Monday, December 7, 2015

december events



Happy HoliDAZE Los Angeles! Around this time of year, it is typical for many people to get caught up and jaded in a whirlwind of family, friends, traveling and finding the best deal for a new TV that's probably too big for the room it will be placed in. Among these obligations, essenceLA would like to take the time to mention some opportunities to turn some of your undivided attention to artists that are giving back to their communities. Check them out below and learn more about how to get involved in their efforts to make the holidays enjoyable for those who do not have the means to purchase that new 52" flatscreen or one of those laziness inspired yet weirdly popular not so hovering boards. We also have included some art events that you could and should attend this month. 




GREED IS DEADLY LA

GREED IS DEADLY LA is essenceLA' affilate and 
Los Angeles-based organization fully engaged in the fight against homelessness and poverty in LA. GREED is now taking donations of unopened hygiene items to 
be delivered to homeless shelters around the city. Click here for more info 
and to find out how to get involved. 





MINGLE MONDAYZ
12/7 Westchester, CA






FLIGHT SCHOOL OPEN MIC
12/8 Culver City, CA
where: Industry Cafe
6039 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232





DA POETRY LOUNGE
12/8 Los Angeles, CA







HOLIDAY ODD MARKET 12/11 & 12/12
Downtown LA







DREAMHAUS ANNUAL TOY DRIVE 12/12







YG Presents: 4 HUNDRED WAYS ANNUAL TOY DRIVE
12/13 Gardena, CA





Tuesday, November 24, 2015

essence cypress park: Going Outdoors

Believe it or not, there are more types of trees and plants in Los Angeles than palm trees. Except for the beach, LA is not usually associated with anything involving nature. But that does not mean LA is void of enjoyable outdoor spaces. Some of the more active LA dwellers can enjoy a number of hiking trails and scenic vistas scattered throughout places like Griffith Park, Malibu, and to our surprise, even the eastern cities such as Whittier .

Recently, we began our exploration of Cypress Park, a small neighborhood located in Northeast LA. If you missed out, you can refer to our introduction article. While spending some time there, we found out about the Río de Los Angeles State Park . To be honest, we hadn’t heard much about it. We were curious about a place nearby where we were more likely to hear leaves blowing in the wind than cars honking. Like the nosy neighbor on the block, we invited ourselves in.

On this day, the park was almost empty. Located along the LA river, the park is a state-protected, vast area of land dedicated to providing recreational space for the community, including various sports fields, and hiking and horseback riding trails. How it came to be is and interesting story. Opened in 2007, the park is built on the remnants of old train yards. The park, as it exists today, is a product of a huge conflict between the State Parks and the local community: The State Parks originally wanted the park to be open space and nature-oriented, as most State Parks tend to be, but the community felt that they were imposing on them and building a park without their consent or input. A local Latino soccer group called the Anahuak ended up being a major force in getting the State Parks to incorporate the desires and needs of the community—hence, the recreational facilities and multiple sport fields.

Shortly into our journey, we realized neither one of us were dressed for a hike on this unusually hot November day, but with sunglasses on face and obligatory coffee in hand, we continued to explore. As we walked along one of the trails, we snapped pictures, and talked about life, essenceLA, and future plans. We were able to really enjoy some of LA’s exterior, which was a nice change for us after so frequently operating indoors.

After leaving the park, another place caught our attention. Without a plan, we pulled into the parking lot of the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens —a place that didn’t come up on our radar until we made that left onto Ave. 26 off San Fernando Blvd. The grounds of the River Center and Gardens were refreshingly beautiful and filled with lush and diverse greenery; fountains running throughout the courtyard induced some much needed tranquility. Unknown to us, this place was a calm and impressive hideaway in the midst of an ever-busy city and was an outdoor retreat in prime NELA.

Both of these beautiful LA locations are open and available to the public for rest, relaxation, and recreation, and they are also available for special events, community gatherings, and conferences. Take the self-guided exhibit tour around the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens, and learn about the history of the LA river, its status now, and the plans for its future.

However, one of the most amazing things that these places has to offer is their commitment to preserving, maintaining and displaying native plants and wildlife. We can relate in the sense that we are committed to the preservation and displaying of LA-native artists. Everyday, we notice that Los Angeles is changing and growing right before our eyes. We look forward to sharing more about the city and giving an insider's perspective from like-minded people who enjoy creative expression. At essenceLA, where are excited about our journey ahead.




Article Contributors:

Monday, November 2, 2015

november events

WATTS THEN AND NOW
Aug 11, 2015 - Jan. 28, 2016 Carson, CA
where: Cal State Dominguez Hills
Click here for more info


MINGLE MONDAYZ
11/9 Westchester, CA

What: Open Mic/ Featured Artists
Where: GS Lounge
5630 W. Manchester,
Westchester, CA 90045




FLIGHT SCHOOL OPEN MIC
11/17 Culver City, CA
where: Industry Cafe
6039 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232


DA POETRY LOUNGE
11/17 Los Angeles, CA
where: 544 N. Fairfax Ave.
Los Angeles 90036
Click here for more info


ODD NIGHTS AT THE AUTRY
11/20 Los Angeles, CA 
where: The Autry Museum
click here for more info




Wednesday, October 28, 2015

for your consideration: YNM mixtape

Lil Bro’s projects have been present on our blog several times. He is affiliated with 400 Records, popularized by Compton bred rapper, YG . For his latest project, Lil Bro linked up with Panda Badazz to release YNM: Young Nigga Movement hosted by DJ A-Tron. This 11 track mixtape is full of west coast, so-cal bass slappers. Perfect for listening to on the way to your daily grind or to the party bump ‘n grind.


One of the main themes of this mixtape is “just trynna spend it all and get it back” mentioned in the track, I’m just trynna. Much like many young people today Lil Bro and Panda Badazz are two LA artists who are trying to establish themselves and use their creative abilities to create an ideal financial situation while having a little fun doing it. From being on the  “early mornin, late night” in the track titled Young Nigga to picking up girls in Meet Me at the Chevy, YNM presents us with two rappers who are determined use their creative hustle to fund a fly and merry lifestyle.


If you haven’t already, make sure to check out YNM below.

And be sure to follow Lil Bro to stay up to date on all of his new work.

Lil Bro's
Instagram: @KillaKamPushaz
Twitter

Tuesday, October 20, 2015

essence Cypress Park




“So LA” seemed to be the quote of the day as we embarked on our journey through the Cypress Park area this past weekend. Hill-side streets, lined in palm trees and a sunny breeze, leftover from summer set the tone as we toured the streets of this classic LA neighborhood, in search for some much needed sustenance. Everywhere we turned we seemed to see things that reminded us of what we think of when we reminisce about what Los Angeles means to us. Things we remember like incredible views of the downtown skyline, bright street art, classic corner burger stands and the constant sound of LA city traffic.

After our busy morning meetings, lunch was the first thing on our mind. So taking the advice of our featured artist for this month (who is a Cypress Park native), when we arrived our first stop was Patra’s, a classic LA street corner burger joint with chocolate milkshakes that seemed to magically disappear from the cup. Located in the middle of a very busy and confusing ‘Y’ shaped intersection, it was first opened in LA over thirty years ago by original owner Jimmy Perris who named the restaurant after his hometown in Greece. Patra’s is known for their fresh food made to order policy and has both dine-in and quick drive-through services.

During our lunch, Curnie Compton ordered a Turkey burger and fries with a chocolate shake. The turkey burger was served on a wheat bun with all of its flavor filled glory and dipping her fries in the milkshake was a necessary and tasty occurrence. While Lana Los Angeles, missing the vegetarian option on the menu, ordered a grilled cheese, french fries and of course, a chocolate milkshake. The grilled cheese was classic, just like your mom would make and the french fries were great, not too thin and not overly seasoned. And even though we were all incredibly full after our mid-day meal, Lana was the only one to somehow managed to have her milkshake last her the remainder of the day, savoring the LA flavors through the rest of the exploration.

Located in the Northeast area of Los Angeles, Cypress Park is a busy and colorful neighborhood that rests along the hills of our beautiful city. The host site of the Rio de Los Angeles State Park, Cypress Park is home to a stunning wildlife reserve and scenic hiking trails along a lush and green area of the LA River that is open to the public for your enjoyment. What makes this place so unique is that it is sort of a recreational outdoor refuge among the day to day ruckus of a quickly changing urban city. We are definitely hoping to be able to check out the park in greater detail and let you all know more about it as our adventures continue.

But back to that rapidly altering city observation, Cypress Park is a neighborhood that is changing fast. Gentrification is playing a huge role and is bringing about the construction of many luxury apartments and condos, making it almost identical to many other neighborhoods in LA. However, with local and longstanding establishments like Patra’s and giant murals done by local artists that portray the cultural values of the community, we feel Cypress Park has been able to maintain quite a bit of its particular essence throughout this shift that is taking place in other northeast Los Angeles neighborhoods such as Highland Park and Glassell Park nearby.

During our expedition we were taken by the incredible city views and the bold, colorful street art that this bustling neighborhood had to offer. Bright hues of yellow, red, blue, green and purple splashed upon city walls created the perfect backdrop for this week's journey. Cypress Park is an active, working class neighborhood that stands out from the greater LA area because of its striking views and it’s ability to preserve its uniqueness despite the changes that are brought on by gentrification (at least for now.)

Join us as we get up above it all along this neighborhood’s hillsides that lead you along long, narrow twisted streets. Then venture back down along the mainland and become immersed in busy urban life along the intertwined city streets. Follow us as we get to know the neighborhood of Cypress Park and what more about it we deem “so LA.”

Monday, October 12, 2015

for your consideration: october

We have a treat for you all. You can call it a rapper's delight minus the Sugarhill. Here at essenceLA, we try our best to keep you in tune with various types of artists and their work. This week, we want to present to you with some music created by talented rappers who were born and raised in various parts of Los Angeles. Check out these selections below. If you like what you hear, be sure to follow them on social media to stay updated with their latest tracks. Also, you can follow us on Soundcloud to discover other up and coming, LA artists. Enjoy!

This first song is brought to you LA rapper Killa Kam a.k.a. Lil Bro who is no stranger to essenceLA. His music gets you hyped and ready to turn all the way up any day of the week.  He is expected to drop his mixtape soon. Follow him to stay updated.



This track is brought to you by Milano, a rapper who grew up in Compton and Watts.  His latest project called Lost Angels. is making a lot of noise and gaining much attention on the internet. Currently, it can be downloaded in full FOR FREE on his Soundcloud.



Last but not least we have Frank$, a rapper from South-Central Los Angeles. He is an up and coming artist who is constantly releasing new material, making moves to claim his space in the game. You can check out more of his work on his Soundcloud.

Monday, October 5, 2015

october events

Greetings to all and greetings to fall. Though the weather is getting colder (hopefully), Los Angeles is giving us plenty of reasons to leave the house. Peep out some of events happening in October. Be sure to check our events tab frequently for added events.

WATTS THEN AND NOW
Aug 11, 2015 - Jan. 28, 2016 Carson, CA
What: Photography & Archive Exhibition
Where: California State University at Dominguez Hills
Click here for more info


MINGLE MONDAYZ
10/12 Westchester, CA

What: Open Mic/ Featured Artists
Where: GS Lounge
5630 W. Manchester,
Westchester, CA 90045



FLIGHT SCHOOL OPEN MIC
10/13 Culver City, CA
What: Open Mic
Where: Industry Cafe
6039 Washington Blvd.
Culver City, CA 90232



HOMEFREE
Fri, Sat, & Sun, North Hollywood
What: Theater Performance
Where: The Road on Magnolia
Click here for more info


FRONT PORCH CINEMA
Every Friday this Month Santa Monica, CA
What: Outdoor Movie Screenings
Where: Santa Monica Pier
Click here for more info



LPNSImprov Presents...
10/18,  Sherman Oaks, CA
What: Improv Show
Where: CAP Studio Theater
Click here for more info

THAT'S HUGE COMEDY SHOW
West Hollywood, CA
What: FREE COMEDY SHOW
Where: Bar Lubitsch
Click here for more info

ONE MIC COLLECTIVE
10/21, Baldwin Park, CA
What: Open Mic
Where: 5171 Azusa Canyon Rd.
Baldwin Park, CA


PHANTOM CARRIAGE
10/22 & 10/25 Carson, CA
What: Beer & Art
Click here for more info


Tuesday, September 29, 2015

essence Carson: Dareon Grace

Photo by Dareon Grace
If you haven’t been tuning into our blog this month, shame on you. You’re sleeping on some good stuff. Nevertheless, here’s what you missed: All this month we have been giving you a glimpse inside the neighborhood of Carson, CA. We have presented you with various art related events happening in the City. We’ve served you with our dining experience at the new Phantom Carriage Brewery. Now we present to you, Dareon Grace. He’s a Photographer, clothing designer, musician and he’s also a native of Carson. EssenceLA sat down and talked to Dareon about his work as an artist and about his experience growing up in Carson.

Photo by Dareon Grace
“It all started in high school…” he said as we sat down on the shaded front porch of his Carson home on an obscenely hot LA day.  Before that, he offered us water, but in true LA fashion, despite the triple digit temperature, Lana LosAngeles declined saying “I have to finish my morning coffee first.” I (Curnie Compton) laughed and shook my head in true “wtf” fashion but I knew in all seriousness this was a hard FACT. I’m sure she’ll agree when I say the day is a much better day for everyone involved when Lana has her morning coffee. But back to Dareon, he went on to tell us about how his love for shooting was a product of him venturing out of his neighborhood to explore and experience the greater Los Angeles city life. With camera in hand and skateboard gliding over the pavement, he explored to neighborhoods like Melrose and Downtown, connecting and interacting with people who were like minded and shared the same interests.

Although much of his work can be considered fashion photography, he says he prefers shooting in places surrounded by a lot of people doing their day to day city shuffle. Besides the city itself, Dareon also says the underground hip hop scene has a big influence on his work. He claims artists like MF Doom and Pharrell Williams have inspired him in many ways. MF Doom for his unique ability to “transfer knowledge” and Pharrell because he identifies with him and his re-imagination of skateboard culture and the way he infuses his music, lifestyle, and passion for fashion. According to Dareon, hip hop culture goes hand in hand with fashion. It has encouraged him to create his brand Imaginary Friends and collaborate with friends and fellow artists to create the brand Clean.


We could not end this interview without Dareon recommending to our essenceLA readers some of his favorite places to go in Los Angeles. Places like the Downtown Art Walk, Fairfax Flea Market are his favorite and of course the beach.  One thing that stuck out to us, one of the reasons why we do what we do, was that Dareon too is passionate about connecting other artists who are out here in LA also doing their thing. He told us the networking possibilities and the city’s ability to enable his creative grind are his favorite parts about Los Angeles. He enjoys collaborating with artists who are also passionate and purposeful about their craft. Dareon made sure to let us know about some of these incredible artists, some of which we hope to introduce to all of you in articles to come. "I'm here for there people" Dareon stated and we here at essenceLA are too. We hope that you've enjoyed our exploration of Carson, and we hope you stick around with us as we check out more of our city streets and the creative minds that make them thrive. These are our people, our city, our LA

Photo by Dareon Grace

Photo by Dareon Grace
In addition to constantly adding to his photography portfolio, Dareon has several projects coming up. He is gearing up to relaunch his Clean clothing brand as well as his Imaginary Friends music project and his production company 1937 Films. Hit the play button below to hear part of the interview or check it out on our Soundcloud page. All photos used in this article was take by Dareon. Be sure to check out his work on the links below.




Follow Dareon on Tumblr
Follow on Instagram: @Jamaicanxboogie


Saturday, September 26, 2015

LPNSImprov Presents: The MaD JaCKRats

A vivacious cast, opening to an equally vibrant audience, The MaD JaCKRaTS, instructed by Lauren Patrice Nadler, played their 14th show on Sunday, September 20th and invited essenceLA along for the ride. Located in the NoHo Arts District, at the Arts Center's Theatre 68, this was a new venue for The LPNSImprov MaD JaCKRaTS, but their craft and their work in their live and completely improvised show Makin A Movie obviously keeps crowds coming back. Before the start of the show, director Lauren Patrice Nadler asked the audience how many were new guests and how many were returning and we, here at essenceLA were among the very few new audience members sitting within the crowd.


Photo provided by LPNSImprov
Upon arrival in the neutral colored and tastefully decorated lobby we were greeted by two smiling attendants behind the front desk and a large clear suggestion bowl and white note paper and pencils. The MaD JaCKRaTS, in true improv fashion form their shows, on the fly, according to audience suggestion. And by the time we arrived there were plenty of suggestion already in the bowl and plenty of excited audience members anxiously awaiting the possibility of their suggestion being used in the show. You could feel the energy in the air and the cast of characters was great about returning that same, contagious energy back to the audience.


The stage was set, colorful and spunky, scattered with various costumes, props and accessories. From elaborate beaded dresses and blonde wigs to nostalgic Nerf guns and break-away pants the possibilities for these courageous characters was endless and the wild audience suggestions forced them to put their creativity to the test. The show was broken up into three segments each surrounding three suggestions pulled from the lobby bowl and completely created on the spot in front of a live audience and a live webcam stream of the performance to other places. Sunday's segment suggestions included 'Iceberg' complete with hilarious Titanic references, 'Trump For President' incorporating robot assistants (Christina Orloff) and impromptu DJ skills from the company's own, Jeremy Howards and 'Superhero Rejects Convention' introducing all kinds of super characters sporting some not-so-super, but equally hilarious powers. Each segment so funny it was impossible for us to pick our favorite.


Photo provided by LPNSImprov
The show was great, each ensemble member bringing something different to the stage each and every time, keeping the audience laughing, and guessing the whole way through. We loved watching the cast work, sitting along the side if the stage listening to one another developing and outrageous story, and simultaneously calculating their next move. Michael Franklin in particular is one that is incredible to watch both on stage as one of his crazy characters or off stage while he is crafting his next dynamic character choice. They are a talented, diverse and quick-witted group of actors and they, in combination with Lauren Patrice Nadler's direction have put together a show that is truly keeping audiences engaged the whole way through. We surely were impressed by their craft and walked away still talking about their work the whole ride home.


The MaD JaCKRaTS are making a home for themselves here at Theatre 68 and have a new, completely original show live for you each 3rd Sunday of every month. If you have the time, their next show, coming up on Sunday, October 18th incorporates the Halloween themes and according to director, Lauren Patrice Nadler's, post-show speech it seems as though the cast might have some exciting things up their sleeves for this spook-themed show. We would definitely recommend you to check them out, and visit their website for more information on them, their work, and their up and coming shows. (Mature audiences strongly recommended.)


We thank The MaD JaCKRaTS for inviting us down to see them all, live in action and we look forward to following along with their work in the future. We know theatre, comedy and improv audiences and fans alike will all enjoy what this ensemble has to offer and we are sure the Arts Center is enjoying having them there.

Photo Provided by LPNSImprov

Monday, September 21, 2015

essence Carson: Phantom Carriage

Photo by Lana LosAngeles
It was a grey, gloomy, wet & sticky day in Carson, as LA got some much needed rain. In lieu of taking multiple showers, there is nothing quite as refreshing as an ice cold beer. Good thing we live in LA where the pints are plenty and many local, craft breweries call it their home. From the nationally acclaimed breweries to smaller brewers who are just getting their tongues wet, LA might be in a major water drought but our beer taps runneth over. Carson is the one of the latest cities to have a craft beer brewery to move in. Phantom Carriage is a local brewery that's relatively new to the neighborhood. It opened up its doors and taps to the public less than a year ago.

First thing that crossed our minds upon coming across Phantom Carriage: A brewery so close to Compton?! We MUST check this place out. Heads up, this place is located in the cut in commercial building with barely any signage. Sort of hard to find, but worth the search. We entered into a dark hallway and were greeted by the sounds of bar banter and rock music.  Once our eyes adjusted, we walked into the bar area. The facility was very spacious and contained minimal decor. Though the light was faint, the patrons seemed to liven up the place. It was a Tuesday afternoon so it wasn’t packed, but all of the seats at the bar were taken. The first dope aspect we notice were the high ceilings, the huge towers of barrels located at the rear of the bar and all of the wooden tables and chairs. It actually gave off the feeling of being inside a barrel, which may seem to make a person uneasy, but is was actually a fitting and diggable atmosphere. Another cool feat was the even darker  room  where horror films are screened. Today’s choice flick: selections from the Tales from the Crypt series. Suddenly stricken by nostalgia, we are reminded of being kids in the early nineties being horrified by the appearance of the Crypt-keeper. So it was only fitting that we sat in this room.



Photo by Lana Los Angeles
After establishing our base camp, we proceeded to the bar to order food and drinks. The bartender was super helpful and informative. He told us that they were known for their house sour brews and that they also have some guest selections. Appreciating their affordable baller-on-a-budget prices, we decided to order a flight to sample all of their house beers. Our conclusion: we hated the sour beers. They weren’t our thing. However, we definitely do recommend some of their other house selections. Our top choices were the Hoppy Leapwood, which is a Saison Farmhouse Ale and the Nightwatch which a dark and hoppy IPA brew. Both of these selections pleased us so, it was only necessary to order a full pint after the flight. The food we ordered was also very pleasing. We had the Turkey Melt and Grilled Cheese and each sandwich came with a pickle and the house chips. The Turkey melt was set off by their sweet house jam causing our tastebuds to be overjoyed by this marriage of sweet and savory. The Grilled Cheese was also complemented by the house jam, one of the best Grilled Cheeses we have had in a long time, and the perfect classic snack to go along with our already nostalgic lunch.

Overall, we had a really great experience at the Phantom Carriage. If you ever find yourself in Carson, especially in the month of October, it is definitely worth checking out. One thing that makes us want to go back is that their house brews are constantly rotating on tap, which means you can experience something new every time. They also have some exciting events coming up that go along with the Halloween theme including a Pop-Up Beer Dinner on the 15th, a Monster Making Paint Night on the 22nd and a Pumpkin Fest Carving Contest on the 25th all of which we strongly recommend checking out. The already spooky feel and the fantastic selection of ice cold beer we have no doubt Halloween here would be time well-spent. With it’s commercial building location and the subtle character, this place is the perfect fit for the understated and curated town of Carson, California.


Flyer Courtesy of Phantom Carriage Website