Summer in Swing Hotel Figueroa launches pool, sundeck
June 28, 2021 I VOL. 50 I #26
Quinn Coleman Scholarship Funds offered to Black music creators Page 11
Good Clean Fun A new wine bar pops up Page 12
THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LA SINCE 1972
2 DOWNTOWN NEWS
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
JUNE 28, 2021
Get More in Your Tax Refund Up To $8,000 with the EITC & Cal EITC If You Qualify! The Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) is a refundable tax credit for eligible workers and families with low to moderate-income. There are Federal EITC (EITC) and California EITC (Cal EITC). Those who qualify for EITC and Cal EITC and claim the credits could pay less in taxes or even get a tax refund up to $8,000. If you qualify for Cal EITC and have a child under the age of 6 as of the end of the tax year, you may qualify for an additional $1,000 through Young Child Tax Credit (YCTC). The eligibility of Cal EITC and YCTC extended to all qualified non-residents who file 2020 taxes with an ITIN or SSN. If you missed claiming the EITC and Cal EITC on your previous tax returns, you can still get back your tax refund for certain years by amending your past tax returns if you were eligible. Questions? Contact wtsang@pacela.org for a Free Consultation or Learn More at rebrand.ly/ladneitce21
JUNE 28, 2021
DT
DOWNTOWN NEWS 3
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
Covered California will help OPINION
Time to blow up more than fireworks By Ellen Snortland LA Downtown News Contributing Writer
C
elebrated author Erma Bombeck wrote, “You have to love a nation that celebrates its independence every July 4th, not with a parade of guns, tanks and soldiers who file by the White House in a show of strength and muscle, but with family picnics where kids throw Frisbees, the potato salad gets iffy, and the flies die from happiness. You may think you’ve overeaten, but it is patriotism.” I’ll bet you dimes to doughnuts that Drumpf and his family have never gone to a picnic, yet they claim to be patriots. I love Erma’s simple American rah-rah. However, to express my own brand of patriotism, I need to see your Bombeck and raise you a James Baldwin, who said, “I love America more than any other country in the world, and exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” A parallel to alcoholism can be drawn here. Hang on, it’ll make sense. If you see patriotism as similar to the other “isms” — alcoholism, racism, sexism, etc. — wisdom can be gained by practicing abstinence and applying the 12 Steps on a national level. That is, abstinence from the either/or “America, love it or leave it” kind of patriotism, which mirrors drunk-like thinking. Some insist that if we talk about our American flaws, we aren’t patriotic. That’s complete retro-crap. I hue more to the precepts of AA when it comes to our country. I dearly love America, and — while it has its blessings and gifts — it also has serious issues that have not been reckoned with fully. In 12-Step parlance, it’s time to make amends for these flaws, “flaw” being a gross understatement regarding slavery, genocide, internment camps… the list is tragically too long for an 800-word column. Yes, we fought for independence from the oppression of Great Britain, and it’s proper to mark that accomplishment. In my not-so-humble opinion, we also need to take responsibility for what we’ve done to others. Unless and until we are honest, open and willing to take responsibility for our gains made off the backs of those we oppressed, we will all suffer in this country. I stand on my porch at night sometimes and look out over our array of plants, some of which are imports and some native, just like our human population. In lovely Altadena, I do my best to imagine when the Tongva were here before the Spanish came, followed by settlers. If I close my eyes, I can imagine a mother settling her children down for sleep or gathering her band of relatives around the fire and telling stories. Those stories initially did not include zealous white men in priestly robes or rapacious settlers. The woman and her family made peace with the flora and fauna of what is now Southern California. She dreamed of abundance. How many of us think of the people who did not have freedom in 1776? Who makes amends to the people now who suffer at U.S. hands, past, present and fu-
Los Angeles Downtown News PO Box 1349 South Pasadena, CA 91031 213-481-1448
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Andrew Checchia, Andres De Ocampo, Julia Shapero CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Sara Edwards, Kamala Kirk ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres PHOTOGRAPHER: LuisHelp Chavez In a JuneSTAFF 21 story about Self Graphics & Art receiving a grant from author CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS: Myriam Santos and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, it should have said the organization has not deACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway, Michael Lamb termined where the donation FOUNDER EMERITUS: Suewill Larisbe allocated until Executive Director Betty Avila
Clarification
meets with the organization’s board of directors.
EXECUTIVE EDITOR: Christina Fuoco-Karasinski STAFF WRITERS: Matthew Rodriguez CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Bliss Bowen, Andres de Ocampo, Sara Edwards, Frier McCollister, Ellen Snortland ART DIRECTORS: Arman Olivares, Stephanie Torres STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER: Luis Chavez ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES: Catherine Holloway (213) 308-226 Michael Lamb (213) 453-3548 FOUNDER EMERITUS: Sue Laris
1620 W. FOUNTAINHEAD PARKWAY, SUITE 219 TEMPE, ARIZONA 85282 PRESIDENT: Steve T. Strickbine VICE PRESIDENT: Michael Hiatt
S I N C E 19 7 2 facebook: L.A. Downtown News
twitter: DowntownNews
instagram: @ladowntownnews
©2021 Times Media Group. Los Angeles Downtown News is a trademark of Times Media Group. All rights reserved. The Los Angeles Downtown News is the must-read newspaper for Downtown Los Angeles and is distributed bi-weekly throughout the offices and residences of Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles Downtown News has been adjudicated as a newspaper of general circulation in Court Judgement No. C362899. One copy per person.
4 DOWNTOWN NEWS
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
JUNE 28, 2021
TIME TO BLOW UP MORE THAN FIREWORKS, 3 ture? Perhaps we would begin the road to healing if more of us followed the eighth step of AA: “Make a list of all persons we have harmed, and become willing to make amends to them all.” Step eight in AA vernacular is an inventory. The list of harmed people would be long, but, while daunting, not impossible to compile. We have many leaders, scholars, novelists and nonfiction authors who can get us started. We can and must push back against people who are doing their utmost to shut down others’ voices, whether it’s through the ransacking of reproductive rights, a rabid dedication to right-wing Christianity, white supremacy, male supremacy, the banning of books, censoring various curricula or gutting basic civics education. In my lifetime, I’ve seen public education go from dependable to almost vaporized. I’ve seen our populace morph from a mostly educated citizenry to one that gave rise to the dangerous morons who raided the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. That could only happen because of an ignorant populace. Eleanor Roosevelt was prescient when she said, “Freedom makes a huge requirement of every human being. With freedom comes responsibility. For the person who is unwilling to grow up, the person who does not want to carry their own weight, this is a frightening prospect.” I’m really not trying to be a Debbie Downer about the Fourth. I am simply lighting another type of firework: a roman candle of recognition and reconciliation with our nasty natures while being highly aware of our goodness, too. As one of the 21st century’s best writers, Ta-Nehisi Coates, said, “Just because you came here in 1880, 1950, whenever, you became an American. You get to celebrate July 4th like every other American. You don’t just get the good part. You get the bad part, too. You get all of it.” Indeed. Meanwhile, have a meaningful Fourth and take Erma Bombeck’s advice — refrigerate that potato salad! Ellen Snortland has independently written Consider This… for decades. A writing coach, contact her at ellen@authoratbitebybite.com.
Hey you! Speak up!
Downtown News wants to hear from people in the community. If you like or dislike a story, let us know, or weigh in on something you feel is important to the community. Participation is easy. Go to downtownnews.com, scroll to the bottom of the page and click the “Letter to the Editor” link. For guest opinion proposals, please email christina@timespublications.com.
OPINION
JUNE 28, 2021
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
PIH Health Good Samaritan Hospital
PIH Health Downey Hospital
DOWNTOWN NEWS 5
PIH Health Whittier Hospital
We’re Here for You. Let us safely care for all your medical needs.
PIHHealth.org
6 DOWNTOWN NEWS
DT
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
JUNE 28, 2021
Covered NEWS California will help
The Palm View apartment complex was established by the Actors Fund for low-income disabled workers in the entertainment industry. Photo by Andrew Checchia
Senate bill to help fund, support small, nonprofit theaters By Andres de Ocampo LA Downtown News Contributing Writer
A
California Senate bill to provide funding to small, nonprofit performing arts theaters passed with unanimous votes through the Assembly Labor Committee on June 22 and will move forward for further voting from the Assembly Appropriations Committee. The bill, SB 805, or “Save The Performing Arts Act of 2021,” is aimed at helping small nonprofit performing arts companies, with equal or less than $1.4 million annual revenue, pay all of their workers and performers minimum wage. SB 805 would direct the California Arts Council to establish the California Nonprofit Performing Arts Paymaster and the Performing Arts Equitable Payroll Fund, both of which would allocate funds, low-cost payroll and paymaster services to small-budget theaters. Councilmembers Gil Cedillo, District 1, and Kevin de Leon, District 14, proposed a resolution to endorse SB 805 to be voted on by the LA City Council after Sen. Susan Rubio, representing District 22 of LA County, introduced the bill in April 2021. De Leon, speaking at a Los Angeles Theatre Center press conference, said, “What we know is that these small theaters offer some of the few opportunities to tell the
real stories and livelihoods of Latinos, Black, Asian and Indigenous people. “And not just to tell those stories but to have them be written, produced, directed and performed by people of color.” The press conference, organized by the SB 805 Coalition consisting of six theater leagues, 45 small 99-seat theaters and six individuals, brought Hollywood stars and Los Angeles’ Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC) theater leaders together to speak and advocate for SB 805. Like many other businesses, small nonprofit theaters are struggling to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic while complying with Assembly Bill 5, which forces companies to reevaluate a worker’s status and effectively provide wages and benefits to all workers, with exception to independent contractors who must meet certain work conditions under California labor laws. “These 99-seat theaters are the lifeline to our artistic communities, and we need them now, especially during a post-COVID-19 recovery period,” said de Leon. “The missing piece between these small theaters staying open or closing is immediate funding. Immediate funding will help them comply with Assembly Bill 5.” An SB 805 Coalition press release cites small nonprofit theaters as “incubators” for playwrights, actors and other artists, particularly in marginalized communities. The release states that, historically, smaller theaters provided “networking opportunities and mentorship for Black, Indigenous and people of color artists to facilitate connections and performance experience necessary for career advancement.” Edward James Olmos, a multiaward-winning actor, who starred in “Selena,” “Stand and Deliver” and “American Me,” attended the press conference. “If you have enjoyed any of my performances within the last 50 years, please understand I would never have been able to do that if it wasn’t for small theater,” Olmos said. Olmos, whose roots in acting go back to performing in small theaters, said, “To back small theater is to give life and blood to all of our future art forms. … All I can say is ‘thank you’ to all of the small theaters for the love, understanding and friendship that they gave me, and if you have enjoyed my work, help other children get to the same level I got to.” Josefina Lopez, an award-winning writer, the founding artistic director of CASA 0101 Theater and an SB 805 Coalition member, spoke about SB 805 and highlighted its importance of keeping small theaters open because of the outlet it provides for BIPOC performing artists. About her writing experience and authoring of “Real Women Have Curves,” Lopez said guidance from a former writing teacher encouraged her to write about what she knew in her stories and not what was popular. With passion and tears, Lopez said, “It took so much courage at 16 years old to decide that I could be somebody aside from what society tells me I should be. I took that leap and said, ‘OK, in my stories Latina women get to win. In my stories, we are not just sex objects.’ Because Hollywood just wants that; that’s all we are in Hollywood.” Lopez said she was surprised when she wrote her story because, “I had so many women tell me that it was their story, too. All of a sudden my story of oppression and low self-esteem became a universal story of how women are made small.” For Lopez, theater is more than performing arts and represents a deeper aspect of a life. “What we do (in theater) is not about doing a silly musical,” she said. “It’s about us fighting for our humanity. As artists, we don’t want to die with our music still left in us. It’s our calling to remind everyone that they are here to elevate the human experience.” Ben Guillory, co-founder and producing artistic director for The Robey Theatre Company and an SB 805 Coalition member, also highlighted what it means for small nonprofit theaters to receive the support of SB 805. “I am always amazed and infuriated about this constant conversation for support for performing artists, performing artists who are the heart and soul of our cultures. … We have earned every bit of the support and the love from our communities.” Guillory said “this is all based in love” about theater production and performing arts. “What we do is based in love, caring and the need for each other. (Support for small theaters) should not be a question. The legislative powers in Sacramento should know this.”
JUNE 28, 2021
DT
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
DOWNTOWN NEWS 7
Covered NEWS California will help
CoreSite Data Company opens third location By Sara Edwards LA Downtown News Contributing Writer
D
ata storage company CoreSite recently opened its new data center Downtown, making it the third data center in Los Angeles. CoreSite is a real estate investment company with multiple data centers to provide secure, high-performance data storage and interconnection services for businesses. “We own and operate data centers across the U.S., and we basically design the highest level of uptime and resilience in a data center as we possibly can,” said Mailie Kaiser, senior vice president of sales. The newest data center, known as LA3, is a standalone building next to the second data center LA2 at 900 N. Alameda Street in the historic U.S. Postal Terminal Annex building. It’s also the first building that was constructed exclusively for CoreSite, whereas other centers were moved into renovated, already existing buildings. Scott Johnson is a design partner of Johnson Fain, the company that designed LA3, and said the building itself has a modern design. “We wanted to compliment the neighborhood and the historic LA2 building, but we didn’t want to do a mission-style building,” Johnson said. “It’s a fun building, and we tried to make it scale with the adjacent buildings while also graphically interesting.” The LA3 data center is a 180,000-square-foot building connected to the LA2
LOS ANGELES ATHLETIC CLUB
OUTDOOR / INDOOR WORKOUT
LAAC.COM
building, but it operates as its own standalone campus. Kaiser said any industry can benefit from using a data center’s services. She said more companies are also seeing the importance and necessity of outsourcing companies to store data in data centers. “The cost of capital to maintain a data center is extremely expensive,” she said. “They don’t have the same kind of reliability if it’s just sitting in a storage closet or an office, but companies also need to interconnect applications and workloads with other providers or partners. That’s where we are going to help them out.” Kaiser said there are three things that are critical to a company that is looking to outsource data infrastructure: accessibility, reliability and connectivity. The LA data centers primarily focus on media and entertainment data, along with gaming and international networks with customers like AT&T and Verizon. But CoreSite also has customers in health care, financial technologies and social media. “There really isn’t anyone excluded,” Kaiser said. “Anyone that’s running a business has a need for a data center.” Kaiser said the new building is a great testament to technology and the growth of the data industry and digital infrastructure industry because companies are seeing more and more requirements for more room to store information. “We look forward to filling our building with all customers’ data and information and, at some point, build another one,” she said.
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
8 DOWNTOWN NEWS
DTLA RESIDENTIAL LIVING
Editorial space with your ad at no extra charge Are you selling, leasing, pre-leasing or just breaking ground? Tell the story of your residential property with words and photos that will reach over 45,000 readers. This is your opportunity to describe the amenities, conveniences and special features that make your residential property so desirable. SPACE RESERVATIONS: BY 7/12/2021 PUBLISHES 7/19/2021 For more information, please contact your Account Executive Catherine Holloway 213 -308-2261 cholloway@timespublications.com Michael Lamb 213-453-3548 mlamb@timespublications.com
DT
JUNE 28, 2021
COVID COUNT
Reported cases in DTLA and surrounding areas as of June 23 Chinatown: 739; Little Tokyo: 403; Los Feliz: 1,069; Silverlake: 3,225; South Park: 7,393; Wilshire Center: 5,654 Total confirmed cases in DTLA: 4,131 Total deaths in DTLA: 52 Total confirmed cases in LA County: 1,248,128 Total deaths in LA County: 24,455 Officials are concerned about the arrival of the Delta variant in Los Angeles County residents after dropping the mask mandate June 15. The highly transmissible variant originated in India and has since caused massive outbreaks in the subcontinent, the United Kingdom and other countries across the globe. LA County officials reported 64 cases of the Delta variant from late April to early June, many of which were recorded in the last few weeks. Officials urged caution for unvaccinated residents, advising them to wear two masks, wear higher-quality masks or get vaccinated. The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted to extend the eviction moratorium through the end of September. The moratorium — which bars landlords from evicting tenants who cannot pay rent because of financial burdens caused by the
COVID-19 pandemic — was set to expire on June 30. The motion also protects against commercial evictions. It also protects tenants from a myriad of other evictions, such as no-fault evictions and evictions for unauthorized occupants and pets. Tenants and property owners can apply for rent relief through the state rental assistance program. Very few have actually applied for the $2.6 billion program, which has been criticized for its terribly slow rollout. The Los Angeles Police Commission entertained the notion of mandating officers to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. LAPD and many of the public safety agencies across California have lower vaccination rates than the general public. According to the Los Angeles Times, only about 52% of LAPD officers received at least one dose compared to 64% of the Los Angeles residents 16 and older. According to LAPD Chief Michel Moore, 65% of LAPD personnel have received vaccinations or have some natural antibodies to protect themselves; however, he is still greatly concerned for the safety of his officers because of the new variants of COVID-19. The commission is still waiting for a report on the possibility and legality of this request. —Compiled by staff writer Matthew Rodriguez
JUNE 28, 2021
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
TRAX
DOWNTOWN NEWS 9
BY BLISS BOWEN
KINGS OF CONVENIENCE, Peace or Love (Universal): HHHH The first album in 12 years from Norwegian fingerstyle guitarists Erik Glambek Bøe and Erlend Øye is a comforting mood blanket of balmy rhythms, elegant harmonies, bossa nova-tinged pop melodies, acoustic guitars and percussion. “Ask for Help” gently tweaks ego-driven pride (“Why is it so crucial who says, if only it gets sung?/ Why is it so crucial who does, if only it gets done, done, done?”). Elsewhere, violist Tobias Hett brightens the jazzy “Angel,” and the dreamy “Love Is a Lonely Thing,” one of two duets with Feist, is that rare joy: a love song as honest as it is poetic (“Patience is the hardest thing you have to learn/ Hours seem like oceans when desire burns”). RIYL Milk Carton Kids, Feist. kingsofconvenience.eu HAILU MERGIA & THE WALIAS BAND, Tezeta (Awesome Tapes From Africa): HHH½ Last year’s EP Yene Mircha was a sweet surprise from the Ethiopian-raised, Washington, D.C.-based accordionist/keyboardist, an organic weave of Ethiopian jazz, dub, pop and Peruvian chichi. His newly reissued 1975 debut, long out of circulation since its original cassette release, captures Mergia and his enterprising band during their seminal years as the independent house band at the Hilton Addis in Addis Ababa, regularly heard on Ethiopian TV and radio, before most of them fled to the United States in the 1980s. Mergia’s organ explores melodies and centers Girma Beyene’s Rhodes piano and Moges Habte’s saxophone throughout the instrumental set, from the hypnotic title track’s flute-ribboned version of an Ethiopian traditional through the velvet flow of Mahmoud Ahmed’s love ballad “Endegena” and the easy funk grooves of “Mestirawi Debdabe,” “Nefas New Zemedie” and Tilahun Gessesse’s psychedelic “Ou-Ou-Ta.” hailumergia.bandcamp.com BRIGITTE DEMEYER, Seeker (BDM): HHH DeMeyer’s always been most comfortable exploring the connections between soul and pop, folk and country, even before the San Diego native relocated to Nashville a decade ago. This ear-pleasing collaboration with Wood Brothers keyboardist/drummer Jano Rix, who produced and co-wrote all but one of the 10 tunes in this rhythmically varied set, pulses with Rix’s hand-slapped percussion and swampy atmosphere that tastefully complements DeMeyer’s smoke-and-sand vocal tones. Highlights: “All the Blue,” sly roadhouse romp “Cat Man Do” and “Ain’t No Mister,” her sassy dismissal of a wannabe Lothario (“Ain’t no messin’, ain’t no fessin’/ No he ain’t the foolin’ kind/ …You ain’t no mister like mine”). brigittedemeyer.com JAGA JAZZIST, The Tower (Brainfeeder): HHH Psychedelic jazz meets prog-rock with this live version of last year’s four-track album “Pyramid,” filmed in Oslo for a concurrently released film shortly after the Scandinavian octet emerged from lockdown. “The Shrine,” a slick salute to Fela Kuti and his Lagos nightclub, is missing the heat of the more intense “Pyramid” original, while the generously expanded “Tomita,” named after Japanese composer Isao Tomita, fittingly glistens with metallic synth lines. Bassist Even Ormestad and drummer Martin Horntveth dominate the final two minutes of “Spiral Era,” revealing the tough rhythms undergirding the ensemble’s time-shifting exchanges. Casual listening it’s not, but fusion fans will likely savor the brighter sound and bandleader Lars Horntveth’s sometimes kinetic compositions. jagajazzist.com
HISS GOLDEN MESSENGER, Quietly Blowing It (Merge): HHHH From the guitar and mandolin strums opening the slow-building “Way Back in the Way Back,” it’s clear this is a warmer, gentler excursion than the Americana band’s Grammy-nominated 2019 album “Terms of Surrender.” “What is forgiveness, what is atonement?” asks frontman M.C. Taylor, who elsewhere called 2020 “an existential mugger” and here reckons with the dystopian crises it provoked over guitars, lap steel, organ, drums and saxophone. “Hardlytown” taps into classic soul (“People get ready, now you know the deal/ It’s in high cotton or it’s run like hell”) and “Mighty Dollar” also rides the tension of working-class concerns and a funky groove, while “Glory Strums (Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner)” has the hazy, hopeful sound of vintage California pop. The closest Taylor comes to resolving his profound questions is the John Prine-referencing “Sanctuary”: “Feeling bad, feeling blue/ Can’t get out of my own mind/ But I know how to sing about it.” hissgoldenmessenger.com AMY HELM, What the Flood Leaves Behind (Renew/BMG): HHH On a mission to rediscover meaning in life and music, it helps to have support from friends made along the way. Those include producer/multi-instrumentalist Josh Kaufman, whose spacious arrangements magnify the beauty of Helm’s soulfully expressive vocals; Hiss Golden Messenger’s M.C. Taylor, who wrote the stunning “Verse 23” (“What the flood leaves behind/ Is what we’ve got to make”); and Birds of Chicago’s JT Nero, who co-wrote the defiant groover “Breathing.” Inevitably, the spirit of Helm’s father Levon hovers close, too, notably during “Calling Home” (“Dad, if you could take me by the hand/ You could lead me on and help me to stand”) and the bracing Mary Gauthier collaboration “Cotton and the Cain.” Both songs evoke The Band’s legacy and Helm’s troubled family with heart and understanding. amyhelm.com JULIAN LAGE, Squint (Blue Note): HHHH Not unlike Bill Frisell, Lage is a musician’s musician, a virtuosic guitarist whose creative curiosity and generous spirit command attention from peers as well as fretheads. His first album for Blue Note, a Margaret Glaspy-produced trio set with drummer Dave King and bassist Jorge Roeder, alternates robustly rhythmic pieces with freer, more improvisatory ruminations. Highlights include “Twilight Surfer”; the nostalgically jammy “Day and Age”; “Familiar Flower,” dedicated to Charles Lloyd; and “Saint Rose,” an ode to Lage’s resilient hometown of Santa Rosa whose addictive riff captures the album’s hopeful tone. julianlage.com YNDI, Noir Brésil (Nascimento): HHH The French-Brazilian artist fka Dream Koala strives for healing on her first album under her own name, a pop set sung mostly in Portuguese. Constructing a sonically compelling collage of guitars, percussion, piano, strings and Afro-Brazilian rhythms, she fashions a quasi-narrative arc where hope triumphs while considering legacy, endurance, freedom and the meaning of home. Highlights: the title track (“My ancestor has no name/ His country as well as mine/ Is further than the horizon/ His body was never his own”), “Amazona” and the melancholy bossa nova “O Canto Das Ondas.” instagram.com/yndidasilva
DT
10 DOWNTOWN NEWS
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
JUNE 28, 2021
Covered California will help ART & CULTURE
Rooftop Cinema Club adds DTLA to its events By LA Downtown News Staff ooftop Cinema Club ushers in a new month and a new lineup of classic films and fan favorites. With three locations open in Los Angeles, cozy up on the west side to create unforgettable moments under the stars at Rooftop Cinema Club El Segundo, tune in at The Drive-In at Santa Monica Airport, or revel in the heart of the city at Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA. Recently, an LED screen was added to Rooftop Cinema Club in El Segundo, allowing for earlier matinee screenings that are open to all ages, with movie times beginning between 4 and 5 p.m. The Drive-In at Santa Monica Airport will also use an LED screen, with its install beginning July 18. RCC is returning to Downtown LA after over a year closed due to the pandemic. Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA reopens Thursday, July 8, at the fourth-floor terrace at Level. The Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA features food from a featured local partner, drinks
from the full bar, and table games. Select the seats, and snack on classic cinema concessions with contactless order and pickup. In July, the club is open seven days a week with two screenings Thursdays to Saturdays. Prime screening starts at 8:30 p.m., with the late screening commencing between 10:45 and 11:50 p.m. Thursdays to Saturdays. Doors open an hour before the prime screenings and 30 minutes prior to the late screenings. An upcoming special event is Vidiots Presents! Vidiots host a screening of the ’80s classic “Valley Girl” on July 28. Vidiots Foundation is a nonprofit and hub for film lovers, filmmakers and anyone who loves cinema. A $3 donation added to the ticket helps Vidiots relaunch its brick-and-mortar at the historic Eagle Theatre in Northeast Los Angeles. Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA offers two types of deck chairs — a single lounge seat for one or a double-width love seat for two. Standard tickets range from $18.50 to $26, depending on ticket type and day of the
R
Los Angeles Best Advertising Source ’ ‘In the Heights
film Emotional, upbeat d recalls old Hollywoo
Submitted photo
week. It also offers students a 10% discount. As COVID-19 guidelines change, RCC has adapted operations with the safety of guests and team members at the forefront of their plans. All ticket purchases are made online, and concessions at all venues are available
with contactless order and pickup. Team members will continue to wear masks, routinely change gloves and have sanitization solutions available on site. Rooftop Cinema Club DTLA requires guests to be age 18 and older.
Shows coming to Microsoft Theater and Staples Center
g Summertime Cookin
Vegan chain selling kits plant-based BBQ
Page 20
Page 12
By LA Downtown News Staff ickets are going on sale this week for a variety of shows: Lil Baby on Sept. 24 at the Staples Center; and Il Divo on Aug. 13, Mike Epps on Oct. 22, Pedro Fernandez on Dec. 12 and the Go-Go’s on Dec. 29 at Microsoft Theater.
T
I #23 June 7, 2021 I VOL. 50
October 12, 2020 I VOL. 49 I #41
May 24, 2021 I VOL. 50 I #21
November 23, 2020 I VOL. 49 I #47
Scene A Thrivring ion is in a prime locat Museum Towe
N F DOWNTOW THE VOICE O
Rooftop Cinema Club returns to Downtown LA Thursday, July 8, after being closed for over a year due to the pandemic.
72 LA SINCE 19
6/4/21 2:30 PM
.indd 1
LADTNews-06-07-21
WN LA SINCE 1972 THE VOICE OF DOWNTO
THE VOICE OF DOWNTOWN LA SINCE 1972
Holiday Guide
5/20/21 2:46 PM LADTNews-05-24-21.indd 1
THE VOICE OF D OWNTOWN LA S INCE 1972
a Advertising is Keep Great Way to rs Your Custome Informed The Los Angeles Downtown News publishes a wide array of special sections and quarterlies throughout the year on topics like Health, Education, Nightlife and Residential Living.
C A L L TO D AY C AT H E R I N E : 2 1 3 . 3 0 8 . 2 2 6 1 MICHAEL: 213.453.3548
Upcoming concert and entertainment events at Microsoft Theater: Marca MP: July 31 Franco Escamilla: Aug. 6 Teo Gonzalez and Jorge Falcon: Aug. 7 Il Divo: Aug. 13 Pancho Barraza: Aug. 21 Eslabon Armado: Aug. 28 Lindsey Stirling: Aug. 30 I Love the ’90: Sept. 25 Roberto Tapia: Sept. 26 Gerardo Ortiz: Oct. 2 Judas Priest: 50 Heavy Metal Years: Oct. 6 Jesus Adrian Romero: Oct. 8 Intocable: Oct. 9 Hasan Minhaj: Oct. 15 to Oct. 16 Mike Epps: Oct. 22 Final Fantasy VII Remake Orchestra World Tour: Oct. 23
Jose Luis Perales: Nov. 2 Karol G: Nov. 4 L.O.L. Surprise! Live: Nov. 26 Pedro Fernandez: Dec. 12 The Go-Go’s: Dec. 29 Upcoming concerts and events at the Staples Center: Monster Jam: July 23 to July 25 Grupo Firme: July 30, July 31, Aug. 1, Aug. 4, Aug. 6, Aug. 7, Aug. 8 Celine Dion: Sept. 10 and Sept. 11 Lil Baby: Sept. 24 Gold Over America Tour: Sept. 25 Kane Brown: Oct. 2 Luke Bryan: Oct. 8 Dan + Shay: Oct. 15 Pepe Aguilar: Oct. 17 and Nov. 6 Enrique Iglesias and Ricky Martin: Nov. 18 and Nov. 19 Calibash: Jan. 14 to Jan. 16 Banda MS: Feb. 18 Bad Bunny: Feb. 24 Justin Bieber: March 7 and March 8 The Weeknd: March 18 to March 20 Eric Church: May 7 Roger Waters: Sept. 27 and Sept. 28, 2022
JUNE 28, 2021
DT
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
DOWNTOWN NEWS 11
Covered California will help ART & CULTURE
Scholarship fund offered to Black music creators By LA Downtown News Staff he Grammy Museum and the Recording Academy is offering a new, multiyear scholarship and internship program. The objective is to elevate a new generation of Black music creators through a career development program for college students that will begin in 2022. The Quinn Coleman Scholarship is a financial scholarship and comprehensive internship program that aims to continue to eliminate barriers in the music industry by providing professional development opportunities to help prepare students for full-time employment. “The music industry, Quinn’s family and
T
DT
friends, and the general public came together to donate funds in memory of Quinn with the aim to impact the future of music,” said Michael Sticka, Grammy Museum president. “In collaboration with Quinn’s family, the Grammy Museum is honored to be the custodian of those funds to provide financial resources that will help to provide a pathway of professional development and careers for the next generation of Black music creators. Our aim is to continue fundraising in Quinn’s honor to eventually establish an endowment to ensure that this important program and work lasts well into the future.” The Grammy Museum will select current-
ly enrolled college students in Atlanta, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York City, Washington, D.C., and surrounding areas who intend to pursue careers in the music industry or other related creative fields. One intern will be chosen from each city, for a total of five interns per year, who will work with the Grammy Museum, Recording Academy and affiliated chapters. Each of the chosen interns will be awarded a scholarship for tuition, a book and equipment stipend, money to invest in a personal portfolio and an interview preparation stipend, in addition to their paid summer internship. “Quinn’s creativity defied labels and expectations. In the mixing of songs shared during nights as DJ Spicoli; in the creation
of his genre-blending festival Trillectro, which brought together musicians rarely placed together on the same lineup; and in countless other collaborations and projects, Quinn had the foresight to create connections that others didn’t see coming,” said Debra Lee, former chair and chief executive officer of BET Networks. “I am honored to have this internship and scholarship program named after my son, Quinn. Quinn had a passion for helping young Black music creators and artists, and this program will help keep his legacy alive.” More details on the scholarship and internship program, including eligibility requirements, will be announced in spring 2022.
Covered California will help FEATURE
Hotel Figueroa launches new pool, sundeck By LA Downtown News Staff ith summer in full swing in Los Angeles and city mandates officially lifted, Hotel Figueroa welcomed visitors to a poolside experience with the opening of La Casita and Driftwood Pool & Sundeck on June 26. Guests can expect a resort-like experience with elevated coastal Baja fare and poolside cocktails in the heart of Downtown LA. With an amplified focus on reinvigorating and reinventing age-old hotel dining, alongside the resurgence of alfresco concepts across the City of Angels, Hotel Figueroa welcomes two additions to the venue’s array of culinary offerings. Set in idyllic outdoor spaces, featuring a relaxing and transportive environment under the shade of a lush cactus grove and soothing botanicals and greenery, La Casita and Driftwood Pool & Sundeck from The Madera Group offer an immersive and elevated poolside dining experience at the ultimate alfresco summer sanctuary in the heart of Downtown. Carla Lorenzo, corporate beverage manager for The Madera Group, introduced patrons to the cocktail program at La Casita and Driftwood Pool & Sundeck, inspired by destinations such as Baja Mexico and the coastal villages of the Mediterranean.
W
La Casita La Casita at Hotel Figueroa pays homage to the Mediterranean coastal lifestyle where art meets fashion amid a serene backdrop. A Spanish and Mediterranean-inspired two-story villa and cocktail lounge, La Casita is a quintessential haven featuring a coastal menu with ingredient-forward, organic fare such as ceviche classico and grilled shrimp tacos alongside a world-class, hand-crafted cocktail program replete with an expansive agave list. Beverage offerings are accompanied by ongoing programming, including eclectic poolside vibes with live musicians and performance art, as well as a series of daytime and nighttime events for hotel guests and Angelenos to enjoy poolside. Hours are 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays to Tuesdays; 11 a.m. to midnight Wednesdays and Thursdays; and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. Fridays and Saturdays.
Driftwood Pool & Sundeck Whether it’s opting to work alfresco to enjoy an out of office “Work Perks” session at the hotel or simply soaking in the sunshine with a day pass poolside, Hotel Figueroa’s new Driftwood Pool & Sundeck offers pool-
Hotel Figueroa welcomed visitors to its new Driftwood Pool and Sundeck on June 26. Submitted photo
side lounge chairs, daybeds and cabanas as well as bar lounge seating in the attached casita. During the summer, locals and visitors
can swing by Hotel Figueroa for a morning poolside yoga or Pilates session or enjoy sounds of a weekend DJ set. Hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
DT
12 DOWNTOWN NEWS
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
Covered California will help FEATURE
Covered DINING California will help
ROW DTLA’s ‘Summer in the City’ features Alesso set By LA Downtown News Staff OW DTLA is hosting “Summer in the City,” bringing pop-ups and events to the district as tenants reopen and revive the community. “Summer in the City” features sample sales and retail pop-ups, as well as a variety of other activities. As part of ROW DTLA’s Summer Fridays series, retailers will stay open late (from 5 to 9 p.m.) and offer special promotions to visitors. Rappahannock Oyster Bar will create a rose and oyster bar. A rotating lineup of LA’s most in-demand food trucks, such as Ronnie’s Kickin’ Kitchen, Pasta Sisters and Van Leeuwen Ice Cream, will be on-site to provide new culinary options, and a live DJ will set the backdrop for folks whiling away their summer nights at ROW DTLA. Additionally, ROW has partnered with new luxury rideshare service Alto to provide a $75 credit for locals traveling to and from the collective. To kick things off, on the first Summer Friday, the globally recognized dance group Kinjaz will host a free dance class, and each RSVP via Eventbrite is entered to win a $500 ROW gift card. On Sunday, July 4, Smorgasburg makes its return after a year off due to the
R
COVID-19 pandemic. The city’s largest weekly outdoor food market will celebrate its fifth year in Los Angeles in the 100-yearold Seventh Street Produce Market inside ROW DTLA. Spanning over 5 acres, Smorgasburg LA market has become home to some of the city’s most popular food vendors, helping eateries like Moo’s Craft Barbecue, Tacos 1986, Todo Verde and Shrimp Daddy. Groceries Apparel Pop-Up is from July 12 to Sept. 29. This Los Angeles-based brand features clothes manufactured in its factory in the city. Groceries Apparel provides quality clothing with minimal redundancy, waste and carbon footprint. Alesso will bring his “Together Again Concert” to ROW DTLA on July 23 and July 24. The Unique Markets Summer Pop-Up occurs Aug. 28 and Aug 29. Discover the best emerging brands and help small businesses survive by attending the two-day outdoor marketplace featuring more than 100 curated sellers. Finally, outdoor fitness classes are returning. More details on class dates and fitness partners are coming soon. For more information, visit rowdtla.com.
DT
JUNE 28, 2021
Arielle Stevens and Ian Asbury own and operate Good Clean Fun. Photo by Luis Chavez
Good Clean Fun: A new wine bar pops up By Frier McCollister LA Downtown News Contributing Writer he cunning little wine bar and bottle shop Good Clean Fun popped up at Cognoscenti Coffee on Olive Street in the middle of March. Good Clean Fun’s gregarious and loquacious owner-operator Ian Asbury collaborated with Cognoscenti’s Yeekai Lim on the concept. “We actually teamed up with Cognoscenti Coffee. They wanted to develop more of a night-time program. They reached out to me, and boomshakalaka: Good Clean Fun,” Asbury said. However, there’s a bit more to the story, and Good Clean Fun is a bit more than a pop-up. “We wanted to treat it as a pop-up, but it’s really more of a partnership (with Cognoscenti),” Asbury said. “ The businesses have somewhat
T
blended in a sort of way. ‘Pop-up’ is easy for people to understand, but internally it’s a total blend of businesses,” Asbury explained. Asbury’s team includes partner Arielle Stevens and chef Jesus Ramirez. The concept has sparked enough attention that expansion is already under way. The group behind the Melrose Umbrella Company approached Asbury to open a Good Clean Fun at the Sixty Hotel in Beverly Hills. “They want us to run the food program at the hotel and, of course, the beer and wine side of things,” Asbury said. “We’re supposed to do the pool launch on the rooftop to nonhotel guests, actually this Thursday (June 24). Then we have the café, our coffee program, at the downstairs restaurant happening on July 5, and then dinner service starts downstairs July 8.” Asbury’s background with wine and
JUNE 28, 2021
DOWNTOWN NEWS 13
DOWNTOWNNEWS.COM
Estero Gold chocolate cheesecake is housemade graham crust, fromage blanc cheesecake, Estero Gold “asiago style” cheese, housemade creme fraiche, topped with chocolate sauce, crushed walnuts and golden crisps.
Carrot N Beet Banger is pistachio salsa, kefir and grapefruit vinaigrette.
Photo by Luis Chavez
Photo by Luis Chavez
beverage programs began with eight years of “nightlife” experience in Portland, Oregon, where he was born and raised. That said, once arriving in Los Angeles, cheese became the focus of his activity. Asbur y is the mastermind behind Cheezus, the gourmet, grilled cheese stand, which became a prepandemic favorite and a beloved regular fixture at the sprawling Sunday food expo Smorgasburg at ROW DLTA. “We actually had launched (Cheezus) a few years prior to Smorgasburg at the Brentwood Farmers Market,” he said. “Then we expanded. We were doing four to five farmers markets a week and I was working a restaurant job almost full time. So that was chaos. “One day, we were popped out at a coffee shop in Downtown and Zach (Brooks) from Smorgasburg had heard about us, came and checked us out and then invited us. “It was a (expletive) blessing because I was getting so burned out, so tired from all these farmers markets. So having this opportunity, dialing it down to just Sundays, it was amazing.” The popular Brooklyn-based food fair traveled to Japan in 2018, and Cheezus came along. “When Smorgasburg went out to Japan and did a pop-up out there, they invited four people from America, three from New York and then us from LA,” Asbury said. “What was so amazing about that, for me, I really care about sourcing and where ingredients come from. All the New York guys — and all those guys were great — but they had shipped their ingredients over. I went to Japan, and I
was able to source everything locally. I brought nothing with me.” Suffice to say, Cheezus is a Smorgasburg success story. The July 4 reopening of Smorgasburg does not include Cheezus. “We just don’t have the manpower to be able to handle Smorgasburg,” Asbury explained. “We have talked to Zach about doing something at Smorgasburg, but it might be under the Good Clean Fun (banner).” Although Good Clean Fun represents a pandemic pivot for Asbury, the concept started fermenting earlier. Again, cheese figured into it, somewhat oddly. “In September 2019, I had actually approached Yeekai from Cognoscenti Coffee about doing a food pop-up at his coffee shop,” Asbury said. “In Finland, they cut haloumi cheese and they put it in their coffee to mimic marshmallows in hot chocolate,” Asbury said. “I approached him and said, ‘Hey, I’m the cheese guy, you’re the coffee guy. Let’s do this little thing.’” “After a couple of weeks, my lightbulb went off. (Yeekai) closed at 5 p.m. every day. I approached him and said, ‘Hey, let’s be a wine bar at night. You pay rent 24/7. Let’s try it out.’ We had these casual talks, confirmed it in January (2020), and then we applied for the liquor license a week before the lockdown. I was already making this thing go.” Asbury ruminated and refined the concept as he awaited the liquor license. “I got to basically sit and plan and strategize and change the business model,” Asbury said. “Obviously, we are a wine shop and bar. You can take bottles to go as well. We brought in the shop element and
made more of an extensive food menu as well, to just capitalize on every revenue channel we could.” He’s not done with cheese, but Asbury’s primary interest in “the beverage side of things” is reflected on his Good Clean Fun menu. All wines are available by the glass for $15. That includes red, white, rose, sparkling and the latest hip, orange “skin-contact” varieties. There is a $15 corkage fee for bottles purchased to consume on-site. (Pro-tip: Grab a bottle during the 3 to 5 p.m. “Toasty Time” happy hour slot and apply the corkage charge to a few items from the snack menu, all priced at $5 each.) The bottle choices are curated by Asbury, and they are accessibly priced and diverse in range. The list includes four co-fermented fruit wines ($20 to $36); 12 sparkling varieties from a Spanish cava ($20) to an Italian prosecco ($27) and a French Bonnet-Ponson champagne ($88); eight orange wines, including a 2017 Press Gang Grenache Blanc ($32) and a J Brix Riesling ($37); 10 selections under the category “Rose & Chillable Reds” ($20-$60) as well as an eclectic international collection of whites and reds, starting with Waves canned wine at $14. Notably there is a separate list of beers, ciders, meads, sakes and even hard seltzers by the glass. Ramirez and his simple but elegant menu can’t be ignored. All are natural ac-
companiments to a bottle of good wine. Choices include, to start, fresh sol azul/ kumiai oysters, dressed in a ferment carrot mole mignonette and mustard seed caviar ($4 to $40), or the lil’ meat board ($18), a charcuterie selection with Hobb Italian salami, Angel’s chorizo and elk salumi, mushroom pate, country ham and mustard. There’s tomato and burrata with mint and pistachios ($15), or go all the way with a plate of fresh bucatini pasta ($25) and a choice of red mole sauce or a cheese-based white sauce. “Cheese to wine, a perfect easy flow,” Asbury said. “I actually have a cheese and a wine tattoo on each side of my neck. One of them is a skeleton thinking about cheese forever, and then the other side is a wine glass that says, ‘We drunk.’” Now that’s dedication. Finally, Asbury is enthusiastic about Los Angeles’ food scene and his Downtown home. “The diversity in LA is (expletive) nuts,” Asbury said. “You come to LA and you can get anything and everything, anywhere. That’s what helps to give LA a much better edge. You can go from Little Ethiopia to Boyle Heights to Beverly Hills and there’s every type of cuisine, at every level. “This is why I personally live Downtown as well. Every walk of life is walking the streets, and we’re all co-mingling together. It’s so amazing.”
Good Clean Fun 868 S. Olive Street, Los Angeles 323-600-3016, goodcleanfundtla.com
14 DOWNTOWN NEWS
TWITTER: @ DOWNTOWNNEWS
JUNE 28, 2021