Though his name isn’t widely recognized, Herman Stein was a very influential American composer. Though he composed hundreds of film scores, he was most influential in for his work within the genres of horror and science-fiction. Some of his most recognized scores were created for Creature from the black lagoon, The incredible shrinking man, It … Continue reading Herman Stein – Architect of the Sound of Science-Fiction
Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring Along the Orange Line Extension
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** The Metro Orange Line extension opened on the 30th of June, less than two weeks after the opening of the final two stations (Culver City and Farmdale) of … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring Along the Orange Line Extension
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The 17th Central Avenue Jazz Festival
THE CENTRAL AVENUE JAZZ FESTIVAL Every year for the past 17 years, during the last weekend in July, LA residents and visitors are treated to the preeminent jazz event on the West Coast with The Central Avenue Jazz Festival. It’s free and open to the public – last year, 35,000 attended. The focus, of course, … Continue reading The 17th Central Avenue Jazz Festival
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Southern California Night Markets – the Return of the 626
The first 626 Night Market was a victim of its own, unanticipated success. Taiwanese-American organizers Jonny and Janet Hwang struggled to get enough vendors to commit even after lowering fees to the point that they expected to lose money. The Facebook page had about 2,000 fans a couple of weeks before its debut but … Continue reading Southern California Night Markets – the Return of the 626
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California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Altadena, the Community of the Deodars
INTRODUCTION TO ALTADENA When people hear the disyllabic sounds, “alta” and “dena,” I would wager that most of them think of the well-known City of Industry-based Alta Dena Dairy, which was started by the three, Missouri-born Stueve Brothers in Monrovia, California in 1945. Oddly, more than five minutes of internet research hadn’t helped me figure out … Continue reading California Fool’s Gold — Exploring Altadena, the Community of the Deodars
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Los Angeles’s AM Radio
REMEMBER RADIO? If you're at all like me, when you're in the mood to listen to music, radio is one of the least likely places you turn. There was a time (1983 till around 2000) when the radio was the primary source of my exposure to new music. When I moved to LA in 1999, … Continue reading Los Angeles’s AM Radio
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Happy 4th of July
Bruce Springsteen Toby Keith U2 Galaxie 500 Bruce McCulloch Eric Brightwell is an adventurer, writer, rambler, explorer, cartographer, and guerrilla gardener who is always seeking writing, speaking, traveling, and art opportunities — or salaried work. He is not interested in generating advertorials, clickbait, listicles, or other 21st century … Continue reading Happy 4th of July
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Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography art opening at 1650 Gallery
In a recent poll of Americans conducted by Public Policy Polling, only 33% of respondents said that they view Los Angeles favorably whereas 40% view it negatively. 27% stated that they’re not sure. Of America’s largest five cities (New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Houston, and Philadelphia), LA is the only one with a higher negative … Continue reading Pendersleigh & Sons Cartography art opening at 1650 Gallery
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Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Expo Line and its Surroundings: Phase 1 (Minus 2)
With bicycles, buses, ferries, planes, rideshares, sidewalks, subways, taxis, and trains at Angelenos’ disposal, why would any sane person choose car-dependency? Nobody Drives in LA celebrates sense and sensibility in transportation. ***** The first train to the Westside followed nearly the same path as the Expo Line of today. The steam-powered Los Angeles and Independence Railroad (LA&I) connected downtown Los … Continue reading Nobody Drives in LA — Exploring the Expo Line and its Surroundings: Phase 1 (Minus 2)
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For Ozoners Only — On this day, in 1933, the first drive-in theater opened
THE FIRST DRIVE-IN An advertisement for the first Drive-In The first drive-in theater opened on 6 June, 1933 at 2901 Admiral Wilson Boulevard in Camden, New Jersey. It was the invention of Richard M. Hollingshead Jr, who'd began screening films outdoors at his home with a 1928 Kodak projector sat on the roof of his car. … Continue reading For Ozoners Only — On this day, in 1933, the first drive-in theater opened
Eric Brightwell 