Deeply Shallow

my tasty weekend

2009-11-10T03:51:00.000-08:00

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2009
the other day my friend jason asked me how i manage to go to every single event in l.a. i had to laugh before telling him that for every event i attend there are at least three or four i don't go to, usually because 1)i am so not invited, 2)they are happening at the exact same time as every other event that night or, more likely 3)i am just too exhausted. like those vegas.com people though, i do it for you. and seriously, this is just the tip of the iceberg people!

l.a. is simply overflowing with things to do and, as usual, too many of them were happening last weekend. which meant too many captions to write and way too many photos to edit. but this time instead of shoving them into one monster post i am breaking them up into four. so... scroll down! i'm sorry for the delay. now let's get started, shall we?

last friday scotch whiskey makers macallan hosted a tasting at the vibiana. nice event, good turnout, great space.
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our multiplying shot glasses. don't judge. it was for educational purposes!

the next day (i think) there was another parade outside our door. the panamanian marching band of california was making their way up broadway. and having a good old time doing it. like people possessed those panamanians were seriously partying in the streets.

and speaking of partying kia introduced it's new vehicle, the kia soul with a road show called the kia soul collective featuring artists like diplo, the silversun pickups and janelle monae who aubrey, nelson and i caught at the siren studio in hollywood on saturday night. i love me some janelle monae and she was almost as good as the first time i saw her in september of 08. the best part? this time the show was free.99!

miss monae goes crowd surfing siren studios after the show

and there you have it.

project deadway?

2009-11-10T03:41:00.000-08:00

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10th, 2009
i know the day of the dead has passed but last saturday i went to an incredible dod party at tropico de nopal that was actually a dia de los muertos gallery exhibit and outdoor fashion show. dod runway? why didn't i think of that?
click on any image to enlarge i thought the show would be good but i was amazed at the creativity. combining fashion, music and coreography the show was gorgeous performance art. i can't wait til next year!

this piece, a commentary on the slow death of print media, had a calavera reporter photographing the crowd

a designer with his creation

loving the heart shaped chain link fence topped with barbed wire and the chain link pattern on the skirt!

this piece was multi-layered, telling a story with multiple "reveals"

one of the outfits under the green cape above

the final layer below the red piece

the final mask

this guy danced a mambo in memory of people who passed away from hiv/aids. it was a great performance that reminded me for some reason of freddie mercury

a gustav klimt tribute

a borracho and his blow-up partner

a beautiful outfit made of corn husks like the ones used for tamales. there were also lots of feathers including feather eye lashes

proving you don't have to be a man to be a drag queen this woman models an outfit inspired by modern mexican artist rufino tamayo

another designer shows his creations

these two models(here with the designer) were completely naked under their see-through outfits. cheeky.

inside, the gallery exhibit featured outfits from past runway shows.

check it out! this outfit is a combination of the our lady of guadalupe and the lucha libre wrestler costumes i just made jimmy and i for halloween!

a tribute to artist keith haring

nelson and jesse trying to keep poor robert warm at the show

for more info on the gallery and to see their past shows go to www.tropicodenopal.com

and there you have it

home-oh for the holidays

2009-11-10T03:33:00.000-08:00

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2009
on sunday i volunteered at glaad's holiday event glaad tidings.
the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation is a media watchdog group that advocates for fair and accurate portrayals of lgbt people and if that sounds a little serious you should know that they really know how to throw a party. the event, sponsored by lexus, took place at a beautiful bel air estate and featured a silent auction, open bar, runway show and performance by american idol's frenchie davis. check it out.
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glaad's new president jarrett barrios greets the crowd

no skeletons on the catwalk this time

crowd pleaser jp calderone

johnny rodriguez from bravo's the fashion show takes a bow

frenchie davis rips the runway

the usual crowd came out to show love including kim coles, doug spearman, darryl stephens, jai rodriguez, chad allen and candis cayne. i was excited to see chima(!!!) and kevin from last season's big brother. kevin made it to the finale, the furthest any gay contestant has made it on the show and chima (who could not have been lovelier) left the show, umm, early.

and there you have it.

streets of l.a.

2009-11-10T03:24:00.000-08:00

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 10th, 2009
yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the fall of the berlin wall and at midnight sunday a mock-up of the wall, decorated by local artists including shepard fairey, was toppled before a cheering crowd. first, there were greetings from local and international dignitaries and a video program about the history and impact of the wall followed by a performance by berlin-born ute lemper. this was a huge, ambitious project and i'm glad to say it has been a great success. i love that the celebration was accessible to everyone and that there are no barriers so you can actually get up close and even touch the sections of the actual wall that are on display until the end of the year. i also loved that the celebration closed wilshire boulevard with singing and dancing in the streets. ute lemper was absolutely fantastic opening with a melancholy streets of berlin then swinging on cabaret and with a medley of bertolt brecht and kurt weill songs including moon over alabama and mack the knife.
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it was crazy to see so many people in l.a. crowding the streets at midnight on a sunday!

part of the mock wall that was torn down. the red section on the right was created by shepard fairey

recreating the wall's fall 20 years later. the ceremony was broadcast live in

berlin which is one of l.a. sister cities.

ute lemper sings

kent twitchell painted this portion of the actual berlin wall sections of which are located at 5900 wilshire blvd. there was some controversy over changes to mr. twitchell's original design and the final product.

for more info go to http://www.wallproject.org/

and there you have it. auf wiedersehen!

a single man

2009-11-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

FRIDAY NOVEMBER 6th, 2009
i saw a wonderful movie at the afi film festival last night. a single man is the new film from tom ford (probably best known as the designer who made gucci a sensation in the 90's) who attended the premiere along with stars colin firth(truly remarkeable in the film as he usually is) and ginnifer goodwin. the movie is a gorgeous work of art, sensual, moving and achingly beautiful. it's what used to be called an art house film (in the days before netflix stocked pedro almodovar's entire catalouge) and it succeeds because mr. ford gets both the big picture of the storyline and the tiny details of the time period and the characters just right. i spied cindy crawford, tobey maguire and angela bassett at the screening but i only whipped out my camera for (current out magazine cover boy) nicholas hoult who is wonderful in the film. you may remember him as the boy in about a boy with hugh grant and he's currently working on a remake of clash of the titans with liam neeson and ralph fiennes. he wasn't ready for my camera to flash two times but he was so polite i didn't ask for another. see this movie.
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and there you have it.

fall out boys

2009-11-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY NOVEMBER 5th, 2009
so i checked out jones' 15th anniversary on tuesday with my new friends justice (gotta love the name) and robby who are visiting from vegas but might be moving out here soon (fingers crossed). it's odd how you half expect a tumbleweed to roll by that deserted stretch of santa monica bl but just inside the door it's a mobbed house-party of people drinking, dining and carrying on. for their anniversary everything on the menu was $5.00 including the drinks and the apple pie scented with rosemary. mmmmm.

i had such a good time i never whipped out my camera (i HATE it when that happens). i did remember to take a couple of shots though at the so cal social club mixer at remedy last night. here are keith, luke and calvin taken the way i like to frame people.
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and here's another shot taken the way calvin suggested i frame everyone. he says the downward shot is more flattering. what do you think?

with reuben, robert, hugo and tim at remedy

scsc founder luciano draws winners for the raffle. nice going.

and if you want to throw one back with the a-gays (and their admirers) or if you want to rub elbows with artist shepard fairey while supporting equality then you might want to come out to the andaz hotel next thursday for fall fair out supporting the love unites / shepard fairey equality project. there'll be an open bar at the former riott hyatt and mr. fairey will not only be dj-ing he'll have some of his prints customized by celebs like marc jacobs and jared leto available for sale. get more info at http://www.fallfairout.eventbrite.com/.

and there you have it.

jones-ing for a deal?

2009-11-03T10:18:00.000-08:00

TUESDAY NOVEMBER 4th, 2009
back to the afi fest last night for the premiere of the imaginarium of doctor parnassus. maybe it was because we sat soooo close (the fifth row of the huge chinese theatre is still too close) but i liked it more than loved it. it's a sweet film with interesting visuals and good performances but too rambling and unfocused. definitely not on par with terry gilliam's other films including the monty python movies, brazil or the fisher king. even jude law, johnny depp, colin farrell and heath ledger (in his final performance) coudn't save it. for me, more of a rental than a go see.
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talking about go sees, the 60's turn 50 next year and one of the most colorful and turbulent decades is being spotlighted in a series of upcoming events including an architecture tour called it's a mod, mod, mod, mod city. get your mad men on this sunday during a guided tour of landmarks like the LAX Theme Building (you know the jetson's like structure that was just renovated) at this event presented by the los angeles conservancy . for more info click on www.lac.laconservancy.org/site/PageServer?pagename=60sHomePage.

another anniversary is being celebrated today at jones restaurant in hollywood. the ever-hip spot (near santa monica and la brea) is celebrating it's 15th anniversary from noon till 2am with grilled salmon, spaghetti & meatballs and 13 other dishes for only $5.00 and $5.00 herradura, finlandia and jack daniels cocktails. i'm there! and unbelieveably, if you can't get in they'll give you a raincheck to come back another day at the same prices. wow!

more good stuff? how about gay networkers so cal social club hosting a cocktail party/mixer at the remedy lounge downtown tomorrow night? http://www.inthemixatremedy.eventbrite.com/. after getting your drink on you might feel like taking to the streets for a prop 8 anniversary march through silver lake www.equalitynetwork.org/2009/11/prop-8-one-year-later.
and you definitely don't want to miss the incredible janelle monae performing at siren studios this saturday. like the march, it's free.99. you might have to test drive the new kia first but that's a deal to see this dynamo up close - www.kiasoulcollective.com/home/tour/los-angeles.

and there you have it

no shoes, no service

2009-11-02T11:40:00.000-08:00

MONDAY NOVEMBER 2nd, 2009
i drove by the hello kitty birthday party yesterday to try and score a gift bag and check out the airstream trailer but i never even made it out of the car. there were at least a thousand(!) people waiting outside and i couldn't even see the end of the line so i turned myself around and headed to my aunt liz's to celebrate the birthdays of my cousin mark and his wife magally instead. while i was there i marveled with jimmy at how fast kids grow up. its seems like one day they're in diapers and the next they're taking SAT's and dating! oh. my. god! and in case you're wondering, even though it's hello kitty's thirty-fifth anniversary she is eternally eight years old. of course those are cat years not human years (although i know quite a few humans who remain the same age every year too).
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my brother shawn, my sister-in-law sherry and their kids sierra and kai.

i always have to make sure i wear good socks before i enter liz's place. and when i leave i seriously consider trading up on my footwear.

later on sunday i caught a screening of the white ribbon at the afi film festival. it was beautiful but i swear i was not really in the mood for something so serious. and in black and white! with subtitles!! james cromwell was sitting right behind me but the real star power was at the premiere of precious in the main theatre which brought out mariah carey, mo'nique, tyler perry and oprah winfrey (among others). i tried to snap some pix but it was just too crowded and when mariah strayed from the carpet to sign autographs a couple feet away from me it turned into something out of day of the locust. seriously. i'm lucky i wasn't crushed.

and speaking of movies, if you're looking for something to do tonight the new regal 14 theatres at l.a. live is showing non-michael jackson movies tonight including district 9, funny people, gi joe, star trek and the proposal for free.99! and popcorn and soda is only $1.00 each. for more details and showtimes click here - www.lalive.com/regal.

and there you have it.

c'mon, get happy!

2009-11-01T12:14:00.000-08:00

SUNDAY NOVEMBER 1st, 2009
started halloween downtown where jimmy, robert, jesse and i enjoyed a bottle of milagro tequila courtesy of casa restaurant before heading out to a party in hancock party thrown by aubrey's friends lars and jeffrey. there are always a few familiar faces at their annual soiree and this year reichen, jesse ferguson and eric stonestreet (the gay couple on the hilarious new show modern family) and allison janney were among the minglers. my costume was well received with this crowd and there were plenty of other inspired creations to enjoy which made the night even more fun.
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robert, jesse and jimmy on the patio at casa
i put pieces of robert and jesse's costume to create an impromptu amish outfit. with mi gente in hancock park big edie and little edie from grey gardens. the "cats" kept moving around and they even had a racoon! so brilliant! aubrey as michael jackson with aubrey and allison janney as one of the partridge family the partridge family group came in a big, painted cardboard bus and sang get happy!!!

and there you have it.

boo!

2009-10-31T09:44:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY OCTOBER 31st, 2009
i'm kind of halloween-ed out right now. when jesse mentioned circus disco's $500 costume contest i trotted out my 'lupe outfit again last night but this time i got a very different reaction. they... hated it! while i'm exaggerating (a little bit) i think the crowd just didn't know how to handle me. based on the winners they wanted comical and over the top which is not what i was serving. anyway, it was a little slice of hell for me with 70 contestants on the crowded stage and a spanish-speaking drag mc who was so not with me (meaning of course the crowd wasn't with me either). when i stepped up there was some applause but there were also boos(!) and thumbs-down gestures. thumbs-down gestures? what is this... gladiator??? sheesh!!! in the end i was ok with it because i gave it my all and next time i'll know what crowd i'm playing to. ah well, live (or die of embarrasment) and learn.
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welcome to my nightmare

so last night i consoled myself with the knowledge that halloween is so five minutes ago. 40 is the new 30 and dia de los muertos is definitely the new halloween. all the cool kids are doing it. check it out for yourself at one of these festive dod parties (and more) by clicking on www.laeastside.com/2009/10/your-dia-de-los-muertos-guide/.

and there you have it. BOO!!!

precious

2009-10-30T15:35:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY OCTOBER 30th, 2009
last night jimmy and i joined some friends for a screening of one of the most highly anticipated films of the year, precious. it was a preview for the naacp (big ups to joanne for the hook-up. ooowa, ooowa!!) followed by a q&a with the director lee daniels, screenwriter jeffrey fletcher and actresses paula patton and gabby sidibe. i had been looking forward to seeing this movie and may have had unrealistic expectations but i think this is a great film that is well worth seeing. mr. daniels has brought out powerful performances from each of his actors none more so than mo'nique who is completely fearless in her portrayal of a kind of monster. sherri sheperd, lenny kravitz and mariah carey(!) show they really can act and miss sidibe is wonderful in the title role. i also appreciated the sense of authenticity and the realism of the film set in 80's new york. the only thing missing for me was more empathy for the characters especially after hearing so much about the story's powerful message of redemption. although it was involving the film didn't provide the kind of emotional catharsis i expected. so it was a home run rather than a grand slam. and unlike almost any other movie out now. definitely go see it. but first, check out these pix i took after the q&a. here's joanne with actress gabby sidibe.
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gabby sidibe with director lee daniels

actress paula patton, director lee daniels and actress gabby sidibe with a rep from the naacp

and there you have it.

this is it

2009-10-28T21:08:00.000-07:00

WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 28th, 2009
last night aubrey and i went to l.a. live for the premiere of the michael jackson concert film this is it. this is a remarkable movie that i'm sure will be a huge hit. although it's a rehearsal documentary it works as a concert film with all the dynamics and spectacle you would expect and then some. and the best thing about it is michael's performance. at 50, he is dazzling. he's spectacular. although he doesn't appear without faults, the film clearly shows him as a supremely talented artist and showman with a clear vision and strong work ethic. the absence of a massive roaring crowd makes the performance more intimate and also makes you think how sad it is that the concerts never took place. later though i realized that, thanks to this film, the show will be seen by many, many more people than ever would have seen it in london. and deservedly so.
check out the big names who turned up for the premiere.
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an mtv reporter whose name i forget

marlon, tito and jackie jackson

jermaine jackson

katy perry

monique coleman of dancing with the stars and high school musical

adam lambert and katy perry

adam lambert director kenny ortega

hsm's corbin bleu

hsm's ashly tisdale

vivica fox

motown founder berry gordy

dancers from this is it

judith hill

dancers from this is it

will smith jennifer lopez

neil patrick harris paris hilton

paula abdul

mary hart

mickey rooney

and there you have it.

rockin' the free world

2009-10-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY OCTOBER 27th, 2009
work on the berlin wall exhibit continues this week with an installation by muralist kent twitchell. if you don't know his name you probably know his works including the now-lost freeway lady whose blanket twisted toward the moon along the 101 freeway, the classical musicians on the parking structure alongside the 110 fwy and the bride and groom on the victor clothing building downtown among many others. over the next week or so he is adding images of presidents kennedy and reagan to the wall (the presidents in office during the wall's rise and fall). shepard fairey is supposed to decorate panels as well. yesterday i briefly spoke to mr. twitchell and he told me about moving up north to raise his kids before returning to l.a. and described his painting style as pointillism. check it out.
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another view of the wall

later on monday i had the pleasure of seeing the gossip in concert at the music box in hollywood. i arrived at 8:00pm but there were two openers and the headliners didn't hit the stage til 11:30pm(!). the first act, we are the world, were pretty great. very avant garde. i liked them a lot. i rested through the second act because i was still in major recovery mode from the weekend but i toughed out til the after party when i got my photo op with lead singer, current l.a. weekly cover girl and designer's muse beth ditto sometime after 2:00am! big ups to john for getting me in the show and party. you rawk!!!

love the truth or dare-era madonna troll doll! the back of the shirt said "troll or dare tour 09".

and there you have it.

eat, drink and be kitty!

2009-10-26T04:20:00.000-07:00

MONDAY OCTOBER 26th, 2009
crazy weekend. craaa-zy!!! it all started friday when i went to check out the hello kitty 35th anniversary show at the royal/t gallery in culver city. IN-CRE-DI-BLE!!! wall-to-wall hk with everything from hello kitty clothing, appliances, one-of-a-kind artwork and food to a hello kitty apartment and hello kitty airstream trailer! the show is free.99 but of course there's lots of merchandise too including limited edition prints and collectibles only available at this location. you really have to check it out.
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there were 5 or 6 of these in different colors. hello kitty designer items from anna sui of course there's a hello kitty barbie (perhaps featured none too prominently becase mattel is a competitor of hello kitty's parents sanrio?). hello kitty in swarowski crystals a dress made of hello kitty stuffed figures. you can also see the dress modeled by lady gaga in a photo in the show. i don't know why but i love this one. a gallery of hello kitty paintings. gaga um, modeling the hk purse pictured above. hk stole my halloween costume!!! get out!!! kitty got back! this piece reminds me of a great comic jim yousling put out in the 80's called hell kitty about a sort of anti-hello kitty. does anyone else remember that? hello kitty as cleopatra. love the asp in her bow! hk as a velvet elvis very limited edition prints available for purchase. prices from $25 to $700 a hello kitty airstream trailer parked out back. i've only seen pix of the totally tricked out interior including hello kitty bathroom but i can't wait to see inside. curiously, i hear it's not officially part of the show. the owner just parked it outside.

after the exhibit i had lunch from a completely different pink vehicle, the flying pig truck. mmm, tasty! i hear the truck is promoting their beverly blvd restaurant scheduled to open by the end of the year.

pork belly bun. so good. i also had a duck taco but i forgot to take pix before i ate it. sorry!

a little later on friday i popped into box eight for yet another dtla fashion week event. instead of runway shows designers showcased their collections as part of a photo shoot which you could watch the models and designers prepare for in a kind of backstage atmosphere. here is project runway's rami kashou fitting a model for their shoot.

finally on friday i had tickets to a play but i had to let them go because i was still putting together costumes for a halloween party on saturday. and that was only one of the events i had to blow off to finish my outfit. i missed even more box eight shows as well as the opening of the new lapd headquarters, the opening party for top chef fabio viviani's new restaurant and a big deal photo show on the westside as i ran around the fashion and arts districts downtown working on costumes for jimmy, tony, daniel and myself. and i was freaking about my outfit not going over but i needn't have worried. i was a big hit and even won the contest for most creative costume! at the benefit party for (gay latino political action group)honor pac i couldn't walk two steps without being stopped for pictures. which was really great after all the stress of pulling it together. soooo. check us out!
jimmy, daniel and tony were lucha libre wrestlers!

i went as the virgin of guadalupe. went to the fabric and craft stores and made the whole thing myself.

jimmy and i before the party

jesse, robert (as zorro, the very gay blade) and cesar at honor pac

jimmy at the party

the guys find a fellow (more formal)wrestler to party with

cowboy tim and reuben as phyllis diller (who i renamed sy-phyllis diller).

for a second i thought he was a real cop

with luigi and mario, the super mario brothers. i got tired of the same pose over and over again and i'm looking more geisha than guadalupe here.

tony, daniel and jimmy near the end of the night, unplugged and unmasked

on sunday i spent most of the afternoon at los angeles magazine's the food event 09 at saddlerock ranch in malibu. it was a gorgeous day only made better by station after station of delicious food and drink from fabulous restaurants from around the city. what a great event this was.

and the setting was terrific. check out the scenery.

enjoying the sunny, breezy weather with aubrey.

omg!!! rice balls from little dom's in silver lake. sooooo good.

lemonade's delicious food and cucumber/mint lemonade were very popular

swirl cupcakes is online now but opening a walk-in store soon.

further proof that the 80's are back in a big way, the dj for the event was none other than richard blade! this guy was huge back in the day. he told us that after living in the carribean for a few years he and his wife are back in l.a. and he's spinning on sirius radio. nice guy.

in addition to the food and wine tastings (and 80's flashbacks) there were cooking demos from the likes of suzanne tracht, ludo lefebvre and john sedlar as well as cooking conversations including this panel of top chef-ers: fabio viviani, betty fraser and cj jacobson (that guy is tall!)

we chatted up rock star chef ludo lefebvre

rivera restaurant's john sedlar

the next food network star's jeffrey saad, cindy dole of kfwb's home wizards and aubrey who cindy once interviewed about his work on the pasadena showcase house.

so, even though i missed his restaurant opening i still got my wish and met fabio who was just as charming and funny as i had hoped.

aubrey and i had so much fun and ate and drank so much we could barely walk back to the car but then we recovered enough to stop by the opening of bedrock on the way home. a musician's dream, echo park's bedrock is 37,000 brand new feet of rehearsal space, recording studio, rental and repair shops and... brewery? rock on!

for the opening there was an aural exhibit of ambient noise from outside the building remixed for your listening pleasure. you can check out the studios at http://www.bedrockla.com/.

some young white people playing instruments

we walked by the free beer and bratwurst (no! more! food!) to check out the studios and catch the performances before aubrey dropped me took me home sweet home. and another weekend comes to an end. whew!

and there you have it.

that was easy.

2009-10-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY OCTOBER 23rd, 2009
pretty busy yesterday. after lunch with reuben i made some major progress on my halloween costume shopping before heading out to see hope sandoval at the mayan followed by flaunt magazine's downtown warehouse party for david lachappelle. cameras weren't allowed in the concert or party so no pix of the girl bathing in the metal tub with just a strand of pearls on or the very bizarre sight of michael jackson's plastic surgeon arnold klein barely able to walk with one cane and two assistants.

i did take pictures on wednesday though when i visited the travel town museum at griffith park for the very first time. the park is really incredible and i can't believe i had never been before! the reason i finally stopped in was to check out the opening of a week-long exhibit of train-related disney memorabilia promoting the television special mickey mouse clubhouse: choo choo express that will air on the 25th.
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you have to take the train ride

check out the cute kid waving to us as we passed

the compact exhibit includes including rare drawings, animation cells and personal photos of walt disney's. if you want to see it you'd better hurry. the show closes on the 28th.

btw, did you know walt disney's first studio was in silverlake? i hear there is a plaque somewhere in the parking lot of gelson's that marks the spot although i've never seen it.

i asked someone to take a picture with my camera but they blew it so this is a copy of the souvenir polaroid i got from mickey

the marines' toys for tots program provided toys and little conductor hats for the kids. what a beautiful day and a great event this was.

after i said goodbye to mickey i headed to the staples center for a very different event marking staples 10th anniversary. (hence, the title of today's post)

city councilman jan perry and aeg president tim leiweke with the lakers' derek fisher took turns talking about the road to getting staples built and it's impact on l.a.

derek fisher along with the voice of the clippers ralph lawler, and luc robitaille who was just elected to the hockey hall of fame

luc robitaille meets the press

sam nazarian (who is opening a hyde nightclub inside staples) and reps from the salvation army and staples office superstore join jan perry, tim leiweke and derek fisher in a toast with beverages provided by another partner, coca-cola.

later derek fisher autographed his new book character driven at the team l.a. store inside staples. very nice guy.

and here are a couple of pix (not by me) of my brother frankie's gig last week playing on the lawn of the white house(!) for the first family during fiesta latina. if you click on the photo to enlarge it you can frankie playing the sax to the left of the president.

you can also barely see him here behind l.a. natives los lobos who appeared along with gloria estefan, marc anthony, thalia, sheila e. and eva longoria parker. way to go frankie!

and there you have it.

voulez-vous coucher avec moi?

2009-10-18T17:07:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY OCTOBER 20th, 2009
on sunday the americana at brand in glendale hosted a 5k/10k run to benefit breast cancer research at the usc norris comprehensive cancer center. titled run for her life, the event also featured an interactive expo and post-run performance by my favorite dancing with the stars contestant mya. it was a beautiful day for the concert on the lawn and not too crowded. i missed mya's dwts partner dimitri chaplin (dammit!) but i did get to hear her belt out lady marmalade (hence, today's post title) and a couple of numbers from her upcoming dance album. check it out.
click on any image to enlarge

later sunday jimmy and i joined a bunch of friends for the second birthday dinner of the weekend, this one for david trujillo. doesn't he look frightened of the cake here? don't worry dave. it'll be all right.

hmmm. i was thinking queen.

dave and trini under the watchful eye of the virgin mary

jimmy and i with the birthday boy

dave and victor

maybe you'll move back to l.a. before your next birthday dave. we miss you here.

and there you have it.

all in all you're just another brick in...

2009-10-18T17:03:00.000-07:00

MONDAY OCTOBER 19th, 2009
the berlin wall has come to los angeles. or at least 8 panels of it have, the largest section to ever leave berlin. the installation of a planned 10 panels began thursday at 5900 wilshire boulevard across the street from lacma and they will remain in place until november 14th. on november 8th, the 20th anniversary of the wall's fall, a fund-raiser featuring german singer ute lemper in concert at the site will be followed by a (symbolic?) toppling of the wall at midnight that will be open to the public. sections of the wall are scheduled to be painted by artists including shepard fairey and kent twitchell with one panel reserved for the general public to "decorate." for more info go to http://www.wallproject.org/.
click on any image to enlarge

on saturday, after i checked out the wall on wilshire jimmy and i saw a really great play called anita bryant died for your sins at the el centro theatre off melrose. i highly recommend it (even jimmy liked it!). and after the play i stopped by the farmers and merchants bank building downtown where elmer ave was hosting their spring summer 2010 runway show as part of fashion week. sadly, i missed the previous night's party in the 104-year old building that featured a show from project runway's korto (among others)!

finally, post-runway jimmy and i headed to highland park to wish daniel a very happy birthday. apparently, just which birthday it is remains a mystery. tony and daniel

with jimmy and jc who left for d.c. early the next morning.

and there you have it.

he's baaaaaack.

2009-10-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY OCTOBER 17th, 2009
last night jimmy and some friends and i met jc at rockwell for drinks. it was jc's first visit to l.a. since leaving to take a new job in d.c. earlier this summer. check him out here with robert.
click on any image to enlarge.
tony and jimmy under the watchful eye of our waiter jarrod.

nelson, mark, john and jc ham it up for the camera.

the group shot.

and there you have it.

it's loud and it's tasteless and i've heard it before

2009-10-17T08:05:00.000-07:00

SATURDAY OCTOBER 17th, 2009
fa-fa-fa-fa-fashion!
yes, i'm finally posting again after the whirlwind of l.a. fashion week which started last monday. after five years at smashbox studios in culver city mercedes benz ended their sponsorship of fashion week in 2008 allowing most of the high profile events to return this year to downtown where the week began in the 90's.

this year the majority of shows took place at the moca geffen contemporary in little tokyo with others happening at the los angeles theatre on broadway. here are highlights from the shows i happened to catch at moca.
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the finale at moca was a benefit featuring elizabeth mason of the paper bag princess couture in a salute to valentino.

the benefit included an honor for actress maria bello who received the los angeles spirit award for style and substance for her humanitarian work.

the show also included an energetic performance by crooner matt goss whose new cd was included in the gift bag.

garcelle beauvais and daisy fuentes after the show

giavonna and project runway's nick verreos who teaches at fidm where g just started classes.

with edyta sliwinska of dancing with the stars. i love her on the show.

gigi with matt goss

g and i at moca

on the red carpet before the benefit. edyta again.

actor lukas haas who is in the new movie inception which just filmed outside our building.

garcelle beauvais

project runway alum raymundo baltazar

teen blogging superstar audrey kitching

elizabeth mason and maria bello

at the oliver tolentino spring 2010 show

designer oliver tolentino, who dresses imelda marcos among others.

elizabeth mason collection
eduardo lucero collection. one of my favorites.

another collection at moca

violeta villacorta collection

at the batallion spring 2010 runway show

backstage at mode israel

members of terry poison who performed before the runway show

at the show for project runway's jerrell scott. lisa raye on the left.

backstage at alakazia

it's not about the clothes. alakazia designs hats.

hat? what hat? yowza!

double yowza!

alakazia takes a bow

at the runway show for skingraft spring 2010

at the shows i connected with blogger eric richardson who asked if we could talk about the possibility of working together on his site http://www.blogdowntown.com/. which would be very cool. if you'd like to see more fashion week pix click on the slideshow at the top right of this page to visit my flickr photos.

and there you have it.

food for thought

2009-10-16T08:50:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY OCTOBER 16th, 2009
yesterday was national latino aids awareness day. not exactly a holiday, the designation is meant to address hiv and aids in people of color communities where rates of infection continue to increase in disproportionate numbers. i was invited to join a group of health care activists for a lunch hosted by senator gil cedillo that day by one of his staffers fredy whom i have gotten to know and who recently moved just up the street. the lunch took place at la fonda restaurant where i realized that things are tough all over but they are especially so for public health advocates who rely on government funding in a time of budget cuts. the message that i took away from this event was that access to healthcare isn't a racial issue but one of economic and social justice and my hat is off to the people who work for equal access to good healthcare.
click on any image to enlage. mario perez from the l.a. county office of aids programs the wall las memorias group is recognized by the state of california the power player shot calvin, ni-quarteli, miguel and xavier xavier, fredy, eddie and calvin

you really have to hear fredy's story in the new prevention campaign entitled soy. to listen now click on www.youtube.com/watch?v=iYHf7Pf5DIA.

and there you have it.

dyn-o-mite ! ! !

2009-10-13T08:54:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY OCTOBER 13th, 2009
so yesterday was columbus day. jimmy had the day off but most people i know had to work as it seems ol' chris' numbers are not what they used to be. and i'm betting most native americans aren't losing too much sleep over that since his arrival was not great news for them. at. all. which was definitely not the story i got in school. i wonder if the spin is any different these days.

yesterday also happened to be the 11th anniversary of the death of matthew shepard. and marking the occasion was the debut of a sequel to the laramie project which told the story of his murder in laramie wyoming. the follow-up, entitled the laramie project epilogue, premiered in over 150 theatres in all 50 states and 15 countries last night and jimmy and i met some friends for a reading of the work at cal plaza here downtown. first though was a visit to calvin's new place across the street where we enjoyed some good pizza and great company.

it was a nice night for outdoor theatre and the piece was fascinating. if you'd like the chance to see it for yourself you can check out a one-night only performance featuring heroes' zachary quinto, james cromwell from six feet under and babe, and the guys from the big bang theory (among others) on october 25th in hollywood. tickets are only $25.00 with all proceeds benefiting the matthew shepard foundation. following the show will be a dessert reception after which matthew's mother judy shepard will speak and sign copies of her new book the meaning of matthew. it sounds kind of great and i bet tickets go fast. if you hurry you can get tickets by calling (323) 874-2104. and for more info go to their facebook page at www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=147876859775&ref=mf.

here's aubrey, calvin and jimmy enjoying the view from calvin's new place.
click on any image to enlarge.
and calvin and jacob at cal plaza

and now for, as they say, something completely different. do you remember shaft and superfly? how about foxy brown, coffy and cleopatra jones? well the blaxploitation movies of the 70's are back and the upcoming movie black dynamite wants you to get your 70's on at http://www.blackdynamiteyoself.com/. here's what they did for me. check them out and you too could become black dynamite. or tasty freeze, creamed corn or afrodite. can you dig that?

and there you have it!

march in october

2009-10-12T09:44:00.000-07:00

MONDAY OCTOBER 12th, 2009
so yesterday was national coming out day, marked this year by a national lgbt march on washington that drew an estimated 200,000 to our nation's capital. and the day before, president obama spoke at the annual human rights campaign dinner pledging to end don't ask, don't tell and telling the crowd "I am with you in the fight" for equality and non-discrimination.

still and all it's something of a mixed bag. openly gay legislators skipped the march and out senator barney frank called it "a waste of time at best." and although obama encouraged the crowd to hold him to his commitments, those commitments offered no timelines and many are growing impatient with promises and are now looking for action.

here in california the governor yesterday signed one bill recognizing may 22nd as harvey milk day and another recognizing same-sex marriages perfomed in other states. (he also vetoed restrictions to recission, the practice of insurance companies to cancel the policies of sick patients, but that's a whole 'nother talk show)

while i didn't witness the equality march in d.c. i was able to catch the immigration rights march that made it's way up the street from our place on the same day. aside from being a bleeding heart liberal i enjoy the photo ops at what seems like these every-other-month marches. but what's up with the calls to boycott the census?
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after opponents critized all the mexican and central american flags at earlier events the only flags you see now are from the u.s. of a.

plenty of security including everyone's favorites, the bicycle cops

and there you have it.

this little piggy went to art walk

2009-10-09T12:36:00.000-07:00

FRIDAY OCTOBER 9th, 2009
lots going on in what turned out to be a big day in l.a. yesterday. alas, i didn't have tickets for the gala block party that was gustavo dudamel's first concert at the disney hall as official music director. and i didn't have tickets to see the dodgers play game 2 of the division series either but i did catch the thrilling come from behind win in the bottom of the 9th at home with jimmy before heading downstairs for this month's downtown art walk. a cultural event all it's own (and it's free.99!), it should also qualify as a sporting event what with all the bobbing and weaving through the crowds and the dodging of drag queens and messiahs.

jimmy stayed in so i played julie the cruise director for art walk first-timers giavonna, tony, daniel and paul (who's visting from san francisco). while we were out we ran into patrick and ruell (who's new job has him working as well as living downtown) and caught a glimpse of reality semi-star and fellow downtowner paulie from l.a. ink.

check out daniel buying a red velvet cupcake in the walk's vendor area. has anybody else noticed that red velvet is the new black? just the night before, jimmy and i tried the cheesecake factory's new red velvet cheesecake(?!) and i pointed out that red velvet is the dulce de leche of 2009. ah well, worse things could happen.
click on any image to enlarge. heads up! halloween is coming.
more of the merch in the vendor area. now where else are you going to find cupcakes and calaveras all in one place? oh yeah... silverlake, venice, santa monica and noho.
just a couple of girls with a dream.
you know i had to get a picture of this. i think the cup of coffee is a nice touch.
art walk virgins tony and daniel did pretty good for their first time. after dinner from the border grill truck (yes, again) and some gallery walk-throughs they hit both the association and the varnish. and after i took g back home i joined them for cocktails and a discussion of just how much the area has changed. we talked about shopping at the factory fashion works on los angeles street back in the 80's. does anyone else remember the factory? woooo! lots of zippers and parachute pants.
with paul at the varnish towards the end of the night we passed the about to re-open gorbals where top chef winner ilan hall roasted not one but two whole pigs on a spit and served them up with mac & cheese and... cotton candy?

the less said about my opening night visit to the gorbals the better but i did notice that the decor in the hotel where the restaurant is located has definitely been upgraded since my last visit. perhaps a hint of more upgrades on the way?

post-pig, with top chef season 2 winner ilan hall outside his restaurant.

and there you have it.

this kitten has claws!

2009-10-08T11:08:00.000-07:00

THURSDAY OCTOBER 8th, 2009
last night jimmy and i headed over to the paley for a screening of the season finale of drop dead diva (and ran into miguel and hermin!). the show is very lifetime (you know, television for women and their gay best friends) but i actually like it. a lot. anything with margaret cho in it has to be funny. and the whole cast, especially brooke elliott in the title role, is great.

after the screening there was a q&a with the producers and cast who announced that the character fred will be back next season along with returns of (a dancing) paula abdul, rosie odonnell and possibly... cher? hmmm. check it out sunday when a very big surprise happens in the last minute of the season ending cliffhanger. and check me out with miss elliott (and some way harsh lighting).
click on any image to enlarge

the next season of DDD doesn't start till june. in the meantime here are some other coming attractions to keep you busy -

self help graphics in east l.a. is hosting their 27th annual day of the dead celebration monday november 2nd. dubbed deadly stylish the event features a procession, exhibit, food, and performances starting at 4pm and of course, it's free.99. get the details at -
www.selfhelpgraphics.com/events/diadelosmuertos.php

speaking of free.99 the free night of theatre 2009 is happening this month. choose from dozens of shows including plays at the esteemed colony, odyssey and kirk douglas theatres. free tickets are available starting at noon on october 12th by clicking on www.freenightoftheatre.net/shows/show_listings.cfm.

and starting october 24th you don't have to drive all the way out to moorpark to enjoy top chef fave fabio viviani's cooking. after parting ways with moorpark's cafe firenze fab has now partnered with firenze osteria in north hollywood and will be on hand to celebrate their grand opening on october 24th. get more info here - http://www.firenzeosteria.com/.

remember the pix of the girls at the candyland party? well, starting october 23rd the royal/t gallery in culver city is hosting another fantastic exhibit, this one for the 35th anniversary of the one and only hello kitty!!! from the sneak peek offered online the multi-media show looks to be the cat's meow. you'll have to check out the one of a kind pieces from over 80 artists, the hello kitty apartment(!), hello kitty robot and of course, the hello kitty pop-up store. check out one of the art show pieces featuring lady ga-ga as your favorite feline (dig the red bow and the eyes!).
find all the details are at www.sanrio.com/threeapples/about.

and there you have it.

up, up and away

2009-10-05T18:21:00.000-07:00

TUESDAY OCTOBER 6th, 2009
last weekend was gigi's last before school started yesterday and so we decided to get a bite to eat at the nickel diner and then hit the grammy museum which was free that day (along with several other museums around town that were free all weekend).
click on any image to enlarge.

i am still trying to convince jimmy that the camera is his friend

g is all smiles at l.a. live

later on sunday aubrey and i headed to the arboretum for the pasadena wine festival. gorgeous weather, a beautiful setting and free-flowing wine made for a fun evening. not to mention the cheese, the peacocks and the hot air baloon.

this was one of the first events i attended through the circles program from los angeles magazine and it was great. los angeles circles is similar to goldstar with a smaller, more select list of offerings. after a $48.00 membership fee (easily offset by your welcome gift; i chose a $50.00 gift certificate for the palm restaurant) most of the offerings are free.99. free tickets for the l.a. opera's elixir of love (with private after party at provecho) and sigfreid, passes to moca, tickets to the opening night of legally blonde the musical at the pantages. gift cards for restaurants like wolfgang's steakhouse and discounts at shops around the city. the events are primo but offerings go fast so you have to be quick. get more info at www.losangelescircles.com/new_index.

and there you have it.