7Horse

Phil Leavitt and Joie Calio of 7Horse at Sonny's Hideaway

 

7HORSE

At Sonny's Hideaway

5137 York Blvd., Los Angeles (Highland Park) 323-255-2000

"The first thing that attracted me to this place was that it's called Sonny's Hideaway, and that there's no sign on the door. Instantly it was appealing," describes Phil Leavitt of his favorite place in the city, a supper club in Highland Park. "It has that old-school kind of vibe to it, with the leather booths and wood. It's a throwback in a lot of ways to when I was a little kid in Las Vegas. It had a certain attitude, and I like to live like that if I can. In this place, you can you can come in, just be cool, sit at the bar and cop an attitude."

That's exactly what vocalist/drummer Phil, his 7Horse bandmate, guitarist Joie Calio, and I do at one corner of Sonny's Hideaway's bar when we meet up to talk about the 20-plus years this duo has spent creating songs together, their first musical loves and their new album, Songs for a Voodoo Wedding.

As Phil mentions, he spent his childhood in Sin City, with family members, and eventually him too, landing jobs at casinos. The 7Horse moniker comes from his grandpa always betting on the 7 horse at the track. Gambling isn't all that filled his life, though. Both he and Joie have been surrounded by music since they can remember.

"My dad put himself through dental school playing accordion as a leader of a band. Both of our dads were similar: hip, 1960s booming change and revolution kind of people. Dad had all the popular records of the time. I specifically remember the first album I ever picked up in my life was Surfin' U.S.A. by the Beach Boys. The pop culture movement was happening in my house with the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, the Rolling Stones, the Monkees," tells Joie, whose youth was spent in the Bay Area. "From the Monkees' cartoon show, the Beatles' TV show, my parents and my babysitters – blonde, beach types listening to Paul Revere & the Raiders, Herman's Hermits, the Rolling Stones and the radio – I loved it all."

Phil remembers being obsessed with a leather-bound, fold-out LP soundtrack of the original cast recording of "Jesus Christ Superstar" and "The Monkees" too – until his older cousin set him straight at around age 6.

"She said, 'Look, you might like this, but not these guys. These guys,' and she turned me onto the Beatles. The music, the whole idea of a band and the relationship between the people in it, took hold in my mind then because you always got a sense of that with the Beatles from movies like A Hard Day's Night or Help!. It was incredible, these four friends doing all of this together, the romance, the traveling, I got caught up in that," he recalls. "It was the Beatles and nothing but for about 10 years, until I heard the Police. The Police really got under my skin. A lot of it was the drums and Stewart Copeland because he's a phenomenal, revolutionary kind of drummer. I had never heard anything that sounded like that."

"When I was little kid, I would stay up late and watch 'The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson' and saw Buddy Rich, the jazz drummer, on it. Seeing him play, then he went over to sit down and mix it up with Carson. The idea that a drummer can be a guy who is a real personality, I connected to that," he adds.

As strains of jazz music waft from the speakers overhead at Sunny's Hideaway, I ask Phil about some of the things he usually orders when he comes here.

"They make very good Old Fashioneds here. That's what I usually get because I'm a bourbon guy. At Happy Hour it's $6, you really can't beat that," he says. "They have a special menu for Tiki Tuesday, mostly rum drinks, and I had one of those before you got here. It was very good, too."

Joie is sipping a glass of red wine, and when I inquire if he's a connoisseur, he responds, "You could say that. I'm pretty bitchy about wine." He is a fan of Sonny's Hideaway's Ricotta Dumplings, while Phil recommends the Market Greens, Grilled Octopus, Smoked Deviled Eggs and the Bacon Burger that comes with bacon mixed into the ground beef.

"They always put a bit of a spin on things to make them more unique," he says. "I felt good the first time I came into this place, and for me, that's everything. It's not about the scene or what kind of write-ups a place gets, it's about how I feel when I walk through the door, and this place felt good."

Trusting their initial gut feelings about places and people is something that both musicians have done throughout their careers.

"Both of us have been playing music all of our lives. When you play with other musicians, some of them are good and some of them aren't. It's pretty rare when you meet someone who is great and you really click with. When you find somebody where it's like,' Wow, this is a serious connection,' it's a day you don't forget," says Joie. "When I first met Phil, I was in another band, and we were looking for a drummer. I worked at Geffen Records as the head of the mail room—"

"He always likes to work that in," laughs Phil.

"Yes, I was the head of the mail room," exclaims Joie. "I asked a girl in publishing if she knew any drummers, and she said,'I know the best drummer in Los Angeles. I'll get you his number.'"

"Let me tell you why she thought I was the best drummer in Los Angeles," interrupts Phil. "She used to come over to my house late at night, and we would have sex."

"That may have helped, but that's not why," Joie replies. "We invited him down to rehearsal, and it was just [claps hands] holy shit, crazy."

The two spent seven years together with Michael Gurley in dada before the band parted ways in 1999.

"When the first phase of our music career came to an end in the late '90s, that coincided with the end of the old-school record business. I ended up going Las Vegas and doing Blue Man Group for three years because the band got dropped. We had no idea that we could go on without a record label. Ani DeFranco was the only one who was doing her own thing," explains Phil, who also started doing voice over work to pay the bills.

Joie moved to Seattle, Wash., where he still resides today, and continued to release music as well as a memoir, You Can't Hear It But You Know It's There. Eventually, the pair came together again to form 7Horse and began writing material for their debut album, Let the 7Horse Run, over the phone and computer.

 "I feel like we ran into this thing, [7Horse] was there waiting for us, and we didn't even realize it. For a long time, we thought we were doing something else. We thought that our musical career was about a different sound, a different band," recalls Phil. "It takes a real change of mindset to even imagine that you can do something different after you've been doing a thing for a long time and have invested so much time into it."

"When you had success like we had, if you don't get success again right away it's like, 'failure,'" remarks Joie. "When we started [7Horse], it was completely a left turn. Once we made a commitment to the left turn, we kept focusing on the differences. Let's do something that's different, otherwise we're just going to end up in the same place we were before, which was at a dead end."

Let the 7Horse Run released in 2011 and was indeed a departure from the sound associated with their previous band. The change was a good one, though, as the album's single, "Meth Lab Zoso Sticker," caught the ear of director Martin Scorsese, who used it in a trailer for and several scenes in The Wolf of Wall Street.

The duo hit the road in support of their debut and began working on songs for a new album. One song, "A Friend in Weed," was written as their van was coming into the town of Weed, Calif.

"When we're apart we're always working on stuff, bits and pieces of things," Phil says of their writing process. "We purposely try not to finish songs, leave them in a state of being half done and then send it to the other guy to see what kind of reaction it gets. We finish them right before we record. It keeps it very immediate and fresh. A lot of times, the first time through is the best for capturing that energy."

"We really keep it raw and simple," says Joie. "Once we get rolling, it's like a wave and you stop thinking about it, that's what slows you down. You just go with your feelings; we're pretty good at that."

"We have a focus on what we're trying to accomplish. The tendency when you're young is to be as creative as possible, to try all kinds of different things. There's a constant desire to break away from what you did before and do something totally different. While that can be personally satisfying from an ego point of view, in a lot of ways there's something better about saying, 'We're only going to use four colors in this painting. It's going to be blue, red, green and orange, and that's it.' If you're doing it with limitations, it's much easier to be creative within the framework," comments Phil. "The Beatles ruined it for everybody. That's a band that completely evolved from their early records, but there is only one Beatles. Not everybody can do that."

"They couldn't even last doing it," adds Joie. "It screwed them up, and everything ground to a halt."

"Then you have the Rolling Stones, who are still around because they have a thing that they do. And that's it, keep doing that thing, trying to make it better. Sometimes you succeed, sometimes you fail, but it is a thing, a well-defined idea," Phil continues. "As we've gotten older, we've gotten away from this desire to want to satisfy every creative whim. It's more: 'Let's make whiskey, but let's make the best whiskey.'"

Speaking of whiskey, everyone continues to sip on their drinks, as I ask Joie what prompted his move from Los Angeles to Seattle.

"It was a combination of things. I had been here for a long time; I moved down when I was pretty young. Phil and I both moved to Malibu for a while, and that was fantastic. Then I bought my first house in Woodland Hills, the hottest place in the valley, and it really did a number on me," he shares. "I just got beat down, needed a break and I had two little kids. Somebody shot an egg from a wrist rocket and blew out our kitchen window, and I said, 'Maybe this isn't the best place to raise a kid.' I just wanted a change."

Phil, on the other hand, says he wouldn't want to live anywhere else but Los Angeles.

"I love this place because it has everything, including smog, traffic and the difficulties in dealing with it. When people say, 'I don't like Los Angeles,' I say, 'See ya, we could use a few less of you around to ease up the traffic,'" he laughs. "That's why I like this side of town, because it feels a little less congested, more open and relaxed. Highland Park and York Boulevard are getting trendy and I've only been on this side of town for about five years (I've lived all over, from Malibu and the Valley, to Silver Lake and Hollywood), but I like this place the best."

While Los Angeles is always in his heart, Phil has also fallen in love with New Orleans. His travels to the city for a friend's actual voodoo wedding inspired the name of 7Horse's sophomore effort, Songs for a Voodoo Wedding.

"See those two people over there, the blonde woman and the guy talking gesticulating," Phil asks as he points to a couple standing on another side of the bar. "My wife is over there with them, and the four of us went to New Orleans together. They were the ones getting married down there, this is the couple."

"We're not going to be here every time they do an interview," laughs the man, as he overhears Phil talking about them.

"I love jazz and blues, in particular early rock 'n' roll, and New Orleans is the birthplace of all that. I've been to every music city – Austin, Nashville, New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago – and there's no place like New Orleans," states Phil. "Frenchmen Street, we don't have anything like it in Los Angeles. It's bar after bar after bar, with a crowd and band in every one, and all the bands are good. There's a reggae bar next to a Dixieland old-school traditional jazz band in a bar then a funky brass band. Within 20 minutes, I heard amazing music in four different places just walking down the street. That place really got to me, so I wanted to name check it in our song ['Flying High (With No ID)"] because it's all true. That song has a lot of what really happened. The trip down there I, in fact, showed up at the airport without a driver's license."

Joie interjects, "Wait a second! And…"

"I don't like flying that much, so I thought I would soften the experience with a cannabis lollipop. I get to security, open my wallet and don't have my driver's license. But I think it helped me because under normal circumstances, panic might have set in," Phil divulges. "The real thrust of that song, though, is that time in New Orleans, experiencing the culture there."

As the pair of band brothers prepares for next week's release of Songs for a Voodoo Wedding, they talk about why their musical partnership has been able to withstand so much and persevere over more than two decades.

"When you're 20 years old, you're just blindly go out there thinking the world is going to open up for you," observes Phil. "For some it does. Paul McCartney wrote 'Yesterday' when he was around 22, but how many of those guys are around? I certainly wasn't one. We had to stick it out for a bit longer to get onto something where we feel like, 'this is our thing that we like to do, and we're going to keep doing it no matter what.' We both believe that, so it makes it easy for us to go forward."

"This is really a rebirth, that's the greatest thing about it," continues Joie. "We really a tapped into a whole new line. It's like the spike went into the ground, and a whole new well popped up. It's so refreshing and beautiful. I feel pretty good about it.

"The key ingredient here, what do you need most in life from another person is optimism. Everybody wants to say no, so when you run into somebody who says yes, that's a key ingredient. That's what Joie's about. He's a true believer, and that's what keeps us rolling. You have to have that because it's so difficult. We had to battle with the record company machinery back in the day, and now those days are over. We're on your own, which is great in certain ways, but there's so much to do because the machine doesn't exist to support you; you have to do everything yourself," concludes Phil. "Baseball's another thing that I love, and Tommy Lasorda used to say something like, 'If you have 25 guys pulling on the same side of the rope anything is possible, but if you have half the team pulling the other way saying, 'I don't believe in this thing,' then you're going nowhere.' It's the same thing in a band. If you have two guys going one way and another guy going the other way, even if it's the most talented band in the world, it's going to be impossible. But if you don't stop, you can't fail."

Songs for a Voodoo Wedding will be available June 10. For more information, visit http://7horsemusic.com/.

Priscilla Ahn

My Los Angeles with

PRISCILLA AHN

If you watched Kate Hudson and Anne Hathaway duke it out in the film Bride Wars, you probably shed some tears during the touching scene right before they walk down the aisle. "Dream, "the song that provided the soundtrack to this climactic scene was pivotal in tugging at the heartstrings, perhaps even more than the wistful glances between the movie's leads.

Priscilla Ahn is the L.A. singer-songwriter who penned "Dream," and while that tune is beautiful and powerfully emotional, it's really just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the artist's talent. Growing up in Pennsylvania, Ahn began crafting songs and playing the guitar at age 14; she performed in front of an audience for the first time before even turning 18. Music eventually led Ahn to Los Angeles, and I was lucky enough to have witnessed some of her first shows in the city almost a decade ago. Her stellar voice had me from first listen.

Since then, she has released two full-lengths via Blue Note (2008's Joey Waronker-produced A Good Day, When You Grow Up from 2011) and two Japanese albums, as well as touring the world with the likes of Willie Nelson, Ray LaMontagne, Joshua Radin and Devotchka. For her latest effort, last February's This Is Where We Are, Ahn took a solitary trip to the desert for songwriting inspiration.

The journey proved transformative, as the resulting tracks mark a slight departure from her sparse, acoustic-based songs into the realm of electropop. There's not doubt that the pulsating beats of This Is Where We Are's opener "Diana," "Home" and "You And Me" make you want to dance. Additionally, the electronic elements on the album's quietly gorgeous ballads ("Remember How I Broke Your Heart," "I Can't Fall Asleep," "OOOOOOO") never overshadow her dreamy vocals.

Ahn is winding down a North American trek in support of the album with two L.A.-area shows next week. After a month on the road, it's going to be good to be back home and visit some of the places she's been craving. She took some time away from tour madness to share the special places that make up her Los Angeles with Jigsaw.

Favorite venue to play, and your fondest show memory there: The Hotel Cafe (Hollywood)
There are so many great venues in the city that I love, but I've played at Hotel the most. I have so many old recordings of when I was just starting out there. That place holds a lot of good memories for me ... lots of support and love.

Venue to see another singer-songwriter or band play: The Hotel Cafe (Hollywood)
It's usually a great listening room, and it's not far from where I live, which always helps. I'm an old, house lady now – the closer, the better.

Last great local act you caught: Alex Lilly
She's amazing. I love all her other projects too, including Obi Best and Touché. Her new solo stuff is rad!

Café to grab a coffee/tea, and usual order there: Broome Street General Store (Silver Lake)
I usually get an iced latte. [They have] great coffee, a sweet outdoor patio and beautiful clothes and wares inside. Who doesn't like to shop and sip coffee at the same time?

Place for people-watching: Hollywood & Highland (Hollywood)
Not that I ever go there, but I drive through there almost every day. I love seeing all the tourists and the guys dressed up as creepy Spider-Man, etc.

Restaurant, and favorite dish there: Jitlada (East Hollywood)  
This restaurant slays me – my all time fave, in the country! I always get the crab claw curry with morning glories.

Clothes shop: Mohawk General Store (Silver Lake)
My last few great finds are from here. It's expensive, but it's really high quality. Whenever I make a purchase, I just tell myself I will wear it for the rest of my life.

Record shop: Counterpoint Records & Books (Franklin Village)
I've gotten many vinyls here, especially from their $1 bin. I've made some really amazing discoveries in that pile!

Bookstore: The Last Bookstore (Downtown)
I love getting lost in a bookstore, and that's easy to do here.

Place to take out-of-town visitors: Griffith Park Observatory (Griffith Park) or Venice Beach
We'll either do the beautiful and easy hike to the observatory, or rent bikes at Venice.

For Inspiration/Rejuvenation: Zuma Beach (Malibu)
It's a little bit of a drive, so it feels like you're removed from the city, and it's just gorgeous there.

This Is Where We Are is currently available. Priscilla Ahn performs May 30 at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever and May 31 at the Constellation Room. For more information, visit priscillaahn.com.

Events for May 15-21, 2014

Get with THE PROGRAM

THURSDAY, MAY 15

ART

Artopia @ Grand Central Market (Downtown)
Sometimes I just love walking through the Arts District to look at all the street art and just absorb all of the creativity that is in the air in the neighborhood. LA Weekly celebrates the area's vibrant art scene with this event that brings together live art installations, music, film and fashion under one roof. Since the venue is Grand Central Market, there is plenty of food and drink to be purchased from vendors who are staying open after regular hours (Horse Thief, Sticky Rice, Valerie at GCM, G&B Coffee, to name a few) as you're walking through the exhibits.

COMEDY

TMZ Comedy Tour @ The Ice House (Pasadena)
Often times what makes the bits of celebrity gossip revealed on "TMZ" so riveting are the people that deliver them. That's because some of those personalities have been entertaining crowds from comedy stages for years. Tonight's stand-up event gives four of the TV show's regulars – Brian McDaniel, Rick Mitchell, Katie Hayes and Myke Anthony – the spotlight to share their witty commentary on pop culture and beyond.

FRIDAY, MAY 16

FILM

In Theaters This Week
The always great Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Elizabeth Olsen and Bryan Cranston lead a cast that also includes Sally Hawkins, Ken Watanabe and Juliette Binoche in Godzilla; Million Dollar Arm stars Jon Hamm as a sports agent who recruits cricket players to play in the MLB. Also in theaters: Stage Fright

MUSIC

Maximo Park @ Troubadour (West Hollywood)
The British fivesome is touring the nation in support of their latest album, Too Much Information, that released last month and stop in Los Angeles tonight. Kick off your weekend swaying to the beat of new songs "Leave This Island" and "Midnight on the Hill" and singing along with older tracks like "Apply Some Pressure," "Going Missing" and "Our Velocity." You are sure to work up a sweat, let go of some of the week's stress and have some fun.

SPORTS

Amgen Tour of California (Santa Clarita to Mountain High)
One of the best parts of the Tour de France broadcast in the summer is watching the fans that stand on the sidelines, yelling at the top of the their lungs while wearing awesomely ridiculous outfits to ensure they get on TV. If you have ever longed to be one of those passionate crowd-goers, then don't miss your chance to cheer on world-class riders, like Peter Sagan and Mark Cavendish, as they breeze through Southern California. Today they ride from Newhall to Palmdale then up to Big Bear and Mountain High ski resort. Saturday's course runs from Town Center Mall in Santa Clarita and over to Mount Wilson before passing the Rose Bowl, Colorado Street Bridge and Old Town Pasadena. The tour's final stage takes place on Sunday in Thousand Oaks, and it will be thrilling to see who ends up wearing the yellow jersey.

SATURDAY, MAY 17

ART

Ghostbusters 30th Anniversary Art Show @ Gallery 1988 West (Mid-City West)
"Are you troubled by strange noises in the middle of the night? Do you experience feelings of dread in your basement or attic? Have you or your family ever seen a spook, spectra or ghost? If the answer is 'yes,' then don't wait another minute. Pick up the phone and call the professionals…" This year marks many ups and downs for the supernatural comedy: losing one of its writers and stars (Harold Ramis), celebrating its 30th anniversary and the confirmation of a third Ghostbusters film coming to theaters next year. If you're a fan, then you should definitely head over to this touring exhibit's L.A. stop at Gallery 1988 West through June 1. Every piece in the show is awesome, from DKNG's Ecto-1 (above), Joshua Budich's They're Here to Save the World, Tom Whalen's Confectionary Kaiju and Richard Kelly's Keymaster.

FASHION

Super Saturday @ Barker Hangar (Santa Monica)
If you love searching for bargains at estate or yard sales every weekend, then this "Rolls Royce of garage sales" (as dubbed by the New York Times) is for you. Hosted by celebrity stylist Rachel Zoe and model/actress Molly Sims, Super Saturday not only offers you luxury brands for 30- to 50-percent off, all proceeds go to the Ovarian Cancer Research Fund. You can get clothes and accessories for the whole family for a bargain and help a good cause while you're at it.

FILM

Office Space @ Santa Monica High School's Memorial Greek Amphitheatre (Santa Monica)
Eat|See|Hear's outdoor movie-food-music series is in full swing for the summer, and tonight's feature is one of my favorite comedies. If you're loving Mike Judge's new series, "Silicon Valley," on HBO, then you should see Office Space, his first feature-length film. It stars Ron Livingston, Jennifer Aniston, Gary Cole and Stephen Root in a story about workers who can't stand their job or their greedy boss. The End of Summer perform a set before the movie, so grab some grub from food trucks like Son of a Bun, India Jones and Coolhaus and settle in for an awesome night under the stars.

FOOD

California Strawberry Festival @ Strawberry Meadows of College Park (Oxnard)
As you're driving up the 101 with your windows down on a hot summer day, It's hard to ignore the pleasant, hunger-inducing aromas as you pass the many strawberry farms located in Ventura County. I'm salivating just thinking about it. You can easily satisfy your every strawberry craving today and tomorrow at this year's California Strawberry Festival. Aside from treats like chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry pizza, strawberry funnel cake and strawberry margaritas, there are performances from the Young Dubliners and Mariachi Divas, a strawberry pie eating challenge, relay race, hat competition and shortcake build-off contest.

SUNDAY, MAY 18

SHOPPING

Artists & Fleas @ Arts District (Downtown)
What could be more relaxing on a Sunday afternoon than perusing the wares of artists, designers and vintage sellers all in one place? This curated marketplace that is open all year long in Brooklyn and Manhattan finally makes its way west. With local vendors like Gull and Marie, Soiyl, Mt. Washington Pottery and Groceries Apparel, you can pick up clothes, jewelry and home goods. There are food vendors and a DJ on site for you to enjoy as you take a break from shopping.  Also Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 21

MUSIC

Isabel Beyoso @ Molly Malone's (Beverly Grove)
This is the perfect show to get you over the mid-week hump. The L.A. singer-songwriter, model and actress released her debut full-length, It's Time, last summer and is performing a special acoustic set tonight. From the heart-wrenching "Pursue Me" to the sassy "Better Than Nothing" and delightful "Mm-Mm Spell," Beyoso crafts songs that touch upon your every mood. When she performs them live, they are absolutely entrancing.

STREET SIGNS - WeHo Peace Elephant

When the new West Hollywood Library was opened in 2011, the unveiling included this huge Shepard Fairey mural. The 70- by 106-foot art piece features a majestic elephant holding a flower, as well as a dove, and these images represent peace, freedom and creativity – a word that is part of the city's motto. The library is located at 625 N. San Vicente Boulevard, but West Hollywood Peace Elephant is best seen from the parking lot on El Tovar Place off Robertson Boulevard.

New Release Tuesday 5-13-14

May 13, 2014

MUSIC

The Black Keys – Turn Blue (Nonesuch)
When I was first exposed to the blues rock from the Akron, Ohio duo nine years ago, I wondered if mainstream pop culture would ever embrace their sound. It didn't take much time after that for Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney's music to start appearing in ads for Victoria's Secret and for them to start performing on music festival main stages. With the release of their fifth album, 2008's Attack & Release, the Black Keys began working with producer Brian Burton (aka Danger Mouse), who has co-produced each of their subsequent releases, and as their songs became more radio friendly, their popularity soared. Now, with platinum records and multiple Grammys under their belts, the Keys once again team with Burton for their eighth studio effort, Turn Blue. If you loved their last three albums, then songs like "In Time, "Fever" and "10 Lovers" are going to make you very happy.

Chromeo – White Women (Big Beat/Atlantic)
I can honestly say that I have never been disappointed when I've listened to songs from the Montreal electro-funk pair of David "Dave 1" Macklovitch and Patrick "P-Thugg" Gemayel. The streak continues with the tracks of their fourth album, White Women, which releases today. With infectious beats and often hilarious lyrics, there's a reason Chromeo refer to themselves as the "Larry David of Funk." Just give songs such as "Come Alive" (featuring Toro y Moi), "Over Your Shoulder" and "Lost on the Way Home" (featuring Solange) a spin to see what I mean. You'll smile, you'll giggle and, most of all, you'll dance.

Little Dragon – Nabuma Rubberband (Loma Vista)
Ever since the Swedish foursome burst onto the scene with their self-titled debut in 2007, they've held my interest. Their synthesizers and electronic beats are paired with the soulful voice of frontwoman Yukimi Nagano in bold and innovative, yet completely catchy, ways. "Let Go" and "Klapp Klapp," the first singles from their fourth album, Nabuma Rubberband, immediately grab your ear with pulsating beats, and once Nagano's vocals kick in you are hooked. Although Little Dragon don't have an L.A. date on their current schedule, they are giving you a chance to win tickets to see them perform at Bonnaroo next month. All you have to do to enter is build your own Nabuma Derby car (see instructions here: nabumarubberband.com), then post a photo of your tricked out racer on Twitter or Instagram using #NabumaDerby @LittleDragon and @Redbull.

Michael Jackson – Xscape (Epic)
While you may have mixed feelings about posthumous album releases, there is no way you aren't curious in the least about hearing more new music from the King of Pop. L.A. Reid worked with Michael Jackson's estate to find eight songs that the singer had completed vocals on before teaming with some of the industry's top producers to give the tracks a contemporary finish. The result is Xscape, the second compilation album of new music to be released after the artist's death. Reid enlisted Timbaland to co-executive produce the album, which also contains work from StarGate, Jerome "J-Rock" Harmon, Rodney "Darkchild" Jerkins and John McClain. While songs like "Love Never Felt So Good" (which also has a duet version with Justin Timberlake) sound exactly how you would expect a new MJ jam to, the darker "Blue Gangsta" and title track hint at a different style that we might have seen from him. The deluxe album includes all of the songs in their original forms, a bonus track and two videos.

Tori Amos – Unrepentant Geraldines (Mercury Classics)
I doubt there is a contemporary singer-songwriter who isn't influenced or at least knows the lyrics to one Tori Amos song. Her incredible voice is instantly recognizable, her piano skills phenomenal and her lyrical prowess is incredible. While her last three albums were classical in nature, Unrepentant Geraldiines, her 14th full-length release, is a return to the pop/rock sound she is known for. With songs such as "Trouble's Lament," "Wild Way" and "16 Shades of Blue," Amos has not only continued to push herself creatively she has remained entirely beautiful in eloquence and melody in doing so. See her perform songs from the new album and some favorites on July 23 at the Greek Theatre.

Also available – Bane's Don't Wait Up; Blondie's Blondie 4(0) Ever; Cursed Sails' Rotten Society; Dolly Parton's Blue Smoke; Dylan Gardner's Adventures in Real Time; Eastlink's self-titled; Guided By Voices' Cool Planet; Hiss Tracts' Shortwave Nights; Joseph Arthur's Lou; Killer Be Killed's self-titled; Kishi Bashi's Lighght; La Sera's Hour of the Dawn; Levi Weaver's Your Ghost Keeps Finding Me; Midnight Faces' The Fire Is Gone; Mirah's Changing Light; Mushroomhead's The Righteous & The Butterfly; Only Crime's Pursuance; The Pains of Being Pure at Heart's Days of Abandon; Rascal Flatts' Rewind; Rig 1's North of Maple; Sean Nicholas Savage's Bermuda Waterfall; The Shilohs self-titled; Swans' To Be Kind; Sylar's To Whom It May Concern; Sylvan Esso's self-titled; Thunderegg's C'mon Thunder; Tobacco's Ultima Il Massage; The Trouble With Templeton's Rookie; Walter Martin's We're All Young Together; Watery Love's Decorative Feeding; Weatherbox's Flies In All Directions; Young Widows' Easy Pain

LITERARY

In stores this week – The Big Fat Surprise: Why Butter, Meat and Cheese Belong in a Healthy Diet by Nina Teicholz; Bittersweet by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore; Jack of Spies by David Downing; No Place to Hide: Edward Snowden, the NSA, and the U.S. Surveillance State by Glenn Greenwald; President Me: The America That's In My Head by Adam Carolla; The Skin Collector (Lincoln Rhyme) by Jeffery Deaver; Stress Test: Reflections on Financial Crises by Timothy F. Geithner; Think Like a Freak: The Authors of Freakonomics Offer to Retrain Your Brain by Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner; We Were Liars by E. Lockhart

DVD

Film – Writer/director Spike Jonze won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for Her, a riveting and innovative love story that stars Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson, Amy Adams, Chris Pratt and Rooney Mara; Aaron Echkhart, Yvonne Strahovski, Miranda Otto and Bill Nighy in I, Frankenstein; That Awkward Moment follows the dating adventures of three best friends (played by Zac Efron, Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller)

Music – The Dave Clark Five and Beyond: Glad All Over

TV – Eastbound & Down: The Complete Fourth & Final Season; Longmire: Season 2; Orange Is the New Black: Season 1

Also available – After Tiller; Camp Harlow; Chlorine; Compound Fracture; Crook; Shakespeare: Richard II; Special ID; Squatters; Stalingrad; Stranger By the Lake

Events for May 8-14, 2014

Get with THE PROGRAM

FRIDAY, MAY 9

FILM

In Theaters This Week
Chef is Jon Favreau's comedy about a cook who loses his restaurant job and starts up a food truck and stars Favreau along with Robert Downey Jr., Scarlett Johansson, Dustin Hoffman, John Leguizamo, Bobby Cannavale and Sofia Vergara; Jesse Eisenberg and Mia Wasikowska in Richard Ayoade's adaptation of Fyodor Dostoyevsky's The Double; The animated musical Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return features the voices of Lea Michele, Martin Short, Jim Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Kelsey Grammar and Megan Hilty; Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Dave Franco, Rose Byrne, Lisa Kudrow and Christopher Mintz-Plasse in the Nicholas Stoller comedy Neighbors; Gia Coppola's Palo Alto stars James Franco and Emma Roberts. Also in theaters: Fed Up; God's Pocket; Moms' Night Out

From Caped Crusader to Dark Knight: 75 Years of Batman @ Egyptian Theatre (Hollywood)
Batman first appeared in Detective Comics in May of 1939, and to celebrate, American Cinematheque is screening double features dedicated to the superhero two nights in a row. If you have never hiked up to the caves in Bronson Canyon that were used in the "Batman" television series while singing the theme song in your head, well, you're sorely missing out. Never fear, you can na na na na na na along with fellow fans during tonight's screening of the 1966 feature that was spawned from the show with Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin, followed by Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, the feature spinoff of the animated show. Saturday's double feature is of Tim Burton's Batman and Batman Returns, starring Michael Keaton as Batman.

FOOD

OC Night Market @ OC Fair & Event Center (Costa Mesa)
Since its inception two years ago, the 626 Night Market has grown into a huge affair, drawing more than 50,000 people to its monthly event inspired by the nighttime markets of Asia. This year, they've decided to spread the fun around to other areas of SoCal, including this weekend's first-ever festivities in Orange County. Beginning at 4 p.m. today, Saturday and Sunday, you can sample dishes from over 200 different vendors – the bacon jerky from Banzai Jerky, a lobster roll from the Lobsta Truck, lychee macarons from JoJo Cakes – and enjoy presentations from visual artists, musicians and dancers.

SPORTS

Thunder vs. Clippers @ Staples Center (Downtown)
Having begun the healing process after the shock and mayhem created by the unfortunate Donald Sterling, the Clippers were able to take care of business against the Warriors and head into the Western Conference Semifinals with a fresh attitude and outlook. Los Angeles took Game 1 against Oklahoma City, 122-105, on the Thunder's home court, but the OKC squad won Wednesday night's game by 11 points. Los Angeles has a fierce hunger to make it to the Finals, but don't expect this season's league MVP Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and the rest of the squad to just let the Clips walk all over them. Game 3 tonight and Game 4 on Sunday afternoon are going to feature some exciting playoff basketball.

SATURDAY, MAY 10

MUSIC

Cinquanta @ Greek Theatre (Griffith Park)
Just like 15-year-old Latinas celebrate their special birthday with a blowout celebration, the great Maynard James Keenan is commemorating his 50th year of life with this grand event taking place tonight and tomorrow night at the Greek. The L.A. singer-songwriter, musician, producer, winemaker and actor is known for his on-stage theatrics, so expect even more awesome performances from his bands Puscifer and A Perfect Circle than you have seen before. As a treat, Failure has agreed to hold reunion sets on both nights as the band's gift to MJK, who says, "This was the perfect opportunity to tick off one of my bucket list items in the form of a Failure reunion. What better birthday present could one ever hope for?"

FILM

The Return of Outdoor Movie Nights
Warm weather doesn't only mean beach days and wearing flip flips 24/7, it ushers in the season of having picnics and watching movies under the stars with friends. Tonight, two of the city's biggest outdoor movie event organizers kick off their schedules for the year. Cinespia sets up stakes at their usual site, Hollywood Forever Cemetery, with a screening of Harold Ramis' 1983 ode to the summer family road trip, National Lampoon's Vacation. Join the Griswolds (Chevy Chase, Beverly D'Angelo, Dana Barron and Anthony Michael Hall) on their cross-country trek to Walley World. Or, you can head a little southwest to Pan-Pacific Park where Street Food Cinema opens their season with a 30th anniversary double feature of two awesome comedies from 1984, Revenge of the Nerds and Bachelor Party. It's an all-out '80s party with a costume contest, DJs spinning music from the decade, food trucks and special guest Curtis "Booger" Armstrong.

SUNDAY, MAY 11

MOTHER'S DAY

Showing mom just how much you appreciate her doesn't mean you have to empty your wallet on an extravagant brunch at one of the city's best gourmet restaurants. Treat her to a homemade spread for brunch or dinner, or just spend the day doing something together. Go for a hike in Runyon Canyon or walk along the Santa Monica Pier. See a matinee of The Wizard of Oz at Aero Theatre, The Sound of Music at the Egyptian or Mildred Pierce at the Cinefamily. Take in exhibits at MOCA, LACMA or the Getty Center. Or head to a play, like the one below.

THEATER

"Letters From Zora: In Her Own Words" @ The Pasadena Playhouse (Pasadena)
Most everyone has to read Their Eyes Were Watching God in school, and Zora Neale Hurston's own life is just as inspiring for women and men of every color. Playwright Gabrielle Denise Pina's "Letters From Zora: In Her Own Words" explores the author's opinions on integration, segregation and social justice through the dramatization of personal letters set to original music composed by Ron McCurdy and archival images collected by Margie Labadie. Get to know the woman behind the stories, as well as the friends and foes that comprised her world during the Jazz Age. Running through May 18.

TUESDAY, MAY 13

ART

Fallen Fruit of the Skirball @ Skirball Cultural Center (Brentwood)
From the vibrant red of its skin and seeds to the numerous health benefits contained in its juice, the pomegranate is quite an appealing fruit. Furthermore, the symbolic meanings of the fruit – particularly relating to marriage and fertility in Jewish, Persian, Greek and Turkish cultures – are many. After being inspired by an illustrated ketubbah (Jewish marriage contract) on display at the Skirball, David Burns and Austin Young of the L.A. art collaborative Fallen Fruit (who are known for using fruit as a medium) began work on this exhibit that focuses on the pomegranate, as well as the emotional, cultural and intellectual "ingredients that make for a great relationship." On display through Oct. 12.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 14

FOOD

Science & Food: How We Taste @ UCLA's Schoenberg Hall (Westwood)
The second lecture in UCLA's Science & Food series explores how humans taste through the lens of a scientist (Dr. Dana Small), a chef (Wylie Dufresne) and a food writer (Peter Meehan). Dr. Small explains how different flavors stimulate our brains and also sheds light on the link to obesity. Chef Dufresne, who is known for his inspired dishes that utilize molecular gastronomy techniques, tells of his approach to creating unique flavors and textures. Cookbook author and former New York Times writer Meehan shares his experiences with food and how they have shaped his writing.

Fernando Gonzalez of Flipping Design

 

FERNANDO GONZALEZ of FLIPPING DESIGN

At Tortilla Republic

616 N. Robertson Blvd., West Hollywood 310-657-9888

Once Los Angeles-based interior designer Fernando Gonzalez begins to describe his family, it becomes clear why dining rooms have become the primary focus of his company, Flipping Design.

"My mother's a big cook, and that actually rubbed off on my sister, who is in culinary arts. We both found our passions at a young age, and it's been good to be surrounded with siblings and family members doing the same thing as me, pushing hard to do what they love," he says. "All of us are really close-knit, and I feel truly blessed to have such a loving family."

To Fernando, family is where the heart is, and since nothing brings loved ones together like the dinner table, a home's dining room should never be neglected. Knowing how much sharing meals in a fabulously decorated space means to the young designer, it came as no surprise to me when he selected one of the city's most aesthetically pleasing restaurants, Tortilla Republic, as our meeting place. Its location, in the heart of West Hollywood's Design District, couldn't be more appropriate for our conversation about his artistic background, design and his new company.

With an original establishment on the Hawaiian island of Kaua'i and an upcoming location in Laguna Beach, Tortilla Republic's growing popularity stems from serving Mexican fare that favors homemade, organic and farm-fresh ingredients over lard and processed additives in an environment that is both modern and rustic. Fernando tells me that it's a place that would be appropriate for lunch with a client but is also comfortable enough for a relaxing brunch with friends.

We sit at a table just inside of the restaurant's outdoor patio, and he speaks of his childhood. He was born in Tijuana, Mexico, to a father who was formerly a singer in bands (where his artistry comes from) and a businesswoman mother (where his drive comes from). His parents' missionary work eventually brought them north near San Francisco, then to Oxnard and Riverside. Throughout this time, Fernando demonstrated a keen artistic eye and interest in architecture.

"Whenever my parents needed help doing anything handy or artistic, I was there to help. I would always be changing the furniture around in the living room or changing out the drapes for my mom. I loved books, and if I saw one with a picture of a home or a cool building, I would grab it and open it. I was captivated by the angles, colors and textures. When I was 9 and people asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would say, 'an architect,'" he remembers. "Around junior high, I really started to gravitate towards design shows on HGTV. I had an older sister and two younger brothers, and we had one TV in the living room. We would all run home as fast as we could because whoever got home first would get first dibs on the controller. I became a cross-country runner at the time because I was super excited to get home and watch HGTV. "

Fernando pursued his passion by studying architecture at at Riverside Community College. But once the architecture courses moved into extremely technical territory, he realized that interior design was really the field he wanted to move into.

"I like to use the left side of my brain. I love a challenge, but when it comes to math: no," he laughs. "Most of hte credits I did for architecture transferred over to interior design; it wasn't like I was moving into science."

He eventually made the move to Los Angeles close to seven years ago, but due to the market crash and financial climate of the time, he took a job in retail.

"Like my mother always says, 'If you're going to do something, do it right. Always be the best you can be in whatever you're doing, even if it's not your passion, do it right.' Working for Hugo Boss, I finally decided this was something that could give me the financial means to be comfortable," he recalls. "I worked my way up to general manager, then I decided to put all of my focus and energy into doing what I love."

It was about two or three years ago when the idea for Flipping Design first came to Fernando as he was furnishing his own apartment.

"I didn't want to go the Ikea route, where everything is medium-density fiberboard or particleboard, so I started looking on CraigsList and at estate sales and found some great pieces that were needing help and TLC. I started painting and designing them to my own taste," he tells. "Now that's basically what I'm doing, restoring and refinishing mid-century pieces, and ideally the direction I want to go is using these pieces in my designs. Let's say I'm flipping a restaurant, I would incorporate the pieces that I just refurbished into the design. I think that sets me apart from other interior designers."

Hence, the name 'Flipping' Design for the company he began last August. Fernando's ability to repurpose vintage furniture pieces and integrate them into his designs – as well as his unique focus on dining areas – sets him apart from most designers, as does his precise attention to detail. As we wait to place our order, he notices that the honeycomb pattern of the candleholder on our table is the exact same pattern that he used for the ceiling moldings of a recent dining room project he did in Hollywood.

"I find inspiration anywhere because I'm very observant and always looking at things to think of how things could have been designed differently," he admits. "Like the orange rim of this water glass is inspiring me to do something because it's so drastic, all clear on the bottom with a splash of color at the top."

Since it's the late afternoon, we decide to take advantage of some of Tortilla Republic's Happy Hour deals, some chips and guacamole, a Jalapeño Margarita for Fernando and a White Sangria with chunks of pineapple for me. He also recommends the Jalapeño Croquetas (charred jalapeño, potato puree and goat cheese coated in a panko crust and topped with cilantro crema), the swordfish and rock shrimp ceviche and the Flautas de Pollo.

We both admire how Tortilla Republic's huge glass doors bring the outdoors in, and Fernando remarks, "Bringing the outdoors in is trademark of any city that has fantastic weather like L.A. Cities like Barcelona have such great that the architectural designs are so amazing and inspirational. Acapulco, too, and even here, you find such great architecture. I grew up influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright. I love the craftsman, bungalow houses that he designed."

Since he loves craftsman- and bungalow-style homes, it's no wonder that Fernando loves the L.A. neighborhood of Silver Lake. While he currently lives just off the Sunset Strip, he would like to move to Silver Lake one day.

"I love Silver Lake's diversity. It has a hipster vibe, but it's a mix of a lot of different types of people. It's gentrified, not bougie," he describes. "Los Angeles is eclectic, and that's why I like it, and I love Silver Lake for having all of that. It's a beautiful neighborhood, yet it's rugged, raw and real."

As we sip our cocktails, he says, "I like spicy drinks, so the Jalapeño Margarita is my go-to cocktail here, but my forever drink of choice is a Dirty Martini because I love olives."

Aside from Tortilla Republic, you can also find Fernando at Bossa Nova, Akbar, Bar Stella at Cafe Stella or Malo.

"I definitely like spending time alone time to just get away from life. In the last few months I've gone to the Greystone Mansion a couple of times. I like to go there to just zone out," he says. "Nature calls me, so if I can hear the wind blowing through the trees it's feeding my creativity, boosting my battery."

Having worked at Hugo Boss, he still loves fashion and shopping.

"I can shop anywhere. I can go into H&M, Prada or a flea market and find stuff I like. If I genuinely like something, I'll wear it, whether it's from a thrift shop, flea market or Hugo Boss. Name brands don't mean as much as the cut, the style, if it fits with the season and is on trend," he says. "I do like mixing classic and eclectic pieces. Today I have a black jacket with a T-shirt and sandals."

As for his go-to furniture shops, Fernando likes Mortise & Tenon's pieces and accessories, especially their custom screen work. He also loves to walk through the Pacific Design Center where he has a favorite shop for fabric options.

"Right now, the medium that I love to use is canvas. The linen material gives walls another dimension; it's almost like using wallpaper," he describes. "I just went to the Gamble House in Pasadena, and canvas was used way back when. It was so inspiring to hear. We're using it aesthetically now, but back then, it was all they had."

Aside from using canvas in wall coverings, I ask Fernando if he has some design tips specifically for those on a budget.

"Open up a can of paint. That's what I always tell people. It costs less than $50. When you want an instant change, you can get it with color," he quickly replies. "I just wrote an article on the color blue, and in my research found that the shade of blue can change your mood when you step into a room, so I would encourage people to use more blue! Navy blue is the color of strength and often used in the business world. Hazy blues are tranquil and good in bathrooms. Subtle, soft blues are for a home office because they encourage you to focus. On a beautiful day like today when the sky is blue, you experience happy people, so that color blue gives off a good vibe, the sense of being happy."

Fernando's openness when it comes to learning new things about people, culture and even the color blue is invigorating. His passion and dedication are clear indications that Flipping Design is going to be a success.

"You can always learn something from someone, and my motto is to be constantly learning so I grow as a person. It's good to open yourself to other languages, lifestyles and cultures," he says with a smile. "When you surround yourself with people who love life and enjoy what they're doing, it helps you keep moving forward. When I encounter someone who is doing what they love, it gives me goosebumps."

Spend just a few moments with Fernando Gonzalez, and you'll get goosebumps, too.

For more information, visit flippingdesign.com.