Word is the Echo Park Farmers’ Market has expanded its hours from 7:00 pm until 8:00 pm, starting tonight!
Our lovely little market, located in the parking lot behind the Bank of America at Sunset and Echo Park Avenue, is a fantastic place to get fresh eggs, chicken, salmon, and has some of the best vegetables around. We’re also big fans of the teppanyaki, flan, and roasted chicken. Yumm!
Twitter photo via Whitney Holtzman (@WHoltzman)
Last night, Dodger Stadium honored 84-year-old Dodger Stadium announcer Vin Scully with his very own bobblehead. Current GEPENC president and CD13 candidate Jose Sigala also wants to honor the legend – he is petitioning for the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Elysian Park Avenue be officially named “Vin Scully Square.”
The corner is just a stone’s throw from the Elysian Park gate into the Stadium, and where you’ll find some of the heaviest traffic after a big game. It
Click here to sign Sigala’s online petition.
Scully also ust recently announced he will return next year for his 64th season in 2013!
Today is Masa’s 8th birthday!
As part of their traditional celebration, stop by the Echo Park eatery and grab a piece of birthday cake all day today.
Masa is located at 1800 W. Sunset Blvd.
Masa of Echo Park is one of the great neighborhood establishments, where everyone knows your name (we’ve been going since 2005, before they even had a beer and wine!). And the hubby and I aren’t the only ones who frequent the bar stools at Masa, but our view is always the same – two framed photos on one of the pillars, one donning a blue ribbon with the title of “The Mayor.” I recently asked owner Rhonda about it because we kept seeing one of the guys at a neighboring stool, but she also published a great FAQ about the photos in the August Masa Newsletter
The two photos are of Tim and Eric (not related to the Tim & Eric Awesome Show) – two locals who frequent Masa on a daily basis and who were “checking in” on Foursquare. If you’re unfamiliar with the popular mobile app, it unlocks special deals if you check in enough at a participating venue along with the title of Mayor. The two Masa goers keep checking in on Foursquare, one usurping the other, a battle that’s been going on since 2009.
So Rhonda put up the framed photos and changes the blue ribbon when the Mayorship changes. Most of the time you’ll find the ribbon alongside Tim’s image, as Eric no longer lives directly across the street. But you will occasionally see them dining next to each other at the bar, as the rival is a friendly one!
What’s their favorite thing about going to Masa?
For Eric, “the reason to keep coming back was because of the people working here. Masa is my ‘Cheers’ and was an important part of me feeling settled in Los Angeles.”
For Tim, “I was drawn to Masa because of the good food. I kept coming because of the inclusive and friendly atmosphere. I like to eat at places where people like to see me.”
We, of course, like supporting as many local businesses as possible. What’s your reason to go to Masa, or any other favorite spots in Echo Park?
For the week of Monday, August 20 through Sunday, August 26, 2012
Monday
Wildcat! Wildcat!, Rio Bravo, NO, The Union Line @ The Echo
Realization Orchestra, Redwound, Modern Concert, Harry Cloud @ Pehrspace
Meg Myers, Ertel, BUZZBANDS.LA DJs, Special Guests, Holly Conlan, Ryan Darton @ Bootleg Bar
Tuesday
Poliça, Supreme Cuts @ The Echoplex
Oneohtrix Point Never, James Ferraro, Rene Hell, James Ferraro, Rene Hell @ The Echo
Mike Viola, Taylor Locke, So & So, Scott Mellis, COYOL, Tim Bergstrom @ Bootleg Bar
Western Scene @ Origami Vinyl
Wednesday
Tashaki Miyaki, Residual Echoes, Pink Films, Night Control @ The Echo
Dub Club Presents: Pinchers backed by Echodelic Sound @ The Echoplex
Mike Andrews, Snowblink @ Bootleg Bar
Open Mic Night @ Tribal Cafe
Cigarette Bums, Manhattan Murder Mystery, The Eamon Experience @ Lot 1 Cafe
Thursday
Strictly Social with Joi, Jimetta Rose, Johnnie Heartbreak
Joi, Jimetta Rose, Johnnie Heartbreak & The Radical Legs @ The Echo
State to State, Jonny Polonsky, Even Oceans @ Bootleg Bar
Tyrants in Therapy @ Taix Lounge
Friday
Throne of Blood, Making Shapes, Rong Records take-over @ The Short Stop
Julia Holter, Raw Geronimo, Tes Elations @ The Echo
Shlohmo, Salva, LOL Boys, Groundislava @ The Echoplex
Quote Unquote, Judgement Day, Silian Rail, Kim Free @ Pehrspace
Robert Schwartzman, Jamestown Revival, Patrick Park @ Bootleg Bar
Double Naught Spy Car, The Edwardo Show @ Taix Lounge
Dime Runner @ Origami Vinyl
Plague Vendor, Drug Cabin, Wild Pack of Canaries, Frnch Cnt @ Lot 1 Cafe
Saturday
Echo Park Rising all day, all over Echo Park
Skamania Presents: Pat Kelly in LA @ Los Globos
Bootie LA Echo Park Rising After-Party @ The Echoplex
IE, Horsemeat, Pure Shit, Wimp and Shrimp, Suzi Star @ Pehrspace
Philly Moves @ Tribal Cafe
Sunday
DruMeditation + Concert with Marla Leigh @ Pilates & Arts
Funky Sole, Part Time Punks Presents: Whirr + Permanent Collection + Tennis System, Permanent Collection, Tennis System @ The Echo
The Blank Tapes, Kicking Spit, Mossbreaker, Brass Bed, Aram Arslanian (of Orphan Train) @ Bootleg Bar
Open Mic Night @ Tribal Cafe
French Toast Comedy night @ Taix Lounge
Brass Bed @ Origami Vinyl
Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. Feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time, and new events announced for the week after this posting may not be included. Visit our Weekly Events page for more neighborhood events, shows and specials.
About 100 interested locals (including politicians, volunteers, and candidates) spent the morning in LA City hard hats amongst the dust and debris behind the fence of Echo Park Lake. Guided in small groups by project manager Marlon Calderon, our 9:00 am group (the first one!) got a close-up look of the North side of the Lake where Lady of the Lake statue will stand, the “boardwalk” alongside the wetlands and bridge, and the Boathouse – inside and out.
The project is about 60% complete, and come February, it should be full with water. The 60 construction workers are working on Saturdays to beat the rainy season, which will hopefully just fill the lake up naturally without any help from the city water sources. Our guide Calderon mentioned that with the Lake being the lowest point in the Silver Lake / Echo Park area, 26 million gallons of water can fill the lake in three hours – so there shouldn’t be any issues getting the water in there.
The Lake’s historic and widely known bridge
The Lotus plants will actually be planted in the next two months – a “berm” (like an under water dam) surrounding the Lotus bed on the North side of the Lake will keep all the water for that area in.
While many trees were removed due to disease, there are 400 trees currently being maintained and watered, and 200 more are expected to be added before the Lake’s grand opening in Spring 2013.
The Boathouse has yet to have an official concessions company, but the kitchen is high-end and fully stocked (leaving many of us to hope for something along the lines of Homegirl Cafe taking over). They’ll also be adding in a new boat dock, while bringing up the entire Boathouse to compliance to make it fully functional (that means paddle boats, people!).
More photos and info after the jump!
Echo Park Rising returns to the neighborhood for its second year of hosting and organizing free music, art and fun events.
After the sudden shut-down of Sunset Junction last year, Liz Garo (Spaceland Productions) and other community members decided to fill the void, offering bands and other artists a place to perform at different venues. Thus was born Echo Park Rising in 2011.
Now that the event organizers have had a bit more time to get organized this year, the festival has now become a grass roots neighborhood effort focusing on Echo Park’s arts, culture, music and small businesses.
So far, there will be music and/or DJs at: iam8bit, Fretted Frog, Raffa’s Lounge, Echo, Origami Vinyl, El Prado, Stories Books & Cafe, Sancho Gallery, Fix Cafe and Short Stop.
There will be a main stage in the Taix parking lot, and inside the restaurant. Lineup for the main stage includes Youngblood Hawke, NO, Dante Vs Zombies, Gothic Tropic, Hott MT, Robert Delong and Lavender Diamond.
The Echoplex will have a record fair, book fair, on site t-shirt silkscreening, and workshops on creating a fanzine plus more. The Echo Park Chamber if Commerce will be hosting a Movie Night Under the Stars on the Citibank roof at 7:00 pm that evening. Your $5 for adults, $10 for families donation goes to area youth groups.
Business that wish to participate should email neil@origamiorigami.com with information about what you’re doing (store discounts, music, etc.).
For more information, visit echoparkrising.com
On occasion I like to post about cool things filmed in Echo Park, but this one is particularly special because it’s the debut music video of our very, very good friends of Nude Data. Transplant Productions is the video production team extraordinaire, and we think they did a great job of highlighting some key Echo Park locations like Laveta Terrace, the bus stop at Sunset and Portia, Little Joy (briefly), and a local recording studio by the name of Out of Hand. The rest is Chinatown and Spring Street – all pretty cool locations.
For the week of Tuesday, August 14 through Sunday, August 19
Tuesday
Antibalas, Very Be Careful, DJ Jeremy Sole @ The Echoplex
Whitey Morgan and the 78’s, Rainbow Jackson, Ben Reddell @ The Echo
Kelly Paige, Rene Breton, Divine Fits, Abe Vigoda @ Bootleg Theater
BUZZBAND’S.LA second tuesday with Fort King, College Kids, Doom & Gloom @ Lot 1 Cafe
Open mic @ Tribal Cafe
So Many Wizards @ Origami Vinyl
Wednesday
Ivan & Alyosha, Coby Brown, The Eagle Rock Gospel Singers @ The Echo
Dub Club @ The Echoplex
Mike Andrews, Lavender Diamond @ Bootleg Bar
Metal Hour @ The Short Stop
Vaudeville Comedy Show @ Sancho Art Gallery
Open mic @ Tribal Cafe
Thursday
A Celebration for Believer magazine’s music issue compilation cassette, Love Songs For Lamps With Laura Leif & Amber Phelps, The Memories, the Shivas, Mom, Katie & the Lichen, Calvin Johnson, Happy Noose, Sewn Leather @ The Echoplex
Cold Specks, RT N’ THE 44′S @ The Echo
BIG SIR featuring Lisa Papineau and Juan Alderete (Mars Volta), Alpine Decline, In The Valley Below @ Bootleg Bar
Free Show with Always Press Record, The Zermatts, Heart of Gold @ Lot 1 Cafe
Ghosts of Echo Park @ Taix Lounge
Open mic @ Tribal Cafe
Friday
Three Mile Pilot, Dramady @ The Echo
Papermade (TBA) @ Pehrspace
The Be Good Tanyas, Leftover Cuties, Willie Watson (Old Crow Medicine Show) @ Bootleg Theater
Morris Tepper, Tramp for the Lord @ Taix Lounge
Art show and music @ Tribal Cafe
Ugly Winner, Spaceships @ Origami Vinyl
Saturday
Shiner @ The Echoplex
Funky Sole @ The Echo
Hot TV, Le Cos, Traps PS, Whirlynn Pop @ Pehrspace
The Henry Clay People, Jail Weddings, Sanglorians @ Bootleg Bar
BalconyTV LA and MT Productions Presents: Wise Cub, Empire of One, King Washington, Armada @ Lot 1 Cafe
Belvedero @ Taix Lounge
Sunday
Grand Ole Echo with Dan Janisch
Jeremiah And The Red Eyes, Drunken Prayer, Cap Gun Hold Ups @ The Echo
Lee Fields & The Expressions, Boogaloo Assassins @ The Echoplex
Part Time Punks Presents: Seapony, Trixie’s Big Red Motorbike, Sweater Girls @ The Echo
Joy Kills Sorrow, The Well Pennies, The Dough Rollers, Busy Living @ Bootleg Bar
French Toast Comedy @ Taix Lounge
Open mic @ Tribal Cafe
Visit the venue websites for more information on the cost and times of shows. Feel free to add more events in the comment section. All events listed are subject to change at any time, and new events announced for the week after this posting may not be included. Visit our Weekly Events page for more neighborhood events, shows and specials.