Los Angeles Top Stories

Archive for the ‘LA Culture’ Category

2009 by Sung

Sunset Junction 2011 Cancellation Sound-Off Wall

It finally happened after three decades – the 2011 street festival has been cancelled, and the official Sunset Junction website remains down at the time of this posting. Feel free to sound off here: favorite memories, favorite scandals, favorite ways to sneak in, favorite complaints, what you will miss or not miss. Giant sausages sizzling in the sun, that time Elliot Smith was too drunk to play, the time I stood on top of the ferris wheel console in order to see Sonic Youth. I’ll try to dig some of our better photos and write-ups out of the archive and add them to this wall as the day progresses.

Venice High School acknowledged its Centennial tonight with a screening of the 1978 film Grease, starring John Travolta, Olivia Newton-John, Stockard Channing and the late Jeff Conaway. The unmistakable significance of both the high school’s longevity and its place in Grease history was a special energy in the air that brought out Venice neighbors and alums and friends of friends with blankets to the football field. We waited for the sun to go down so we could all sing “Hopelessly Devoted To You” and wonder after the accomplishments of Travolta and Newton-John amid the peak of innocence of the salad days of 1978. The Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf and Jamba Juice had a presence at the back of the field, but the sheer idea behind a road stove notoriously entitled “The Greasy Wiener” went hand-in-hand with its parental advisory change to PG-13, mostly to the chagrin of those who blushed at Greased Lightning being called a Pussywagon and other things parents probably didn’t remember. But hey… Grease is the word. I had no idea the bleachers on the northwest end of the field are where Danny Zuko and the T-Birds sing “Summer Nights”, but thanks to the Class of ’11, a clearly-marked photo-op is what they were tonight. The establishing shot of “Rydell High” could not have been any more obvious to alums and students, and all gave a spirited round o’ applause for VHS upon first sight of the landmarks.

Everything in this film is iconic, even the small and scarcely noticed things, but to know some of those icons are a part of Venice High is a thought I can’t deplete of joy. On that oval grade of dirt surrounding the football field is where Danny tried out and eventually lettered in track while his ne’er-do-well friends stole hubcaps. Whoever you are, you have my gratitude for connecting the cultural significance of your Centennial to this most apropos sharing of VHS’s Hollywood moment.

Prior to the viewing of the film, a school official read an email from Grease director Randal Kleiser, who sent his regrets at not being able to attend but who veritably commended the school’s long-standing commitment to academic excellence; he recounted his fond memories of filming Grease on campus. Olivia Newton-John contributed a surprise ten second “Happy Centennial, Venice High School” video message. VHS School Principal Dr. Elsa Mendoza then proceeded the lead-up to showtime with a proud thank you message to the Class of ’11, and then cued the PlayStation 3, and perhaps made the brilliant last-minute call to toggle the DVD into the newly-added 2010 “Grease Sing-A-Long” Edition. Encircling the famous lyrics were pink and blue bubbles of malt shop jukebox neon, and the fields hummed to the karaoke of three generations while children performed the shadow cast.

HEADS UP
Charles Phoenix Los Angelesland
830pm – 300-350 S. Grand Avenue
FREE

A Live Slide Show performance celebrating the City of Angels like it’s one big theme park!

Showman, author and humorist Charles Phoenix presents a fun-filled tour of the city’s many “lands” including Downtown and Boyle Heights – all new, and created especially for Grand Performances!

Charles is known for his retro slide shows, school bus “field trip” tours, “test kitchen” videos, coffee table books and Slide of the Week emails all celebrating classic and kitschy pop culture. You’ve seen him on Conan and the Martha Stewart Show and heard him on NPR.

Pre show will begin at 8:00 pm

>>Organist

8:30pm
>>Sign Spinners
>>Children’s Mariachi Band
>>Ballerina
>>Bob Baker’s Marionettes

Intermission

>>Charles Phoenix Los Angelesland program

Could this day get any better? Huell Howser is DJing on KCRW. How did this happen!? We speak now with KCRW Music Publicity Director and Guest DJ Producer/Booker Rachel Reynolds, the person responsible for this occurrence and an industry publicity personal favorite of the Losanjealous editorial staff. Indeed; not only is it Huell Howser Guest DJ Day today, it is also Rachel Reynolds Appreciation Day as decreed by Losanjealous, 22 June 2011 Anno Domini. Like most all things KCRW, Rachel brings quality to the equation (whatever the equation). Read on…

Greets, Rachel! How did you originally become involved with KCRW? How long have you worked for the station, and what do you do?

I feel like I’ve been involved with KCRW since I first started listening. I heard it in a friend’s car about 10 years ago (within a year of moving to LA) and I was totally hooked. KCRW and its DJs were what made me feel OK about the move to LA, it was like a friend I could always turn to. And I’m not saying this just because I’m the Music Publicity Director (a job I’ve held since 2007). It’s 100% true.

I was hired in late 2006 to work in the pledge drive department. I BEGGED them to give me the job. Then, the publicity position became open and since my background was doing PR for indie bands, I jumped on it!

My job is to make sure people know about all the incredible things we’re doing, both programming-wise and out in the community with events. My goal is to spread the word far and wide in hopes of growing our listening audience and our membership base. There are still far too many people out there who don’t know about the station, but would love it if they did. I also edit KCRW’s Music Blog, which is a great way for us to promote bands we’re digging, as well as the Guest DJ Project, which taps into the musical passions of creative folks outside the music business.

What is the most challenging part of your job?

That there are only 24 hours in a day! There are so many things I want to do but I have to balance my ideas with the reality that I can only do so much.

Safe answer but a good one. And what is the best part about your job?

There are two best parts to my job – being able to walk down the hall and see one of my favorites new bands (Anna Calvi) or a music legend (like Booker T Jones) playing in the studio. It sounds amazing and I have a front row seat. Also, I’ve been known to send an mp3 or two around the station from a band I love and sometimes it’s really taken off. It’s a great feeling to give a deserving band a boost.

How did you originally become involved with the Guest DJ project?

It was my idea actually, and I book and produce it (with the help of 3 incredible engineers). I was talking to Music Librarian and DJ Eric J Lawrence about taking advantage of the fact that we are living in this amazing cultural community in LA and that you can really get to know someone by hearing them talk about music without having to ask any personal questions. We feature a wide variety of people – painters, athletes, photographers, fashion designers, authors, actors, comic book writers – and across the board their love for music is so inspiring. They each have to choose 5 songs to talk about and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been yelled at because it’s such a torturous task. (jokingly, of course)

We are all crazy about Huell over here. When did you first begin watching Huell Howser? What were your thoughts the first time you saw Huell on television? And how was he chosen to be a guest DJ?

Huell was actually a suggestion from two people I trust – Eric and Shawniece Swain, who works in our membership department. It took me months and months to get him and it was totally worth it. I’ve been watching for many years and he is just the best. His genuine enthusiasm makes anything and everything interesting. I think every single KCRW employee had their photo taken with him when he came to the station! We’re fans.

Two words, one initial: Eric J Lawrence. Go.

Where do I start? He’s a true music geek in the best sense of the word and a walking encyclopedia about not only music, but books, films and comics as well. He has golden ears and can really spot a song that is going to resonate with our audience. He is charged with listening to “music submissions” which means he has the opportunity to pick up on previously undiscovered gems but has to listen to LOTS of not-so-good music to find them

Talking music to EJL in the music library amongst the stacks is one of my favorite KCRW pastimes. Our tastes our actually pretty similar. He rocks.

Best lunch spots near Santa Monica College? (We’re cheapskates. We prefer sub-$10, but don’t limit yourself. $10.25 is also fine.)

Not many, sadly! There’s Abbot’s Pizza Company and Hungry Pocket for some falafel.

What are some of your favorite venues in and around Los Angeles? What are some of your favorite concerts over the past year?

I love the Troubadour because I live on the Westside. I saw Anna Calvi there, as well as Dale Earnhardt Jr Jr. Love them. (DEJJ Losanjealous Q&A here – ed.) I also really enjoyed Fleet Foxes and the Cave Singers at the Palladium. A few of my favorite live sets were actually in Austin during SXSW – Wolf Gang, Charles Bradley and The Kills. (Photos: Kills @ Stubbs, SXSW 2011 – ed)

Who might we expect to hear guest DJing in the months to come?

I’m going to have my first Laker! Ron Artest will be on.

Also, video game designer Will Wright, photographer/director Cheryl Dunn, and comedian Chris Hardwicke.

Anything else you’d like to tell the readers of Losanjealous?

Thanks for reading this far!

Oh, and we have a pledge drive coming up in August, so look out for that. :)

» Guest DJ Project: Huell Howser

Photos by Gregg Lewis.

Ok kids, this photo recalls a moderately active wall at the corner of Santa Monica and Temple circa 2004. The corner here used to be home to the famed Jayburger shack. Jay’s Jayburgers was the place to end your night of revelry in Silver Lake, and many a drunken grizzled hipster ended up here scarfing down an egg-topped cholesterol timebomb come 2am. It’s true. The next time you go out to a bar, look for the oldest alcoholic in the place and ask him about Jayburger, but back to topic. Whenever he wasn’t throwing redbull-and-vodka sponsored DJ parties and art openings in his space next to the Wiltern, Shepard stayed hard at work ’round town. Here we see Angela Davis next to Andre. I also spy the remaining tops of a few Robbie Conal anti-Iraq War posters. The wall itself is not really visible at all now, due to the construction of an incredibly ugly building some years back (helpful Google street view reference map below). Whee!, memory.

Descendents, Death From Above 1979, Explosions In The Sky, Broken Social Scene, Cold War Kids, Guided By Voices, Simian Mobile Disco (Live), The Dead Milkmen, Girls, No Age, Kid Dynamite, Glass Candy, Dan Deacon, Four Tet, The Head & The Heart, Off! , Yacht, The Weakerthans, Chromatics, Cults, The Olivia Tremor Control, Smith Westerns , Strange Boys, Japandroids, Nosaj Thing, Ty Segall, Mister Heavenly, Pink Mountaintops, Avi Buffalo, Cass McCombs, Title Fight, Fools Gold, Tijuana Panthers, Touche Amore, Purity Ring, Twin Sister, Future Islands & more TBA