Entertainment For Lively Minds
Time Off in LA
Posted by fortuneight on 13 July 2009 - 5:49pm.
Off to LA next month on business. Managed to tack some free time on at the end - 4 whole days in fact. And no FPO to monitor how long I spend in the record shops. I'm giddy with excitement already.
I've been there a few times before, but not in the last 5 years or so. I've done all the obvious tourist stuff in the past so I wondered if the Massive had any recommendations for this trip. Not much on the to-do list so far -
- Amoeba Records
- Second Spin in Sherman Oaks
- Book Soup (I'm staying just up the road)
- A return visit to the Museum of Tolerance
Any other ideas? Any Massive members in the area fancy a beer one night?
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Drive up Laurel Canyon
At night. Preferably in a convertable. Stop at the top for the views. Then pop into the Laurel Canyon Store on the way down.
Don't wear a Grateful Dead t-shirt*....
when I was 19 I drove around the US with a friend and towards the end of our trip we headed for LA. When we reached the outskirts we were flagged down by a cop who then ordered us out of the car at gunpoint and did the whole 'up against the wall and frisk' thingy you see in the movies. He informed me that there had been an armed robbery nearby and that the suspect was seen to be wearing a Dead t-shirt. I was genuinely scared having never had a gun pointed at me before (or since for that matter) and just about managed to blurt out that we were English, had no guns and hadn't robbed anybody. The cop soon realized he'd made a major error and was incredibly apologetic. He insisted on giving us an escort to where we were staying. I briefly felt like a member of Led Zeppelin or some other humungous rock band before remembering that we were driving a $400 Chevette and not a limousine.
* In case Stimpy should read this, I liked The Grateful Dead's skull and roses designs despite finding their music fairly unlistenable. Just wanted to clear that up.
They've probably stopped looking for the blokes by now
Something vaguely similar happened to me once, nowhere near as dramatic but it still gave me a start.
I was staying in West Hollywood and went for a walk and I wandered into the cemetary where Valentino is buried. I was no more than 20 metres into the place when a cop car came out of nowhere (it must have been behind a tree) and with siren blaring it blocked my path.
A policeman got out and demanded to know who I was and what I was doing there. I said with a thick Australian accent (which got thicker by the second) "I just came in for a look." As soon as I spoke he said "Welcome to our country" and was nice as pie from then on.
If that's how they protect their graveyards I'd hate to think how they protect their banks.
go to the Frolic Room for a beer
Its next door to Pantages theatre (where Wicked is showing) just off Vine St. Capitol Studios staff and artists call it "Studio F", their studios are named A,B and C. It is 40's style and was filmed in LA Confidential.
I always love a drink in the SkyBar on Sunset Blvd - great views over the city and the inhabitants are very plastic LA. I usually have a good time in here.
The bar of the Sunset Marquis just off sunset can be very rock n roll. I have had a drink with BradnAngelina, Ant & Dec and Morrissey in there (on different occassions!) Their Whiskey bar late at night can catch fire.
Rainbow Bar on Sunset for comfort food and old rock stars. Try the chicken soup. Its outstanding.
El Ray theatre is a great gig venue.
And get yourself to Paradise Cove in Malibu or Santa Monica beach and watch the sunset there and you will be missing the FPO I promise you!
Have fun.
You Could Visit Famous Movie Scenes
Mrs Smithylad and I had great giggles riding the lift in the Westin Bonaventure pretending we were Clint Eastwood and John Malkovich in In The Line of Fire. We enjoyed ourselves so heartily, in fact, we did it twice:
http://www.starwoodhotels.com/westin/property/overview/index.html?proper...
Here are a few other film locations to be going on with:
http://www.seeing-stars.com/locations/70sLocations.shtml
Further to
above comments....
Go up Laurel then onto Mulholland Drive (play "Rebecca" by Albert Hammond at this point) then turn East towards Universal Studios but take a photo looking down onto the Hollywood Bowl.
Seek out Rhino Records (South of UCLA), not the label but the store, which I found to be better value but not as extensive as Amoeba.
Lucy's El Adobe Cantina - it's a MUST, absolutely, if you are into the whingeing West Coast singer/songwriters such as Webb, Souther, Eagles like I am. It's on Melrose just west of Paramount Studios. The photos on the wall are reason enough to visit, let alone the piano donated by Jimmy Webb himself. With any luck Webb's sons will be hanging out there too: the Webb Brothers are top value. It is essential that you should listen to Webb's "Crying In My Sleep" before your visit.
I have a fine soundtrack to accompany your trip if you would like a copy! Oh and I heard today that there is a rock walk on Sunset ("you can see all the stars as you walk down Hollywood Boulevard") like there is on Hollywood, might be fun.
I LOVE LA.