Anti-Casual Fridays (aka Formal Fridays aka Dress Up Fridays) and the Decline of the Western Civilization

Casual Fridays (also known as Dress-down Fridays, Bis-Cas-Fris, or simply Casual day) began in the 1950s as employer-sanctioned faux-rebellion. Obviously just a perversion of natural order, occasionally those who don’t observe are required to pay a small fee. Interestingly, it’s like Saturnalia or April Fool’s day, a tool to keep the oppressed happy under the … Continue reading Anti-Casual Fridays (aka Formal Fridays aka Dress Up Fridays) and the Decline of the Western Civilization

Broadway is My Beat

Broadway Is My Beat, was a dark, gritty radio drama that began airing 62 years ago today on CBS, debuting 27 February 1949. The series revolved around Times Square homicide detective Danny Clover. NEW YORK ERA When the program debuted, it was produced in New York City. Clover was portrayed by actor Anthony Ross, a … Continue reading Broadway is My Beat

Shangri-La Sundays Presents Tim & Eric’s Awesome Set

Time: Sunday, March 6 at 7:00pm - March 7 at 12:30am. Make sure to mark that on your calendar and in your mobile phones and tricorders.   Location: R Bar LA 3331 8th St - WILSHIRE CENTER / KOREATOWN. CLICK HERE to see the Facebook event page and confirm that you're attending... then invite all of … Continue reading Shangri-La Sundays Presents Tim & Eric’s Awesome Set

Xu DaRocha, Andre Miripolsky and Timothee de Price Exhibit at Gallery Lorenzo

If you're in or around Los Angeles tonight, you should definitely check out the opening of the Gallery Lorenzo in Melrose. Eric's Blog interviewee and my favorite LA artist, Xu DaRocha, is exhibiting her five-painting Fold series along with works by Andre Miripolsky and Timothee de Price. There will also be live music and it should be … Continue reading Xu DaRocha, Andre Miripolsky and Timothee de Price Exhibit at Gallery Lorenzo

Gina T is coming to LA!

Eurodisco star Gina T is performing Friday, November 12th at the Club 740 in Downtown, Los Angeles in a concert sponsored by Keep On Music (KOM), an organization committed to preserving and spotlighting Italo/Eurodisco -- often aka Vietnamese New Wave. Gina T is a gold and platinum singer as well as songwriter for other artists. She … Continue reading Gina T is coming to LA!

Happy Hundredth Birthday, Tyrus Wong!

Tyrus Wong is a Chinese-American artist who's most best-known work was as the background artist largely responsible for the look of Walt Disney's 1942 film Bambi. He's also worked as a landscape painter, muralist, ceramicist, lithographer, designer and kitemaker. Some of his well known paintings include Self Portrait, Fire, Reclining Nude, East and West. At … Continue reading Happy Hundredth Birthday, Tyrus Wong!

The Story of Frankie & Johnny — Happy Missouri Day

In recognition of Missouri Day, here's a brief breakdown on Missouri's second most famous couple (after the fictional Tom Sawyer and Becky Thatcher), a real-life couple usually referred to as Frankie and Johnny. After Frankie caught her man in flagrante delicto with another woman, Alice Pryor, and shot him dead, it was commemorated in numerous songs and … Continue reading The Story of Frankie & Johnny — Happy Missouri Day

Happy Birthday, Oscar Wilde!

The second most-read writer in the English language is also, in my opinion, the funniest. Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on 16 October 1854 in Dublin, Eire. He is probably the most quotable figure in the English language as well, having coined too many clever epigrams to choose just one to represent his wit. Oscar … Continue reading Happy Birthday, Oscar Wilde!

Famous Grey Raincoat — or — Silly Goth, Vampires Are for Kids!

In honor of this lovely weather we're having here in Los Angeles, I'm going to blog about the so-called Raincoat scene. Before Goth -- for that matter, before New Grave, Dark Wave, Cold Wave or any of those other overly specific scenes (that I will dutifully write about in time), the British music press took to … Continue reading Famous Grey Raincoat — or — Silly Goth, Vampires Are for Kids!

Colombian-Americans – Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!

In the US, the word "Latino" is used often, regardless of accuracy, as shorthand for a region's dominant Latino population. In the southwest it usually means "Mexican," in the northeast it means "Puerto Rican" and in Florida, "Cuban." Indeed, those are the three largest populations of Latino-Americanos in the country, although it goes without saying … Continue reading Colombian-Americans – Happy Hispanic Heritage Month!