FREE L.A.: Capital Cities and Gold Fields Concert at L.A. Live

I'm only posting this because I love Capital Cities' maddeningly catchy track "Safe and Sound." But honestly, this will probably be a madhouse and a terrible experience. Nonetheless, if you like braving nutso crowds, L.A. Live will be throwing a free live concert on Friday night by Capital Cities and Gold Fields. The catch: you have to register beforehand at lalive.com/collegefanfest.

The event, of course, is tied to March Madness. The "L.A. Live College Basketball Fan Fest" will also include "an outdoor basketball court featuring athletic challenges and exciting interactive games, a basketball clinic hosted by the Pepperdine Men’s Basketball Team, LA Kings Ice Crew & Ice Rider, LA Galaxy urban soccer pitch and street team, inflatables, contests, prizes, photo opportunities, bands, spirit teams, DJs, live entertainment and more."

A Tale of Two (or More) Downtowns

(Flickr pic by Channone Arif.)

The L.A. Times weighed in Sunday with another story about the Downtown Los Angeles renaissance, but the angle was at least fresh: A look at how the Staples Center and L.A. Live have indeed brought life to downtown, yet the halo effect doesn't reach more than a block or two beyond the venues.

But that's OK, the story notes: The growing population downtown has injected its own life into the Historic Core and surrounding areas, triggering the new slew of restaurants and bars in the area. There's just not much cross-pollination, and for the downtown residents who don't want their favorite haunts turned into mini L.A. Live offshoots, that suits them just fine:

In that sense, this is the kind of weekend that boosters have dreamed about: A rare triple playoff at Staples, with the Dodgers playing just to the north in Chavez Ravine, the Amgen Tour of California cycle race rolling through the streets of downtown and "Don Giovanni" being presented at Walt Disney Concert Hall.

But these big-ticket events tell only part of the story. Urban planners and others say that smaller, organic neighborhood forces, the inventive mix of retail shops, restaurants, bars and galleries, have also been an important draw.

"Downtown has some great neighborhoods that have their own specific functions — Little Tokyo, the Arts District, the garment district," said Joel Kotkin, an urban studies fellow at Chapman University. "It happens best when it happens organically. The beauty of the Arts District is that it grew over years. And there's a niche, art types, who like that. There's been a market for that."

Kotkin and others said downtown is really a collection of neighborhoods — not a monolithic whole — each with its own vibe. And they are much less interconnected than many might think.

"Downtown L.A. is like the rest of the city," said Steven Erie, a political science professor at UC San Diego who has written about Los Angeles. "Just like you have a spread-out city, you have nodes in downtown. They're very weakly connected, and that's the way L.A. grew, and that's the way downtown was developed. There's multiple downtown experiences."

The differences are about location but also about culture. Amid the lofts, dive bars and art galleries along Spring and Main streets, some residents said they have little interest in the chain restaurants and mainstream entertainment offered at Staples and L.A. Live.

Read more here.

The Search for L.A.'s 24-Hour Starbucks Location

Los Angeles may be the second-largest metro area in the country -- but when it comes to finding an open coffee shop after 11 p.m., Angelenos are still mostly out of luck.

There are, of course, some coffeehouses open late -- the Insomnia Cafe on Beverly, for example, is open until 1:30 a.m.

But late coffeeshops are rare -- particularly chains like Starbucks or Coffee Bean. According to multiple web reports, Starbucks once operated at least one 24-hour location in L.A., but it long ago pulled back on that location's hours. People still claim that they know of 24-hour Starbucks locations -- but these are probably the same people who claim they've seen a Dunkin' Donuts location here in SoCal. They don't know.

As a result, these days late-night caffeine addicts have had to settle for the 7-Eleven swill.

That is changing, at least temporarily, downtown. According to Blog Downtown, the Starbucks location at L.A. Live is testing extended hours, keeping open until 2 a.m. (except Sunday, when it closes at 1 a.m.). Move was in response to the opening of new JW Marriott hotel this week.

Where do you usually go for your late-night coffee runs?

Coming to Downtown This Holiday Season: Competing Outdoor Ice Skating Rinks

Oh, crass, crass AEG. I shoulda known they would yank their support for Pershing Square's Downtown on Ice once L.A. Live opened.

The Downtown News has confirmed that the L.A. Kings, which has sponsored the holiday tradition for 10 years, has yanked its support in order to sponsor a new outdoor rink at L.A. Live.

The good news is the city plans to continue with Pershing Square's Downtown on Ice (where Maria and I got engaged -- so yes, we're a bit sentimental about it) this summer, even without the Kings' support. More:

The Los Angeles Kings this year are dropping their sponsorship of the Downtown On Ice rink at Pershing Square after a decade-long partnership. Instead, the team will sponsor a new, temporary rink at L.A. Live, Kings Vice President of Communications Michael Altieri told Los Angeles Downtown News.

“We’ve had 10 great years, but we now have an opportunity with L.A. Live to establish what we feel will be a premier ice rink in the same vein as Rockefeller Center in New York,” said Altieri. “It’s such a great location.”

The new rink, he said, will be set up at Nokia Plaza, the open courtyard inside L.A. Live’s main entrance off Olympic Boulevard. The rink will open in late November and run into January, Altieri said, though he was not able to provide exact dates.

The Pershing Square rink will run from Nov. 19-Jan. 19 without the Kings, regardless of whether the Department of Recreation and Parks can find a replacement sponsor, said Pershing Square Facility Manager Ann Vollmer.

Losing the Kings’ sponsorship will cost the city approximately $100,000, said L.A. Parks Foundation Executive Director Judith Kieffer, who is working on finding a corporate sponsor for the rink.

Still, the lunchtime and evening concerts that have livened up Downtown On Ice in previous years will go on this year, Vollmer said.

To me, there's not even a contest. Skating at night under the lights of the city skyscrapers at Downtown on Ice easily beats skating under a giant "NOKIA" sign and ads at L.A. Live.

FREE L.A.: The Grammy Museum Goes Hawaiian

Hawaiian Eye/Aloha Friday Radio may be long gone, but the vibrant Hawaiian music scene lives on. This Friday, L.A. Live's Grammy Museum is offering a free program featuring this year's Grammy nominees in the Hawaiian category.

"Hawai'i Goes Grammy: A Tribute to Hawaiian Music" takes place this Friday, Feb. 6 at 8 p.m. Not only will the event give you an opportunity to check out the museum -- which we gave a good review back in December -- but you'll also get what promises to be a good show. Details:

Celebrate the rich cultural heritage of Hawaiian music with The GRAMMY Museum! Join us as 2009 GRAMMY Nominees in the Hawaiian Music category perform on our GRAMMY Sound Stage. Program will also include an onstage interview and musical history lesson with Chief Curator Ken Viste. Admission is free to the public. Museum members receive priority admission. Doors open at 7:30 pm. To reserve tickets, call 213.765.6830 or e-mail programs@grammymuseum.org.

This year's nominees -- yet another group heavy on the slack key guitar, shutting out other subgenres -- include "Ikena" by Tia Carrere & Daniel Ho; "Aumakua" by Amy Hanaiali'i; "Force of Nature" by Led Kaapana & Mike Kaawa; "Hawaiian Slack Key Kings Masters Series, Vol. II," compiled by Chris Lau and Milton Lau; and "The Spirit of Hawaiian Slack Key Guitar," compiled by Daniel Ho, George Kahumoku Jr., Dennis Kamakahi, Paul Konwiser and Wayne Wong.

C'mon Shake Your Body, Antonio, Do The Conga

My favorite Internet item of the day: Losanjealous' multi-part series, Photos of Mayor Villaraigosa Jamming On Congas With Sheila E. At LA Live.

First Look at the Grammy Museum

Inside the new Grammy Museum. Pic via the LATimes.

I had the opportunity to attend Wednesday night's Grammy Nominations concert/TV special at the Nokia Theatre (a bland venue I still don't like).. the Foo Fighters singing "You're So Vain," cool; Celine Dion singing "At Seventeen," er, not so much.

The concert, telecast for an hour live on CBS, was the Recording Academy's attempt to inject some excitement into the usual award nomination announcement. The show wasn't too bad (the exceptions being Dion and Taylor Swift -- I don't get, she'd be voted off "American Idol" after a few rounds) -- especially when the Foos' Dave Grohl ironically announced the country duos category.

Also, from the audience, watching groups of pre-teens attempt to walk up to the Jonas Brothers -- only to be denied by security -- was amusing (that look of frustration on those girls' faces -- 'We're so close, yet so far away!!' -- was especially great).

After the broadcast, John Mayer stuck around to perform an hour-long acoustic set, offering up his usual easy-to-swallow-but-not-too-interesting brand of guitar pop. Mayer took the opportunity to blast the tabloid attention to his personal life -- name checking his pals at TMZ. (Nope, didn't see Jennifer Aniston anywhere.)


(Flickr pic by Intellichick.)

MEANWHILE, the highlight of the evening was afterward, when I got a chance to check out the new Grammy Museum at LA Live.

Rather than offering up a static collection of music memorabilia and Grammy statues, the museum offers up 21st century-style interactivity. In this post's top pic, you can see one of the highlights: A touch screen that allows you to search through an entire history of virtually every music genre at your finger tips.


(Flickr pic by Intellichick.)

Plenty of other stations include lessons on how to remix from Paul Oakenfold; how to sing, from Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis; how to rap, with Jermaine Dupri; and creating beats with DJ Rap. There are several video displays devoted to things such as regional music; great Grammy performances; and more.


(Flickr pic by Intellichick.)

On the downside, sponsorship is everywhere -- logos from Target to JBL sprinkle the displays.

But on the bright side, there are plenty of cool pieces of memorabilia to see as well. One letter, from Elvis to a fan (sent right before he became famous)in 1955 reads:

"I don't love you and I doubt if I ever could, so please let's be friends and drop it there... P.S. If you write again, please send me a picture for my scrapbook."

Other items seen: Slick Rick's eyepatch; the handwritten album notes (by Tupac himself) for Tupac Shakur's "2pacalypse Now"; a 1957 letter from Buddy Holly to his mother (in which he notes that they were the only white act at a recent Washington D.C. show); a Guns n' Roses bass drum head from Matt Sorum; Billie Holliday's costume jewelry; Buddy Rich's drum sticks; a telegram to a promoter from Count Basie; the Presley Family bible; and one of B.B. King's suits.

Also: A sparkly dress from Celia Cruz; a 1964 concert program signed by Bob Dylan; the handwritten lyrics (by Eminem) to "Stan"; Louie Armstrong's neck tie; Glenn Miller's trombone; a 1966 bass owned by Jimi Hendrix; and a 1978 Davis clavitar (those cool, 80s-style keyboard guitars) from Herbie Hancock.

I'm no fan of how L.A. Live looks, but I'd say the Grammy Museum exceeded expectations. It's worth a visit, especially with visitors from out of town. And it's not a big time drain; the museum, which is spread over 4 floors, can probably be fully appreciated in 90 minutes. Tix are $14.95 for adults; $10.95 for kids 6-17.

Trader Vic's Returns Next Year

Tiki-themed restaurant Trader Vic's, which shut down its Beverly Hills Hilton outpost is making a comeback.

Reduced to just serving drinks and a small menu at the Beverly Hills Hilton's poolside, Trader Vic's will now be reborn as part of the L.A. Live complex, the L.A. Times writes:

Most of LA Live's restaurants -- including the Farm of Beverly Hills, Katsuya, Lawry's Carvery, Yard House and Rock 'n' Fish -- are scheduled to open late this year. The movie theater would open in 2009 and the project's two hotels, a JW Marriott and a Ritz-Carlton, would open in 2010.

Representatives from the Valencia Group, which owns the Trader Vic's chain, said the restaurant would open next year with Polynesian dancers, tiki-style drinks and what they described as Island-Asian fusion food.

Of course, it still won't be the same as the Beverly Hills original (here's our 2004 review). Knowing when you stepped inside the old, dark space that old Hollywood once sipped Mai Tais there -- and knowing the tiki decor had been there during the height of the 1950s craze -- was part of the experience. The new L.A. Live Trader Joe's will probably look much more scrubbed down and chain-y, like other recently opened outposts. But still, it's better than no Trader Vic's at all. Welcome back, Vic!

"American Idol's" Leaving Hollywood, Dawg!

L.A. Live's Nokia Theatre has just lurred away another major TV event, but this time from another recent development -- Hollywood and Highland's Kodak Theatre.

"American Idol" announced Wednesday that its two-night finale would be broadcast live this year from the Nokia -- after six years at the Kodak.

Announcement comes just a few days after the TV academy announced that the Emmys were officially leaving the Shrine Auditorium for the Nokia.

Seacrest stalkers, take note: "Idol's" finale will air Tuesday, May 20 and Wednesday, May 21. Fox says more than 7,000 people will squeeze into the Nokia to watch.

Whither the Shrine Auditorium?

(Flickr pic by Alan Light.)

Now that it's official that the Emmys are moving to L.A. Live's Nokia Theatre, that makes yet another major event that has vacated the Shrine Auditorium.

The Shrine first opened in 1926 as the headquarters for the Shriners' Al Malaikah Temple. Architect G. Albert Lansburgh designed the building, along with local architects John C. Austin and A. M. Edelman, according to Wikipedia.

The Academy Awards, the Grammys and the Emmys all once made the Shrine their usual home. Slowly, that's changed, as the Oscars moved to its signature Kodak Theatre home, while the Grammys (which used to swap coasts, but now mostly airs from L.A.) expanded into the Staples Center. Among the holy trinity of Hollywood awards shows, that left the Emmys.

Now, of course, the Emmys move to the Nokia starting this year (with the Governors' Ball at the Convention Center next door). Another event that also broadcast from the Shrine, the American Music Awards, moved to the Nokia last fall.

To be sure, the Shrine still holds many big events, such as the SAG Awards, and is the venue for USC graduations, among other celebrations. The venerable auditorium isn't going anywhere. And it's not like the Shrine has always held these events anyway; the Oscars only moved to the Shrine in the late 1980s after a run at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, and the Emmys just moved to the Shrine a decade ago after a stint at the Pasadena Civic Auditorium.

But at the same time, people in the rest of the country will be hearing those booming words -- "LIVE! From the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles!" -- less often in the future. And the Shrine may be destined to join sites such as the Forum, the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena and the Grand Olympic Auditorium as classic L.A. venues whose glory days may be behind them.