SugarBuzz Magazine
Two-Thousand-Seven Gratitude List
West Hollywood, California
January 31, 2008
By Victoria Joyce
(SugarBuzz Hollywood)
Is it too late for our “best of” list for last year? It’s the last day of January, so I think we are still legal.
Here’s mine:
Rock and Roll
Period. From the Beatles to every band we’ve ever seen anywhere. This is still the purest form of immediate artistic expression for joy, anger, boredom, etc. Worshipped globally and born locally. There is nothing like it.
The Viper Room
Where we saw most of the bands this past year. By far the best sound on The Sunset Strip. And it’s a block from my home. Nice small intimate room where you can get right next to the stage and see and feel the music. Local bands and not local get up and kick it good. And sometimes a secret show by some big rock star. All on that itty-bitty stage.
Not owned by the Pirate of the Caribbean anymore but they are the best at what they do. And its sexy, gorgeous, sharp dressed, dry ice cool staff with nice haircuts are likewise the best. We are in their debt. We love you Casper!
Bootie LA
And it’s big sister, Bootie SF, and all the brats; Bootie NY, Bootie Paris and Munich. Multi-tasking taken to a musical level. Mashups have made a mess of me. No longer can I listen to only one artist at a time. Put on a CD by The Cure and I’m asking my self, ‘Where’s Missy Elliot?” “The Dave Clark Five?” “Chopin?”
This monthly LA club now in it’s second year is more fun than a barrel of bass players. Started up by the dear Adrian and his mate, the Mysterious D, they do this thing on the first Saturday of every month. Used to be Safari Sam’s and now back to the Echo in Silver Lake. Musical collages that defy genres and decades and unite all things joyful in American Music. Our local star, DJ Paul V (also on Indie with Neon Noise) is a particular treasure. A man of wealth and taste.
Indie 103.1 FM
The best thing to happen to radio since Tom Donohue invented FM rock in the 60s in San Francisco. They inspire. With real rock legends as DJ’s; Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols every noon, Henry Rollins now on Tuesdays, Native Wayne’s Reggae thing on Sundays, Camp Freddy with Dave Navarro and Billy Morrison and friends, Chris Morris (brilliant writer & Hollywood Reporter journalist), Watusi Rodeo Saturday mornings to name a few, this station, now going into it’s fourth year has defied the fates. They lasted! No one dared dream they would.
Champions of local music, in the person of station programmer, Mark Sovel with his Check One-Two show and Viper Room showcase Monday nights, Indie celebrates the stuff that was never played on the radio in it’s day, like The Sex Pistols and plays new great talent, like the Dolly Rots. It’s not surprising musicians stop by routinely to play live on air. And we love TK their first DJ, who now holds down afternoons.
Indie had been copied nationally by that Jack FM thing but the original is still the greatest. Indie also simulcasts on the web and the whole world listens. And they sponsor the best shows in SoCal. We are blessed and better for them.
Ask A Ninja
The Internet has gifted us with a lot. This year we discovered Ask a Ninja on iTunes. Weekly blasts of wisdom a local West Hollywood killer who kills with laughs. Highly addictive.
And last but not least, The UK
We got to travel to London this year and see and breathe it. Wow. Go, if you’ve never been and go back if you have. Would you believe a Beatles Walking Tour? Yeah, you go to the train station where they shot “A Hard Day’s Night.” So cool.
We got totally hooked on a BBC Three comedy show while there, The Mighty Boosh.
Think Monty Python meets Pee Wee Herman. Starring Julian Barrett and Noel Fielding who is drop-to-your-knees-sobbing adorable. Julian is a jazz freak and Noel is a rocker. Then there is Naboo the Shaman and his familiar, an ape named Bollo. Jokes are about Charlie Mingus and Gary Neuman. (He’s got a pilot’s license, isn’t that genius?)
Fans post episodes to YouTube and the BBC takes them down because of international copyrights. But they are out there. Trust me. Do a search and you too will be totally hooked. They just wrapped Season Three and are touring the UK this spring.
And really last, and not the least we love Sugarbuzz Magazine. Thanks Lucky for all you do.