Thursday, October 30, 2014

Premium Parking In Venice

It's getting harder and harder to find parking in Venice ...


Some people are finding that Smart Cars are easier to park. Some people are clearly upping that game. Just rolling out to Abbot Kinney on a Wednesday night, parking will be a snap. Bam!

Monday, October 27, 2014

A Jay Adams Photo Memorial Bash

Friday night saw the 413 Arts Gallery on Rose packed to the rafters with a house full of Venice Originals, all in attendance to view the exhibit of excellent photographs of the late Dogtown and Z-Boys legend, Jay Adams - and to party their faces off.


Works by renowned skate world photographers like C.R. Stecyk III, Steve Shelp, Chuck Katz, Luke Hudson, Josh Klassman and Cesario Montano adorned the walls and had all the friends and skaters in the house taking their own photographs of them ... if they could move their arms to do so.




There were classic Thrasher covers ...


... Classic photographs from contests over the years, classic mugging from one of skating's biggest characters, and more classic times shared between friends of Adams ... almost like he was still here.


Luminaries from skating and music and Hollywood all rubbed shoulders together with O.G. friends and fans of Adams.


As you approached the gallery, it looked just like a big, bumping house party, which it exactly was, with great art thrown in for good measure.


Tequila and beers were flowing all night long, making it all the more festive - and nuts.


Stories were traded all night, and j's were passed around ... perhaps also in Jay's honor.


After my initial lap around the gallery, I saw that most of the pieces had already been sold, red sticker dots claiming their ownership in someone's new, now cooler art collection.


I caught up with Seven Adams and his darling girlfriend, Anabelle. He's doing well since the death of his father in August, where I had a chance to meet him at the beautiful paddle out memorial at the Venice Pier.


I liked that when I took their photo, Jay was looking over Seven's shoulder ... and with all these guys keeping an eye out for Seven, he's going to be just fine.


The party spilled out on to the front patio and sidewalks, as there was no more room inside for anyone to squeeze in.


Old friends caught up, new ones were made. People that were only friends on Facebook became friends in real life. Christian Hosoi, Jeff Ho, Bennet Harada ... name someone from skateboarding, and they were probably there, if they could be.


Tribute was again paid to a true iconoclast in the history of our community and in skateboarding and surfing ... Adams was the reason for the night, and the reason that so many people once again came together to remember him.



Remembering him is easy ... it's keeping that spirit - and the community itself - together that takes some effort. If Friday night's celebration was any indication ... we're ALL going to be just fine.


Thank you to Cesario Montano and 413 Arts for putting on another great event for everyone gathered.

Friday, October 24, 2014

Water Is Gold

I was over at my friend Lacey's for dinner last night, and as we were sitting down outside after we ate, I noticed a little green plant growing in her backyard that is entirely dirt. It's entirely dirt because we're in a terrible drought, we've had no rain in forever, and no grass would or could grow.


But this little guy sprouted up because condensation builds up on the top of their patio umbrella and drips off directly on this spot. The miracle of water!


Over near where the garden hose is coiled up, there was another burst of life where the spigot drips. Things here want so badly to grow ... but they're dying of thirst.


We made a little barricade around the plant to protect it and see what happens ...



... And then we prayed for rain, so that we all don't wind up like this girl in Paul Gronner's photograph (Closing reception tonight, 6-9 p.m. at the Verge Gallery at Bergamot Station)!

With so many people so concerned with wealth and status and consumption ... it's important to remember that water is gold, and without it, we're dead. That's that. Then today my friend said, "Water is God", and I thought he might be right.


Thursday, October 23, 2014

The Greatest Escape - A Matt Ellis CD Release Show Celebration

A good chunk of Venice ventured east last night to celebrate the release of our brother Matt Ellis' new cd, The Greatest Escape. As it was at 11:30 on a Wednesday in Thai Town at Harvard & Stone, the large westside turnout was extra impressive. But not as impressive as the show, or the new cd.


Leggy Peggy opened the night with some acoustic numbers, before Ellis and his band took the stage to regale us with their brand new songs (the cd was released via Itunes everywhere on Tuesday). It was actually a bit of a modern miracle how rocking they were, considering we were all in a slump after our pre-show Thai meal, and almost asleep.

But then Ellis and his band opened up with "Different Man" off the new album, and it was all the way on from there (and drinks helped). They went right into "I Don't Mind Losing", and followed that one with "Dangers Of The Night", with all its visual storytelling of a girl on her own in sketchy circumstances. That's the thing with most of Ellis' songs, they're all very visual and with full exposition of the tale he's telling, like all the best songs are.


"Heart Of Mine", from the Births, Deaths And Marriages album, can never be played without my thinking of the Ellis family pet, Banjo. He starred in the song's video, and it's just about the cutest dog thing ever. Love it.


But not as much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE the lush, beautiful "Seven Years At Sea". It's my favorite track on the new album, and maybe on any of Ellis' albums. Matt's wife, Vavine, joined him to sing this truly gorgeous, impossible to get out of your head song that details their life and times moving across the seas from Australia to Venice. I completely welled up and had a massive lump in my throat as they sang to and with each other ... for one, because their love is so true and rare (since 19!), and also because Vav is leaving today for two months in Australia and we're all really going to miss her.
I love this stunner of a song, and you will too.


Vav stayed up there for their also-lovely "River Too Wide" (whose video we all starred in, as Dia de los Muertos people!), and it was again awesome. Of course.


"Thank You, Los Angeles" is a good companion tune to "Seven Years At Sea" as it chronicles the time spent in Ellis' new home, and all that has gone down while living here. It's been one hell of a ride, that's for sure.  "Anyone had a shit week?", asked Ellis. One guy named Jake answered in the affirmative, and said it was also his birthday, so Ellis dedicated "Setting Sun" to Jake. It was a swell birthday song, and I really think Jake felt better, according to his smile.


All the band was feeling it, and were extra rocking for the title track, "The Great Escape". On the way to the gig I had told Matt that I cannot get this one out of my head, especially the part that goes "Fire away!" Okay, it's almost tied for favorite.


The final jam of the night took the hipster-rustic Harvard & Stone and turned it into a bit of a honkey-tonk. "I Know A Killer" had everyone dancing in there, a rare feat in a small bar on a weeknight in Los Angeles. So fun. Ellis stopped the song in the middle to break it down ... "This is a band record, two years in the making, and I want to thank them ...". Josh Norton on his fiery guitar got thanked, as did Grant Fitzpatrick on his bass, Tim Walker on pedal steel, and Richard (whose last name I'm blanking on) on drums, who was filling in for Fern Sanchez. They are stellar, and each vastly deserving of the accolades Ellis gave them.

"Now, let's finish this song, have some shots, and whatever else!" said Ellis as they blasted out the last of their show. The "whatever else" was a little tame for us, considering the hour, but we all headed back west feeling both well rocked and thankful - both to Los Angeles and for good friends.


The Greatest Escape is available everywhere now on ITunes.

Congratulations Matt!!!


Monday, October 20, 2014

Verge Photography Show At Bergamot - Art In The Dark

There was a fantastic photography opening at the Duncan Miller Gallery at Bergamot Station on Saturday featuring the Verge Photographers. One of the Verge photographers is my brother, Paul Gronner, so our gang was out in full force for this one.


I thought it was an especially good turnout for a Saturday night art opening when we arrived, with people spilling out of the gallery and into the parking lot. Upon closer examination, I realized that many of the people were outside because there was a blackout inside the gallery, turning the whole thing into a kind of street party.


Inside, no one was deterred from looking at the art they came to see, and everyone had their cell phone flashlights out to better see the great collection of photos amassed here. In addition to the Verge collection, the Duncan Miller Gallery also features classic photos by the likes of Ruth Orkin and iconic shots of Einstein, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid, and all the kinds of images that make photographic work so compelling.


Gronner's art was clearly my favorite (nepotism, for sure), with his gorgeous shots of Venice and sun-baked earth women (timely with our awful drought!) capturing the attention of collectors and babies alike ...


Sarah Hadley had some beautiful seascapes that were highly coveted, and Rico Mandel's work also featured stunning nature shots.


Susan Swihart's photos of regular everyday people were riveting, as were the visages captured by Benjo Arwas, Tami Bahat and Jamie Johnson.


These photographers on the verge of blowing up all made the best of the fact that people couldn't really see their work so well with no lights, enjoying talking about the pieces, sharing wine, and making new friends in the dark.


It wound up being one of the more fun openings in recent memory, as people were in this case using technology/cell phones to unite us for once ... lighting up the dark, and drawing us closer, rather than ignoring everyone around us while we glue our faces to screens.

As the power didn't return until the very instant the opening was over (seriously), the show's run has been extended to this Friday, October 24th, where there will be a closing party starting at 6 pm ... until the lights go out for real.


Congratulations to Paul Gronner and all the Verge Photographers on a truly inspiring and excellent show. It truly lit up the dark.



*Cool gallery shot 2nd to last by Matt Ellis.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

The October Venice ArtBlock - Artists In Their Natural Habitat

I dig the Venice ArtBlock. It's free. It's for everyone. It's what Venice is all about. The October session was Sunday, another perfectly Indian Summer day, exactly made for strolling about town and snooping around the studios where our local artists work, and in some cases, live.

For this edition, I sadly had very little time, as I was all over the place last weekend, so I had to have a solid game plan. As it's always hard to see everything, no matter how leisurely your day is, I tried to hit up things I didn't see the last time around.


I began with a visit to my dear friend Amy Kaps over on Electric Avenue. She is a true artist, both in her projects and by how she lives her life. Her mission statement of sorts reads, "An interdisciplinary artist with a predilection for the abstract and surrealistic emphasizing the human form and condition."


That's right. She recently did a performance art piece where she was bound up in neon green streamer-like fabric that unraveled as she traversed Chung King Road in Chinatown, where she wound up back at the gallery nude. Kaps has courage.


She has a whole black and white stripe piece that she does, and has also created some gorgeous art clothing that you would love to wear, but they're just so precious they have to be hung on display. We had a lovely time (another day of sipping champagne!) chatting and just discussing art. What a treat.


Onward to the Lantern House on Milwood, owned by another dear, Scott Mayer.


His gorgeous home is famous for all the lanterns hung in his trees, but it's even cooler to enter the gardens and bungalows that make up his compound, with all the millions of beautiful and interesting things to look at.


Mayer has a lot of his own art and collections of curios to look at, but on this Sunday he also hosted the artists Aurelia Dumont, Leonardo Ibanez and Jens Lucking.


All were displayed in and around Mayer's house and gardens, and you really almost couldn't handle how great it all was.


On we went up California, where we stopped in to see and meet Emily Van Horn and Mardi De Veuve (another day of Veuve!) Alexis in her great, airy studio. The art was excellent, and they also served some delicious cucumbery spa water that was most welcome by that stage of the bike ride (thank you!).


As my clock was ticking, I sped over to the nucleus of the ArtBlock over on Vernon and Sunset Avenues. I've been to those studios many times, but there's always something new, and always good friends and great art to see.


I checked out the music at Attaway's studio, where it's always the most fun during Art Block.


They had a grill going right out on the sidewalk, giving it all that neighborhood bbq feeling, and there was art everywhere you looked.


I walked through the mobile Gypsy Trails Gallery, whose concept I love, and they always have cool works on display, this time by Hayley Colston.


I stopped in at the Alberto and Ara Bevacqua studio, where I also got to see our friend, Ellwood Risk, showing off his extra-cool pieces. He even gave me a poster, that I love.


I ran through The Distillery Building on Vernon and saw some great stuff ...



... especially from MB Boissonnault, Rachel Bujalski, Taylor Barnes, Cari Lee and the always awesome to visit studio of Jim Budman, but was in such a mad rush that I didn't really get to get to know it or discuss it with anyone ... as we were about to go make some art of our own!


That's again, what it's all about. Thank goodness we live in such a supportive artistic community, where inspiration and encouragement is yours every single day.


You merely have to open your eyes. The opening of your heart and mind will soon follow. Go!