Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, October 4 through Sunday, October 10

This week is also the Culture Collide Fest, we’ve included some shows but for a complete schedule click here.

The Echo Curio is also closed down for the time being, stay tuned for more info on that!

Monday
Monday Night Residency: Evan Voytas, Telegram, Blank Blue @ Echo
Kevin Blechdom, Universal Studios Florida, Byron Westbrook, Wah Wah Exit Wound, Back to the Future: The Ride @ Pehrspace

Tuesday
First Aid Kit, Ferraby Lionheart, Basia Bulat @ Echo
Filter and Echo Present: Talvin Singh, Ariana Delawari @ Echoplex
Back To The Future: The Ride, Universal Studios Florida @ Origami Vinyl
Francoiz Breut, Marianne Dissard @ Fretted Frog

Wednesday
Dub Club @ Echoplex & Echo
Tera Melos (Sargent House), Skinwalker (Feat. Members of the Locust), Capulets @ Bootleg Theater
Hooray For Earth @ Origami Vinyl

Thursday
Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival: Casiokids, Harry’s Gym, Kordan, Slang Chickens @ Echo
Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival: The Black Lips, City Riots, Kamp, Lexicondon @ Echoplex
Andy Ristaino Art Opening @ Origami Vinyl

Friday
Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival: Boxer Rebellion, White Lies (Dj Set), Amusement Parks on Fire, The Witness Protection Programme (Dj Set), Club Underground Djs @ Echo
Filter Magazine’s Culture Collide Festival – Klaxons, Land of Talk, Besnard Lakes, Suuns, Baby Monster @ Echoplex
Azure Vault, Mad Knight, The Victor Ship  @ Pehrspace
AM @ Origami Vinyl

Saturday
Filter’s Culture Collide Festival: White Lies, Voxhaul Broadcast, Battle Circus, L.Stadt, Zebra And Snake @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Art Opening: Alejandro Ivan Fuentes @ Pehrspace
LA Font @ Origami Vinyl
Fundraiser For Buffalo Field Campaign @ 2HeadedHorse Gallery

Sunday
Grand Ole Echo With Jason Heath And The Greedy Souls, Johnny Angel Wendell And The Wasted Knights, Patty Reese, Madame Pamita @ Echo
Echo & Filter Present Tom Tom Club, Paul Ryder, Fool’s Gold Djs @ Echoplex
Ana Caravelle, Dntel (Jimmy Tamborello), The Long Lost (Feat. Members Of Daedelus & Laura Darlington) @ Bootleg Theater

For more information on weekly musical events like club nights, see our community resource pages.Visit the venue website for more information on the cost and times of shows. This list may not represent all the musical events happening in Echo Park this week – feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time. New events announced for the week after this posting may not be included.

/28 Comments/by
, ,

Get ready for Echo Park’s Culture Collide Fest

Get your tickets for this week’s first annual Culture Collide Fest, where venues large and small in Echo Park, Silver Lake, and downtown will host a variety of music and food trucks over four days. Echo Park will be hosting the majority of the shows at the Echo, Echoplex, Taix Lounge, and even 826LA (Echo Curio was on that list, but it’s not looking like they’ll be open due to permitting issues).

Headliners include the Black Lips, Klaxons, Monotonix, Cass McCombs, The Besnard Lakes, and El Guincho.

We’ve got quite a few local shops and restaurants participating in the event, including:

  • The Downbeat Café: Wristband holders receive a Free Latte with Sandwich purchase
  • Chango Coffee: Wristband holders receive 1 free small drip coffee to enjoy in house or to go
  • The Fretted Frog: Wristband holders receive 10% off strings and accessories
  • Echo Curio: no longer able to participate
  • Origami: Wristband holders receive 10% off all records
  • Delilah Bakery: Mention the Culture Collide Special and receive a Free Cupcake with a purchase of $10 or more
  • Vacation Vinyl (Silver Lake): Wristband holders receive 10% off all vinyl
  • Blue Collar, For Working Dogs: Wristband holders and dog lovers receive 15% off everything (with the exception of canned food)
  • Masa of Echo Park: Wristband holders who dine at Masa will receive 10% off their meal (excluding beer + wine)
  • City Sip La : Wristband holders who dine at City Sip will receive 10% off (dining only)
  • Happy Tom’s – Restaurant: Wristband holders receive a 10% discount
  • Rodeo Mexican Grill: Wristband holders receive a 10% discount
  • Feeding Birds Boutique: 10% off purchases up to $99.99. Free “Feeding Birds Original Organic Crew Neck Print Tee” for purchases over $100.00 (while supplies last).

Culture Collide Fest goes on from Thursday, October 7 through Saturday, October 9 with a free Toyota Antics Block Party on Sunday the 10th.

Click here for the full schedule.

Click here to buy tickets – $20 for the whole fest.

/29 Comments/by

Flashback Fridays: Flooding in Echo Park

Unknown date, possibly late 1930s. Source: Paul Furlong

More flooding in 1959. LA Public Library image #28410

We’re trying to piece together little bits of history surrounding photos like one shown above – flooding along Glendale Blvd. at Park Avenue was extremely common prior to the paving of the Los Angeles river. But how all that water got to Echo Park (remember, this is prior to all flood control in Los Angeles) is actually an interesting story.

The story starts with a buried river called the Arroyo de los Reyes, which originates off of Glendale Blvd. near the 2 terminus. It flowed down Glendale, to where Echo Park Lake now is, and into downtown down 2nd Street where it ends up just south of Pershing Square and eventually connecting to the LA River (Source: LA Creek Freak).

So it makes sense this area would be more susceptible to flooding – when it really, really rains, the creek/river would swell, and so on and so forth. We’re not sure exactly when the river was buried or why exactly it no longer floods Echo Park, perhaps due to being buried, but it might also have to do with the storm drain and flood control in the late ’30s, early ’40s.

The photo to the bottom right is a pretty severe flood on Glendale Boulevard during the Los Angeles Flood of 1938, caused by a couple of storms from the pacific and killing over 100 people and $40 million in damage.

Glendale Blvd., Feb 1938. Photo source: Paul Furlong

These floods, especially the 1938 one, prompted the Flood Control Act of 1941, and thus the construction of mandatory storm drains and flood control channels. This, of course, means the Los Angeles River was paved to help control future flooding.

Looking at these pictures, it seems like a good idea to have some flood control in Los Angeles. But the paving of the LA River is more and more criticized as being a misguided effort because it interferes with, well, the natural flow of things. There are some green movements to help the River filter out pollution and revitalize the river overall, you can learn a lot about lost rivers and creaks through the LA Creek Freak blog and the Friends of the LA River.

/145 Comments/by

Fall 2010 Eastside Eco Tour

In association with the Greater Griffith Park Neighborhood Council Green Committee, the second annual East Side Eco Tour will take place on Sunday, October 24 from 12:00 noon – 4:00 pm. The FREE event will take you through ten homes in the Los Angeles area, sort of in the eastside-ish area (there is one home in Highland Park, which is as east as it goes, the rest are Silver Lake/Los Feliz area).

Eastside or not, the tour looks amazing, is free, and functions just like an open house. The homes on the tour all feature some sort of eco theme, including an architect’s own Leed certified/grey water/beekeeping/composting home, the Green Beacon House, a 1920s craftsman home owned by a greywatercorps.com architect, workshops at Silver Lake Farms, and more!

Homeowners and architects will share the lessons that they have learned with those of us who want to reduce our home’s eco footprint.

See gray water systems, solar power, passive cooling, composting, organic vegetable garden, even a green wedding. Homes and people that are highly technical in their approach to footprint reduction and homes and folks who are down to earth and simplistic in their approach. It all works.

For more info, contact Tomas O’Grady at Tomasogrady@sbcglobal.net, 323 387 3866, or visit the Eastside Eco Tour website

/108 Comments/by
, ,

Get your tickets for Eco Echo Park home tours

The 2010 Echo Park Historical Society home tour date has been announced for Sunday, November 14. The theme this year is “Eco Echo Park: Urban Sustainable Living.” The tour will feature properties that utilize “gray water systems, solar power, natural light and circulation as ways to reduce dependency on public utilities.” They will also be showcasing properties that use native and drought-tolerant plants, no-dig gardens and urban farmers that raise livestock and/or crops for personal consumption.

Renew your annual membership to the Echo Park Historical Society for a discounted price of $15 for admission to the home tour. They are also accepting $25 donations to help re-light the sign on top of Jensen’s Recreation Center in Echo Park (which has been left unlit for several years now).

Individual subscriptions are $15, $25 for households, $40 for businesses, and $250 for a lifetime membership.

Go to www.historicechopark.org to buy your tickets in advance. Save $5 if you buy your tickets by November 1!

/231 Comments/by

Crawfish in Echo Park Lake?!

Martin Cox photographed the sneaky Echo Park crawfish while hangin' with Jenny Burman

Up in the mountains in northern California, we call them crawdads, but whether you call them crawfish, crawdads, or crayfish – they are pretty much the same. One thing I never expected was for them to show up in the murky waters of Echo Park Lake, but Jenny Burman of Chicken Corner has the proof.

This fancy-looking guy or gal showed itself yesterday while Chicken Corner was taking a walk around the park with her pal Martin Cox, dog Chyla, and for a little while Dave Foster, who manages the park on site for Park & Rec. The crayfish stayed in view for about 40 seconds, then hastened into the crack in the cement (mid-ground in the photo), exactly where it was headed at the moment Martin snapped the photo with his cell phone.

A little bit of research revealed perhaps, just maybe, could it be the crawfish found in Silver Lake back in 2005 by LA Weekly columnist Joe Donnelly? Nicknamed Iko, the crawfish was found on a sidewalk in Silver Lake, and transported to Echo Park Lake, where it “quickly disappeared into the murk.” I don’t know how long crawfish live, but perhaps it is an Iko sighting?

/2,832 Comments/by
,

El Centro’s voter registration drive Saturday

It’s almost time to vote this year, as we know with the all-important gubernatorial elections on November 2. El Centro Del Pueblo here in Echo Park is helping people get registered to vote by holding a voter registration event specifically for Latino voters on Saturday, October 2 at 9:00 am.

If you’re interested in helping out, Barragan’s is providing your free lunch! The drive is located at 1157 Lemoyne Street. Make sure you are registered to vote!

Leran more and RSVP by visiting the El Centro event Facebook page.

/2 Comments/by

More photos from yesterday’s bizarre weather

Because we can’t get enough of them! All photos are from Echo Park area. Email us if you have some amazing shots to share.

Photo by Mary-Austin Klein

Read more

/193 Comments/by

Start out your October at the Echo Park Film Center

That’s right – October is coming soon! Time flies by when you’re having fun, so have some more fun and start out your October with some great local film screenings (we’re excited about the Irwin Swirnoff screening, he’s a fellow Pitzer College alumn!):

Saturday, October 2 – STOP AND GO RIDES AGAIN – 8:00 pm
Curated by San Francisco filmmaker and visual artist Sarah Klein, Stop & Go Rides Again follows a tremendously successful European and American tour of the stop-motion animation series Stop & Go. Catch a diverse collection of stop-motion animations by local and international artists as they unveil their most recent experiments in animation and comment on everything from the simple beauty of a rubber ball to the history of evolution. In these films, the artists and filmmakers delve into the labor-intensive process of stop-motion animation by manipulating everyday materials by hand—such as colored paper, photographs, toys, cardboard, fabric scraps and even facial hair—to create optical experiences, cardboard creatures, shadow puppets, and a handy how-to on making homemade hooch. Curator Sarah Klein in attendance!

Sunday, October 3 – FILMMOBILE & GHOULA present HAUNTED FILMS IN HAUNTED PLACES – 7:30 pm
Join us for a month of Spooky Sundays as the Filmmobile teams up with GHOULA to present Haunted Films In Haunted Places. Tonight’s film is Haunted Honeymoon, a 1986 comedy starring Gene Wilder, Gilda Radner, Dom Deluise and Jonathan Pryce. Ghost Hunters Of Urban Los Angeles (GHOULA) is a social club dedicated to the preservation of greater Los Angeles’ rich haunted history, and the promotion of this local lore through ghostly gatherings, events, and publications. More info. Call, email or follow @eEPFCfilmmobile on twitter for the screening location.

Tuesday, October 5: I WANTED EVERY DAY TO LAST FOREVER: SHORT FILMS BY IRWIN SWIRNOFF – 8:00 pm
A collection of short films shot on super 8 by San Francico-based filmmaker and KUSF DJ and co-music director Irwin Swirnoff. Irwin’s films daydream into the sky & sun, finding small moments in the everyday that leave lasting impressions and allowing the viewer to drift in and out of their own memories, desires, longing and the pleasure that can come from being present in the everyday. His deep love of music has lead to collaborations with musicians who have created original score’s for his work, including Tomo Yasuda (Tussle, Coconut, Hey Willpower) and Preston Swirnoff (The Shining Path, Monosov/Swirnoff, Habitat Sound Sysytem). Also screening is a work by Los Angeles based filmmaker John Palmer. Filmmakers in attendance!

Thursday, October 7 – 9TH ANNUAL INDIE MUSIC VIDEO FESTIVAL – 8:00 pm
The 2010 edition of IMVF is a one-night festival featuring a crop of 20 independent music videos from all over the world, showcasing brilliant cinematography, astonishing animation and the most precise and artful editing that is sure to rock each of your senses. Rarely seen, ever seen and must be seen – an eye-popping, ear-blasting, heart-pounding audio/video extravaganza. More info.

Friday, October 8 – CINEKINK PRESENTS: WAXIE MOON – 8:00 pm
What happens when a classically-trained dancer/actor decides to pursue the low-brow art of stripping? “Boylesque” sensation Waxie Moon takes the world of neo-burlesque by storm in this hilarious and thought provoking portrait of one artist’s unlikely journey. Directed by Wes Hurley, 2009, USA, 70 minutes. PLUS… other assorted CineKink favorites! More info.

Saturday, October 9 – MEDIA ECOLOGY SOUL SALON: JOHN FRENCH & CROW’S MILK – 7:00 pm
The public is invited to this engaging Gerry Fialka interview of drummer John “Drumbo” French, who will address the metaphysics of his callings and the nitty-gritty of his craft. French revolutionized drumming with Captain Beefheart and recently authored the book entitled Beefheart: Through The Eyes Of Magic. The evening will kick off with Crow’s Milk, a rare 2003 Magic Band documentary. “Nearly twenty classic Beefheart compositions are rejuvenated on stage by five of the finest musicians who ever performed in The Magic Band. The playlist ranges from storming versions of such crowd-pleasers as ‘Moonlight On Vermont’ and ‘Big Eyed Beans From Venus’ to the intricate guitar work of ‘Evening Bell and the melodic ‘Alice In Blunderland’. Especially interesting are the instrumental versions of songs such as ‘I Wanna Find A Woman That’ll Hold My Big Toe Till I Have To Go’, ‘My Human Gets Me Blues’ and ‘Steal Softly Thru Snow’. Without Don’s voice, for Don is no longer performing, these compositions can be clearly heard as the mind and finger bending riddles they are.” More info.

Check the schedule of events on the EPFC website for more events in October!

/116 Comments/by

Local fresh cut flowers now at Cookbook

Photo from Cookbook

We love a good deal on pretty things – and these flowers at the new Cookbook are definitely one of those!

New bouquets come to Cookbook every Wednesday from a garden slash farm run by North Hollywood High. They are organically grown and arranged by high school students, and they are just $5 a bouquet!

Sales benefit the high school garden/farm, a seven-acre lot with a vineyard, dahlias (which you can see in the bouquets in the photo above), and even farm animals like chickens. Produce from the garden/farm also go toward “green” restaurants and farmers’ markets throughout Los Angeles.

Get your bouquets at Cookbook, open daily from 8:00 am – 8:00 pm, and is located at 1549 Echo Park Avenue

/3 Comments/by

Photo: Rainbow over Echo Park

It's a double rainbow!

Another beautiful evening in Echo Park – you’d almost forget it’s 85 degrees outside!

There are rumors of lightning as well – anyone else see it?

Read more

/125 Comments/by
,

Taco Truck date night in Echo Park?

This week, Daily Candy recommended a couple of hot spots in Echo Park to take your sweetie to – El Prado and Taco Zone. While I’ve never been to a Taco Truck for a first or second date (and I’m not the adventurous type when it comes to eating cow mouth parts), you might have a different experience. Where do you go date night in Echo Park?

/986 Comments/by

Grow your own garden courses at the Echo Curio

Want that green thumb all your Echo Park neighbors seem to have? Now you get a chance to learn how to grow your own vegetables in your very own garden. The Echo Curio will be hosting weekly courses led be Grow LA: Victory Garden Initiative starting this weekend!

Every Sunday in October, the workshop will teach you how to start your own garden for your backyard in containers or at a community garden site.

The initiative brings together local families and neighborhoods to share their experiences, skills and produce. Participants are able to turn this new interest in gardening into successful, productive gardens that will generate positive changes in their homes by helping to lower grocery bills and enhance opportunities to eat healthy food.

Sounds like a great idea! Classes are $20 each, or $70 for all four classes.

October 3, 10, 17, 24 at 11:00 am – 2:00 pm
Email Justin McInteer justinmcinteer@yahoo.com or (213) 247-3296
Echo Curio Gallery is located at 1519 W. Sunset Blvd.

/212 Comments/by

Suspect shot and killed by police in Echo Park

Photo from the NBC LA website

The Eastsider LA is reporting that a suspect was shot and killed by police at around 4:30 pm today on the corner of Temple Street and Union Avenue.

Police were pursing the vehicle after a check on the license plate determined that the occupants were armed and dangerous. After being cornered by police, the suspect got out of his car and started firing the rifle at officers, [LAPD spokeswoman April] Harding said. She had no other details about the incident.

No police were injured, but reports are saying the suspect shot at police with an AK-47, and the car may have been stolen. KTLA is reporting the police were following a “convicted felon” through the Downtown LA area.

UPDATE:

Don’t try to drive up Temple in Echo Park tonight – Temple Street is closed at Glendale Blvd. all the way to Burlington, and traffic has gotten a little messy in those areas.

In addition to the AK-47 (“or a similar weapon”), LA Now is reporting the suspect also had a handgun in his back pocket. The name has not yet been released, and it’s not yet known whether or not officers were fired upon.

/1 Comment/by