West of Hollywood

VINYL FETISH

I have a date tonight.

  

photo via PCL LinkDump

 

SOULFUL SUNDAY: GRACE JONES

This past week I scored three tickets to Grace Jones' return to the Hollywood Bowl this summer and I am as giddy as a little girl.  Love that woman.  Now comes the difficult task of deciding which hooded pantsuit to wear to the concert. 

 

MOPLA CLOSING PARTY

At the beginning of the month I went to Month of Photography Los Angeles' opening soiree at the Pacific Design Center and had a blast.  Tonight's closing party looks like even more fun -  and the Cobrasnake will be there.  The last time I partied with him he took one of his trademark guerilla candids for his blog that made me look like a mongoloid wanting cake.  Let's see if we can manage a worse shot tonight.

I'll see you there.  Bring a camera.  I'll bring the fug.

MOPLA Closing Nite

May 1, 7-10pm

3542 Hayden

Culver City 

 

$2 MEALS

Most of us are on a budget these days but it doesn't mean we have to sit home sad and alone.  We all have boys to impress with flouncy dinners after all.  Well we can still impress those boys and stay on budget.  

A friend just alerted me that restaurant.com is offering gift certificates to local restaurants for much lower than their value.  A $25 gift certificate goes for $10 and a $10 goes for $3.  What's more, I was slipped a special promo code that takes an additional 80% off the already discounted price.  This means you can have a $25 gift certificate to Cafe Med in Sunset Plaza for $2.  There are of course restrictions like a minimum total order for the meal but it seems pretty straightforward.  Just be sure to slip it to your waiter before dinner so your date won't see how cheap you are - and hopefully later you can slip it to him.  

If you want the code tell me in the comments section why you need a hot meal out on the town and I'll oblige.  Then take me to dinner.  

 

 

ONLY IN LA: SACRED SPACE, HOURLY RATES

 

YASSI

 There was a party on Highland Friday night and it involved well-lit pussies and four foot spiders.  Oddly enough this was not the David Bowie party (that was Saturday night) but the debut of legendary antiques dealer Joel Chen's foray into art exhibitions with Architectonic, featuring the works of two emerging artists he chose himself. 

Yassi Mazandi and Michael Wilson filled JF Chen's massive concrete showroom with works of porcelain, clay and hard wood.  Michael's hand-carved furniture seemed alive with undulating lines and organic shapes - including spider legs four feet across supporting a cocktail table.  His work is masterful and desired.  

However, the star of the show were the pieces of pottery and porcelain created by Yassi.  Using a technique completely of her own imagining she sculpts and then carves vessels that at the same time seem ancient and pop.  Vaguely Mayan in inspiration, they fracture the light that passes through their cut rims and jetting buttresses.  When viewed from above the inspiration skips forward two thousand years to Star Wars and a laser-shooting interceptor.  And when glazed in cotton candy pink and grouped together they evoke a classic mid-century set of hot rollers.  

    

Her pieces are architectural in element yet so whimsical in spirit that they draw you in and beg to be used.  Which brings me back to the pussies, or orchids if you are being less succinct.  Sculpted from porcelain and wrapped elegantly in bronzed canoe-shaped bowls are a series of white orchids mimicking the folds and workings of the female anatomy.  They are a sight to behold. This was definitely the most time I have ever spent examining that area and surely the only time you will see me photographed alongside a... orchid.   

Architectonic

April 27 - May 22 

JF Chen 

941 N. Highland 

323-466-9700

 

SOULFUL SUNDAY: MARVIN GAYE

There is no other, no better than Marvin Gaye.  His life was too short but his music lives on to soothe and groove by and remind us all of life's simple lessons.  This song is a favorite and tells of a simple lesson of love that I learned long ago. 

I want you the right way

I want you
But I want you to want me too

 

THE RETURN OF HOTDOG

I am so excited I could just spit.  After an absence too long and painful to remember, Hotdog is returning with a new location West of Hollywood.  I've been going to this Saturday night party since Mario Diaz gave birth to it at The Parlour, through its explosion at 7969, its short run at Dragonfly and will now be checking it out at the revamped Palms.  

This gives me a needed reason to stay in my 'hood at least one night a week as I have been drawn downtown most of my weeks lately.  Sadly, I am spending the premier night on Santa Cruz Island but I will be back to check it out on the sophomore weekend after all the kinks, but hopefully not the kinky has been worked out.

If you aren't familiar, Hotdog is a dance party mixing a sleazy 70's vibe, go-go dancers, edgy pop music and an off-kilter stage show generally containing at least three of the following ingredients: mustaches, power tools, drag, hard hats, sequins & hairy asses in jock straps.  

I'll see you there.

Hotdog

April 25, 10pm

The Palms

8572 Santa Monica

 

VINYL FETISH

Hey Twiggy, I have some ointment that might clear that up.

via LP Cover Lover

 

THE DOMINOS ARE FALLING

Have you heard the good news?

Both Vermont and the District of Columbia legalized same-sex marriages today, tipping the scales further towards equal rights for all.  While D.C. only de facto legalized gay marriage by deciding to recognize same-sex unions performed in other states - it would take federal legislation to fully legalize gay marriages in the capital - the Vermont decision was especially uplifting.  

After the Vermont House of Representatives approved legislation making same-sex unions legal, Vermont's Governor Jim Douglas vetoed it as "a matter of conscience", defying the will of the majority of his state and their representatives.  Well the Representatives weren't having it and called a special session to try for the two-thirds majority of votes from both the House and Senate needed to override his veto - and they got it.  This is a thrilling victory and a needed example of government working properly, unlike the flawed proposition system in California.  

Meanwhile, Governor Douglas has become the poster child for out-of-touch politicians and should be packing his bags for the end of his term.  I would suggest shaming him with a letter-writing campaign but there is no need.  His own state has already publicly shamed him with a two-thirds vote against his "conscience".  He will be lucky to get a dinner reservation in his state after today's embarrassment.    

Congratulations D.C. and Vermont!  In honor of these victories I hear that maple syrup-flavored cocaine will be on sale at this weekend's White Party in Palm Springs. For that reason alone the battle has been worthwhile.

via Towleroad