Just got back from the opening reception for Atelier Bow-Wow's Small Case Study House installation at REDCAT. Wendy and Eloise went, too, and it was nice to introduce them to Yoshi (above) and Momo (below) as well as check out the pieces, which pay tribute to John Entenza and David Travers' modernist architectural experiment but give a wink to aspects of the Southern California culture and environment.
The Sunset House's parabolic shape is meant to maximize one's enjoyment of the sun setting. However, it is not an otaku creation, and actually fits a number of people.
Likewise, the Hammock House necessitates loungers to pair up before hopping in.
The Barbecue Coliseum fits a number of grills and is surprisingly comfortable.
It's too bad fires aren't allowed in REDCAT.
On the way out, I saw Ryan from REDCAT with two familiar faces. His friends Melanie and Terry contributed a picture and photo to our Year of the Dog article! They were wearing GR shirts and wrote about their pug!
If you go to the Wooden Spoon in Downtown L.A. tonight and run into the architectural team and REDCAT crew, say hi and congratulate them for a kick-ass show.
Interesting. Cate just sent me a link to an OC Weekly article that mentions last issue's interview with Chris Alfaro from Free The Robots and The Crosby. Not more than a couple hours later, I received a package from him. I shit you not!
When we were hanging out, I asked what was up with Free The Robots being associated with Obey Radio and Obey Records yet not having any merch for sale at their shows. Shepard Fairey is like the king of cool product. Well, Chris sent me a new Free The Robots t-shirt, and it's freaky and cool. Perhaps this is the artwork for the upcoming LP? He also sent a copy of the the out-of-print mix CD. Sweet packaging, as you'd expect from Obey. The mixes with Blonde Redhead and Paul Weller were a hit with Pryor during late-night production for this issue... A nice perk to keep us going during the final evening of deadlines.
I was thinking that this is my first Obey gear, and then I realized that I'm riding on Destructo trucks with Andre's face on them. Anyway, some people would deem the coincidence of receiving the link and getting the unexpected package "synchronicity." I prefer to call it a "plate-of-shrimp moment."
The life of a Giant Robot editor isn't always intense, but we get some excellent surprises. Thanks again, Chris.
Tonight, Yoshiharu Tsukamoto and Momoyo Kaijima, the architects behind Atelier Bow-Wow, will be attending the opening reception for Small Case Study House at REDCAT in Los Angeles. They are probably best known in the U.S. for their books dedicated to their classification and naming of "Pet Architecture" (structures that are jammed into corners, alleys, and other spaces that naturally occur in the urban environment), but they are accomplished architects on their own.
On the side, they apply their technical and imaginative prowess to more conceptual works for art museums. Typically, they gear such installations toward local themes. Their L.A. show will apply the Case Study House idea to eternal Southern California themes including barbecues, hammocks, and watching the sun set. We saw models a few weeks ago and, trust us, they're cool.
They came here all the way from Japan, so don't miss the show which lasts until the end of March. More on Atelier Bow-Wow to come...
I've been lagging on the blog due to deadlines, but everything's cool. You don't want to read about lining up boxes, fixing typos, filling space for flaky advertisers, or making space for last-minute contributions anyway. All that matters is that the mag comes out, right?
This one's going to be good. We received a lot of help from friends who came over to fact-check, copy edit, and proofread the text so it should be more solid than the previous few mags. Still a few more hours of work to go, but I'm already really proud of this one.
Went back to the house and saw that the kitchen is coming together. See the tracks on the ceiling in the pics above? The standard IKEA cutting-board counter-top starts on the right side of the oven, reaches the left wall, climbs up to the ceiling, goes down the other wall, and becomes a small eating surface coming off the opposite wall.
It will make more sense when it's done, and more details will become apparent--such as the lighting between the wood and ceiling. IKEA Hacker, anyone?
This will be Eloise's first Chinese New Year, but I think she already gets it: 1. Eat until you pass out. (Zoom in and look at her face.) 2. Take the red envelope and run.
Last night I went to the Eagle Rock Center for the Performing Arts to see Thorns of Life. The band features two of my favorite musicians--Blake Schwartzenbach (Jets to Brazil, Jawbreaker) and Aaron Cometbus (Crimpshrine, Cleveland Bound Death Sentence, Pinhead Gunpowder...)--and Daniela Sea from the Gr'ups (who I liked, too). The band doesn't have any music out yet, but there's a ton of interest in them due to their previous projects.
The Brooklyn band's sound is more like Jawbreaker than Jets to Brazil, with taught, short songs minus any keyboards, slide guitar, etc. Blake's lyrics were typically poetic and cryptic, covering topics like naming planets after gods... Too many allusions and references to remember, but the lyrics were shockingly audible for such a small venue. Of course Aaron's drumming was right on and to the point. Daniela's bass playing as solid, too. She had chords written in a notebook, but rocked out. You can hear their debut album on YouTube, Blake joked.
Aaron brought his own coffee urn. Looked like a press, but I couldn't be sure. It was nice to see the spirit of the Bonus Cup living on--not to mention Gilman Street punk rock as well as the old scene in general. I saw so many familiar faces from shows in Jabberjaw days (Craig, Gaby, Jeremy, Steve, not to mention my brother, sister, brother-in-law, and cousin) as well as ones from the world of GR (Wendy, Michelle, Johnnie) and Wendy's work, too (Missy). Yes, the music was sweet, but so was going to a great show in a small venue surrounded by a load of friends.
What to do when a friend is in town during deadlines? Having no time for dinner, a rock show, or any other typical excursion means breakfast. You have to eat the most important meal of the day. Actually, I don't always have it, but I did this morning because Enju from Inoxia Records was in town. Eloise and I picked her up and took her to The Waffle on Sunset.
I met Enju when I was on tour with Damon & Naomi (who have just released an awesome new DVD) and Boris (who recently opened for NIN). She's the Japanese metal band's manager so we bonded behind the merch table. She hooked me up with a nice, brand-new Boris shirt. The song is hot, and so is the T-shirt. (Above, front. Below, back.)
If you see Enju bumming around L.A. over the next few days, buy her a drink! Eloise can't wait to see her again, and hopefully catch Boris for the first time as well.
Matix book-signing at the new Hennessey + Ingalls shop on Thursday, February 12. (A good night to be in Hollywood since The Binges are playing a free show across the street at Amoeba as well...)
What happens to magazines on newsstands that don't sell? Many of them get sent back to the distributor where they are counted (against the publisher's pay) and then shredded. This morning, I went to Highland Park to rescue about 200 returns from our last three issues.
See these bales of Oprah, low-rider magazines, and porn? That's where bundles of GR would have ended up if I didn't pick them up today. Yes, 200 mags is worth about $1000 bucks on the streets. We'll sell some back issues at the shops and online, but many will be distributed at school talks, film festivals, and other such events.
There's so much smut in this nice, clean warehouse, you wouldn't believe it.
Yesterday's inauguration was moving in a number of ways--both a historical turning point and an emotional moment for a lot of people who never thought they'd connect with big-time politics. Through friends like Cate, Anderson, and Konrad--who've participated in the process and invited and allowed us at Giant Robot to be a small part of it--I feel a personal link to President Obama. Crazy. I don't consider myself to be a peer of his in any way, but I really do see him as "one of us." Besides progressive politics, an appreciation of Hawaiian food and culture, and a fondness for street art, something else seemed familiar as I watched the festivities 24 hours ago...
Michelle Obama's dress with one strap and flowers was definitely reminiscent of the gown worn by Wendy when we got married back in 2006. Is it a coincidence that we bought it directly from the designer, Alice Padrul, who is based in Barack and Michelle's home base of Chicago?
And then there was the sort of mustard-colored dress from the inauguration itself. The cut and color family are close to what Wendy wore to our friends Jeff and Tracy's wedding in December 2007. Not a common color to choose, and Wendy was even pregnant at the time. (The dress is from Mimi Maternity.) This was in Honolulu, Barack's hometown! Another coincidence? You can't see them in these pics, but Wendy cited a similarity of shoes, too. No gloves necessary in Oahu.
Wendy wore red, white, and blue in honor of our new Funky President yesterday. So did Eloise. Don't be shocked if you see the First Lady wearing Ben Sherman in the future...
Went back to the house yesterday. Kitchen units are going up, concrete is being sealed, paint swatches are on the walls, metal siding and lighting are being prepped, and a storage unit is being prepared, and landscaping is in the works...
Friday is opening day for Chandni Chowk to China. It's the first hardcore Bollywood film to be distributed by Warner Bros., and it's opening on 160 screens around the U.S. Will Nikhil Advani's take on classic kung-fu flicks find mainstream success?
Action star Akshay Kumar does an impressively shameless job of playing the sad-sack from India who is mistaken by Chinese visitors to be their village's savior--or is he?--and Bollywood vet Mithun Chakraborty is steady as a rock playing Kumar's protector. Most impressive is the stunning Deepika Padukone, who plays twin sisters separated at birth--one a glamorous TV shopping network spokesperson, and the other an ass-kicking henchperson for martial-arts god Gordon (36th Chamber of Shaolin) Liu. In true Bollywood style, the comedy is slapstick, the musical scenes are elaborate, and the action is over-the-top. The acting isn't exactly subtle, either. This particular treatment of martial-arts movies is kind of like Indian version of Chinese food: extra sweet, extra spicy, and extra everything.
The uneven, schizophrenic ways of Bollywood aren't for everyone, but I think any audience will appreciate the high-energy dance choreography and world-class martial arts delivered by Dee Dee Kun. And if you get lost, there are worse places to zone out than amidst the amazing scenery of India, China, and Thailand. For those who have only seen bits and pieces of commercial Indian cinema, perhaps through The Simpsons, this is a very cool way to check out the real thing.
2 hours, 20 minutes is a long time for most moviegoers, but it feels packed with a dense mix of eye-popping colors, gravity-defying martial arts, gorgeous backdrops, clashing cultures, and charismatic actors.
On the way to the office, Indie 103.1 was playing unusually good music this morning: X, The Buzzcocks, The Clash, The Sex Pistols, and Black Flag. I'm not a huge fan of Sid Vicious and his goofball image, but I can see why "My Way" would get in the rotation (I just would have picked the version with the orchestra from The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle instead of the live version of Sid Sings). It's 103.1's last day, and there's a canned message between the songs saying how the station is going online instead of playing lame music. The funny thing is, they hardly ever played Black Flag before today. Maybe if they spearheaded an "oldies punk" format, they would have done better.
I probably won't listen online. For some reason, I like radio that is local--and not blasted around the country. There should be local bands on the playlist, like the Silver Lake band that sounds like the Smashing Pumpkins, the Echo Park band that sounds like Love & Rockets, any of the groups that sound like The Cure, etc. Sometimes I make fun of them, but at least they help me keep in touch with younger bands and make me feel cooler for having seen the "real" groups that they emulate. I also like to hear my tunes coming out of radio speakers instead of via laptop or headphones. Don't ask me why. I'll miss the station--especially Jonesy's Jukebox every day at noon and Henry Rollins' "Harmony in My Head" program. And what will my Friday morning commute be without Barely Legal?
But not all is not bad. When I was listening to "The New World" by X, the part about life being "better before they voted for what's-his-name" really stood out. I'm used to old punk bands talking shit about Reagan and Bush, but most of the bands I like now are pro-Obama, and January 20 is coming up soon! As for the "don't forget the Motor City" refrain, that stays the same...
A couple of weeks ago, I scratched out a couple paragraphs for the Jabberjaw book in progress, and this morning I finally dug up this snapshot of Ian Svenonius and Calvin Johnson, who played together on the much-loved L.A. club's last two nights. Their bands (The Make-Up and Dub Narcotic Sound System, respectively) happened to be staying at my house on that particular stop of their tour and they had an inkling that it was going to be the end. I believe they mentioned it on the way from the Ethiopian restaurant to the show.
Do you have stories or photos to contribute? I wish I had the color print, but this B&W scan from GR10 will have to do. Today's the deadline, so get off your ass and send it in!
Last Wednesday, I was invited to see the just-finished cut of Chandni Chowk to China and do some interviews for our next issue. The trailer is one of the best ever, combining Bollywood's hyper color and epic dancing with gravity-defying kung-fu shot in China, so how could I pass it up? There were actually a lot fewer people in the screening than I expected (maybe a dozen) and I couldn't tell how they took it. If you're a Bollywood fan, you'll definitely have fun with the Indian take on old-school martial arts movies. If you're into kung-fu flicks, you'll appreciate the twists on classic plots and scenes. But if you're not familiar with either genre, you might get lost in the constantly shifting tone--from comedy to musical to action, etc.--or be overwhelmed by irony. I happen to be a fan of both, so I relished all 2 hours and 20 minutes.
The story goes that CC2C's plot is somewhat based on lead actor Ashkay Kumar's life--he was a cook, he lived in Thailand (where a lot of the movie was filmed), and he practices martial arts--and that he signed onto the project immediately after seeing a mock-up poster featuring him in a kung-fu pose. When my photog and I were informed that he was the first person we'd meet, I was amped but a little worried about meeting a tough guy action star on the fly. It turned out he has loads of charisma but is also quite affable. The first thing I asked him was about the rap video that plays through the end credits. Among other things, it features female backup dancers in Bruce Lee jumpsuits and ninja outfits while Akshay struts and poses in sweats and shades. Incredible. It turns out his homie Bohemia wrote the song for him, and that they had actually collaborated with Snoop Dogg on a music video for a previous movie, Singh is Kinng. Whoa. But Akshay is more family man than thug life; we talked a lot about his dad, his son, and traveling with his family.
Director Nikhil Advani was next. He was visibly burnt, probably from finishing the final edit of the move--which was scheduled to play the night before, but was delayed because it hadn't arrived yet--as well as the long flight. It turns out he wasn't a big fan of martial arts movies, but took the job because his producer buddy Rohan Sippy offered it to him. Akshay had already signed on and showed the director kung-fu movies from his personal collection, including The 36th Chamber of Shaolin (which not only inspired him to start practicing martial arts but featured CC2C co-star Gordon Liu). Somehow, Advani made it through the interview and actually gave very frank answers, which I appreciated. I hope he got a boost of adrenaline when he hopped in the limo to the premiere--or at least some coffee.
It looked like our interview with Deepika Padukone wasn't going to happen because she wasn't done getting ready until it was almost time for her to depart for the evening's world premiere. Luckily, PR ace Judy was there to make sure she squeezed us in. When the up-and-coming actress (who plays two roles in CC2C) finally arrived, she was wrapped in a sleeveless, backless, flowing gown. It's weird how certain people can sit on the same chair in the same room as everyone else but make it look totally different. Ben took some awesome pictures of her, and I hope to run one of them full page, full bleed. We'll see. Oh, we did the interview, too. For a former super model, she was shockingly open--very approachable, super polite, and subtly funny--admitting that she's more comfortable in front of a still camera than a moving one.
The soundtrack is already out and the movie opens on a ton screens around the U.S. on the 16th. This is Warner Bros. first real stab at pushing an authentic, non-Westernized Bollywood flick, so give it a shot. You might not get to see one in your multiplex again--definitely not one with Gordon Liu, wirework, and the Great Wall of China.
1. Screwing around by the San Clemente Pier. Tony Tave has it all-- signature skateboard decks for Element, an affectionate dog, and numerous female admirers.
2. Getting ticketed by a lifeguard for allegedly having an unleashed dog--even though Marley was leashed the entire time and there were dozens of other pet owners on the walking path. "Total bullshit," says Tony, "but that's just part of the lifestyle." (In background, Kane provides backup.)
3. Dropping by the C1RCA headquarters so Tony could give feedback on his signature shoe (drops in the fall) and we could check out the other new products (too much to mention). We also checked out his pad and visited some nice stairs, but that's a different story...
I introduced Eloise to Jessica Sanders and Jessica Yu at the Ping Pong Playa DVD signing at GR2. Previously, I had interviewed the Jessicas for GR articles on After Innocence and In the Realms of the Unreal, respectively. Ping Pong Playa is the latter Jessica's latest film.
Afterward, we ate at gr/eats. Where else? Eloise liked the potatoes from my curry udon and vegetables from Wendy's fried rice, and wanted to thank Margie and Nelson for the great food--and the red velvet cupcakes that she didn't get to eat.
At the moment, Cliff's Edge is probably my favorite place for brunch. It's right off Sunset in Silver Lake, but you feel like you're far away from L.A. The dishes are imaginative, good, and not too overpriced, and you feel like you can hang out for a while and not be rushed off. Above, Eloise meets Josie and tries to get Wendy to feed her some of that French toast stuffed with Nutella.
Who won the tag-team cage match of Conroy and Bloody Mary vs. Martin and Chubby Eloise? Only Andrew and Leon know...
This is our friend Steve Reeder--print artist, indie comic zine publisher, marathon conversationalist, and the number-one fan of RFTC. He also helped proofread drafts of GR before he bolted to Europe.
Are you a reader, too? We could use help copy editing, fact checking, and proofreading articles as GR58 comes together. There has been a plague of typos in the last few issues, and perhaps you're the person to help us put an end to that. No, we don't pay, but we always give credit and offer gratitude (and sometimes even have snacks). Of you're in L.A. and can give up some time to volunteer for the GR cause over the next few weeks, let me know. That means you regulars, too!
Went back to the house this morning, and it keeps coming together. One of the day's big topics of discussion between John and Michelle and Rody was the new cement slab that stretches across the new portion of the structure.
One thing that John feels strongly about is that the slab should look constant, from the sides to the tops--inside and out.
The trick is that the inside surface and outside surface have different needs. For example, the outside needs extra slip resistance in case of rain.
Same case for the side steps. This is where we'll be walking from the outside with groceries, little girl, or whatnot. Slipping would not be good.
The outside has to match the kitchen. Solutions to come. It'll look good.
After doing stuff from noon to 7:00 for upcoming articles relating to a certain Bollywood/kung-fu flick (more on that next week), I felt obligated to get my ace photographer friend something to eat before he headed back to 'Pedro. So we dropped by Zankou on Sunset... It seems like Ben always runs into friends wherever we go, and this time it was Jordan (left) who runs Revelation Records. Youth of Today, Gorilla Biscuits, Shelter, Underdog, Judge, Sick of it All, Bold--yeah, you know the label's bands and now I know Jordan. It turns out he was in Hollywood getting documentary footage for online material in conjunction with the new Mouthpiece retrospective that's coming out. Nice. You heard it here first.
I swear, the Los Feliz restaurant's Thai food isn't very good at all, but the Tropical Pancakes are amazing, maybe the best I've ever had--vegan or not. Slightly crispy on the edges, warm and fluffy in the middle, and loaded of blueberries and bananas. So good warm with syrup. Wendy and I always get them with mock chicken and Egz, and then share sides for the perfect mix of sweet, salty, and savory.
Got a call from my friends Gary and Yongqin saying that they were in town for a few days... We always see him at cool Honolulu eateries like Legend dim sum. This time, we got together at Zankou Chicken in Pasadena. It's nice that there are some funky places to eat in L.A., too.
They got to meet Eloise and see her try some hummus and some pita. She didn't get any of Zankou's famous garlic butter, though. No pickled pink things, either.
I don't know when we'll get back out to Honolulu, so this might be our last group picture for a while... We can flop it in Photoshop and no one will even know it was shot with a mirror!
Wendy and I went back to the house yesterday and saw even more completed sections. The stucco on the left of the cantilevered steps is brand new and so is the window. (The corners of the steps have been shaved down so no one's shins get stabbed by them.)
From inside, you can see the recently installed collapsing sliding door that opens up the new family room and kitchen into the backyard. No screen door because (1) that would be ugly and (2) it's too big anyway. We have anti-pest strategies, but there's still a chance this will backfire on us...
Wendy on the other side of the same sliding door. In China, the scaffolding would be bamboo. This must be the California part of CalAsia. The framing around the opening is among the only wood that's still exposed. There are plans to keep a part of it visible so the architects and woodworkers out there can appreciate the geometry.
John and Michelle in front of the French doors that lead into the new, very modest master bedroom. It's hard to believe the construction will be complete in a month or so and we'll be moving back in... The economy sucks, but I think that's been helping our project move along on schedule and get us more for our money. For example, we thought the job supervisor would only be on the site for maybe half the time, but you can tell Rody has been on the site every day attending to the smallest of details and kicking ass!
Got this link from my sister, who runs Kumquat baby clothing. A law is about to go into effect that requires her and other companies that make kids' apparel to test their products for lead. This would be a great idea, except that (1) kids' clothing never has more than a harmless trace of the toxin and (2) testing is simply unaffordable for indie businesses, which will most likely go bankrupt. I'm not even one of those anti-big-government people, but I think that's pretty lame. For more information, check out the National Bankruptcy Day site. (If you choose to "sign" the petition, watch out for the weird donation part that follows. You can just shut the window.)
I promise: no more snowboarding pics for a while after this. I just saved the contents of my SD card to the hard drive and thought I'd share some of the better ones. Above, my sister Angelyn and wife Wendy zone out on the way to the peak of Mammoth.
To get to Dave's Run, you have to get to the far end of the range. I'm not much of a hiker, but I never get tired of this walk. Surrounded by snow-topped mountains, you really feel like you're on top of the world--or maybe even another planet.
Left to right: my brother-in-law Eric, Wendy, Angelyn, and twin brother Greg strap in on top of Dave's. This is my favorite run not only because of the steepness and typically great, wind-packed powder, but because of the ritual of the walk and preparing the descent. (It's my opinion that in snowboarding, skateboarding, and surfing, such moments leading up to the action are as important as the actual activity. This is what separates them from, say, football.)
I hardly ever take still photos of actual snowboarding because the images never look as good as the moments feel in real life. Here, you can't really see how steep the run is or how amazing the surrounding vista is. But you can see Wendy and Angelyn smiling after making some nice turns on the way down.
The sun sets early these days, but we hustled to make outings. Above: Eloise, my sister-in-law Cathy, Angelyn, and her daughter Lucia prepare to hit the road.
Eloise and Lucia bookended by Angelyn and me wearing our babies and Giant Robot hoodies. I'm hoping the cousins will grow closer through trips like this in the future. So many questions, though. When do we start them on the slopes? And do they have to learn how to ski before they snowboard? How much will a lift ticket cost by then? (Right now it's over 80 bucks, but I have a season pass that makes it more affordable.)
Amazingly, the Lumix's flash didn't totally ruin this picture of the gondola ride to the Village with Mom and Dad. Honestly, the destination is no big deal, but going out together is still great. As new parents, my brother, sister, and I are fortunate to be part of a family that sees the value of making annual trips like this. If Mom and Cathy didn't come up to watch Eloise, Lucia, and Greg's daughter Saoirse (below), there's no way we'd be able to hit the slopes.
Started off the new year by hitting the slopes for some early runs with my brother-in-law before driving home from Mammoth. This is the view from Chair 5 at about 8:45 a.m. It offered some really nice, groomed, packed powder. You could really trust your edges and carve some fast, long, fearless turns on the surface.
Two views from Chair 9--much better than the actual run which had some exposed rocks and sheets of ice. Still it was decent, long, varied, and fun. (This lift used to be a clunker of a two-seater that would stop frequently and expose riders to brutally cold winds. Last season, it was upgraded into a cushy, fast, detachable quad.)
We hopped on I-395 around 11:00 a.m. and returned to Los Angeles and reality... The snow level is still pretty low, and another storm is scheduled to arrive tomorrow. I'm hoping it dumps more because I'm not going to get back up to the mountains until after a few looming GR-related deadlines pass. There's a ton of great stuff coming up.
But sometimes, you just have to take a break. That's something I learned from Eloise.
