tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-207987962016-12-14T07:50:12.486-08:00ExperienceLA BlogExperienceLA Bloggers experience the diversity of Los Angeles arts and culture, giving insight on their adventures. This blog is in conjunction with <a href="http://www.experiencela.com">ExperienceLA.com</a> - a free public service and online resource for Los Angeles arts and culture.experiencelanoreply@blogger.comBlogger773125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-59979978510396358232015-04-09T19:12:00.000-07:002015-04-10T09:21:08.585-07:00Stagecoach 2015: California's Premiere Country Music Festival April 24th - 26th Preview<div class="MsoNormal"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kiwi6Zg7I0w/VScs4p9TSmI/AAAAAAAAEjA/5ixYhc7ksts/s1600/DSC_1991.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Kiwi6Zg7I0w/VScs4p9TSmI/AAAAAAAAEjA/5ixYhc7ksts/s1600/DSC_1991.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">It is hard to believe that AEG subsidiary Goldenvoice will produce for the ninth time <a href="http://www.stagecoachfestival.com/">Stagecoach: California’s Country Music Festival</a> for three days of music, food, BBQ competition, large Burning Man art displays, and plenty of sun at Indio in the Coachella Valley from April 24<sup>th</sup> – 26<sup>th</sup> 2015 at the Empire Polo Fields. For the 2015 version of Stagecoach, we get the return of Miranda Lambert (2009 and 2012); this time as a closing headliner (pictured above from 2009) on the Mane Stage for Saturday night, with her husband Blake Sheldon closing out the Stagecoach Country Music Festival on Sunday night, and Tim McGraw being the Friday night closer. Stagecoach has always marketed that their marquee stars perform full sets from their concert tours. </span><o:p></o:p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">The full list of performers for each day is shown at the end of this blog post.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The ExperienceLA blog and its related <a href="https://www.facebook.com/experiencela">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela">Twitter</a> social media channels has covered the <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/63815">Stagecoach Festival</a> since inception, and has previously recommended this as a Family Friendly event (children 10 years of age and under are free with general admission adult tickets) and as a Foodie Destination due to the official barbecue competition. With regard to bringing your children, you will find that there are special musical performances that appeal to a younger demographic along with lots of hands on activities. Of the nine stagecoaches, I have been at eight of them, paying my own way, and getting a photo press pass for all except the first one, so that I can bring in a camera with interchangeable lenses. Below is a set of pictures that highlight many of the other things to do at Stagecoach when not listening to great music, especially partaking of the great BBQ competition.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/16462251263/in/set-72157651836836411/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"></span><br /><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><em><br /></em></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">According to the official website, <a href="http://www.stagecoachfestival.com/passes/">tickets are still available</a> that can be purchased online. <a href="http://www.stagecoachfestival.com/lineup/">The Stagecoach lineup </a>for each day has already been announced, but the set times won’t be posted for each artist on the official website until a day or two of the event. Stagecoach also has an official mobile application for tracking acts and putting together a personal schedule and posting pictures. Plus last year, Golden Voice experimented with doing twitter check-ins outside the hangars for two smaller stages by swiping one’s registered rfid ticket wristband. Will be interesting to see what new technology gets introduced into Stagecoach this year. Many other things Goldenvoice can do with rfid wristbands and near range technology such as beacons.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><span style="background: white;">As the sun goes down out in desert on these vastly improved Polo Grounds, the setting is very picturesque with the mountains, palm trees, and large scale art displays set against the numbers of people having a good time. What is great about Stagecoach is the sensational job Goldenvoice does in putting together its musical lineup for the two smaller stages inside two huge hangars (Mustang and Palomino Stages) featuring Americana, traditional and new Bluegrass, Alt-Country, Alt-Folk and Cowboy music. Even for me as a big fan of Americana, Bluegrass and Alt-Country music, I am being introduced to most of these performers for the first time. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="background: white;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">With Stagecoach being a three ring music circus, it always helps to get suggestions as to who to seek out, along with doing discovery with the official Stagecoach website providing links to each artists website, YouTube channel, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and Soundcloud accounts. You can easily discover new artists to see in person such as I did with Anais Mitchell who I would characterize as alt-folk hailing from Vermont with a unique sound having been a guest artist with the Punch Brothers. I suspect she will be performing in early Saturday afternoon and most likely at the Mustang stage which is slightly smaller than the Palomino stage, and attendance for her would be just beginning to build for the day.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year, Goldenvoice began to program an indoor fully air conditioned honky tonk stage (that most likely was constructed for Coachella and popular with a DJ music sets), but with no public schedule published in advance, so it will be interesting how this plays out in 2015. If temperatures get into the teens, I can assure you that there will be an audience whereas last year the Indio temperatures were relatively mild.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last year when covering the Country Music Hall of Fame fundraiser at Club Nokia under the music leadership of Vince Gill whom I had the chance to interview and <a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/2014/03/emmylou-harris-again-teams-with-vince.html">write about for ExperienceLA</a>, I encouraged AEG/Goldenvoice to book Vince Gill at Stagecoach. In my interview with Vince, he expressed a strong desire to perform at Stagecoach, and this year he gets his wish performing with The Time Jumpers. Plus, AEG previewed Cam at this showcase, and Goldenvoice is also bringing her to Stagecoach.</span><br /><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1zk3XXEbVY/VSbBYxBZFyI/AAAAAAAAEis/cbUTK8RyWxQ/s1600/Vince%2BGill%2Bmedium%2Bsize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-y1zk3XXEbVY/VSbBYxBZFyI/AAAAAAAAEis/cbUTK8RyWxQ/s1600/Vince%2BGill%2Bmedium%2Bsize.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">Goldenvoice has always reached out to Country legends late in their careers, and this year will feature Merle Haggard one of the original outlaw country musicians and Steve Earle whom got major exposure on the HBO series Treme. In looking through this year’s lineup, most of the lineup is new to Stagecoach, and there are a few that I have seen elsewhere such as The Quebe Sisters Band playing Texas swing and </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">Della Mae, an all-girls Americana bluegrass group that will remind one of the early days of the Dixie Chicks. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">I saw the Quebe Sisters perform at the 2012 University of Chicago Folk Festival (really a roots festival) and the closing day of a cowboy singing and poetry tour funded by the federal National Endowment for the Humanities in Santa Barbara. The Quebe Sisters have each been Texas State champion fiddle players and have great three part harmony. Both female groups are not to be missed on Saturday, April 25 and below are picture sets from when I saw each of them previously perform and I thought at the time that they would both be perfect Stagecoach acts. The first flickr picture set is The Quebe Sisters Band and the second flickr set are Della Mae.</span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/16905295570/in/set-72157651403824407/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/17092436091/in/set-72157651850105362/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><span style="background: white;"><br /></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the early days of American Idol and later The Voice, Stagecoach has featured country music performers that previously won or did well enough to gain a national following. As many know, Miranda Lambert helped her career along with competing on Nashville Star (finishing around 7<sup>th</sup>), and Blake Sheldon can take full credit for launching the Swon Brothers last year on The Voice who will be appearing for the first time, and Blake also coached Cassadee Pope from The Voice Season 3.<o:p></o:p></span><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">For anyone getting to Stagecoach early when the outside terrace gates first open up at 10 am, there is almost a stampede at noon when the festival gates open as people rush the Mane Stage to get the best places to set up their festival chairs and blankets for the areas that begin behind the Corral and VIP areas. The race for such spots is quite hysterical like the start of Black Friday shopping. </span></span><br /><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;"><br /></span></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">I do recommend arriving </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">early to secure your spot for the Mane Stage, then tie something onto your chair for easy recognition, and do your own GPS calculations to remember the spot, so you can check out the smaller stages that are much more up close and personal. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">Then check out the items being sold by vendors selling country-related wear and other items, and settle in for a great three days. </span><br /><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Goldenvoice does do an excellent job establishing permanent fire lane aisles for the Mane Stage, and thus one can scout out the necessary landmarks that will become so important when there are 50,000 people watching the headliners late at night along with their projections on enormous video monitors for easy viewing. Once it gets dark, it can be very difficult finding where one parked their festival chairs. Thus, a very small pocket flashlight can be useful when the lights go out, as even counting steps can be difficult in the dark. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">There are an extensive variety of food vendors and a number of food trucks that are part of Stagecoach, but the best mid-day food choices come from the official barbecue competition in which tastes can be bought for $3 each. The food in competition usually isn’t available until after 2 pm, but many of the competitors will have food not in competition or extras that are available to begin buying around noon. Almost all of the bbq teams have pulled pork along with either and chicken or brisket and sometimes tri-tip. These are secret barbecue recipes so don't expect these competitors to share their secrets. By late afternoon, food from the BBQ competition is sold out. You can eat pretty well from the BBQ area on $15, while you grab your favorite beverages from nearby tents. However, there are several BBQ vendors outside the competition that in prior years did very well as competitors like Pigs Can Fly and the fire engine pizza from the Dang Brothers is well worth the wait . </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">If you like craft beer, be sure to investigate the different beer tents, as one might discover some alternative beers other than the usual festival beers.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">There are several areas at Stagecoach that do have a full bar.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">So for those who have been to the Coachella Music Festival, the atmosphere and the audience is in many ways very different at Stagecoach. For example, traditionally there have been many more families, many times seeing three generations, although last year with the Bro-Country Stagecoach line-up, the audience skewed younger for the first time. For 2015, there appear to be many more women performers </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">then in previous year</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">, including returning stars such as Sara Evans and Lydia Loveless, and rising stars such as Kacey Musgraves (up for best new artist at the last round of award shows) and emerging women artists such as Clare Dunn and Logan Brill, and an increase in the number of Americana and nouveau/traditional bluegrass groups such as Balsam Range and Old Salt Union. </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">M<a href="http://alicewallacemusic.com/">y alt-country music friend Alice Wallace</a> (who one day might be discovered by Goldenvoice to play Stagecoach) will not forgive me if I don't give a shout out to her country favorite Sturgill Simpson who can best be characterized as honky-tonk music whom I will be seeing perform live for the first time and very much reminds me of Dwight Yoakim (who filled the Mustang hanger to capacity the last two times he played Stagecoach). David Lettermen recently called Sturgill's music the meta-modern sounds of country music.</span><br /><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /></span><span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Before departing for the Coachella Valley, do yourself a favor by reviewing the <a href="http://www.stagecoachfestival.com/festival-info/">Stagecoach rules</a> and what can be brought into the festival. For those who have attended the sister Coachella festival, there are a number of different rules, for example, the ability to bring in festival chairs at Stagecoach. Most important, s</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;">tay hydrated and discover some new country music talent, and for those who have never moved from the Mane Stage, go out and explore the rest of this great festival, and don't forget the BBQ competition.</span><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 18.6666660308838px; line-height: 21.4666652679443px;"><br /></span><em><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">2015 Stagecoach Country Music Festival Lineup (by date):</span></em><br /><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="outline: 0px;"><i><u><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">FRIDAY, APRIL 24, 2015</span></u></i></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><strong style="outline: 0px;"><i><u><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></u></i></strong></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Tim McGraw</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Jake Owen</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Kip Moore</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Merle Haggard</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Kacey Musgraves</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Devil Makes Three</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Parmalee</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Time Jumpers</span>, featuring<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Vince Gill</span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Dawn Sears</span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Kenny Sears</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> and</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ranger Doug Green</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Sturgill Simpson</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Lone Bellow</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Brothers Osbourne</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Parker Millsap</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Handsome Family</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Lydia Loveless</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Pegi Young</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Lindsay Lou and The Flatbellys</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Cam Ochs</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"><i><u><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">SATURDAY, APRIL 25, 2015</span></u></i></span></strong><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><strong style="outline: 0px;"><span style="outline: 0px;"><i><u><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; font-weight: normal; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></u></i></span></strong></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Miranda Lambert</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Dierks Bentley</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Justin Moore</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">ZZ Top</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Eli Young Band</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Gregg Allman</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Cassadee Pope</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;">Cast of<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><em style="outline: 0px;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; color: black; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none;">Nashville</span></em>, featuring<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Charles Esten</span>,<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Clare Bowen</span>, and<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Chris Carmac</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Steve Earle</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Cadillac Three</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mickey Gilley</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Mac Davis</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Nikki Lane</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">John Moreland</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">John and Jacob</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Quebe Sisters Band</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Daniel Romano</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Della Mae</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Clare Dunn</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Anais Mitchell</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Old Salt Union</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><em style="outline: 0px;"><u><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;">SUNDAY, APRIL 26, 2015</span></u></em><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><em style="outline: 0px;"><u><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in;"><br /></span></u></em></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Blake Shelton</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Band Perry</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Sara Evans</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">George Thorogood and The Destroyers</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Jerrod Neimann</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Frankie Ballard</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Oak Ridge Boys</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hot Rize</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Outlaws</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Eric Burdon and the Animals</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Swon Brothers</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Maddie and Tae</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Chris Janson</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Keith Anderson</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Chatham County Line</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Logan Brill</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Luke Ameland</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Ben Miller Band</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div style="background: white; line-height: 15pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; outline: 0px; overflow: hidden; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 10.5pt;"><span style="border: none windowtext 1.0pt; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0in; padding: 0in; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Andrew Combs</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; line-height: 115%;"><br /><br /><span style="background: white;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" /><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br /><div class="MsoNormal"><br /></div>Curt Gibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252999645856731557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-88058156630560185562015-01-07T09:21:00.001-08:002015-01-07T09:21:39.473-08:00Catching Up with Dave Stewart and Friends at The Roxy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhzrD0gDDrw/VKyDDKTCkmI/AAAAAAAAEew/mq145p1WUNU/s1600/Dave%2Band%2BKaya%2BStewart%2Band%2BMolly%2BTuttle%2Bat%2BRoxy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EhzrD0gDDrw/VKyDDKTCkmI/AAAAAAAAEew/mq145p1WUNU/s1600/Dave%2Band%2BKaya%2BStewart%2Band%2BMolly%2BTuttle%2Bat%2BRoxy.jpg" height="214" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />When I got the invite to catch Dave Stewart and Friends at The Roxy on the Sunset Strip for December 8, 2014, I was intrigued as Dave Stewart had a storied career during the 1980's with Annie Lennox in the Eurythmics, and he has been on his own for decades as a successful record producer and writer. Then a strange thing occurred, <a href="http://www.mollytuttle.net/">Molly Tuttle</a>, a recent graduate of the Berklee College of Music in Boston, whom I have been following for over three years as a member of The Tuttles and A.J. Lee, had mentioned on the Tuttle's Facebook page that Molly would be part of Dave Stewart and Friends at The Roxy.<br /><br />Molly Tuttle is a rising Americana star coming out of the bluegrass world who was recently recognized by the International Music Bluegrass Association with a Momentum award nomination and early last year released her first solo album. She also performs with John Mailander as a duo, and also in a four person all girls band, The Goodby Girls, that has toured Sweden, resulting from friendships at the Berklee College of Music. Molly Tuttle herself is a great example of a recent influx of Americana greats coming out of the Berklee College of Music such as Sierra Hull and Sarah Jarosz. And I have had the opportunity to previously see Molly perform at intimate club setting and bluegrass festivals, sharing my pictures and video, and will soon see her perform for the first time with her family band, <a href="http://www.thefreight.org/tuttles-aj-lee-2">The Tuttles and AJ Lee at Freight and Salvage.</a><br /><br />About a month before, Molly had posted up that she was meeting Dave Stewart for the first time and was getting to play his guitar in his office. From what I understand, Dave Stewart had stumbled upon Molly Tuttle at one of her performances, and was blown away by her musical talents and vocal abilities, resulting in the Roxy invite and also being taken under his wing as shown on the <a href="http://davestewartent.com/artists/mollytuttle/">Dave Stewart management web site.</a> I had to double check with Molly to be sure she was on the bill, as the Dave Stewart and Friends press release for The Roxy talked only about Hollie Stephenson and his newest project as Stewart and Lindsey with Thomas Lindsey. The lead photo above is one of Dave Stewart and his daughter Kaya Stewart with Molly Tuttle in the background. Molly Tuttle and Kaya Stewart were to be surprise guests.<br /><br />The Roxy evening with Dave Stewart and Friends had an electrifying opening performance by seventeen year old Hollie Stephenson who channels the sound and energy of the late Amy Winehouse and can be seen in my Flickr photo set:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/15388025083/in/set-72157649736340205/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><br />Molly Tuttle soon got her own opportunity to play with Dave Stewart, and then a solo performance before an audience that appeared to be captured by surprise by Molly's strong instrumental skills developed from a decade of performing with the Tuttles and A.J. Lee, and vocals that can remind one of early Joni Mitchell depending upon what she was signing. The following Flickr picture set focuses on Molly Tuttle's Roxy performance, including playing the banjo on a performance by Stewart and Lindsey and later doing backup singing for Kaya Stewart.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/15961178766/in/set-72157649692764105/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><br /><br />One of the songs that Molly performed solo wowing the audience at The Roxy was White Freightliner Blues, and below is a version that was recorded in Dave Stewart's office that can be found on YouTube<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/gdHiflsFM44" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Kaya Stewart as a 14 year old has a great stage presence and will remind one of the teenage version of Miley Cyrus. She has major potential and one can see her musical growth over the last three years from videos posted on YouTube. She can channel Annie Lennox in tandem with Dave Stewart. Watch out for her. Here is my Flickr photo set of Kaya Stewart followed by a YouTube video from her channeling the Beatles that demonstrates her stage presence and current look.:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/15385218984/in/set-72157649315404509/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/e6rx9x5co8k" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />A most interesting project of Dave Stewart is teaming up with Thomas Lindsey whom Dave Stewart discovered in Louisiana with rock and blues infused music, tremendous on stage energy, and soon to have an album release. The picture set is below, followed by actual official video footage just uploaded on YouTube from that evening at The Roxy that shows off Thomas Lindsey Louisiana inflected vocals .<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/15820343768/in/set-72157649316077269/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XWSeEhF0_X0" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Finally here is a picture set focusing on the most excellent <a href="http://davestewart.com/">Dave Stewart, still going strong in his 60's, and we are all blessed by his many passion projects</a>, and I can't wait to purchase his upcoming Stewart and Lindsey CD and to see his potential influence on Molly Tuttle's solo career.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/16007232742/in/set-72157649322165640/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe><br />Curt Gibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252999645856731557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-27172828218714101422014-10-07T16:55:00.000-07:002014-10-07T16:55:26.864-07:00SHEL's Recent Performance at the Hotel Cafe In Hollywood<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LByX8-ORgMs/VDRthkmtuZI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/GyQrc3oxb8E/s1600/SHEL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LByX8-ORgMs/VDRthkmtuZI/AAAAAAAAEbQ/GyQrc3oxb8E/s1600/SHEL.jpg" height="315" width="560" /></a></div><br />Recently, I had the opportunity to attend a performance of SHEL and interview the four twenty-something Holbrook sisters at the Hotel Cafe in Hollywood, an esteemed Los Angeles live music destination that had been on my list of venues to check out for many years. When my music industry friend Angela suggested that I catch this performance of SHEL, I was totally unfamiliar with the band. I did my usual research for going out to hear a band for the first time by watching the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/iLoveSHELmusic">SHEL YouTube channel</a>, reading reviews on the <a href="http://shelmusic.com/">SHEL website</a>, and scrolling through their posts on the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iloveshel">SHEL Facebook page</a> (with 18,000 fans). Wow I thought to myself, I can't believe that I am just discovering these four young women for the first time. After seeing them perform, they were even better in person, then what can be seen on YouTube, as SHEL engaged a large enthusiastic audience within the confines of the Hotel Cafe. They have great stage presence and I got some good pictures of SHEL under difficult low lighting at Hotel Cafe and my many photographs hosted on flickr can be seen below: <br /><br /><div><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/15227508990/in/set-72157647853085108/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="560"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div>I have conjured up the label of alt-Americana band to describe SHEL due to their unpredictability of their musical style when combining keyboard, fiddle, percussion (including a squeezebox), and mandolin that showcased sounds of irish/celtic, classical, alt-folk, americana, alt-country, and steam punk. These Holbrook sisters, Sarah, Hannah, Eva, and Liza, from Fort Collins, Colorado, now residing in Nashville, are in the recording studio for their second album, but it is a mystery as to the direction it might take. Frankly, I was blown away by these accomplished musicians and songwriters, as they very well could be the next big thing. It wasn't so long ago that Mumford and Sons were playing Hotel Cafe, and look at them now, and you could say that SHEL is what an all girls version of Mumford and Sons might be like.</div><br />Some writers have compared SHEL to the Dixie Chicks early in their career, but to me, SHEL reminds me of an all girls vocal version of the Punch Brothers, minus the esteemed sounds of Noam Pikelney's banjo. I do have to acknowledge, however, that in the second half of the concert, electric guitars were introduced into the mix, as can be seen in my photographs. As one gets to know, SHEL, one discovers that Eva is an extraordinary designer of hats. Thus, it is fun seeing what hat the Eva might be wearing that she designed. In their officially produced videos, many times, you will see all of the girls in specially designed hats by Eva. The hats are exquisite and quite fitting for their music,<br /><br />What very well might launch the awareness of SHEL is being part of the soundtrack for the upcoming Nicholas Spark's Best of Me movie performing Hold On. The soundtrack album was released today, October 7, 2014 and the movie is scheduled for release on October 17, 2014. Appearing with SHEL on stage for the last song was Gareth Dunlop from Ireland who recently collaborated with SHEL on Hold On for the Best of Me movie. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rde4RNAyHoY&list=UU_68Zt6AgWJPFYRmnDshYPQ">The song can be seen on YouTube</a> as a duet with Gareth and Eva the night they wrote the song, On the Best of Me soundtrack album, they are appearing with many of my own favorites such as Lady Antebellum, Hunter Hayes, Colbie Caillat, and Kacey Musgraves. Being a fan of the soundtrack, could very well get me to see the movie. Incidentally, Gareth Dunlop opened for SHEL at the Hotel Cafe.<br /><br />SHEL skipped the September 2014 Nashville Americana conference, awards, and performance week to perform in Claremont for the Levitt Pavilion stage and then the Hotel Cafe. I hope that their Pasadena sister Levitt stage noticed and might consider booking SHEL for summer 2015. Again, thank you Angela for recommending SHEL and I had a great time interviewing these four young talented women of SHEL which can be seen here in my eight minute and a half minute hosted on my trekntravel YouTube channel below.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/xfqRLoFnQIk?list=UUUvkcLXtroRFI-5JYd8hCFg" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /><br />Curt Gibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252999645856731557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-32483246037124790872014-09-26T16:01:00.000-07:002014-09-26T16:01:31.102-07:00Gamble House Reinvents Itself for Pasadena's 2014 A x S Festival<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_v8VqOi3PA/VCXSZQbdJsI/AAAAAAAAEaw/10HtLi8SeaU/s1600/gamble%2Bart.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-B_v8VqOi3PA/VCXSZQbdJsI/AAAAAAAAEaw/10HtLi8SeaU/s1600/gamble%2Bart.jpg" height="314" width="420" /></a></div>You may have been driving along North Orange Grove Blvd in Pasadena over the last several weeks and wondered what was up with the large flying saucer (or enormous satellite dish) tilted up against the Ultimate Bungalow. For the first time ever, the<a href="http://www.gamblehouse.org/"> Gamble House in Pasadena</a> is showcasing contemporary art within the confines of the historic Greene and Greene house that was once owned by the Gamble family of Procter and Gamble fame. This static art along with performance art and various workshops are part of the <a href="http://axsfestival.org/2014/">2014 A x S Festival</a> in Pasadena that attempts to link up science and art at various locations in Pasadena. Getting the Gamble House commission was the Los Angeles based Machine Project, and they selected the various artists to display their art during this run from September 19 - October 5, 2014. Local artist Patrick Michael Ballard in addition to the artistic creativity of the saucer covered with the roses emblematic of the Tournament of Roses had to design a display structure that would not use the structural support off this most historic house. Then for someone like me who does own a California Bungalow, this playful Ultimate Bungalow sign from Jessica Cowley is much appreciated,and will live beyond the festival as a postcard available from the Gamble House museum store.<br /><br />Paid guided tours of the Gamble House and the Machine Project installation can be booked online. What is also unique about this installation is that there will opportunities for self-guided tours of the Gamble House for free on the following dates while also having a chance to watch the performance art:<br /><br />Saturday, September 27: 12 pm - 10 pm (last entry at 9 pm)<br />Thursday, October 2nd 8 pm - 10 pm (last entry (9;30 pm)<br />Sunday, October 5th 12 pm - 4 pm. Paid Guided tours with kids under 17 free (Family Day)<br /><br />In addition, the Gamble House will be encouraging visitors to take photographs (for sharing on social media), as normally no pictures are allowed on the regularly scheduled tours. I had an opportunity to see the installation right before it opened, and the following slide show hosted on flickr are my photographs.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="314" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/15352006291/in/set-72157648041280605/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="420"></iframe><br /><br />For the above dates there will be many workshops led by the artists, including letter writing and embroidery and an opportunity to make soap as a homage to the iconic Ivory Soap of Procter and Gamble. Details of the various workshops and performance art, including poetry readings, along with iced tea in the garden can be found on the <a href="http://machineproject.com/gamblehouse/">Machine Project Field Guide website.</a> Several of the workshops have special fees that can be purchased online from the Machine Project website. For those who make it to the first special day on September 17, you will discover a Special Restaurant creating Swiss-Japanese fusion cuisine delivering small bites on a conveyor belt from the basement. Tickets for the <a href="http://www.zerve.com/GambleHouse/Calendar">guided Gamble House tours can be purchased online here.</a> For the first time visitor or a repeat visitor to the Gamble House, this is a unique opportunity to better understand the context of the house in the 21st century and to see how much of the special installation uses Greene and Greene architectural elements in their work. The Machine Project intends to video the performance art and workshops so that those who missed it can vicariously enjoy the efforts of all involved. But of course it is best viewed in person.<br /><br />The A x S Festival is a project of the <a href="http://www.pasadenaartscouncil.org/">Pasadena Arts Council</a> with a theme of Curiosity for 2014. Lots to see and do during this 17 day Pasadena festival that promotes the intersection of art and science.<br /><br />Curt Gibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252999645856731557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-32910244391605861102014-05-03T10:08:00.001-07:002014-05-03T10:08:23.582-07:00Today: National Train Day<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu-rhqi1ykE/U2UiMc7bOaI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/ssfaPsLvLtY/s1600/8443196447_c70ce05882_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Lu-rhqi1ykE/U2UiMc7bOaI/AAAAAAAAB8Y/ssfaPsLvLtY/s1600/8443196447_c70ce05882_b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Charity Tran/intellichick</td></tr></tbody></table>You may want to head out to Union Station today for <a href="http://www.metro.net/about/union-station-75th-anniversary/" target="_blank">National Train Day</a>! It's an extra special one for Union Station because today is the historic station's 75th anniversary! <br /><a name='more'></a><br />There will be entertainment performances including children's theater, mariachi, Chinese lion dancers, R&B band, and a swing orchestra. Kids especially can enjoy the Chuggington Kids Depot, a miniature railroad complete with model trains. There will also be antique train cars on exhibit as well as Union Station related art and architecture. <br /><br />For more information on today's events, visit <a href="http://www.metro.net/about/union-station-75th-anniversary/" target="_blank">Metro</a>. <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/8VfjlW8xqB0" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />-<em>Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</em><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-30442720247419037712014-05-03T09:34:00.002-07:002014-05-03T09:37:04.818-07:00Today: Free Comic Book Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E9hGOGShQ4w/U2Ual6JcNbI/AAAAAAAAB8I/klNjkcokRhY/s1600/image.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E9hGOGShQ4w/U2Ual6JcNbI/AAAAAAAAB8I/klNjkcokRhY/s1600/image.jpeg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div>Quite a few people have told me that today is <a href="http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/992" target="_blank">Free Comic Book Day</a>. This probably says a lot about my love of comic books and geekery (and that I have friends that know me so well)! Since the day has just begun I thought it was best to share the news too! <br /><a name='more'></a><br />Want to find out what's going on near you and where to find free comics? Drop by the <a href="http://www.freecomicbookday.com/storelocator" target="_blank">Free Comic Book Day Store Locator</a>! It's not just free comics - many stores have activities, entertainment, and visiting artists! What I love about this day is that it's not just about free comics - it's about the celebration of them! <br /><br />I hope you find a great comic book today!<br /><br />-<em>Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</em><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-18023165308332550882014-04-25T15:07:00.000-07:002014-04-25T15:07:01.731-07:00Wondercon 2014: A Re-Cap in Convention-Attending Tips <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1zA_aEf3zo/U1rR0jJd0LI/AAAAAAAAB7g/heb_1bEjXD8/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-X1zA_aEf3zo/U1rR0jJd0LI/AAAAAAAAB7g/heb_1bEjXD8/s1600/IMG_1919.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wondercon 2014</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Last weekend I ventured out to the Anaheim Convention Center for a geeky staycation - <a href="http://www.comic-con.org/wca" target="_blank">Wondercon 2014</a>. Wondercon is an excellent place to head out to learn about pop culture, comic books, superheroes, upcoming artists, and even to just check out the great cosplay. Unlike previous years, I attended the convention for all three days - adventuring as per lately with Elizabeth, the <a href="http://www.nerdlush.com/" target="_blank">Nerdlush Diva</a>! All in all I had a great weekend at Wondercon - I purchased a stack of comic books, learned about artists, enjoyed time with friends, and even made new friends!<br /><br />As I was getting ready to write this post, it dawned on me that perhaps it would be more helpful to make this a casual recap including some hints and tips for experiencing conventions in general. <br /><a name='more'></a><br />1) <b>The Guidebook is Important</b>: We made sure to browse through the guide to discuss what we might want to venture out to and whether we might make it to any specific panels - this takes strategy because you have to get a gauge of what rooms might be full and how long you might need to wait in line to get into a panel. We admired the guidebook this year especially because it had one of our favorite female superheroes - Wonder Woman - who I may or may not have been cosplaying as on Sunday.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9rAhIlLIk_I/U1rVr66qulI/AAAAAAAAB7s/syVby6ls9ac/s1600/Photo+Apr+18,+2+10+28+PM+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9rAhIlLIk_I/U1rVr66qulI/AAAAAAAAB7s/syVby6ls9ac/s1600/Photo+Apr+18,+2+10+28+PM+(1).jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br />2) <b>Scope Out the Exhibit Hall: </b>If you're going to be at a convention for several days, you should scope out the Exhibit Hall (aka the Dealer's Room). This gives you the lay of the land and helps you become familiar with your geeky shopping opportunities. It also lets you know if you'll have to be purchasing specific items on specific days (due to limited quantity or limited appearance) - rather than just do last minute shopping on Sunday.<br /> <br />3) <b>Social Media is Your Friend: </b>Twitter and Facebook are helpful to make sure you know any last minute scheduling changes. Conventions have also been offering mobile apps that may be helpful in scheduling and planning as well - so if that's your kind of thing and one's available, make sure to download that beforehand.<br /><br />4) <b>Artists in the Exhibit Hall</b>: The Exhibit Hall isn't just for sales, often artists will be making appearances. Sometimes these are easy to just stop on by, but quite often you'll need some kind of ticket or the line will be limited to a number of people. To avoid disappointment, it's good to find out ahead of time what you might be walking into (or, for many of us, what you might not be able to walk into).<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k_tMooDvh4w/U1rXJuqKJ9I/AAAAAAAAB74/xJH4AyZrLes/s1600/IMG_1931.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k_tMooDvh4w/U1rXJuqKJ9I/AAAAAAAAB74/xJH4AyZrLes/s1600/IMG_1931.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brad Bell and Jane Espenson (creators/writers for "Husbands")<br />signing autographsin the Wondercon 2014 Exhibit Hall</td></tr></tbody></table><br /> 5) <b>Clothe (and Cosplay) with Care</b>: One of the best things about these conventions is that you can be yourself - or your favorite character in cosplay! It's important to make sure your convention attire is fitting of an event where there are a lot of people, a lot of walking, and where you might want to also make a lot of purchases. Layering is a great idea and you might want to consider having a backpack handy. I make an additional note to cosplay with care because we spotted some enthusiastic fans who didn't look so enthused by the end of the day. Simple considerations regarding shoes and props can not only help you enjoy the day, but allow others to spend more time enjoying the excellent time and creativity that was spent on your outfit.<br /><br />I close with more photos from Wondercon 2014. Looking forward to next year!<br /><br />-<i>Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</i> <br /><br /><iframe align="middle" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=64591327@N00&set_id=&tags=wondercon2014" width="500"></iframe><br /><small>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>.</small><br /><br /><br /><i></i><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-63219008338163692342014-04-23T17:12:00.000-07:002014-04-23T17:12:30.343-07:00Catching Up with New Orleans Based Gal Holiday and The Honky Tonk Revue<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SloTWOZ35Ag/U1hNmYGcG3I/AAAAAAAAEU8/ulQWtWcYOYQ/s1600/gal-holiday-last-to-leave.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SloTWOZ35Ag/U1hNmYGcG3I/AAAAAAAAEU8/ulQWtWcYOYQ/s1600/gal-holiday-last-to-leave.jpg" height="288" width="320" /></a></div>For fans of Louisiana music, whether it be jazz, country, americana, swing, zydeco, cajun, or blues, and living in Southern California, we are blessed with great festivals and music clubs, that are constantly booking touring Louisiana based bands. Thus, when "Where's Andrew" from National Geographic Traveler posted on his twitter account in November 2011 that he had just witnessed the best music in the New Orleans French Quarter, I was very curious and intrigued. This was <a href="http://galholiday.com/">Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue</a> fronted by Vanessa Niemann playing old-time countrified swing. I found the band's website and YouTube videos, and saw that they had taken up a music residency in Los Angeles, splitting their time in New Orleans, and noted that in December 2011, they were doing some very late night performances at Taix in Echo Park. I was planning on seeing one of those performances, but I was just too tired to make the late night trek to Echo Park, but then I got lucky, and Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue got booked for Harvelle's in Long Beach. Playing Harville's under the Congregation Ale House was like being booked into a roaring 20's speak-easy.<br /><br />I was mesmerized hearing and seeing Gal Holiday perform country swing at Harvelle's, and at times, it was like hearing Patsy Cline channeling Wanda Jackson's rockabilly, and below are the pictures from that night. Her small space dance moves on stage became hyptnotic, and later learned, they were a trademark of her performances.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/13627232653/in/set-72157643415804154/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="387"></iframe><br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />I had been out among friends at Harvelle's that night providing me the emotional support I needed during this holiday period, i.e. <a href="http://www.louisianadancela.com/">Karen Redding, my zydeco dance instructor</a> and her dancing partner. It became a magical night when Karen Redding saw someone whom she had been seeing at music festivals for 20 years, but had never really had an extended conversation. He was there checking out the club with his dance partner Angela, and she took me out onto the dance floor, while the other's talked. Listening to Gal Holiday perform, and dancing with Angela, was like I had just gone to heaven, after a month before having unexpectedly, losing my wife of almost 30 years, due to a sudden illness. Angela had gone through something similar, and I remember her telling me, that I had already gone through the worse part of sudden and unexpected loss of a loved one. I still can't forget those couple of dances, and I have gone on to take many more zydeco dance lessons from Karen Redding, and later joined by my girlfriend Kathy. And if you look through this first picture set, you will see<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/13627531594/in/set-72157643415804154"> me with Vanessa Niemann</a>, the heart and soul of Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue.<br /><br />In March 2012, I had another chance to see Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue perform in SoCal before she returned to New Orleans, and this was at <a href="http://www.thecinemabar.com/">Cinema Bar</a> the oldest bar in Culver City. The Cinema Bar is known for booking Americana music and Gal Holiday was a perfect choice, and below are the pictures from flickr set.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/13648140563/in/set-72157643470532174/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="387"></iframe> <br /><br />Trying to make it as an Americana alt-country artist in New Orleans, can be difficult with all of the other genres of music getting publicized and noticed, even with publicity from Offbeat Magazine. Thus, I think that the objective of doing a residency in Los Angeles, while splitting time in New Orleans, was the hope of building another fan base. However, in New Orleans, Gal Holiday is a live performance legend, having performed at a number of Jazz Fests, French Quarter festivals, the legendary Tipitiana's, in the French Quarter, and various clubs out on trendy Frenchmen's Street. Vanessa is such an accomplished singer that she even joined the Squirrel Nut Zippers for their performance at the 2012 Democratic National Convention, and could be found singing with the 20 member all girls New Orleans Nightingales Revue at the 2014 New Orleans French Quarter Festival. Vanessa like a number of the musicians trying to make it in Louisiana, is a transplant, with her journey starting outside Washington, D.C.<br /><br />All of my visits to Louisiana have been post-Katrina, and I have now visited the State 14 times, with another upcoming visit. During my visits in 2012, I got lucky to catch an outdoor performance of Gal Holiday, and a very poorly promoted second annual Slobsterfest in Metairie during August 2012, which had an incredible local line-up that introduced me to Amanda Shaw, Revivalists, and Eric Lindell, whom I have gone on to see several times, and like Gal Holiday, have performed several times in Los Angeles, and have been mainstays of one or both of Jazz Fest and the French Quarter Festival over the last several years. I highly recommend seeing the Revivalists when they play <a href="http://themintla.com/index.cfm">The Mint in Los Angeles</a> on May 15, 2014, and watch the schedule as The Mint is constantly booking Louisiana-based bands.<br /><br />What was great about the Slobsterfest performance by Gal Holiday is that it was a full band, including slide guitar, which you can see on my TreknTravel youtube video channel below along with a another set of flickr pictures.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="259" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/13591423373/in/set-72157643331542314/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="387"></iframe> <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/XwN_W5MQuHo" width="560"></iframe><br /><br />Most recently, I had the opportunity to see Gal Holiday at the <a href="http://fqfi.org/frenchquarter">2014 French Quarter Festival</a>. The rules for performing at the free French Quarter Festival is that you have to be a New Orleans based band (of any music genre) or be a Louisiana based cajun or zydeco band, along with a few invited bands from overseas that use New Orleans musicians to fill in for the entire band. Below is video that I took of their performance on the Absolut Louis-Louis Stage on the Riverfront Park singing The Rockin'Lady (from New Orleans), followed by my own video slideshow using the title track from from their latest CD Last to Leave, in which all of the songs (except for one cover) are written by Vanessa Niemann. The slideshow uses my pictures from flickr that can be found <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXe5iD5">here</a>, and watch for a future post of the ExperienceLA on the 2014 French Quarter Festival.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/4FRJpxrBY3Y" width="560"></iframe> <br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/36aF6g3ypqE" width="420"></iframe> <br /><br />If you are going to second weekend of the <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/">2014 Jazz of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival</a>, Gal Holiday will be performing on May 1, along with bands from all over the US and a number of local bands that will have also played the recent French Quarter Festival. If you get AXS TV (produced and owned by AEG, Mark Cuban, and Ryan Seacrest), then you can watch Jazz Fest at home. It would be great for Gal Holiday, if she could be shown to a national audience, when AXS TV decides who to show, as she will play before Lyle Lovett and Marcia Ball on the Gentilly Stage (rebranded as the Samsung Galaxy Stage for 2014).<br /><br />On my <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TrekNTravel/videos">Trekntravel YouTube channel</a>, you watch video that I have captured of a number of Louisiana based bands such as Amanda Shaw, Revivalists, Pine Leaf Boys, and Yvette Landry, and I will close this blog post below with Gal Holiday and the Honky Tonk Revue singing "You are my Sunshine" at Chickie Wah Wah's on Canal Street that I never realized had some Louisiana specific verses from co-writer Jimmie Davis who ran for Louisiana governor in 1944, singing it at all of his campaign rallies. When I was hitch-hiking Japan in 1977, one of my hosts, had me do a sing along with his family, as this at that time was one of the only English language songs they knew, but not the Louisiana lyrics.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/TwwQcIytl6Q" width="560"></iframe> <br /><br />For those visiting New Orleans, Gal Holiday is now playing every Sunday night at <a href="http://www.chickiewahwah.com/">Chickie Wah Wah</a> with a $10 cover charge. The club's policy is for the band to collect 100% of what is collected at the door. This club is an easy streetcar ride up Canal Street from the French Quarter. You can also see my Chickie Wah Wah Gal Holiday flickr pictures <a href="https://flic.kr/s/aHsjXbePyW">here</a>. So have fun watching to my Gal Holiday videos and looking at these pictures of a very talented singer, and look for her on your next visit to New Orleans, and if we are lucky, she might get booked to again perform in the Los Angeles area. Until then, you can always<a href="http://galholiday.com/music"> purchase and download her music from her website</a> or set up a Gal Holiday Pandora channel.Curt Gibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252999645856731557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-29833323683135928022014-04-17T13:36:00.000-07:002014-04-21T13:50:15.476-07:00LA Heritage Day (4/27)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hmPPcu9sQGo/U1WDIUJkA3I/AAAAAAAAB7Q/wETejRCc0lY/s1600/20050606155137-53494.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hmPPcu9sQGo/U1WDIUJkA3I/AAAAAAAAB7Q/wETejRCc0lY/s1600/20050606155137-53494.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div> Head out to El Pueblo Historical Monument to celebrate and learn more about Los Angeles history. With over 200 heritage organizations participating, L.A. Heritage Day offers Southern California history through exhibits, booths, tours, museums, children's activities, presentations, giveaways, food, and more.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br /><br />This year's event includes an expanded children's activity area with activities such as a lantern-making workshop. Historic cars will also be on display. Over 20 presentations will be occurring including topics such as culinary history and Hollywoodland. If that's not enough adventures, seven museums within El Pueblo are offering free admission!<br /><br /><a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58689" target="_blank">L.A. Heritage Day</a> occurs April 27, 2014 at 11AM-4PM. <br /><i><br /></i><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</i><br /><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-2368268897986972252014-04-12T13:00:00.000-07:002014-04-21T13:34:26.544-07:00Editorial: Los Angeles Theatre is Not Dead<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ydaSaBJFHOA/U0rryZqDD_I/AAAAAAAAB7A/uzYcjs3d5fQ/s1600/vanityfair.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ydaSaBJFHOA/U0rryZqDD_I/AAAAAAAAB7A/uzYcjs3d5fQ/s1600/vanityfair.jpg" height="166" width="200" /></a></div>If you have to do the following to argue for the virtues of one theatrical show in Los Angeles, perhaps you shouldn't: <br /><ul><li>Begin the article, claiming that Los Angeles Theatre is bad.</li><li>Heavily suggest that the following ingredients of this <i>one</i> show, might "save" LA Theatre - <ul><li>Hollywood starlets (a number of whom are children of more established stars)</li><li>film-based stories</li><li>famous Hollywood director</li></ul></li><li><span style="line-height: 1.5;">Close the article, by now claiming that Los Angeles Theatre is dead, but the show you just reviewed is not and might even establish people's careers (assuming they're an actor) </span></li></ul>These are the focal points of one <a href="http://www.vanityfair.com/vf-hollywood/quentin-tarantino-for-the-record?mbid=social_twitter" target="_blank">Jimmy Im article on <i>Vanity Fair</i> regarding <i>For the Record</i></a>. I haven't seen this show, so I won't go into any details on how entertaining it might be. A cabaret show based on a mash-up of one director's Hollywood films sounds entertaining enough by itself, so I don't quite understand why Im thought it necessary to be a flamethrower toward the community where that show resides. <br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />Let me throw down some facts about Los Angeles Theatre that debunk these ideas of "dead" and "celebrity": <br /><ul><li>"On any given night, there's more live theater to choose from in Los Angeles than in New York City..." (<a href="http://www.frommers.com/destinations/los-angeles/748367#ixzz2ynP6vXdL" target="_blank" title="Frommers - Los Angeles Performing Arts">Frommers</a>)</li><li>Actors of celebrity status frequently work in Los Angeles theatre productions, often in stories that don't require homages to film (<a href="http://m.laweekly.com/publicspectacle/2014/04/11/vanity-fairs-ridiculous-theory-that-movie-reenactments-will-save-la-theater" target="_blank">LA Weekly</a>)</li></ul>As a<a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/search?q=%22charity+tran%22&max-results=20&by-date=true" target="_blank"> frequent blogger of Los Angeles arts and culture</a>, I've had the pleasure of experiencing many of LA's theatre offerings. This scene in Los Angeles runs the gamut of small and large shows - of intimate spaces and intricate venues. Some stories are familiar tales, others are brand-new and intriguingly experimental. Actors can easily be unknown and well-known, but that doesn't define the great theatre that emerges from this area. It's the brilliant stories and performances that arise from talented casts and crews and companies, the kind of stuff that often make these players and stories emerge elsewhere around the nation and the world. <br /><br />I'm not saying it's all great, but it's certainly not all bad and definitely not dead. I think the LA theatre scene is one of the most beautiful things about Los Angeles. I firmly believe that there's something worthwhile for everyone embedded in it. <br /><br /><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</i><br /><br />Experience Los Angeles Theatre with 1/2 price tickets from <a href="http://www.lastagetix.com/" target="_blank">LA Stage Alliance Tix</a> and checking out <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar?cats=312" target="_blank">the ExperienceLA calendar for our theatre offerings</a>. experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-16819470552086830562014-04-03T17:02:00.001-07:002014-04-04T12:25:03.580-07:00Review: "A Song At Twilight" is a Must-See<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xbi7SmBUl5Q/Uz38-L8ZCZI/AAAAAAAAB6s/cdu_S029tyw/s1600/1D2A0140.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xbi7SmBUl5Q/Uz38-L8ZCZI/AAAAAAAAB6s/cdu_S029tyw/s1600/1D2A0140.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(L–R) Roxanne Hart, Sharon Lawrence, Bruce Davison Photo by Michael Lamont</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div>I viewed <em>A Song of Twilight </em>without knowing much of the background story or the timeframe. My understanding of the show was that it was about a celebrated author Sir Hugo Latymer (Bruce Davison) in his later years, who - after living a life of wealth, fame, and luxury - is confronted about the details of a past love. At first we think this might be Carlotta Gray (Sharon Lawrence) who is having dinner at Latymer's suite, set-up by his secretary-wife of twenty years Hilde Latymer (Roxanne Hart), but as the best of plays reveal, the story is much more complicated than the set-up. <br />It is 1960s Europe and Hugo has formed an image that has conformed to its standards. In this later point of his life, he is confronted with the fact that his actions have not been without consequences.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>The opulence in which Hugo lives his life is apparent from the set design, a luxurious suite of elegant furnishings that establishes its own character while the audience waits for the show to begin. It is through this setting that we get a sense of Hugo's wealth and success but also at its apparent emptiness. In this space, Davison portrays a man who is proud and boastful and - yet - constantly standing on edge of secrets that turn out to be thinly veiled. <br /><br />Hugo is held together by his wife Hilde, a mostly serious and focused woman who - after decades of marriage - understands that her husband requires a lot of management and a firm hand in both his professional and personal life. Hart infuses into the character an appropriate amount of humor and severity, showing a woman who takes things in good humor and stride, but is resoundingly practical and fiercely protective of her husband. <br /><br />Hilde stands in foil to Hugo's past love interest Carlotta Gray, a retired beautiful actress who supports her youthful looks by getting injections and living off of alimony. We are initially led to believe that Gray may be hitting hard times - asking Hugo for money - but we find in Gray a very complex character. She is a confident and shrewd business-minded person who is asking Hugo to provide permission to publish his love letters. At his vehement denial, she reveals that she has ownership of other letters - from Hugo to a past male lover. While this character could potentially appear selfish and advantageous, Lawrence brings depth to the life of Carlotta, as she tries to make Hugo understand her emotional appeal - to own up to what his actions in hiding may have cost.<br /><br />Director Art Manke writes that <br /><blockquote class="tr_bq">It is important to know that <em>A Song at Twilight</em> was written and first performed in 1966, one year before the British Parliament ended its draconian punishment of homosexuals. So in the play, it is no wonder why Sir Hugo Latymer responds the way he does to Carlotta's proposition. Sir Hugo's every moment of existence is colored by fear of exposure, which playwright Noël Coward knew only too well...</blockquote><em>A Song at Twilight </em>offers a candid look at the challenges of identity in personal and public spaces and what that might mean to personal happiness. We are presented with a man who may have all the checkboxes of success - wealth, fame, career, and a long-term successful relationship - gained by denying an aspect of himself that could have provided him with the personal happiness that comes with intimacy and love. <br /><br />My attendance coincided with Pasadena Playhouse's Talkback Tuesday, featuring coming out stories from members and supporters of the LGBT community. As panelists discussed the challenges of "coming out" in a world that is still learning to accept LGBT people, we realize that <em>A Song of Twilight</em> is not a solo song nor is it one of the past. With its talented cast that deftly strikes a balance with humor and its subject matter, this production brings to life a story that should be seen and told often, one that is still relevant to the world today. <br /><br /><em><a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58303" target="_blank">A Song at Twilight</a> </em>is currently running at the Pasadena Playhouse until April 13, 2014.<br /><br /><em>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor</em>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-46607935630369985462014-03-28T15:21:00.001-07:002014-03-28T15:27:56.249-07:00Re-Cap Paleyfest 2014: Community<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BrBzzFfS9nM/UzXtFJPr6AI/AAAAAAAAB6M/gbM0dXESXy0/s1600/community_sm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BrBzzFfS9nM/UzXtFJPr6AI/AAAAAAAAB6M/gbM0dXESXy0/s1600/community_sm2.jpg" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Left-to-Right: Michael Schneider (Moderator), Joel McHale, Jim Rash,<br />Yvette Brown, Danny Pudi, Gillan Jacobs, Dan Harmon, and Chris McKenna</td></tr></tbody></table><br />On Wednesday, March 26th the cast and producers of <em>Community</em> arrived to the Dolby Theatre for their unprecedented fifth appearance at Paleyfest. <br /><a name='more'></a><br />The event opened with a clip from <em>Pushing </em>Daisies featuring Joel McHale as a temporarily revived victim. The fans in the audience received two surprises that night: it opened with a screening of the <em>Basic Story</em> - the first part of the two-part season finale airing Thursday, April 10th - and closed with a clip of the upcoming G.I. Joe cartoon-themed episode (airing Thursday, April 3rd). <br /><br /><strong>On Britta/Jeff and Relationships on <em>Community </em>in General</strong><br /><br />Like many shows, <em>Community</em> has its relationship fans. The relationship between Britta and Jeff was alluded to during the opening of the panel (as a consequence to developments shown in the previewed episode <em>Basic Story </em>- no spoilers!). But creator Dan Harmon was quick to point out something fans of the show should be well aware of: “If <em>Community</em>’s been adamant about anything, it’s that relationships mean nothing."<br /><br /><strong>On Joel McHale's Role in Bringing Back Dan Harmon</strong><br /><br />The cast pointed to Joel McHale's leadership in advocating for Dan Harmon's return to the show and acting as mediator between him and Chris Messina. Many of the actors - and a number of fans would likely agree - noted how Season Four was a lesser version of the show and how Harmon's absence was a significant reason why. Actor Danny Pudi described how Harmon and Chris Messina are integral to providing his character Abed with his voice.<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/dannypudi">@dannypudi</a> : "No one speaks Abed's voice [like Chris McKenna and Dan Harmon]." <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Community&src=hash">#Community</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/449019266461728769">March 27, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /><strong>On Donald Glover's Departure</strong><br /><strong></strong><strong></strong><br />The cast spoke to the challenges of Donald Glover's departure and Harmon discussed how it was necessary to strike the right balance with bringing on new characters - specifically the kind of characters necessary and gender dynamics that would work on the show. Referring to both Glover's exit and the Troy Barnes' storyline on the show, he stated <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"Sometimes people go away that you don't want to go away." -<a href="https://twitter.com/danharmon">@danharmon</a> on the challenges of @DonaldGlover/Troy's exit <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Community&src=hash">#Community</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/449020035151831040">March 27, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /><strong>On Britta Perry's Character Growth in Season </strong><br /><br />Actress Gillian Jacobs referred to some of her character highlights this season - noting her instrumental role during the lava game. <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"She was right a few times and that was nice." -<a href="https://twitter.com/GillianJacobs">@GillianJacobs</a> discussing Britta Perry's great moments in S5 of <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Community&src=hash">#Community</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/449021615129370626">March 27, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /><strong>On Season Renewals - #sixseasonsandamovie</strong><br /><br />As fans of the show are aware, season renewals and <em>Community</em> have a precarious relationship at best. While no official word is out yet, the cast seems hopeful for another season - and perhaps living up to the idea of "Six Seasons and a Movie" (a reference to an Abed Nadir line in Season 2 regarding a favorite show being cancelled). <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"There's probably going to be a 6th season because you guys will show up [with] pitchforks" -<a href="https://twitter.com/joelmchale">@joelmchale</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Community&src=hash">#Community</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23sixseasonsandamovie&src=hash">#sixseasonsandamovie</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/449024120278114306">March 27, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Harmon pointed out several times how challenging it was to understand "what" constituted which shows should be renewed. <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"If you can tell me what factors they use in these decisions..." -<a href="https://twitter.com/danharmon">@danharmon</a> on the randomness of TV renewals <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23community&src=hash">#community</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/449028937130074112">March 27, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />We close our last Paleyfest Re-Cap with hopes for a renewal and #SixSeasonsandaMovie (this writer is a long-time fan of <em>Community</em>). We'll sign off with this clip of a "PSA" from <em>Community</em>'s upcoming G.I. Joe episode - <em>G.I. Jeff</em>.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="253" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/o2N8wLKC7bw?feature=player_embedded" width="450"></iframe><br /><br /><em>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor </em>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-81793024226486379782014-03-27T14:10:00.004-07:002014-03-27T14:28:59.569-07:00Re-Cap Paleyfest 2014: The Mindy Project<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D9Pa1qlahGA/UzSJZZDGKYI/AAAAAAAAB50/cyFKBlW4OEk/s1600/mindyproject.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="The cast of "The Mindy Project" on-stage at the Dolby Theatre " border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-D9Pa1qlahGA/UzSJZZDGKYI/AAAAAAAAB50/cyFKBlW4OEk/s1600/mindyproject.jpg" height="237" title="The cast of "The Mindy Project" on-stage at the Dolby Theatre " width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The cast of "The Mindy Project" on-stage at the Dolby Theatre <br />for Paleyfest 2014.</td></tr></tbody></table><p>On Tuesday, March 25th the cast of <em>The Mindy Project</em> arrived at the Dolby Theatre for their second Paleyfest event. The event kicked off with scenes from the Paley Center archives featuring Mindy Kaling on <em>Curb Your Enthusiasm</em>. </p><a name='more'></a><br />The fans in attendance were treated with an advanced screening of the 4/1 episode of <em>The Mindy Project</em>. If you're reading this you're probably a fan and know that when we last left the characters a big moment happened between Mindy Lahiri and Danny Castellano on their flight back from Los Angeles. You'll be seeing the consequences of that moment in the episode when it airs on April 1st (Sorry! No spoilers here!).<br /><br /><strong>On Mindy Lahiri and Danny Castellano</strong><br /><br />Kaling describes how writers may be able to develop dialogue and scenes, but that you can't script the chemistry that occurs, referring specifically to the Mindy and Danny relationship:<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"As writers we can write dialogue [and scenes] ...but you can't script chemistry." -<a href="https://twitter.com/mindykaling">@mindykaling</a> on Mindy/Danny <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TheMindyProject&src=hash">#TheMindyProject</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/448654076440346625">March 26, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>She also noted that Danny is her favorite character.<br /><br /><strong>On Kaling Trying to Invite Her Dad to the Set</strong><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"There has not been a [...] shooting day where that has been appropriate!" <a href="https://twitter.com/mindykaling">@mindykaling</a> on her dad visiting the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23TheMindyProject&src=hash">#TheMindyProject</a> set<br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/448655563891568641">March 26, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><strong>On Tamra and Morgan's Possible Relationship</strong><br /><br />The cast hinted to developments in Tamra and Morgan's relationship. Morgan has had a not-so-secret crush on Tamra, whose character has had a rocky relationship with her boyfriend over the season. Xosha Roquemore, how portays Tamra on the show, explained humorously - and as nicely as possible - the developments between her character and a guy like Morgan:<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"No shade [to anyone]...but Tamra's kind of into pale creeps." -<a href="https://twitter.com/XoshaRockstar">@XoshaRockstar</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23themindyproject&src=hash">#themindyproject</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/448656785809735680">March 26, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><strong>Chris Messina's Perspective on the Show</strong><br /><br />Regarding the pilot - <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"...when I read the pilot, it was amazing writing, so I knew I was in for something great." -Chris Messina <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23themindyproject&src=hash">#themindyproject</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/448660169543532545">March 26, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>Regarding the different process between television and film - <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"We rely on [fans] to let us know what's cooking." -Chris Messina on the TV vs. Film process <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23themindyproject&src=hash">#themindyproject</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/448660927756251137">March 26, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><strong>On Chris Messina's Dancing in the Christmas Episode</strong><br /><br />Messina described how he wanted to take karate lessons when he was younger, but his mother - who taught dance - made him take dancing. Lucky for us, this led to his now famous scene from the 2013 holiday episode of <em>The Mindy Project</em> where his character danced to Aaliyah's <em>Try Again</em> as a gift for Mindy.<br /><br />The cast discussed how "giffed" that scene was and how Messina initially only wanted only a handful of people around during the shooting of the scene (and how this escalated to him freely dancing the routine for others). Kaling describes of the scene<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">.<a href="https://twitter.com/mindykaling">@MindyKaling</a> on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ChrisMessina&src=hash">#ChrisMessina</a>'s dance scene: "People were mad when they cut to me..." <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23themindyproject&src=hash">#themindyproject</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/448662140388253697">March 26, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><em>The Mindy Project</em> returns April 1st with a great episode, the start of eight consecutive weeks of new episodes. If you need any convincing to try and watch, Kaling describes these episodes as the best she's been party to (we'd like to add "so far").<br /><br /><em>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</em>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-14199518374818985252014-03-24T13:13:00.000-07:002014-03-27T13:37:57.543-07:00Re-Cap Paleyfest 2014: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--2aTVi3mKhU/UzR_YE9i3nI/AAAAAAAAB5k/BFKSznfmbUU/s1600/agentsofshield_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--2aTVi3mKhU/UzR_YE9i3nI/AAAAAAAAB5k/BFKSznfmbUU/s1600/agentsofshield_sm.jpg" height="196" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. panel at Paleyfest:<br />(Left to Right) Felicia Day (moderator), Jeph Loeb, Jeffrey Bell<br />Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Brett Dalton, Chloe Bennet,<br />Ian de Caestecker, Elizabeth Henstridge, Jeb Whedon, <br />and Maurissa Tanchareon</td></tr></tbody></table>Sunday, March 23rd offered an excellent afternoon event for <em>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</em> fans fortunate enough to attend the Paleyfest 2014 event. If you missed our live-tweets or want a little bit more context on our adventure, read on! <br /><a name='more'></a><br />The event opened with an audience surprise - we were given Level 7 clearance and were able to watch the entirety of <em>The End of the Beginning. </em>This episode, scheduled to air on April 1st, is perhaps one of the best episodes of the season; it is action-packed and will leave viewers on the edge of their seats. That's all we can tell you with our Level 7 clearance.<br /><br />The audience was also told that there will be a <em>Captain America: The Winter Soldier</em> (opening this weekend) tie-in to the show, encouraging everyone to go out and watch the film and then return for the next set of episodes. Starting with the new episode on April 1st, seven new episodes will air in consecutive weeks to maintain the momentum of the series and meet fan demand. <br /><br />Felicia Day was at the helm as an excellent moderator for a panel consisting of co-creators Maurissa Tanchareon and Jeb Whedon; cast members Clark Gregg, Ming-Na Wen, Chloe Bennet, Brett Dalton, Iain de Caestecker, and Elizabeth Henstridge; and executive producers Jeph Loeb and Jeffrey Bell. <br /><br />Felicia Day opened the panel with a politically correct observation:<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"This is a very attractive cast - I'm going to say that without objectifying anyone." -<a href="https://twitter.com/feliciaday">@feliciaday</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23AgentsofSHIELD&src=hash">#AgentsofSHIELD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/447841553403224064">March 23, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>The excitement of seeing the upcoming episode and Felicia Day's well-known fan favorite personality was the perfect launching point to a panel that gave viewers an inside look on the show with plenty of laughs. <br /><br /><strong>On #CoulsonLives</strong><br /><br />There was discussion on the concept of how #CoulsonLives grew into the television show. The popularity of the hashtag made Felicia Day suggest that perhaps Clark Gregg himself was the mastermind behind its initiation. Gregg didn't admit to this, but he did own up to being a Joss Whedon fanboy (well - aren't we all?)<br /><br /><strong>On Ming-Na Wen's character Agent Melinda May</strong><br /><br />Co-creators Tanchareon and Whedon revealed that the concept of the Agent May's character was initially named "Agent Rice" but after the casting of Ming-Na Wen in the role, the name was changed for obvious reasons.<br /><br />Ming-Na Wen revealed her storyline hopes regarding Melinda May's <strike>yet-to-be-written love affair with Thor</strike> connection with Skye:<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"I want Skye to be the love child of May and Thor - and there to be flashbacks to those scenes." -Ming-Na Wen <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23AgentsofSHIELD&src=hash">#AgentsofSHIELD</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/447845551413800960">March 23, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><strong>On Brett Dalton</strong><br /><br />Despite Day's opening of the panel, there was some well-intended objectification of actor Brett Dalton, whose character is known for his good looks and sex appeal. Day's follow-up question - "Brett, how is it sleeping with everybody?" - was consequently met with laughter throughout the cast and the audience.<br /><br /><strong>On Skye and Coulson's Relationship</strong><br /><br />Bennett described her relationship with Agent Coulson as a father-daughter relationship, to which Gregg replied:<br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"I'm just grateful I wasn't 'grandfather'." -Clark Gregg on <a href="https://twitter.com/ChloeBennet4">@ChloeBennet4</a>'s describing their father/daughter relationship <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/447847451601272832">March 23, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><strong>On Felicia Day Possibly Guest Starring</strong><br /><br />Given Day's past Whedonverse credentials (and her natural chemistry with cast members), a fan asked the likelihood of her guest starring. We may want to keep an eye out for Felicia Day on <em>Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.</em> in the future as fans were told that "Felicia is always on our minds..."<br /><br />Hope you enjoy this re-cap! We're looking forward to hearing fan reactions on the upcoming new episode and are excited about the seven new episodes we'll be getting! <br /><br /><em>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</em>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-91834597811584937542014-03-22T14:50:00.000-07:002014-03-27T12:04:56.649-07:00Re-Cap Paleyfest 2014: Sleepy Hollow <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OWhAk98fd8E/Uy4HzyUm1cI/AAAAAAAAB5U/sTQ8TLb5E5s/s1600/sleepy-hollow-fox.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt=""Don't Lose Your Head" - Sleepy Hollow Promo Poster" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OWhAk98fd8E/Uy4HzyUm1cI/AAAAAAAAB5U/sTQ8TLb5E5s/s1600/sleepy-hollow-fox.jpg" height="320" title=""Don't Lose Your Head" - Sleepy Hollow Promo Poster" width="214" /></a></div>I was fortunate enough to be in the audience on Wednesday, March 19th's <a href="http://mediaorigin.paleycenter.org/paleyfest-2014-lineup/" target="_blank">Paleyfest</a> for my new favorite television show, <em>Sleepy Hollow</em>. It's one of those shows that is brilliantly written - funny while still keeping you on the edge of your seat with its twists and turns - and supported by an amazingly talented and diverse cast. But if you're reading this, I probably don't have to convince you that.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a>At the start of the program, we saw a recap of the finale revealing moments of the show. I won't spoilt them if you haven't watched them yet, but the show's first season definitely ended on some nail-biting moments for all the characters. This led into a great conversation between cast and producers with Sandra Gonzalez from Entertainment Weekly moderating. <br /><br />There were many big laughs from comments by the cast members on the show. <br /><br />On the show's dynamics itself: <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"The supernatural is a backdrop for what's going on between - betwixt - these people." -John Cho <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SleepyHollow&src=hash">#SleepyHollow</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/446477340235661312">March 20, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />On Tom Mison learning about fans who "ship" Ichabbie. <br /><br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"I'd never heard of 'shipping'..." -Tom Mison on <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23ichabbie&src=hash">#ichabbie</a> at <a href="https://twitter.com/SleepyHollowFOX">@SleepyHollowFOX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a> panel <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SleepyHollow&src=hash">#SleepyHollow</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/446478339318894592">March 20, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />On John Cho's make-up work for the show, compared to Zachary Quinto's make-up work on <em>Star Trek</em>: <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"Zach Quinto spent longer in his chair to put ears on - and it's just ears." -John Cho on his 2-3 hour make-up for <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SleepyHollow&src=hash">#SleepyHollow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/446480737089241088">March 20, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />On the success of the show: <br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"It's surprising because you work just as hard on shows that people hate." -<a href="https://twitter.com/TheOrlandoJones">@TheOrlandoJones</a> on the success of <a href="https://twitter.com/SleepyHollowFOX">@SleepyHollowFOX</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Paleyfest&src=hash">#Paleyfest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/446484145200308226">March 20, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>On the writing and production of the show:<br /><blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en">"My grandma was saying 'I had to close my eyes!' I was like 'Awesome!!'" -<a href="https://twitter.com/LyndieGreenwood">@LyndieGreenwood</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23SleepyHollow&src=hash">#SleepyHollow</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23PaleyFest&src=hash">#PaleyFest</a><br />— experiencela (@experiencela) <a href="https://twitter.com/experiencela/statuses/446489319834796033">March 20, 2014</a></blockquote><script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br />The diversity of <em>Sleepy Hollow</em> cast has been one of the most lauded parts of the show. During a fan Q/A period, this was brought up and met by huge applaud and recognition for both the diversity in the cast of the show as well as those behind-the-scenes. <br /><br />At some point, even the Headless Horseman couldn't resist making his arrival - although there was more to be said about his exit. <br /><br /><iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="464" scrolling="no" src="//instagram.com/p/lv65d1v8pH/embed/" width="400"></iframe><br />We love Paleyfest because it gives TV fans the inside scoop on their favorite shows! If you can't make it out to the event or are just not in Los Angeles, you can experience the <a href="http://media.paleycenter.org/paleyfest-live-stream/" target="_blank">PaleyFest Live Stream</a> on your computer/device or watch it through one of their mobile applications. <br /><br /><em>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</em><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-30713787626048450232014-03-15T17:27:00.001-07:002014-03-18T12:24:02.715-07:00Emmylou Harris Again Teams with Vince Gill to Raise Funds for Country Music All for the Hall at Club Nokia<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="334" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" src="https://www.flickr.com/photos/experiencela/13177655865/player/" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="500"></iframe> <br />Back in September 2011, I wrote about how AEG LIVE in partnership with <a href="http://countrymusichalloffame.org/">Nashville's Country Music Hall of Fame</a>, and under the leadership of <a href="http://www.vincegill.com/wired/">Vince Gill</a>, organized a fundraiser at Club Nokia, as a "guitar pull' branded as All for the Hall. It returned to LA Live on March 4, 2014, again with Vince Gill bringing long-time friend <a href="http://www.emmylouharris.com/">Emmylou Harris</a>, and this time inviting <a href="https://www.heart-music.com/">Ann and Nancy Wilson (the sisters of Heart)</a> and <a href="http://jasonmraz.com/">Jason Mraz</a>, along with a surprise performance by <a href="http://www.hollywilliams.com/">Holly William</a>s, while also introducing rising Country star <a href="http://camcountry.com/">Camaron "Cam" Och</a>s. Prior to the fundraising concert were dinner and cocktails for those buying tables for either $10,000 or $25,000 on the Club Nokia floor, and also individual floor tickets for $1,000. In addition, two floors of upstairs reserved seating were available with tickets ranging from $50 to $125 that were filled to capacity., I had the chance to again interview Vince Gill and Emmy Lou Harris, and to also interview for the first time fundraising host <a href="http://www.ritawilson.com/">Rita Wilson</a> and guest artist Holly Williams (singing in the next picture). Each of the artists contributed their time in this seventh version of the All for the Hall fundraiser that has an objective now of raising operating reserve funds for a greatly expanded Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville, and <a href="https://workingonabuilding.org/">contributions are always appreciated..</a> <br /><br /><a name='more'></a><a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/2011/09/vince-gills-all-for-hall-fundraising.html">In the prior All for the Hall ExperienceLA blog post</a>, I mentioned that I was working on a follow-up article with a focus on Emmylou Harris for posting in October 2011. I had all my notes prepared for that effort, but unfortunately my attention turned to other pressing matters, that have been referenced in other ExperienceLA blog posts. Thus, here is my chance to make use of my 2011 Emmylou notes, and my first ever video recorded interview, that I have uploaded to YouTube. Please understand that this video recorded interview was a first for me, and also for my camera person, and we were using my Sony HD hand-held video camera. Plus, I am indebted to the Fox News camera person who provided much needed lighting for this interview.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/1fUChOwn4oQ" width="560"></iframe><br /><br /> Back in 2011, Emmylou discussed that she was getting back into the recording studio with her long-time friend and songwriter, Rodney Crowell, who was part of her back-up band (the Hot Band) playing rhythm guitar back in 1975. The result was the 2013 release "Old Yellow Moon" with many of the songs written by Rodney Crowell and several featuring Vince Gill on a Gut-String Guitar. When the CD was released, I immediately bought it (yes I date myself in still buying CDs and not as downloaded digital music). The album won the 2014 Grammy for best Americana album and is a delight for listening, and recalls to mind that Emmylou Harris started out as a singer who wanted to emulate Joan Baez, but became entranced by the magic of George Jones (who passed away in 2013), which opened her eyes to country music. As I discussed in my 2011 blog post, Emmylou Harris' big break was joining Gram Parsons in 1972 to perform and record some of the most beautiful harmonies in country music, until his tragic death in 1973. Emmylou then launched her own solo career, where I heard her perform shortly thereafter at a Cal State University Long Beach outdoor music festival with The Angel Band in spring 1974, shortly after being signed by Reprise Records, and before she had even gone into the studio to record Pieces of the Sky that was produced by Brian Ahern. To this day, I remember her performance of Boulder to Birmingham, which is on Pieces of the Sky, and it always brings me to tears.<br /><br />When I interviewed Emmylou Harris back in September 2011, she had released earlier that year the album Hard Bargain. In a conversation with Holly McKay of Fox News Pop Tarts, she stated that this album was on the sad side, and as such, as we grow older we begin to experience loss. Ironically, two months later I experienced my own major loss. Emmylou went on to discuss how song writing gives her a chance to clear out her thoughts and provide inspiration for new songs. I remember when Red Dirt Girl came out in 2000, it was an album centered on her own songwriting, as much of her career has been showcasing the very best of country song writing, including performing many of the songs, she learned from Gram Parsons.<br /><br />With the 2014 All for the Hall fundraiser falling on Mardi Gras Day, Fat Tuesday, I took the opportunity to ask my four interviewees as to their favorite Louisiana Cajun or Zydeco band or New Orleans jazz band, or whether they have played or attended the <a href="http://www.nojazzfest.com/">New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival</a> commonly known as Jazz Fest. Here are excerpts from each of these interviews:<br /><br />Holly Williams: In my early 20's, I dated a guy in New Orleans and used to visit all of the time for Mardi Gras before Katrina. New Orleans is now my favorite city for food and music, and on my last visit when I played Jazz Fest, I do remember hearing <a href="http://www.preservationhalljazzband.com/">Preservation Hall Jazz Band</a>.<br /><br />Rita Wilson: Do the <a href="http://www.nevilles.com/">Neville Brothers</a> count?<br /><br />Emmylou Harris: I love <a href="http://www.savoymusiccenter.com/">Marc Savoy</a> with his traditional cajun music and especially the accordion. However my band makes fun of me. But I have a great keyboard player who also plays accordion, and you can find the accordion on quite a few of my albums. I did play Jazz Fest several years ago, and I had John Goodman sit in with me playing the bass.<br /><br />Vince Gill: <a href="http://www.sonnylandreth.com/">Sonny Landreth</a> from Lafayette, Louisiana. One of my favorite guitar players I have ever heard. I played on his album. We are great friends, and we played together on the Eric Clapton Crossroads show four times over the last ten years.<br /><br />That was fun asking these performers as to their knowledge of Louisiana music, even learning about Sonny Landreth, and I have seen Marc Savoy perform several times, and here is a<a href="http://youtu.be/wLJgOL3EyBU"> link to a Savoy Family Band performance</a> with Marc on accordion that I recorded at the 2012 <a href="http://www.festivalsacadiens.com/">Acadiens et Creoles Festivals</a> of the Savoy Family Band. And for those going to the sold out California Country Music Festival <a href="http://www.stagecoachfestival.com/">Stagecoach 2014</a>, watch for Holly Williams on the Mane Stage. Plus, if AEG and Golden Voice are reading this blog post, Vince Gill would love to have the opportunity to play at Stagecoach and Jazz Fest one of these years.<br /><br />And in closing, here is my recorded video interview with the charming Rita Wilson, and followed by an excerpt from her performance of Still Gone, with the ever present clicking of the adjacent high speed photography.<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/ZsdlR19Lqd0" width="560"></iframe> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/vly8mMQxl3U" width="560"></iframe><br /> <a href="http://countrymusichalloffame.org/all-for-the-hall-los-angeles-2014/">For additional details on the 2014 All for the Hall performances, here is a link to a final press release provided by the Country Music Hall of Fame.</a> Finally, here is direct link to <a href="http://flic.kr/s/aHsjUEW2BD">my 2014 All for the Hall photo set on Flickr</a> that can be viewed as a slideshow from within Flickr or if you haven't discovered it already, from the lead blog photo, the Flickr API allow you to now click through all of the Flickr photos right from the blog post, and no longer even having the issue with it not being seen on an Ipad.<br /><br /><br />Curt Gibbshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16252999645856731557noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-7906761846573023772014-03-13T15:34:00.000-07:002014-03-13T15:39:02.765-07:00Review: Truth Values: One Girl's Romp Through M.I.T.'s Male Math Maze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rBunpTrijq8/UyIv5RGkJmI/AAAAAAAAB5E/piyWJn9YOhc/s1600/i_2014_03_12_TruthValuesMIT_150x200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Gioia De Cari in "Truth Values"" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rBunpTrijq8/UyIv5RGkJmI/AAAAAAAAB5E/piyWJn9YOhc/s1600/i_2014_03_12_TruthValuesMIT_150x200.jpg" title="Gioia De Cari in "Truth Values"" /></a></div><p>I had the opportunity last night to see Gioia De Cari perform her auto-biographical one-woman show <em><a href="https://web-app.usc.edu/ecal/custom/113/index.php?category=Item&item=0.903805&active_category=Discussion" target="_blank">Truth Values: One Girl's Romp Through M.I.T.'s Male Math Maze</a></em>. De Cari transforms herself into over 30 characters to tell her own story of being a female mathematics PhD student at M.I.T. Her story is filled with moments of true hilarity, but crosses often and deftly into serious topics of gender inequality, gender bias, and expectations - society's and her own. </p><a name='more'></a>The characters De Cari plays primarily reflect conversations that she had with fellow students and professors, a number of whom made their views on stereotypes and the inferiority of women more than clear. As a married woman, she faced assumptions that her ultimate goals were to have children and, therefore, why was she wasting her time trying to obtain a math PhD? We see her struggle with being able to focus on math - and we find that despite the logic tied to math - being able to focus is not a Boolean value. De Cari talks about not only struggling to find a physical place to fit in, but also of emotional ones where she could accomplish what she wanted to accomplish. De Cari ultimately brings us a rich story, layered by many voices, that ultimately allow her journey and her voice to shine. <br /><br />A project of <a href="http://unexpectedtheatre.org/home.php" target="_blank">Unexpected Theatre</a>, De Cari peforms <em>Truth Values</em> nationally. I recommend keeping an eye out for the next time it is in town as it is a must-see for both its entertainment value and the message it resonates regarding the challenges women in the STEM fields face. De Cari relayed in the performance's Q/A that the story, perhaps, may never have been told except for a statement made in 2005 by Lawrence Summers, then president of Harvard. Summers suggested in an interview that "innate gender differences" can explain why there are less women represented in the sciences than men. Surprising statements like these - yes, there are more than one - are presented throughout De Cari's play, offering stark reminders regarding the struggles women face even when they arrive to the upper echelons of STEM subject matters. While audience members were able to share stories that reflected a somewhat improved situation, there was definitely a lingering sentiment that De Cari's story is one of many and that many problems still persist that make it challenging for girls and women to succeed in STEM fields. <br /><br /><em>Truth Values </em>was a part of <a href="http://www.usc.edu/dept/pubrel/visionsandvoices/" target="_blank">USC Visions & Voices</a>, an Arts and Humanities Initiative that features performances, lectures, exhibitions and more. I highly recommend checking out the events offered through this program as it includes an impressive amount of eclectic events open to the public.<br /><br /><strong><em>Full Disclosure For This Review</em></strong>: While my English Major roots probably wouldn't surprise most people who read my contributions to the ExperienceLA blog, I actually have a strong background in technology as well. I minored in Web Technologies and Applications while at USC where I can vouch for the numeric disparity of gender in almost all of those classes. It was rare when I was the only woman in a class, but being one out of two or three women in a class doesn't make for great numbers either. While I thankfully didn't face the same adversity De Cari faced, knowingly loving a subject and being unable to feel that you're actually seeing a room full of your peers makes for a challenging environment to thrive in, making you unsure of who to reach out to when you stumble. Outside of the classroom and college environment, there were certainly times when I was the only woman in a technology panel or at a meeting to discuss technical projects and I often wondered if I'd be respected on the same levels as everyone else (re: all the other males in the room). Stories like Gioia De Cari's are important to see and hear because these are the stories that break down the barriers - the silence that can gather when you feel like you're alone - revealing the richness of connectivity and familiarity that we might otherwise take for granted.<br /><br />-<em>Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor</em><br /><br /><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-13796773862738856092014-03-06T15:31:00.000-08:002014-03-06T15:32:52.711-08:00LA Events for Women's History Month 2014<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BBTmGY_P3pE/UxkFBYBffNI/AAAAAAAAB40/LhdvE5K04Vc/s1600/We_Can_Do_It!.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Rosie the Riveter - "We Can Do It!"" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-BBTmGY_P3pE/UxkFBYBffNI/AAAAAAAAB40/LhdvE5K04Vc/s1600/We_Can_Do_It!.jpg" height="320" title="Rosie the Riveter - "We Can Do It!"" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><p>March is designated as <a href="http://womenshistorymonth.gov/">Women's History Month</a>! While I'm all for celebrating the accomplishments and rich history of women all year round, I'm very happy that we have a month designated to focus on the theme of women. Here's a selection of events from our calendar that celebrate not only women's history, but also women's stories, accomplishments, and art.</p><a name='more'></a><strong><a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/56472" target="_blank">Cherish the Ladies</a></strong><br /><strong><em>Friday, March 7, 2014 at 8PM</em></strong><br /><em>Beckman Auditorium at Caltech</em><br />Initially winning recognition as the first and only all-women traditional Irish band, this talented group has been lauded for their musical virtuosity and engaging performances.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58954" target="_blank"><strong>True Values: One Girl's Romp Through M.I.T.'s Math Maze</strong></a><br /><strong><em>Wednesday, March 12, 2014 at 7PM</em></strong><br /><em>Grand Ballroom - Ronald Tutor Campus Center, USC</em><br />In 2005, Lawrence Summers, then-president of Harvard University, suggested that women are less represented than men in the sciences because of innate gender differences. <em>Truth Values </em>is writer/performer and recovering mathematician Gioia De Cari's response to this suggestion. She brings to life more than 30 characters in a true tale that offers a humorous, scathing, insightful and ultimately uplifting look at the challenges of being a professional woman in a male-dominated field. <br /><br /><strong>Tea and Morphine: Women in Paris 1880 to 1914</strong><br /><em><strong>Exhibition: Now through May 18, 2014</strong><br />Hammer Museum</em><br />The exhibition <em><a href="http://hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/detail/exhibition_id/245" target="_blank">Tea and Morphine: Women in Paris 1880 to 1914</a></em> features 100 works of art that reflect the how women - and men - lived during this time. The exhibition runs now until May 18, 2014 and includes related events such as <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58915" target="_blank">a curatorial walk-through of the exhibition (March 16th)</a> by Victoria Dailey, independent curator, and Cynthia Burlingham, deputy director, curatorial affairs at the Hammer Museum; a screening of <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58916" target="_blank"><em>La Danse</em> (March 18th)</a> featuring seven ballets by the Paris Opera Ballet; and <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58921" target="_blank">Hammer Lecture: Morphine, Sex, and Freedom at the Fin-De-Siecle (March 25th)</a>, which is exploration of histories of consumerism, feminism, and medicine by author and professor Susan Zieger who examines women’s struggles against discrimination and drug addiction at the fin-de-siècle.<br /><br /><strong>Women's History Month <br />at the California African American Museum</strong><br />CAAM offers The <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58571" target="_blank">Artists Speak Colorful Conversations with visual artist June Edmonds (March 16th)</a> who will discuss her life experiences, influences and her current work. Later in the month, CAAM presents an in-depth discussion with natural hair experts and stylists about the historical framework that has shaped attitudes around hair in the African American community entitled <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58573" target="_blank">Napology: The Psychology of Black Hair (March 23rd)</a>. <br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58156" target="_blank">She Had a Dream</a><em><br />Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 2:00PM</em></strong><br /><em>Allendale Library</em><br />This a program examines the history and legacy of the women's liberation movement with Ellen Snortland, Pasadena Weekly columnist and Huffington Post blogger, co-hosting a screening of the award-winning documentary, "Feminist: Stories from Women's Liberation," covering the seminal years of 1963-1970, by filmmaker Jennifer Lee. Ms. Snortland, Ms. Lee, and special guest Lois Banner, feminist scholar, Professor of History and Gender Studies at USC, and author of "Marilyn: The Passion and the Paradox," an acclaimed biography of Marilyn Monroe, will discuss the impact of a revolution that forever changed American society. <br /><br /><strong><a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58582" target="_blank">Half the Sky: Hear Our Voices</a></strong><br /><strong><em>Saturday, March 22, 2014 at 8PM</em></strong><br /><em>Zipper Concert Hall, Colburn School </em><br />This concert by Vox Femina is the second half of their Half the Sky cycle, inspired by Pulitzer Prize winners Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn's powerful and catalyzing book <em>Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. </em>They will be singing songs that celebrate the courage and strength of women all across the globe. Vox Femina is also offering free concerts featuring selections of their songs from <em>Half the Sky</em> at <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58583" target="_blank">Culver City Community Concert (March 16th)</a> and <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58584" target="_blank">United University Church Community Concert (March 25)</a>.<br /><br /><br /> -<em>Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor</em><br /><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-1848805051110449212014-02-27T13:15:00.000-08:002014-02-27T13:17:54.392-08:00Writing from CA - Exile and Place: Who Gets to Speak for L.A.? <table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RMdYa-RuYKQ/Uw-oqMjQYNI/AAAAAAAAB4k/5Ub7QLoA3ww/s1600/12820772335_dfff57a1bf_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Left-to-Right: Lisa See, Naomi Hirahara, Hector Tobar, Lynell George, and Brighde Mullins at "Exile and Place" in Tales from Two Cities Photo by Gary Leonard" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-RMdYa-RuYKQ/Uw-oqMjQYNI/AAAAAAAAB4k/5Ub7QLoA3ww/s1600/12820772335_dfff57a1bf_z.jpg" height="213" title="Left-to-Right: Lisa See, Naomi Hirahara, Hector Tobar, Lynell George, and Brighde Mullins at "Exile and Place" in Tales from Two Cities Photo by Gary Leonard" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Left-to-Right: Lisa See, Naomi Hirahara, <br />Hector Tobar, Lynell George, and Brighde Mullins<br />at "Exile and Place" in Tales from Two Cities<br />Photo by Gary Leonard</td></tr></tbody></table><p>The second conference of <i>Writing from California: Tales from Two Cities</i> took place at the Central Library in Downtown Los Angeles from February 20-22, 2014 . This two-part conference in Northern and Southern California, offered insight into how writing - poetry, fiction, non-fiction, print and digital - in the state has been influenced by these regions of California.</p><a name='more'></a>I enjoyed being an audience member in this conference, watching the dialogue unfold between writers and the regional focus on each session. One of my favorite panels was <i>Exile and Place: Who Gets to Speak for L.A.?</i> featuring Lisa See, Naomi Hirahara, Lynell George and Hector Tobar in conversation with Brighde Mullins. It's not every day you get to sit down and watch a group of established writers from Los Angeles talk about Los Angeles and how it has influenced their work. As an Angeleno writer, I was especially intrigued with the topics discussed in <i>Exile and Place</i> as the writers went through a thought-provoking discussion on how Los Angeles resonates in their writing.<br /><br />The conversation was dominated by reflections of personal narratives, LA history, and the challenges of writing about the West Coast in an industry often dominated by East Coast thinking and familiarity. Tobar talked about how they've spent their entire careers "writing against the myth" offering the "ghost of streetcar tracks" as a symbol of the rapid change that is always occurring in Los Angeles. <i> </i>He also referred to the isolation of LA, but Hirahara countered this image with examples of deeply rooted communities and the separation that may result in language that causes "parallel worlds". George followed this discussion on cultural influences by describing a black L.A. that is very southern and how southern influences have become a part of an L.A. narrative. See - in reference to the waves of change that have occurred in L.A. - reflected on a "nostalgia for a place and people no longer here" using new vs. old Chinatown as an example. Lynell and See especially touched on the need to capture dialogues and stories that haven't been written down yet or will soon disappear with older generations.<br /><br />You can see the full conversation through fora.tv below:<br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="225" scrolling="no" src="http://fora.tv/embed?id=19701&type=c" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="400"></iframe><br /><a href="http://fora.tv/v/c19701">Exile and Place: Who Gets to Speak for L.A.?</a> from <a href="http://fora.tv/partner/Huntington-USC_Institute_on_California_and_the_West">The Huntington-USC Institute on California and the West</a> on <a href="http://fora.tv/">FORA.tv</a><br /><br />An archive of all videos from the conference are <a href="http://fora.tv/conference/tales_from_two_cities_writing_from_california_la" target="_blank">available on FORA.tv</a>.<br /><br /><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor</i><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-69746104193495580312014-02-20T11:33:00.001-08:002014-02-20T11:37:06.953-08:00ALOUD at Central Library: Love, Mathematics, and the X-Files<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VL7eTwIDGfQ/UwZUa3a-8LI/AAAAAAAAB4U/E2biDoyehNY/s1600/2014-02-1318-59-41D4B_7254+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Edward Frankel and Chris Carter Photo by Gary Leonard" border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VL7eTwIDGfQ/UwZUa3a-8LI/AAAAAAAAB4U/E2biDoyehNY/s1600/2014-02-1318-59-41D4B_7254+(1).jpg" height="320" title="Edward Frankel and Chris Carter Photo by Gary Leonard" width="213" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Edward Frankel and Chris Carter<br />Photo by Gary Leonard</td></tr></tbody></table><p>At first glance, one might wonder what <a href="http://www.lfla.org/event-detail/936/Edward-Frenkel-and-Chris-Carter" target="_blank">Love, Mathematics, and <i>The X-Files</i></a> might have in common. This ALOUD event held on February 13th, 2014 - the day before Valentine's Day of course - isn't your average picture of romance, but perhaps it should be. Taking in the conversation between mathematician and author Edward Frankel and <i>The X-Files </i>creator Chris Carter (who also recently launched the excellent pilot <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/feature.html?docId=1001155581" target="_blank"><i>The After</i> on Amazon Pilot Season</a>), it was easy to understand the deep mystery of math and in its importance in our everyday lives. </p><a name='more'></a><br />Edward Frenkel recently published <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Love-Math-Heart-Hidden-Reality/dp/0465050743" target="_blank"><i>Love & Math: The Heart of Hidden Reality</i></a>, a book that discusses the wonders of how math exists across cultures, time, and space as well as telling his own journey of becoming a mathematician. The book begins with the phrase "There's a secret world out there" (p. 1). Those familiar with <i>The X-Files</i> franchise might align that statement with the iconic phrase from the series: "The truth is out there."<br /><br />Supporting connections to the television show, during Frenkel's presentation he offers that "we should approach math like <i>The X-Files</i>." He argues that we shouldn't be satisfied by what we know, that we should "waken to [math's] hidden reality." One of the major statements he makes is how no one owns math - it can't be patented - and that we should advocate for children to have "the right to bear mathematical arms." During his conversation with Chris Carter, Frenkel often emphasized that what we teach in our classrooms is limited to a small segment of math - that we don't teach the concepts that might entice students to further their studies in math and understand its relevance. Building on his ideas of education, Frenkel argues that the "kids are ready" because "no one [has] told them yet what they can't or cannot be." He situates the problem in the adults, who need to change because "it's the adults who decide on the curriculum." <br /><br />I'm sure people are no strangers to the phrase "when am I going to use this?" attached to math classes. But Frankel shows how math is everywhere - in the very details of what makes our world go round...both literally and figuratively. It's in our economics, our physics, our digital data and security. Our current, general understanding of math, he argues, is limited - it's like teaching an art class where all you learn is how to paint a fence. <br /><br />Throughout the evening, Carter and Frenkel approached a number of topics related to math. It was an easy conversation where questions approached heavy-hitting topics as well as amusing ones. Regarding God and nature in math, Frenkel supports the space for spirituality in math, citing Einstein's observation of how learning the laws of nature enabled you to feel that spirit. Resonating the mystery of math, when Carter asked whether math lives in nature, Frenkel offers that it "lives somewhere." <br /> <br />Maybe it's because I've always been more Mulder than Scully, but I came away from this event believing in math's importance and mystery, seeing it as a subject worth endless pursuits. And - in the end - isn't that what love is all about?<br /><br />-<i>Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor</i><br /><br /><i> </i><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-33978207637704298222014-02-13T14:37:00.001-08:002014-02-13T22:28:17.713-08:00#TchaikItOut at Walt Disney Concert Hall <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pUU1KRCYXpk/Uvwvl6MNUHI/AAAAAAAAB4A/blhWiSaz5WM/s1600/image001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pUU1KRCYXpk/Uvwvl6MNUHI/AAAAAAAAB4A/blhWiSaz5WM/s1600/image001.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></div><p>Experience Tchaikovsky with the LA Phil and the incredible musicians of the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra of Venezuela conducted by Gustavo Dudamel. TchaikovskyFest at Walt Disney Concert Hall offers concert experiences that feature Tchaikovsky's symphonies and more!</p><a name='more'></a>TchaikovskyFest concerts will be occurring Feb 20-Mar 2, 2014 and will include<br /><ul><li><b>Thurs FEB 20 </b>– <a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-chamber-music-society/2014-02-20?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=chamberfeb1314" target="_blank">Chamber Music Society</a></li><li><b><span data-term="goog_686536963" tabindex="0">Sat FEB 22</span>, <span data-term="goog_686536964" tabindex="0">Sat MAR 1</span></b> -<br /><a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-toyota-symphonies-for-youth-tchaikovsky039s-world/2014-02-22?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=tchaikovskysworld" target="_blank">TCHAIKOVSKYFEST: Toyota Symphonies For Youth: Tchaikovsky's</a></li><li><b><span data-term="goog_686536965" tabindex="0">Fri FEB 21</span>, <span data-term="goog_686536966" tabindex="0">Sat FEB 22 & Sun FEB 23</span> </b>-<b> </b><a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-symphonies-1-amp-6/2014-02-21?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=symp16" target="_blank">Symphonies 1 & 6</a></li><li><b>Fri FEB 21</b> - <a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-violin-concerto-amp-symphony-no-2/2014-02-21?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=symp2" target="_blank">Violin Concerto & Symphony No. 2</a></li><li><b>Mon <span data-term="goog_686536968" tabindex="0">FEB 24</span></b> - <a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-symphonies-3-amp-4/2014-02-24?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=symp34" target="_blank">Symphonies 3 & 4</a></li><li><b>Wed <span data-term="goog_686536969" tabindex="0">FEB 26</span></b> – <a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-shakespeare/2014-02-26?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=shakespeare" target="_blank">Shakespeare Fantasy</a></li><li><b><span data-term="goog_686536970" tabindex="0">Thurs FEB 27</span>, <span data-term="goog_686536971" tabindex="0">Fri FEB 28 & Sat MAR 1</span></b> - <a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-symphony-no-5/2014-02-27?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=symp5" target="_blank">Symphony No. 5</a></li><li><b>Sun <span data-term="goog_686536972" tabindex="0">MAR 2</span></b> - <a href="http://www.laphil.com/tickets/tchaikovskyfest-finale/2014-03-02?utm_source=all&atm_campaign=tchaifinale" target="_blank">TchaikovskyFest Finale</a></li></ul>In addition to the concerts, you can share your excitement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram by tagging photos and other posts with the hashtag <b>#TchaikItOut</b>.<br /><br />We hope you TchaikItOut! <br /><br /><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor </i>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-91308198463600557232014-02-06T12:19:00.003-08:002014-02-06T12:19:34.847-08:00dineLA at Badmaash<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ykEEkSP07GU/UvPl5l8e84I/AAAAAAAAB3Q/jp9j9wz-lZA/s1600/Photo+Jan+31,+8+31+37+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ykEEkSP07GU/UvPl5l8e84I/AAAAAAAAB3Q/jp9j9wz-lZA/s1600/Photo+Jan+31,+8+31+37+PM.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">dineLA Winter 2014 Menu at Badmaash</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hoping to not let <a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/2014/01/dinela-2014.html" target="_blank">dineLA completely pass us by</a>, my friends and I decided to check out <a href="http://badmaashla.com/" target="_blank">Badmaash - an Indian Gastropub</a> - on the last day of LA's Restaurant Week. As we were all fairly central to Downtown, I hopped on the Red Line and - true to the spirit of Downtown L.A. - we all walked to the restaurant. Grabbing a pre-dinner drink at nearby <a href="http://www.edisondowntown.com/" target="_blank">Edison</a>, we then settled in at Badmaash to explore their dineLA menu.</p><a name='more'></a><br />While my friends enjoyed the more meat-friendly options, I went the vegetarian route:<br /><ul><li>Traditional Samosas: masala potato and peas with cumin, coriander seeds, and ginger</li><li>Good Ol' Saag Paneer: baby ginger sauteed with tomato, onion, and Indian paneer cheese</li><li>Parle-G Ice Cream Sandwich: India's favorite biscuit with vanilla bean ice cream</li></ul> Photos below.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ScoUKRm7Leo/UvPtJcm0CSI/AAAAAAAAB3k/ZwJBVk1jnkk/s1600/samosa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ScoUKRm7Leo/UvPtJcm0CSI/AAAAAAAAB3k/ZwJBVk1jnkk/s1600/samosa.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badmaash LA - Traditional Samosas</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U-_yyNi2Gg4/UvPtJePctAI/AAAAAAAAB3w/gwWncWHMpug/s1600/paneer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-U-_yyNi2Gg4/UvPtJePctAI/AAAAAAAAB3w/gwWncWHMpug/s1600/paneer.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Badmaash LA - Saag Paneer</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVdWRdm9l54/UvPtIsJ3QDI/AAAAAAAAB3g/1Agw93GKWgU/s1600/icecream.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lVdWRdm9l54/UvPtIsJ3QDI/AAAAAAAAB3g/1Agw93GKWgU/s1600/icecream.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Parle-G Ice Cream Sandwich</td></tr></tbody></table>If you can't tell from the descriptions and the photos, it was a truly delicious outing. We all agreed that there would definitely be many a return visit to check out the rest of the menu. What I like best about dineLA is that it not only asks you to try out new restaurants, but also offers you the opportunity to try a number of items on a menu that you might not otherwise consider. <br /><i><br /></i><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor </i>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-91029738497042108272014-01-30T12:41:00.002-08:002014-01-30T12:56:02.379-08:00Editorial: Experiencing LA for My Birthday<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kg_sLn-1aE/Uuq1XCz-3pI/AAAAAAAAB2o/QEfkYo9EDms/s1600/lacmatix.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Free Day Tickets for LACMA" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6Kg_sLn-1aE/Uuq1XCz-3pI/AAAAAAAAB2o/QEfkYo9EDms/s1600/lacmatix.jpg" height="200" title="Free Day Tickets for LACMA" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Free Day Tickets at LACMA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSWrz0cifDY/Uuq1exvGdpI/AAAAAAAAB3A/PiV8ZU7-j4M/s1600/Photo+Jan+25,+2+14+35+PM+(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="LACMA - Urban Lights by Chris Burden" border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-kSWrz0cifDY/Uuq1exvGdpI/AAAAAAAAB3A/PiV8ZU7-j4M/s1600/Photo+Jan+25,+2+14+35+PM+(1).jpg" height="200" title="LACMA - Urban Lights by Chris Burden" width="200" /></a><p>This year the stars aligned and my birthday turned out to be the same day as the <a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/2014/01/museums-free-for-all-2014.html">Museums Free-For-All</a>. I took it as a sign that the best way to experience my birthday this year was going to one of my favorite places - <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/destinations/841" target="_blank">Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)</a> - with some of my favorite people. Given the museum's location near Fairfax/Wilshire, I was also inspired to add in one of my favorite eateries to the itinerary - <a href="http://www.cantersdeli.com/" target="_blank">Canter's Deli</a>!</p><a name='more'></a>LACMA was wonderfully crowded with a line of food trucks on Wilshire to match the crowd of people. Convenient to the Metro 720 Rapid, I bypassed car and parking issues and even ran into one of my friends on the same bus. (Apologies to my friends who had to drive around and wait for parking. I appreciate you seeing through traffic troubles for my special day!).<br /><br />We began with the obligatory pictures - by the Urban Lights (Chris Burden) and Levitated Mass (Michael Heizer) - and then followed this up by wandering through the museum's many exhibits. I had a number of friends with me, but we managed to navigate through a number of sections of the current exhibitions and the permanent collection. The best thing about museums is that even with a crowd you can still manage some "me" time to take in the art. What I like best about LACMA is not only the diversity of its collection, but how these pieces can inspire and let you lose yourself in time. Given the amount of people at LACMA that day, this also meant some time finding people too, but that was also part of the fun. <br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ofhICF78yA/Uuq1YHPI0RI/AAAAAAAAB28/qJ0KTWk61sg/s1600/veggiereuben.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Veggie Reuben at Canter's Deli" border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3ofhICF78yA/Uuq1YHPI0RI/AAAAAAAAB28/qJ0KTWk61sg/s1600/veggiereuben.jpg" height="200" title="Veggie Reuben at Canter's Deli" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Veggie Reuben at Canter's Deli</td></tr></tbody></table><br />After several hours at the museum (re: lose yourself in time), we said good-bye to some and headed off to Canter's to meet others for dinner. The Canter's staff was great with our large group. I had called several hours ahead with a reservation and the table was ready even when we got there a little early. Having gone vegetarian in the last couple years, I miss having my favorite Canter's staples of pastrami and matzo. But the menu is rather vegetarian-friendly and I immediately selected the delicious veggie reuben while everyone else was overwhelmed by the menu. For my birthday, I was surprised by one of my favorite Canter's bakery items - a black and white cookie - complete with a boisterous rendition of "Happy Birthday" and restaurant applause (see <a href="http://instagram.com/p/jn90lPPCPR/" target="_blank">Instagram video</a>).<br /><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lrv1WKbIb9E/Uuq1XOTF8yI/AAAAAAAAB24/d41oY_rosgc/s1600/blackwhitebdaycookie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Black and White Cookie "Birthday Cake"" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Lrv1WKbIb9E/Uuq1XOTF8yI/AAAAAAAAB24/d41oY_rosgc/s1600/blackwhitebdaycookie.jpg" height="200" title="Black and White Cookie "Birthday Cake"" width="200" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Black and White Cookie <br />"Birthday Cake"</td></tr></tbody></table>As it turns out, I had friends that had never been to LACMA or Canter's before, so it was pretty wonderful to share these places with them and gain new memories with them. I'm not sure if there's such a thing as a perfect birthday, but - having had so many of my favorite things in one day - I can't help but think my Saturday came pretty darn close.<br /><br />Here's to more LA adventures this year and more to share with you all.<br /><br /><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor</i> <br /><br /><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-75331866413326831582014-01-23T13:16:00.001-08:002014-01-23T13:16:50.381-08:00dineLA: Jan 20-31, 2014<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZLMm4Jtvm4/UuGF0S6MzHI/AAAAAAAAB2U/nO_Pa9oa_9k/s1600/dineLA2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-MZLMm4Jtvm4/UuGF0S6MzHI/AAAAAAAAB2U/nO_Pa9oa_9k/s1600/dineLA2.jpg" height="200" width="199" /></a></div><p>While you discover new and favorite museums at <a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/2014/01/museums-free-for-all-2014.html" target="_blank">this Saturday's Museums-Free-For-All</a>, you should also make plans to experience new and favorite restaurants with <a href="http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week" target="_blank">DineLA - Restaurant Week</a> which began on January 20th and runs through January 31st. </p><a name='more'></a>DineLA features the diversity of LA's culinary experiences and offers locals and visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy a selection of specially priced prix-fixe lunch and dinner menus from over 300 restaurants.<br /><br />For a complete list of participating restaurants and their menus, including easy ways to sort by location, cost, and food type, <a href="http://www.discoverlosangeles.com/dinela-los-angeles-restaurant-week" target="_blank">visit the dineLA website</a>!<br /><br />Happy eating!<br /><br /><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA.com Editor </i><br />experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-20798796.post-31306810040757492672014-01-15T16:33:00.000-08:002014-01-15T16:40:15.854-08:00This Weekend: L.A. Times Travel Show (Jan 18th & 19th) <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmIGR8XPyFY/UtclHHf9aPI/AAAAAAAAB1w/GW4T5yo7Mrg/s1600/lattravelshow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Los Angeles times Travel Show" border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pmIGR8XPyFY/UtclHHf9aPI/AAAAAAAAB1w/GW4T5yo7Mrg/s1600/lattravelshow.jpg" title="Los Angeles times Travel Show" /></a></div>This weekend the <a href="http://www.experiencela.com/calendar/event/58203" target="_blank">16th Annual L.A. Times Travel Show </a>arrives at the Los Angeles Convention Center on Jan 18th and Jan 19th. Whether you're a regular traveler or just looking to travel more, this is the perfect event to gain insight and ideas. A number of the show's taglines tell you all the reasons you should travel more:<br /><br /><ul><li>"No one ever wishes they traveled less."</li><li>"A touch screen is no substitute for touch."</li></ul>The travel trade show also offers guest speakers, including some famous headliners and many well-known travel authors. Headliners this year include Henry Rollins, Alyssa Milano, Adam Richman, and Arthur Frommer. Many exhibitors will also be on-hand to provide show-only specials and trip giveaways - it's also the perfect opportunity to talk directly with experts in the industry about destinations around the world.<br /><br /><a name='more'></a><br />Tickets are $10 per person and kids 16 and under are free with one paid adult. Discounts are also available. L.A. Times Members receive a 50% discount. Tap card holders, Metro employees, and L.A. County employees receive $3 off admission. To learn more, visit the <a href="http://events.latimes.com/travelshow/" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times Travel Show site</a>. <br /><br />Make sure to keep an eye on our <a href="http://www.twitter.com/experiencela" target="_blank">ExperienceLA Twitter </a>as blogger Curt Gibbs explores this year's travel show. If you need a few more reasons to attend, check out his<a href="http://xlablog.blogspot.com/2013/02/la-times-travel-show-at-la-convention.html" target="_blank"> 2013 post on last year's event</a>.<br /><br /><i>-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Editor </i>experiencelanoreply@blogger.com0