The first “Pollenate LA” event at Market Lofts on May 9, 2009 was launched to “cross pollinate” LA culture.  It’s main goal: to build a bridge between the original artists who’ve long sculpted this community with their bare hands and the new Downtown residents who’ve bought into the “Loft” development hype—into the promise of a vibrant, diverse, artistically cultivated and socially liberated community. 

Archive any of the art blogs or publications like Citizen LA and you’ll learn how pissed off Downtown artists are about they and their work going largely unrecognized, rather unsold, while a new regime of hipsters moves in on their formerly cheap space, crashes their parties, and limits their former creative liberties to say bike down the Arts District streets stark naked before the private security “Barney Police” started peddling around even less tastefully attired. Continue reading Pollenate LA – The Sting of Success →

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Hello Wine Lovers, Mike Berger here from Ralph’s Grocery. Last night we tasted Zinfandels from California. I picked Ravenswood Teldeschi Dry Creek Valley, Ridge 40 Year Anniversary, Ravenswood Belloni Vinyard and Ravenswood Lodi Old Vine. 

The Lodi region is an especially warm climate and perfect for growing bold high alcohol deep fruit forward style wines.  Zinfandel Grapes are a deep dark purple fruit when growing on the vine.  At one time it was one of the most widely planted varietals in California. Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers! →

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One of the great things about being the editor of downtownster is that a number of really interesting people, places, events, ideas and so on come across my desk. By across my desk, in the year 2009, I mean across my computer or bumping into me over coffee. And although I can’t give everything the attention I would like to, there are times when I can—like NOW. One such character with an idea and a place to do it; is a tall, relaxed, young visionary name Barrett Morse, who is the force behind MusicUnion.

 Barrett, like myself, is a veteran of Downtown—meaning he moved here before the rest of the world knew how cool it was to live in a place where there is more to talk about than the new Yoga Class schedule. Sorry Santa Monica, you’re nice for a visit. As the Downtown community continues to grow and congeal I run into movers and shakers like Barrett more often than in years past. Because, like me, he appreciates a good drink I particularly like running into Barrett at Must or Doheny. So, when a press release landed in my inbox announcing that MusicUnion was doing an Art Walk After Party – I thought it worthy of a post.

And no, it wasn’t news to me because there’s an ad on the downtownster’ leaderboard promoting the event, but an ad can only say so much. I’ve been to one of Barrett’s events in the past (it was a great event) and downtowster writer Shannon Logan covered a MusicUnion mixer just last week, which she enjoyed thoroughly, so I decided it post worthy because I think downtownster readers will really enjoy a MusicUnion event. THE DETAILS ARE AS FOLLOWS:

MusicUnion Presents THURSDAY! THE Art Walk After-Party & Concert at the Globe Theater, May 14

LOS ANGELES — MusicUnion continues to revolutionize music and offers artists the chance to be heard with the launch of MusicUnion Presents THURSDAY! THE Art Walk After-Party & Concert featuring a combination of live Indie rock and cutting edge DJ’s, May 14 at the Globe Theater.  The event will be the kick-off for the Art Walk After-Party & Concert series. MusicUnion will provide a place for the Downtown community to come together and discover amazing talent after the Art Walk, each second Thursday of the month. The night will showcase independent artists with progressive and high-energy sounds for what promises to be an incredible evening of live music.  Doors are scheduled to open at 8:30 p.m. 

MusicUnion Presents THURSDAY! THE Art Walk After-Party & Concert will feature an intoxicating mix of live rock, dance & electronic.  Artists include Living Things, Posso, Royal Rumble, Keenhouse, The Library and more.

Tickets are $12.50 in advance and on sale now available via TicketWeb at www.ticketweb.com, $15 at the door. Must be 21 years of age or older to attend. A portion of the door proceeds and MusicUnion merchandise sales will go to benefit the Downtown Women’s Center, which provides permanent housing and a supportive community to homeless women. The event will also highlight Educate Project, an organization dedicated to providing financial education to artists and musicians, and The Tiziano Project, a global NGO fostering citizen journalism in conflict zones across the world.

 The Globe Theater (Club 740) is located at 753 South Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90014, entrance on the corner of 8^th and Spring Street. The breathtaking venue features state-of-art audio and lightening system making it the perfect unique space for the Art Walk After-Party & Concert series.  For more information on MusicUnion Presents THURSDAY! THE Art Walk After-Party & Concert, please visit www.musicunion.com. 

About MusicUnion

MusicUnion is a collective of cross-industry professionals dedicated to helping music evolve and thrive in an ever changing industry. Through media, journalism, events, and consulting MusicUnion fosters vibrant music cultures throughout the world. MusicUnion exists to rethink and rebuild the product of music. It works locally and digitally to build cultures unique to fans, artists, and locations. 

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Last night I proudly attended the first ever MusicUnion Mixer for fans, musicians, writers, and industry members, held at my trusty downtown hangout spot the Must. I can honestly say I only have one real regret from the evening’s activities.

At some point that night I remarked, with much swagger, that I’d order the Colt 45 from the Must menu. When the bottle arrived at my table a few minutes later, wrapped in a branded Must brown paper bag, accompanied by two champagne glasses, I knew that someone had called my bluff.

The bluff caller was host of the Mixer and MusicUnion founder Barrett Morse. He grinned and waved as he passed my table. I had half a glass of the stuff before I gave in, and ordered a glass of water. Thankfully there were plenty of people around to help me finish the forty. In fact a constant stream of industry professionals had been sitting at my table all night. Continue reading MusicUnion →

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Hello wine lovers tonight we are in for a special treat, Champagne for Mothers Day will be served tonight from 5pm to 8pm Monday the 4^th of May compliments of Pierre Jouet.   Champagne is a region of France about 60 miles to the north of Paris.  Cooler climate dominates this area in the winter months sending most vines into a deep dormant sleep.   In the growing season temperatures are warm to moderate and are influenced by the cold north winds of the English Channel.  Three major grape varietals are grown here to make sparkling wine called Champagne. Continue reading Hello Wine Lovers! →

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“Burks?”

“Burks?”

“Nah man, you’re not on the list. Sorry.”

A summer ago I worked a door at the Ivy Hotel in San Diego.  The Ivy is a boutique hotel that also features several nightclub venues.  Think Modrian Hotel and the accompanying Skybar in Hollywood.  Drunks bad-mouthing you. Hotheads challenging you. Older women grabbing you. Sigh. Well, that one I kind of miss. I’m only teasing.

Still, despite the occasional tussle, epithet and sexual harassment, there was one thing I especially enjoyed while working at this venue – the ability to make connections. Continue reading Tyrese Gibson Brings Mayhem to Lucky Stike Lanes →

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        It’s Friday and I showed just a bit late to Bottega Louie for breakfast, which in my case is a cappuccino. Why I let the annoying guys at the bar buy me drinks I do not know, but it did make them go from annoying to down right pleasant in a matter of minutes and yes this is all well before noon. And yes my beloved readers I am now writing with a considerable amount of alcohol pumping through the system…Last time this happened I set my sights on the disgraceful use of the public plaza at LA Live, but on this occasion I shall compare a Town Hall event Downtown to one on the Westside.

            First let me say that Town Hall Los Angeles is a great organization that does a mind-bending number of events and they’ve been here doing what they do for 72 year or so. Currently lead by the engaging Jon Goodman PhD Town Hall should be considered more than just a place for free speech, but really a vehicle to all who live and work Downtown to become involved in what I will label for the purposes of this blog as a civic lifestyle component. Until attending the Town Hall roundtable with James Flannigan, Senior Economic Editor, The New York Times, I did not consider civic events a lifestyle possibility—consider myself corrected. This was simply one of the better events I’ve attended of any kind.

            The story begins with Carmen Rodriguez, City National Bank / Downtown Mover and Shaker. Carmen, worried about my lack of civic involvement offered me two tickets to the James Flanigan event. Continue reading TOWN HALL FROM FLANIGAN TO FRIEDMAN →

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            It was 2003 and I was strolling down Sunset Plaza to the famous Coffee Bean on Sunset—everyone frequented this particular Coffee Bean. Do not go looking for this establishment; like much of Hollywood’s luster—it is gone. So centered was my life around this place and the people that relaxed, schmoozed, and created there I had moved my office down the street. On this particular day it had been yet another argument with Steve over our upcoming DVD release of “Mike Fenton’s Actors Workshop”, a pretty damn good how to make it in Hollywood video.

            Accompanied by my once good friend Daryl Mack I lamented my partnership with Steve up to the moment we walked into the Bean—to find it vacant.

            “Where the hell is everyone?” I asked the girl behind the counter, then checked out the cute little blonde that had walked up at the same moment with the same bewildered look as I. She wore some tight little jeans and a matching jean cap pulled down almost to her eyes.

            “There was a power outage, we just opened a minute ago—literally,” said the girl behind the counter.

            “So, how you doing?” asked the little blonde amused at how overtly I was checking out her posterior.

            “Good,” I answered, pulling back into a more upright position in order to make eye contact. “How you doing?”

            She laughed.

            “Sorry about that. I’m not usually so obvious. Nice though…”

            “That’s a beautiful suite,” she said, letting me off the hook.

            Concluding she was nice and cute and familiar for some reason we all proceeded to order.

            “So what are you up to today?” I asked, genuinely interested.

            “I have to go to the studio,” she responded.

            Normally, I would have inquired further. But I’m bad with faces so I had no idea that I was speaking with Britney Spears. And I was so aggravated with Steve that I couldn’t give what I wrongly assumed to be an aspiring actress the interest I normally would have.

            “But I have some time to hang out and have coffee if you want to sit for a while?” Continue reading Britney Spears And Me? →

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