L.A. Weekly Names Eric Lynxwiler "Mr. Saturday Night"

L.A. Weekly's recent "2010 People" issue includes a nice write-up of local urban chronicler, neon sign collector, Los Angeles fan and all-around good guy Eric Lynxwiler.

Eric first came on my radar thanks to the "Wilshire Boulevard: Grand Concourse" book he co-authored with Kevin Roderick; it's still one of my favorite books about L.A. history. Later, Maria worked with Eric at one of her freelance design gigs, and we got the chance to invite him to speak at one of our Great Los Angeles Walks. (Like I said, good guy.)

What Eric has really been passionate about for the last several years has been signs -- specifically, the classic neon signs that have become an endangered species in our city. Sadly, too many cool, classic signs have disappeared as clueless business owners haven't realized the treasure that they're replacing -- and shoving in the dumpster.

Eric has been a volunteer guide for years at the Museum of Neon Art, and his guided bus tours of L.A.'s neon quickly sell out.

The weekly writes:

It isn't only glowing glass tubes that Lynxwiler, 35, brings to life; it's architecture and a close-up view of the city's ornate history that even astutely observant locals are likely to have missed.

"Los Angeles becomes a great, big toy box when you're on the top deck of a bus gliding down Broadway, and these giant movie marquees with their flashing neon lights are just feet away from you," he notes. "When you're elevated above the second floor like that, you can see the intricate terra-cotta in the beaux arts, Italianate and art-deco building styles. From that level, above the canopy of trees, Los Angeles is a whole new world."

Eric frequently drives around town saving old signs for the museum -- and has stored some at his house as the museum (now heading from Downtown L.A. to Glendale) finds a permanent home. That's dedication.

(L.A. Weekly pic by Kevin Scanlon)

C'mon, Los Angeles, Fix Your Slovenly Ways

Twice in two days now, I've been driving behind someone who -- at a stop sign or stop light -- tossed their garbage right onto the street.

Yesterday, it was a car full of punk ass teens throwing their empty soda bottles out the window. Today, it was a business man IN A BMW!! who opened up his car door while idling at a stop light, and SET HIS STYROFOAM CONTAINER ON THE STREET next to his car, before driving off!

People, it's 2008. That's just not how we do things. The world is not your trash can. Ideally, you oughta be recycling that bottle. But for starters, how about not slamming your refuse in the streets? Thanks.

San Francisco, Sept. 11

Spotted on Nob Hill: Hundreds of people linger after being sworn in as brand new citizens of the United States -- and on Sept. 11, no less. Tables outside are staffed by volunteers ready to register the new citizens to vote.

Mid-Wilshire's Street Musician Extraordinaire

When we threw the Birthday Race back in 2003, we enlisted Charlie Cox -- the musician who can frequently be seen performing at the La Brea Tar Pits -- to help hand out a clue. Charlie was more than willing to play along -- especially when I told him that the competing teams would have to hand him a donation before he played his song (and handed them their clue).

I still sometimes see Charlie standing there at the Tar Pits, performing, as I make my way to Koo Koo Roo. Now, this week, blogging.la did a really superb writeup of Charlie, as part of its "L.A.'s Better Half" series.

Here are a few highlights of the piece, as written by Helen Jupiter:

Charlie has been performing in front of the Page Museum of La Brea Discoveries off and on since 1975. His specialty and favorite music to play is the old Appalachian fiddle tunes and songs. He tells me that most of this music was gathered by record companies and folk song collectors between the turn of the Twentieth century and 1930s.

"That was when folk music was still en vogue among people, and not the captive of the recording industry," Charlie explains. "Although I do some modern songs that I really enjoy playing, like "Blowing in the Wind," by Bob Dylan, and "Angel Flying Too Close to the Ground," by Willie Nelson."

An avid collector, Charlie currently has about 99 instruments in his private museum. He plays a banjo, a guitar, a mandolin, a penny whistle, and bones...

These days you can find Charlie at the park pretty regularly, spontaneously teaching frenzied school groups how to square dance, and taking frequent requests for "Foggy Mountain Breakdown" and for the theme from Deliverance.

He'll play just about anything and always encourages listeners to suggest songs, but when there's no one around Charlie amuses himself by playing more obscure, traditional songs....

Charlie will be performing at the Natural History Museum on the first, third, and fourth Sundays of July and August, from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m., and you can almost always find him in Hancock Park.

(Pic of Charlie via blogging.la.)