As They Are: Alicia Keys feat. Ne-Yo and Jordin Sparks

Monday, May 5th wasn't exactly a typical Cinco de Mayo celebration, but there was dancing and singing...and drinks weren't absent from the scene either. My roommate and I headed out to the Staples Center (7th/Metro Red Line Station is just a few blocks north) to see the Alicia Keys' "As I Am" concert.

The tour has been in the press lately because of one vocal incident or another - first Jordin Sparks had to rest and then Alicia Keys. But somehow, we managed to get the anticipated line-up by the time it reached the LA area. Each artist, while cozy in the home of mainstream-friendly pop/r&b music, had a different performance - expressing in their own way the title of Miss Keys' latest album 'As I Am'...

Jordin Sparks' set had the air of the newcomer - the semi-familiar music accompanied by a garage band kind of set-up. A mix of a small venue concert and American Idol, Sparks was pleasant to listen to and it was nice to be assured a good live performance (American Idol would churn that out best). I had hoped that with the prescence of Ne-Yo, we'd get to hear a different performance for "No Air" (her duet with Chris Brown), but it was a pared down version - which may have worked out better for me if I didn't like the duet so much. Sparks' first hit single - "Tattoo" - was the obvious crowd favorite and the one everyone could sing along too (which they did!).

Ne-Yo - whose new album Year of the Gentleman drops June 24th - presented his set based heavily on the stylistic idea of the classic gentleman, complete with his signature hats, a band in straight angled suits and fedoras, and women dancers in their elegant best (40% of the time anyway). Like the classic gentleman of film noir, the show is smooth, charming, and definitely exuding sex appeal. The women-centered music provided a showcase for the talented female dancers that bring his words to life (emphasis on the sex appeal). Undoubtedly, Ne-Yo's set begins and ends with the audience understanding perfectly that Ne-Yo is not only a singer and a performer, but also one with style.

I wasn't sure what to expect with Alicia Keys. I've liked her music and particularly love her latest album As I Am. But when the signature persona is a woman and her piano (and a great persona at that) - what else would/could be added? Lights, modern-day doo-wop girls, dancers, Jermaine Paul, a band, and *two* pianos. Her show featured a storyline of a young Alicia Keys discovering the starmaker. This journey leads the audience through a great selection of her songs through all her albums, with key moments framed around her most recognizable hits. Not suprisingly, the starmaker? It's Alicia Keys herself - and as all her themes go, its everybody in the audience who has their dreams that they want to achieve. And this theme carries itself through her show, as the backup vocalists and dancers get their time in the sun, as the audience sings along, as the importance of the woman gets presented, as Alicia Keys' charity against the fight for AIDS ('Keep A Child Alive') has its time, as the children of this charity and the featured Youtube videos of "No One" get focused on the big screen.

One leaves the "As I Am" tour contemplating the differences between three sets of music and in awe of the talents each provide their own unique time and literal song-and-dance number. But perhaps most importantly in this Youtube generation, people leave inspired to figure out what it means to be your own starmaker.

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator

Incognito

Santa Monica is definitely a favorite neighborhood of mine. It's got a great casual hangout vibe, whether that means strolling down 3rd street to live music with crepes in hand, checking out the hip hop scene at Zanzibar on Saturday nights, or having meaningful midnight conversations with friends at the pier. And oh, the burgers and sweet potato fries at Father's Office. To die for.

It's almost incognito in a way... Enough variety to choose from, and admittedly a tourist attraction of its own, but far enough away from the glitz of fancier, iconic neighborhoods LA is too often stereotyped for. Los Feliz is my other favorite neighborhood that definitely carries the incognito vibe through and through.

A gem cozily situated in the heart of Santa Monica is definitely the Bergamot Station, a historic train station transformed into a dynamic and lively arts complex. The Santa Monica Museum of Art is part of this complex and tomorrow night (May 3rd), they're hosting their fourth annual INCOGNITO, a unique exhibition and art sale of works created by hundreds of acclaimed artists from LA and across the globe. Even Raymond Pettibon! Need I say more??

Check out SMMoA when you get a chance. I love the location, the vibe of the museum, and the art that they choose to exhibit. From my experience, it avoids the pitfalls of overly commercialized exhibits that favor trendy topics or artists. In other words, it's my kind of museum.

May 3rd: Incognito
May 6th: Pioneering Visions/Important Exhibitions

-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Marketing Assistant

Newsletter - The Real LA

LA is more than just palm trees and Rodeo Drive. Discover LA in all its oddities, vastness, and adventures waiting-to-happen with this week's picks: interactive dance, rollerskating parties, historic Route 66, racing around greater LA, and outdoor adventures!

Check out the highlights from this week's newsletter!

-The Reality Series: Louise Reichlin & Dancers
-Charles Phoenix presents the Moonlight Rollerway Jubilee!
-Themed Picks: LA Adventures (Reyner Banham Loves Los Angeles: Route 66, Race/LA, Outdoor Adventures: Harbor & Surf Kayaking)

For more information, visit this week's issue: Issue 215: May 1, 2008 (The Real LA).

If you're not yet a subscriber, why wait? Sign up, it's free!

-ExperienceLA Staff

Bus Seats: A Seattle and LA Comparison

It seems like no matter where I go, ExperienceLA haunts me helps me see the world through a special lens. This past weekend I roamed the area of Seattle, Washington which included experiencing King County public transit. So I could talk about the different things you get to see and the differing, but individually complex/rich histories of places outside of LA's spiffy, sunkissed bubble, but the purpose of this entry is to discuss something that turned my head around while on transit - the seats.

First off - aesthetics! At least on the King County buses I was privvy, the upholestry is this great map design of the area - and I couldn't help but think, that would be interesting to see in LA format. Can you imagine? The huddle of just the distinct cultural areas of Downtown alone, where Chinatown meets El Pueblo and is only steps away from Little Tokyo? Not that there's anything wrong with the artsy, historic seat designs now (inspired by the 1930s and 40s ticket designs) - just that I wonder if I'd feel more on the move if I had that sense of LA space.

Secondly, comfort! While I'm glad for the current chairs - it says a lot about a chair when you can sit comfortably for a 2-hour bus ride from Disneyland to Downtown LA (I've done the route twice - this carless girl had to make it to the an SC football game one time!) - I did like the comfy, cushy ones of Seattle. They reminded me of the kind you can have on the commuter bus.

So I guess the above is merely to say, that the seating was just...different and that's what makes traveling so much fun. Because it's the little nuances that make a place distinct - even seats on a traveling bus.

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator

Flash Mobs and Downtown Drums

"But few things were more curious than what was staged on Friday evening, at the south end of Union Square near East 14th Street. More than a thousand people, most of them young, gathered for a dance party without audible music, known as a silent rave.

It was striking for what could not be heard."
-New York Times, "For 1,000 Solo Dancers, a Soundtrack of Silence"

There's been a phenomenon of flash mobs--public collaborations of silly and harmless, but staged, activities that first started in 2003. Last Friday, 1000 people gathered at NY's Union Square to collectively dance in silence to their own iPod playlists. Back in January, over 200 "Improv Everywhere Agents" simply froze in place at the same time for a duration of five minutes at Grand Central Station.

Can LA do something like this too? Please??

There's just something about these flash mobs... CNN once called the participants "jokers [who] gather en masse at a moment's notice, perform an inane activity and then disperse quickly". But I think there's something deeper than just a propensity for silliness and a beauty in the way a large number of people can come together seemingly out of nowhere, regardless of backgrounds, circumstances, and everyone's independent and oftentimes, me-centric, schedules. For those precious moments, there's an unspoken understanding that time is theirs to share.

But in the meantime, LA does offer great community building events, like the Music Center's "Drum Downtown". Start your Saturday mornings by the beat of your own drum in Drum Downtown's outdoor group drumming experience on the Music Center Plaza. A fun, entry-level experience for all ages creating improvised rhythms and making music in the moment. The first of five Drum Downtown events will be held on Saturday, May 10th from 10:00am to 11:30am.

"Community"... that's the key word in all of this, flash mobs or not.

-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Marketing Assistant

LA Live Promotes Stagecoach 2008

Last November, the Nokia Theater at LA Live opened with the Eagles and the Dixie Chicks and were followed by Sugarland and Little Big Town. LA Live in Downtown Los Angeles which is owned and operated by AEG is also the co-promoter with Golden Voice of the Stagecoach Country and Western music festival set for the first weekend of May in Indio.


This European style festival with a family emphasis is out in the desert at the Empire Polo Grounds. It opens on Friday night May 2 and continues all day on Saturday and Sunday, May 3rd and 4th. If you were priced out of the market when the Eagles opened at the Nokia, Stagecoach offers the opportunity to see them and many other big named country and western influenced artists. Single day tickets are available along with those for the entire 3 day weekend. A year ago, I wrote about what the first year of Stagecoach was like.

As many followers of American Idol now know, the LA Live Nokia Theater will be the location of the final competion for season 7 switching from the Kodak Theater at Hollywood and Highland. A side note - In years past when the contestants went to Hollywood, they found themselves on Broadway at the Orpheum. Although this current season it was Pasadena, but the Orpheum hopes to have American Idol return next season. Anyway, this AEG American Idol connection is going to Stagecoach with Grammy award winner Carrie Underwood being one of the main headliners and also appearing will be Kelly Pickler who has been making a name for herself with her first CD and music videos.

Other major headliners include: Rascal Flatts, Tim McGraw, The Judds, Trisha Yearwood, Dwight Yoakam, Big & Rich, Trace Adkins, Dierks Bentley, Taylor Swift and Gretchen Wilson. All of which will be on the big stage with crowds that will be around 25,000 people. But there are other stages that you can see many other lesser names who are well known in their own country western genre, and it is here that you can see them perform in more intimate settings. Several days before the event, Stagecoach will announce the exact time slot of the already announced day for each performer. Stagecoach will also benefit this year from an additional 20 acres that have been added to the site to create a more open feeling for Coachella Music Festival which is this weekend (needed for its much larger audience).

Just like last year, the Stagecoach festival is reaching out to families. Kids that are 14 and under are free to the festival. There are many activities geared for children, and there are water misting machines and shade as it might get really hot. They even have a camping area set up for families setting them up far enough away from the other 2 camping areas, so that sleep is possible. There is a separate fee for camping, and they have established a separate area for tent camping away from all of the RVs.

Nokia plaza at LA Live has featured a huge banner promoting Stagecoach. With AEG's cross promotion of venues, expect to see other Country and Western acts at the Nokia and other AEG venues, as they work to develop and promote the various forms of country music which in turn will help to grow the Stagecoach Festival in Indio and country music in Southern California. You can also look forward to the Grammy Museum in Fall 2008 at LA Live.

"Beauty in Walking Away"

Walking away from what's seemingly safe and diving into a world of uncertainty--that seemed to be the theme of the night at the Hotel Cafe Tour's final show at the El Rey on Sunday. Cary Brothers (er, one person, not a band of brothers... thanks Chuck!), Meiko, Priscilla Ahn, Marie Digby, and Ingrid Michaelson were among the handful of musicians giving it their best, dotting their performances with stories here and there of their difficult journeys to where they are now. Musicians who simply love what they do and want to share it with us, whatever it takes. At the end of the night--I've never seen so many encore performances in one sitting--all the musicians repeatedly gathered on stage, sharing with us random songs, covers, collaborations and more. It's as though they didn't want the night to end either, despite probably being tired from weeks on end in one tour bus.

I admit, just like most enamored fans, I have a tendency to place musicians on another level... Like those US Weekly articles spotlighting celebrities doing ordinary things around town ("They eat!" "They push their own shopping carts!" "They wear sweatpants too!"), I often find myself wondering how on earth someone would run away from Marie Digby's confessions of "I like you" or leave Ingrid Michaelson with broken promises. I mean, really... how???

But they're human too. And have far more depth than the mass produced packaging that recording companies are so good at putting together. And the concert brought it back to that. A bunch of friends jamming together, doing what they do best and being vulnerable with us through their words and performances, and hoping that maybe... just maybe, it'll resonate with us too.

-Sarah Koo, ExperienceLA Arts/Culture Marketing Assistant

Quick Lunch: Farmers Market

Usually when I have my Farmers Market lunch, it's from one of the many great food vendors sharing space with the stalls of fresh produce, but today, I was just on the search to supplement the lunch I brought from home.

I'm a big fan of what I call renegade cooking (throwing things together and hoping they taste okay!). Pictured is my renegade salad.

Ingredients? Romaine lettuce ($1 for a head), tomato (25 cents for one), left over Parmesan cheese blend from a time the office had Pizza Hut, and Balsamic Vinegarette from the office fridge.

The watermelon aguas frescas also pictured? I wasn't about to make that myself !

Looking for a farmers market near you? You don't need to go far! Check out ExperienceLA.com's extensive Farmers Market Listings.

-Charity Tran, ExperienceLA Web Coordinator