In Defense of Hollywood

My friend Patrick has done it again.  That is, re-named his band.  (Band names post here.)  Nerds & Jerks is the new name and it's lasted for a few months - I think this one is official.

The newly-ish christened Nerds & Jerks has entered a songwriting contest to win a trip to LA.  Excellent.  The song had to be about West Hollywood. In it, Patrick sings that Hollywood is "dirty and bleak."  While he has a point about a certain stretch of Hollywood Boulevard that contains the Walk of Fame and is perpetually flooded with tourists and all the "low-lifes" who prey on them, that is not all my neighborhood has to offer.

CLICK HERE to see the video of their song and I suppose, if you must, click the vote button to show a little support - for the band, not their dismal view of my neighborhood.  Sigh.

I must admit that Hollywood does not have the best reputation as far as LA neighborhoods go.  When we were first looking to move out of downtown, Hollywood is the one place I was sure I wanted to steer clear of.  So, of course, that is where we ended up.  However, it turns out Hollywood is fabulous and I absolutely love living here. 

I spend just about every day exploring Griffith Park, Runyon Canyon, and the Hollywood Hills - all without ever having to get into my car.  I can also walk to a ton of bars, restaurants, retail shops, the post office, the farmers' market, and the all-important Trader Joe's.

So, aside from the nightlife, which is always "poppin" as the kids these days may or may not say, Hollywood is a land where, as evidenced by my phone, morning workouts and afternoon walks look like this:

and this:

And grocery shopping looks like this:

Nothin' but love.

Pianos and Pretty Ladies

After writing my first ever potentially controversial post yesterday, Dan and I went to Pasadena for a day of $2 movies.  I saw Super 8 (awesome) and Mr. Popper's Penguins (I know, I know.  $2 bucks, though!)  I found myself a little uncomfortable as I was watching Jim Carry get pooped on by a penguin - and not just because I was watching Jim Carry get pooped on by a penguin.  I was fidgeting in my seat because I was worried about upsetting someone with my views on the whole Sunset Junction Music Festival debacle.  You see, I'm a people-pleaser. That's a whole other post. 

As I fidgeted my way back to Hollywood I found myself wishing that I had the soothing sound of Jaime Black to accompany me home.  I discovered Jaime Black last week when I walked with a friend to The Piano Bar on a whim.  They have free music every night of the week and we were in the mood for some free and some music.

We were greeted with the sound of Jaime's soft voice and ethereal melodies.  I would describe her music as "yoga folk."  This is not usually my cup of tea, but her calming presence on stage coupled with unexpected instrumentation made for an engaging night of music.

 

Jaime's ReverbNation page describes her genre as "gothic folk."  I love that. Although I feel the recordings online do not do justice to her live performance, they do retain the calming effect. 

As you can see from the photo above, The Piano Bar is a cool little spot.  Would you like to see more photos of the space?  Why don't we start in the bathroom.

 

{ Very cool music sheet wall with a little added love. }

 Ok, I may have only taken 3 photos, 2 of which were in the bathroom.  Sorry about that.  I promise to be a better blogger in the future.  While you wait, check out Jaime's gothic/yoga/folk here.

Brenna, Brenna, Bo-Benna

Last night I went with a couple friends...

{ Say hello to Debbie and Stephanie. }

... to see Brenna Whitaker and her Little Big Band perform at the W Hotel.  She has been performing in "The Living Room" at the W every Sunday for the past 9 months.  Cozy though it may sound, The Living Room is actually a huge space connected to the lobby of the hotel.  Every Sunday night Brenna packs the place - mostly with Hollywood hotties.  The W is within walking distance (in heels) from my apartment, so it's an easy Sunday night with a huge payoff.

What can I say about B-Dub?  She is the perfect marriage of insane talent and vibrant charisma.  This girl has a huge and versatile voice that is spell-bounding live.  A quirky blonde cutie, I find it hard to take my eyes off her while she is performing.   During her second set she usually has some guests perform.  Past guests: Michael Buble and Stevie Wonder.  Holy cow, right?!  I haven’t been there for any big names, but the guests are always high caliber talent and she shares the stage graciously (even during uncomfortable moments when a military widow jumps up on stage and does a stripper-esque dance for her late husband).  Still, I find myself wishing their songs to be over so Brenna will get back on stage.

Last night her guests happened to be a trio of burlesque dancers. A delightful surprise.  I think they were called the Brookettes or Brooklyn's Burlesque?  I did a little research this morning and was unable to come up with anything.

Despite the fact that the first time I met her was a long time ago in the bathroom of a tiny club where she was performing in downtown LA, I am now star struck.  I have wanted to get a picture with her - as any groupie would - but even though she has walked right by me several times, I haven’t been able to work up the nerve to ask.  Stay tuned.

While you wait on pins and needles for me to work up some courage, you can check out Brenna's music here.