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Animated Basses to Benefit Grammy Music Education Programs

Ed Fuentes — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 13:46:16 -0800

Animator Douglas Rogers added a grin to to his upright bass, saying that the shape inspired the idea. The F-holes do double duty by working as raised eyebrows. Photo by Ed Fuentes.

String basses with a New Orleans theme, an Enchanted Princess, Dumbo's Pink Elephants, a Cheshire Cat grin, and a Genie were introduced at the Grammy Museum on Thursday. The next time the instruments stand side-by-side will be in the summer when they are auctioned at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas to benefit the Grammy In The Schools music education programs of the Grammy Foundation.

Artists from the Walt Disney Animation Studio were invited to present ideas. Once concepts were selected, they donated their time in creating the final works.

"I want one," said Stanley Clarke, Grammy winning jazz bassist and composer, on hand to speak to how education is enhanced by learning how to play an instrument.

One bass will be on display at the Grammy Museum while the others will be dispatch to different venues for a tour. Stops will include Planet Hollywood locations in Las Vegas and New York and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.

Animator Brian Kesinger recalled how he was mulling over the final design and was toying with an idea of adding a layer of clear coat. When his car broke down in front of an auto body and paint store, he took it as a sign and told the owner about his project. "His eyes lit up," said Kesinger. The store owner also donated his time to add a final sheen to his Genie string bass.

The upright bass that will be on display at the Grammy Museum has not been selected, but keep in mind that "Aladdin" won two 1993 Grammys and was nominated for a third (Friend Like Me). The Genie may be a downtown resident until summer.

Photo Gallery

By Ed Fuentes.

'Mobile Food Courts' Headed to Downtown

Eric Richardson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 12:17:02 -0800

Patrons crowd around food trucks parked on Spring street during the January Downtown Art Walk. Photo by Ed Fuentes.

A trio of food trucks will act as guinea pigs for Downtown's first mobile food court this Thursday, making an eatery out of a loading dock at Alameda and Traction.

The lot could be the first of many for Downtown. Matt Geller, Vice President of SoCal Mobile Food Vendors Association and the man organizing Thursday's launch, is currently working with the Downtown Art Walk to secure private truck spaces on the outskirts of the popular monthly event.

Geller expects that program to launch in March. Getting the trucks off the street and away from the center of Art Walk would help reduce congestion in the center of the event, a problem that has caught the eye of LAPD and event organizers. Tom Gilmore, owner of the Old Bank District properties, has secured "No Parking" rules in recent months that have removed the trucks from the popular stretch of Main between 4th and 6th.

Thursday's Arts District lot will kick off during an Art Walk, but Geller isn't sure exactly how much connection the spot will have to the event, which takes place in the Historic Core.

The loading dock is owned by Robert Arranaga & Co, which has a wholesale grocery warehouse on the site. The company contacted Geller about bringing the trucks in. "They love the food trucks," said Geller. "They probably wanted some more lunch options."

Who else beside employees on-site will be visiting remains to be seen. "I don't know if this is going to be a prime location," said Geller. "It's all just sort of wild-eyed guessing at this point."

One mid-day stop at nearby Wurstkuche is enough to prove that workers from City Hall will make the Arts District trek if the food is right.

While on the east edge of Downtown, the site is actually well-served by transit. The DASH A stops not far away near 3rd and Traction, and picks back up at 3rd and Alameda. The site is also just a quick walk away from the Gold Line Eastside Extension's new Little Tokyo / Arts District station.

Transit might be a wise way to reach the site. Geller's mention of "ample parking" to the L.A. Times last week drew chuckles from some Arts District residents, who have seen parking become much tougher in recent years as housing and nightlife have expanded. Geller said that a lot owned by the property owner may be made available going forward.

A Venice native, Geller has enjoyed getting acquainted with all that is now going on in the central city. He praised new Art Walk Executive Director Jay Lopez, but held out particular thanks for officers at LAPD's Central Division. "I couldn't have done the things I'm trying to do Downtown without their support and help," he said.

Food Truck Lot / 216 S. Alameda / Thursday, February 11: Lunch and Dinner; Friday: Lunch; Saturday: Dinner

By Eric Richardson.

Around the Halls: February 8 - 10, 2010

Eric Richardson — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 09:06:36 -0800

This story is an installment of Around the Halls.

Photo by Ed Fuentes.

Today is Monday, February 8, and the city budget continues to be priority one at City Hall. 41 budget instructions go through Council on Tuesday, including recommendations on El Pueblo and the Convention Center. Expect to see more Council in the upcoming weeks: a motion is on the table to schedule Monday and Thursday sessions until the deficit is hammered out.

MONDAY: Only Budget & Finance committee meets. There are no items with the gravity of last week's city budget issues, but the committee does get CF 09-0600-S160, a report on projects funded through the Municipal Corporation of Los Angeles (MICLA).

TUESDAY: Council is in session, as are three committees.

At Council, item 11 is CF 09-0600-S159, a budget item with 41 instructions. Included:

Eliminate neighborhood council rollover funds
Eliminate the neighborhood council bank card system, moving all purchases to check requests.
Direct the CAO to report back on options to make El Pueblo independent and self-sustaining.
Authorize the development and release of an RFP that would privatize management and operation of the Convention Center.

Item 16, tagged to the same item, is a Hahn / LaBonge item asking specific questions related to the Convention Center RFP.

Item 20 is CF 10-0247, a Garcetti / Zine motion that would have Council meeting in special session every Monday and Thursday morning at 10am to work on the budget deficit. Council normally meets on Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday.

WEDNESDAY: Council's in session, with only one committee.

At Housing, Community and Economic Development, CF 10-0120 is a CRA resolution for permission to purchase a site at Ord and Hill Place in Chinatown for $750,000. This is where the agency proposes to build the park for which it has been having Prop 84 meetings in the neighborhood.

At Council, item 14 is CF 09-2560, a report calling for the creation of an Ad Hoc Commission on Revenue Efficiency, which would look at ways to maximize revenue collection.

Around the Halls

A look at Downtown-related items making their way through City Council.

By Eric Richardson.

New Festival Brings Japanese and Korean Cultures Together

Ed Fuentes — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:57:42 -0800

The potential loss of identity that comes with outside-owned development has long been a major issue for Little Tokyo, and the 2008 sale of the Little Tokyo Shopping Center to Korean investors was met with fear and concern. Lately, though, there has been a focused efforts to bring the two communities together.

Tomorrow, rain or shine, the Little Tokyo Korea Japan Festival will hold a day-long cultural exchange through film screenings, performance, and some cross cultural lunch.

"There are many similarities between the two cultures," said Helen Mauchi, the festival organizer, whose job now includes securing big tents to protect the festival from the rain.

James Kyson Lee and Eriko Tamura of NBC's "Heroes" will host the cross-cultural celebration.

Indoors, the Japanese American Cultural and Community Center will host screenings of Rough Cut (Yeong-hwa-neun Yeong-hwa-da), Hun Jang's 2008 Korean gangster flick; Tsubaki Sanjuro, Yoshimitsu Morita's 2007 remake of Akira Kurosawa's 1962 samurai story; and Tina Yanagimoto's documentary "New Beginnings: Cultural Harmony in Little Tokyo."

Admission includes two films, a box lunch and outdoor performances. Tickets may be purchased online or through the Aratani/Japan America Theatre Box Office, (213) 680-3700.

By Ed Fuentes.

Big Wangs Preps for Sunday Kickoff

Eric Richardson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 16:50:02 -0800

Big Wangs partners Joe Barker, Ted Russell and PJ Brill are getting set to open their third location at 8th and Grand on Sunday. Photo by Eric Richardson.

The former Tranquilty Base space at 8th and Grand starts its new life on Sunday as sports bar Big Wangs opens its doors for the Super Bowl. It's the third location for the eatery, which also operates in Hollywood and North Hollywood.

Downtown's different, though. "We think it's a more hip, discerning crowd," said partner PJ Brill this afternoon. While the menu and experience from the other two locations will carry over, Downtown will feature a traditional happy hour and a more offbeat selection of beers on tap.

The sports bar will be open from 11am to 2am daily, with the kitchen closing around 1:15am. Some of the theme-night promotions from the other locations will carry over, but 8th and Grand will also feature a happy hour menu from 3 to 7pm with both appetizer and drink specials. A late night happy hour from 10pm to midnight will focus on drink deals.

Brill emphasized the eatery's emphasis on value, something that should appeal to locals who have seen many a high-priced establishment open during the Downtown boom.

Most of the bones from Tranquility Base have been kept intact, but more TV's have been added and some of the more questionable design choices have been replaced. The frosted glass on the patio is now clear, and the ceiling drapery has been lost.

Four 58" screens will get those outside into the sporting action. Brill and partners Joe Barker and Ted Russell are particularly excited about the patio, which they see as both a day and night hangout spot.

Six Downtown residents are on the service staff, which also includes imports from the other locations.

While Sunday's Super Bowl viewing is being pitched as a first-come-first-serve affair, a few group reservations have been taken, including from a contingent of Saints fans who will be taking over one side of the room.

After Sunday, the plan is to take two days to iron out some final details and then reopen on Wednesday.

Big Wangs / 801 S. Grand / 213-629-2449

By Eric Richardson.

What of the L.A. Mall?

Eric Richardson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 14:06:27 -0800

A pair of pedestrians walk through the main corridor of the Los Angeles Mall on Friday afternoon. Photo by Ed Fuentes.

It's easy to forget about the Los Angeles Mall. The vaguely-named complex sits buried next to City Hall, housing fast food outlets, a handful of retailers and some service offices.

Even the City seems to forget about it. Councilwoman Janice Hahn filed a motion in 2005 asking for a report on the current status of the facility and plans to renovate it, but the motion expired without every moving out of committee.

Given the City's budget crisis, it makes sense that Councilwoman Jan Perry wants to make sure the facility is at least making some money. She filed a motion on January 26 asking for a report on the mall's total operating costs and a separate document detailing the facility's revenues.

The $26.7 million Los Angeles Mall opened in the early 1970's. It was designed to be active all day, somewhere that people could park, eat dinner, and then catch a "minibus" (as the early DASH was known) to the Music Center.

Plans to do a major renovation in the 1990's fell apart after the Children's Museum announced its intention to vacate the building it occupied on the mall's north end. While planning continued, no work was done.

Perry's motion was referred to the Information Technology and Government Affairs committee, and has not yet been calendared for a hearing.

By Eric Richardson.

New JW Marriott Hotel Staff Reports for Work

Eric Richardson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:18:57 -0800

A line of new staff members makes their way up the escalators to orientation at the JW Marriott L.A. Live on Friday morning. Photo by Eric Richardson.

650 new employees of the JW Marriott at L.A. Live showed up for their first day of work on Friday, Just nine days before the opening of the 879-room hotel.

They won't have much time to get settled. The hotel opens sold-out on February 15, hosting guests for concert industry event Pollstar Live.

More than 8,000 people applied for positions on the hotel staff, which will also service the Ritz Carlton hotel when it opens on March 15. Over half of those come from nearby neighborhoods thanks to local hiring rules AEG agreed to when it started out on the L.A. Live project.

At the January event that lit up the 54-story tower, Marriott President and COO Arne Sorenson said he was proud of the opportunities those new jobs could create for neighborhood hires. "Their careers are often starting with Marriott and we're proud to welcome them to the family," said Sorenson.

Floors 4 through 21 of the structure house the JW, with the 123-room Ritz Carlton occupying floors 22 through 26. Floors 27 through 52 will be the 224-unit Residences at the Ritz Carlton.

By Eric Richardson.

Ask Downtown: What's Your Favorite Happy Hour?

Eric Richardson — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 09:05:50 -0800

This story is an installment of Ask Downtown.

Photo by Eric Richardson.

Ask Downtown is an occasional series in which we put a reader's Downtown question to you, the real Downtown experts. Help a reader out and share your knowledge.

Today's question comes from @ladygrl, who is planning to go out on Monday and wants to know where to go.

@blogdowntown meeting a friend for happy hour drinks on mon. best deals for friend rich and cash poor??

Downtown has sprouted lots of happy hours over the past few years. Which one would you suggest for @ladygrl?

Replies via Twitter:

@jennifermarissa: @blogdowntown @ladygrl My favorites are The Must ($5 wine) and Ciudad (also $5 drinks and good food specials). Roy's HH looks good too.
@kerrypab: @blogdowntown obv its way south, but I'm a big fan of @jlounge HH. I tend to get drinks and split a pizza w a friend.
@LazyOxCanteen: @blogdowntown We do a five at $5 menu and $3 beer/wine seven days a week 5-7p

Have your own Downtown question? Send it our way via Twitter (@blogdowntown). We'll either answer it ourselves or, if we think it's particularly relevant, make it the subject of an Ask Downtown.

Ask Downtown

By Eric Richardson.