January 12, 2011

There’re four forms of live music in the south bay; or rather four primary ways in which music comes to us (excluding house parties). There’s the occasional and annual city-held, outdoor concerts. The music venues. Bars that book entertainment. And then there’re those random spots, unaffiliated with alcohol consumption, that come forth with unexpected events for the arts. Of late, we’ve seen unique shows come from Lopa Lopa Vintage Clothing, Java Man, The Comic Bug, Gum Tree, South Bay Customs, among others. The unique quality of these shows is captured within their nature: they’re not based on money. These establishments don’t hire entertainment to make a fat buck off the booze train like the bars do. Sure, there’s some publicity in it for them and someone might buy a shirt, coffee, or comic book; but it’s faint, nominal, and not a make or break dollar night – in some cases they might even lose a bit of money. With these phantom venues it’s usually about art and community. The next one on the radar takes place on Saturday at The Mint Salon in Hermosa Beach, featuring an acoustic session with Tomorrows Bad Seeds’ Moi and Sean.

On Lapule, Lanuali 23, a kanikapila will be celebrated at the Redondo Beach Performing Arts Center. It’s the Fourth Annual Southern California Slack Key Festival, complete with the Island Marketplace, offered with much pumehana, plus pulled pua’a, poi (Hawaiian for marginally edible purple wallpaper paste), hala kahiki and ki ho’alu music first introduced by the paniolo. New this year: Saimin, a noodle soup dish developed during Hawaii’s plantation era. It’s soft wheat egg noodles served hot and garnished with green onions, Kamaboko, Char siu, sliced Spam, linguiça, and nori, among other additions.

Third opinion

Dear ER:
Both Bruce and Gary are valued colleagues and good old friends [“Second Opinion,” ER Jan. 6, 2011]. As an undergrad at the U of W I cheered for Gary making touchdowns against USC. Bruce’s incredible sense of humor has kept many of us laughing when realities were often stark.

U.S. Representative Gabriel Giffords (D-Arizona), was holding one of her regularly scheduled District meetings with constituents last week when a gunman opened fire, killing six and wounding a dozen more, including the Congresswoman. Among those who died was a 9-year-old whose reason for being there was that she had a growing interest in politics and wanted to meet her Congressional representative.

Mira Costa surfed against Palos Verdes High School at 27th Street in Manhattan Beach last Thursday for the South Bay Surf League Championship.