Let virtual concerts save you from quarantine boredom

Share: As we practice social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak, people are finding themselves stuck inside. Restaurants, bars, movie theatres, theme parks and many other public gatherings are being shut down. Concerts and festivals weren’t safe from cancellations either, but musicians haven’t been halted by the outbreak. Artists such as John Legend, John Mayer, Chris Martin and Pink have begun hosting Instagram Live concerts to stay connected with fans and provide them some relief from being stuck indoors. “I’ve never done this on my phone …

Popular Rose Bowl flea market attracts curious crowds

Share: If a guest forgot anything at home, they could definitely get it at the Rose Bowl Flea Market! Clothes, cleaning supplies and food are only some of the things that can be found at Pasadena’s colorful Flea Market. While walking around the beloved stadium, attendees are met with nearly 2,000 vendors.  A jewelry vendor right across from a crepe place is quite a sight to see. Everything is reasonably priced, the most amazing attribute of the flea market and it’s vendors are the stories …

Soccer Mommy’s ‘Color Theory’ highlights new shades of depression

Share: Sophia Allison has been baring her soul to teenagers on the internet since she herself was a teen. With all of that experience, she’s only getting better at using her solo project, Soccer Mommy, to turn her struggles with depression into beautiful pieces of music. “Color Theory,” her newest album, is emblematic of Allison’s maturation into a leading figure in indie pop. The lyrics on “Color Theory” are so stark and honest it’s shocking. She turns these feelings of depression, suicidal ideation and self …

Salted duck egg chips disappoint at a great boba cafe

Share: At Bopomofo cafe in San Gabriel, Irvins salted duck egg chips made its American debut at this boba shop owned by Philip and Eric Wang of YouTube and Wong Fu Productions fame.  The Singaporean snack has been notoriously hard to bring into the US beforehand, with the best option involving smuggling them through customs in the past (not recommended). Those trying to purchase them often have to wait in long lines or go home empty-handed after they’re gone at whatever local pop-ups they’re at, …

Artist Taiji Terasaki invites to celebrate heroes at border

Share: There’s a saying that history repeats itself, and those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. As a way to remember history, artist Taiji Terasaki created an art exhibition called “Transcendients: Heroes at Border” to celebrate and remind everyone of the heroes — past and present, well-known and unsung — who’ve created an impact in our lives.  Terasaki’s exhibition features heroes in the Japanese American communities, as well as local activists, who continue to fight for democracy and justice. Typically, one …

Australians rocked L.A.

Share: With only a few minutes left, everyone was hastening to grab a drink and find a spot on the floor. All of a sudden, the lights dimmed and at this moment, everyone knew that it was time. One second the crowd was silent and then the next they were cheering. Members of The Jungle Giants were in position, the crowd was again immediately silenced as blue lights reflected off each member. Then the next two words began the night, “Baby, I.”  The Jungle Giants …

King Krule’s Man Alive: An expression of catharsis and love

Share: Under the moniker King Krule, Archy Marshall has become known for creating music that is heavily informed by the dreariness of the world around him. On his new album, “Man Alive!,” he’s shifted that dreariness into a landscape motivated by a nervous excitement about his future. “Man Alive!” was written and released while Marshall’s life drastically changed. In Mar. 2019, Marshall and his partner, Charlotte Patmore, welcomed their first child. The album is a meditation on his uneasiness with fatherhood and love.  The album …

The best hotdog you’ll ever have tastes better dirty

Share: As many Los Angeles natives know, street vendor hotdogs are the city’s staple, right next to street tacos. Whether it be the bacon-wrapped, guacamole topped “chubi-dubi” hotdog found in the downtown alleys or the most common hotdog served with ketchup and mustard, both are a must-have for Angelinos. Another thing that all street hotdogs have in common is that they are simply delicious. Dirt Dog takes hotdogs to a whole new level combining gourmet hotdogs and the highly loved street hotdog. Dirt Dog originally …

Local gallery showcases the voices of black artists

Share: The Alkebulan Cultural Center, a small and beige building with miniature palm trees and trimmed grass located in Pasadena, seems unassuming from the outside. But the inside tells a different story with its displays of portraits, paintings and enamel pieces created from the hearts and hands of black artists.  The walls are covered with African masks and black-made art from the hands of this month’s displayed artists. African pop music plays in the corner of the small room, forming a playful feeling as visitors …

Artist sews memories and culture into her tapestries

Share: On exhibition at Pasadena’s Armory Center for the Arts are tapestries by embroidery artist Trudie Strobel that depict memories of Holocaust survival with elements of Jewish history and culture through finely stitched narration and threaded imagery. The exhibition “Trudie Strobel: A Life in Tapestry” features detailed and intricate embroidery of Jewish life, history and culture from times near forgotten in our contemporary age. The 17 individual works are created with threaded technique showing dimensions and colors. At the beginning attendees are introduced to pictorial …