Today is so painfully beautiful outside there is just no way to be inside typing. So just enjoy the view ...
... Brought to you today from Playa de los Amigos (better known as 27th & The Pacific Ocean).
Ahhhhhh.
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
L O V E N I C E!
Today is so painfully beautiful outside there is just no way to be inside typing. So just enjoy the view ...
... Brought to you today from Playa de los Amigos (better known as 27th & The Pacific Ocean).
Ahhhhhh.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Shooter Jennings & Hierophant - Black Ribbons
The new album Black Ribbons by Shooter Jennings, and his new band Hierophant, is nothing short of jaw-dropping. It's a good old-fashioned "Concept" album, complete with between track narration by Stephen King, here playing the part of radio D.J. "Will O' The Wisp", on the last hour of free speech airwaves before they're taken over by the government.
Truth be told, I was impressed before I even played one track on the album. The packaging (beautifully executed by Sonny Kay) is super cool, original and heavy ... just like the disc inside. The American flag with its stripes turned into black ribbons - Whoa. Black crows and black ribbons tied around trees let you know that you're about to dig into something of weight. Then the bright orange disc itself printed with "Killing for peace is like fucking for chastity", instead of any title or name. So honestly, Shooter had me from hello on this one, but let's dig deeper together, because it deserves it.
From the opening track, "Wake Up!" and its throw-down of Atari-like electronica beats just moments into it, you know this isn't what some of Shooter's more country-style fans might have been expecting. Tough. I actually got into a little Facebook fisticuff with some of those fans that want Shooter to shut up and play his Dad's songs (if you don't know, Shooter is the son of Outlaw Country legends Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter). Basically, "What happened, Shooter?! Put the O back in Country!" - Them. "Artists are expressing their own visions, not yours. Go Shooter!" - Me. Having said that, it doesn't even matter what musical taste you have, as this album has it all ... Hard rock, ballad, country, electronica, punk rock ... It's a clear reflection of the multitude of influences someone growing up in the 80's that loves all kinds of music would have, and want to explore.
A gang of us from Venice went downtown the other night to the Grammy Museum to hear Shooter and his producer, Dave Cobb, discuss the making of Black Ribbons in the intimate and casual setting of the Grammy Sound Stage. In the program for the event, Shooter is quoted as saying, "I knew I didn't have just a record on my hands, I had a mission." That is absolutely clear, especially when you hear the dialogue from Mr. King/Will O' The Wisp (that was written back and forth between King and Shooter, who have still never met!). It's heavy, honest, quasi-anarchist stuff - all of which I whole-heartedly endorse. Government, Corporations, War Mongers, Media, Posers, Consumer Culture ... Shooter is on to you. And calls you all out, as you should be. ("They'll try to turn me against you, so that divided we'll turn to them" - Wake Up! "They create a problem so they can provide a solution ... there are guns instead of roses" - The Breaking Point. And that's just for starters.)
Shooter explained during the Grammy talk that he was going through a lot of personal reflection in the time leading up to this album. Having had his first child, Alabama, born to him and his lady ("High Priestess"), Drea De Matteo, and feeling like the world was falling apart as he drove their RV across the country, listening to radio DJ Art Bell trip him out, and the one Blue Oyster Cult c.d. they had along with them ("He definitely didn't fear the reaper" - Dave Cobb). As bad as things were getting in society at large, Shooter himself was feeling lucky for his own blessings, and the album was spawned out of that - and a need to get out all of these musings boiling over inside of himself.
Scott Goldman (VP of MusicCares and the Grammy Foundation) did a pretty good job of keeping Shooter ("I feel like Cosmo Kramer on The Actor's Studio") and Dave on course, but the beers soon delivered, and their obvious respect and sense of comfort with each other kept the evening fun and informal, while lending insight into to the process behind the making of such an ambitious project. Both Shooter and Dave are extra tech-savvy, so the conversation often went more down the path of the how's and why's of achieving different sounds with Analog, Pro-Tools, etc ... (to the point where Dave stopped himself in the middle of it all by saying, "Dork! Dork!") vs. getting into the meaty lyrics (I'd love to have seen a lyric sheet included in the disc package, as they pack a strong wallop) and between-song truth telling. There really may need to be a Grammy Museum talk sequel on this one ...
Shooter had the song, "Black Ribbons" to begin with (I first heard it on The Justice Tour that Shooter's friend, Tom Morello, asked him to join. He played it before a group from Iraq Veterans Against The War, and from that moment I thought it should be their theme song. With its chorus about "Man down, tie a ribbon 'round my soul ..." - the album version even ends with the sound of marching soldier boots - it couldn't be more apt for them). He began to define the vision to Dave Cobb, who Shooter said "Will get excited about any song idea I have, even if it's about a singing monkey". To which Dave responded, "All of his records are just Shooter being honest. An idea might be crazy, but it's crazy honest." And they were off.
Though it was a deeply personal journey for Shooter, this album was also a blast to make, it sounds like. They'd drink and play and experiment and have fun, but all the while they were creating something epic and BIG. Big like you can't help but think of Pink Floyd (especially David Gilmour) while listening. The main cheerleaders and support system for Shooter during the recording process were Drea (who came up with a slew of the album's ideas) and his friend, Danny Coakley. Shooter said one night they thought they'd re-invented music and created the new "Stairway To Heaven" - only to have Danny come in and just squirm and shake his head while listening. As Shooter put it, "It sounded like Yes (the band), but Danny let us know it sounded like No." Crack up.
My favorite track on the album - it's huge and beautiful and classic - is "All Of This Could Have Been Yours". Shooter played it on the Grammy Museum's grand piano, and it gave me goosebumps - again. He explained how Black Ribbons is a piano record, and he'd write lyrics on his Blackberry, propped up on the piano. He'd have to stop and roll the little ball to keep going, and then he'd pass it on to Dave, who "can spot what's good about an idea and get where I'm coming from, which is invaluable."
Shooter was also inspired by a book from the 70's called The Hero Within by Carol S. Pearson. In it, she talks about the six archetypes we all live by: Innocent, Martyr, Warrior, Magician, Orphan and Wanderer, and how they change as different phases of our lives take center stage. Each Black Ribbons disc contains one of the six archetype cards (I got Warrior), and each song - musically and lyrically - does too. As I mentioned before, each song is different from the next. "Fuck You, I'm Famous" is a punk-ish party jam; "God Bless Alabama" is a little bit country, a little bit rock-and-roll; "Summer of Rage" has synth, horns, xylophone, choir, you name it; "Lights In The Sky" even has Autotunes on it (which I cannot stand, personally. It's a trend, and a lame one at that. It jolts me out of whatever I'm hearing, and to me is like Shooter taking the stage wearing orange Croc's - but that is the only quibble I have with the entire production)! I would suggest you listen to the album straight through, in its entirety - maybe on your own RV road trip - to feel its whole impact, and to recognize the enormity of its parts.
I deeply respect and admire anyone who stretches themselves out of the box they were born into, and Shooter has certainly done that with this grand in every way album. Upon multiple listenings, each time I am reminded of the famous Che Guevara quote, "A true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love." I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Black Ribbons is a revolutionary album - full of deep and important musings about the state of our world today, from someone who some may have thought an unlikely source. Revolutionary in thought, but also in his uprising against expectations placed on him. All of that aside - though it really can't be placed aside - the dominant feeling I'm left with after each listen is a true sense of love. Shooter's love for music, his family and friends, his country, and that feeling of, as Stephen King puts it, "Put all ten middle fingers in the air and dance, my Brothers and Sisters!"
Love and appreciation that we'd better express often, and while we can. Our world and our time is fragile, and it's an enthusiastic high-five I offer to Shooter Jennings and Hierophant (and Dave Cobb, Drea, Danny, and Stephen King, etal) for not putting their mouths where the money is, but where their hearts are, with this profound, genre-bending, statement of an album.
"The love of mankind may still come out on top. Our children's children might still live in a better, more beautiful world. Do I believe that? Yeah, with a glass of Jack in one hand, I manage." - Will O' The Wisp
Black Ribbons is available to blow - and expand - your minds. Right now.
*Photos by Paul Gronner
Truth be told, I was impressed before I even played one track on the album. The packaging (beautifully executed by Sonny Kay) is super cool, original and heavy ... just like the disc inside. The American flag with its stripes turned into black ribbons - Whoa. Black crows and black ribbons tied around trees let you know that you're about to dig into something of weight. Then the bright orange disc itself printed with "Killing for peace is like fucking for chastity", instead of any title or name. So honestly, Shooter had me from hello on this one, but let's dig deeper together, because it deserves it.
From the opening track, "Wake Up!" and its throw-down of Atari-like electronica beats just moments into it, you know this isn't what some of Shooter's more country-style fans might have been expecting. Tough. I actually got into a little Facebook fisticuff with some of those fans that want Shooter to shut up and play his Dad's songs (if you don't know, Shooter is the son of Outlaw Country legends Waylon Jennings and Jessi Colter). Basically, "What happened, Shooter?! Put the O back in Country!" - Them. "Artists are expressing their own visions, not yours. Go Shooter!" - Me. Having said that, it doesn't even matter what musical taste you have, as this album has it all ... Hard rock, ballad, country, electronica, punk rock ... It's a clear reflection of the multitude of influences someone growing up in the 80's that loves all kinds of music would have, and want to explore.
A gang of us from Venice went downtown the other night to the Grammy Museum to hear Shooter and his producer, Dave Cobb, discuss the making of Black Ribbons in the intimate and casual setting of the Grammy Sound Stage. In the program for the event, Shooter is quoted as saying, "I knew I didn't have just a record on my hands, I had a mission." That is absolutely clear, especially when you hear the dialogue from Mr. King/Will O' The Wisp (that was written back and forth between King and Shooter, who have still never met!). It's heavy, honest, quasi-anarchist stuff - all of which I whole-heartedly endorse. Government, Corporations, War Mongers, Media, Posers, Consumer Culture ... Shooter is on to you. And calls you all out, as you should be. ("They'll try to turn me against you, so that divided we'll turn to them" - Wake Up! "They create a problem so they can provide a solution ... there are guns instead of roses" - The Breaking Point. And that's just for starters.)
Shooter explained during the Grammy talk that he was going through a lot of personal reflection in the time leading up to this album. Having had his first child, Alabama, born to him and his lady ("High Priestess"), Drea De Matteo, and feeling like the world was falling apart as he drove their RV across the country, listening to radio DJ Art Bell trip him out, and the one Blue Oyster Cult c.d. they had along with them ("He definitely didn't fear the reaper" - Dave Cobb). As bad as things were getting in society at large, Shooter himself was feeling lucky for his own blessings, and the album was spawned out of that - and a need to get out all of these musings boiling over inside of himself.
Scott Goldman (VP of MusicCares and the Grammy Foundation) did a pretty good job of keeping Shooter ("I feel like Cosmo Kramer on The Actor's Studio") and Dave on course, but the beers soon delivered, and their obvious respect and sense of comfort with each other kept the evening fun and informal, while lending insight into to the process behind the making of such an ambitious project. Both Shooter and Dave are extra tech-savvy, so the conversation often went more down the path of the how's and why's of achieving different sounds with Analog, Pro-Tools, etc ... (to the point where Dave stopped himself in the middle of it all by saying, "Dork! Dork!") vs. getting into the meaty lyrics (I'd love to have seen a lyric sheet included in the disc package, as they pack a strong wallop) and between-song truth telling. There really may need to be a Grammy Museum talk sequel on this one ...
Shooter had the song, "Black Ribbons" to begin with (I first heard it on The Justice Tour that Shooter's friend, Tom Morello, asked him to join. He played it before a group from Iraq Veterans Against The War, and from that moment I thought it should be their theme song. With its chorus about "Man down, tie a ribbon 'round my soul ..." - the album version even ends with the sound of marching soldier boots - it couldn't be more apt for them). He began to define the vision to Dave Cobb, who Shooter said "Will get excited about any song idea I have, even if it's about a singing monkey". To which Dave responded, "All of his records are just Shooter being honest. An idea might be crazy, but it's crazy honest." And they were off.
Though it was a deeply personal journey for Shooter, this album was also a blast to make, it sounds like. They'd drink and play and experiment and have fun, but all the while they were creating something epic and BIG. Big like you can't help but think of Pink Floyd (especially David Gilmour) while listening. The main cheerleaders and support system for Shooter during the recording process were Drea (who came up with a slew of the album's ideas) and his friend, Danny Coakley. Shooter said one night they thought they'd re-invented music and created the new "Stairway To Heaven" - only to have Danny come in and just squirm and shake his head while listening. As Shooter put it, "It sounded like Yes (the band), but Danny let us know it sounded like No." Crack up.
My favorite track on the album - it's huge and beautiful and classic - is "All Of This Could Have Been Yours". Shooter played it on the Grammy Museum's grand piano, and it gave me goosebumps - again. He explained how Black Ribbons is a piano record, and he'd write lyrics on his Blackberry, propped up on the piano. He'd have to stop and roll the little ball to keep going, and then he'd pass it on to Dave, who "can spot what's good about an idea and get where I'm coming from, which is invaluable."
Shooter was also inspired by a book from the 70's called The Hero Within by Carol S. Pearson. In it, she talks about the six archetypes we all live by: Innocent, Martyr, Warrior, Magician, Orphan and Wanderer, and how they change as different phases of our lives take center stage. Each Black Ribbons disc contains one of the six archetype cards (I got Warrior), and each song - musically and lyrically - does too. As I mentioned before, each song is different from the next. "Fuck You, I'm Famous" is a punk-ish party jam; "God Bless Alabama" is a little bit country, a little bit rock-and-roll; "Summer of Rage" has synth, horns, xylophone, choir, you name it; "Lights In The Sky" even has Autotunes on it (which I cannot stand, personally. It's a trend, and a lame one at that. It jolts me out of whatever I'm hearing, and to me is like Shooter taking the stage wearing orange Croc's - but that is the only quibble I have with the entire production)! I would suggest you listen to the album straight through, in its entirety - maybe on your own RV road trip - to feel its whole impact, and to recognize the enormity of its parts.
I deeply respect and admire anyone who stretches themselves out of the box they were born into, and Shooter has certainly done that with this grand in every way album. Upon multiple listenings, each time I am reminded of the famous Che Guevara quote, "A true revolutionary is guided by great feelings of love." I don't think it's hyperbole to say that Black Ribbons is a revolutionary album - full of deep and important musings about the state of our world today, from someone who some may have thought an unlikely source. Revolutionary in thought, but also in his uprising against expectations placed on him. All of that aside - though it really can't be placed aside - the dominant feeling I'm left with after each listen is a true sense of love. Shooter's love for music, his family and friends, his country, and that feeling of, as Stephen King puts it, "Put all ten middle fingers in the air and dance, my Brothers and Sisters!"
Love and appreciation that we'd better express often, and while we can. Our world and our time is fragile, and it's an enthusiastic high-five I offer to Shooter Jennings and Hierophant (and Dave Cobb, Drea, Danny, and Stephen King, etal) for not putting their mouths where the money is, but where their hearts are, with this profound, genre-bending, statement of an album.
"The love of mankind may still come out on top. Our children's children might still live in a better, more beautiful world. Do I believe that? Yeah, with a glass of Jack in one hand, I manage." - Will O' The Wisp
Black Ribbons is available to blow - and expand - your minds. Right now.
*Photos by Paul Gronner
Monday, March 29, 2010
Surfing Cowboys
The front of Surfing Cowboys is painted with a sign that says "Purveyors of Beach Culture & California Lifestyle" and that pretty much sums it up. Owners Wayne & Donna Gunther have created a bright, happy space filled with all of the items that make the feeling of California living obtainable, wherever you happen to dwell. Old and new come together to create a sense of place that is both a tribute and a groove.
Wayne and Donna met in Chicago, then traveled and worked as photographers until they decided to settle in the space that now houses Surfing Cowboys. They lived in a corner of the back, and as they traversed the world, they collected things for the California house they would one day have. People would come to the store for photo shoots or peek into the windows, wondering what was going on inside, and everyone always commented on how much they loved the things they were seeing. So much so that the Gunthers decided to open a store, to share the things they had, to pass them on to cool homes, and also to have fun. They came up with "Surfing Cowboys" to capture the spirit that both words embody, and that vibe permeates every corner of the shop.
People are always asking the Gunthers where they get their things, and they always say "There is no 'stuff' place" ... they're just always on the road, seeking out gems for the shop, bringing in only things that speak to their hearts, and that they feel will serve as inspiration for those good California vibrations. In fact, they said that people often write "Inspiration" on their receipts to their accountants for purchases made from Surfing Cowboys. That tells you something.
Having been open on Abbot Kinney for over a decade, they know their customers, and are extremely grateful to the Venice community for in turn inspiring them. As all of us have mixed emotions about the change and progress of Venice, and the mix of new and old, so too do Wayne and Donna. They feel strongly that it's up to us to be Preservationists, to protect the spirit of the place, and make sure it keeps its soul. In celebration of that spirit and soul, Surfing Cowboys has mounted a wonderful show from the Collection of Oakland-based John Favors of Hippie Folk Funk Art: Anonymous Social and Political Expression of the 60's and 70's, on now until April 12th.
90% of the items displayed in this show are anonymous works, which I like a lot about it. The artists were doing their work not for the bottom line, but because they HAD to. Those times created in artists a NEED to protest, a need to express, and that is evident in how ALIVE it all feels. As Donna said, "These are the collectibles, the folk art, of the future." Wayne added, "People always comment on how bright the store is. Our collective psyche has been lethargic, we've all been muted ... There is a reason that the art is bright ... We need it." The art reflects, "Social justice, politics, music ... and a lot of drugs." For all of the above reasons, it's a perfectly appropriate show for Venice.
Highlights of the show for the Gunthers (and for me) are the big American flag made up of black stripes and skulls in place of stars that Mark Twain (being an anti-Capitalist/Imperialist) suggested as the alternative U.S. flag. Another great piece is the Mickey Mouse head that contains a factory of filth and dollar signs inside its skull. All of it: colorfully painted protest helmets, bejeweled guitars, old skateboards, paintings rife with social commentary, collages, and perhaps my favorite, a wooden Uncle Sam store display that they call "Haight Ashbury Wants You", depict a special place and time, that both realize the value of, and celebrate the spirit of, an entirely bonkers era ... while recognizing the similarities to today's crazy as ever world.
Mr. Favors explained his collection and the impetus behind gathering things that were anonymously done, by saying that "Folk art stands on the strength of its visual vs. the pedigree of the name. Their style was their signature ... they were doing it for the mere ART of it, and so it sings."
This show indeed sings. It sings of the colorful, radical 60's and 70's, but it also sings of the colorful, radical Venice of today, spirit and energy intact, despite the changes along the way. It was interesting to me that the day after the opening of this Surfing Cowboys show ("Take as many pictures as you want."), I went to the opening of the Peter Max show ("No photography!") on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. While both shows celebrated the colors of the past, it was clear that the bottom line of the Max show was "Selling" (as I was directly told by one of the Gallery workers), while to the anonymous artists of the show on Abbot Kinney, the point was merely Art for Art's sake. Interesting, because art and commerce have been such talking points as to the continued preservation of the Spirit of Venice.
Cheers to the Gunthers for their continued work towards that preservation of spirit, and for being a unique and lively "Cool Stuff Shop." The inventory is always changing, but is constantly a hub of creativity. Stop in to discover, learn, and most of all, to be inspired.
Surfing Cowboys
1624 Abbot Kinney Blvd.
Venice, 90291
310.450.4891
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Studio Surya Yoga ... VENICE Yoga
Venice is different than Santa Monica ... real different. Yet lots of Venice people I know still haul over to Santa Monica for their Yoga classes for some reason. I'm here to tell you, no need. Studio Surya Yoga is smack dab in the middle of Venice (right off the Windward Circle next to Bike Attack), and is as serene and lovely as could be - a pure reflection of its owner, Yonnus Becker.
Yonnus is a California girl, born and bred. She grew up in Laguna Beach, the daughter of some fun sounding hippie parents (setting up their first Sawdust Festival booth naked but for hats), that made up her interesting name, and gave her the freedom to do what she loved.
That meant traveling, majoring in Classical History at UCLA, getting every kind of license available (Contractor's, Teacher's, you name it ...), and generally being a bit of a wild child. She moved to New York (because she felt like it) and it was there she really both got into Yoga. Walking home from an NY class one day, she decided that would be her next big endeavor - opening her own studio. In Venice, California.
Venice appealed to her because there really wasn't (and still really isn't, besides Studio Surya) a great yoga place in Venice. She felt that it was the only place that made sense to her (as so many of us feel), and as she said, "I want people to be interesting", and they certainly are in Venice. She sold everything and went for it, because life is short and you need to do what makes you feel good. The current location was the first place she looked at, and after re-doing the entire space herself (laying the hardwood floor (!), painting, hanging things, all of it), Studio Surya opened in February of 2009.
And there Yonnus, along with a team of hand-picked teachers - "smushy love balls" all - have been teaching Hatha Yoga classes seven days a week ever since. I've only been to Yonnus's Vinyasa Flow class so far, but can't wait to experience the evening Candlelight Flow class ... or any more of them, for that matter. Yonnus is a great teacher, super kind-voiced and positive, reminding you to (well, for me, to breathe) have gratitude, and realize that "The gift is to slow down and appreciate yourself." - always good advice. She gives you options for the easier or harder you want your positions to feel, and gently helps you to be better than you thought you could be at it all.
Yonnus is so warm to be around, and it made total sense when she expressed that she wants to be YOUR Yoga Studio for VENICE ... for, as she put it, "Non-Showbiz Yoga." You know exactly what she means too ... the packed classes with the fragile looking trophy wives and dudes that like to pick up on them. The Scene-y yoga. Blech. This is nothing like that. Studio Surya is again, a gentle Yoga. Yonnus doesn't subscribe to a lot of the usual Yogi dogmas - she's not vegetarian, she likes music other than sitar, she doesn't make students brush her hair during class (Weird, Mr. Bikram), etc ... - feeling that to each, his or her own. The best part is just that you know she actually cares. She'll come around and soothingly reposition you. The class ends with her placing a lavender eye pillow over your eyes, relaxing you with a little massage on your feet, and a delicious aromatherapy spray shows up somewhere in there ... but that all could've been a dream, so chill was I then, after the trembling legged earlier part of the class. Oh, and very importantly these days, she keeps it extra affordable.
Yonnus said that when she set out to create her own studio, she wanted it to be with no ego or pretense, and serve as an environment where students can feel cared about. "People in Venice WANT to be connected, the polished and unpolished all together ... we can raise each others' vibrations." Now doesn't that philosophy sound perfect for here?
Yoga aficionado that lives in Venice? Well, you're stoked.
Studio Surya Yoga
1501 Main Street #106
Venice, 90291
310.910.4740
Yonnus is a California girl, born and bred. She grew up in Laguna Beach, the daughter of some fun sounding hippie parents (setting up their first Sawdust Festival booth naked but for hats), that made up her interesting name, and gave her the freedom to do what she loved.
That meant traveling, majoring in Classical History at UCLA, getting every kind of license available (Contractor's, Teacher's, you name it ...), and generally being a bit of a wild child. She moved to New York (because she felt like it) and it was there she really both got into Yoga. Walking home from an NY class one day, she decided that would be her next big endeavor - opening her own studio. In Venice, California.
Venice appealed to her because there really wasn't (and still really isn't, besides Studio Surya) a great yoga place in Venice. She felt that it was the only place that made sense to her (as so many of us feel), and as she said, "I want people to be interesting", and they certainly are in Venice. She sold everything and went for it, because life is short and you need to do what makes you feel good. The current location was the first place she looked at, and after re-doing the entire space herself (laying the hardwood floor (!), painting, hanging things, all of it), Studio Surya opened in February of 2009.
And there Yonnus, along with a team of hand-picked teachers - "smushy love balls" all - have been teaching Hatha Yoga classes seven days a week ever since. I've only been to Yonnus's Vinyasa Flow class so far, but can't wait to experience the evening Candlelight Flow class ... or any more of them, for that matter. Yonnus is a great teacher, super kind-voiced and positive, reminding you to (well, for me, to breathe) have gratitude, and realize that "The gift is to slow down and appreciate yourself." - always good advice. She gives you options for the easier or harder you want your positions to feel, and gently helps you to be better than you thought you could be at it all.
Yonnus is so warm to be around, and it made total sense when she expressed that she wants to be YOUR Yoga Studio for VENICE ... for, as she put it, "Non-Showbiz Yoga." You know exactly what she means too ... the packed classes with the fragile looking trophy wives and dudes that like to pick up on them. The Scene-y yoga. Blech. This is nothing like that. Studio Surya is again, a gentle Yoga. Yonnus doesn't subscribe to a lot of the usual Yogi dogmas - she's not vegetarian, she likes music other than sitar, she doesn't make students brush her hair during class (Weird, Mr. Bikram), etc ... - feeling that to each, his or her own. The best part is just that you know she actually cares. She'll come around and soothingly reposition you. The class ends with her placing a lavender eye pillow over your eyes, relaxing you with a little massage on your feet, and a delicious aromatherapy spray shows up somewhere in there ... but that all could've been a dream, so chill was I then, after the trembling legged earlier part of the class. Oh, and very importantly these days, she keeps it extra affordable.
Yonnus said that when she set out to create her own studio, she wanted it to be with no ego or pretense, and serve as an environment where students can feel cared about. "People in Venice WANT to be connected, the polished and unpolished all together ... we can raise each others' vibrations." Now doesn't that philosophy sound perfect for here?
Yoga aficionado that lives in Venice? Well, you're stoked.
Studio Surya Yoga
1501 Main Street #106
Venice, 90291
310.910.4740
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
The Old Man & The Sea
March feels crazy. From the political fighting, to the loss of two friends in one week (Peace to Dr. John Michel and Nichole Stavros Jenny), and I really could go on ... it's all been a bit aggro lately. Which is why an interaction I have most weekday mornings is so special.
There is a little group of Russian expatriate Senior Citizens that come to sit and look at the Ocean each morning in the shade of the Police Station/Poetry Wall (I love that irony, by the way). All the little old ladies are fully made and dressed up, and they visit - and sometimes sing - in Russian, so happy and appreciative just to be out there looking at the stunning morning.
One old gentleman (like 90's old) always sits apart from the others, and parks his chair with wheels (not a wheelchair) right next to where we park our bikes each morning. After exchanging smiles and waves for a while, I finally asked his name. "Leon", (pronounced like Lyon in a thick Russian accent) he said as he grasped my hands tightly. So since then, I go over to him every time and we hold hands for a minute and eke out a small-talk exchange about how absolutely beautiful the day is, usually. It always lifts my spirits because he's so dang happy to see you, and also funny, as it seems like he sits apart from the others so they don't cramp his style or something.
I hadn't seen Leon in about a week, and after losing Dr. John before ever really hearing his whole story, I started to get nervous that maybe he wasn't well. Yesterday, amid all the chaos of the swirling world - and my own kaleidoscopic thoughts - I looked up to see Leon sitting in his usual spot when we returned from our morning constitutional. We both lit up to see each other, and I rushed over to greet him/hand hold. As we were pecking out a conversation, a lovely old woman strolled up, almost shouting, "Tank you! Tank you! He ees my husband, he tell me about you! He love you!"
Now I felt both a bit busted, and completely heart-warmed. Evidenced by the love shining out of the eyes of both of these gems - for each other, but also for Jenny and I - a mere fleeting moment of greeting and connection per day is a big, big deal. And you know what? I feel the same way. The clear appreciation between two people that don't know each others' stories or pasts, and can't even speak each others' languages, but care and take the time to let each other know that ... well, these days, that IS a big deal. I've long said that my favorite genres of people are babies and old people ... and that's mostly for their honesty.
"We veel talk sometime, I veel translate!", said Mrs. Leon (I still couldn't make out her name after three times), so stay tuned for the epic Russian saga sure to come from that.
No one knows what tomorrow may bring, so amid the March Madness, I encourage you to let your people know that they are loved. From your Mom, to the Old Man and The Sea.
"Everything about him was old except his eyes, and they were the same color as the sea, and were cheerful and undefeated."
Cheerful and undefeated ... that's us. Me and Leon.
*Photos by Jenny Ev's.
There is a little group of Russian expatriate Senior Citizens that come to sit and look at the Ocean each morning in the shade of the Police Station/Poetry Wall (I love that irony, by the way). All the little old ladies are fully made and dressed up, and they visit - and sometimes sing - in Russian, so happy and appreciative just to be out there looking at the stunning morning.
One old gentleman (like 90's old) always sits apart from the others, and parks his chair with wheels (not a wheelchair) right next to where we park our bikes each morning. After exchanging smiles and waves for a while, I finally asked his name. "Leon", (pronounced like Lyon in a thick Russian accent) he said as he grasped my hands tightly. So since then, I go over to him every time and we hold hands for a minute and eke out a small-talk exchange about how absolutely beautiful the day is, usually. It always lifts my spirits because he's so dang happy to see you, and also funny, as it seems like he sits apart from the others so they don't cramp his style or something.
I hadn't seen Leon in about a week, and after losing Dr. John before ever really hearing his whole story, I started to get nervous that maybe he wasn't well. Yesterday, amid all the chaos of the swirling world - and my own kaleidoscopic thoughts - I looked up to see Leon sitting in his usual spot when we returned from our morning constitutional. We both lit up to see each other, and I rushed over to greet him/hand hold. As we were pecking out a conversation, a lovely old woman strolled up, almost shouting, "Tank you! Tank you! He ees my husband, he tell me about you! He love you!"
Now I felt both a bit busted, and completely heart-warmed. Evidenced by the love shining out of the eyes of both of these gems - for each other, but also for Jenny and I - a mere fleeting moment of greeting and connection per day is a big, big deal. And you know what? I feel the same way. The clear appreciation between two people that don't know each others' stories or pasts, and can't even speak each others' languages, but care and take the time to let each other know that ... well, these days, that IS a big deal. I've long said that my favorite genres of people are babies and old people ... and that's mostly for their honesty.
"We veel talk sometime, I veel translate!", said Mrs. Leon (I still couldn't make out her name after three times), so stay tuned for the epic Russian saga sure to come from that.
No one knows what tomorrow may bring, so amid the March Madness, I encourage you to let your people know that they are loved. From your Mom, to the Old Man and The Sea.
"Everything about him was old except his eyes, and they were the same color as the sea, and were cheerful and undefeated."
Cheerful and undefeated ... that's us. Me and Leon.
*Photos by Jenny Ev's.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Sponto Gallery a Historical Landmark!
We spent so much time within the colorful walls of Sponto Gallery, and when we lost him last year, the fear was that those special days and memories were over. But today the L.A. City Council designated the space as a City Landmark! From the Beat Generation days when it was the Venice West Cafe, to our madcap tenure as honored guests of Sponto's ... all of it will be celebrated for years to come. I don't know yet what form it will take, but this is an excellent beginning!
Here's the link.
YOOOOOOO- E!!
Here's the link.
YOOOOOOO- E!!
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