Grimes Concert @ LA's Shrine 04-21-2016

FOR ALL AGES

I attended Grimes's sold out concert at L.A.'s Shrine Auditorium on 04-21-2016. The capacity of the place is over 6000. My quick count counted around 7000 so that was close.

I was lucky to catch the concert standing at the balcony corner which was pretty close to the stage. Being tall, I was able to see over the people in front of me. But that security guard guarding the VIP area next to the pole and curtain blocked 1/3rd of my left view of the stage as she leaned to look down during the majority of the concert.

RIGHT CLICK AND OPEN IN NEW TAB TO GET THE FULL SIZE PICTURE

What struck me was just how clean the stage was. No wires, no feedback speakers, etc.


Now this really caught me off guard! There was a 5th grader standing in front of me at the concert! It was an all age admitted concert! I spoke to her dad and he told me she was a really Grimes big fan and that she had dragged him there. I saw even a younger child on the balcony to my right when the dad mentioned to me there's even a younger child than his daughter attending.


When I saw the other side had less people, I walked over there. But alas, I was told halfway on that side that it was a VIP area.


Even though the show was sold out, I thought the balcony could still hold 500 more people. Here's a look at the balcony towards the rear. I NOW notice people posing for my shot LOL.


On Youtube, videos of her concert feature a lot of flashing lights and LEDs. I didn't notice so many from my angle. They were probably all pointed forward. Also, I was out of the direction of the assault of the speakers. (I think concerts are too loud). I brought along earplugs to tame the noise of I had to. I put them in 1/4 of the way into my ears since it wasn't that loud. When I walked the middle part of the balcony facing straight forward tot he stage I noticed it was much louder.


Here's more pics:

Gracie and Rachel - LA - Hollywood 03-11-2016

The MATTRESS IS FREEEEEEEEEEEEEE

What's better than FREE? Practically nothing. Gracie and Rachel will be playing in Hollywood Los Angeles on 3/11 Friday (tomorrow).

It will be Gracie on the keyboard, Rachel on the violin, and Garrett on the drums. They are all excellent instrument players!

I went to go see them this past Saturday at th Bootleg Theatre and I walked away with a few pics:

Gracie and Rachel @ The Federal Bar, LA - 12-13-2015 11am

TIPTOE IN THE BEER GARDEN

Join Gracie and Rachel at The Federal Bar, North Hollywood, Los Angeles on Sunday 12-13-2015 starting at 11am. Not sure exactly when Gracie and Rachel will start playing during the afternoon - There will be other musicians playing too. I'll be there!

Full address is:
5303 Lankershim Blvd
North Hollywood, CA 91601

Free street parking on Sunday. Perhaps the lot behind the bar is free too.

Here's Gracie and Rachel on Audiotree on 11-12-2015. They're selling the performance for $5.99, so buy it to listen in the car :).
[Youtube] G&R - Audiotree


Watch for that tree in the back! It was windy and cold.
[Persicope] Grace and Rachel on top of Hollywood Hotel 12-11-2015

PS: The Zella Day concert at The Fonda Theatre was fantastic! I am not just saying that. She is a great performer and has a great voice. Her stage was lighted so you could see her. She has an outwardly personality similar to Katy Perry's. Amazingly, she's only 20 years old!

Oh, and paying at the box office an hour before the show with cash avoids the AXS fee so I paid $20 for the ticket instead of $27.50. This strategy works great only if the concert does not sell out.

That extra $7.50 went towards a $10 Zella Day CD. And that is how you do it.

I also learned to look at your phone for the time and determine how many hours you need to put on the parking meter until you no longer have to for the day. I got there a bit past 7pm and I no longer had to feed the parking meter after 8pm for Tuesday. So I should've put in 1 hour which would've been $2. But when I slid the credit card it it automatically added 2 hours to my credit card. Well it gave me 5 seconds to make a correction, and by the time I pulled out my phone to look at the time to do the calculations, it was too late. The meter had charged my credit card $4 and I lost $2.
frown emoticon

Next time.. Next time I'll set that parking meter straight!

Zella Day @ The Fonda Theate, LA - 12-08-2015

Ok who's going?

Zella Day at The Fonda Theatre on 12-08-2015. Show starts 8:30pm!

I'll probably go. Going to go stop by Origami Vinyl and get a ticket to avoid the AXS fees before 5pm. Will know the details tomorrow and see if I can make it by 5pm. Otherwise, I'll buy at the box office. Chow!

[Youtube] Zella Day LIVE performance SXSW

Zella Day: Hypnotic & Meg Myers concert @ the El Rey 11-17-2015

Here's Zella Day's live performance of Hypnotic.
[Youube] Zella Day - Hypnotic - Live


Check out Zella Day's music video Hypnotic!

And.. I'll be going to go see Meg Myers at her concert at the El Rey Theatre in LA, tomorrow, Tuesday, Nov 17 2015. It looks like tickets are still available for $20 from the El Rey Store.


Over and out for now...

My trip to Downtown LA and Elliphant

APRIL 8, 2015

George videoed our day in Downtown LA for his Youtube channel.

We started out by eating at the Grand Central Market where I had an EggSlut muffin with eggs and bacon and they had Asian good. Jim, visiting from Chicago, and recently from a 6 year residence in Thailand, mentioned it was the best Thai food he had during his visit to California.

Next we joined a historic tour of Downtown LA (showed Neel, the tour guide, the cost of the Groupon and he agreed to be paid directly). We walked past the Los Angeles Times, City Hall, the police building. We visited buildings recently remodeled for retail, restaurants, residential, and office space. Neel mentioned the space for homeless to freely camp was shrinking and agreements with the ACLU (who are they to speak for the homeless?) will allow the areas that are gentrifying to further ban the homeless from loitering and camping in the near future, as they have done in the recent past.

We visited or walked by what were best in class destinations - Bullocks, the busiest store in the world, the busiest intersection in the world, new glamorous movie theaters built by movie stars to premiere their moves (most theaters are now closed for private parties and one converted to a jewelry bazaar). We went thru the jewelry district, today, the second biggest in terms of # of shops in the world, the financial/banking district, some newly converted commercial areas like arcades, and the Hill, where before WW2, the richest people lived, who then moved to the suburbs, leaving he area desolate. Their homes would later be sold for large skyscraper development into the skyscape you see today. All those skyscrapers are really on one street.

I came out with the impression that living in Downtown LA would age a person quickly due to the sheer number of people, noise, traffic, crime, and chaos. The place kind of hurt (wasn't 100% comfortable) like a 3rd world country.

The biggest lesson to learn from the tour was how things change and how quickly they change. One day you have the best in class of something and which is valuable and coveted. In a decade or two, it becomes abandoned and worthless. Ahhhhh, things are always in change ans flux...

After the tour we ate the tasting menu at Portofino Cucina Italiana. Lot of good food and the Amazon Local voucher really helped cut down on the cost. The owner was the waiter.

Then the highlight of the day. Elliphant on top the Standard hotel singing for about an hour! It was an outrageously good and enjoyable performance.

Here are some videos of the day:

I'm the guy in the red shirt and gray pants!
[Youtube] Downtown LA - Grand Central Market + food + the Standard hotel


I'm the guy bringing up the the system.
[Youtube] The dish of the day - Discussion


Other videos of Elliphant:
[Youtube] Elliphant - Never Been in Love


Performance of Elliphant starts in the middle of the video:
[Youtube] Elliphant - Downtown LA 04-08-2015

Elliphant - Downtown Los Angeles - April 8 2015

ALL NOT NOTHING

Here's your chance to see Elliphant (FOR FREE, no cover charge) in Downtown Los Angeles 8pm to 1am at the Standard Hotel, at the Rooftop Cafe, on top of the building.

To see her, you'll have to email a RSVP to DowntownLARSVP@StandardHotels.com and mention Elliphant April 8 on the rooftop.

Use ParkWhiz.com to find cheap parking nearby. Otherwise it's $20 for parking at the Standard.

Want to join us to hang out early Downtown LA or for an early dinner? Email me mitesh.damania@gmail.com

Hope to see you there!

PS: If you miss her in LA, Elliphant will be performing in Palm springs on Thursday.

Best album in 2015 so far. Check it out!

[Youtube playlist] Elliphant - One More (Album)

Big Cities Limit Conscienceness

Holy smokes! This has become Lorde central! I recently found the Million Dollar Bills remix and just today I located Lorde on Live with Letterman 11-12-13.

And yes, a handful people unsubscribed when I started hammering out those Katy Perry songs and a few more unsubscribed when I started covering Lorde. Oh well.

Satellite picture of Los Angeles and cancerous tissue:


Anyways, I want to cover a suspicion I've had. Well it's an experience since I am living in it. That is.. big cities and the damage that they do.

I believe individuals are born to see greenery and be closer to nature. And there needs to be space created by lower density. There's so much land but people live on top of each other and next to each other like sardines, all because of that higher paying job. Urban and suburban areas are artificial creations with artificial vegetation, concrete, and structures mixed in.

Big cities are fast and noisy. But that's just a cover story. Big cities attract anonymous people who like staying anonymous. This is open invitation to criminals and psychopaths. There's less interaction with neighbors. It's difficult to get close to people. There's just too many anti-social elements to overcome. Maybe big cities are the cause of anti-social behavior? The people are more selfish and self centered and they produce noise like kitchen pans clanging that force one's attention towards them. One is left with a poorer concentration. Relationships just cannot be fully formed. This produces a desolate atmosphere where the person is lost, confused, saddened, and depressed. It creates an ambiance that limits the potential of the soul and mind.

In the big city, a person is a number to the employer. There's no loyalty or caring between the employer and employee. Ans worse yet, there's the people that work there. Voluntarily stuck in a hamster wheel, there's not even a minute to get off to value a relationship. If a person can't be used, they can't be talked to. Money, cheap thrills, tv, and gadgets garner attention instead.

Whereas in smaller cities, an individual counts. Everyone knows everyone. There's an interface with other people. The character of an individual can be found out easily. The antisocial character is exposed. Furthermore, in relationships there's sharing. There's give and take. There's caring and bonding which form full relationships. The experience of valued relationships is fulfilling and it soothes the soul and expands the conscience. There's potential in every direction.

Then there is nature. Fewer people per square mile creates breathing room. The air is fresher. There are brighter more appealing colors of foliage. There are open spaces to roam, wander, and discover. There's more opportunities to exercise. People are not bothered by other people. There's undisturbed moments giving into contemplation. Thoughts, dreams, visuals, and creativity are abundant. There is development of the self and there is satisfaction.

Ella (Lorde), Katy Perry, and Avril are notable artists that come from smaller cities. Perhaps it was the environment that nourished their talents.

Ella compares big cities and the smaller, isolated part of a city where she grew up in the video below. Great observer!

"And it wasn't until I traveled that I realized that my town's pretty cool ... I'm happy I grew up here. I think it's nice to be able to kind of find your own quiet places in the town ... I'd probably be like a freak if I came from a big city" -- Ella

[Youtube] Ella's travels and observations