Flickr photo via Erica Farglow

Flickr photo via Erica Farglow

Big smile in a fierce camo green polo – m4m – 25 (Echo Park Lake) – September 23

This is so embarrassing, I really should have approached you. I feel like such a coward.
But yesterday around 5 I was strolling around the lake, half-heartedly walking my dog, Mr. Buttersworth.
You are white, tall, and had a deep and charismatic voice. Your whole self was charismatic. Your friends were a little rough around the edges- there were two other guys and a girl. One was wearing a hat, I think. The other was small with a mustache. The girl had dark hair. You have dark hair, and a wide smile. Oh, that smile.
You were a roudy bunch, so I think I was a bit scared to approach you. But you seem really put together, clean, confident… just my type. I’d love to go dancing with you. I’m a bit of a homebody, but I’d L-O-V-E to see you again…

 

taco truck at vons – w4m – 26 (silverlake / echo park) September 23

i was wearing a dodgers jersey at the taco truck
you were with a guy and a girl, your complexion was darker
you had two line tattoos on your arm
i wanted to say hi because your laugh made me feel safe
like i was slowly covered in a bean and rice burrito
sinking into it
i couldnt say anything because i was with my brother
who does not like me talking to other boys

 

my romeo in echo park by the boathouse – w4m – 34 (Echo Park Lake)September 23

You were with some friends having a weird loud conversation. I was captivated by your presence. You had your hat on backwards. I liked your arm band tatts. I feel like our stars are aligned, do you?

Me: skinny… long dark hair… full sleeve. Did you see me?

w/b with what your friends looked like so I know its you.

-juliet

via Craigslist

Frogtown Artwalk 2013

The Frogtown Artwalk returns on Saturday, September 28 for its eighth year in a row.

One of our favorite annual events, the artwalk is family-friendly event in neighboring Elysian Valley, just a hop, skip and a jump from Echo Park. It’s never crazy crowded, you meet lots of neighbors, and there’s always a little bit of wine and local craft beer flowing.

This year, the “river pavilion” will feature live music along with info on the river restoration efforts. Creator of the “LA River Catz,” Leo Limon, will be at RAC Design Build along with Mary-Austin Klein (the artist whose work is featured at the top of the The Eastsider LA website). There are a lot of youth events, including a youth art show on River Ecology. And for the first time at the Artwalk is Bookshow LA at the NOMAD art complex, featuring a selection of books in an interactive retail space.

There are a ton of great events throughout evening, click here to view the Frogtown Artwalk map with full event details.

We posted some photos of past Frogtown Artwalk events on our Facebook page, click here to check it out!

8th Frogtown Artwalk
Elysian Valley – Coolidge Avenue to Blimp Street
Friday, September 28 from 4:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Visit frogtownarts.com for more info.

The past few years, we’ve made a nice tradition with our close friends of the usual July 4th BBQ and beer, followed up by an evening walk around Echo Park. Since the Dodgers were out of town, our normal visit to an overlook in Elysian Park to watch the Stadium fireworks was quickly replaced by plenty of unsanctioned pandemonium. In our part of the neighborhood, it turned out to be one of the largest celebrations we’ve ever seen.

And the entertainment was so plentiful, we didn’t even make it to our usual Echo Park Lake visit, which in past years has included homemade M-80s (hate those), young children shooting Roman Candles, palm trees on fire, and lots of garbage (ick!). Now that the Lake is open again, we expected there would be a return to illegal fireworks at the lake, but according to our Twitter followers it was fairly mellow, while the rest of the neighborhood sounded like a battlefield, loud booms sounding constantly off the hills from all directions.

Grand fireworks displays on this Echo Park street

These guys were prepared with safety goggles, helmets and a leather jacket

What was your July 4th experience in Echo Park this year?

Visit our Facebook page for more fireworks photos!

Public screening of: Song for Echo Park
Featuring Performances by: Judson, The Digs, nav/attack, Human Mind Automobile
Taix Lounge, 1911 W Sunset Blvd.
Wednesday, March 27, 2013 at 9:30 pm

From the event organizers: 

Directed by Dick Thompson of Wilcox Session, and written/performed by song-poet Judson McKinney, Song for Echo Park is s an epic snapshot into the heart of a mysterious and influential urban district of ECHO PARK. The film follows the verse of a vagrant musician in the fight for his career, docked and stranded in the place where “no one ever cries.” In his quest for individual artistic vision, the narrator paradoxically becomes an “everyman” who unwittingly becomes an invisible fixture of his environment. The spirit of Homer and Woody Guthrie converge with modern film to create art which transcends the mere immortalization of place, but rather reveals itself as a signpost for clues to times and seasons present.

Click here for more information and to RSVP.

 

Little Joy on the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Portia has undergone many exterior paint jobs over the years. From green to black, and covered in colorful murals, the dive bar now dons a purple-ish blue shade.

The exterior facelift is just one of the new changes that new owners Joaquin Reyna-Donaldson and Donald Andes have been working on since closing the doors in November. We’ve reached out for some more info, but for now it’s not clear whether or not the dive-bar vibe will be a thing of the past.

One benefit of celebrating LA Beer Week 2012 is doing it in your own neighborhood! (No one has to be a DD when you get to walk there.) This year’s annual Echo Park Musical Beer Crawl takes place on Tuesday, September 25, 2012 all along Sunset Boulevard and beyond.

The event combines some tasty craft beers with some ear-tickling music around Echo Park. All you have to do is get a “passport” (think of it like your Musical Crawl coupon) to take advantage of some great discounts and give-aways. Also, you have to be 21, and it’s recommended that you carry some cash for those cash-only venues, as well as for the Hot Dog Lady the meat-eaters will likely visit at the end of the night.

El Prado will have special brews on tap, while Pazzo Gelato is serving up “beer-infused frozen treats” like Golden Road’s Hudson Rye Imperial Porter, Hefeweizen and Wolf Among Weeds. Other participating venues include Backside, iam8bit, Lot 1, Mohawk Bend, Masa, Taix Sunset Beer, Two Boots, and more. There are also (gasp!) non-Echo Park venues like Golden Road, Eagle Rock Brewery, Gobi Mongolian BBQ and Los Globos. Click here for the full list of venues and events.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter as we explore Echo Park’s beer and music events on Tuesday night!

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.

Christmas in Echo Park. Flickr photo via Alex de Corboba

With all the sewer construction going on in Griffith Park right now, the traditional holiday lights put on by the LADWP were canceled this year. But there are a few options in the Los Angeles area still worth checking out!

Train Rides and Santa at Travel Town Museum

Take a Holiday Train Ride and visit with Santa Claus himself at the Travel Town Museum in Griffith Park, where they’ve got the train route decorated with all sorts of holiday lights. The train rides go through December 23, leaving around 5:00 pm each night until 8:00 pm.

Tickets are $7.00 per person (infants 18 months and under are free) – which you should probably purchase ahead of time online. While you can purchase them at the Travel Town ticket booth, things might get a little crowded!

Digital photographs with Santa are available for $5.00 each. Kids will also get a candy cane!

Click here for more info.

Christmas Tree Lane in Altadena

So you’ll have to get on a freeway to get there, but it’ll delight the kids to see a real pretty Christmas Tree Lane. A bonus: It goes through January 1! Click here for more info and for directions.

For other holiday lights and events around Los Angeles and as far as Orange County, check out this Santa Clarita web page.

Where will the desire for twinkling holiday lights take you this year?

Saturday’s lunar eclipse ended up being probably the coolest thing I have ever done in Los Angeles.

Despite the 4:00 am wake-up call, I managed to grab some coffee and a few layers of clothing before heading off to Griffith Park to witness a complete lunar eclipse from the Observatory. It was, of course, PACKED with people, so parking was pretty crowded and I ended up lugging my tripod, camera, and all the other necessities about a mile up the windy road before arriving at the Observatory lawn. News crews, Angelenos, and tourists crowded the area, but I some how managed to find an okay spot to test out my new Nikon DSLR.

Somehow, I managed to catch a few decent shots – although I am by no means a professional photographer (in fact, I’m hoping to sign up for a class next spring). Although it was frustrating I couldn’t get a great shot of the shape of the actual moon as it was eclipsing (the clouds diffused the light and I didn’t have much of a lens for it), I had to try and not condemn the point-and-shoot photographers for using their flash when taking photos of the moon (yep), thus interrupting my own images.

The crowd and flash photography aside, this was one of the coolest things ever. By around 6:00 am, you’d seen everything the eclipse had to offer, so it was time to move to the other side of the Griffith Observatory to snag a good spot on the balcony for nighttime Los Angeles skyline photos, and to watch the sun rise. I am happy to report that I now officially feel like a true Angeleno. And if you haven’t done sunrise at the Observatory yet, better put that on your LA bucket list because it is a required activity.

Click here to check out the full Flickr set (including shots from the sunrise) from our early morning adventure!

“Sell your TV and come to the cinema” is the defining phrase on the Echo Park Film Center website, and while we’re keeping our TV (just got rid of cable) we are very excited for its upcoming 10 year anniversary weekend, which takes place from Friday, December 9 through Sunday, December 11. In celebration, the Film Center is organizing some live music, food, receptions, speeches, selling new merchandise, and of course hosting a lot of film screenings in various locations (including the Vons parking lot!).

Here’s the scoop from the website:

Friday, December 9 from 8–11:00 pm
Libations, live music and films at Stories Books & Cafe, 1716 Sunset Boulevard.

Saturday, December 10 from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm
Family filmmaking workshops and open house at Echo Park Film Center, 1200 N. Alvarado Street.

Saturday, December 10 from 7–10:30 pm
Filmmobile silent films screening in the Vons Parking Lot, 1342 N. Alvarado Street.

Sunday, December 11 from 2–6:00 pm
Punk Rock Songs & Cinema at The Smell, 247 S Main Street.

Sunday, December 11 from 6:30–10:30 pm
Reception and the Premiere of City of Angels 11: An EPFC Youth Film Project at Downtown Independent, 251 S. Main Street.

For the week of Monday, November 28 through Sunday, December 4, 2011

Monday
Rock and Roll Exposed (a documentary on the photography of Bob Gruen) @ Echoplex
The Chain Gang of 1974, American Tomahawk, Hot as Sun, Cassettes Won’t Listen @ Echo
Lianne La Havas, Little Hurricane, Driftwood Singers, Count Fleet, LA Font @ Bootleg Bar
Sexting, Cave, Jealousy, Bachsung @ Pehrspace

Tuesday
Downtown/Union, Tumbleweed Wanderers @ Echo
Sonos, John Gold, Liz Pappademas @ Bootleg Bar

Wednesday
Cass Mccombs Band With Lights By Jake & Mollie, White Magic @ Echo
Dub Club @ Echoplex
Duniven, Broadcast Station, Liquid Love Letter, Bixby Knolls, Lost And Found @ Bootleg Bar

Thursday
Jamie Woon, Oregon Bike Trails @ Echo
Kick off party for The Echo Ten Year Anniversary month with Dan Deacon, Xbxrx, Juiceboxxx, Freezepop, DJ Franki Chan @ Echoplex
The Entrance Band, King Tuff, The Abigails @ Bootleg Bar

Friday
Allen Stone, Zz Ward, Thee Rain Cats @ Echo
Indie1031.Com presents Girl in a Coma, The Dead Ships, Fences, Kate Crash @ Echoplex
Nick Waterhouse, Allah Las, Ana Egge @ Bootleg Bar
Org Music Presents: First Fridays @ Lot 1 Cafe
Saint Motel @ Origami Vinyl
American Clit Legend, I Hate You Just Kidding, The Wind Chasers Club, My Brother My Double @ Pehrspace

Saturday
KCRW’s “Are Friends Eclectic?” Holiday Show With Iron and Wine, Jimmy Cliff, Brett Dennen, Other Lives, The Belle Brigade, White Denim, The Secret Sisters, Anna Calvi, Mia Doi Todd, Zee Avi plus special guests @ The Orpheum Theatre
The Echo Ten Year Anniversary with: Extreme, Irregular, Unidentified Wine-Tasting Object @ Echo
Bootie La Holiday Mashup Party @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Swahili Blonde, Siddhartha, Lady Lazarus, Crooked Cowboy & The Freshwater Indians @ Bootleg Bar
Feed Your Head Presents: Seasons, Azaliasnail, Now, The Happy Casualities @ Lot 1 Cafe
Fonda @ Origami Vinyl
Derde Verde, Fern Lane, Sanglorians, College Kids @ Pehrspace

Sunday
Part Time Punks Presents: Siouxsie & The Banshees Nite With Guest DJ Boss Harmony (Punky Reggae Party/Dub Club) @ Echo
Judson McKinney, Count Fleet, The Lonely Wild, Fort King @ Bootleg Bar
Foolproof Four @ 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.

For the week of Monday, November 21 through Sunday, November 27, 2011

Monday
The Chain Gang of 1974, Lesands, Tic Tic Boom, Kflay @ Echo
M31, The Tleilaxu Music Machine, So Wrong, Creepy Marbles @ Pehrspace
Rock & Roll Dance Party @ Lot 1 Cafe
Little Hurricane, The Peach Kings, Rachael Cantu, The Janks @ Bootleg Bar

Tuesday
A House for Lions, Torches, Dandelo @ Echo
Raw Geronimo @ Origami Vinyl
Francisco the Man, We Are the Pilots & Heflin Fox @ Lot 1 Cafe
The Cooling Time, The Chromium Heart, Square On Square @ Bootleg Bar

Wednesday
Dub Club Meets Angel City Soul Club @ Echo & Echoplex
Pyramid Vritra @ Origami Vinyl
Blac Jesus & The Exps Residency with Audia & Karma The Mirror @ Lot 1 Cafe
Red Circle Underground, Franco Near Death, Programmed For Pleasure @ Bootleg Bar
Live Jazz Every Wednesday Night at 7:00 pm @ Downbeat Café
Morse Code, Killer Cam, Dirty Dave, Mark Mareclo, Partytime@ The Short Stop

Thursday
Closed for Gobble Gobble Give 2011 – Help feed the Homeless on Thanksgiving Day @ Echo
Yo Mammas House Thanksgiving Spectacular with DJs Velocity B & Nate Day @ The Short Stop

Friday
Aquarium Drunkard Presents: Crooked Fingers, Strand Of Oaks, Graham Lindsey @ Echo
Leftovers @ Lot 1 Cafe

Saturday
Funky Sole @ Echo
Ghiant and Friends @ Taix Lounge
Hello Echo, The Californian, The Dead Ships, Heroes And Heroines @ Bootleg Bar

Sunday
Melt Banana, 400 Blows, Retox @ Echoplex
Part Time Punks Minimal Synth, Coldwave Nite with The Present Moment, Continues @ Echo
Wreck of The Zephyr, Greenhorse, Nathan Flom @ Bootleg Bar
Super Soul Sunday @ The Short Stop

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.

Lots of cool stuff going on today – grand opening parties and other festivities all around Echo Park. Here’s the calendar breakdown in case you missed something:

Día de los Muertos celebration

Holiday altars and vendors along with the Echo Park Mariachi Festival. From 4:00 – 6:00 pm at El Centro Del Pueblo.

The Warehouse Anniversary Party

Starts at 7:00 pm. Live music, beverages, and Delilah’s Bakery cupcakes.

Villainy General Store Grand Opening

Music and refreshments from 7:00 – 10:00 pm.

Sunset Beer Company Grand Opening Party

Music and beer from 6:00 – 10:00 pm

Weekend Music

Origami Vinyl, The Echo, Bootleg, Lot 1 and Taix have some great music tonight and tomorrow.

Did we miss anything? Let us know in the comments below!

Sunset Beer is hosting its grand opening party today just a month after it opened, the beer bottle shop and bar celebrating with, what else? Beer! They’ve recently added Golden Road Brewing Hefeweizen and the Golden Road Point the Way IPA (which I’ve had and it’s tasty!). There will certainly be some other beer-related shenanigans and some elbow rubbing with the staff and owners, so check it out!

Sunset Beer Grand Opening Party
Saturday, October 15 from 6-10:00 pm
Music by Mr. Cocoon
Sunset Beer Co. is located at 1498 Sunset Boulevard, #3

Also be sure to walk across the street to Villainy for its grand opening today!

For the week of Thursday, October 13 through Sunday, October 16, 2011

Thursday
Wild Beasts, Ema @ Echoplex
Manimal 2011 Showcase with Papercranes, Cameras, The Child, Guineafowl @ Echo
Family of the Year EP Release Show, Maniac, Black Flamingo @ Bootleg Theater/Bar
Missions, Black Mambas, John Carpenter @ Lot 1 Cafe
Flying Platforms, Heart of Gold and Brian Kenney Fresno @ Taix Lounge
Thursday Night Residency: Sucker for Pumps, Aftergloam, Matthew Sikora, DJ sets by Alex Pastor & Andrew @ El Cid

Friday
Pure X, M. Geddes Gengras, Strangers Family Band @ Echo
Buraka Som Sistema, Oro11, DJ Panamami @ Echoplex
Aan @ Origami Vinyl
Katie Herzig, Butterfly Boucher, Amy Kuney @ Bootleg Theater/Bar
Ashtray Boy, The World Record, The Honey Loving Cells @ Lot 1 Cafe
Barbara Manning, Circe Link @ Taix Lounge

Saturday
Back to School: Booking And Touring (How in the hell do I get a show?) @ The Echo
The Hold Steady, Jesse Malin @ Echoplex
Funky Sole @ Echo
Capsula @ Origami Vinyl
The Inevitable Backlash, Kozmonaut, Help, Wreck Of The Zephyr @ Bootleg Theater/Bar
Lantern, Haunted Tiger, So Wrong, Mikki and The Mauses @ Lot 1 Cafe
Patrolled By Radar, Son Ark and Friends @ Taix Lounge

Sunday
Part Time Punks with Street Chant, Cool Moms, Neonates @ Echo
Walls, The Urxed, David Scott Stone @ Bootleg Theater/Bar
Correatownm Peachy Keene, The Remainers @ El Cid

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.