STREET SIGNS - Get a Rhythm

Two hands present a heart to the outside world, while also sheltering it, in TipToe's Get a Rhythm. This piece by the Chicago-based artist is located on Pacific Avenue (at Rose Court) in Venice Beach.

L.A. HAVENS - Silver Lake Ramen

Silver Lake Ramen's vegetable ramen

 

SILVER LAKE RAMEN

2927 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles (Silver Lake) 323-660-8100

Because of its close proximity to Little Tokyo, there aren't many great Japanese restaurants in Silver Lake. There are pho and Thai soup joints aplenty, but even with the current rage over ramen there were absolutely no ramen restaurants in the neighborhood. Then, in September, Silver Lake Ramen finally opened in the Silversun Plaza.

Although the rich pork broth at places like Daikokuya or levels of spiciness offered at Orochon are what have catapulted ramen to popularity, I had been on the prowl for a good vegetable ramen for about a year. I tried every place in Little Tokyo that offered veggie ramen, even Shojin, which specializes in vegan cuisine. While those were OK, I hadn't found a bowl of vegetable ramen as delicious and fulfilling as the pork version until I tried Silver Lake Ramen's.

 It's easily the best vegetable ramen that I've ever had. Their miso broth is hearty and satisfying, their noodles are cooked perfectly al dente and the array of vegetables topping the bowl – corn, bean sprouts, mushrooms, broccoli and, oddly enough, salad greens – keep it from being boring. The uniquely shaped bowls, resembling upside-down hats, are able to carry just the right amount of broth in relation to toppings and noodles so I don't leave a massive pool of plain broth at the end.

The tonkotsu ramen features a broth that has simmered overnight for 16 hours, and you can order it spicy, with a shoyu broth or even with pieces of chicken instead of pork belly. It's topped with spinach, green onions, bean sprouts and a square of nori, but you can order additional items, such as a soft-boiled egg, crushed garlic or extra noodles, as well. There is also a tsukemen option with slightly thicker noodles for dipping.

For an extra $3.50, you could add a salad and rice bowl with spicy tuna, chashu or ground pork to your ramen. They also serve some decadent oyster mushrooms sautéed in butter, a refreshing cucumber and crab salad and handmade pork gyoza. There are a few sushi items on the menu, a veggie roll, shrimp tempura roll or spicy tuna on crispy rice. But the main attraction is definitely the ramen, and the vegetable ramen easily makes Silver Lake Ramen one of my favorite neighborhood haunts.

Events for Nov. 1-7, 2012

Get with THE PROGRAM

THURSDAY, NOV. 1

THEATER

"Hedwig and the Angry Inch" @ The Roxy (West Hollywood)
Donovan Leitch reprises his lead role in the John Cameron Mitchell musical. Follow the journey of a German boy's transformation into one of rock 'n' roll's most glamorously trashy frontwomen. A portion of the proceeds from the production's week-long residency go to the Trevor Project.

FOOD

World Vegan Day @ Two Boots (Echo Park & Downtown)
Quarrygirl and the pizzeria team up to celebrate the day with free slices of the new Quarry Girl vegan pizza (San Marzano tomatoes, shiitakes, artichokes, garlic and basil pesto) from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Echo Park location also hosts a performance by Moses Campbell, and the official World Vegan Day L.A. festival takes place in Tarzana from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

FRIDAY, NOV. 2

BOOKS

Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick @ Book Soup (West Hollywood)
The Academy Award winning director collaborates with American University professor/historian Kuznick for The Untold History of the United States, the companion book to their Showtime documentary series, which premieres at 8 p.m. on Nov. 12. The duo discusses and signs copies of the book that released this week and is full of poignant photos and little-known facts surrounding the rise of the American Empire and national security state from the late-nineteenth century through current times.

Mariachi El Bronx (Ashley Maile)

CULTURE

Downtown Dia de los Muertos @ Grand Park (Downtown)
The inaugural Day of the Dead celebration in Downtown features altars designed by artists like Timoi, Germs and Yolanda Gonzalez, performances by Mariachi El Bronx, El Conjunto Nueva Ola, Upground, Trio Ellas and more. Plus there will be food trucks, a full bar and DJs spinning all night.

FILM

AFI Fest (Hollywood)
Audi's annual celebration of international cinema returns with galas, screenings and panel discussions at the Chinese 6 Theatres, Egyptian Theatre and the Roosevelt Hotel. From Ang Lee's Life of Pi and Steven Spielberg's Lincoln to David O. Russell's Silver Linings Playbook and Dustin Hoffman's Quartet, there's something for ever cinephile at the festival. Through Nov. 8

Alien Quadrilogy Midnights @ The Cinefamily at the Silent Movie Theatre (Mid-City West)
Every Friday in November, the Cinefamily presents a different film from the Alien series, starting tonight with the 2003 director's cut of Alien. Nov. 9 is Aliens, Nov. 16 is the Alien 3 assembly cut, Nov. 23 the 15th anniversary screening of Alien: Ressurection and Nov. 30 is a Doug Benson's Movie Interruption of Prometheus.

In Theaters This Week
Tobey Maguire, Elizabeth Banks and Laura Linney in The Details; Denzel Washington in Flight; Philip Seymour Hoffman, Christopher Walken and Catherine Keener in A Late Quartet; RZA's directorial debut, The Man with the Iron Fists; Wreck-It Ralph, with the voices of John C. Reilly, Sara Silverman and Jane Lynch; the Tony Bennett doc The Zen of Bennett. Also in theaters: The Bay; Jack & Diane; This Must Be the Place; Vamps

The Devil Makes Three (Anthony Pidgeon)

MUSIC

The Devil Makes Three @ House of Blues Sunset Strip (West Hollywood)
The trio's next album won't be coming out until next year, but they'll definitely be playing some new tracks at this show. If you're a fan of the blues, their acoustic roots music will speak to your soul.

SUNDAY, NOV. 4

FOOD

Localicious @ Annenberg Community Beach House (Santa Monica)
Thirty of the city's leading chefs, like Wilshire's Nyesha Arrington, Ammo's Benny Bohm and Public Kitchen's Vardan Abharyan, are paired with 30 farmers from the Santa Monica Farmers Markets in the culmination of the Good Food Festival & Conference (beginning Nov. 2). There will be live music, local wine and craft beers, a silent auction, and net proceeds benefit FamilyFarmed.org.

WEDNESDAY, NOV. 7

BOOKS

Kevin Pollak @ Barnes & Noble (The Grove)
The comedian/actor celebrates this week's release of his book, How I Slept My Way to the Middle: Secrets and Stories From Stage, Screen, and Interwebs, with a special evening at the Grove location. Never-before-heard stories of legends like Robert De Niro, Tom Hanks and Ron Howard are interwoven with scenes from Pollak's life in stand-up and film and as a new media entrepreneur.

L.A. LANDMARKS - Hollywood Forever

Hollywood Forever Cemetery (Scott Beale / Laughing Squid)

 

HOLLYWOOD FOREVER CEMETERY

6000 Santa Monica Blvd., Los Angeles (Hollywood)

It may seem a bit weird to include a cemetery on the list of places to visit in Los Angeles, but Hollywood Forever is a big part of the city's cultural fabric. This is Hollywood, after all, and film legends need a fabulous resting place. Originally established on 100 acres as Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery in 1899 by Isaac Lankershim and Isaac Van Nuys, the grounds are now 62 acres that feature lush green lawns, ornate headstones and mausoleums. Fans can pay tribute to Hollywood luminaries like Cecil B. DeMille, Mel Blanc, Rudolph Valentino, Douglas Fairbanks and Fay Wray, as well as musicians Dee Dee and Johnny Ramone. Even gangster Bugsy Siegel's crypt is located at Hollywood Forever.

Although the site began to fall into disrepair under the ownership of convicted felon Jules Roth beginning in 1939, it was eventually restored and refurbished by Tyler and Brent Cassity. The grounds were revitalized, garnering it placement on the National Register of Historic Sites, and Hollywood Forever has become so much more than just a cemetery. Every summer, thousands of Angelenos gather to eat, drink and watch classic movies as part of the Cinespia film series. Artists such as the Flaming Lips, Sigur Rós, Band of Horses and the xx have performed concerts there. And every Halloween, the cemetery hosts the largest Dia de Los Muertos celebration in California with altars created by members of the community dedicated to their dearly departed loved ones.

Aside from being a part of Hollywood history, the cemetery has also appeared on TV in "90210" and on the big screen in a documentary of its history called The Young and the Dead and Garry Marshall's Valentine's Day. It's also featured in Tim Powers' novel Expiration Date.

Dylan Hyde

Dylan Hyde at Dylan's Candy Bar

 

DYLAN HYDE

At Dylan's Candy Bar

6333 W. Third St., Los Angeles (Mid-City West) 323-930-1600

Rising pop artist Dylan Hyde and CEO/Founder of Dylan's Candy Bar Dylan Lauren not only share the same first name, they both have an immense love for candy. Even though the L.A. branch of the candy empire built by the daughter of designer Ralph Lauren has only been open since September, Dylan Hyde's sweet tooth has led him through the Dylan's Candy Bar doors at least five times in the past few weeks, and he doesn't even live in the city. The demands of Dylan's hectic career usually bring him to Los Angeles from his native San Diego multiple times a week, and whenever he has the chance, this candy store is his favorite destination.

"I push them to take me here all the time," he says.

The 'them' Dylan refers to is his manager Richard Allen and producer Taran Peirson, co-owners of the label that Dylan is signed to, Crissy Field Records. As we step into Dylan's Candy Bar, Richard and Taran begin to explore the store on their own as Dylan takes me through each section. It soon becomes evident how much he loves the shop because he knows exactly where everything is. From his absolute favorite sour candies (sour belts, Warheads, the Pucker Powder bottling station) and candy canes to pop rocks and the many flavors of gum, he shows me everything – even the fashion apparel section.

"I would love to get a shirt to wear, just because my name's on it," he grins.

Whether it's a pair of rain boots covered in colorful candy images or a special Dylan's Candy Bar Whirly Pop, there's something to satisfy every craving at the shop. Currently they showcase an election section with red, white and blue gum balls and presidential candidate dispensers, as well as a mustache area that Dylan goes crazy over. And, of course, there is Halloween candy galore: lollipops and gummies made to look like body parts, candy corn and chocolates wrapped in ghostly foil. I ask Dylan what he's going to be for Halloween, and his answer reveals another of his passions.

"At first I was going to be my favorite superhero from DC Comics, Flash, but they don't have any Flash costumes. My next favorite is Batman, so I think I might be him. I'm always a superhero; I have a thing for superheroes. Taran and I read comics all of the time, we keep up with all the series. The local comic book store, they know us when we walk in," he shares. "Flash is my all-time favorite, I'm more of a DC guy than Marvel, although I do kind of obsess over Spider-Man. But I love the Justice League: Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, Flash, Green Lantern – all of them."

Although Dylan's Candy Bar is his first stop whenever he comes to the Original Farmers Market, I wonder where else his addiction to sugar might lead him.

"We'll usually walk through the Farmers Market. There's a Chinese place that we go to [China Depot] and a really awesome doughnut place [Bob's Coffee & Doughnuts]. I get the old-fashioned glaze doughnuts. Right next door is an ice cream place [Bennett's Ice Cream], and obviously, I have to hit up the ice cream place," laughs Dylan. "I have this conflict all of the time: My favorite flavor is really cookie dough, but my brain says that my favorite is mint. So sometimes I have to mix them together."

Dylan has also been combining fun with his love of music from a young age when his family would go to Sunday family karaoke night at the Flinn Springs Inn near his grandparents' house.

"I used to do a song by Smash Mouth ['All Star'] off the Shrek soundtrack. I was obsessed with Shrek, I could probably still recite some lines from it," admits Dylan. "I would sing that same song every single time at karaoke for two years. I would also do Billy Joel songs, but mostly I would do that Smash Mouth song."

Although Dylan eventually grew out of the Smash Mouth song phase and began to play the piano, drums and guitar, the influence of Billy Joel has been a constant throughout his life.

"Billy Joel is my all-time inspiration. I've been listening to him since I was 4. We used to put on his Essential album with all of his hits; we would play it all day. Whenever we were in the car, that was the only thing I would ever let them play. My granddad really liked Billy Joel and would play some of his songs, like 'Piano Man,' on the piano," he says. "His songwriting is actually similar to how I try and write. When I write a song I don't do both melody and lyrics at the same time. I sit down at the piano and record with my phone, or I start singing melodies, just random things, and try to catch them. Afterwards, I plug my phone into speakers, and when I hear something I like I'll go back to it and figure something out with those chord progressions then sit down and do a melody. Or vice versa, sing a whole bunch of stuff then sit down at the piano. Billy Joel does kind of the same thing, he does one or the other. I watched some of his interviews, and there's a CD where there's about 20 people there listening to him and he sings a song and talks about how he wrote it, how it was produced, the story behind it. I used to listen to that all the time, and it's what started everything for me, with music."

Dylan began performing in musical theater productions at CYT San Diego, and one of his favorite performances there was in "Peter Pan."

"I was one of the twin Lost Boys. We had liberty spikes of hair, it was really crazy and fun. That's where I met my manager, Richard, actually. He was doing makeup and costumes for the show," he remembers. "Two years later I was doing one of my first professional shows, '13,' and Richard and Taran went to see it because they knew the director – who was the same director of 'Peter Pan.' My part had a lot of R&B vocals, and after seeing me perform, they wanted to work with me."

Besides signing Dylan to Crissy Field Records, Allen created a webseries around Dylan called "Amazed," which debuted in May. The mystery/science-fiction series was inspired by retro TV programs like "The Twilight Zone" and "Scooby-Doo," a show that Dylan is very fond of.

"When I'm at home I'll pull up 'Scooby-Doo' episodes On Demand," he says. "I like spooky, eerie stuff, but I do get scared. Ghosts freak me out, but I can't stop watching it. I like being thrilled."

You may recognize Dylan from "Amazed" or the YouTube videos he's posted of himself doing covers of Justin Bieber songs. He's also posted a video of a cover of Pink's "Perfect," which is preceded by Dylan sharing his own personal story of struggling with hearing impairments since he was born. He's undergone multiple ear surgeries, and there are two things he always turns to when he has particularly bad days.

"One is Dakota, my little sister. Having a bad day, she can definitely pull me out of it. Back when I had surgeries I would be out for months, it was a struggle because at school you get annoying to other kids by saying, 'What? Huh?' all the time. I had that frustration, and music was the thing that pulled me out of the hole," he shares. "When you plug your ears and sing, you can hear it in your head. I could always hear myself singing fine. The room where I grew up playing the upright piano at my grandma's, it has a wood floor that vibrates. The sound would vibrate through me, and I could hear it. Doing music was something I could relate with. It listened to me, I could listen to it."

With singles "Love Is," "Running Free" and the recently released "Gone" showcasing Dylan's unique vocal style that fuses the influence of legendary artists such as Frank Sinatra and Joel with a contemporary flair like that of John Legend and Michael Buble, Dylan is oftentimes dubbed a "neo-crooner." "Gone," produced by Peirson and Shawn Campbell (who discovered Cody Simpson), is a perfect example of old-school swagger meets contemporary pop flavor.

"I've looked up to Shawn for a couple of years now because I was a big Cody Simpson fan. I knew who Shawn was, and when he came up to me at an event and said he wanted to work with me I was like, 'What?! Shawn Campbell wants to work with me,'" says Dylan. "My dream is also to be a producer. I want to be a record label executive besides being an artist, so being able to work with other producers is pretty cool for me. Working with Shawn and Taran together on 'Gone,' it was a great collaboration. They're brilliant."

Dylan is currently working on material for his debut album, coming next year, and a music video his next single, "Crash Into You." Angelenos can see him perform this Saturday, Nov. 3, at Pop Explosion.

"I might do a John Legend song, 'Tonight (Best You Ever Had)' [on Saturday]. I want to make sure I do stuff that new fans can relate to by doing a John Legend song that they know, then I'll do my single and maybe a Whitney Houston song," he shares. "It's a total rush on stage. In Nashville, everyone was freaking out; they had signs that said 'Dylan Hyde.' I did 'Love Is,' and everyone sang along with it. That was super cool. Things like that are awesome. You either do music, or you don't. Everyone has that thing that speaks to them. A lot of my friends, it's sports or skating. Music was just my thing, my whole family's thing really. Every single person did theater. My granddad had his own show in Vegas as a tap dancer, my grandma and granddad met each other at a show. It's in my blood, I grew up around it and it just spoke to me."

Dylan is also getting set to embark on a promotional tour to New York City, his first trip to the Big Apple. But one locale in the city will be completely familiar to him, the site where five lucky fans will get the chance to come to a meet and greet with him: Dylan's Candy Bar's flagship store in Manhattan.

"It's going to be an intimate thing, I'm going to bring my guitar and just jam with them. It's going to be fun," he says. "I love doing those kinds of things, meet and greets, because I get to be one on one with the fans."

"Gone" is currently available. For more information, visit dylanhydemusic.com.

STREET SIGNS - Magic is Real

I was born in the Year of the Snake, and ever since I learned about the ancient symbol of ouroboros (a serpent eating its own tail) in school I've been intrigued by it. It was the image on a birthday invitation a friend designed for my 29th bash, and I've always wanted to get a snake tangled in a figure 8 and biting its tail tattooed on my leg. The artist team known as CYRCLE entwined the creature into the Magic is Real mural adorning two sides of Bedrock LA (1623 Allesandro St.) in Echo Park. A lot of great music has been created within those walls, and CYRCLE's piece – which transformed a plain, brick edifice into a vibrant work of art – reminds us that magic is indeed real.

Halloween Songs

 

HALLOWEEN PARTY PLAYLIST 2012

For those of you throwing your parties tonight and tomorrow, here are 13 of my favorite tunes to spark your creativity when compiling your playlist.

"Dead Man's Party" - Oingo Boingo
I vividly remember Danny Elfman totally creeping me out in this song's video when I was little. But I also remember the dancing Dia de los Muertos skeletons from the clip, the same dancing skeletons that would become the symbol for the new wave band. The song, about going to a funeral and being buried, was so popular it became the moniker for an Boingo tribute band who usually hold special shows every Halloween.

"Ghostbusters" - Ray Parker Jr.
Remember when this song was all the rage, and everyone had a Ghostbusters shirt in their closet? "Who you gonna call?"

"Halloween" - Misfits
There were a few years in the '90s when Glenn Danzig took over the amphitheater in Irvine for Halloween, so I always associate him with Halloween for that reason. Most people will associate him with Halloween because of the Misfits, though, and this song, of course.

"Hell's Bells" – AC/DC
The solitary bell tolling for a full minute, leading into Angus and Malcolm Young's shredding and pounding rhythms of Phil Rudd and Cliff Williams, provides the perfect intro to Brian Johnson's howls about dragging a victim to hell.

"In the Room Where You Sleep" - Dead Man's Bones
Ryan "Baby Goose" Gosling and Zach Shields bonded over an obsession with ghosts, forming Dead Man's Bones in 2008 and releasing a self-titled debut full of eerie tales the following year. Pretty much every song from Dead Man's Bones will work at your party, but I chose this one for its danceability.

"Little Drop of Poison" - Tom Waits
With otherworldly wailing in the background, a creepy-crawly beat and Waits' trademark raspy growl, this song – from his 2006 Orphans: Brawlers, Bawlers & Bastards triple album – is so spine-chilling that the villainous Captain Hook is featured wailing it in Shrek 2. You could actually just play Tom Waits the entire night, and people wouldn't complain.

"Monster" - Kanye West
Featuring Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver's Justin Vernon, the track was released just in time for Halloween in 2010 off My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. Its video fittingly features plenty of zombies, a werewolf, a contortionist and models posing as dead bodies.

"The Monster Mash" - Bobby "Boris" Pickett and the Crypt-Kickers
A classic, must-play for any Halloween fiesta.

"Riboflavin" - 45 Grave
The electric organ in the song makes it a Halloween staple, along with Dinah Cancer's biting delivery of the ghoulish lyrics and blood-curdling scream at the end.

"Psycho Killer" - Talking Heads
Sing it with me, "Psycho Killer, quest que c'est? Fa fa fa fa fa…" Tina Weymouth's killer baseline makes this song.

"This is Halloween" - Marilyn Manson
Originally composed by Danny Elfman for Tim Burton's The Nightmare Before Christmas, the song also fills the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland during this season. Manson covered the song for the 13th anniversary re-release of the film soundtrack, and who really embodies the morbidness of Halloween more than him?

"Thriller" - Michael Jackson
Well, duh. If you don't play this song at your party, people will revolt.

"Werewolves of London" - Warren Zevon
Unleash your inner Lycan and howl along with Zevon.


More songs for your party:
"Abracadabra" - The Steve Miller Band
"Bark at the Moon" - Ozzy Osbourne
"Black Magic Woman" - Santana
"Boris the Spider" - The Who
"Helter Skelter" - The Beatles
"Love Potion #9" - The Clovers/The Searchers
"Season of the Witch" - Donovan
"She Wolf" - Shakira
"Sympathy for the Devil" - The Rolling Stones
"Werewolf" - The Frantics
"Zombie Dance" - The Cramps