los angeles

let's be fellow twitter-ers

Login or register to post comments

March 3, 2009 - 12:47am

When I first discovered Show Pony shortly after moving to Los Angeles, it was like stumbling upon some weird, ultra-cool pocket of town that no one else knew about. Of course, I felt that way a lot in those days, because everything was unknown to me. Plenty of people knew and loved Kimme Buzzelli's boutique, a tiny closet-like space jumbled full of handmade and vintage clothes, walls decorated with her dreamlike drawings. The shop sat across from a deserted lot populated by weeds, fast food wrappers and stray high tops and never really kept a regular schedule. ("Don't hate if we open late" pronounces the Show Pony Myspace page.)

"In the beginning, when the block was more like a ghost town, I have the best memories of the local kids and their contribution to the block parties," Buzzelli just wrote on her blog, The Moldy Doily. "One particular girl named Cherie who was adorable and would come by everyday and hug every customer. Most of those kids have long moved away." It's sad to know that Show Pony will be joining the ranks of the disappeared. To me, the store was always as vital to the neighborhood as Spaceland, out-of-season Christmas lights on the railings of hillside apartments and cheap Thai food.

1 Comment -

1 comment

March 1, 2009 - 4:36pm

A.O.C.'s "flights and bites" taking off soon

Los Angeles' best-loved wine and tapas spot, A.O.C., is about to start a series of "flights and bites." Every Monday evening from 6-10 p.m., they'll be serving $12 wine flights and $8 tapas at the bar, with a specific country providing the theme each week. (The first event is January 26, a week from tomorrow.)

Don't be fooled by the fact that food and drink are served barside -- we'd still recommend reservations. Especially because the first country of choice is Spain, and they might be serving the arroz negro with squid and saffron aïoli. Yum.

(Reservations line is 323-653-6359.)

Login or register to post comments

January 18, 2009 - 2:48pm

Johnny Cupcakes Gets a Death Threat

image via The Hundreds

Johnny Cupcakes, T-shirt designer extraordinaire, was hazed with his first death threat -- via Facebook -- earlier this week. This would be an unsavory first for any public figure on its own, but today, the story apparently took an even creepier turn.

This afternoon, Johnny wrote on Twitter that the teen who sent the threat had just visited the bakery-themed Melrose Ave. store. When he asked to see Johnny and identified himself by name, an employee made the connection and chased him down the street. (He got away.) Johnny himself wasn't in the store at the time.

What would motivate someone to take out Johnny Earl, the King of Cupcakes? Maybe the kid is diabetic.

1 Comment -

1 comment

January 16, 2009 - 8:20pm

The Essex Lights

My friend Michael Brawer has, of late, been writing songs under the name The Essex Lights. (Clearly he is not a native of Los Angeles.) I wanted to share a few of my favorites here. "Hang in There, Kiddo" and "Walk, Stagger, Stumble, Dance" are both originals, and his cover of "Pitseleh" by Elliot Smith is a really original take on a pretty flawless-in-the-first-place song.

Also, if you're interested in becoming Mel to Brawer's Jemaine, I'll warn you that he doesn't always look like he does in this picture. Sometimes he rides around on the coolest bike in town. And sometimes he even puts down his drink!