-- the demo-graphic has changed a lot.”

Replacing the burgers and fries will be Industriel, restaurateur Armen Hako-

byan and Ari Babaei’s second eatery. The duo opened Old Pasadena’s Green Street Tavern in 2008. Renderings posted on Flo Design Studio’s Facebook show that Indus-triel will be a “farmhouse mod abstraction and an unrivaled mix of art and industrial elements.”

While Industriel’s menu is not yet avail-able, Green Street Tavern features “the finest California Comfort Food with a European influence” and has 218 reviews as well as a four star rating on Yelp.

Hakobyan and Babaei are new to Down-town but are “Downtown believers,” said Schomof.

Schomof is a supporter of the upscale restaurants becoming an integral part of Downtown’s revival. “The bad pockets are beginning to connect with good areas,” he said. “There are a lot of beautiful areas--it’s just the one or two blocks in between that are a problem.”

For most of Carl’s Jr’s 20 years on 6th and Grand, L.A.’s homeless have panhandled for change outside of the restaurant. “They say they want money to buy a burger when in reality they will do something else with it,” Schomof said.

Both Schomof and the owners of the busi-ness came to an agreement that the restau-rant closure was the best solution to the Downtown revitalization effort.

Schomof notes that the process of bring-ing in new businesses is a labor of love. “We are always working with owners and restaurants, doing what we can to get these businesses off the ground.”

By Lauren MattiaIt’s been a long journey for Two Bits Market. The Historic Core’s newest organic store soft-opened at the beginning of the year and has been slowly building up in selection in preparation for Tuesday’s official grand opening. The market offers foodies a chance to find wines, cheeses, meats and produce, and, as of Tuesday, sandwiches.

Downtown would be in luck if all busi-ness owners were as passionate as Two Bits’ Brandi Lozano. After her husband/partner Corbett Miller inspired her to change her diet by introducing her to local, organic foods, Lozano decided to leave her previous job in the skateboard-ing industry to do what she could to bring healthier options to the Historic Core’s starving market.

Two weeks after Lozano and Miller moved Downtown, the lack of organic, healthy options motivated them to turn their food fanaticism into a business. After a series of problems slowed the opening

Two Bits Adds Sandwiches for Official Opening

process, the shop soft opened on January 1st and is already the talk of the town.

On Tuesday, the market debuted its signature deli menu, the creation of New York-based chef, Brian Murphy. Murphy and Miller met while they were working at Blue Plate, a San Francisco eatery.

The sandwiches will be created with the highest quality meats and organic breads from South Pasadena’s Great Harvest Bakery. “The tuna is my favorite,” Lozano added.

A ticketed grand opening party was held Tuesday night with samplings of Two Bits’ organic produce, wines, cheeses, and meats.

To Lozano, her venture into the world of organic foods is a no brainer. “I just wanted to eat better.” Here’s to hoping that Two Bits can help all Downtowners eat better as well.


“It’s going to be a high end coffee bar with only the best as far as quality of coffee,” said Shamlian. “We are going to be serving Vivace and Verve, which are two of the best coffees you can get anywhere.”

In addition to carrying high quality beans, CoffeeBar will be serving it from some of the best coffee machines, operated by “brew experts” that will ensure what Shamlian says will be CoffeeBar’s “devotion to high end coffee.”

The ever-connected coffee consumer can enjoy CoffeeBar’s free WIFI on the large partially-enclosed patio. Although CoffeeBar does not have as full a menu as its competi-tors across the street, they plan to serve a variety of pastries.

Housed inside CoffeeBar will be an area that serves pour over coffee (also referred to as single cup drip), a back-to-basics brewing method similar to loose tea brewing where hot water is poured over coffee grounds into an individual cup. A New York Times article claimed that “the coffee it makes is so clean, so round and fruity, that you can fully taste all those complex layers of flavor that are supposed to be lurking in the best single-origin and micro-lot beans.”

Who wouldn’t want a cup of that?


CoffeeBar Preps to Compete on Already-Caffeinated Spring






CalendarTHURSDAYFEBRUARY 3

T A L KAloud: Joyce Appleby and Peter BarnesThu Feb 3 7pmMark Taper Auditorium630 W. 5thlfla.org/aloudEntrepreneur Peter Barnes and historian Joyce Appleby discuss whether the market can upgraded in the 21st Century in “What’s the Matter with Capitalism?” FREE.

P E R F O R M A N C EThe League ofImaginary ScientistsThu Feb 3 7pmMuseum of Contemporary Art(MOCA at the Geffen)152 N. CentralMOCA’s self-proclaimed quacks-in-residence stage their interac-tive installation/experiment which features the Evolving Contrap-tion that “morphs into League’s greatest invention ever, The Automatoggler.” The performance driven audience participation al-lows you to witness the machine “that could potentially save hu-manity from all other machines.”

S P O R T SLakers Thu Feb 3 7:30pmStaples Center

1111 S. Figueroanba.com/lakersL.A. Lakers vs. San Antonio Spurs.

M U S I CThe Calder QuartetOpens Thu Feb 3 8pmThe Colburn School of MusicZipper Concert Hall200 S. Grandcalderquartet.comPianist Gloria Cheng and other performers take the stage with the Los Angeles Children’s Chorus for two concerts. The evening will feature music by Haydn, Villa Lo-bos, Piazolla and selections from Piano Spheres and Jacaranda Mu-

sic at the Edge. Also runs Friday, February 4.

M U S I CVardan Ovsepian GroupThu Feb 3 8pmBlue Whale123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka(Weller Court)bluewhalemusic.orgKeyboardist Vardan Ovsepian and his group showcase arrangements and jazz improvisations.

P E R F O R M A N C EGeorge Herms: The Artist’s LifeOpens Thu Feb 3 8:30pmREDCAT631 W. 2ndredcat.orgThis “free-jazz opera” includes the Bobby Bradford Mo’tet, Theo Saunders Group, singer Diana Briscoll and other musicians. “The Artist’s Life” is sourced from diary entries and notes the sculptor and assemblage artist created throughout a 50-year career.

M U S I CParallax ScrollThu Feb 3 9pm The Smell247 S. Mainthesmell.orgParallax Scroll,; plus Snorlax, Pro-tect Me, and Cat 500.

FRIDAYJANUARY 4

S C R E E N I N G‘Zenith’Opens Fri Feb 4 6pmDowntown Independent Theater251 S. Maindowntownindependent.comThe Independent screens “Ze-nith,” an indie sci-fi film in limited release. “A visually stunning art-house Blade Runner for a gen-eration in thrall to sex, violence, conspiracy, and urban tribalism,” writes Flavorpill. Opening night is hosted by the South Eastern Eu-ropean Film Festival, Los Angeles. Closing night hosted by Cinema Speakeasy. Through February 10.

M U S I CSkechy Black Dog Part IFri Feb 4 9pmBlue Whale123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka(Weller Court)bluewhalemusic.orgThe whale will house the DVD shoot of this NYC jazz trio with a string quartet, led by Russian-Jewish émigré pianist Misha Pi-atigorsky reinterpret classic rock songs (Bowie, Zeppelin, Hendrix, and the Beatles). RSVP required. A second night of shooting will be

on Saturday, February 5 at 9pm.

M U S I CThe Old LumpsFri Feb 4 9pm The Smell247 S. Mainthesmell.orgThe Old Lumps, Black Elephant, Sea Lions, and Canyons.

SATURDAYFEBRUARY 5

M U S I CKid InfinitySat Feb 5 7pmAlexandria Hotel501 S. Springkidinfinity.comDon’t miss an experimental elec-tro/hip-hop by Kid Infinity with live 3-D Live show inside the Alex-andria.

M U S I CMichael FeinsteinSat Feb 5 8pm Walt Disney Concert Hall111 S. Grandlaphil.comFive-time Grammy nominated “Ambassador of the Great Ameri-can Songbook” Michael Feinstein showcases his voice with rendi-tions of American popular stan-dards. Feinstein’s Walt Disney Concert Hall debut will include selections from his most recent CD, “Fly Me to the Moon.”

M U S I CDavid PompeiiSat Feb 5 8pm Downtown Comedy Club114 W. 5thdowntowncomedyclub.comActor-Comedian David Pompeii.

M U S I CReligious GirlsSat Feb 5 9pm The Smell247 S. Mainthesmell.orgOakland-based Religious Girls tear up the stage.

SUNDAYFEBRUARY 6

E V E N TShifting GearsSun Feb 6 9amThe Music Center135 N. Grandshiftinggearscycling.com Sight-seeing bike cruise through Downtown LA. RSVP for this ride: [email protected].

A R T O P E N I N GThings That Get Buffed Opening Reception:Sat Feb 5 6 to 9pmCrewest110 Winston St.crewest.comWith censorship the hot topic, Crewest will focus on the “timely issues at hand with regard to art censorship and the dialogue and history.” The exhibition challenges the “powers that be” and high-

light Los Angeles works “buffed” and removed. Exhibiting artists include Pablo Cristi, Phantom Street Artist, Leo Limon and gal-lery owner Man-One. The open-ing reception (and next week’s Art Walk) events include live painting by Mear One and “Art Saves Lives” produced guerilla street theater performance by the Phantom Street Artist. The exhibition runs through Sunday, February 27, 2011.

photo courteSy leAGue of imAGinAry ScientiStS



E V E N TCityRace: The Great Chinatown HuntCentral PlazaSun Feb 11amwww.racela.comFor L.A.’s Lunar New Year cel-ebration, the clue-solving adven-ture passes through Chinatown. “Discover ancient traditions alongside experimental art; ex-plore picturesque alleyways and traditional temples” in this rendi-tion of the CityRace Urban Ad-venture Hunts.

M U S I CNo Girls AllowedSun Feb 6 9pmThe Smell247 S. Mainthesmell.orgNo Girls Allowed Records pres-ents Jon Barba, Hermit Conven-tion, Rachel Fannan, and Parkford.

M U S I CThe Sweater GirlsSun Feb 6 10pmThe Redwood Bar & Grill316 W. 2ndtheredwoodbar.comThe Sweater Girls; plus The B-Noirs, and Ingenue.

MONDAY FEBRUARY 7

M U S I CMark Dresser TrioMon Feb 7 8:30pmREDCAT631 W. 2ndredcat.orgBassist Mark Dresser, “hyper-pianist” Denman Maroney and flautist Matthias Ziegler form the Mark Dresser Trio. In The New Yorker, Dresser’s musical style was once referred to as “slanted…the jazz tradition is only so much grist for the mill.”

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 8

T A L KErwin Chemerinsky and John EastmanTue Feb 8 7pmCentral LibraryMark Taper Auditorium630 W. 5thlfla.org/aloud/Erwin Chemerinsky, founding dean at U.C. Irvine School of Law, and John Eastman, Kennedy Chair in Law at Chapman University, debate whether the country’s highest court has been ideo-logically motivated during recent decades, thus denying justice to millions of Americans.

M U S I CCradle of FilthTue Feb 8 7:30pmNokia Theater777 Chick Hearn Ctnokiatheatrelalive.com/Cradle of Filth; plus Nachtmys-tium, Turisas, and Daniel Lioneye.

M U S I CThe LA Piano DuoTue Feb 8 7:30pmZipper Concert HallColburn School of Performing Arts200 S. Grandpianospheres.orgPiano Spheres presents Australian pianist Liam Viney and his wife, Israeli-born pianist Anna Grinberg exploring classics of the two-piano literature as well as newly commissioned works.

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 9

M U S I CSarah McLachlan and Friends Web Feb 9 8pmNokia Theatre L.A. LIVE777 Chick Hearn Ctnokiatheatrelalive.comGrammy award-winning songwrit-er and founder of Lilith Fair Sarah McLachlan will bring in her world-ly songs to LA Live. It will help you deal with loss and heartbreak, enable recovery and healing just as Valentine’s Day rolls in. Plus Butterfly Boucher and Melissa Mc-Clelland.

P E R F O R M A N C E‘My Kinky Valentine’Wed Feb 9 8pmThe Mayan1038 S. Hillluchavavoom.comMuy macho masked men and strong legged woman take love into the ring with a full evening of battle and burlesque in Lucha Va Voom’s “My Kinky Valentine.” Plus comedy from Blaine Capatch and mood music from Senor Amor.

D A N C EAssociation Noa-Cie Vincent Mantsoe: SANOpens Wed Feb 9 8:30pmREDCAT631 W. 2ndredcat.orgVincent S.K. Mantsoe’s company modernizes folk dance traditions of his South African home. With apartheid as subtext, traditional movements fused with urban street dance are branded as “Afro-Fusion.” The theme of alienation as once witnessed by Mantsoe, is a metaphor for global suppression The score features Iranian vocalist Shahram Nazeri and 12th century poetry from Rumi. Through Sun-day, February 13.

M U S I CNick Mancini and Otmaro RuizWed Feb 9 9pmBlue Whale123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka(Weller Court)bluewhalemusic.orgNick Mancini (vibes) and Otmaro Ruiz (piano). $20 for Masterclass and performance; $10 for just per-formance.

Mark Dresser

SAN; Photo by Pascale Beroujon

By Ed FuentesAs X front woman and co-founder, Cerven-ka’s lyrical wit was thrashed out in songs co-written by then-husband John Doe. During the early 80s, their albums, produced by ex-Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek, placed the band on major rock critic’s lists. Then, through side projects The Knitters and The Original Sinners, the poet-songwriter dipped deeper in the romance of roots-rock.

After a four-year sabbatical in the Midwest, Cervenka recently returned to the Southland, where she now lives in Orange County and works as a schoolteacher. X and The Knitters still perform together, layering personal and professional time with Doe, X drummer DJ Bonebreak, plus Dave and Phil Alvin of The Blasters.

Cervenka’s second solo album on alterna-tive country label Bloodshot Records, “The Excitement of Maybe,” is due March 8th. Appropriately, the CD/LP cover wears a heart on its sleeve.

“It’s 12 love songs,” says Cervenka, adding that romance has resonance in all her work, whether it is “unconscious, subconscious, consciously.”

“I write about love because that’s what I am most connected to lyrically,” she adds. “I always have.”

You wrote your previous solo release “Somewhere Gone” while living in Missouri. Where was “The Excitement of Maybe” written?

All these songs were written between July 2009 and February 2010. Some were written in an Anaheim backyard under the Disneyland fireworks. “I Wish It Would Stop Raining” was written in Memphis, and “Love and Haight” I wrote in San Francisco. I was touring a lot.

Are there were different stages in your career when considered yourself a lyricist / poet / vocal-ist or a vocalist / lyricist?

It doesn’t matter what I consider myself. I make art or music or prose and then turn it into songs or poems or collages, or letters to my friends. I try to make everything I do as artistic as possible.

In 2009 you disclosed that you had been diagnosed with MS. Have long time friends become more important?

Yes, more than ever I value my friend-ships. I meet new friends all the time and I value that, too. I like being alive this long and having some, at least, of my friends still hangin’ out.

Those friends include John Doe, who you first met at Beyond Baroque, hallowed ground for the creative underground. Are we miss-ing that sort of neighborhood now?

I think that is what the Redwood Bar is doing. There is a grassroots musical move-

Exene Cervenka, co-founder of vanguard punk-rock X, baptized new solo work at the Redwood Bar & Grill this past Friday No Club Too Small For The Godmother of Punk

Exene Cervenka in suburbia photo by mAGGie St. thomAS



ment now because of the economy and other social forces. There are a lot of artists and songwriters, musicians, poets, working hard under the radar. I expect new, creative and wonderful things from the new generation coming up.

For anyone who may not know, how was Downtown back in the 80’s when it had a strong underground music scene?

Mostly it was Al’s Bar, the Atomic [Café], and of course the Hong Kong Cafe. I went to Madame Wong’s maybe twice. Once when X played there and Billy’s guitar got stolen, once to see a band. It was more of a new wave venue . . . Hong Kong was punk. I am so glad Chinatown is thriving but not changing, and that some of the old bars and venues Down-town are alive again. I mostly hung around the avenues in the 80’s.

How do you recall each Down-town venue, and if I am not too forward, does it prompt a song title? Like Al’s Bar?

Beer on the pool table. Don’t even think about puttin’ that giant beer down on my pool table! Loud cement music reverberat-ing.Atomic Café?

Late night drunk food.Madame Wong’s?

New wave cul-de-sac.Gorky Park?

Bastion of hope for Downtown; a great community place.Pershing Square?

Homeless in the shadows.

The Redwood Bar has that same small club feel from back in those days, more so with Phil Alvin as roots-rocker in residence. Is that the attraction to playing there?

Yes it is! I like the underground feel, the old L.A. Times’ reporting ghosts that used to drink and smoke and tell stories there. The artists that play there are important to see and hear. It’s a sensibility they have about music that needs to be respected and preserved.

Which is harder? Teaching or being a punk-rock legend and goddess?

Teaching is much harder than being the ‘queen of punk.’ Helping five-year olds learn to read was, and is, one of my favorite and most awesome experiences. Teachers are overworked, underpaid, responsible for someone else’s children, and lots of ‘em all at once, for seven or eight hours a day. The responsibilities are big. One of my conscious concerns with teaching is how will what I say affect this person; not only now but when they are older. Building their self-esteem, helping them learn how to socialize . . . all very heavy important-for-the-future stuff. I love children so it was rewarding. But I also love the people in the clubs, and I care as much about what I do affecting them. I work hard because I care!

By Mark FisherWhen hometown rockers Linkin Park first emerged on the scene in 2000, modern rock radio was overflowing with the nu-metal sounds of Limp Bizkit, Korn, and Papa Roach. Fast forward to 2011 and times have certainly changed. It’s a completely different environment in rock music, yet Linkin Park has managed to survive the evolution of MP3 downloads, satellite radio and the abuse of auto-tune technology.

Even with the industry’s drastic decline in album sales, the L.A.-based six-piece defied the odds and ranked under The Beatles at No. 2 in rock album sales during the ‘00s. According to Nielsen/SoundScan, the band’s debut album Hybrid Theory has sold over 10,000,000 copies, which helped them beat out Jay-Z, Dixie Chicks and even Celine Dion in total album sales over the last decade. Love them or hate them, Linkin Park’s early success has undoubtedly earned them a future induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Despite selling over 50,000,000 records worldwide and nabbing two Grammy Awards, the members of Linkin Park have remained level-headed, down-to-earth and busy. After releasing 2003’s Meteora, the band collaborated with rapper Jay-Z on Collision Course and vocalists Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington broke off to do solo projects (Fort Minor and Dead By Sunrise respectively). Shinoda even turned to art in Downtown Los Angeles after releasing and supporting 2007‘s Minutes to Midnight. “Over a year ago, I was heavily involved in an art show that I held at the Japanese National American Museum called ‘Glorious Excess Dies,’” said Shinoda in a recent phone inter-view. “I put everything into that show and as soon as that was done, we were back into recording the latest album and out on tour.”

The group released their fourth studio album A Thousand Suns last September which dropped in at No. 1, making it their third consecutive album to debut at the top of the charts. The experimental concept

record (co-produced by Rick Rubin) received mixed reviews from both critics and loyal fans accustomed to the edgier and KROQ-friendly offerings from previous efforts. But this is an older, more mature Linkin Park and the group is soaking in less input from outsiders during the recording process. “I think along the way, we gained a sense of what it feels like to be creatively, like true to yourself,” said Shinoda. “As soon as we stopped relying on what other people want, we felt a lot better about the music we were making.” Even with the drop in album sales and change in musical direction, A Thou-sand Suns has already spawned two No. 1 hit singles (“The Catalyst” and “Waiting for the End”).

One of the group’s strong points is their ability to reproduce their studio sound live in concert without relying on programmed vocal backing tracks. Shinoda and Benning-ton (along with guitarist Brad Delson, bassist David Farrell, drummer Rob Bourdon and DJ Joe Hahn) shine live and are among the few acts that translate well from studio to stage. Anyone doubting this should hear or watch Linkin Park’s Live in Texas CD / DVD, which was recorded at two different NFL football stadiums in 2003.

Linkin Park has managed to maintain their loyal following by offering fans afford-able ticket prices and the chance to purchase VIP packages. The band went from traveling in an RV in their early years to full-scale production tours with state-of-the-art visu-als and sound. “I think playing in an arena is probably the best scenario for a band,” said Bennington. “The energy in an arena is so great when there’s a good show going; it kind of makes the experience almost super-natural.”

When they’re not performing in sold-out arenas at night, the band is spending their downtime on the road writing and recording new ideas for future material. “We’re always writing, so I think we benefit from the fact that music recording and writing technol-ogy has gotten so compact and easy to carry

around in your laptop,” said Shinoda. “The best things that I’ve come up with on the last couple legs of this tour were actually on my iPad.“

Linkin Park has always been at the fore-front when it comes to utilizing new tech-nology. In 2002, the group released their successful remix album, Reanimation in the experimental multi-channel DVD-Audio format. In December 2008, Avid (formerly known as Digidesign) gave the band the opportunity to preview their new Pro Tools 8 software, which resulted with an instru-mental song called “Lockjaw.” The band has even released Linkin Park games and apps. “We’ve had a lot of fun dipping our toes into the game and app world,” commented Shinoda. “I really like the Linkin Park app that is on the iTunes store; it‘s not actually a game, but more of a Linkin Park aggregator.”

When blogdowntown asked the two front-men whether Linkin Park has plans for 3D in the future, neither one hesitated to respond. “We’re totally looking into that technology,” said Bennington. “It’s exciting, accessible and good.” Bennington used 1983’s “Jaws 3-D” as a prime example of how the technol-ogy has advanced since the days of paper anaglyph glasses. “It’s kind of like a new tool in your toolbox or new toy to play with,” added Shinoda.

Linkin Park will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live with host Dana Carvey on February 5th, 2011. The band will then return to Staples Center with their “A Thou-sand Suns: World Tour” on Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011. Hardcore electro-punk rockers The Prodigy will open the show. The band is donating $1 from every ticket sold to Music For Relief . Each ticket will also come with a free audio download of the show. For more information, visit Ticketmaster or Linkin Park’s website.

Linkin Park Set for Return to Staples CenterAfter ten years and 50 million records sold, the local rockers remain down-to-earth and level-headed

photo by JASon lemiere

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February 3, 2011 - blogdowntown Weekly