It’s been a beautiful past few days in Southern California, and I’ve got the pictures to prove it.
Further proof that Winter is simply a state of mind….
Tag: Los Angeles
[The Audiofiles] Consciousness and Creativity Collide as The Gem & Jam Festival PreParty Descends on Los Angeles
– Photos by Daniel Leist Photography –
Through times of greatness and times of strife, moments of genius and seconds of insanity – the most bonding force we have is music. Sound, purported by old Native American tribes is the glue truly holds the universe together on vibratory strings, sonic spiderwebs and fractaling frequencies – and modern day scientists now understand it, the universe was propelled apart in an equidistant motion by intense vibratory sound waves after the Big Bang. As socio-economic boundaries are broken down while far reaching forms of social media are on the rise, it makes all too much sense that music has become the bonding factor of my generation. Humans are a tribal bunch, we naturally congregate around those who share similar values, morals, senses of humor – and what better litmus test of a personable friendship than full immersion into festival culture? Festival Culture. It’s where people hug instead of shake hands, strangers are simply friends whom you haven’t met, clothing more resembles costumes and the community itself is a giant support system and music is our religion.
Just the other weekend, some of Southern California’s biggest fans in Bass Music – including my group of pretty party personalities – descended upon The Fonda Theater for a night where consciousness and creativity collided in a spectacle of audio-visual delight. The evening featured a wonderful cross section of community, music, culture and art sponsored by Euphonic Conceptions, In The Loop and The Do Lab as the upstairs area manifested into a Burning Man-esque vendor bazaar, hosted by Los Angeles’ own Grateful Generation. The night featuring booths from local vendors of permaculture, art, essential oils, 
gems, jewlery and costumes like K’ulu Misk’i, Lunavore Designs, Mostly Minerals, vibrant long exposure photography by Harmonic Light so much more entrenched in momentary lush surroundings.
With Jonathan Singer setting a vibrantly trippy visual mood, Soulular set the tone for the evening with a stellar opening set as live visual artists Sam Flores, Amanda Sage, and Alex + Allyson Grey got down on live paintings much to the crowd’s delight. Desert Dwellers followed with a downtempo ‘World Bass’ set, followed by the convoluted, glitchy dubstep sounds of Thriftworks, who got the crowd in a frenzy; the cherry on top of the ice cream sundae being an unexpected appearance by Russ Liquid on the Trumpet, eventually ebbing into Russ Liquid‘s flow. My first Random Rab experience was last Summer for a sunrise set at Lightning in a Bottle, so I had little to no idea of the musical prowess he had in store for the evening. For almost two hours, the entire arena was transfixed to the sounds and visuals stemming from the Entheon Stage as we were swept down a rabbit hole of music and wonder.
From start to finish, the evening was swimming with fantastic company, boasting the best of their personalities while getting down in their most exuberant, colorful and quirky duds. It was beautiful to watch the paintings manifest as each musician, one by one graced the epic Entheon Altar DJ Booth, a 3D printout of the official Entheon structure modeled by digital sculptor Ryan Tottle, who made an appearance for the evening. Crowdfunded through Kickstarter and lovely backers of the arts, the official Entheon building will play host to Alex Grey’s incredible, immersive art at the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors in New York, known to most as CoSM. And the stage is most certainly set for the official Gem & Jam Festival, happening in Tucson, Arizona from February 6-9
As the Official Gem and Jam Festival Gets Closer, the Pre Parties continue heating up across the West Coast. This coming Friday, Gem & Jam will be getting groovy with Vibesquad in Albuquerque, New Mexico, as well as Flagstaff, Arizona with Kaminanda, and Safi’s Lab. On Saturday. Pumpkin and Late Night Radio bring the funk to Austin for the official Texas PreParty. Last but definitely not least, don’t forget about the grand finale – the Gem & Jam Festival itself! Thrown in conjunction with Infinite Music, Euphonic Conceptions, New Earth MuZiQ and Challenger – the Gem and Jam Festival is reaching a historic 9th year and can’t wait to celebrate with you.
Set in conjunction with one of the world’s best gem shows, for three days and nights, the air of Tucson will be vibrant with Glitchy, Dubby, Wobbly and downright Trippy West Coast Bass and Jam Music sounds of renowned producers and astounding musicians like Random Rab, Desert Dwellers, Pumpkin, Late Night Radio, Emancipator Ensemble and Thriftworks. With hip-hop influenced acts like Ill-esha and Amp Live from Zion I, there’s a bit of something for everyone in your crew. While they’ve got your feet moving and your soul grooving, let your mind wander and eyes roam the grounds with astounding live art to match from the likes of Amanda Sage, Xavi, the Welch Brothers, Benedigital and of course – Alex
and Allyson Grey, founders of the fabled Chapel of Sacred Mirrors. Come and witness the influence the cross section of artistic prowess and musical genius, as performance art of all shapes and sizes influences each other over the weekend. With a healthy dose of intelligent dance music and mindboggling artwork, the weekend will truly appeal to all of the senses, maybe even your 6th.
Our entire photo gallery can be found here on The DJ List.
For more details on the festival itself, read on after the event photos
[Get Free] Los Angeles Museums Offer Up Free Admission On January 31st
I don’t know about the rest of you, but FREE is one of my favorite F words. Get free, be free, freedom…and then – there are the free things in life that make our already glorious lives that much sweeter. For the last few seasons, I’ve shared my assorted adventures gallivanting through some of the most gorgeous gardens, arboretums and parks on the West Coast. in search of the perfect picnic plot, a summertime reading nook or simply a splendid location for an afternoon stroll. From Southern California through Utah and Colorado, Northern California into Oregon, Washington and Canada – I’ve loved them all, and I’m still on the hunt for more. With the Getty, Getty Villa, Huntington Gardens and UC Berkeley’s Botanical Garden – though the main attraction truly is the astounding grounds they all reside on, the museums that each facility boasts is creme of the crop, top notch and has international acclaim.
At the end of the month, some of the best museums in the Los Angeles area are pairing up the local Metro to celebrate a decade of free education at the “Museum Free-For-All”. On January 31st (and, for some, February 1st), assorted museums are slashing their admission prices so the general public can ogle for free. Any specialty ticketed exhibitions are except from the offer and regular parking does apply, but that’s a small fee to fork over for an amazing, mind opening day. Participating museums are as follows – and if the museum is offering a Sunday admission, it’s noted.
- Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
Annenberg Space for Photography
Armory Center for the Arts
California African American Museum
California Science Center
Chinese American Museum
Craft Folk & Art Museum
Fowler Museum at UCLA
The Getty Center
The Getty Villa (Timed Tickets Required)
Hammer Museum
Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA)
Los Angeles Fire Department Museum and Memorial
The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles (MOCA)
Museum of Latin American Art
Museum of Tolerance (Sunday, Feb 1)
The Paley Center for Media
The Page Museum at the La Brea Tar Pits
Pasadena Museum of California Art
Santa Monica Museum of Art
Skirball Cultural Center
The Torrance Art Museum
USC Pacific Asia Museum
William S. Hart Museum
Zimmer Children’s Museum (Sunday, Feb 1)
Whether you’re a science nut, a nature nerd or an art afficianado – there’s absolutely something for everyone, and a perfect excuse to get your family, friends and favorites together for a wonderful weekend at the museum. After rummaging through the list, I realized that I’ve only been 20% of the museums – most likely, I’ll be running around between the California Museum of Sciences, the Annenberg Space for Photography and hopefully I’ll be able to squeeze in the Getty Villa one more time too. I love learning, I love expanding my center of knowledge and I love doing it with the people nearest and dearest to me. If you can’t make it out that weekend, don’t sweat it – there are loads of museums and gardens that offer spotted free admission once a month.
The Arboretum – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month
Descanso Gardens – Free the 3rd Tuesday of Every Month
The Huntington Botanical Gardens – The First Thursday of Every Month
Getty Villa – Admission is always free, Parking is on a Pay Basis
What are your favorite museums? Do you have any tricks of the trade for free admission? Let everyone know in the comments below!
[Oh, Snap] A Holiday Stroll Through The Descanso Gardens
As I’ve grown up over the years, the holidays have become less and less about the physical, tangible presents exchanged among family and friends, and in turn – more and more about the actual holiday presence of the same individuals. I mean, sure – who doesn’t love a gift every now and again; especially if it’s heartfelt and / or handmade. My parents are pros at both of those, but to this day I honestly still prefer long strolls and chatting them up to anything that money could actually buy. The other week, I was struck with an awkward work situation – I was going to be the big boss for a few days while my boss was out, but for the Friday and Monday after the holidays. My original feelings were a hodgepodge of frustration, anger and sadness that I wouldn’t be able to spend the days with my parents, but instead of getting into a bind about it – we did a quick about face; for the first time since moving down to LA, they were finally going to visit me for the holidays and enjoy a crisp, clear Christmas in the City of Angels.
The crazy thing about living in East Los Angeles is that I’ve gone from being surrounded by city streets, skyrises and bustling public transportation into an area that’s a much slower pace of life, and where nature is seemingly more abundant, though in truth – maybe I’m finding it more frequently, because I’m looking for it more. Over the last year, Danny and I’ve explored a plethora of parks and finally – we’re running out of Botanical Gardens to introduce ourselves to in the area; it’s a beautiful thing! After the local options are exhausted, we’re going to spend our weekends traveling – in search of the serenity that only nature can provide. After tackling Griffith Park, The Huntington and The Arboretum – it was time to conquer the Descanso Gardens and I was stoked to bring my parents along for the ride. Being a holiday, there were barely any people in the park which was nice – and for the record, the Descanso Gardens are only closed a few days of the year, Christmas Day being one of them.
After spending the early afternoon galavanting around and grabbing some quick and hunger quenching pizza at Blaze in Pasadena, we were off to Descanso – located right about where the 2 and the 210 meet in La Canada / Flintridge. Unlike the other gardens we’ve visited which were much more in the heart of the city and centrally located, Descanso is a little further out of range of the city and has the stunning landscape to prove it. We started in the Japanese Garden and wound around to the Live Oaks Forest, the Camelias, a California Native Plant Garden and last but certainly not least, the wonderful Rose Garden. But, that’s not to say we always stayed on the beaten path – we definitely jumped off a few times, hiked through the hills and stole a stunning view of the city. Though there wasn’t as much color or variety as the other gardens we’ve been to (which, truthfully, could just be due to the time of year) – I really enjoyed strolling through and enjoying the forested areas. The Descanso Gardens are perfect for a mid-week walk, artistic inspiration or a little reading on a beautiful day.
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[Oh, Snap!] A Beautiful Day Off at The LA Arboretum
One benefit of completing less than half of my Thirty Before Thirty Bucket List is that I already have a substantial start on my list for my 31st Birthday next year. Even though I’ve kicked myself a bit on the things that were left half undone or completely neglected, admittedly I’m equally impressed with the caliber of quests I’ve accomplished. Between becoming quite a kitchen kitten with my pickles and olive oils, crafting candles, learning to use a DSLR, and covering both National and Internationally renowned music festivals – I’ve knocked a few pegs off my list and I’m itching to add more. One that I’m excited to continue into the New Year is my Resolution on hiking a new botanical garden, historic park, museum or arboretum to visit. With a ridiculously fun birthday weekend on tap, I planned ahead and took today (the day after my actual birthday) off of work to celebrate, relax and rejoice in whatever personal what I felt. So, Danny and I descended on a lovely day-venture at the Los Angeles County Arboretum in Arcadia.
The very first thing I noticed were just how many peacocks were roaming the area – and hummingbirds, butterflies, bunny rabbits and assorted wildlife. We had a wonderful time gallivanting through the African and Australian Outbacks, wistfully wandering around waterfalls and stealing every stunning view we could.
The most staggering thing for me were those multiple moments where I’d lost all sense of location, time and place; for all I knew, I was in Northern California or Utah, Arizona or Washington. For a second, I was transported out of the tug-of-war of Los Angeles traffic and personalities and delicately displaced into acres upon acres of lush rolling grass, rose gardens, carnivorous gardens, greenhouses, succulents and my personal favorite – the bamboo groves.
For more on the LA Arboretum, check out their website, Facebook or Twitter – or if you happen to live in the Southern California area or are plotting a visit, just store the GPS Info in your phone like, now. Fun fact: on the Third Tuesday of every month, admission is free!
[The Audiofiles] The Weird Went Pro as Beats Antique’s Creature Carnival Tour Closed Out in LA
The next generation of Electronic Music synthesizes the audio, visual and tactile elements into one musically inspired organism. It captivates each and every one of the senses without overstimulation, leaving each listener, dancer, hooper, light show artist inspired, engaged and wanting more. Sure, bass is beautiful and heavy hitting drops know just how to shake your soul to the core; but there’s something to be said for the empty space between the notes, a whimsical auditory adventure in Eastern Scales and stage performers oozing with professional energy. The next generation of EDM is already here – and it’s been waiting for you.
A triumverate of trippy, World Music inspired beats and elegant compositions – David Satori, Tommy Cappel and Zoe Jakes – Beats Antique has been crafting beats and captivating audiences since 2007. This past Autumn, they took North American by Storm for their Creature Carnival Tour, with Lafa Taylor, Simon Posford in a Shpongle DJ Set and ethereal, downtempo EDM guru Emancipator in tow. After a bevvy of successful stops, in November the tour drew to a poignant close at Los Angeles’ famed Shrine Exposition Hall. Host to raves like HARD 13 and How Sweet It Is, and shows from the likes of Q-Dance, Above & Beyond, Kaskade – The Shrinewas the perfect setting for the whimsical event, boasting a bevvy of beautiful beats. The night started off with Lafa Taylor on the mic and slowly shifted to a moody, melodic set from the Portland based producer Doug Appling with Ilya Goldberg getting down on the violin. Penultimate was none other than producer Simon Posford is a unique Shpongle DJ Set. Last time I was lucky enough to get my Shpongle on, he had the Shpongletron 3.0 and Zebbler by his side. Though the visual spectacle was subdued, the music was on point – as Shpongle proceeded to throw one hell of a party, giving new life to old tracks and some from his latest album the Museum of Consciousness ( though admittedly, most names are so obscure that I have issues remembering them)
Last, but most certainly not least, were Beats Antique – accompanied by a stellar performance troupe in exquisite costume. The Creature Carnival Tour was about More than a menagerie of musicians and expertly devised compositions, The Creature Carnival Tour was about the audience – the community – who come together with such poise and grace. Strangers become friends, flowing around each other and often – even with each other, as many had brought hoops, poi and the like as they let their freak flags fly with delight.
[ Click for Entire Album – Shot by Daniel Leist ]
[Let’s Celebrate] Friendsgiving
‘Tis the season for festive candles, home cooked meals, holiday cards and spending time with the ones you love; sure, Thanksgiving is right around the corner – but Friendsgiving? That simply never goes out of style. Living in Los Angeles, as in many big cities, there are twice as many transplants as locals. A good proportion of which stay around for the holidays and end up below the radar for Thanksgiving, if they’re not flying solo. Not that you need an excuse to get the gang together or have an ‘orphan’ dinner, but I couldn’t think of a better one than this family infused time of year.
First things first, you need someone that’s willing to both offer up their home for the night and then deal with the mess the next day; sure, guests will help but as the drinks keep flowing – you might want people to keep away from glassware and plates and enjoy simpler, less chaotic activities that won’t result in broken dishware. And remember, crystal is nice – but it’s less nice when it’s shattered on the ground; this is an opportune time to get some plastic plates and forgo dishes for the evening. Get a group e-mail chain going and confirm what everyone’s bringing to ensure everyone leaves with a happy heart and a full stomach, and to avoid appetizer overlap. If you’re hosting, the turkey is on you – and if you’re attending, don’t forget to bring a little somethin’ somethin’ for the entourage beyond your appetizer and or dessert like spiked eggnog, homemade candles, a magnum of wine, or the like. Reserve your status as host(ess) with the most(ess) by creating room for plenty of beer, ice for any coolers and Cards Against Humanity is a must. – . Oh, and don’t forget a camera and a kickass sound system!
Last weekend was my first Friendsgiving since college, so that’s almost ten years. And it’s really taken me that long to come back into my own skin. It’s been a while since I’ve had a group of individuals that I’ve felt this at home and in touch with, and each and every day I’m infinitely thankful that they’re in my life. We all combined culinary forces for a night that went down in infamy, fully equipped with beer pong, dance parties and Polaroid pictures.
The Bouncy Kitty 
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