01-28-19 by Los Angeles Downtown News

UNDER THE

DOMES Wisdome L.A. Brings a Hint of Burning Man to Downtown With A Festival-Style Art Experience

JANUARY 28, 2019 I VOL. 48 I #4

See Page 11

a waterfall returns after 42 years

photo by Gary Leonard

Page 6

15 places to watch the super bowl in downtown Page 8

THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN L.A. SINCE 1972

2 DOWNTOWN NEWS

AROUND TOWN

‘Botox Bandits’ Stick Downtown Spa With $4,000 Bill

olice are searching for two men who a local business owner says skipped out on a $4,000 bill after receiving treatment at a Downtown medical spa last week. Dr. Benny Hau, the owner of Sculpt DTLA, said the men entered the business at 705 S. Olive St. on Monday, Jan. 21, and each received $2,000 worth of Botox injections and other treatments. Hau said that one of the men then asked to use the restroom, which is outside of the business. After a short period, the other individual asked to check on his friend. When Hau asked a receptionist to check on the two, the men allegedly pushed her down and fled without paying. “They manhandled her and physically pushed her aside and ran off,” Hau said. He added that information on forms filled out by the suspects was later found to be false, but the incident was caught on surveillance video that was posted to the spa’s Facebook page. Hau described the suspects as a black male in his late 20s and a white man in his mid-30s. Anyone with information or who can identify the suspects is asked to contact police at (877) 527-3247.

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

Weigh in on Two Major Transit Projects

his week, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority is hosting a pair of Downtown meetings related to big transit projects. On Tuesday, Jan. 29, the topic is the Link Union Station project, which involves a proposal to reimagine part of the historic rail hub, with work including new run-through tracks, platforms and signals for Metrolink and Amtrak trains coming into the station. The meeting, which involves public comment, is at 6 p.m. at Metro headquarters, at One Gateway Plaza. The following day, the topic is the West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, a 20-mile light rail line that would link Artesia to Downtown Los Angeles. The event is from 5-7 p.m. at the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (815 E. First St.) in Little Tokyo. Metro is seeking to determine where in Downtown the line would end; current options for the terminus include Union Station or a spot near Eighth and Flower streets. The project is expected to break ground in 2022 and be finished by 2028. More information on the projects is at metro.net.

Free Admission to Downtown Museums

collection of Southern California museums are offering a weekend of free admission, and some Downtown institutions are getting in on the action. SoCal Museums, which

Why does this little burger stand attract over a million people a year?

JANUARY 28, 2019

consists of marketing departments from various Southern California cultural outlets, announced that more than 40 museums will fling open their doors and remove the cash registers on Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 2-3. The lineup includes seven Downtown museums, among them MOCA, the Japanese American National Museum (Saturday only) and the Natural History Museum (Sunday only). “It’s a special weekend that invites Southern Californians and others to branch out and explore museums they may have never before visited, or to return to familiar spots,” Jennifer Caballero, the SoCal Museums president, said in a prepared statement. Other museums that are always free are also on the roster, including The Broad and the California African American Museum. The offer is good for general admission and does not apply to special ticketed exhibitions. More information is at socalmuseums.org/free.

Video Game Developer Buys Broadway Building

he recently renovated Pettebone Building in the Historic Core has a new owner. The development firm RYDA announced last week that it sold the five-story structure at 510 S. Broadway to the South Korean video game developer NHN Global for $22 million. The Pettebone Building was erected in 1905 and got its name from the lamp-making Pettebone Company that was based there. RYDA bought the edifice in 2015 and launched a renovation of the building, turning upper levels into 45,000 square feet of creative office

space and adding a 3,000-square-foot rooftop deck. NHN Global will relocate its headquarters to the building, leaving its current home in Koreatown. Andrew Tashjian and Michael Gooch of Cushman and Wakefield represented RYDA in the sale, while Carl Pierose of Industry Partners represented NHN Global.

Sports Summit Announced For Downtown

he City West-based Los Angeles Sports Council and the Southern California Committee for the Olympic Games last week announced the creation of a big new event: The inaugural Los Angeles Sports Summit will take place in Downtown this summer. The conference, scheduled for June 24-26 at the Omni Hotel on Bunker Hill, will bring together different segments of the sports world to discuss everything from innovation to mega-events to fantasy sports. “Los Angeles is the place for sports — teams, leagues, owners, venues, events and players — so it’s only natural that we convene a yearly conference that brings them all together,” Sports Council President David Siegel said in a prepared statement. A highlight of the three-day event will be the presentation of the L.A. Region Sports Economic Impact Report, which will provide insight on the sports industry’s financial heft. The last report was conducted in 2013, according to Sports Council Chair Tony Sciarrino, prior to the arrival of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers, Continued on page 16

We want to hear from you about the future of the L.A. Zoo!

Public Scoping Meetings for the Los Angeles Zoo Vision Plan Environmental Impact Report

Find out at the landmark location near Downtown. Home of the original Chili-burger. Quality and value since 1946:

Chili Hamburger .............. $3.15 Chili Cheeseburger ........... $3.65

Please join the City of Los Angeles at upcoming Scoping Meetings to provide comment on the scope of the Environmental Impact Report (EIR). The EIR will analyze environmental impacts of the proposed L.A. Zoo Vision Plan, including construction and operation of upgrades to zoo facilities and infrastructure at the L.A. Zoo over the next 20 years.

Thursday, February 7, 2019 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Saturday, February 9, 2019* 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.

Los Angeles Zoo Witherbee Auditorium 5333 Zoo Drive Los Angeles, CA 90027 Meeting content will be identical, so feel free to attend the meeting that best suits your schedule. Free parking is available on-site.

Here are ways to provide comment on the scope of the L.A. Zoo Vision Plan EIR. Scoping period is January 24 to March 11, 2019. • In person: Attend a Public Scoping Meeting to provide verbal or written comments. • In writing: Amanda Amaral L.A. Bureau of Engineering Environmental Mgmt. Group 1149 S. Broadway, Ste 600, MS 939 Los Angeles, CA 90015-2213 Amanda.Amaral@lacity.org

Please go to the City’s webpage to view and download the Notice of Preparation and Initial Study: https://eng.lacity.org/ los-angeles-zoo-vision-plan

Many Imitate, But None Compare!

*Those who sign in are invited to enjoy the Zoo free of charge after Saturday’s meeting.

JANUARY 28, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 3

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

Jan Perry to Run for County Supervisor

Jan Perry represented the Ninth District on the Los Angeles City Council for 12 years. Last week she launched a campaign for the Second District seat on the County Board of Supervisors. The election is in March 2020.

Former Downtown Councilwoman Seeks to Succeed Mark Ridley-Thomas By Jon Regardie ormer City Councilwoman Jan Perry, who played a key role in both driving the Downtown Los Angeles renaissance and in guiding the community’s response to homelessness, is hoping to return to elected office. Last week, she announced her candidacy for a County Board of Supervisor’s post. On Tuesday, Jan. 22, Perry launched a campaign to fill the Second District seat that will be vacated when Mark Ridley-Thomas is termed out in 2020. In entering the race, Perry is running against City Council President Herb Wesson, whom she had a notable confrontation with during her tenure on the council. Perry represented the Ninth District on the Council from 2001-2013, when she left office due to term limits. For much of her tenure the district included a large portion of Downtown, and she helped shepherd numerous projects that led to the residential upswing and cultural revival in the Central City. According to a statement announcing her candidacy, she helped bring $52 million in net new tax revenue to the community. She has also launched a website, janperry2020.com. Perry was also known in Downtown for her efforts to address homelessness, including working to foment the creation of low-income housing projects and other service facilities, among them an expansion of the Downtown Women’s Center. She helped create 1,000 affordable units in the Ninth District — a territory that includes South Los Angeles — according to the statement. Other projects Perry worked on include the South L.A. Wetlands, a nine-acre park at 5413 Avalon Blvd. funded in part by a voter-approved water bond that Perry authored. The park

opened in 2012. “I am running because I believe every family in the Second District should have a pathway to economic prosperity,” Perry said in the statement. “I see tremendous potential in our communities, if we are creative and tenacious, we can attract good-paying jobs, build affordable housing, ensure every child in the district receives a quality education and has access to social services that can help them meet their full potential.” Perry ran for mayor in 2013, but finished fourth in the primary. She endorsed Eric Garcetti in the runoff, and after Garcetti became mayor, he appointed Perry to serve as general manager of the city’s new Economic and Workforce Development Department. The department focuses on job and business development efforts. Perry stepped down from her EWDD role at the end of last year and now serves as executive director of the Infrastructure Funding Alliance, a statewide group that seeks to propel different levels of government to create environmentally and fiscally responsible infrastructure projects. Perry enters the race nearly two months after Wesson announced his candidacy. The two had a contentious battle in 2012, as the 15 council territories were shifted in a process known as redistricting. Wesson oversaw the process that resulted in Downtown neighborhoods including Bunker Hill, South Park and Little Tokyo being pulled from the Ninth and instead inserted into José Huizar’s 14th District. At a luncheon hosted by the Los Angeles Current Affairs Forum on Jan. 14, Wesson said that he has no current plans to step down from the council presidency while he runs for County Supervisor. “I intend on serving as president until I can’t give that job

Convenience

DOWNLOAD THE APP SIGN UP TODAY!

“Now in Your Neighborhood”

RACK UP POINTS FOR THE THINGS YOU BUY EVERY DAY. REDEEM THOSE POINTS FOR FREE REWARDS. PLUS, GET A FREE DRINK OR SNACK WHEN YOU REGISTER.

At Olympic & Alameda St.

THANK YOU

EARN

points for every $1 you spend

For Making Your 7-Eleven a Huge Success!

REDEEM your points for FREE food & drink

photo courtesy Jan Perry For Supervisor

the attention that it deserves,” he said at the event at The Palm restaurant. He went on to say that former Council President John Ferraro stayed in the council leadership post while he ran for mayor. That was in 1985. The day after Perry announced her candidacy, the Wesson campaign sent out a statement saying he has already raised $500,000. The race has a unique asterisk. Last week, Ridley-Thomas announced his candidacy for the 10th District Council seat that Wesson is vacating. Ridley-Thomas previously served on the council and represented the Eighth District. The primary is next March, and if no one wins a majority of the vote, the top two finishers will advance to a November runoff. The Second District encompasses a 162-square-mile swath of Los Angeles and has about 2 million residents. It contains portions of Skid Row, and also encompasses Culver City, Inglewood, Lawndale, Compton, Carson and other areas. regardie@downtownnew.com

n X I M CH T 0 A 0 Mor $4. f 5

ANY 5 GRILL VALUE MENU ITEMS, 5 FOR $4. x

+Ta

SCORE

bonus offers to get rewards even faster

Our 7-Eleven / 76 / Propane staff is here for you 24/7. We take pride in our store and it shows. Stop in and say hi, we look forward to seeing you!

ATM

ALWAYS OPEN New El Segundo Location 2161 El Segundo Blvd. 310-648-7697

213-627-5008

OL YM

BL VD

S ALAMEDA

Amazon Lockers at both our Locations: DTLA “Chalus” & El Segundo “Sipla”

Se Habla Español

7 TH S

NTR

At Olympic & Alameda St.

S CE

1800 E. Olympic Blvd. 7 Eleven Morning Staff (above left to right): Serena Moreno, Marco Osorio, Bertha Davia and Hugo Ruiz. (right): Manuel, Propane Manager.

AL A VE

PROPANE, GAS & DIESEL 24 HOURS / 7 DAYS A WEEK

K103164 - 57590 - PUMP TOPPER EXTENDER 21X13 3LRETK

4 DOWNTOWN NEWS

EDITORIALS

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

JANUARY 28, 2019

TAKE MY PICTURE GARY LEONARD

Don’t Eliminate Pershing Square Stop From Rail Project

roposed mass-transit projects uniformly spark consternation from the impacted community. That’s natural with multi-billion dollar developments that will necessitate years of construction and result in shifting commuting patterns for tens of thousands of people. So it’s no surprise that a group of Downtown Los Angeles stakeholders is speaking out over an element related to the upcoming West Santa Ana Branch Transit Corridor, a $4.6 billion light rail line that will connect Southeast L.A. County with Downtown. The local players are displeased that, at a December meeting, the Metro board voted to eliminate a potential Pershing Square terminus from consideration. Metro has reasons for the move, but the Downtown stakeholders charge that the step was premature and that there has been a lack of transparency in the decision-making process. They want a Pershing Square stop to still be on the roster of stations being considered. This page agrees. We are not saying that Pershing Square must ultimately be chosen as the northern terminus of the 20-mile line, but the early removal and the uproar from people who say they were surprised raises eyebrows. Multiple levels of Los Angeles government have a history of making controversial moves between Thanksgiving and Christmas, when people’s attention might be focused on other matters. It is informally known as the “holiday hustle.” Did Metro try to pull the hustle with the West Santa Ana Branch? An agency spokesman told Los Angeles Downtown News that Pershing Square was removed from consideration because of anticipated ridership numbers and cost effectiveness, particularly in comparison with another proposed stop at Eighth and Flower streets (a terminus at Union Station is also being considered). Additionally, he cited design issues. Those could prove valid reasons to eliminate Pershing Square, but we don’t think the time has come for that step. Various routes in Downtown are still being explored, and a Pershing Square stop could funnel riders into an area with a high concentration of jobs and homes. We see many reasons to continue to examine the proposal, and few benefits to closing the door for good at this time, particularly considering that construction will not begin until 2022. We would like Metro to give a Pershing Square stop another legitimate look. While some individuals are quick to criticize Metro, we have seen the agency complete numerous excellent projects. It has a cadre of smart problem solvers, and they should have the opportunity to dig into the challenges related to Pershing Square. We also suggest that the displeased Downtowners continue to raise their voice and to show up at public meetings, including one scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 30, at 5 p.m. at the Nishi Hongwanji Buddhist Temple (815 E. First St.). They must lobby hard and provide watertight reasoning for their proposal. In the end there may be better options for the WSAB than Pershing Square. At this point, though, it is too early to know that for sure.

La Placita Olvera

Fifth Annual Walk for Life

S I N C E 19 7 2

facebook: L.A. Downtown News

twitter: DowntownNews

instagram: @ladowntownnews

January 19, 2019

COMMENTS

Regarding the editorial “Firehouse Arts Center Should Serve Kids and Adults” Thank you Downtown News for hitting the nail square on the head in both understanding and conveying the exact position of our Skid Row community! Both kids and adults need access to this abandoned city-owned property. There’s no such thing as community without both kids and adults. And with the large number of adult artists already in Skid Row, combined with the therapeutic aspects of the arts, multi-generational uses is a no-brainer! —“General” Jeff Page Regarding the columns “One Strike, and We’re All Out,” and “Teachers’ Strike Means More Havoc, and More Cowbell,” by Jon Regardie Thank you. This is a great summary. I’m living in Palmdale and had been wondering what’s going on down there. —Susan Cobb One of the major issues is people hate taxes because the money is going to neighborhoods where the majority of the population does not value education. If the money isn’t there, there needs to be a rethink about what education means to these neighborhoods. I feel EDITOR: Jon Regardie STAFF WRITER: Nicholas Slayton, Sean P. Thomas CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Tom Fassbender, Jeff Favre

Los Angeles Downtown News 1264 W. First Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026 phone: 213-481-1448 • fax: 213-533-6990 web: DowntownNews.com • email: realpeople@downtownnews.com

Archbishop Jose Gómez

ART DIRECTOR: Brian Allison ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR: Yumi Kanegawa PHOTOGRAPHER: Gary Leonard CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING MANAGER: Catherine Holloway ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb, Leann Hernandez OFFICE MANAGER: Claudia Hernandez

sorry for the working-class folks who can’t afford child care. How many people will lose their jobs because of this strike? —Nik Buckingham The district has lied about funding before. That’s why UTLA President Alex Caputo-Pearl doesn’t believe the district. Plus, Supt. Beutner wants to try to make LAUSD into a portfolio-style district. That aligns with Eli Broad’s idea of making half the schools in the district charters. Charter schools do not serve the whole community, they have no accountability and statistically they aren’t better than LAUSD Magnet schools. —Gregory J. Amani Smith

Hey You! Speak Up! Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like, or dislike, a story or editorial, let us know. Or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community. Participation is easy. Post a comment online at the bottom of any story, or go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page, and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, email regardie@downtownnews.com. DISTRIBUTION MANAGER: Salvador Ingles DISTRIBUTION ASSISTANTS: Lorenzo Castillo FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris ASSOCIATE PUBLISHER: Lake Trout

VICE PRESIDENT: David Comden PRESIDENT: Bruce Bolkin

©2017 Southland Publishing, Inc. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Southland Publishing, Inc. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed every Monday throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles. One copy per person.

JANUARY 28, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 5

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

A View From the Typhus Zone

THE INJECTING SPECIALISTS

MODEL

A New Downtown Resident Wrestles With The Outbreak of a Worrying Disease By Brittany Kamerschen live in the “Typhus Zone” and I thank you for writing the Dec. 17 article “Typhus, Trash and Trouble” (by Sean P. Thomas). I have been following this story since it broke in early October and I appreciate the coverage you are bringing to the issue.

MY DOWNTOWN I moved to Downtown Los Angeles last summer from San Francisco. Before living in L.A., I always thought the homelessness situation in the Bay Area was pretty bad, but sadly, I have found that Los Angeles is hosting and enabling an array of human addictions and mental health issues, and in many cases is turning its head away from the criminal activity that hides amongst the blocks of tents throughout Skid Row. It is an absolute disgrace to see that just a few blocks south of the big skyscrapers and new Downtown development, there exists a community living in filth. I find it unfathomable that it takes a disease from the 15th century to bring some attention to these issues.

to help and trying to reconcile the situation, I volunteered at the Midnight Mission to help serve Saturday breakfast. I was able to see my neighbors up close. Some were very grateful to have a meal, but many people were high from drug use or showed signs of mental illness. It was incredibly disheartening and uncomfortable to see the lost hope, anger and confusion, and the smell of human feces that permeated the serving hall. Over the past five months I have found myself in conversations with Angelenos who state that the issues of Skid Row have a long history in L.A. The common and overall attitude I continue to meet is that local government and police allow this area to be what it is and contain and manage it within the area. I sigh and shake my head and think more has to be done. Every day I have to cautiously watch my every step because the streets and gutters are littered with piles of garbage, human waste, hypodermic needles and other detritus that invites the rodents and pets carrying the fleas that spread typhus. Elena

LA’S MOST CELEBRATED & FRIENDLY INJECTORS

‘NEW YEAR SPECIALS’

JANUARY 28TH - FEBRUARY 3RD, 2019 $150 TRIO

& FAMILY OF FILLERS

PURCHASE 60+ UNITS OF DYSPORT AT

Restylane-L (1.0 cc) Restylane Lyft (1.0 cc) Restylane Silk (1.0 cc) NEW! Defyne (1.0 cc) NEW! Refyne (1.0 cc)

$2.95**PER UNIT **3 DYSPORT UNITS EQUIVALENT IN STRENGTH TO 1 BOTOX UNIT VISIT OUBEAUTY.COM OR CALL FOR MINIMAL RESTRICTIONS

*GOOD TOWARDS YOUR NEXT PURCHASE OF RESTYLANE

$50 OFF

Therefore, I am compelled to share my perspective as a new resident living in a loft near Fourth and San Pedro streets. When I realized I could get sick just from stepping outside my door to go on a short walk to the nearest coffee shop, I started paying attention to what was really being done to resolve the core cause of the typhus outbreak. And I quickly realized that there is not much being done to remove the tents and mounds of garbage that accumulate. Shortly after the news of the typhus outbreak appeared, I was shocked to see that one block on San Pedro Street was cleared of tents and the sidewalks were cleaned. It was nice seeing the sidewalk for the first time. It felt safe to actually drive down the street and not have to worry about a pedestrian darting out in front of your car. However, that did not last long, and within two weeks the tents returned, the garbage started to accumulate, and even more tents started to spread east toward Third Street. Skid Row is in a deplorable state. Wanting

Stern, a spokeswoman for the city Bureau of Sanitation, stated in the article, “Close coordination is critical in these joint city cleanings/treatments because of the human element and public safety.” I respond by asking, why does it take an outbreak of typhus for officials to take some action on public safety? Is not the current basic filth enough? If the city can be home to the 2028 Olympics, then it can certainly find and fund better efforts for the so-called typhus zone. I agree with Estela Lopez, executive director of the Industrial District Business Improvement District, when she stated in the article, “They are treating the symptoms without addressing the cause.” So I ask: What is the city doing to solve the root problem? The trash is never ending here. I think the city dump has a better handle on trash maintenance than the streets in the typhus zone and Skid Row. Brittany Kamerschen is a creative writer, playwright and poet.

REG PRICE

1st SYRINGE

2nd SYRINGE

$395 $395 $395 $495 $495

$345 $345 $345 $445 $445

$295 $295 $295 $395 $395

DUET

FAMILY OF FILLERS

FOR JUST

$370 $370 $545 $445 $445

(1.0 cc)

(1.0 cc) (1.0 cc) (1.0 cc)

(1.0 cc)

PURCHASE 24+ UNITS OF

LOYALTY POINTS EARNED

1st SYRINGE

ULTRA XC ULTRA+ XC VOLUMA XC VOLBELLA XC VOLLURE XC

PURCHASE 24+ UNITS OF BOTOX AT $8.95 PER UNIT & SAVE BIG ON JUVEDERM *REFLECTS $50 OFF INSTANT REBATE PLUS EARN LOYALTY POINTS TOWARDS YOUR NEXT TREATMENT. VISIT OUBEAUTY.COM OR CALL FOR MINIMAL RESTRICTIONS FAMILY OF FILLERS

IT IS AN ABSOLUTE DISGRACE TO SEE THAT JUST A FEW BLOCKS SOUTH OF THE BIG SKYSCRAPERS AND NEW DOWNTOWN DEVELOPMENT, THERE EXISTS A COMMUNITY LIVING IN FILTH. I FIND IT UNFATHOMABLE THAT IT TAKES A DISEASE FROM THE 15TH CENTURY TO BRING SOME ATTENTION TO THESE ISSUES.

$20

+ Earn Restylane Bucks!*

$20* $20* $30* $30* $30*

AND GET “1.5cc Jumbo Syringe”

Per Unit

$395 2nd Syringe ........... $375 1st Syringe ............

No Double Chin. No Surgery. No Kidding. NOW

FF $200 O L A I PER V *Recommended 1-3 vials for ﬁrst treatment and 1-2 for second.

NOW

$395* PER VIAL

Maybe the best chemical peel you’ll ever have

FREEZE THE FAT AWAY PERMANENTLY

REMOVE FAT PERMANENTLY

PHENTERMINE WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAM

$195 $350

+ FREE AFTER-CARE KIT

FDA Approved Appetite Suppressant.

$89

30-day Supply NO EXAM FEE

• NEW Low Prices • CoolSculpting University Certiﬁed • All the New CoolSculpting Handles

Lightsheer™ Hair Removal

JANUARY SPECIALS

NO SURGERY • NO NEEDLES NO DOWNTIME

5ml BOTTLE

$139 60% OFF

PLUS $10 LOYALTY POINTS

**Loyalty points on next Botox, Juvederm treatment or Latisse, while supplies last.

UNTIL 1-30-19

The Industry Gold Standard for Laser Hair Removal

more specials at www.oubeauty.com • Botox Diamond Award

NAMED BEST MEDISPA 10 YEARS IN A ROW 2009-2018

NOW 2 GREAT LOCATIONS

Dr. Kojian, Owner

818.551.1682 130 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale, CA 213.617.1682 125 S. San Pedro St., Los Angeles, CA

Oh You Beauty, Inc. Dr. Kojian

Open 7 Days a Week ‘til 8pm

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

6 DOWNTOWN NEWS

JANUARY 28, 2019

A Downtown Waterfall Is Flowing for the First Time in 42 Years Repairs Finally Made to Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial By Sean P. Thomas he sight may not seem special at first glance, but those who walk or drive by a stretch of Hill Street connecting Chinatown and the Civic Center will witness something that has not appeared for 42 years: a waterfall. On Dec. 13, members of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission quietly flipped a switch and the water began flowing at the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial in Downtown Los Angeles. The move received little fanfare, but it marked the first liquid activity since a drought prompted officials to turn off the water in 1977. “This has been years and years in the making,” said Clare Haggarty, deputy director of collections for the Los Angeles County Arts Commission’s Civic Arts Program, which helped lead the overhaul of the monument. “It had become a desolate no-man’s land.” Located at 451 N. Hill St., across the street from the under-construction LA Plaza Village apartment complex, the Fort Moore monument was dedicated on July 3, 1958. The project, which took 10 years to design, plan and build, commemorates the Mormon Battalion and the New York Volunteer American military forces that first raised the United States flag in the recently acquired California territory on July 4, 1847. The monument is one of 10 memorials across the country dedi-

cated to the battalion. The monument’s terra cotta relief was designed by German sculptor Henry Kreis and depicts the flag raising. It contains three other images that represent Spanish ranchos, prairie schooners (a type of mid-century stagecoach used by settlers), and industrial innovations that made Los Angeles suitable for incoming settlers. A 1977 drought led the County to shut off the waterfall. In the wake of that move, Haggarty said, the monument fell into a state of disrepair. It was neglected and became a gathering place for homeless individuals, skateboarders and taggers. In 2014, the County Board of Supervisors approved $4.1 million to restore the monument. In May 2017, the City Council chipped in an additional $500,000. Restoration work began in earnest that year. The County Public Works department took the lead, with the County Arts Commission brought in to ensure the repairs were in line with city historic monument guidelines. Repairs included completely redoing the tile work behind the waterfall, replacing the waterfall pools and retrofitting the piping to allow for adjustable water flow. Haggarty said that allows them to conserve resources when necessary. “If you want the full Niagara Falls effect, you can turn it up,” Haggarty said.

BUSINESS INTERNET SERVICE 1000Mbps/$499.95

photo by Sean P. Thomas

On Dec. 13, the waterfall at the Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial monument was turned on for the first time since 1977. It had been shut off amid a drought, and soon fell into disrepair.

The Downtown-based company California Pottery and Tile Works was tasked with kilning close to 300,000 tiles for the restoration. CEO Sean McCleen said that workers cut the tiles by hand into one-by-two-inch pieces before delivering them to the construction site. He was struck by the state of disrepair. “It was pretty much falling off,” McCleen said. “They had attempted repairs a few years ago and the repairs looked terrible so it all had to be completely cleaned off.” Another challenge, Haggarty said, was the age of the monument. She noted that some of the minerals and chemicals that went into the original clay no longer exist or are not used in construction anymore, which made matching the colors difficult. “There was a lot of trial and error,” Haggarty said. Now some people are noticing the brightened monument and the flowing water. That includes Chinatown resident Tim Healy, who was walking by the spot last week. “Now it looks great. But to be honest, I’ve never thought that there was anything wrong with it,” Healy said on a Tuesday after-

Auto + Renters Auto + Renters = Savings = And those savings could add up to $600* Savings So put your Auto and Renters together with State Farm® and let the savings begin.

800.900.5788 I aerioconnect.com

http://issuu.com/ladtn Follow Us on ISSUU

GET TO A BETTER STATE.® CALL ME TODAY Karla Greene, Agent Insurance Lic#: 0I67776

213-239-9675 Fax: 213-239-9679 www.karlagreene.com Karla Greene Insurance and Financial Services Inc.

Broadband I Voice I WiFi I HDTV

noon. “It looked kind of run down, but so do a lot of other places. I didn’t know it was actually a waterfall.” While crews worked on the project, they unearthed a time capsule that had been buried during the monument’s 1958 commemoration. It held notes and designs from Mabel Davis, a Los Angeles Mormon woman who worked for 25 years to get the monument approved. Photographs, newspapers from the day of the commemoration, city budgets and other historical items were also found. Haggerty said the work on the site is not completely finished, and upcoming improvements will include restoring a portion of the monument in front of the historic flagpole. She said that once the repairs are done the county plans to hold an event, which will include the burial of another time capsule. The Arts Commission plans to seek input on what should go into the capsule. Haggarty said the hope is that once the project is complete, the space can host receptions and other public programs. sean@downtownnews.com

*Average annual per household savings based on a national 2010 survey of new policyholders who reported savings by switching to State Farm.

1203037 State Farm, Bloomington, IL

Flip through the DT News print edition on your mobile device, with 6 plus years of past issues available!

JANUARY 28, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 7

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

It’s My LAnniversary! Reflecting on 25 Years of Living in Los Angeles

Go DTLA your way! More ways to get around DTLA – transit, flexLA micro-transit and ButterFLi assisted rides!

By Jon Regardie few days before Thanksgiving in 1993, I landed at LAX with a few suitcases and some cardboard boxes. I had left my East Coast home behind. Lured by professional aspirations and the temperate cli-

THE REGARDIE REPORT mate, I figured I would try Los Angeles. Maybe I’d stay a few months. Maybe it would be a few years. I arrived just weeks after an enormous wildfire devastated Malibu, and in the early months as I familiarized myself with the region, I drove through that community, stunned at plots where mansions had burned and only chimneys remained. Then, at 4:31 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994, I was awoken from a deep sleep by my bed pitching back and forth. When the shaking subsided I wandered out into the street in front of my Silver Lake apartment, the lights from nearby homes gone dark and car alarms sounding from every direction. Having never experienced an earthquake, I was uncertain about what I had endured. “Was that a big one?” I innocently asked a neighbor. “Yes, Jon,” he responded, and I’ve convinced myself that he tried not to laugh. “That was a big one.” That, of course, was the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake. The 25th anniversary of the temblor that brought down a portion of the 10 Freeway and killed 58 people was a couple weeks ago. For some reason, the early combination of blazes and seismic activity didn’t scare me away from the city. Neither did later economic recessions, auto gridlock, more wildfires, mudslides, rising crime rates and overall skyrocketing prices. Instead I stayed, and late last year I hit a quarter century in the city. I can’t figure out where all the years went, but here I am,

marking my 25th LAnniversary. Gridlock and Rent I was given a lot of advice before I arrived in Los Angeles. Much of it concerned automobiles, including “Get a convertible” (which never happened) and “Live near where you work” (which did). The best tip came from a writer friend who told me, “You’re going to get stuck in traffic. When you do, you can get angry, or you can say, ‘I’m stuck in traffic,’ and know there’s nothing you can do about it, so relax.” I’ve chosen to relax, though these days Waze offers an alternative. It’s hard to fathom today, but when I arrived the Los Angeles housing market was incredibly soft. Friends who had already settled in the city said the best way to get an apartment was to drive through neighborhoods you like and look for “For Rent” signs. That’s how I found a Silver Lake studio for $425 a month and, a few years later, an Echo Park two-bedroom for $525. No, I’m not missing a digit. No, that wasn’t the price per roommate with five of us squeezed into the unit. In a quarter century I’ve learned a lot about Los Angeles, including that, contrary to perceptions outside the city, it’s not dominated by Hollywood and the entertainment industry. You can swim in that pool if you choose. You can also easily ignore it. I have found the city’s political scheme endlessly fascinating, though I know this puts me in the minority of Angelenos. I’ve seen the tenure of Mayors Richard Riordan (the right guy for the time), Jim Hahn (yawn), Antonio Villaraigosa (so much squandered potential) and now Eric Garcetti (the jury’s still out, and his accomplishments could be undermined by his beyond-L.A. ambitions). I’ve witnessed the city’s curious sports scene and the way people identify with their teams. I watched Staples Center take shape, saw the Lakers win championships, Continued on page 10

Download the flexLA app for micro-transit and LADOT DASH info!

flexLA rides are $3 anywhere in DTLA and Union Station! Safe, professionally driven on-demand service for up to 6 passengers per ride!

For more information please call 1-833-Go2-DTLA or visit FASTLinkDTLA.com

METRO EXPRESSLANES

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

8 DOWNTOWN NEWS

JANUARY 28, 2019

15 Places to Watch the Rams (W)in the Super Bowl Downtown Is Full of Bars With Drink Specials and Big TVs Showing the Game By Nicholas Slayton s everyone already knows, the Rams will play in the Super Bowl on Sunday, Feb. 3. It’s the franchise’s first appearance in the big game since 2002 (when they played in St. Louis) and the first time the Los Angeles Rams have competed for the Lombardi Trophy since 1979. Downtown bars and restaurants are going all out, with a bevy of specials and big screens to catch the game being played in Atlanta. Here are 15 of the places where you can watch. Kickoff is at 3:30 p.m., so be sure to arrive early to secure a good seat.

BALDORIA 243 S. San Pedro St. Specials: It’s happy hour prices all night, plus $3 beers and $7 old fashioneds. In a dangerous move considering Jared Goff and Tom Brady are playing, the bar is offering $2 shots every time either team scores in any capacity. Game Plan: The Little Tokyo pizza parlor is known for bottled cocktails and shared dishes, so bring a group. Baldoria is also throwing a Super Bowl Bingo game, with food and drink prizes. The game will be shown on a wall thanks to a projector, so sight lines should be clear.

ARTS DISTRICT BREWING CO. 828 Traction Ave. Specials: Not announced at press time. Game Plan: The Traction Avenue destination boasts a projector that shows football games on a wall in the back of the space. The brewery offers around a dozen beers brewed in-house, as well as other selections. If the Maroon 5 halftime show isn’t your thing, there are 10 Skee-ball lanes, plus darts and other games.

BEELMAN’S PUB 600 S. Spring St. Specials: Enjoy select $6 house wines and $4 draft beers. Game Plan: Although it’s a Carolina Panthers bar during the regular season, Beelman’s isn’t shying away from the Rams. The Historic Core joint will have six TVs and food choices including a $14 chili dog, along with vegetarian options such as a $16 Impossible “chili” burger.

Downtown’s busiest dive bar, the Down and Out, sports 10 TVs, plus a 170-inch projection screen.

photo by Gary Leonard

BIG WANGS 801 S. Grand Ave. Specials: Not announced at press time. Game Plan: One of Downtown’s busiest sports bars, with 29 TVs, Big Wangs will likely be packed. If there’s a place to show up in Rams face paint, this Financial District joint with indoor seating and a patio is it. Expect bar fare such as wings and burgers, cocktails and plenty of beer. BRACK SHOP TAVERN 525 W. Seventh St. Specials: Reserve in advance for a table package — groups of up to four get 30 wings plus a pitcher of Heineken, or those with five to seven people get two pitchers and 60 wings.

Game Plan: Brack Shop expects to fill up quickly, so arrive early, as unreserved tables are first-come, first-served. The game will be shown on seven televisions. The bar has a full cocktail list and there are meals for carnivores and vegetarians alike. BUNKER HILL BAR AND GRILL 601 W. Fifth St. Specials: For Super Bowl Sunday, it’s happy hour all day, which means $6 craft beers on draft, plus a variety of appetizers for no more than $10. Game Plan: The upscale brewpub has an indoor-outdoor set-up with a large patio, along with 12 televisions. In addition to game-day fare such as burgers, there are heartier options including steaks.

YOUR Essential Dining Reference!

OF DETAILED PROFILES

S LANDMARK CLASSICES AND NEW FAVORITDTLA TH A N

ERIES

ELI

GO MOBILE!

IN AND AROUND

CIOUS E

2 0 1 9

LOOK FOR IT MARCH 18TH! Make sure your restaurant has a place in this year’s guide. Call (213) 481-1448 to reserve your space today. 1264 W. 1st St., LA, CA 90026 213-481-1448

LADowntownNews.com

JANUARY 28, 2019

DOWNTOWN NEWS 9

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

CASEY’S 613 S. Grand Ave. Specials: Happy hour prices go all day on Sunday, so $8 pints of Guinness and $5 Jameson pickle backs will be available during the game. Game Plan: The cavernous underground Irish pub sports 13 televisions, so you won’t miss a second of the game. Casey’s also has a number of bar games, from table tennis to darts, in case it’s a super blowout. CRANE’S 810 S. Spring St. Specials: Happy hour prices during the game, and table reservations come with a pitcher of beer and In-N-Out burgers. Game Plan: Crane’s is a Steelers bar in the regular season, so choose your words about the boys in black and yellow carefully. The subterranean space — a former bank vault — is compact, but the bar has three televisions and a full spirits menu. Crane’s also has a few Rams’ rally towels, in case you feel like waving something around. DOWN AND OUT 501 S. Spring St. Specials: The bar hasn’t announced its full list of specials yet, but expect $20 buckets of Bud Light, $5 bottles of domestic beer and Bud Light and shot combos. Game Plan: The Historic Core dive is generally packed on football Sundays, so expect a really big crowd. The DnO has 10 large TVs and hearty fare. If you can’t grab

a spot close to the bar, don’t worry — there’s a 170-inch projection screen, so you’ll be able to see Sean McVay and his perfect hair yelling calls. THE ESCONDITE 410 Boyd St. Specials: As part of its brunch deal, The Escondite is offering $4 Bloody Marys, mimosas and micheladas (until 4 p.m.). Other specials were not announced at press time. Game Plan: The Toy District destination has six TVs, including some outdoors. The Escondite is known for its burgers.

Big Wangs has more than two dozen TVs, almost all of which will be showing the Super Bowl.

HANK’S 840 S. Grand Ave. Specials: Not announced at press time. Game Plan: If you want to watch the game without dealing with rambunctious or I’mso-cool crowds, then the venerable Hank’s is the place for you. The dive bar at the base of the Stillwell Hotel is a narrow space with a handful of TVs. The regulars will show up and the beer will be cold.

photo by Gary Leonard

IMPERIAL WESTERN BEER COMPANY 800 N. Alameda St. Specials: Pitchers of select beers will be available for $10. Game Plan: Downtown’s newest brewery is cavernous, so there is plenty of room for even large groups to watch the game on the eight televisions. The $10 pitchers include a raffle ticket, with growlers of beer being given away every time a team scores a touchdown.

PRANK 1100 S. Hope St. Specials: At every commercial break the bar will offer rotating cocktails for $3-$5. So that’s another reason to get excited by Super Bowl commercials. Game Plan: The South Park bar is showing the game on a seven-foot projection screen, so you can watch whether you sit at the counter or outside. PREUX AND PROPER 840 S. Spring St. Specials: Happy hour runs 4-9 p.m. on Super Bowl Sunday, with $1 wings and oysters. There are also a pair of $45 pitchers of cocktails, one themed to the Rams, and the other to the Patriots. Game Plan: If you can’t get to Atlanta, try

this Southern-inspired restaurant for an upscale take on the cuisine. The brunch menu runs until 4 p.m., and after that it’s a high-end version of Southern classics, with Dungeness crab hush puppies or biscuit dough pizza. There are four TVs spaced throughout the two-floor establishment. TOM’S URBAN 800 W. Olympic Blvd. Specials: Not announced at press time, but, if past big games are any indication, expect cheap buckets of beer and appetizers. Game Plan: The L.A. Live sports bar boasts a staggering 75 TVs, and one can guess that almost all will be tuned to the game. It’s also big enough that Patriots fans can safely congregate. nicholas@downtownnews.com

BI ANNUAL

EDUCATION GUIDE LA Downtown News proudly presents its biannual look into the best traditional education and alternative learning options in the Los Angeles area.

It’s the

Big

Game

First Issue Publishes:

Monday, February 11, 2019 To advertise in this biannual issue call about special offers for up to 50% OFF on Multi Media packages today!

Where L.A. fans come together to raise a glass and cheer our Rams to victory! @hanksbarDTLA 213-623-7718 • 840 South Grand Avenue

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

10 DOWNTOWN NEWS

LANNIVERSARY, 7 and saw people celebrate those championships by setting fires in the streets. I was here as the Kings captured a pair of Stanley Cups and as the Dodgers lost big game after big game after big game. I saw Clippers owner Donald Sterling flame out spectacularly, and watched as L.A. went two decades without an NFL team, only to suddenly get one more team than it needs. I’ve also seen the public transit system take shape, the new rails lines offering an antidote to geographical seclusion. Still, I admit to having developed a sort of Eastside bunker mentality. Whether because of traffic, stubbornness or other factors, now my definition of going to the Westside is passing Alvarado. A Community’s Comeback Among the spectacular things I’ve witnessed in a quarter century has been the comeback of Downtown Los Angeles. When I arrived the Central City had a deserved reputation as a place that hosted hundreds of thousands of workers during the day, then shut down at 5 p.m. I’d see the rats the size of puppies on the streets after dark, but few people. There were some after-dark and weekend options, but not many. There were speakeasies and loft parties in the Arts District, and I saw Beck perform outdoors on the site that would become SCI-Arc. I’d drive into Downtown for a show at the grimy punk haven Al’s Bar, hoping my car window would be intact when I returned. I still remember one afternoon, before the turn of the millennium, when a brash New Yorker named Tom Gilmore called and told me to meet him at Fourth and Main streets, which at the time was a hardscrabble intersection that sometimes attracted drug dealers. Gilmore pointed to the trio of buildings he had just acquired and detailed his plan to build market-rate apartments. “People say the neighborhood is lousy,” he told me. “Well, I just bought the neighborhood.”

! T I GET

tional developers sniffed the profit potential and raced into the community, though many were battered by the Great Recession. Still, we’ve witnessed the rebirth of an urban core. The nightlife and culinary options from Chinatown to the Arts District to Grand Central Market and beyond are astounding for anyone who remembers the dead zone of the ’90s. Today the grocery scene is thriving, but as recently as

2007 the opening of the Ralphs at Ninth and Flower streets was treated as the supermarket Second Coming. Other things have barely changed. About a year after I arrived someone drove me through Skid Row, and I was shaken by the filth and the nighttime warming fires burning in garbage cans. Back then homeless individuals set up inside cardboard boxes rather than the tents that are common today. The boxes went on for blocks. The homelessness crisis seems worse than it was a quarter-century ago, and also has spread well beyond Skid Row. For worse or better this is no longer just Downtown’s challenge, but one for the entire region. Bookended by Blazes In 25 years I’ve found much to love about the city. Even with the broiling summer days sparked by global warming the weather is irresistible. The entertainment, cultural and food options are endless. Beaches, mountains and deserts are all a reasonable drive away. Los Angeles is dazzlingly diverse, and my son and daughter are exposed to so much more than I was growing up. I met my wife, who was raised in New York, while living in Echo Park, and today we still can’t believe that we have a pair of California kids. Or that we’ve become entrenched Angelenos. I’m astounded by so much of what I have seen and experienced in Los Angeles, while also knowing that there is so much I haven’t seen and may never experience here. The city may take from you in many ways (traffic, taxes, etc.), but it will also give and give if you let it. The weeks around my recent LAnniversary coincided with the most deadly and damaging wildfires the state has ever seen. My time here has been bookended by blazes. Fortunately the silver anniversary of the Northridge quake was seismically unspectacular. It hasn’t always been easy, but after a quarter century, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. regardie@downtownnews.com

T N E N M N I A T R E T N E & E F I L T H IG

A U R FEB

3 1 . B E F

: S E H S UBLI

5, 201

Israel

MARCH

Sasha

INE L D A DE

IN MY EARLY YEARS IN LOS ANGELES THERE WERE SOME AFTER-DARK AND WEEKEND OPTIONS IN DOWNTOWN, BUT NOT MANY. I’D DRIVE INTO THE ARTS DISTRICT FOR A SHOW AT THE GRIMY PUNK HAVEN AL’S BAR, HOPING MY CAR WINDOW WOULD BE INTACT WHEN I RETURNED.

G N I rtsiannmdent R A SP Enterta photo by

213

Gilmore’s Old Bank District set the stage for Downtown’s unprecedented residential revival, and his project dovetailed with catalytic developments including Walt Disney Concert Hall and Staples Center. In Gilmore’s wake local and then na-

19 0 2 RY

n Call a utive c e x E nt at Accou today

8 4 4 1 . .481

JANUARY 28, 2019

TW ITT

ER:

@DO WN

TOW

NN EW

S N NEW

WNTOW 10 DO

Great Places to Eat

8 1 . B FE d Other eater anON sic, Th YT rts, Mu AN D N IC HO LA S S LA A ’s n E AR DI easo f the S DD IE K IM , J ON R EG n 40 o g Dow W RIT TE N BY E Runnin

at the forms April 6. iste per Jon Bat Ballroom on am Teragr

wn o t n w es Do -up of l e g n os A L und o e r h e t v s i s ms, ns u mi e e t h ’ s e n u r o D mp r, M e o t c ’ a e! s r e o w h T m , Ne s d an ert c s t n n o a C r Spring Restau

hts Highlig

Concerts, Theater & more Great Deals & Offers

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

DOWNTOWN NEWS 11

photo by Hugo Barth

photo courtesy Wisdome L.A.

JANUARY 28, 2019

photo by Nicholas Slayton

CALENDAR

R E UND

E H T S E M DO

of s a Hint g n i r B . A e L. n With a w o t n Wisdom w o Man to D Experience g n i n r u B rt -Style A Festival

By Nicholas Slayton owntown Los Angeles, and in particular the Arts District, has seen its share of “experience” focused pop-ups. Projects such as the Museum of Ice Cream and Happy Place drew thousands to colorful installations. Whether the appeal was the happening itself or a resulting Instagram post depends on who you ask. Wisdome L.A. aims to be more than just an oversized photo booth. The project’s five large geodesic domes loom over the Arts District as crisp, blemish-free orbs. They stand out in an industrial area covered in colorful murals and signs. Wisdome L.A. opened at 1147 Palmetto St. last month. The creative team previously brought smaller versions to festivals such as Coachella and Burning Man, and that aesthetic continues in Downtown, with elements of Eastern mysticism and an

open-minded focus on the “collective experience.” But the production team has a more grounded business plan, and sees the space as a hybrid immersive art gallery, concert venue and event space. “We are an art exhibition. We have music, art, dance,” said Sean Ahearn, vice president of the company Fulldome Pro, which is behind the project. “We’re just trying to make a community attraction. It’s the Arts District for God’s sake. Let’s be artsy.” The company has a three-year lease on the 35,000-squarefoot space, and Ahearn said the team is now testing what works and what gets people interested. Currently Wisdome features an exhibition of artist Android Jones’ work, titled Samskara. Wisdome is open Thursdays-Sundays and Ahearn expects people will spend one to two hours wandering the domes and the site. Coffee, tea and wine are for sale. Tickets start at $25, and can go up to $50-$100 for special events. Experimental shows have drawn 150-200 people, while pop-up activities such as Beyond the Wall, a Pink FloydContinued on page 13

TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS

12 DOWNTOWN NEWS

JANUARY 28, 2019

Prison Songs on a Downtown Stage REDCAT Hosts Wooster Group’s Stripped-Down ‘Negro Folklore Songs’ By Sean P. Thomas n 1964, folklorist Bruce Jackson traveled to a collection of segregated agricultural prisons across Texas. His mission was to record the work songs and stories of African-American prisoners. Jackson, who today is 82 and a professor at the University at Buffalo, compiled the recordings into the 1965 album Negro Folklore From Texas State Prisons. It includes poems, hymns and spirituals recited by inmates as they worked the fields in the sweltering Texas heat. Nearly 55 years later, New York-based avant-garde theater troupe the Wooster Group is interpreting the words and experiences found in the recording and taking them to audiences. The album is the spark for a stripped-down show titled The B-Side: Negro Folklore From Texas State Prisons, A Record Album Interpretation. The performance lands at REDCAT in Downtown Los Angeles this week. There are five evening performances on Wednesday-Sunday, Jan. 30-Feb. 3. Tickets start at $30. The performance is the brainchild of New York-based Eric Berryman, a writer and actor who has appeared in numerous film and stage productions. During an interview with Los Angeles Downtown News, he recalled

coming across a vinyl recording of the album while preparing for a separate show on the folk hero John Henry. Berryman said he began to question why he didn’t approach Negro folklore in the same way he did other music from the era. “What initially attracted me to the music was that I just thought it was really beautiful and good music,” Berryman said. “I began to wonder why I wasn’t appreciating it or listening to it as if it was, say, an old blues or jazz album from the 1920s, ’30s or ’40s.” Berryman had seen Wooster Group’s 2014 production Early Shaker Spirituals: A Record Album Interpretation, which built on hymns recorded in 1976 by the Sisters of the Shaker Community in Sabbathday Lake, Maine (the performance landed at REDCAT in 2016). That prompted him to contact Wooster Group founder Kate Valk. Valk said she was amazed by the material. She asked Berryman how the Wooster Group could support his vision. “That’s how it all began. It was totally from Eric’s design to honor this material, to work in the same way that he saw in one of the Wooster Group performances,” Valk said. “He wanted the same practice that we used to make Early Shaker Spirituals.” The B-Side premiered in September 2017

Thinking about proposing? New love in your life? A special valentine for mom?

LOVE LINES Express Your Love

in our romantic Love Lines section publishing February 11.

It’s FREE! All you have to do is…

Downtown... I can’t wait to go on a ride with you. We’ll be a perfect match... Dodger Stadium Tram

• Email your message to lovelines@downtownnews.com • 20 words or less • Include your contact info (name, phone and email) • Don’t forget the name of the person you are sending the love line to • Limited to 1 FREE message per reader (don’t try to be sneaky, we know)

DEADLINE FOR ENTRIES FEBRUARY 4

(l to r) Philip Moore, Eric Berryman and Jasper McGruder interpret the folk music, poems and words of prisoners from Texas in a performance coming to REDCAT this week. It was put together by New York’s Wooster Group.

photo by Bruce Jackson

at the Performing Garage in New York. This marks its West Coast premiere. While the Shaker recordings are religious in origin, the songs heard on Jackson’s album have ties to a darker segment of American history. Most have roots in pre-Civil War and Antebellum South hymns, and often were sung by slaves (and later free men) who worked on Southern cotton plantations and in Caribbean sugar fields. The songs were passed down through generations, finding a particular hold in segregated Southern prisons. “This music is folk music. It really can be categorized as such,” Berryman said. “But the difference between this and other forms of music is it doesn’t need an audience. It’s ac-

tually for the group that is performing it.” Listening Session In the performance, actors Jasper McGruder and Philip Moore join Berryman on a set designed to resemble Berryman’s Harlem apartment. As they listen to the album via earpieces, they recite portions to the audience. Valk, who is directing the show, said that Wooster Group founding member Elizabeth LeCompte designed The B-Side as a listening session for both the performers and the audience. That means that instead of the trio attempting to replicate the likely movements of the prisoners, audiences hear Berryman belt out the songs as he leans over a chair,

JANUARY 28, 2019

watching the record spin on a turntable. “We’re not pretending to be these men,” Valk said. “We’re not pretending to know what they went through. It is Eric and McGruder and Moore who are portraying themselves. We’re not pretending to be in the same context as these men.” The lack of overly theatrical motions helps place the focus on the music, according to REDCAT Executive Director Mark Murphy, who first brought Wooster Group to Downtown in 2004. The troupe now uses REDCAT as a sort of second home, appearing in Los Angeles almost every year. “In a way, the minimalist approach to the staging of it really puts the focus on the songs itself, as opposed to upstaging the songs with a lot of distracting stage craft,” Murphy said. “The act of listening becomes a process that heightens all the senses. It’s sort of a less-ismore experience. There is an authenticity and respect for the songs as artwork themselves and a sincerity of sorts.” The songs vary in form, from lyrics sung by a single man to numbers featuring impressive harmonization designed to keep time for an entire work group. They range from about one minute to a little over

five minutes and bear illuminating titles such as “Raise ’Em Up Higher,” “Just Like a Tree Planted by the Water” and “Forty-Four Hammers.” They are sung by prisoners with nicknames like Lightning, G.I. Jazz, Snuffy, and Bacon and Porkchop. Berryman uses snippets of Jackson’s book Wake Up Dead Man: Hard Labor and Southern Blues to provide context during the performance, and film footage from Afro-American Worksongs in a Texas Prison is also utilized. Berryman said that performance isn’t designed to sway opinion, nor is it intended to be academic. Rather he said, the aim is simply to remind audiences that someone made it. “Sure, I would want everyone to love this kind of music, but ultimately, I don’t care if you love it or hate it,” Berryman said. “But I want you to know it existed.” Berryman noted that the performance is limited in scope to a particular prison system in Texas. He said he would be interested in seeing subsequent performances that touch on similar material from other regions. The B-Side: Negro Folklore From Texas State Prisons runs from Jan. 30-Feb. 3, at REDCAT, 631 W. Second St., (213) 237-2800 or redcat.org.

DOMES, 11 themed music and projected art event, sold out with approximately 500 attendees. Visitors are free to roam around the Wisdome complex, and there are fire pits and chairs outside the individual domes. Part of the idea is to capture the relaxed festival atmosphere, according to George Aistov, Wisdome L.A.’s art producer. Once visitors enter the domes, they follow a path. First up is a neon-lit hall of mirrors arranged in a shipping container. The short walkway then spills into what the team calls the “Dome of Reflection,” which is filled with more mirrors and art that shifts in appearance depending on what angle people see it from. The next dome holds a collection of Android Jones’ art, which mixes New Age imagery with geometric patterns. A third dome features interactive elements, with neon-lit dice-like structures where people can test out virtual reality headsets built around Jones’ work. The final dome is the largest, measuring 90 feet in diameter. Here, massive projections are cast along the ceiling, creating a 3D effect. The images swirl and spin into different shapes, reminiscent of a kaleidoscope, though they are less abstract and more Buddhas and dragons. It’s kind of like a next-generation laser light show that runs 20 minutes and then repeats. The dome also has low-slung couches where people sit — or lay back — and stare up at the show. The images are complemented by music that is half Indian bhangra and half bass-heavy EDM. Aistov said that the aim is to experience art in

Open24/7

Free Wi-Fi | Drive Thru Free Parking Breakfast All Day

Dim Sum

LUNCH AND DINNER • An Extensive Seafood Menu including Dim Sum at Moderate Prices • Relaxed Dining in an Elegant Ambiance • Live Lobster Tank

700 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012 Free Parking Next to Restaurant Tel: 213.617.2323

multiple mediums. “The whole idea is to show people where art is heading,” Aistov said. “It’s taking them to a new, different direction. There are movies, art and galleries all in one. Our domes are like camps from Burning Man.” In addition to Samskara, there are occasional pop-up events, such as the recent Beyond the Wall. The plan is to mount short-run shows and bring artists to the space, offering them production tools in the domes. Ahearn said Wisdome is self-funded — “there’s no sheikh in Dubai or billionaire dot com guy,” Ahearn said with a laugh. He said that unlike other experience-focused pop-ups that have appeared in Downtown, the content is supposed to change regularly. Ahearn noted that at many pop-ups, “You don’t need to go back. I’ve seen it once, I’m done. Here there should be a reason to come back. I’m hoping our attraction is our flexibility.” Aistov said another goal is to create a shared experience, one that allows the production team and outside artists to create new shows and play with mediums. “If it was just a DJ party in a dome, meh. We want something more immersive than that,” he said. “And we’re trying to make it easy for artists. They and we don’t have to spend millions of dollars for setup. We can say, here’s our space.” Ahearn said that in the coming months the team hopes to bring in different shows and artists for residencies, where each night of the week brings a different experience. Wisdome L.A. is at 1147 Palmetto St. or wisdome.la. nicholas@downtownnews.com

Choreographer Jérôme Bel brings together dance professionals and amateurs of diverse backgrounds to create a joyous communal celebration both on stage and off.

726 Alameda St. (Bay & Alameda) 213-228-8999 | farmerboysla.com For Orders Over $15

20% OFF

(before taxes) With This Coupon. Expires 2/28/19. No substitutions. Limit one offer per coupon. One coupon per transaction. Los Angeles Alameda location only. Not valid with any other coupon, advertised special or offer. State sales tax applicable. Copies or replicas of this offer will not be accepted.

CAP UCLA in association with Ford Theatres presents

DOWNTOWN NEWS 13

DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM

JÉRÔME BEL

FREE

TICKETS!

Gala

@DowntownNews.com

Sat, Feb 2 @ 8pm The Theatre at Ace Hotel

GLASS

Starts January 18

ESCAPE ROOM

Starts January 11

cap.ucla.edu | 310 825 2101 #capucla @cap_ucla

FIND YOUR FREQUENCY

MONDAY, JAN. 28 The Moth Grandslam The Regent Theater, 448 S. Main St. or spacelandpresents.com 8 p.m.: The true-story competition returns, this time with the theme of “Lost and Found.” TUESDAY, JAN. 29 The Gothic Book Club with John Palisano The Last Bookstore, 453 S. Spring St., (213) 488-0599 or lastbookstorela.com. 7:30 p.m.: This month the club discusses Ray Russell’s “Haunted Castles.” Wear black. WEDNESDAY, JAN. 30 Valerio Olgiati at SCI-Arc 960 E. Third St., (213) 613-2200 or sciarc.edu. 7 p.m.: The architect discusses his approach to contemporary design. Is America Enabling Autocrats to Run the World? National Center for the Preservation of Democracy, 111 N. Central Ave. or zocalopublicsquare.org. 7:30 p.m.: Zocalo Public Square presents a round table of reporters and experts discussing the resurgence of dictators around the world, and asks if the United States is in part responsible. THURSDAY, JAN. 31 We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages and Ransom Mark Taper Auditorium, Central Library, 630 W. Fifth St. or lfla.org. 7:30 p.m.: The head of the Committee to Protect Journalists, along with a former kidnapping victim, explore the dangers and procedures of that terrible situation. FRIDAY, FEB. 1 Josh Johnson Rush Hour Concert Union Station, 800 N. Alameda St. or unionstationla.com/happenings. 4 p.m.: Jazz performer Johnson helps you start your weekend with live music.

ROCK, POP & JAZZ

Blue Whale 123 Astronaut E.S. Onizuka St. Suite 301, (213) 620-0908 or bluewhalemusic.com. Jan. 28: Adam Levy, David Piltch, Jake Reed. Jan. 29: Amber Navran, Danae Greenfield. Jan. 30: Josh Nelson, Alex Terrier. Jan. 31: Mike Gurrola Quartet. Bootleg Bar 2220 Beverly Blvd., (213) 389-3856 or bootlegtheater.org. Jan. 28: Justus Proffit wraps up his residency. Say goodbye with a pun. Jan. 29: William Fitzsimmons brings that unique singer-songwriter sound from the far-away land of Illinois. Jan. 30: Balto. The band, not the famous dog. Jan. 31: Singer Paige Stark is not related to Ned, Sana, Arya or Tony. Feb. 1: Parker Gispert of The Whigs plays solo. Continued on next page

BY SEAN P. THOMAS

It’s opera time, but not the kind you are expecting. Instead, it’s Saturday Morning at the Opera, a program that provides an opportunity to grab the kids but leave the fancy clothes at home. Presented by Los Angeles Opera, the happening at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion on 10 a.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, will be built around an hour-long, interactive performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s The Magic Flute. The opera tells the story of Prince Tamino as he attempts to rescue the Queen of Night’s daughter Pamina. The morning event will also include free art and music-making workshops for the little ones before the performance. At 135 N. Grand Ave., (213) 972-8001 or laopera.org. Everyone loves Los Lobos, and this week Louie Perez, a founding member of the East Los Angeles-based rock act, is coming to Downtown. On Thursday, Jan. 31, Perez will appear at LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes to chat about topics including his nearly 40 years in the music industry. Pérez will speak with Abelardo de la Peña Jr. of LA Plaza, and one topic will be the musician’s new book Good Morning, Aztlán: The Words, Pictures and Songs of Louie Pérez. The event begins at 7 p.m. and, following the discussion, Pérez will grab his guitar for an acoustic performance alongside musicians César Castro, Xochitl Flores and Raul Perez. Copies of the book will be for sale and proceeds will go to the nonprofit bookstore and cultural center Tía Chucha Centro Cultural. At 501 N. Main St., (213) 542-6259 or lapca.org.

Are you ready for some serious gui guitar action? Christie Lenée Lenée, who is described by the Grammy Muse Museum as “Michael Hedges meets Joni Mitchell and Dave Matthews Band,” will display her acoustic fingerwork before an intimate crowd at the L.A. Live museum’s performance space on Monday, Jan. 28. The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. and is dubbed “Great Guitars: Christie Lenée.” Expect to hear snippets of her award-winning compositions and five studio albums. Need more convincing? Lenée is fresh off a first place finish at the 2017 International Fingerstyle Guitar Championship. So yeah, she’s pretty good. At 800 W. Olympic Blvd. or grammymuseum.org. If you happen to be rushing to catch a train at Union Station this week and hear a few sultry tunes, don’t be confused — it’s completely normal and you are in the right place. Saxophonist and composer Josh Johnson is holding a rush hour concert in the transit hub’s waiting room on Friday, Feb. 1. Organized by Metro Art Los Angeles, Johnson is splitting time from touring as the musical director for Grammy-nominated soul singer Leon Bridges. The free event is the first of what promises to be many rush hour concerts in 2019, and will run from 4-6 p.m. At 800 N. Alameda St. or unionstationla.com.

Dance professionals and amateurs will share the stage in Parisian choreographer Jérôme Bel’s latest piece, which just happens to be coming to Downtown this week. In Jérôme Bel: Gala, which is making its West Coast premiere at The Theatre at Ace Hotel at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 2, Bel brings together 20 dancers of varying skill sets, ages and abilities — including some who use wheelchairs — and who are often excluded from traditional dance programs. Presented by the UCLA Center for the Art of Performance in association with Ford Theatres, the event promises to be unexpected and uplifting. At 929 S. Broadway, (310) 825-2101 or cap.ucla.edu.

Send information and possible Don’t Miss List submissions to calendar@downtownnews.com.

photo courtesy Christie Lenée

Experience the Labyrinth: A Walking Meditation Peace Awareness Labyrinth and Gardens, 3500 W. Adams Blvd., (323) 737-4055 or peacelabyrinth/events Jan. 26 and Feb. 23, 1 p.m.: Experience peace with an afternoon of guided meditations and labyrinth walks at the beautiful Peace Awareness Labyrinth & Gardens, a spiritual oasis in Los Angeles.

DON'T MISS LIST

photo courtesy Metro Art Los Angeles