I have watched Comedy Central and shows like 'Last Comic Standing' for years but until August 27th 2011 I had never seen LIVE standup. So with some discount tickets Chris and I headed to the Downtown Comedy Club in Los Angeles. A comedian named Gina Yashere was headlining and it looked to be a good show.
As we walked up to the club I began to feel less sure about the success of this outing. The club was in a run down section of downtown. As we crossed the threshold it looked like someone had just demoed the place with a sledge-hammer. We were directed to our seats in front of a stage that was 3' by 3' and about 6 inches off the ground. Plus the A/C was on the fritz and it was one of the hottest days in LA. Sketchy to say the least.
We arrived at the very end of the open mic, and we decided to grab a drink from the bar before the show started. The bar was a counter with bottles of beer on display and a cooler full of cold ones on the floor. But it was only $3 a beer, which was an excellent surprise.
We took our seats drinks in hand and the evening began to look up. The host for this part of the evening was cute and funny. Everyone she introduced told at least one good joke and a few of the comics made me laugh so hard I almost cried.
Then they introduced Gina Yashere, her bit started a little slow. She was HYSTERICAL. I was actually crying at 3 points during the show. Retelling it now won't be as funny but you can check out her website or watch her on Jay Leno on September 22nd.
This was a great way to spend an evening and even without discount tickets it costs less than a movie, next time I will find a club with A/C. :)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
30 before 30: Go See a Play
South Pasadena has entertainment in the park by our house every summer. This year Shakespeare by the Sea presented 'Much Ado About Nothing', which is my favorite Shakespeare play. So we packed up out chairs, wine, cheese and headed out to watch the play.
As the play started it was a little hard to hear, being outside there were no walls to contain the actors voices. The sound traveled better as the evening progressed and by the end of the play it was fairly easy to hear.
The actors made me remember the good and bad of live theater. It can be a moving experience watching live people unfold a story before you. I find that some of that connection is lost in movies. The down side is that the acoustics can be ify and a play doesn't bowl you over like a full scale movie can. Live theater is much more sutble and you have to pay closer attention to catch all the details.
The play was fun even with the not fantastic acoustics. I enjoyed it enough that I have been looking for other plays in town to go see. Live theater can be a great night out and often it costs less than a movie ticket.
As the play started it was a little hard to hear, being outside there were no walls to contain the actors voices. The sound traveled better as the evening progressed and by the end of the play it was fairly easy to hear.
The actors made me remember the good and bad of live theater. It can be a moving experience watching live people unfold a story before you. I find that some of that connection is lost in movies. The down side is that the acoustics can be ify and a play doesn't bowl you over like a full scale movie can. Live theater is much more sutble and you have to pay closer attention to catch all the details.
The play was fun even with the not fantastic acoustics. I enjoyed it enough that I have been looking for other plays in town to go see. Live theater can be a great night out and often it costs less than a movie ticket.
Thursday, July 7, 2011
30 before 30: Food Truck
So I have to say this was the thing most people expressed surprise over. I got a lot of “You’ve never eaten at a food truck?”. Well this wednesday night I had my first food truck experience. For those of you who don’t live in a large metropolitan area these food distributors are no longer called roach coaches, but gourmet food trucks.
Chris and I headed to Jones Coffee Roasters on South Raymond St in Pasadena for Wheel Food Wednesday! As we walked into the parking lot where the trucks were set up the smell was amazing. There were 3 food trucks, Border Grill, No Tomatoes and Slammin' Sliders. There was also a live band a vintage clothing booth and 2 food carts.
We started at the Border Grill truck, after watching food get handed down from the small window I finally settled on Ceviche and a Corn Tamale. The ceviche was perfect for the sweltering day that had finally ended. Cool, lemony and a little sweet from the shrimp it was wonderful. The Tamale was creamy, sweet from the corn and just a little spicy. All I can say is YUM!
Jones Coffee Roasters serves coffee as well as soda and water. I got an italian soda made from Peligrino and Granny Smith Apple Syrup. SO GOOD! Tangy and sweet it was a great compliment to the food.
Next I got some pulled pork sliders from Slamming Sliders. There were so many grilled onions on top I wasn’t sure I had gotten any pork on my slider. :) It was absolutely delicious. I was thrilled with real BBQ flavor, no liquid smoke here, and the onions were grilled to being sweet with a little crunch left in them.
We finished with a bag of Samosas from the No Tomatoes truck. Perfectly spiced with layers of flavor and dough that was firm but not over cooked. It was a wonderful way to end the meal.
Having greatly enjoyed eating from these mobile dispensaries of deliciousness I will be returning to Wheel Food Wednesdays and as many other food trucks as I can find!
Chris and I headed to Jones Coffee Roasters on South Raymond St in Pasadena for Wheel Food Wednesday! As we walked into the parking lot where the trucks were set up the smell was amazing. There were 3 food trucks, Border Grill, No Tomatoes and Slammin' Sliders. There was also a live band a vintage clothing booth and 2 food carts.
We started at the Border Grill truck, after watching food get handed down from the small window I finally settled on Ceviche and a Corn Tamale. The ceviche was perfect for the sweltering day that had finally ended. Cool, lemony and a little sweet from the shrimp it was wonderful. The Tamale was creamy, sweet from the corn and just a little spicy. All I can say is YUM!
Jones Coffee Roasters serves coffee as well as soda and water. I got an italian soda made from Peligrino and Granny Smith Apple Syrup. SO GOOD! Tangy and sweet it was a great compliment to the food.
We finished with a bag of Samosas from the No Tomatoes truck. Perfectly spiced with layers of flavor and dough that was firm but not over cooked. It was a wonderful way to end the meal.
Having greatly enjoyed eating from these mobile dispensaries of deliciousness I will be returning to Wheel Food Wednesdays and as many other food trucks as I can find!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
30 before 30: La Brea Tar Pits
Okay, yes the large cement Mammoths falling into the pit are still there. But the 12 foot tall fence to keep people from falling in and the dead fall on the edges of the pit where not what I expected. Why did I think everything around the pit of tar would be green? Probably because Hollywood has corrupted my sense of reality.
The smell, while not overwhelming, is very close to the smell you get when you drive by a crew resurfacing a road. Except you can’t keep driving. The smell sticks with you as you take the 3-5 minute walk around the edge of the pit.
I think the best part was the bubbles. Small bubbles along the shore that looks like someone is boiling the water to bubbles the size of a basketball bursting in the middle of the pit. The larger ones had a sickly green hue to them that I thought was highly appropriate.
So while not the paradise of a tar pit I expected, still worth a look and LACMA was absolutely worth the drive. :)
30 before 30: LACMA 7/3/11
I love museums and I find it sad that I have been to some of the best museums in the world but not many of those in my home town. So after work on Sunday Chris and I hopped in the car and drove into LA to see what the Los Angeles County Museum of Art was all about.
Even though I had looked at the buildings on Google Maps I was shocked at the size of the Museum. It consists of 9 different buildings containing collections from Ancient Egypt to Modern Pop Art. We spent a little time taking photos out front with all the other tourists at the very cool lamppost forest. Created by Chris Burden it contains 202 vintage street lamps. Then got into line and bought out tickets, you can wander the grounds without a ticket and there are several very cool sculptures and restaurants on the museum campus.
We headed into the Ahmanson building first to look at Art of the Pacific. There were several hand carved boat prows. A few of the pieces had Cassowary feathers on them which I thought was awesome since I haven’t seen anything that mentions Cassowaries since I left Australia. Upstairs was several rooms with Germanic impressionism. I liked the furniture they had in this section. It was not over ornamented but the detail that was apparent in the structure of each piece made them amazing. We preceded to loose ourselves in the endless maze of the museum. There was always a low hum of voices, which I find much better than the stale silence you usually find in art museums.
We then ventured into the Hammer Building and the Ancient Egypt section which I loved! Photos of the pyramids at Giza, figurines of warriors and cats, and a sarcophagus. The detail put into the painting on the funeral masks just amazes me. There was a whole collection of different types of Bronze Spearheads, some for fishing, war, or decorative. From there we traveled into Europe with ornate gilded china and real clothing. This section became so confusing Chris and I were not sure we could fins our way out! My favorite piece from this section was a pair of globes, one terrestrial and one celestial made out of silver and gold. they were absolutely beautiful and the celestial one had all the constellations on it.
Our final stop, we didn’t get to 3 of the buildings, was the Pavilion for Japanese Art where they had a special exhibit of calligraphy masters. The brush work was stunning, there is no do-over or erasing with this type of art. Every move has to be deliberate. Some of the pieces had such clear expressions without many lines or different colors the artist was able to convey what their subject was feeling. I learned about the Zen masters and how Buddhism, Taoism and Confucius were similar in their goals but different in their paths. The whole building is a continuous winding path leading you from one piece to the next and lands you back where you started before you know what happened.
As we wandered out the sun was setting over the Pavilion for Japanese Art making it look almost as if it were on fire. There is so much variety in the collection of art at LACMA that everyone will find something they like. It could easily take 6 hours up to an entire day depending on how quickly you wanted to walk through the exhibits and how often you wanted a break. :) While not as impressive as the Louvre I greatly enjoyed this museum. The Norton Simon remains my favorite simply because my love of impressionism will keep me going back. The LACMA offered me styles and origins of art work I had never seen before and that is a feat in and of itself.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
30 before 30: Hollywood Bowl, The Zac Brown Band
It is late Saturday afternoon as we walk out of the apartment towards the metro gold line, heading towards our final destination of the Hollywood Bowl. Chris made us a picnic dinner of fruit salad, homemade carne asada pizza(with cilantro pesto) and a bottle of Truett Hurst Zinfindel. We had blankets and sweatshirts and were hoping it didn't start raining on us. We made it to the Bowl without a problem, the walk from the Hollywood and Highland metro station was a breeze, and I can't tell you how happy it made us to walk right by all the traffic.
You aren't allowed to bring alcohol into the Bowl so Rachel, Chris and I grabbed a curb and had dinner sitting on a blanket with hundreds of other people around us doing the same thing. Dinner was amazing, I don't really have any other way to describe it. The pizza was to die for and was a great match for the wine we brought. Thanks to Chris's friend Tiffany for giving us a great picnic backpack for our wedding, cause that's the only reason we had real wine glasses and plates! So much fun. :)
So we finish eating and head for our seats, shuffling along like cattle we get directed to a side entrance up the hill. Hardly any waiting to get in and as we come around the corner I am blown away by the size of the Bowl. It goes so far up the hill I can imagine people getting altitude sickness up there. I take a deep breath and we all start the climb, I now have a whole new definition of nosebleed section. Finding our seats is easy and we are not nearly as high as I thought we would be. We set up blankets on the wooden benches and settle in to wait for the music. The opening band is good but not great and nothing I would write home about. I did not realize till the end of the concert that the lead singer in the band not only had very long hair, but a neck bead that looked like you could braid it into his hair without difficulty. Good for him if that's how he likes it but it kind freaked me out. So much HAIR! :)
Finally the wait was over and The Zac Brown Band came on stage! We sang along and danced our hearts out. They did an amazing cover of 'Devil went down to Georgia' that got everyone in the crowd riled up. We met some really nice people in our section and some very drunk people also. Over all a fantastic concert. The sounds quality was so good, you could hear every word and never felt like you were sitting far away. If you ever get the chance to see them in concert it was worth every penny!!!
Then the merriment ends and we shuffle out of the Bowl with everyone else. We pass people trying to get their cars out of stacked parking, and people waiting for park and ride buses. One guy randomly stops pedestrian traffic, and then waves a car out onto Highland Blvd into stopped traffic. I was thinking 'wow that's so nice of him' then he opens the passenger door and hops into the car with his friends. Okay so that was the greatest thing I have seen in awhile. It proves that if you use a comanding enough voice people will listen, whether you have authority or not.
2 metros later we are home and crash from a fun filled evening. I am so thrilled that I got to experience the Hollywood Bowl, I don't think there is anywhere else quite like it. :)
So we finish eating and head for our seats, shuffling along like cattle we get directed to a side entrance up the hill. Hardly any waiting to get in and as we come around the corner I am blown away by the size of the Bowl. It goes so far up the hill I can imagine people getting altitude sickness up there. I take a deep breath and we all start the climb, I now have a whole new definition of nosebleed section. Finding our seats is easy and we are not nearly as high as I thought we would be. We set up blankets on the wooden benches and settle in to wait for the music. The opening band is good but not great and nothing I would write home about. I did not realize till the end of the concert that the lead singer in the band not only had very long hair, but a neck bead that looked like you could braid it into his hair without difficulty. Good for him if that's how he likes it but it kind freaked me out. So much HAIR! :)
Finally the wait was over and The Zac Brown Band came on stage! We sang along and danced our hearts out. They did an amazing cover of 'Devil went down to Georgia' that got everyone in the crowd riled up. We met some really nice people in our section and some very drunk people also. Over all a fantastic concert. The sounds quality was so good, you could hear every word and never felt like you were sitting far away. If you ever get the chance to see them in concert it was worth every penny!!!
Then the merriment ends and we shuffle out of the Bowl with everyone else. We pass people trying to get their cars out of stacked parking, and people waiting for park and ride buses. One guy randomly stops pedestrian traffic, and then waves a car out onto Highland Blvd into stopped traffic. I was thinking 'wow that's so nice of him' then he opens the passenger door and hops into the car with his friends. Okay so that was the greatest thing I have seen in awhile. It proves that if you use a comanding enough voice people will listen, whether you have authority or not.
2 metros later we are home and crash from a fun filled evening. I am so thrilled that I got to experience the Hollywood Bowl, I don't think there is anywhere else quite like it. :)
30 before 30: Singing Lessons
I had my first singing lesson today! To say I was nervous is an understatement. The last time I took a voice lesson I was between 8 and 10. I remember the instructor saying she couldn't help me develop my voice until I was older, but that I should come back in a few years. Well by then I was spending all my time riding so it took me 20 years to get back to a vocal coach. I didn't want to be a waste of time and honestly I LOVE to sing. :) I grew up watching Roger and Hammerstein musicals at my Grandma's house and always thought people would be happier if they spontaneously burst into song. I even tried to put on a production of Oklahoma with one of my girlfriends when we were about 8. The project was scraped due to not enough actors. So I walked up the stairs to my first singing lesson in 20 years with no idea what to expect.
The waiting room had a few couches and chairs full of parents waiting patiently for their children banging away on a piano or practicing a song from Le Mis. I took a folding chair against the wall and waited. Suzanne Lukather opened her door and welcomed me into her studio. Hardwood floors, vibrant red walls filled with Broadway posters, a stage in the corner with lights, a mic and a single bar stool met my sweeping glance. So much more than what I expected.
Suzanne's easy laugh quickly put me at ease as we discussed my history, what I did for a living, what music I liked and why I was there. We jumped into warm up exercises and I began to realize that my diaphragm was out of shape. We worked on breathing technique, how to hold mouth as we went through several exercises. She was supportive and always willing to explain how something was supposed to feel or why I had missed a note. I appreciated her clear and supportive teaching style and the 30 minute lesson flew by. We finished by singing 'People will think we're in love' from Oklahoma, one of my personal favorite musicals.
I of course got homework to improve my breathing, but I can't wait for next week!!
If your interested in voice lessons check out Suzzane at http://www.musiclessonstudios.com/alhambra-voice-teacher-suzanne-lukather.shtml
The waiting room had a few couches and chairs full of parents waiting patiently for their children banging away on a piano or practicing a song from Le Mis. I took a folding chair against the wall and waited. Suzanne Lukather opened her door and welcomed me into her studio. Hardwood floors, vibrant red walls filled with Broadway posters, a stage in the corner with lights, a mic and a single bar stool met my sweeping glance. So much more than what I expected.
Suzanne's easy laugh quickly put me at ease as we discussed my history, what I did for a living, what music I liked and why I was there. We jumped into warm up exercises and I began to realize that my diaphragm was out of shape. We worked on breathing technique, how to hold mouth as we went through several exercises. She was supportive and always willing to explain how something was supposed to feel or why I had missed a note. I appreciated her clear and supportive teaching style and the 30 minute lesson flew by. We finished by singing 'People will think we're in love' from Oklahoma, one of my personal favorite musicals.
I of course got homework to improve my breathing, but I can't wait for next week!!
If your interested in voice lessons check out Suzzane at http://www.musiclessonstudios.com/alhambra-voice-teacher-suzanne-lukather.shtml
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