PW 09.26.19

09.26.19 | PASADENAWEEKLY.COM | GREATER PASADENA’S FREE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

DYING FOR ACTION HUNDREDS JOIN PASADENA ‘DIE-IN’ AS MILLIONS WORLDWIDE WAGE ‘CLIMATE STRIKES’ TO FORCE LEADERS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

BY BLISS BOWEN, ANDRÉ COLEMAN AND REMALI DE SILVA

NEWS

ACT TWO

Kent Shocknek jumps from TV news to acting

p. 8

LIFE

AS GOOD AS IT GETS Kontentsu ramen restaurant offers flavor & sake in Montrose

HONEST, FUNNY, CONNECTED

p. 11

p. 15

ARTS

J. Chris Newberg brings authenticity to the Ice House stage

SERVING PASADENA, ALHAMBRA, ALTADENA, ARCADIA, EAGLE ROCK, GLENDALE, LA CAÑADA, MONTROSE, SAN MARINO, SIERRA MADRE AND SO. PASADENA

2 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

09.26.19 | VOLUME 37| NUMBER 39

Opinion....................................................................3 Letters ........................................................5

Guest Opinion ..............................................6

News ........................................................................7 Dying for Action Hundreds join Pasadena ‘Die-In’ as millions worldwide wage ‘Climate Strikes’ to force leaders to combat climate change.

— Bliss Bowen, André Coleman and Remali De Silva

Act Two Former TV news anchor Kent Shocknek goes ‘from reality to make believe’ with new acting career.

— Justin Chapman

Feature ....................................................................9

Setting the Table ‘Urban Forager’ author Elisa Callow and others share stories of culinary culture in ‘Women in Food — The Common Table’ tonight at Pasadena Central Library.

— Bliss Bowen

Dining.................................................................... 11 Restaurant Review ...................................... 11

Bulletin .....................................................13

Arts & Culture ........................................................ 15 Into the Night ............................................. 16 Trax..........................................................16

Calendar.................................................... 17 Film..........................................................18

Classifieds ............................................................. 19 8 days ....................................................................26 @pasadenaweekly.com

WEB EXCLUSIVE ‘Peace Through Strength’: Trump taps Pasadena’s Robert C. O’Brien, a ‘Reagan Republican,’ to take over as National Security Advisor ABOUT THE COVER: Photo by Theo Schmit

09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 3

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PW OPINION

PW NEWS

•LETTERS•

PW DINING

PW ARTS

A GOOD THING

I appreciate André Coleman’s historical review of Pasadena PD’s controversial killings and beatings and how the department has improved in its transparency for Climate public understanding to date.

However, if we recall that the department’s increasing release of body cam videos on critical incidents occurred after November 2017, when the Chris Ballew beating was videotaped and released (in December) by a bystander, the department’s turn around makes good sense. With the local public uproar, national and international coverage of the incident, PPD was in the spotlight all through 2018 and could hardly cover up videos then. The new law requiring release of such critical incident videos to the public within 45 days of the incident went into effect on Jan. 1.

The release of these body cam videos is a good thing, but certainly did not flow from the goodness of the heart of PPD. The department had the body cam video of Ballew’s beating and did nothing with it until the bystander video was released. Had it not been for that, we would never have known of the Ballew incident.

The department has been forced by public pressure, and now the new law (which CICOPP and others hereabouts lobbied for) to be forthcoming with body cam videos.

Note that the department now proudly shows a reduction in both categorical use of force incidents from 35 in 2017 to 21 in 2018, and 26 this year. Kicks and strikes were reduced by an amazing 77 percent from 2017 to 2018, and a further reduction of 25 percent from 2018 to 2019. Remember the kicks and strikes to Ballew in November 2017? Those videos forced the department to clamp down on the freewheeling gang unit.

One correction: John Burton, Ballew’s attorney, reports that (Officers Lerry) Esparza and (Zachary) Lujan are back on the streets, 09.19.19 | PASADENAWEEKLY.COM | GREATER PASADENA’S FREE NEWS AND ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

EDITORIAL EDITOR

Kevin Uhrich kuhrich@timespublications.com

Elvis

JPL’S JOSH WILLIS, PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR ON THE OCEANS MELTING GREENLAND (OMG) PROJECT, BELIEVES ‘CLIMATE ROCK’ CAN HELP RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF GLOBAL WARMING

BY KEVIN UHRICH

NEWS

END OF THE ROAD

Nonprofits await new homes after lawmakers end 710 tunnel plans

DEPUTY EDITOR

André Coleman acoleman@timespublications.com CONTRIBUTING MUSIC EDITOR

Bliss CONTRIBUTORS

Patti Carmalt-Vener, Justin Chapman, Peter Dreier, Randy Jurado Ertll, John Grula, Chip Jacobs, Jana J. Monji, Christopher Nyerges, Terri Schlichenmeyer, Ellen Snortland, INTERNS

Caroline Kimbel, Remali De Silva

ART ART DIRECTOR

Stephanie Torres storres@timespublications.com ASSISTANT ART DIRECTOR

Richard Garcia CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATORS AND PHOTOGRAPHERS

Danny Liao, Jen Sorensen, Tom Tomorrow ADVERTISING SALES AND MARKETING

Lisa Chase, Rick Federman, Javier Sanchez CLASSIFIED ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

Ann Turrietta (Legals) BUSINESS OFFICE MANAGER

Ann Turrietta CIRCULATION

Don S. Margolin TIMES MEDIA GROUP PRESIDENT

Steve Strickbine V.P. OF OPERATIONS

Michael Hiatt Pasadena Weekly is published every Thursday. Pasadena Weekly is available free of charge. No person may, without prior written permission from Pasadena Weekly, take more than one copy of each weekly issue. Additional copies of the current issue if available may be purchased for $1, payable in advance, at Pasadena Weekly office. Only authorized Pasadena Weekly distributors may distribute the Pasadena Weekly. Pasadena Weekly has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in Court Judgment No. C-655062.

Copyright: No news stories, illustrations, editorial matter or advertisements herein can be reproduced without written permission of copyright owner. All rights reserved, 2019.

HOW TO REACH US Address: 50 S. DeLacey Ave., Suite 200, Pasadena 91105 Telephone: (626) 584-1500 Fax: (626) 795-0149

p. 7

LIFE

SUPER CHICKEN

The Chicken Koop is the place for lunch, dinner and good times

MATTERS OF PERCEPTION

p. 11

p. 19

ARTS

The Huntington turns 100 as PAM exhibits ‘Following the Box’

SERVING PASADENA, ALHAMBRA, ALTADENA, ARCADIA, EAGLE ROCK, GLENDALE, LA CAÑADA, MONTROSE, SAN MARINO, SIERRA MADRE AND SO. PASADENA

and of course gathering their pay, keeping their medical and pension benefits while awaiting their court trial. You can, by the way, check out PPD salaries and benefits on transparentcalifornia.com, but Esparza and Lujan’s info is missing. The new transparency?

The department’s efforts at more transparency is commendable, but let’s be real on how it came about. It’s a costly lesson, with the total tab yet to be decided (Ballew’s suit against Pasadena is slated for 2020).

Just recently the city had its liability insurance costs upped by just under an additional $1 million of taxpayers’ money.

Welcome to the new normal. ~ KRIS OCKERSHAUSER CICOPP (Coalition for Increased Civilian Oversight of Pasadena Police) POP! (Pasadenans Organizing for Progress)

PUSH ON

Congress should push forward hard with its impeachment inquiry. According to the Mueller Report, President

Trump eagerly benefited from Russian interference in the 2016 election without reporting it to the FBI. Then, he repeatedly obstructed the Justice Department’s investigation, which is a crime — obstruction of justice.

The president frequently launches ugly personal attacks on parts of our democracy — Congress people, judges, civil servants, and even civil servants in his own Executive Branch. If a foreign power were to launch such attacks, we would consider them acts hostile to the United States. And President Trump daily violates the Constitution when foreign diplomats pay his company to stay in Trump-owned properties. This is bribery and violates the Emoluments Clause of our Constitution.

President Trump tramples on our democracy like a wannabe tyrant. The remedy for a wannabe tyrant who violates our Constitution and our laws is provided by our Founding Fathers — impeachment.

If we don’t act to protect our democracy, we will lose it. Members of the House have finally undertaken an inquiry into impeaching President Trump. I wish them Godspeed. ~ ALEXANDRA HOPKINS PASADENA

ON THE BORDER

Are the people of this nation going to stand up for humanity and decency or capitulate to Trump’s corruption and evil child-abuse policies on the border?

Which way are we going to turn?

May our fury roll down like a mighty stream! ~ CLIVE LEEMAN VIA EMAIL

LETTERS WANTED:

AUDITED CIRCULATION of 26,275 Serving Alhambra, Altadena, Arcadia, Eagle Rock, Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Montrose, Pasadena, San Marino, Sierra Madre and South Pasadena

Send letters to kevinu@pasadenaweekly.com. To share news tips and information about happenings and events, contact Kevin at the address above or call (626) 584-1500, ext. 115.

Contact Deputy Editor André Coleman by writing to andrec@pasadenaweekly.com or calling (626) 584-1500, ext. 114.

09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 5

PW OPINION

PW NEWS

PW DINING

PW ARTS

•OPINION•

BY KEVIN UHRICH

THE LAST RACK STANDING HISTORY OF PW, PART II: WEEKLY STILL ON COURSE AFTER TIMES MEDIA GROUP PURCHASES SOUTHLAND PUBLISHING You’ve probably noticed that a few things have been a little bit different about your local newspaper over the past two months.

To the point, anyone who’s read us for any length of time can see that we now contain fewer pages than just last year at this time. I’m here to tell you that is the case; our page counts have been light of late, and, as anyone can surmise, that’s likely not a good thing.

In these digital times, newspapers, especially daily papers, have not been doing very well in the circulation, advertising and page-count departments. In fact, some experts say that because of these declines it’s practically a mathematical certainty that daily papers as we know them can’t last much longer in their present form within the current web/paper publishing business paradigm. Some of these same experts actually expect most will be gone in the next few years, either shuttered or converted into smaller tabloid-size versions of themselves, or relegated to an online presence only. A number of daily and weekly papers have already been forced to choose one of these options, some managing to stay in the game more successfully than others.

But perhaps the biggest change for us, for those keeping track of such things, is our masthead has changed. No longer are we owned by Southland Publishing, which bought the paper from the LA Times in 2001 and created numerous other weekly and monthly publications, among them San Diego CityBeat, IE Weekly, Culture, Arroyo, Verdugo and Ventana magazines, and in 2003 LA CityBeat and ValleyBeat. The latter two were born and nurtured right here in this office, and then closed in 2009.

Today, or as of Aug. 1, 2019, our new owners are Times Media Group, based in Tempe, Arizona and owners of 17 community newspapers in that state. But don’t get the wrong idea; this is not the LA Times, but an independently owned operation that has devoted itself to producing newspapers that deliver local news in the communities they serve; news that actually matters to their readers.

To be honest, some extremely painful cuts in PW staff have been made, as well as at our sister newspapers the Argonaut, San Diego CityBeat and the Ventura County Reporter. It’s difficult sometimes to reconcile the loss of years-long professional relationships with the knowledge that this is a business and things must be streamlined to be successful. But that’s the simple truth, and we who remain must soldier on.

From where I stand, things could have been much worse for all of us. I say this because we’ve been a major pain in the behind to our competitors, mainly the LA Weekly and other local publications, even the Pasadena Star-News and the LA Times. Although they are all hurting fi nancially, any one of them might have made a bid when they learned that PW was up for sale, and bought us just to acquire our ads, lists and maybe some staff. Then, with no small measure of vengeful satisfaction, they could fi nally remove the last PW news racks that still stand on Pasadena sidewalks.

But that did not happen. Nor have there been any demands to change what we do, at least not that much. We still cover the issues that impact our readers, just as we still cover the local arts scene like no other publication in the region.

After nearly 20 years, the folks at Southland apparently just had enough of the weekly grind and wanted to cash out, but not so much so that they would sell us to a company that only wanted to scuttle the operation. Far from it. Never once has anyone at TMG criticized what we do, or told us what to do or not do. Nor have they strayed very far from the necessary ad-to-edit ratio that the former PW often gave up on.

The good news is that it’s gotten to the point now that I must cut content to make the ads fit, albeit at just 28 pages, and that’s something I haven’t had to do in several years, since we were owned by the LA Times.

So it was with these realities in mind that we, as a group, decided this week to make some changes to the paper’s design which will make it not only easier to produce and edit, but also more accessible, enjoyable to read and more attractive to look at.

Naturally, in the Digital Age we live in, we will also be posting stories throughout the week on our website and all the social media platforms.

So welcome to the new ol’ PW, or P-Dub, as some once came to call us.

Here’s to another 35 years. ■

Kevin Uhrich is the editor of the Pasadena Weekly. Contact him at KUhrich@timespublications.com or call (626) 584-1500, ext. 115.

6 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

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DYING FOR ACTION HUNDREDS JOIN PASADENA ‘DIE-IN’ AS MILLIONS WORLDWIDE WAGE ‘CLIMATE STRIKES’ TO FORCE LEADERS TO COMBAT CLIMATE CHANGE

BY BLISS BOWEN, ANDRÉ COLEMAN AND REMALI DE SILVA

PHOTO: Bliss Bowen

A

s world leaders were meeting in Manhattan for a United Nations Climate Action Summit Monday, protesters with the Global Climate Strike this week continued calls for more steps to be taken to fight climate change.

Although President Donald Trump originally was not scheduled to be at the UN summit, he was seen attending the conference Monday for a reported 15 minutes before heading off to a religious event being held in New York, according to CBS News. The president spoke at the summit Tuesday but did not address climate change in his remarks.

The previous Friday, an estimated 4 million people around the world engaged in Climate Strikes, or demonstrations staged to compel political leaders everywhere to take action now, before it is too late.

A reported 2,500 such events were held in cities in 150 countries, according to USA Today.

In Germany, 270,000 people rallied in Berlin. In England, 100,000 people turned out in London, and 100,000 rallied in Melbourne, Australia, USA Today reported, adding the event was the biggest climate change protest in history. In the United States, organizers in New York City claimed more than 250,000 people attended demonstrations there, while 40,000 people rallied for action in San Francisco.

In New York, 16-year-old Swedish activist Greta Thunberg, whose indignant Friday strikes away from school outside the Swedish Parliament morphed into the global FridaysForFuture movement that ultimately resulted in Friday’s action, electrified listeners during the demonstrations. On Monday, the Los Angeles Times reported Thunberg told UN leaders: “If you choose to fail us, I say we will never forgive you.”

Organizers estimated between 5,000 and 8,000 people attended a rally held in Pershing Square in downtown Los Angeles on Friday. Thousands of people across Southern California also demonstrated for government action against climate change in such cities as Santa Monica, Malibu, Long Beach, Anaheim, Tustin, Irvine, Huntington Beach, Laguna Beach, Claremont and Pasadena.

In Pasadena, local students from Sequoyah School, Caltech and elsewhere led an 11-minute “die-in” on the steps of Pasadena City Hall at 8:50 Friday morning; the 11 minutes represented the approximately 11 years the scientific community estimates the world has left to stave off the climate crisis’ most catastrophic effects.

Press photographers snapped photos as students, activists, parents and teachers stretched out on the pavement, some holding signs aloft: “Fossil Fools.” “Unite Behind the Science.” “System Change Not Climate Change.” “97% of Science Says It’s Imminent.”

“If You Keep the Climate Cool We Will Go Back to School.” “Defend the Sacred.” “Adults: Act Like It!” A standard-sized poodle wearing a mobility service dog patch on her harness stood guard beside her owner on the ground. One elderly woman carried a sign reading,

“Grandma Says Go Green.”

Students from the Sequoyah School in West Pasadena walked from their campus to Pasadena City Hall after attending a series of workshops on the environment and participated in the rally.

“This is only the beginning of the movement to treat climate change as the crisis it is and combat it in every way we can,” said Ozzy Simpson, co-president of Sequoyah’s student council.

Throughout the crowd, students of varying ages could also be heard discussing past protests and relevant issues like carbon footprints and methane gas emissions.

Passing cars honked in support as climate strikers marched to Paseo Colorado and along Colorado Boulevard before circling back to Garfield Avenue. A tambourine could be heard accompanying handclaps as people chanted: “No more coal, no more oil, keep your carbon in the soil,” “We are the future, the mighty, mighty future” and “What does democracy look like?

This is what democracy looks like.”

Reassembled back at City Hall, an “open mic” session ensued where people were encouraged to speak up. One person said they were there because they were afraid, but another woman called out, “I am not afraid. I am angry!” Others took turns making statements about keeping oil in the ground, holding the wealthy accountable (“100 companies are responsible for 70 percent of the world’s climate emissions”), reducing single-use plastics, and listening to science. When students had finished speaking, climate scientist Peter Kalmus reminded attendees that “one billion activists” are needed to save the planet, its coral reefs, forests and animals, and urged everyone to use their voices and votes to educate their community and “elect good people to Congress.”

Like the die-in at City Hall, many of the demonstrations around the country were attended by young people hoping to be heard as the climate crisis nears an irreversible point.

Another round of rallies is scheduled for this Friday, Sept. 28, the 57th anniversary of the publication of “Silent Spring,” a book written by Rachel Carson which is widely credited with starting the modern environmental movement.

At Monday’s UN meeting in New York, more than 60 world leaders attended the summit aimed at reinvigorating the Paris agreement on climate change, at a time when mankind is releasing more greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Trump pulled the US out of the Paris agreement in June 2017.

“I recently left my pickup truck to go to a fully electric car,” said Pasadena Councilman Tyron Hampton, who spoke to students and others attending Friday’s event at City Hall.

“It’s important the city does all it can and we do all we can to protect the environment,” Hampton said. ■ 09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 7

PW OPINION

PW NEWS

PW DINING

PW ARTS

ACT TWO FORMER TV NEWS ANCHOR KENT SHOCKNEK GOES ‘FROM REALITY TO MAKE BELIEVE’ WITH NEW ACTING CAREER

BY JUSTIN CHAPMAN

K

ent Shocknek’s post-retirement life has been an unexpected surprise. The longtime news anchor and Pasadena resident has recently turned his newscaster career into a successful acting career.

Born Kent Schoknecht in 1956 in Berkeley, he moved to Pasadena in 1983, where he changed the spelling of his last name to Shocknek. He worked at the Long Beach PressTelegram while attending USC, then at KCAU in Sioux City, Iowa, and then as an anchor and space shuttle reporter for WFTV in Orlando, Florida.

In 1986, he took a morning news anchor job at NBC4 in Los Angeles, where he became a household name. During the magnitude 5.9 Whittier Narrows earthquake in 1987, he took cover under his anchor desk while continuing to cover the story. In 2001, he moved to CBS2 News in LA, where he anchored morning and evening newscasts. In 2013, he moved again to KCAL9, where he anchored the evening and nighttime news.

He has won eight regional Emmy awards, two LA Press Club awards, a Golden Mic award for best daytime newscast and a William Randolph Hearst award for investigative reporting.

He has also logged more hours as an anchor than anyone else in Los Angeles. The city of Los Angeles proclaimed Jan. 10, 2014 Kent Shocknek Day to honor his decades of service.

Shocknek retired from anchoring in 2014. His acting credits begin in 2004, but his second career really started picking up after his retirement.

While he mostly plays news anchors in movies and television shows because he has that look and experience, he is also seeing success in portraying other friendly authority figures, the guy next door and the everyman.

His long list of more than 60 credits include such well-known titles as “Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy,” “Manhunt,” “The Purge,” “The West Wing,” “Monk,” “ER,” “Bosch,” “Criminal Minds,” “CSI: NY,” “NCIS,” “Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice,” “Law and Order,” “The Righteous Gemstones” and many others. Sometimes, he even plays himself.

Shocknek recently sat down with the Pasadena Weekly to discuss his life and career.

Pasadena Weekly: You’ve been at the anchor desk during some major news stories over the years. What was that like to be the trusted source of information for so many people?

Kent Shocknek: First of all, it’s tremendously humbling, because it’s such an honor to be able to be invited into people’s homes and, if lucky, be invited back into their homes on a daily basis. I always liked anchoring because field reporters could look at something up close and see every little detail, while the anchor person had the opportunity to be one step removed and look back at the big picture. I always liked being able to see how this story relates to this story and how what’s happening here connects to what’s happening there. …

I enjoyed my relationship with the audience. It was absolutely not a one-way thing. I always felt that what I needed to do was be the person who was telling people what we did know and not speculating about what we didn’t know, and trying to show that they could trust what it was that we were reporting on.

What are some of the more memorable stories you covered over the years?

There were too many to count. Of course the big events stand out: the explosion of the space shuttle Challenger, when we were on the air covering the launch itself before the explosion, a number of earthquakes and wildfires and big storms, the Los Angeles riots.

It’s usually the most remembered stories are the big stories, but for me, the happiest stories often were the smallest stories. I remember one little girl who lost her tooth on her way to school and we did a very cute story about her. And the stories that make a difference, like when you see a family being reunited. I always liked the stories that were small and personal because I think we can all relate to them.

What current and upcoming projects are you working on?

In addition to playing newscasters, I’ve recently played an honest businessman in a crooked company and a widower who was speed dating. I just finished an episode of “The Righteous Gemstones” [an HBO show by Danny McBride that satirizes televangelists], and earlier this month I did three episodes of a show called “Manhunt” in Pittsburgh, a cult thriller called “Mona Lisa and the Blood Moon” in New Orleans which is a movie with Kate Hudson, an episode of “Manifest” on NBC in New York and a commercial in Seattle.

That was all during the summertime, which traditionally is sort of a slow time for a lot of productions, but I think I must have tapped into something and been tremendously lucky because it’s really picked up more than a summer has had a right to do by my estimation.■ 8 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

PHOTO: Mercedes Blackehart

How did you turn your anchor career into an acting career?

I think after years of seeing me on the screen every day, producers and casting directors recognized they could have someone who looked like an anchor and knew how to talk into a camera and give a project whatever credibility I might have. When I called it a day anchoring, I thought it would be interesting to see if what I had learned would translate into roles in addition to newscasters and commentators, other friendly authority figures like businessmen, fathers or lawmakers, and so far I’ve had some success and we’re picking up a little steam.

Leah Ferrazzani, Mary Aghoian, Amelia McDonald, Elisa Callow, Masako Yatabe Thomsen and Leslie Ito

Setting the Table ‘URBAN FORAGER’ AUTHOR ELISA CALLOW AND OTHERS SHARE STORIES OF CULINARY CULTURE IN ‘WOMEN IN FOOD — THE COMMON TABLE’ TONIGHT AT PASADENA CENTRAL LIBRARY

BY BLISS BOWEN

J

ust as Pasadena is a distinct community within and reflective of greater LA, so is the food community positioned in Pasadena. The enterprising women of that community, and its cultural diversity and their stories, will be the topic of conversation at “Women in Food — The Common Table” during a panel featuring “The Urban Forager” cookbook author Elisa Callow, inspirational cook Mary Aghoian, Semolina Artisinal Pasta owner Leah Ferrazzani, McDonald’s Urban Farm owner and purveyor Amelia McDonald, and chef Masako Yatabe Thomsen.

Moderated by Armory Center for the Arts Executive Director Leslie Ito, the event will be followed by a Q&A session, a cookbook signing by Callow, and a celebration with plenty of food tonight, Sept. 26, at the Central Library in Pasadena.

According to Callow, the idea for the panel arose from research for her illuminating book, which focuses on cooking, chefs, culinary stores, farmers markets and ingredients in greater Pasadena and LA’s Eastside.

“I was interviewing Minh Phan, who owns porridge + puffs [in Filipinotown], and noticed that a lot of Minh’s strength comes from her relationships with other women in food,” Callow says. “There’s a real desire on her part to be supportive of other women who are moving into food as professionals. The great irony is that women have always cooked, but men have been described as chefs, and it irritates her. Through her I met Na Young Ma at Proof Bakery, a young woman who CONTINUED ON PAGE 10

09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 9

SETTING THE TABLE CONTINUED FROM PAGE 09

grew up in Pasadena as an incredible baker. When Minh Phan was starting out, Na Young Ma actually stood side by side with her and helped her with bread and toasts and puffs and gave her dough to use in her restaurant.

When Minh fi rst opened porridge + puffs, Na Young Ma was there helping her, even though she’s running her own business. Minh also purchases rice, one of the core ingredients for her restaurant, from Koda Farms, Robin Koda, who is also a woman.

“So there was this relationship, and harkening back to how people learned to cook from Grandma and Mom and Auntie. Why not honor that?

I was looking around this community and these women who are quite professional in food. I’m not leaving out men on purpose; I just think it’s time to talk about women who are really doing beautiful work in food,” says Callow.

The men she knows in the food world are “just as caring and soft and delightful about their food,” but, she allows, “there’s less feeling of competition between the women, and more of collaboration.”

Sitting in her gracious Altadena kitchen, Callow scrolls through her website until she reaches a 2018 entry with a photo of McDonald’s hands holding a small pair of clippers; they had belonged to her grandfather, a seasonal citrus picker. Callow then fl ips to a page midway through her book and reads: “When a family’s history is one of displacement and immigration, what can be carried is memory … these memories take their most tangible form in its love of food.” That opens a page-long profi le of Jack Aghoian, who inherited his father Abraham’s Pasadena restaurant, Aghoian’s Dining Room (which he renamed Jack’s Kasbah and later sold to Alta Eats chef Paul Ragan). Abraham and Jack’s mother Mary, who’s speaking on the panel, were Armenian refugees, and their family’s story is emblematic of how local culture has made LA the country’s most imaginative food capital.

“Tahini tacos are one of their favorite things,” Callow says with a chuckle. “Mary grew up in Syria and her husband grew up in Cuba; their parents fled Armenia because of the genocide. So Mary was the carrier of the food culture in the family. Her stories of food scarcity are not about ‘poor me’; they’re about, ‘and then we ground our own wheat and then we milked our own this.’ Jack wrote quite a bit about the Armenian kitchen as the ultimate center of family, and Mary is the absolute apex of that.

She was working at PUSD as their immigration support person, but her husband decided to open a restaurant so she’d be up until three in the morning, teaching him how to cook.”

Ito, who just celebrated her one-year anniversary as executive director at the Armory (where Callow was founding director), previously served as president of the Japanese-American Cultural & Community Center in downtown LA, where she launched a culinary program. Now, she says, she is “looking closely” at how family units and communities connect “through culture and specifically the culinary arts.” She anticipates the panel pivoting to ways in which food abundance and scarcity shape how we think about, present and consume food. Local food conversation usually centers on restaurants, but “the procurement of food and the life of food before it gets to the table” is interesting too, Ito says, and food can be locally sourced here.

“We think about women, and we think about recipes, cooking techniques, growing food,” Ito says. “A lot of that gets passed down from generation to generation through the women. We’re naturally the cultural bearers of our families and our communities.”

Callow cites a supportive local “ecosystem,” exemplified by Minh Phan supporting a quality farm purveyor’s ingredients with her business, and McDonald honoring a fellow urban farmer with a special dinner when he harvests beautiful heirloom corn. On no day is the food business anything short of challenging, but locally it’s less competitive than one might expect.

“Pasadena is for me one of these rare cities that is based on the quality of relationships and community. It is one of the most civically minded places I’ve ever been,” Callow says. “So I want to really celebrate the resources in this community that have to do with food, and some of the leaders happen to be some very strong women.” ■ “Women in Food — The Common Table: Stories of Community” takes place at the Central Library, 285 E. Walnut St., Pasadena, 6:30-9 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 26; free admission. Info: (626) 744-4066. theurbanforager.co, cityofpasadena.net/library

10 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

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DINING

RESTAURANT REVIEW

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3600 Ocean View Blvd., #12, Montrose (818) 330-9224 Major Cards Accepted/Alcohol Served

As Good As It Gets KONTENTSU OFFERS FLAVOR & SAKE IN MONTROSE

BY MICHAEL SPRAGUE | PHOTOS BY DANNY LIAO

n Ocean View Boulevard in Montrose there is a ramen shop that holds its own against Los Angeles powerhouses like JINYA or Orochon.

That might sound like a lukewarm endorsement, but it shouldn’t. Being put in the same category as those other shops is an honor in itself.

Kontentsu is good; really good. There is just nothing to set it apart from the cluster of ramen shops that are now sprawled throughout California. The flavors that you get at this restaurant are the same flavors you will get at most other shops in the area. Since we are dealing with ramen — a rich, salty noodle- and broth-based dish — that is not something to complain about. In fact, it’s worth every penny.

Unlike many ramen shops, which hold to a very traditional aesthetic, Kontentsu was a nice change of pace to other places where I’ve eaten. It was an elevated contemporary restaurant

O

CAMERON’S SEAFOOD 1978 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 793-3474 Camerons4fish.com $$ Since 1984, Cameron’s Seafood has been serving its freshest seafood, and has become a landmark in Pasadena. Cameron’s brings the ocean home with their fresh catch being cooked over mesquite wood grills that burn all day long.Enjoy the very best Seafood, Steaks, Salad & Pasta! Voted Best Seafood in Pasadena Weekly for 27 years! Now you can order on-line: camerons4fish.com.

CONTINUED ON PAGE 12

09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 11

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Spicy ramen

dining & nitelife

directory

Average price per entree $ U P TO $10 $$$ $16-25 $$ $11–15 $$$$ $25+

EL PORTAL 695 E. Green St., Pasadena (626)795-8553 Elportalrestaurant.com $$ Pasadena Weekly readers have been rewarding El Portal with the title of Best Mexican Food in the city for years. This charming little hacienda with brick walls, festive colors, fine art and a California elegant courtyard brings the authentic cuisine of Mexico and the Yucatan region to your table.

MARGARITA’S 155 S. Rosemead Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-4193 margaritaspasadena.com $$ At Margaritas Mexican Restaurant, our family has been sharing our authentic Mexican dishes with the wonderful people of Pasadena since 1977. Guests enter our warm, inviting space and leave as family -- with plenty of burritos, tortas, tostadas, fajitas, and more to be had in between!

Our dishes incorporate and pay homage to the rich flavors of bustling mercados, corner taquerias, and seaside palapas. So visit us, eat to your heart's content at our mouthwatering lunch buffet, sip on a refreshing margarita, and feel at home.

AS GOOD AS IT GETS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 11

HILL STREET CAFÉ 1004 Foothill Blvd., La Canada Flintridge 818-952-1019 hillstreetcafelacanada.com $$ Hill Street Café is celebrating over 25 years of serving the community quality meals made of quality ingridients. we want to thank all of you who stuck with us during the remodeling process and we want to welcome back everyone else. in our recent remodel, we have added an outdoor patio, a bar and more dining area, we have created a relaxed ambience with a touch of modern but still retaining our extensive menu, our friendly service and most important a family atmosphere.

KABUKI JAPANESE RESTAURANTS 88 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 568-9310 3539 E. Foothill Blvd., Pasadena, (626) 351-8963 kabukirestaurants.com $$ When you walk into a Kabuki you won’t be overwhelmed with Asian decor and music. What you will encounter is a casual atmosphere with today’s hottest music playing, people smiling and our friendly staff welcoming you through the doors. Look for the Red Mask. Come eat, drink and have fun!

TOPS WALNUT 1792 E. Walnut St., Pasadena (626) 584-0244 topsburger.com $ At TOPS on Walnut & Allen, we maintain the original taste from 60 years ago. My father wanted to create food as close to homemade as possible. Our primary goal and focus is on taste, quality, freshness, cleanliness in our service and experienced staff. Most of our staff have been with us for more than twenty years. We invite you to come to TOPS on the corner of Walnut & Allen and taste the difference! Meet our staff and experience what quality service should be.

The same quality service that has made us #1.

12 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

SHANDONG DUMPLINGS 80 N. Fair Oaks Ave. Pasadena 626-578-9777 227 W. Valley Blvd, 168 A, San Gabriel 626-308-3777 $ Shandong Dumplings is your Reader Recommended Winner for BEST DUMPLINGS in the 2018 Reader’s Poll! We have been a cornerstone in the greater Pasadena community and are well known for our outstanding cuisine, excellent service and friendly staff. Recognized for our modern interpretation of classic dishes and insistence on using only the highest quality, freshest ingredients. Open for Lunch and Dinner daily and until 2am Wed-Sat.

TOM'S FAMOUS FAMILY RESTAURANT 1130 E. Walnut St. Pasadena 626-577-7717 tomsfamous.com $ Please come and enjoy homemade breakfast lunch and dinner all made from scratch and FRESH. Nothing is ever served or made from a can. We pride ourselves as being the cleanest store with the best quality food and BEST service in town. Thank you PASADENA!!!!!

ZELO GOURMET PIZZAS 328 E. Foothill Blvd.Arcadia 626-358-8298 myzelopizza.info $$ It’s the cornmeal crust that makes this pizzeria stand out from the rest. This locally owned establishment’s signature dish is the fresh, corn, balsamic-marinated, oven-roasted red onion pie. Zelo Pizzeria has expanded the dining room to better serve you, so come in and give Zelo Pizzeria a try.

without feeling too formal. Above a long row of seats is a decor piece made entirely of mesh noodle strainers. Is the curator the next Banksy?

Probably not, but it is a cool aesthetic piece nonetheless.

Sticking with tradition, I brought along the same friend with whom I visited HiroNori in Pasadena earlier this year. We both ordered the Tonkotsu Black ($12.75), which comes with roasted garlic-infused pork bone broth, pork chashu (braised pork belly) or chicken, bean sprouts, scallions, seaweed paper and one marinated egg. The bowl is then topped with a drizzle of extra black garlic oil and thin slices of kale and onion.

We also decided to go for the spicy tuna crisp ($7.50) as a starter. I would recommend skipping this one and trying one of the more traditional shareable dishes like the gyoza ($5.50) or karage chicken ($7).

If you’re looking for something more adventurous, try the pork chashu tacos ($7) or curry fries ($7.50). Edamame ($4) and spicy edamame ($4.50) are also available.

My dining partner opted for the pork chashu and asked for his to come spicy as well. I went for the chicken, which I ended up regretting. The chicken was fi ne, but upon opting for a taste of my companion’s dish, the pork had a better flavor and came with great sear that left it with more of a bite than other ramen restaurants I have visited.

There are two schools of thought on pork chashu. The fi rst is that the pork should be so tender that chewing becomes a formality rather than a necessity. The second is that the pork should be able to maintain its integrity after being submerged in the ramen. My tastes fall into the latter category.

Kontentsu fi lls their bowls with thin noodles, but not all ramen shops take this approach. Just like every ramen shop has their own broth recipe, any ramen shop worth its shio at least attempts

to take a unique approach to their noodles.

The thin noodles Kontentsu provides means that a ton of broth remains incorporated into every bite. I’ve never been a math guy, but I do know that more broth means more flavor.

Bunching the thin noodles together with small parcels of chicken and sprouts made every bite feel like you were getting the full experience.

In some ramen shops, the noodles can come close to being udon thick. While these places generally have really good noodles that are chewy and enjoyable on their own, to me, ramen is all about the broth. The noodles are just a mechanism by which to enjoy it.

One dish that is unique is the kimchi ramen ($13.50) which comes with a spicy pork bone broth and the same fi xings that come with the tonkotsu. The toppings on this dish instead go for pepper flakes and sauteed kimchi. There is also a vegetable miso ramen ($12.75) for vegetarians and a soyu ramen ($12.00) for those who prefer a chicken broth.

The vegetable option is fi lled with lightly fried tofu, scallions, wood mushrooms, bamboo shoots, corn and seaweed paper. Then it is topped with arugula. While I didn’t try the vegetable options, I have tried mushroom at other ramen locations and would highly recommend it to anyone who is looking to avoid meats. The rich broth at Kontentsu does all the heavy lifting flavor-wise, so you could throw whatever you wanted in and probably have a good bowl of food in front of you.

You can make this dish vegan friendly by swapping out the regular noodles for the vegan noodles. The shoyu ramen comes with the same toppings as the kimchi and tonkotsu; the only difference is that this dish comes with scallion oil instead of black garlic oil.

All in all, the service was helpful and, in the best way possible, minimal. If you are looking for a place to come in and enjoy the comfort of a good bowl of noodles, Kontentsu is the place to visit.

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COMPETING FOR THE CROWN Tournament of Roses announces 2020 Royal Court finalists

The Tournament of Roses Association on Tuesday announced the 25 finalists for the 2020 Royal Court.

The seven-member court will be chosen from the 26 finalists on Monday, Sept. 30.

The young women were chosen from applicants from 14 local schools who were interviewed by officials with the Tournament of Roses Association.

One of those seven will be crowned the 2020 Rose Queen at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 during a ceremony at the Pasadena Playhouse.

The Rose Queen will preside over the 131st Rose Parade and the 106th Rose Bowl College Football Game on Jan. 1.

Before those iconic events, the Royal Court will make more than 100 appearances.

Each member of the 2020 Royal Court will receive a $7,500 educational scholarship and together they will serve as ambassadors for the Tournament of Roses.

EMBRACING DIVERSITY League of Women Voters seeks to correct wrongs done to black feminists during suffrage movement

The League of Women Voters (LWV) is launching its centennial celebration on Oct. 3 with a push for more diversity and inclusion.

LWVUS CEO Virginia Kase will bring that message to Pasadena at 8:30 a.m. when she speaks at the Women’s City Club, 160 N. Oakland Ave., Pasadena.

The LWV was formed in 1919, about six months before the 19th Amendment was passed, giving women the right to vote.

Originally, only women could join the organization, but in 1973 the charter was modified to allow men to join.

According to a statement issued by the LWVUS, the group is “acknowledging that Elizabeth Cady Stanton and other suffragist leaders betrayed black feminists, and has created a task force to give voice to all people regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation, ability, wealth or religion.”

LWVUS, Kase said in the statement, “commits to righting the wrongs of our past and building a stronger, more inclusive democracy through a task force on diversity, equity and inclusion.”

The first Latina CEO of LWV, Kase has a 20-year history of advocacy for social justice in nonprofits dedicated to building equity.

“It’s time to close the rift between black and white feminists that began 150 years ago, and for the league to embrace diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Pat Coulter, the first black president of the League of Women Voters Pasadena Area.

Reservations are required for an optional breakfast ($25) and seating.

For more information, call (626) 798-0965 or email office@lwv-pa.org.

A DOG’S LIFE Wiggle Waggle Walk scheduled for Sunday

The 21st annual Wiggle Waggle Walk will take place at 8 a.m.

Sunday at Brookside Park, 360 N. Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena.

The Pasadena Humane Society & SPCA hopes to raise $225,000 from the event to help provide food, shelter, veterinary care and other services to the nearly 12,000 animals that come through the local shelter annually.

Participants are encouraged to fundraise by registering as an individual or as part of a team on the Wiggle Waggle Walk website and asking for donations. Supporters who are unable to attend the event can still donate via the website.

Participants can choose to walk a one- or three-mile loop around the Rose Bowl or stay behind to enjoy vendor booths at Brookside Park. Participants do not need a dog to join the fun.

Check-in opens at 8 a.m. Registration is $35 until noon Friday, and $50 on Sunday.

For more information, visit wigglewagglewalk.org. n

09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 13

HOME SALES

RECENT HOME CLOSINGS IN THE PASADENA WEEKLY FOOTPRINT source: CalREsource

ADDRESS ALHAMBRA 2729 West Shorb Street 1821 Pepper Street #1 ALTADENA 2651 Catherine Road 1291 Meadowbrook Road 172 West Harriet Street 3234 Raymond Avenue 725 West Sacramento Street 372 West Harriet Street ARCADIA 1012 East Birchcroft Street EAGLE ROCK 1363 Brampton Road 4610 Paulhan Avenue 2112 Laverna Avenue GLENDALE 1326 Opechee Way 3681 Urquidez Avenue 1215 Justin Avenue 1319 Fairfield Street 1517 East Garfield Avenue #74 LA CAÑADA 831 Greenridge Drive PASADENA 1825 Braemar Road 1234 Wellington Avenue 1133 North Holliston Avenue 1140 Busch Garden Court 1650 East Mountain Street 2240 Kinneloa Canyon Road 44 Arroyo Drive #202 2490 Paloma Street 264 North Chester Avenue 2686 Meguiar Drive 330 Cordova Street #356 1960 Mentone Avenue 53 Yale Street 246 Alpine Street #8 630 North Wilson Avenue #1 425 Raymond Drive 419 Raymond Drive 2468 Mohawk Street #101 720 North Garfield Avenue #1 SIERRA MADRE 405 Ramona Avenue 81 Auburn Avenue 245 Sturtevant Drive SOUTH PASADENA 2021 Alpha Street 821 Bank Street 14 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

PRICE

BDRMS.SQ. FT.YR. BUILTPREV. PRICE PREV. SOLD

9/5/19 9/3/19

$680,000 $498,000

3 3

1,358 1,359

1923 1979

$535,500 $432,000

4/13/18 3/27/06

9/3/19 9/4/19 9/5/19 9/5/19 9/6/19 9/6/19

$1,060,000 $1,002,000 $806,000 $710,000 $655,000 $610,000

2 2 2 2 3 3

1,648 1,606 1,407 905 1,158 1,338

1955 1948 1928 1948 1947 1957

$790,000 $697,500 $341,000 $298,000 $522,500

7/9/13 8/11/06 7/3/13 8/5/03 1/8/16

9/6/19

$530,000

4

1,478

1948

9/6/19 9/6/19 9/5/19

$1,000,000 $985,000 $565,000

3 3 2

2,400 1958 1,239 1923 800 1924

$813,500

5/10/16

9/5/19 9/4/19 9/5/19 9/6/19 9/6/19

$1,079,000 $800,000 $775,000 $709,000 $375,000

2 2 2 3 1

1,881 1,216 1,020 1,204 708

1931 1952 1925 1963 1975

$625,000

7/24/13

$315,500 $234,000

3/25/03 7/7/04

9/4/19

$1,875,000

4

3,439 1986

$1,450,000

8/16/04

9/5/19 9/3/19 9/6/19 9/4/19 9/4/19 9/6/19 9/3/19 9/3/19 9/3/19 9/3/19 9/6/19 9/6/19 9/3/19 9/6/19 9/3/19 9/6/19 9/6/19 9/6/19 9/6/19

$3,050,000 $2,785,000 $1,605,000 $1,595,000 $1,490,000 $1,250,000 $1,050,000 $1,038,000 $850,000 $830,000 $738,000 $685,000 $675,000 $639,000 $550,000 $533,000 $514,000 $411,000 $292,000

3 5 3 3 4 3 2 4 4 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 3 1 2

4,146 3,956 2,262 1,901 2,540 2,270 1,910 1,986 1,382 1,360 1,111 947 1,408 1,036 1,035 656 1,044 844 764

2008 1976 1927 1951 1929 1958 2008 1948 1928 1953 1981 1940 1997 1987 1984 1926 1926 1974 1986

$640,000 $1,945,000 $249,500 $1,400,000 $1,267,500 $1,100,000 $850,000 $257,000 $720,000

6/28/00 6/27/11 7/25/98 5/15/17 6/10/14 4/4/17 8/12/14 1/13/98 7/31/17

$658,000 $150,000 $495,000

7/6/17 11/17/99 5/15/14

$360,000

3/27/19

$310,000 $298,000 $220,000

1/23/13 5/8/15 10/1/08

9/3/19 9/5/19 9/4/19

$1,695,000 $950,000 $722,500

4 3 2

3,488 2005 2,062 1946 909 1948

$1,785,000

1/25/06

9/3/19 9/3/19

$1,055,000 $800,000

3 2

1,177 899

$375,000 $610,000

8/1/01 6/16/10

1939 1948

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COMEDIAN J. CHRIS NEWBERG BRINGS AUTHENTICITY TO THE ICE HOUSE STAGE

BY ERIC NEWMAN

C

omedian J. Chris Newberg didn’t take up comedy until 2000, but he always had a knack for making people laugh.

“When I was in high school, I would start saying to people, ‘Oh, I heard this joke and it’s funny!’” Newberg said in a 2016 interview. “It was something that I wrote, but I didn’t have the courage to say that I had written it. Everyone would laugh and that was it, and I just put it in the back of my brain.”

Newberg, who had a career in music before comedy, will be appearing at the Ice House Comedy Club in Pasadena on Friday, Sept. 27.

A suburban Detroit native, Newberg played guitar in the band Vudu Hippies for 15 years. The run with the band schooled him on stage presence and commanding a room.

He said he believes nearly two decades of telling jokes have made him better.

“They made me stand in the back,” he says about Vudu Hippies. “I took everything I learned to comedy. I’m driving and steering the show now so I have to take it to a different level.”

He still loves to listen to music, but the Vudu Hippies stopped being fun. Several members of the group fell off. “One person quit and another got married — and it just wasn’t fun anymore,” he said.

Newberg has thrived comedically, performing on “America’s Got Talent,” as well as “The Tonight Show,” “Jimmy Kimmel Live” and Comedy Central. He’s toured with Dane Cook and written songs for “American Idol.” He’s also contributed to “Saturday Night Live,” “Late Night with David Letterman,” “Chelsea Lately” and “The Conan O’Brien Show.”

As far as his own material is concerned, Newberg is putting together his next hour of comedy. Formulating jokes is his favorite part of the job.

“This is the most fun because you’re trying to connect ideas, morphing ideas from nothing into a polished joke. It’s a challenge and I fi nd it pretty rewarding,” he said.

He has not, however, parted with music entirely. Early in his career, Newberg led with his guitar, much to the audience’s chagrin. Now he regularly brings his guitar on stage, and plays a few minutes of humorous songs toward the end of his act.

“I’ve tried to cut down the songs to 30 seconds to a minute or so max, kind of cutting out all the fat,” Newberg said. “I try to go out there and tell jokes first and prove that I’m funny, so that they’re laughing and they trust you. So then when I pull out the guitar at the end they’ve been anticipating it, so that’s more fun.”

He has gained a following through his podcast “Heroin has a Great Publicist,” and has been received as authentic.

One of his topics now is dating a girl over 20 years his junior. With relatable humor and an ability to capture an audience in several different ways, there is no reason to think his role in the Pasadena show should be less than terrific.

“If you’re always talking about what’s real and what’s honest about yourself, and make it funny, you’re going to connect with people.

That’s what matters,” Newberg said. ■ J. Chris Newberg performs at 10 p.m. Friday, September 27, at the Ice House Comedy Club, 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena. Call (626) 577-1894 or visit icehousecomedy.com for more information.

09.26.19 | PASADENA WEEKLY 15

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MADISON CUNNINGHAM, Who Are You Now (Verve): ★★★★ The Orange County-raised, LA-based singersongwriter/guitarist pushes deeper into pop while taking stock of her life. Joni Mitchell echoes through her clear vocal tones, modulations, and shifting time signatures, especially standouts like grooving opener “Pin It Down,” the scale-skipping “L.A. (Looking Alive),” and “Dry as Sand.” It’s more electric than previous outings, save for the violingraced “Like You Do” (co-written with Tyler Chester and Eleni Mandell) and the stunning spiritual poetry of Joe Henry co-write “Bound”: “Into you my spirit goes/ I hand it over like a rose/ Daylight breaking at its side/ Dying as it opens wide.” At the Bootleg in LA Oct. 1. Madisoncunningham.com

VARIOUS ARTISTS, World Spirituality Classics 2: The Time for Peace is Now — Gospel Music About Us (Luaka Bop): ★★★★

‘Watch & Wait’

ELLA VOS BRINGS HER DREAMY ELECTRONIC POP TO TASTES & SOUNDS FALL CRAWL ON SOUTH LAKE

T

he family-friendly Tastes & Sounds Fall Crawl returns to the South Lake Avenue Business District Saturday, bringing with it a diverse musical lineup that includes Grammynominated singer-songwriter Ximena Sariñana, rock duo Sunflower Bean, and LA pop artist Ella Vos. Vos is an intriguing presence.

Her 2018 debut album “Words I Never Said,” which produced the hit “White Noise,” addressed emotional topics like postpartum depression and, with the snappy “You Don’t Know About Me,” Trump’s infamous “Access Hollywood” tape (“You don’t know what you talk about/ It’s all lies that come out your mouth/ ’Cause I wake up, this is my body, this is my war”). Yet despite such weighty inspirations, Vos’ music often has a mood-sweetening effect. Her soprano is deceptive — ethereal and often breathy but resilient

16 PASADENA WEEKLY | 09.26.19

— and the rubbery beats, synths and electronic effects cushioning her melodies give depth to her diaristic songs.

She wrote and recorded the songs for what became her “Watch & Wait” EP, released in January, while she was undergoing treatment for lymphoma last year — often working out lyrics while attached to an IV. That inevitably gives a darker cast to songs like the hooky “Temporary”: “Looking for a sign Watch it slip away The mystery of time …

When I’m here feeling ordinary, no Don’t try and hold me, if you’re gonna hold me back Just tell me it’s only temporary” Like her elegantly styled videos, some of which — “Temporary” and the dreamy “Cast

Away” — the visually oriented Vos directed, the song translates feelings of profound fatigue and dislocation into universal themes of fi nding value. “Empty Hands” pierces the dream; the video follows Vos into treatment sessions, and the lyric transforms illness into a relationship metaphor (“Take my money, back me up again/ Throw away fl owers, tryin’ so hard to win/ Bruisin’ needles, tell me another way”).

Yet the music has a cleansing effect as it washes over ears, suggesting a process of selfdiscovery and healing that many are seeking these days. ■ Ella Vos performs at Taste of South Lake at the Shops on Lake, 345 S. Lake Ave., Pasadena, at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept.

28; event begins at noon and also includes performances by Sunflower Bean (1 p.m.) and Ximena Sarinana (4 p.m.), with between-set music from DJ Raul Campos.

Admission’s free. Info: (626) 792-1259.

Ellavos.com, Southlakeavenue.org

“Music as permanently strong and meaningful as this doesn’t come from where — it comes from the opposite of nowhere,” author Jonathan Lethem observes in liner notes. Well said. Discerningly selected by soul DJ Greg Belson, the 14 1970s-era tracks decry the “Condition the World is In” (per the funk-tinged Religious Souls). As grittily expressed by the Little Shadows, Staples Jr. Singers (the eerie “We Got a Race to Run”), James Bynum (the piercing “We Are in Need”), Rev. Harvey Gates, the Soul Stirrers, and more throughout this pressingly relevant set, their message remains urgent. luakabop.com

RACHID TAHA, Je Suis Africain (Naïve/Believe): ★★★½

The charismatic Algerian-born, Paris-based raï-rock singer, who died days short of his 60th birthday last September, remains eclectic throughout this posthumous release, merrily mixing traditional Algerian instruments, Sufi trance, French pop, soukous guitars, talking drums and Western rock.

“Wahdi” blends mariachi trumpet with Gnawa rhythms and Flèche Love’s ethereal vocals, while the multilingual Taha has fun with “Like a Dervish” and “Striptease,” his trademark rasp backed by violin, bluesy guitar and a stripper beat. The title track namechecks Nelson Mandela, Malcolm X, Jimi Hendrix, Jacques Derida, Angela Davis and more, embracing all in unifying embrace: “I Am African.” facebook.com/RachidTahaofficiel

SHANE ALEXANDER, A Life Like Ours (Buddhaland): ★★★

“There ain’t always a reason for the evil that men do/ When hatred fast as lightning brings the end of what we knew,” Alexander observes during “I’ll Be Here,” a quietly fingerpicked ballad inspired by the Vegas shooting. Like the rest of this nicely produced set, it offers humility and melodic healing while contemplating mortality, nature and relationships.

Highlights: “Everything as One,” “Riverbed,” “Slow Goodbye.” At Highland Park Bowl in Highland Park Saturday, Sept. 28. shanealexandermusic.com

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•CALENDAR• Thursday Sep. 26 through Wednesday Oct. 03 PLEASE NOTE: Deadline for Calendar submissions is noon Wednesday of the week before the issue publishes. Send to johns@ pasadenaweekly.com

THURSDAY Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-5320 Vroman’s presents a Skype event with NBA legend Kobe Bryant from 6 to 7 p.m. The event celebrates the release of Bryant’s new book, “Legacy and The Queen.” Due to the limited capacity of our event space this is a ticketed event. Ticket admits one and includes one copy of “Legacy and The Queen,” signed

by Kobe Bryant. Tickets are $17.

Armory Center for the Arts 145 N. Raymond Ave., Pasadena (626) 792-5101 Intentional Intersectionality: Amplifying Queer Voices of Color from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

This literary event features queer writers of color reading from their latest works. A post-reading panel discussion will focus on safe and inclusive spaces, publishing, and writers of color reading in straight and often traditionally white queer spaces to expand and build audiences. Admission is free.

The Blue Guitar Arroyo Seco Golf Course 1055 Lohman Lane, South Pasadena blueguitar.club The club presents Adam Miller/Mason Stoops at 7 p.m. Tickets are $12 general admission, $17 for table seating.

Apple Store 54 W. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 463-6223 “Art Walk: Discovering Color” will take place from noon to 1:30 p.m. Participants will collect colors on a walk to create a color palette and then use that palette to create an abstract painting on the Procreate app. Devices will be provided.

One Colorado 41 Hugus Alley, Pasadena (626) 564-1066 onecolorado.com One Colorado offers live music on Thursdays and Saturdays in September starting at 7 p.m. Thursday’s music features Shane Hall.

Admission is free.

FRIDAY Boston Court Performing Arts Center 70 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena Bostoncourtpasadena.org (626) 683-6801 Four lonely people, their stories written on paper, earth and skin, find each other when one of them falls apart in “How the Light Gets In.” General admission ticket is $30, seniors $25 and students $20. Continues through Oct. 27.

Rose Bowl 1001 Rose Bowl Drive, Pasadena (626) 577-3100 The Food Truck Festival kicks off at 4 p.m.

Outdoor games, moon bounces, photo opportunities and tours of the iconic stadium included. Admission and parking is free for all attendees.

Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-5320 • vromansbookstore.com Barbara Natterson-Horowitz and Kathryn Bowers, in conversation with Katharine Gammon, discuss and sign “Wildhood: The Epic Journey from Adolescence to Adulthood in Humans and Other Animals” at 7 p.m.

The Rose 245 E. Green St., Pasadena (888) 645-5006 Los Angeles-based band Yachtley Crew performs. Doors open at 6 p.m. Headliners go on at 9 p.m. Opening sets by comedian Andy Gross. Tickets are $19.50.

Langham Huntington Hotel 1401 S. Oak Knoll Ave., Pasadena (818) 994-4661 Celebrate the LAPD’s 150th Anniversary at the Jack Webb Awards Gala at 6 p.m. Individual tickets start at $300.

Pasadena Museum of History

470 W Walnut St., Pasadena Tour the Fenyes Mansion starting at 12:15 p.m. Tickets are $17. The famous estate and gardens, which were used as sets for a number of early motion pictures for film industry notables such as Douglas Fairbanks and D.W. Griffith, is listed as a Pasadena Cultural Landmark. The estate was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.

Gallery at the End of the World 869 E. Mariposa St., Altadena facebook.com/mcgintysgallery The gallery presents the “Casa de la Mariposa” art show, a group exhibition of more than 60 artists centering on butterflies and the idea of metamorphosis. It opens with a reception from 6 to 10 p.m. The reception featuring a screening of “Pollinators Under Pressure,” narrated by Leonardo DiCaprio, is at 8:15 p.m.

The exhibition continues through Oct. 12.

SATURDAY Pasadena Playhouse 39 S. El Molino Ave., Pasadena (626) 356-7529 “Little Shop of Horrors” with some new twists continues through Oct. 17 with some new twists. Tickets start at $25 Old Pasadena Pub Crawl Experience the history of some famous and infamous Pasadena watering holes and haunts. This guided walking tour of Pasadena’s original downtown includes stops at pubs distinctive for their history, architecture and beer. Tickets are $40 to $45. To purchase tickets visit pasadenahistoricpubtour. eventbrite.com/ The Rose 245 E. Green St., Pasadena (888) 645-5006 wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com/ Strangelove: the Depeche Mode Experience, one of the most successful tribute productions in the world, delivers a pitch-perfect “best of” Depeche Mode arena/stadium scaled concert at 9 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-5320 • vromansbookstore.com Author Brian Azzarello & Illustrator Lee Bermejo sign “Batman: Damned” at 1 p.m.

This graphic novel, written outside of DC continuity, opens with the Joker seemingly dying at Batman’s hand.

The Ice House 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena (626) 577-1894 Ian Baggs performs at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20.

Two drink minimum, 21 and over.

Brand Library and Art Center 1601 W. Mountain St., Glendale (818) 548-2051 • brandlibrary.org The Art Center presents the Brand47 National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper, opening with a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. The exhibition continues through Oct. 25.

Descanso Gardens 1418 Descanso Drive, La Cañada Flintridge (818) 949-4200 • descansogardens.org Descanso presents the first of its threeconcert series, “Silence,” presenting music unconstrained by genre, starting at 7:30 p.m. each night. Saturday’s concert is titled “Listen.” It features Zola Jesus with pop-goth anthems, Jonas Baes, a Filipino composer of interdisciplinary music, and Low Leaf, an electroacoustic artist who combines classical piano with harp, guitar and voice. Tickets are $30 and $37.

SUNDAY Brookside Park 360 N Arroyo Blvd., Pasadena (626) 744-7500 The 21st Annual Wiggle Waggle Walk steps off at Brookside Park at the Rose Bowl. Join thousands of animal lovers and their canine companions for a fun-filled community dog walk and fundraiser. You do not need a dog to participate, all are welcome. Early bird registration is $25.

Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanical Gardens 1151 Oxford Road, San Marino (626) 405-2100 • huntington.org.

The Huntington Library continues its 100th anniversary with the exhibition “Nineteen Nineteen,” which explores the facility’s founding through the lens of a single, tumultuous year. In 1919, Henry and Arabella Huntington signed the trust document that transformed their property into a public institution, just as the US was recovering in the aftermath of World War I. The Rose 245 E. Green St., Pasadena (888) 645-5006 wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com/ Geoff Tate performs at 9 p.m. Tickets range from $24 to $48.

Soulful Sunday Brunch at 10 a.m., music starts at 11 a.m. admission is $18.50 does not include brunch.

Vroman’s Bookstore 695 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena (626) 449-5320 • vromansbookstore.com Vroman’s Local Author Day introduces Amina Warsuma, Carol Gignoux, Larry Hardin, Jeff Pearce, Dianne DeMille and Randy Torgerson at 4 p.m.

MONDAY Colombo’s Restaurant 1833 Colorado Blvd., Eagle Rock (323) 254-9138 colombosrestaurant.com The Eric Ekstrand Trio plays jazz at 7 p.m.

No cover.

TUESDAY Alex Theater 216 N. Brand Blvd., Glendale (818) 243-2539 • Alextheater.org The Alex Theatre and Glendale Arts present “An Evening with Bob Iger in a Live Talks LA event. The Disney CEO, in conversation with Brian Grazer, discusses his memoir, “The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company.” Iger shares the ideas and values he embraced to reinvent the beloved institution. It starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $20 to $65.

Pasadena Conservatory of Music 100 N Hill Ave #105, Pasadena (626) 683-3355 pasadenaconservatory.org Check out a performance of the Tony-award winning “The Light in the Piazza” at 2 p.m. the piece tale of sun-drenched Italy and an exploration of romantic and maternal love.

Pinocchio’s Italian Restaurant 1449 N Lake Ave., Pasadena (626) 791-7591 Unleash your inner artist at the Original Paint Night. You’ll go from a blank canvas to a masterpiece. Guided by a talented and entertaining artist, you’ll be amazed at what you create, and how much fun you have doing it. Tickets are $39 per person.

WEDNESDAY The Blue Guitar Arroyo Seco Golf Course 1055 Lohman Lane, South Pasadena blueguitar.club Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, Wine & Song features Jackie Bristow with Mark Punch; Mare Wakefield & Nomad. Tickets are $12 and $17.

The Rose 245 E. Green St., Pasadena (888) 645-5006 wheremusicmeetsthesoul.com Borderline Country Night starts at 6 p.m.

Must show a valid ID. Dance Lessons at 6:30, 7:30 & 10pm. Tickets are $20 and $15. ■

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PW OPINION PW NEWS

•FILM•

PW LIFE

PW ARTS

BY JANA J. MONJI Rene Zellweger in Judy.

All That Glitters …

‘JUDY’ DIRECTOR RUPERT GOOLD PULLS FEW PUNCHES IN RECOUNTING THE TROUBLED LIFE OF JUDY GARLAND

“J

udy,” opening nationwide Friday, offers a glimpse into the life of Judy Garland as both the girl in the ruby red slippers and the boozing, drug-addled entertainer slipping toward death in her final money-making engagement.

The film, staring Rene Zellweger in the title role and directed by Rupert Goold, opens with Garland performing with her two kids, Lorna (Bella Ramsey) and Joey Luft (Lewin Lloyd), in tow. But it soon becomes clear that all the glitter is part of an act, with their dressing room the pantry at the back of a nightclub kitchen. The smiles on stage soon change into expressions of frustration as Garland later drags the youngsters to an expensive hotel, only to be turned away. Her unpaid bill has resulted in her suite being cleaned out and her belongings put in storage.

In desperation, Garland ends up knocking on the door of Sid Luft, the father of the two children, in Brentwood. By 1968, one year prior to her death, Luft and Garland, who married in 1952, had been divorced for three years. Rightfully, he is concerned about the children. After all, it's a school night and Garland had just blithely remarked that the kids had slept in a cab.

For her one-night performance, Garland is paid $150, which is quickly spent, and she still needs a place to stay. She ends up crashing a party of her older daughter, Liza Minelli (GemmaLeah Devereux), where she meets the attractive Mickey Deans (Finn Wittrock), a fan with an entrepreneurial spirit who is handsome enough to catch the eye of women and men.

In flashbacks, we see a young Judy (Darci Shaw) being bullied and badgered by her cruel adult handlers. Her female chaperone reminds her not to eat because she’ll get fat, and the slimy head of the studio alternates between praise and cutting criticism.

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That early diet of pill-popping and emotional abuse most certainly shaped the adult Judy’s behavior, as did her desire to perform. The movie's melodrama comes when Judy flies to London to perform at an upscale nightclub, Talk of the Town.

The money will save her, but who will save her from herself?

She has a minder, but Rosalyn Wilder (Jessie Buckley) isn't quite up to handling this well-practiced drug addict.

Into this tragedy enter two jesters, a gay couple (Andy Nyman and Daniel Cerqueira) who have splurged to see her every night.

Her manager and soon-to-be husband, along with the tour piano player, are the pill-popping prevention team.

It’s when the tired child Judy, who is drugged so she can keep practicing choreography, is juxtaposed with a performance in which the adult Judy’s eyes indicate she is on autopilot that we feel the extent of her childhood tragedy.

The close-ups in “Judy” will be punishing for fans of Garland and Zellweger. By her 40s, Garland had developed physical and vocal mannerisms which Zellweger inhabits, at times looking like a human puppet manipulated by muscle memories more than feeling the music.

Plus, the emotional center isn’t Judy and her caregivers, as it was in the play “End of the Rainbow,” by Peter Quilter. Rather, it’s Garland and her audience, and that’s a cold embrace by a crowd comprised of some who only wanted to see the legend perform and those few who really loved her despite her vulnerabilities and obvious addiction problems.

If you don’t mind a grueling ride, and a Hollywood treatment of an entertainment legend heading toward her final train wreck, “Judy” might be worth the ticket.

But if you fondly recall Quilter’s Olivier Award-nominated play, you might want to stay away and remember the magic. n

Lewin Lloyd, Bella Ramsey and Renée Zellweger in Judy.

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8DAYS THURSDAY 09.26.19

Adam Miller and Mason Stoops perform at the Blue Guitar Club, 1055 Lohman Lane, South Pasadena. Tickets are $12 and $17. For more information, call (323) 769-3500 or visit blueguitar.club

FRIDAY 09.27.19 Check out Friday Night Live, hosted by Rudy Moreno, at the Ice House, 24 N. Mentor Ave., Pasadena at 8 p.m. Tickets start at $15. Icehousecomedy.com

SATURDAY 09.28.19 Author Brian Azzarello & Illustrator Lee Bermejo sign “Batman: Damned” at Vroman’s Bookstore, 695 E. Colorado Blvd. The Joker has been murdered. His killer is a mystery. Batman is the World’s Greatest Detective. But what happens when the person he is searching for is the man staring back at him in the mirror? This is a signing only. Tickets are $29.99, includes book purchase.

SUNDAY 09.29.19 Grab your dog treats and wiggle your waggle down to Brookside Park for the 21st annual Wiggle Waggle Walk.

Money raised at the event will help the Pasadena Humane Society provide food, shelter, medical care and other services for the animals in the shelter.

MONDAY 10.01.19 The Coffee Gallery Backstage, 2029 Lake Ave. Altadena, presents former Nitty Gritty Dirt Band front man John McEuen for one night.

McEuen will team with virtuouso, Craig Eastman and Matt Cartsonis for a night of musical poetry. Tickets are $25. For more information, call (626) 798-6236 or visit coffeegallery.com

TUESDAY 10.02.19 The Conductors will perform in the One Colorado courtyard, 41 Hugus Alley, at 4:30 p.m. Fronted by “Smokestack Joe,” the Conductors perform musical styles from 50’s rockabilly and 60’s pop rock, to folk/Americana. For more information, call (626) 564-1066 or visit onecolorado.com

WEDNESDAY 10.03.19 The Blue Guitar Club, 1055 Lohman Lane South Pasadena, presents the Wine & Song 10th Year Anniversary Show: Jackie Bristow w/ Mark Punch, Mare Wakefield & Nomad at 7 p.m. Tickets are $20. For more information, call (323) 769-3500.

THURSDAY 10.04.19 Join the Live Audience of “America’s Got Talent: The Champions,” at the Pasadena Convention Center, 300 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena. Top former contestants will return to the stage and compete in the hopes of taking home the first-ever title of America’s Got Talent Champion. For more information, call (626) 449-7360.

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CHOICE EVENTS FOR THE WEEK OF 09.26–10.04

BY ANDRÉ COLEMAN

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