CP: The Short Stop for Adam's bday celebs...

Em & I went to the Stort Stop for Adam's birthday celebrations. There was a man, dressed mostly in white, with a black studded belt and white handkercheifs/towels/bandanas hanging from his belt loops. Those hanging strands of various cloth did not serve any purpose except for looking pretty rad when the guy would skip-dance-gallop-sway on the dance floor. He was a crazy dancer who peaked right around a Bruce Springsteen song. The description of the man has no point, really.
The picture you see here is one that I took while Em was getting more quarters so that we could play tabletop Miss Pacman. I turned and saw this Elvis pinball machine.
Lord knows why I would be nostalgic or emotional over a pinball machine, but they used to have one at Rainbo Club in Chicago. I used to go to that bar at least once a week if I was in town. James The arse used to play that game incessantly if we were there. During those times, I thanked whoever brought that pinball game into that bar because sometimes those were the only solitary (solo in a bar full of people?) moments I got. In lighter memories, Rachel would always play the game too. And it was just comforting to turn and see it was there. I miss Rainbo. Not just the bar, the 'tenders, music, photobooth, sometimes-rad-sometimes-ick art on the walls, or the locals both good and the most annoying you'll ever meet... but all of it wrapped up in one!
This room at The Short Stop where this picture was shot... it smells of farts.

CP: After brunch

Barragan's put up their Xmas decorations already. I guess that's pretty standard for after-Thanksgiving ritual, isn't it? Christopher (Willits) and his drummer Gabriel and I went to eat there for lunch. Great breakfast special if you get there before 11a. Meal with coffee for just $3.99, beat that Denny's! Unfortunately, it's greasy (as all cheapy breakfast meals should be) and it didn't sit well with my stomach today - but that won't prevent me from going back now will it?

Anyway, in the spirit of the holidays, here's a Xmas message from the Beatles in the 60s: [mp3]

Photo_120406_011.jpg

Photo_120406_011.jpg
Originally uploaded by Celestronica

Rufus wrote a song about this called "Release The Stars"

CP: On the way to work...

The actual (echo) park.


Paramount's Melrose gate. (Grace and I snuck into here once when we were teens and ate the catering/checked out the clothes for a Gucci advert being filmed. You think security has been upped since 1996?)


How would I live if it wasn't possible to deliver absolutely everything in L.A.?

Carrie's Bachelorette

For Carrie's Bachelorette we met up at Lori's, then went to Malo for dinner and more drinks, and then to Bang! for a little bit of dancing. All in all it was fun, but I miss the soul room at Bang! for sure.
Two nights in a row of dancing for me resulted in bruised toes. No shit. Don't worry, I don't have pictures for that...

Em makes friends

Cafe Bleu 10-year reunion and final Bleu.

Carrie and Gia


Carrie and me


Jeff terrorizes the dance floor.


Sean and Carrie.


Carrie dancing


In case you didn't see...


Dancing machines!

Taken from the Cafe Bleu myspace page: The History of Cafe Bleu.
Taken from the liner notes of the Cafe Bleu CD Compilation they put out in 1999.
Born: April 16th, 1996.
Where: Tempest on Santa Monica Blvd.
Cafe Bleu became a reality as soon as Piper and Shalyce moved to Los Angeles. There weren't any clubs playing the music they loved. Finding a location, DJ's and a name came effortlessly, but getting people to actually attend, was the difficult part. In the beginning about 50 people a week danced to Brit Pop and Mod hits, but in order for the club to stay alive something had to change. When the club was just a few months old, Piper and Shalyce, weighed down with hundreds of Cafe Bleu flyers, went to see Lush, Sheer and Mojave 3 at The Palace in Hollywood. No one left without a flyer. The next week brought over 250 people. Early on, they started booking live bands each week. Having live bands made the club more than just a place to dance. It became a collective musical family. Over time Cafe Bleu evolved by keeping up with the times and never forgetting the reason they started the club. For the music, the people, the bands, the philosophy and the scene. Keep it alive!