Downtown Los Angeles Weekly

DOWNTOWN WEEKLY THE SPIRIT OF DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES

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DTLA SEXY HALLOWEEN 2021

STUDIO CIRCA Vivid Expressions of LA & Beyond

Soulful Sundays Live at the Globe Theater paris studio la and the

RETURN OF VAMPIRE lAIR

2 THE BLOODY TEETH OF DOWNTOWN WEEKLY

VOL 15 NO 7 - SEPTEMBER 30TH - OCTOBER 6TH, 2021 DTLAWEEKLY.COM

ON THE COVER PARIS STUDIO LA

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DTLA WEEKLY

editor and chief KERI FREEMAN

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS jamie herrera KERI FREEMAN DAN DEVON carolyn platzman DAN MILNOR

photography

GARY LEONARD KERI FREEMAN JOSE RICARDO RIVERA CYBURG PRODUCTIONS

VIDEO Production

@kerieatsdtla design and layout @kerieatsdtla

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DLANC’s NeW President : Claudia Oliveira...........3 DTLA SEW WHAT?... STUDIO CIRCA......................5 paris studio & the return of vampire lair....6 Soulful Sundays at the globe..........................8 movie buff: vamps TAKES A BITE OFF THE EDGE......9 DT appetite: taco af scores points...............11 social media

@kerieatsdtla

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MAYOR OF LOS ANGELES & THE CITY OF LA ARTS DISTRICT CHINATOWN CIVIC DISTRICT BUNKER HILL EXPO/USC HISTORIC CORE LITTLE TOKYO FASHION DISTRICT FINANCIAL DISTRICT SKID ROW SOUTH PARK WAREHOUSE DISTRICT THEGRAWN ARTWALK NEWS

DTLA WEEKLY All rights reserved. Downtown Weekly is a news, event, LIFESTYLE & Hospitality FREE community resource. No portion of this publication may be reproduced without express written permission from the publisher. DTLA WEEKLY, in support of local residents, businesses, workers and visitors of Downtown Los Angeles, publishes DTLA WEEKLY. Readers are recommended to make appropriate inquiries before wagering any sum in relation to any ad, article or feature published herein. DTLA WEEKLY will not be liable to any person for loss or damage incurred or suffered as a result of his/her accepting, offering to accept or following any invitation or advice contained in any ad, article or feature published herein.

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CLAUDIA OLIVEIRA Newly APPOINTED as PRESIDENT of DLANC

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n this Hispanic Heritage Month, the Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council (DLANC) board is pleased to announce the appointment of a new Latina President.

Brazilian-born and Coro Fellowship Alumna, Claudia Oliveira who will lead the next chapter of the organization as President, has served on the board for four years and previously held the Vice-President of Outreach and Communications position.

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LANC is a governmental body in the City of Los Angeles Charter.

It’s an advisory board to City Hall that weighs in on issues of Livability, Planning and Land Use, Urban Needs, Council Files, and more.

The Neighborhood Council’s goals are to engage stakeholders in local governance and amplify the community’s voice.

In this capacity, she produces a yearly job fair in Skid Row with 400 attendees and forty vendors, bringing jobs of different skill levels to Los Angeles' housed and unhoused population.

One of her primary focuses is to shape DTLA's micro-economy to support a balance between large and small businesses. She spearheaded the first Downtown Los Angeles Small Business Symposium, a full day of seminars and panels on becoming “I look at the presidency of a city vendor, procurements, contracts, DLANC as a role to serve our licensing, micro-loans, marketing, and constituents and an opportunity safety.

In 2019, Claudia Oliveira testified on the to assist other board members Assembly Judiciary and helped pass Senator in achieving their leadership Maria Elena Durazo's "Inclusionary Act" goals. I am excited to lead with which allows for immigrants, regardless of status, to serve on boards and committees. a proactive perspective and a Most recently, Claudia Oliveira became a dynamic frame of work.”

Coro Fellowship Alumni and President of Named in a recent Downtown Weekly DLANC. Read more about Claudia Oliveira and article as 2021 Women to Watch, Claudia the works of DLANC on www.dtlaweekly.

Oliveira is a Board Director in the Downtown com @realdlanc Los Angeles Neighborhood Council.

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Studio Circa Vivid Expressions of Los Angeles and Beyond

DTLA SEW WHAT? STUDIO CIRCA APPAREL

V

incent E. Soliz is the Owner and Art Director of Studio Circa Apparel, a LA Urban Streetwear brand vividly representing the great city of Los Angeles and beyond.

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ecently making a move from pop-up shop and online store to brick and mortar, Soliz just found the perfect home here in Downtown Los Angeles.

Studio Circa started as a fashion photography/art production company inspired by the expression of freedom found in art and design in Long Beach in 2006.

"We started printing tee shirts with the "Masks" design as an experiment in 2014 with measurable success. Since then, our brand has grown to 20+ Fresh designs printed on 100% cotton tees, hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, and crop top hoodies. We are in the process of expanding again with sportswear and limited edition pieces."

The brand's best-selling pieces are "Atomic Flower," "LA Launch," and "LA City," all found online and during announced LA Pop-Ups. DTLA is a place that impacts the world in every area of culture and society.

This week has been very exciting for the Circa team, who have put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into the

BY JAIME HERRERA

Studio Circa Brand to build a world-wide brand.

"We are so grateful for every opportunity given to us and to every door opened to us. But most of all, we are grateful to every customer that has decided to purchase and wear the Studio Circa Apparel Brand."

Customers love the feel and quality of Studio Circa's 100% cotton products. They are also enamored by the vibrant colors of their original designs that can be worn as casual streetwear or dressed up as a fashion statement at the red carpet event.

Famous clients include Supermodel Karolina Muller, pictured wearing our pieces all over Europe, and premier events.

"Studio Circa is LA. We are here to add onto that impact with the creativity, superb quality, and the desirability of an LA Brand."

Cheers to the failures and successes, defeats, and triumphs; that make a brand as bold as Studio Circa proud to be a part of the American Dream. @StudioCirca

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PARIS STUDIO LA BY DAN MILNOR

VOL 15 NO 7 - SEPTEMBER 30TH - OCTOBER 6TH, 2021 DTLAWEEKLY.COM

ANAKAREN RANGEL - PHOTO BY JACK LUE

DTLA BEHIND THE LENS:

paris studio la and the

RETURN OF VAMPIRE lAIR

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n Friday the 13th of March, 2020, like countless other people, Martha De Perez lost all her sources of income overnight: her AirBnB bookings were cancelled and within 48 hours, her job as the floral designer for the Jimmy Kimmel show, was suspended indefinitely, as the production went on hiatus because of Covid 19.

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ith ‘Superhost’ status, De Perez’s most popular Airbnb loft was the ‘Vampire Lair’. With the pandemic raging, due to massive cancelations she had to close it and pack its eclectic collection of furniture and other accessories away in storage.

Now, eighteen months later, as LA County continues on its road to economic recovery, De Perez’s, ‘Paris Studios LA’ on PeerSpace.com, gets converted to the, ‘Vampire Lair’, through the month of October.

PeerSpace matches photographers, models and film productions, with people who have photogenic locations.

“This is one of my favorite incarnations of the space ever!” says De Perez, of the 780 square foot loft that boasts of five crystal chandeliers, two fireplaces, two chaise lounges, (and a coffin that doubles as a coffee table, for October only).

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DTLA BEHIND THE LENS:

PHOTOS BYJACK LUE & JOSE RICARDO RIVERA VOL 15 NO 7 - SEPT 30TH - OCT 6TH, 2021 DTLAWEEKLY.COM

ith a living room housing other antique furniture, gold trimmed walls and doorways and a bedroom fit for royalty, the living quarters creates endless possibilities for dramatic vignettes.

Making, ‘Paris Studios LA’, was the best therapy for De Perez.

Having visited France over a dozen times before the pandemic, but with travel all but impossible, de Perez decided to transform her living quarters into a space that invoked a sense of the French.

“Initially I wanted to recreate that Paris mood just for myself. Now I take joy in providing it for models and photographers, so they don’t have to fly there themselves!”

“Most of the pieces in the space are collected from old sets; from previous jobs I’ve had or Facebook Marketplace.”

By doing that, De Perez makes contact with the previous owner of the piece and the story behind it. “It’s important to me that the furniture has a past.”

Once home, the furniture would often get a makeover: reupholstered, painted or otherwise embellished to fit the Parisian theme. In November, the loft will see some seasonal additions. “For the holidays, I will have a large gilded tree and a life size Victorian Saint Nicholas, in addition to other trimmings. Book early for those Christmas cards!”

De Perez loves sharing the space and welcomes her guests with Parisian tea, fancy fizzy drinks and plenty of Madeleine cookies.

When asked what’s next for this constantly transforming- reimaginingnever settling for one thing for too longartist, De Perez perks up and answers,

'Paris in the Twenties, a Vampire Lair’, loft can be booked through PeerSpace.com. “I look forward to collaborating with artists to bring their visions to life.

“I’ve been looking at properties in France, I hope that in two years when I retire, I can be ready to buy a fixer upper Chateau in the countryside near Paris. I look forward to making it into a bed & breakfast; mainly focus on listing it for filming location.”

Let’s get creative!” Phantom Galleries Art Curator, Martha knows that presentation is paramount. She’s constantly perfecting the aesthetics. @ParisStudioLA

8 DTLA MUSIC TO YOUR EARS BY KERI FREEMAN

VOL 15 NO 7 - SEPTEMBER 30TH - OCTOBER 6TH, 2021 DTLAWEEKLY.COM

R&B Returns to DTLA: Soulful Sundays Live at the Globe Theater

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unday’s in Downtown just got a whole lot more soulful thanks to RDMJ Entertainment’s brand-concert series, Soulful Sundays Live, coming to The Globe Theater this fall.

From October to December, everything we love about R&B will be within the legendary historic Globe Theatre on Broadway shortly after the sun sets, including a grand finale with the return of R&B legend El DeBarge.

“Soulful Sunday events will bring an experience designed to allow fans the enjoyment of seeing the impressive musicianship and solid songwriting by some of music’s greatest legends.” says event producer Randy Lopez who started RDMJ Entertainment in 1995.

Hosted by R&B Historian Tyrone DuBose, Soulful Sunday’s Live kicks off October 3rd with legendary performers Regina Belle and Surface with special guests DW3.

Grammy Award Winner Regina Belle is a singer-songwriter known for her hit singles “Baby Come to Me” (1989) and “Make It Like It Was” (1990).

Belle is also was notable for her hit duets with Peabo Bryson: “Without You” (1987) and “A Whole New World,” the central theme of Disney’s animated feature film Aladdin, recorded in 1992.

Her theme song “Far Longer than Forever” from The Swan Princess’s animated movie, performed with Jeffrey Osborne, was nominated for a Golden Globe in 1995 for Best Original Song.

R&B fans still remember grooving to the group Surface’s chart-topping hits from 1988 to 1991 including, “I Missed”, “Closer Than Friends”, “You Are My Everything”, and “Shower Me With Your Love”.

This Sunday, Soulful Sunday’s Live will open with DW3, today’s “hardest working band in the music business,” and with dance music provided by DJ Karma Carmille.

Speaking of dance music…

October 17th will be an electrifying Latin salsa dancing extravaganza at the Globe Theatre hosted by Jimmy Reyes from Old School 104.7 FM. The Artist lineup includes Andy Vargas (lead singer of Santana), DW3, Aalon, and Rocky Padilla.

November 7th brings House Music Pioneer and Legend Steve “Silk” Hurley Birthday Bash with special guests CeCe Peniston, Carolyn Griffey of Shalamar, Byron Stigily (of Ten City), DJ David Harness and a slew of special surprise guests

REGINA BELLE PHOTO COURTESY RDMJ ENTERTAINMENT

SURFACE PHOTO COURTESY RDMJ ENTERTAINMENT

There’s a meeting in the ladies room on November 14th with the break-out all-female 80s R&B/Funk band, Klymaxx featuring Bernadette Cooper plus R&B electronic funk duo The System and DW3.

On Sunday, December 12th, R&B Legends RAYDIO will perform with exceptional guests The Jones Girls featuring Shirley Jones and DW3.

The series closes out on December 19th with a special reunion and first time on stage together El DeBarge and Switch,

bringing an end to an exciting concert series for 2021.

The ticketed series will take place on selected Sundays, October – December. All shows will are held at The Globe Theatre, 740 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA. 90014.

Tickets will be available starting September 28th at wl. seetickets.us/SoulfulSundays @rdmjentertainment2022 CHECK OUT MORE EVENTS ONLINE AT DTLAWEEKLY. COM

GET2DTLA EVENT PICK~~~

LA Auto Show Set to Return to the LA Convention Center

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he Los Angeles Auto Show, the leading annual auto and lifestyle inperson event, is back and tickets are now on sale. New car shoppers and automotive enthusiasts will once again be able to discover and experience the newest vehicles and personal mobility options at the Los Angeles Convention Center between November 1928.

VOL 15 NO 7 - SEPTEMBER 30TH - OCTOBER 6TH, 2021 DTLAWEEKLY.COM

The LA Auto Show's one million square feet of indoor/outdoor space will showcase the newest electric, hydrogen, and gas-powered vehicles, aftermarket brands, and personal mobility scooters to meet a two-year pent-up demand for inperson engagement and entertainment.

With the rising interest in zero-emission vehicles (ZEV), the show will debut an indoor Electric Vehicle (EV) Test Track. Electrify America will be the official charging provider for the 45,000 square-foot track area, allowing visitors to ask questions and interact directly

with the company behind the largest public fast-charging network in the United States, as well as choose from a diverse selection of EV models to test ride.

The show runs for 10 full days over the Thanksgiving period and is a must-attend

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destination for many industry influencers, car enthusiasts, and families wanting to enjoy a day out over the holiday season.

LA AUTO SHOW returns, November 19th to LA Conventions Center located at 1201 S. Figueroa, LA CA 90017 @laautoshow

DTLA MOVIE BUFF: BY MATT RYAN

VAMPS TAKES A BITE OFF THE EDGE

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f you’re tired of the same old “killer running through the woods” type of film to enjoy a few hours, Vamps, directed by Amy Heckerling, will get you through the graveyard of overplayed genres.

Released back in 2012 with a tremendous tombstone engraving of Hollywood names like Alicia Silverstone, Krysten Witter, Malcolm McDowell, and other rocks of the industry, Vamps is great.

It’s refreshing to enjoy a few new laughs while you watch a pizza delivery guy get a little more than just a typical red spaghetti sauce stain on himself.

Whether you have all the twilight books, watch Elvira on a weekly basis or just catch an episode of The Munsters or Addams Family, this film shows a lighter side of this dark genre.

Imagine Dracula shopping at the Row, and that’s what you get. Showing everything from century’s ago to modernday city living, you get a quick education on how this group changes for the better.

The city girls are trying to adapt to traditional methods without a corpse. This, however does not work well with their

leader (Sigourney Weaver), and thus, you get a Sparticas meets Clueless type of war.

Sticking to the blood of rats that run amuck in the city, the girls end up in group therapy with a slue of names that you have to see to believe. The day players and night players are in the midst of working out some type of treaty while dealing with the messy mayhem of a current situation.

Silverstone falls in love with the son of a legendary vampire hunter bloodline.

Weaver threatens the entire gang’s existence with her reluctance to change. Witter takes the role of Robin to Alicias’ Batman type of character…minus the overdramatic leathers.

Quirky jokes, quick timelines and questions answered just enough to make you want another drop of the real stuff.

There are graphics toward the end that might make you think of Atari gaming station, but it helps relax the usual seriousness of this hot topic.

Suck up your snooty opinions and enjoy with a Bloody Mary, Capri Sun, or whatever your favorite poison might be.

CHECK OUT MORE AWESOME MOVIE REVIEWS ON WWW.DTLAWEEKLY.COM FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM TWITTER & LINKEDIN #DTLAWEEKLY

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Tacos AF: Scoring Points on 7th Street

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hat better way to celebrate National Taco Day (October 4th), than at Tacos AF on 7th Street with Laker’s very own, Rajon Rondo to help raise money for the Downtown Women’s Center organization?

project with serious support from their community of entertainment and music industry professionals.

With careers in music, entertainment, fashion and photography, best friends Brandon Thompson, Emilio Sanchez and Roman Royale felt the effects of the pandemic slowly bring their work to a halt, inspiring them to explore a new industry and build a brand Tacos AF has pledged to that expresses their shared love donate $1 to the women’s for the city of Los Angeles and center in support of their efforts Mexican food. to provide services to women “I think what makes this experiencing homelessness in really cool is that we’re not your Downtown Los Angeles. ordinary trained restaurateurs, Rondo will be at the restaurant we’re three best friends that from 1-4 p.m. helping to pass combined our passion for out orders to customers and tacos with our branding experienceand threw it all in meet fans. a blender and Tacos AF came Tacos AF, opened their doors out,” said Sanchez. “This isn’t a this summer in the heart of get rich quick scheme.

Downtown LA as a passion

We really love what we do on a daily basis and put so much effort into every detail of the guest’s experience.”

Not only do the fellows high score points for serving DTLA’s favorite 8-10 hour marinated Carne Asada Tacos (good AF), the group will be scoring extra points for their efforts to help the women whose unfortunate paths have led them to have to rely on Downtown Women’s Center.

Yet, together, Tacos AF, Rondo and DWC are

winning the game and keeping the play by play delicious.

Tacos AF is located in Downtown LA at 312 W. 7th St. and isopen Monday – Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m for dinein, takeout and delivery. @tacosaf