Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Monday, February 7 through Sunday, February 13

Monday
Monday Night Residency: Slang Chickens, Papa, Mini Mansions, Rachel Fannan, Dj Keith Morris, Origami DJs on the back patio @ Echo
Beatdrop with LLCOOLGEE @ The Short Stop
Jenny O, Everest, The Belle Brigade, Micky Adams @ Bootleg Theater

Tuesday
Amanda Jo Williams, Infantree @ Echo
Joseph Arthur, Tom Freund @ Bootleg Theater
Open Mic Night @ The Fretted Frog
Buzz Bands LA Songwriter Series @ Lot 1 Cafe

Wednesday
Mona, Vanaprasta, Polls @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
One Trick Pony, Ladycop, Mad Gregs @ Pehrspace
Live Jazz every Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Cafe

Thursday
Echo and Rootdown Present: Breakestra, Simple Citizens @ Echo
The Rumble Presents Hands, Letting Up Despite Great Faults @ Echoplex
Atomic Tom, Maniac @ Bootleg Theater
Cigarette Bums, Pool Honeys, Hello My Name Is Red, Buffalo Electric @ Lot 1 Cafe
Fort King, Digital Aspergers, Castano, Stepfather @ Taix Lounge

Friday
Murder By Death, The Builders and The Butchers @ Echoplex
Echo, Aquarium Drunkard, Club Underground Present: Smith Westerns, Yuck, Therapies Son @ Echo
Killola, Bullet & Snowfox @ Bootleg Theater
Alpine Decline, Warm Climate, Robedoor, 99% @ Pehrspace
Joe Baiza, Ollin @ Taix Lounge

Saturday
Jarrod Gorbel, Atlantic/Pacific @ Echo
Ana Tijoux, Nocando, DJ Money Mark (special all-cassette throwdown), DJ Ethos, Sara Lov @ Bootleg Theater
Art Opening: Girls Drawing Girls @ Pehrspace
Jaxart Presents: Sean, Alina Cutrono, Gothic Tropic, Maston @ Lot 1 Cafe
Lil’ Valentine’s Hootenanny with Jamie Holiday and The Vampyre Bunnies, Elegant Friction @ Taix Lounge

Sunday
Part Time Punks – My Bloody Valentine Nite @ Echo
Netherfriends @ Origami Vinyl

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.

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Rumor Mill: Durbin Project at Chicken Corner finally bought?

An announcement at last night’s Echo Park Improvement Association meeting (which I am a member of) hinted that the notorious weed-pit known as the Durbin Project has finally been bought!

The 36-condo complex located at 1601-1633 Echo Park Avenue (near Chicken Corner) broke ground in 2008, with plans to open in Summer 2009. Work completely stopped in March 2009 when financer IndyMac went under, and since then, it’s been a weedy unsightly mess.

With potentially new owners, it’s not clear whether work will continue, whether it will turn into a new project (hopefully not one that’s bigger), nor when anything will happen, but we’ve got our eyes and ears open and will let you know when we know more.

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Old-Time Jam tonight at 1642 bar

If you haven’t been to 1642 bar in Echo Park/Historic Filipinotown down there on Temple, you are missing out!

Picture this: Great beer, great wine, friendly service (rare in LA!), and the cool atmosphere of a recently-remodeled-though-not-overdone 1940s building with the decor to match. On tap this week: Eagle Rock Brew’s Populist IPA, Allagash Black, Lost Abbey Port Shark Attack, and North Coast Scrimshaw Pilsner. Yum!

Tonight, Thursday, February 3, is the monthly Old-Time Music open Jam from 8:00 – 11:00 pm. The event is hosted by Triple Chicken Foot, an old-time string band that will get your heels a-clackin’ and will give you the urge to pan for gold.

1642 is located at 1642 West Temple St.

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Ditch the Superbowl for some free hula hooping at the Lake

Every once in a while, I’ll drive by Echo Park Lake on a weekend day and see a bunch of people hula hooping – and there are some people with mad skills. Turns out, it’s an organized event, and there’s one at Echo Park Lake this weekend!

LA Hoopers is a group that sponsors monthly “hoopjams” around Los Angeles. They are free, open to the public, and meet up at all kinds of locations in LA. Here’s the info for this weekend’s Hoopjam: Hooperbowl Sunday, February 6, from 2-5:00 pm:

“Look for us with special guest for February DJ Quinn Callicott at the Glendale Blvd and Park Ave corner of the park. It’s free! We’re bringing greater LA area hoopers together in a business free environment for community, nothing more, nothing less. No sales or promotional flyering, thanks! No alcohol per park regulations. It’s Hooperbowl Sunday! Come hoop it up with us and spread the word!

Click here for the group’s Facebook page and join up if you like hula hooping!

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Zumba classes at the Echo Park Rec Center

The Greater Echo Park Elysian Neighborhood Council (GEPENC) announced in a recent press release it would be supporting a Echo Park Rec Center scholarship program, one which will be funded through a new and very fun series of Zumba classes.

The classes will be held weekly on Wednesdays from 7-8:00 pm at the Echo Park Rec Center gym (formerly the Boys and Girls Club) located at 303 Patton Street. Four, ten-week sessions will be offered at the cost of $40 per person, per session.

Jose Sigala, President of GEPENC, said in the press release, “The goal is to have a minimum of forty participants per session and raise $1,600 for the Echo Park Recreation Center on a quarterly basis. This will provide ongoing revenue for athletic scholarships and help more youth to stay involved with sports in Echo Park.”

Thanks to the generous support of the Silver Lake Medical Center, all instructor and class fees have been 100% underwritten.

Designed for beginners, the classes will be taught by Zumba instructor, Cindy Ruiz.

To sign up for a class, please email bacasigala@earthlink.net

The first session starts tonight (I know, we are late in announcing this!). Here are the session details:

  • Session 1 – February 2, 2011 to April 6, 2011 (with a break the week of April 13)
  • Session 2 – April 20, 2011 to June 29, 2011 (with a break the week of July 4)
  • Session 3 – July 13, 2011 to Sept. 14, 2001 (with a break the week of September 21)
  • Session 4 – September 28, 2011 to November 30, 2011 (with breaks for the holidays in December)
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Feeding Birds anniversary sale and celebration

Feeding Birds is celebrating their second anniversary on Saturday, February 5 with a few special treats, including the “release” of a three-color screen printed tees. Here’s what’s going down:

  • Mimosas and mini brunch throughout the day
  • Live music provide by Miles Moore
  • Bring $5 and a light colored shirt for while-you-wait screen printing of their “Echo Park” logo
  • $5 off original (one color) organic print tees in stock

I actually have one of their Echo Park tees, and I really like it! The owners are super friendly, and I’ve gotten a few gifts from the store without hurting my wallet. If you haven’t been there, go check it out!

Feeding Birds is located at 1825 Echo Park Ave.

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Echo Park’s Week in Music

For the week of Tuesday, February 1 through Sunday, February 6

Tuesday
89.9 KCRW presents: Tristen, Hi Ho Silver Oh, Marcus Very Ordinary @ Echo
Iheartcomix, Media Contender, LA Record present: Check Yo Ponytail 2 with Yelawolf, Craze, Das Racist, 87 Stick Up Kids, Freak City, Franki Chan @ Echoplex
Daniel Ahearn, Daniel Bess, Marcus Very Ordinary @ The Fretted Frog

Wednesday
Oh Land, Big Search (7″ Release Show), John Webster Johns, White Fence @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
Echo Park Juke Joint: Homework Presents @ Lot 1 Cafe
Live Jazz every Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Cafe

Thursday
The Sweet, Fancy Space People, Dante Vs Zombies @ Echoplex
We Barbarians, Lesands, The Union Line @ Echo
Sugar and Gold, Yip Deceiver, Little Birds @ Bootleg Theater
The Health Club, Michael Nhat, Mama’s Joy @ Lot 1 Cafe
Jeremiah and The Red Eyes @ Taix Lounge

Friday
Olafur Arnalds, George Sarah and Strings @ Echoplex
Miguel Atwood-ferguson Orchestra with The Gaslamp Killer, Anna Wise (Sonnymoon) @ Natural History Museum
Echo and Club Underground present: Tennis, Air Waves, Lord Huron @ Echo
Chasing Kings @ Origami Vinyl
400 Blows, Skinwalker, Longmont Potion Castle @ Bootleg Theater
Ad + Jaxart Present: Dirty Gold, Pageants, Honey Loving Cells @ Lot 1 Cafe
Mr. Smolin, Cirque Link @ Taix Lounge
The Silver Lake Chorus First Anniversary show, 7:00 pm, $10 at the door, click for info @ the Echo Park United Methodist Church

Saturday
FYF presents: Forgetters (Members Of Jawbreaker, Jets To Brazil And Against Me), Street Eaters, Dangers @ Echo
Bootie LA @ Echoplex
Under the Covers: A Tribute to The Nerves Release Party, with Tijuana Panthers, Audacity @ Origami Vinyl
The Lexingtons, Princess Frank, Therapy Session @ Lot 1 Cafe
Echo Park Cycles closing down party and benefit, featuring Blackleg. Click for flyer.
Swing Riots @ Taix Lounge

Sunday
Part Time Punks with The Soft Moon, Violet Tremors @ Echo

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.

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Filmed in Echo Park: Avril Lavigne music video

‘Memba all that hubbub in early December when they were filming at the Sunset Bridge on Glendale Blvd. for Avril Lavigne’s music video? Well this was quick – it’s out!

The vintage shop they go into, I believe, is the one on Sunset Blvd. just by the bridge. And then, of course, they move to The Echo!

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In case you missed it: Vegan Pizza Day

Masa's vegan deep dish pizza. Photo by QuarryGirl

Saturday, January 29, was the first annual Vegan Pizza Day (sponsored by Teese Vegan Cheese and our friend Quarry Girl), meant to educate everyone that vegans can eat delicious food too!

Though we missed it, and that means you probably did too, it doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some vegan pizza delights locally in Echo Park at any time. The two places you should check out are actually not that far away from each other: Masa and Two Boots!

Masa:
Quarry Girl swears by the vegan Chicago deep dish pizza, claiming it would be her last meal if she had to choose!

Two Boots:
Check out a by-the-slice vegan option called “Earth Mother” and let us know what you think!

Sometime soon, there will be some more vegan options in Echo Park when Tony Yanow’s new restaurant, Mohawk Bend, opens up in the old Ramon Theater. The former Mooi vegan restaurant is also opening up under a new name and new ownership, and will likely be offering some vegan pizza options if not plenty of vegan meals!

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Will the Sunset Flats development destroy Echo Park history?

Today (Friday, January 28) is the last day to submit your comments for public record on the Sunset Flats project planned for Sunset and Rosemont in Echo Park. I have written extensively about this project both on Echo Park Now and in an opinions piece on Echo Park Patch, but there’s a new concern by at least one resident that there might be an historical element to one of the soon-to-be destroyed homes.

Resident Rory Mitchell found out that one of the homes on Sunset Blvd. does indeed have some historical value, regardless of whether or not it’s an official historic monument (which it’s not – yet!). Rory, a writer and historical consultant, wrote on his website that 2231 Sunset Blvd. is a 1910s home built for Stefan Zacsek, a Hungarian immigrant.

Read more

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Happy 2nd Birthday, AYC!

Happy 2nd Birthday, AYC!

Celebrate with the amazing bar/restaurant on Thursday, January 27 and take advantage of their two-for-one menu special. Enjoy some wine or a cocktail, some birthday cake, and the super awesome AYC staff and owners (seriously, everyone there is really nice!).

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Featured Pet: “Georgia” was rescued, now needs a new home

This ridiculously cute pup was saved from the animal shelter that was planning to euthanize her a couple of weeks ago. She made it to a foster home, but needs to find another foster or (preferably) a permanent home. Here are the details about this cutie pie:

She’s smart and very energetic. She has learned how to sit, stay, lay down, and release (which is great at feeding time.) She also knows how to fetch and ‘drop.’ She’s around a year old and needs to go out for lots of potties so having a big yard and another dog to play with is a plus. She loves long walks, runs and hiking at Runyan Canyon. We’d love to meet you to see if you’re a good fit for this sweet, affectionate puppy. Please contact Gina at 323-514-7282 or gkowerko@gmail.com.

Please help find him a home!

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New Music Academy opens up in Echo Park

The Lunaria Music Academy just opened up last week at 1803 W Sunset Blvd. (right above Xoia), offering private lessons in a variety of instruments for students of all ages and levels.

Owners Rebecca Carr and Carol Warren also offer group classes, including guitar for beginners and “piano for fun!”

One Echo Park resident has already had a chance to check it out, and wrote a small review on the Echo Elysian Neighborhood Council Forum recently: “I just took a piano class there, they just opened in the same building above Xoia and it is run by Tony Wang, the dentist’s wife. You should check it out. I liked my teacher Rebecca Carr. They will be doing all sorts of classes private and group.”

Give them a call at 213-989-1889. Click here to download the full schedule and pricing.

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Get involved: Almost time to vote on new Echo Park school

Construction is wrapping up at CRES#14 - the site previously occupied by 50 homes

We received a submission from Echo Park resident, business owner, and Echo Park Mom’s Group for Education member Micki Curtis. Very concerned about the upcoming vote on Central Region Elementary School (CRES) #14, Micki is calling for the community to get involved immediately so that the community gets what it deserves with this school. Here’s what she has to say:

Dear Fellow Parents and Community Members, I am writing to you as a concerned parent and community member. A couple of years ago, the LAUSD won the battle to destroy over 50 homes and close an access street [Marathon] to build a new school facility currently called CRES #14. Click here to read some of the back story on Curbed LA.

Now that the building is almost completed, the LAUSD is using the CHOICES process to decide who will inhabit this publicly funded project. I have been attending meetings and following the decision process as to which type of school (there are two different proposals) will inhabit the new elementary and middle school facility at Sunset and Alvarado. The two proposals are: a mostly Spanish-language school called Camino Nuevo (not language emergence, but bilingual), and the second school, yet to be named but with a working title of “Echo Park Community Partners Design Team.” The second proposal has continually grasped my deep interest – it is an amazing school for the entire community.

Read more

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Lost dog: New pup escapes in Echo Park

Our neighbor just down the street lost their doggy over the weekend the moment they brought him home after adoption:

We lost one of our dogs to old age a couple weeks ago.

Adopted a new one from the pound, brought him home, before we even got into the house he slipped out of his harness, got under the fence and ran away. I live at Scott and Portia.

Dog has no collar is about 20lbs, brownish red short hair, cross between beagle and labador. Has white and blue bandages on his back feet.

We are worried sick, has microchip.

You can call the number on the flyers (pictured about) or send us an email at info@echoparknow.com and we’ll get you connected if you find the pup.

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