Secret Headquarters, the east side's greatest comic book store, is throwing another one of their intimate opening receptions for local artist Rama Hughes. I've been reading his website for days. Not only is Hughes a gifted illustrator but a beautiful writer and he's got so many nice things to say about his girlfriend. His portraits of friends from the neighborhood will adorn Secret Headquarter's walls for only two weeks. Hughes has been sketching and snapping photos around the shop for a little while. Maybe you're in one of them! The pic above is of shop owner David reading what looks like the Acme Novelty Library. Why'd you shave your mutton chops David, why?!?
3817 Sunset Friday 9/1 8:00-10:00pm

Labels: comics, events

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players will be at the Troubadour this Sunday, 9/3. The mother, father, daughter team play rock music inspired by slides and home movies they find at garage sales. Already a hit in their native Brooklyn this will be a show not to be missed. Daughter/drummer in the trio, Rachel Trachtenburg is already growing up to be the next important arty girl (eat your heart out Chloe Sevigny). She's a seventh grader with so much coolness in her future.
Troubadour $12 Doors at 8:00pm.

Labels: events, music

Billy Crystal looking suspiciously younger in certain Santa Monica office lobby.

Labels: celeb sighting

With a slight change in stage placement, discouraging prices, and lack of celebrity headliners, the Junction this year seemed a lot less crowded than last year, no? The usual storefronts and booths kept the morale up in the heat - every vendor had plenty of $1 water bottles and paper parasols to keep the heat at bay. Does anyone remember when the entrance fee was donation based? Hopefully in the near future there will be a deal for the entire weekend. I made it out Saturday.

Labels: events, reviews

Lindsay Lohan and underage posse talking loudly at Malo. Malo has a great tequila selection, nice ambience, and a taco bar serving food 'til midnight.

Labels: bars, celeb sighting

The summer ain't over yet, but uncomfortably close. So live it up over Labor Day, or any warm day for that matter with a cool glass of sangria. Sangria is a wine and fruit mixture originating in Spain. Supposedly this recipe was born when Spanish vineyards had a bad batch of red wine and couldn't bear to waste it. My recipe was born Easter weekend in college. Best part about Sangria is cheap wine works better and the fermentation just increases the alcohol content after a day - so if by a miracle there's leftovers, don't toss the cocktail.

1 bottle of red wine (Cabernet or Shiraz)
3 fresh oranges
2 fresh lemons
1 fresh lime
1 nectarine or peach
1/4 bag frozen strawberries.
1/4 cup Triple Sec
1/4 cup Orange Juice
1/4 cup Grape Juice

Thaw strawberries over luke warm water, don't toss the juice. Slice the strawberries into halves. Cut up nectarine into little squares (tiny bite size works best). Peel and slice lemons, cut into bite sized chunks - same for two of the oranges - save third for garnishes of thin slices. Place all fruit and juice at bottom of pitcher. Squeeze juice of lime over the fruit. Add wine, triple sec, juice. Stir. Serve chilled over ice.

Labels: DIY, food

According to a recent LA Weekly article, my favorite new gelato shop, not to mention Chango one of my favorite coffee shops, are cited as signs of Silver Lake/Echo Park gentrification. In fact, the LA weekly likens the movement of gentrified neighborhoods to a flood -- a little insensitive I think to our friends in New Orleans, but titillating none the less. While enjoying a delectable cup of frozen strawberry yogurt and mint limencello the other night I even said out loud "I love my neighborhood". A plethora of races and classes was packed in the little shop at 9pm on a weekday making quite the pretty sidewalk scene. Yes, the hipsters often outnumber the locals regularly at the east end of Sunset Blvd, but I would much rather deal with the sign of the times at hand and fight poorly crafted condos going up over historical landmarks instead of locally run businesses. In a nutshell, the article gives something for us all to ponder but provides little new information. Nor does the paper suggest solutions to ease the guilt. We can't take where we're living for granted. As the LA Weekly warns us, Echo Park could be bulldozed just as easily as McMansions replaced the bungalows in Manhattan Beach. Very scary indeed.

Labels: local, newsworthy

#1 Sunset Junction
The annual celebration of Silver Lake neighborhoods with three stages of music all day, greasy food, voter registration booths, and the usual street fair wares. Get the parasols out and don't forget the sunscreen. Park at a friend's house or bus it -- the streets become incredibly unfriendly to cars especially after dark.
Saturday 8/26 & Sunday 8/27 10:00am - 11:00pm
Full Lineup
map

#2 Revenge of The Book-Eaters
UCLA Royce Hall
Jenny Lewis, Aimee Mann, Dave Eggers, Sarahttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifh Vowell, The Mountain Goats and Jake Gyllenhaal battle out an age old question: What's better - Words or Music? Hosted by Andy Richter. The price is steep and it's probably sold out, but ticket sales benefit 826LA, a charity devoted to providing kids with writing classes, tutoring and creative outlets.
Saturday 8/26 8:00pm

#3 Roller Derby "Jail Break"
Industry Hills Expo Center
Tough Cookies v. Sirens on the banked track. This is not your mother's roller derby. These ladies mean business and the business gets mean. $15 door charge includes a classic car show - still accepting entries btw.
Saturday 8/26 8:00pm, 5:00pm Doors
map

#4 Cannibal Flower 6 Year Anniversary
828 Main Street, Downtown LA
Live art. Live music. Bunch of young local talent take over downtown warehouse with live music provided by the flan loving Ninja Academy. Plus DJs. Plus Body Suspension - yow!
Saturday 8/26 9:30pm - 2:00am
map

#5 Primetime Emmy Awards
NBC Channel 4
Ooh and aw at the pomp and circumstance as the television community applauds itself. Thank goodness there are no desperate housewives to root for this year.
Sundy 8/27 8:00pm
Nominations

Labels: books, events, music, television

Julie Delpy at American Rag perusing strappy metallic shoes.

Labels: celeb sighting

They are everywhere. Tapered and too slim for comfort. They even forced the Gap to reconsider its entire line. I speak of the skinny jean. And yes, they do look great tucked into boots, there's no risk of looking like a pirate as the baggy or rolled jeans often look. But they don't look great on all body types. After too many hours considering the look in fashion magazines I tried on a batch myself at American Rag. A great jean boutique with an adjoining vintage section where I get to try on garments from every decade always makes me happy. I can even venture in to the men's department to land a coveted crisp new pair of 501s or discounted Diesel. In not too long I found the perfect pair - skinny to be sure, but with lots of stretch, dark rinse with flair and even cropped. I found Levi's rare Red Tag line and the price was more than half of the other designers on the shelves that didn't make the cut. Even the shy salesclerk was shocked at the 2-digit pricetag. Even if you're not on the lookout for the perfect jeans American Rag hosts a sale 'til the end of the month.
American Rag, on La brea between 1st and 2nd.

Labels: fashion, shopping

Rex Lee (Entourage's Lloyd - agency assistant extraordinaire) walking and talking in Larchmont village.

Labels: celeb sighting

Etsy.com is a year old site selling wares of the homemade kind. It's eBay for the crafty with hundreds of virtual flea markets at your fingers. Each "store" is operated by individuals - giving each knitter, welder, tailor, and jewelry maker a place to sell her wares. Just browse and they'll mail you each adorable item you buy. Searching is half the fun and gives you crafty ones plenty of good ideas and designs to try. Not to mention, Etsy offers source sellers for beads, baubles and fabric in bulk - for when you start your own online outpost. I am loving Maru Lopez's jewelry made from vintage toys and decorated shipping tags. She sells under maudesigns out of Puerto Rico. Best of all, the prices cannot be beat. Everytime I wander into an Urban Outiffters I wonder why I would over pay for a funky plastic headband or bracelet. Most designs you'll uncover won't even set you back a jackson.

Also of note: Coin purses made from kimonos at Run Amok, octopus t-shirts from a Texas high school teacher, and vegan pancake mixes!

Labels: DIY, shopping

Thank heavens for the cool summer breezes we've been having lately. With a heat wave back on its way Sunday, enjoy the cool nights while you can. This Friday evening two musuems host FREE parties -- A great excuse for art viewing while under the guise of drinking and flirting.

Getty Center
Friday Nights Off the 405
Detroit DJ's Matthew Dear and Ryan Elliott set the mood in the courtyard. On the museum walls: Italian Futurist visual poetry. Outdoor multimedia installation also rumored.
Fri. August 18 6:00-9:00pm
getty map

UCLA Hammer Museum
Hammer Bash
I've been to the Hammer's end of season party for the last two years. Unlike MOCA there are plenty of cash bars so the line situation is not horrible. Pull up to the dancefloors, where yes, there is dancing, and take in some awesome people watching. On the walls: rare Picasso works on paper.
Fri. August 18 7:00-11:00pm
hammer map

Labels: art, events

I'm getting a little pissed off at my favorite reality show. How can the Project Runway judges (or sneaky producers) be so foolish to let a bright talent like Alison go? Insanity (Vincent) and lack of taste (Kayne and Angela) win over sizing?!? I'm shocked. On the bright side, Michael will take this contest and thank heavens for that.

Labels: fashion, television

Coming soon! A post on the benefit of indoor plants. Until then, pick up a couple beauties at Trader Joe's. A pretty little succulent in a ceramic pot might set you back a pretty penny at the popular garden shops in Los Feliz. At TJ's you can choose from several species and colors for $3.99 each. I placed this little group of three on my office desk. It gives the bland fluorescent space a slightly zen garden feel.

Succulents (like cactus but cuter) are very easy to care for. Look for hearty leaves and stalks that can withstand most lighting conditions and don't take much water. If they're spending their life inside, water only when the soil has completely dried out. Make sure you take them out of their lovely ceramic pots and run water through the plastic pots, which definitely need to have holes for drainage. A good drain will feed all the nutrients through the plant. A desert plant, these babies do love the sun. If you're not lucky enough to have a window office (like me) give them exposure whenever possible. I'm lugging mine home over the weekend where they vacation on my front porch. If they don't last I'll just head back to the grocery stand and replace them. They'll at least have a longer shelf life than cut flowers.

Labels: DIY, environmental, shopping

Get on this podcast list stat. Two fellas, Matthew & Nathaniel, broadcast Home-Made out of San Diego promoting the music, recipes, art and films of enthusiastic hobbyists. Gathered songs, interviews, and delightfully incoherent stories come from friends from around the country. Find out what a couple of lightweights these guys are live on Friday nights FM 106.9 (San Diego area only) or check out the shows here.

Labels: DIY, food, music

They said it better than I could've:
www.la.com - FYF

Labels: events, music

August 5, 2006 - The Smell, 247 South Main, Los Angeles CA

The Late Severa Wires are just a few of the awesome guys who make up a growing music collective out of Santa Fe, NM. Along with WAT IV (who played an incredibly inspiring show last month at Grand Performances) and DERAIL (who come to town later this month) this synthesis of experimental music goes under descriptions like “unorthodox improvisation” and “unclassifiable”. The scene is definitely experimental, improvised and spine-tingling unique. But that’s as far as words go. Someday you’ll find a section in your local record store devoted to the sound coming out of New Mexico’s High Mayhem Festival, but not today.

I caught the Wires show at The Smell, shared a smoke with the boys in the band and was exposed to all things wonderful in their short set of feedback, samples, and heavy drumming. Mike Rowland bangs his kit like he’s got something angry to tell it and the drum just won’t get it through his thick head. “Cathartic” was how he described his performance. Carlos Santisteven and Yozo Suziki, on bass and guitar respectively, hugged the amps tightly to produce some inspiring feedback patterns. Ultraviolet (aka Sean) on the turntables mixed up a through-line beat subtedly at first until the small crowd was drawn in by an appropriately racial/sexual spoken word sample at the end. Needless to say, these guys have talent, but what’s more, big hearts. They grow ‘em polite in Santa Fe and the LA groupies are grateful for a change of attitude. The Wires had played a gig the night before at a bar in San Diego, more known for it’s barflys than local music. I would have loved to see the expression on the regular patrons faces when the boys’ noise took over. Yozo said, “We had a great time but I think the regulars were wondering what happened to their Lynnard Skinner”. These guys live to play and would have a great time anywhere as long as they could bring their van-load of equipment along.

The Smell is located down an alley between Main and Spring St. As far as downtown spots go, this is one of the potentially sketchier ones. If you show up early, as my girlfriend and I did, be prepared to walk by yourself among closed restaurants and tent cities. If the close proximity of skid row makes you nervous, bring a couple friends to walk with. Parking on the street is metered and plentiful and there are well lit pay lots near by. Do not bother driving down the alley as the Smell’s directions on their website suggest -- you’ll risk hitting the night’s band loading in not to mention shopping carts and broken glass. ‘Nother tip: If there is no cover price listed on the website, it’s $5 at the door. Upside: Bottled water for $1.

That night The Smell was a tad disappointing as far as alternative performance spaces go. It’s all ages which equal a complete lack of alcohol and height. The walls of photographs from the gallery’s collection looked ripped out of junior college portfolios – some were great – but the duct tape frames left a lot to desire. The walls of The Smell are one of the inspirations for me to start up this blog though. Experimental work deserves the correct presentation and forum, which is probably not the wall outside the bathroom of some underground club. Just a guess. It would have been nice to actually light the band performing too. Nonetheless, the bands dug the intimate nature. Being able to yell or screech your guitar into the audience’s face five inches away from you can be a great motivator for one’s performance. The Late Severa Wires and The Smell are more examples of LA’s call for an experimental music scene. I declare the phone lines officially open.

Labels: music, reviews

The top songs I can't seem to stop listening to on repeat:

Cut Chemist "The Garden"
When I first heard this track on Morning Becomes Eclectic I thought it was some lost Astrud Gilberto track remixed. Come to find out it's just the genius DJ behind Jurassic 5.


Regina Spektor "On The Radio" & "Hotel"
Delicate voice puts such beautiful intonations on lines that quote Guns N' Roses' "November Rain", orca whales and cocaine.


Camera Obscura "Lloyd I'm Ready To Be Heartbroken"
As if one needed another reason to crush on tne Scottish.

Labels: music, random

I can't get enough of it. Be it Ira Glass' soothing stories on This American Life to Terry Gross' amazing interview skills my car radio is always tuned to 89.5. I'm even one of those driveway listeners who can't walk into the house after my commute home because I'm stuck in my car hanging on every word.

This morning's Day to Day was especially great. Not just because a handful of fave topics were covered (alternative fuel, Hemmingway, Colbert Report & Sen. Lieberman, Tibetan children)... Not just because Alex Chadwick has the most soothing voice I can stand pre first cup of coffee .. But because a whole article was dedicated to the Scopitone.

Scopitones are an extinct form of entertainment and were pretty much the first music videos. They of course weren't video at all but film strips connected to a juke box. So at one's local watering hole one could pay to watch a new recording. We all know the pop songs in the mid 60s were a little odd and the Scopitone hosted the best of them -- Debbie Reynolds covering traditional spirituals, Nancy Sinatra acapella numbers, Beach Boys/Beatles wanna-bes --- all set to pre-psychedelic images.

With the cell phone and iPod on the rise as the way we will watch all new pop music it's great to think back to the predecessor of MTV. I also think if we could get our hands on one of these and copy the design a whole new wave of 16mm music shows could continue an antiquated tradition.

According to Day to Day the last one is in the hands of a Laguna Beach collector. I might have to pay him a visit.

Labels: music, reviews

I'm Meredith. I do everything creative and creatively with an environmental and socially conscious slant. I want to promote you - your art, your music, your clothes, your store. Contact me any time.

email:
meredith@pudgy-girl.com

manifesto:
This is our world. Its not as big as we think it is. Not only is it the run into your ex-lovers and babysitters small world but it’s a small world with divisions shrinking your scope. North Cal and South Cal; West and East side. Our trends shape who we are and we shape the trends. Sunshine photosynthesizes our talent. Asphalt keeps us humble. Our eco footprint inflates weekly. Our commute time lengthens. The average Angeleno spends 15 hours a week in her car. I find myself in blissful weekend freedom wandering the streets where we live. I walk whenever possible and never have to wander far to the next big thing. This is the marketplace selling the next big thing. This is the happening happenings guide. Never have I heard the anti-apathy cry louder than right here and right now. To those in the throws of quarter-life crisis I just want to assure you: These times will not pass us by without a fight. Here I will archive the good times, store them in my hip pocket, sell them to the highest bidder. I mean, Basically, You know that new gallery opening/poetry reading/short film/comic/zine you missed? I was there. It was awesome. No, it wasn’t all that. No, I mean it could have been. I’ve got this homemade t-shirt to prove it. There’s nothing sadder than a half filled house party, so let’s fill this house. I want to help. I want to live in a small world and justify blowing the rent money on haircuts, CDs, books, magazine subscriptions, shoes, booze, and sushi and other pretty things. Who’s with me?

btw: pudgy girl is not just for girls. But it is a female friendly alternative to the present definition of style and culture. If you are a skeptical male consider the benefits when your girl moved in with you, got you to shop at Banana Republic and you got to use the gorgeous cruelty free soap in her bathroom. Remember how it felt when she told you how much she adored your mix CDs aand that recent comic you drew. We all need a little validation and pampering in our lives. Please rest here, share here and we’ll all learn a little something. This is my classroom but I’m only the student teacher, so please, no pranks today.