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All negatively-impacted music peeps can apply...
Help for musicians / music industry folks in need
MusiCares, the assistance arm of the Recording Academy, has started a COV-19 Relief Fund to ameliorate the financial hardships endured by anyone involved in the music industry. Everyone who is able can also donate to help others. They are saying:
"If you are being impacted by the Coronavirus crisis and need support...
"MusiCares is aware of the enormous financial burden to those whose creative practices and incomes are being adversely impacted by COVID-19. We are deeply saddened that it is resulting in loss of work due to venue closures, festival and event cancellations and travel restrictions.
"To help address the concerns of the industry during this time, we have expanded our services to include lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or performances due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures."
All the info and an application are online, at:
https://www.grammy.com/musicares/get-help/covid-19-relief-fund-faq
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Newly-added resource / way to make your voice heard (added March 20th)
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TAKE ACTION TO SUPPORT OUR COMMUNITY!
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Everyone in the music community is feeling a heightened level of concern about their physical and financial well-being. We trust you are taking the necessary measures to protect your health. To address the business challenges we face, advocacy is vital. The IBMA is working with other associations to make our collective voice heard. However, we need your individual voices as well.
The IBMA is grateful for our close partnership with The Recording Academy, and we always encourage you to be a member of both organizations. If you are a member of The Recording Academy you have received the information below from them. In case you aren’t, we are sharing it because it is important every one of us let our U.S. Senators and House Representatives know how critical it is for the creators of music to not be left behind in relief packages being considered in Washington D.C.
Please click the button [use the link] below to view the letter and enter your information to send the letter. The form makes it easy by automatically identifying your senators and representative based on your address.
This is a simple and very important message to send to Congress.
Thank you, and please stay safe.
Paul Schiminger, IBMA Executive Director
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IBMA / Recording Academy appeal to your US Senators & Member of Congress click button url:
https://www.grammy.com/advocacy/act#/45
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Another major music organization steps up to bat... (added March 20th)
Americana Music Association resources, news, online performances
Excerpted from Friday's AMA industry newsletter...
COVID-19 Music Industry Updates:
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Our friends at The Recording Academy® and MusiCares® have set up a designated relief fund to help those who've been affected by COVID-19. If you or someone you know has been severely affected, you can apply for assistance and potentially receive support. Donate + Apply for Assistance Here
- Billboard has culled together an ongoing national and state-by-state resource guide for artists and industry professionals who are in need of support. Read more
- NPR Music has outlined important ways you can help both musicians and industry professionals including sending donations, buying merch and streaming virtual concerts. Read more
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Upcoming Live Virtual Concerts:
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- "As artists, our livelihood depends on traveling around cramming as many people as possible in not always big spaces, so if we all sacrifice that right now, it’s 1,000 percent the right thing to do." - Ron Gallo opened up about livestreaming shows in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine, joining other acts like the Indigo Girls and Rookie. Read more
- Songs are historical artifacts. If we look at them in the correct context and really do the work around them, we can reap a lot of benefit from that.” - Rhiannon Giddens talked about using her art to breathe new life into pieces of Southern history that have been pushed to the wayside. Read more
- “It took me a long time to be honest with myself and know that [writing about something] is part of my process of dealing with things.” - Nathaniel Rateliff found musical therapy in creating his solo album, And It's Still Alright, which was inspired by the dissolvement of his marriage and the loss of a close friend. Read more
- Tedeschi Trucks Band's Derek Trucks shared his experience playing shows before and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down NYC: "... it also felt like one of the last moments for a long time when people would be able to suspend reality and let go." Read more
- Bob Weir dropped by Rick Rubin's Broken Record podcast to discuss why the Grateful Dead never focused on their studio recordings but the trajectory of their live performances instead. Listen here
- Australia's Byron Bay Bluesfest, scheduled to take place April 9-13, has been canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The festival planned on featuring our Australian Americana Music Honours ceremony which has also been canceled. Read more
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The Americana Music Association produces the annual AMERICANAFEST, the weekly singles and albums Americana Music Charts of radio airplay and sales to the public, and the intentionally unsponsored newsletter, This Week in Americana.
Check out all they do, at:
www.americanamusic.org
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Another Southern Cal online concert resource / at-home gig post service... (added March 20th)
DoLA is a trendy e-zine. But they do care, and they're helping artists.
The sense of community and cyber embraces of the arts (from a distance) continues to grow. The staff of the slick cyber ultra-trendy "DoLA" (www.dola.com) is now aboard:
"With the music industry changing, we understand that artists will be taking a big hit and we're here to help! We're putting together a list to promote Los Angeles performers who are transitioning with the times and going virtual.
"If you are an artist planning an upcoming live stream event, or if you are accepting online donations, tell us all about it here."
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Taking care of the ones who make your town a tourist mecca...
A model for other cities: New Orleans offers assistance to all in the "gig economy"
According to a press release, “gig economy workers represent more than 8% of the workforce in Orleans Parish, including rideshare drivers, musicians, arena workers, and festival production staff.”
The New Orleans Business Alliance (NOLABA) has announced the establishment of a relief fund for local gig economy workers as the City addresses the potentially devastating effects of the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 on employment.
NOLABA has committed $100,000 to the emergency relief fund, with a goal of reaching $500,000. There's more info in the "OffBeat" magazine story, at:
http://www.offbeat.com/news/relief-fund-for-local-gig-economy-workers-established/
And the
official site for the fund is:
https://www.nolaba.org/relief-fund/
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THURSDAY, March 19, online concert...
Andy & Renee -- hosts of Dylanfest -- play live online Thursday
Thu, Mar 19, LIVE ONLINE CONCERT:
7 pm-9 pm (Pacific) - ANDY & RENEE do a Facebook live streaming concert.
* We don't know if you can watch the show if your device isn't infested with Facebook spyware. (If you have have a Facebook page, ALL of your devices are infested with their spyware.)
* Andy & Renee have performed all over the world, as leaders of the Bob Dylan tribute band HARD RAIN, and performing their originals has won them awards, too.
* Renee says, "We'll take some requests, and if you'd like to 'Tip' us, you can do so via Paypal or Venmo using my email, reneesafier@hotmail.com"
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The 30th annual "DYLANFEST" with dozens of artists and performing hosts Andy & Renee is still scheduled for May 30th. "SUPER EARLY BIRD" TICKETS are ON SALE NOW, $30 til March 30th. The price jumps to $35, March 31st-May 29th, and it's $40 at the door. A $100 VIP Package includes your ticket, this year's Dylanfest T-shirt, a mug with event logo, a shaker egg for you to assist the percussion, a CD, and your invitation to both the Rehearsal and the VIP After-Party. Dylanfest info and TIX at
www.andyandrenee.com
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Taking a trip down Old Man River...
Live music online from New Orleans
In light of New Orleans' citywide shutdown, music venues and musicians in the Crescent City are beginning to offer access to live music performances via live and online streaming.
○ SideBar, which bills itself as "New Orleans' premiere listening room," announced its plan to livestream all gigs without audiences, but at press time, their page is dark below the masthead; info will eventually appear at:
http://www.sidebarnola.com/
○ New Orleans' musician Khris Royal announced he'll do weekly live performances on social media.
○ The Howlin' Wolf won't be doing livestreaming anytime soon, but is offering $2 Tacos-To-Go to all hospitality and service Industry workers, local musicians and artists, construction workers, NOPD officers and first responders. Same spirit as post-Katrina, at a distance.
Music magazine "OffBeat," which covers the NOLA music scene, tells us, "These are far from the only ones offering similar services, so stay tuned to
OffBeat.com for a growing list of... [live online music] events very soon!"
Oh, yeah. We got the catfish and cornbread cookin'!
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Needs-to-be-said Department...
Because "Going Viral" makes you sick...
With the Science-Denier-in-Chief monopolizing press conferences that are supposed to be updates from the "Corona Virus Task Force," we have a new game you can play at home:
• Is the contrast between his pink eye circles and his burnt orange makeup greater today than it was yesterday?
• Bonus round: Which day this week was he most clownishly orange? (Winning answer: Friday.)
• We would ask, Which day did he lie the most, but the obvious answer is, "All of 'em."
• Also... who will be first to market a Mike Pence bobblehead? Seeing the veep's head constantly nodding over the Orange Imbecile's shoulder, it's a natural.
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"This is a crisis we have to face together, by staying as far apart as possible."
~ Stephen Colbert
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"Our doctors may see what they're facing in Italy: triage. Where doctors are forced to tell patients, 'I can't save you, I won't save you, you're too old, I don't have the resources for everybody, I can save younger patients, you're going to die."
~ Dr. Tara Narula, Thursday on CBS This Morning.
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"It isn't just the ventilator machines. We need 3.5 billion respirator masks. There are only 76,000 professional respiratory therapists in America, working three shifts in all our hospitals. If a health care professional gets sick, they're out 21 to 28 days. Just yesterday I heard from a doctor in Denver. The shortage of needed supplies is taking a toll. He had to intubate a patient, life-and-death situation, without a gown or mask. If she turns out to have Coronavirus, the chances that doctor will contract it are very high."
~ Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, former White House Health Policy Advisor, Obama administration
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“There is no material with which human beings work which has so much potential energy as words.”
~ Earnest Calkins
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"They've got to stop playing 'Hunger Games' with critical medical supplies. This White House needs to activate the Defense Supply Act and stop playing games with things needed to keep health care workers safe and people alive."
- Samantha Vinograd, National Security Analyst, Obama administration.
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THIS WEEKEND, first reported March 18th...
The 3-day "Stay at Home Festival," online,
March 20, 21, 22
Alasdair Fraser wrote to tell us, "...my son Galen Fraser and his colleagues Diego and María San Miguel have come up with the amazing #StayAtHomeFestival! Delivered directly to your home this coming weekend!"
Time to say, "Oh, Wow!" Roots-Americana master musicians taking part include some old friends and some whose careers we've followed and supported for a long time. They include Moira Smiley, fiddle wizards April Verch and Lissa Schneckenberger, Hanneke Vessel, and the legendary Alasdair Fraser himself!
Take a look...
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What a lineup, eh?! In Galen and Maria's words: "As the lives of touring musicians all over the globe become immensely complicated and stressful due to the coronavirus, we have decided to raise morale and support live music."
How? "...by starting an online festival where groups or solo musicians can stream direct to peoples' homes in an effort both to encourage people to stay in their houses to prevent further virus spread AND to give musicians an opportunity to make up for canceled events and lost incomes."
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Check out the FULL SCHEDULE: https://stayathomefestival.com
Folks, here at The Guide, we bring you word
all the time of
musicians doing benefits for which they do not get paid, where
they donate their time and travel, their chance to play a different gig where they
would get paid, and of course, their positive energy and talent and practiced skill and everything else that goes into their best performance, all to support
somebody else's cause.
We always encourage you to go and support those benefits, as any longtime reader can verify.
So now, it's time to give back -- and to pay it forward for the next time they are asked to play a benefit. Plus, YOU'LL get to "attend" that Spring Music Festival that you longed for all winter -- not where you expected to go, but instead, in the tuneful realm of Cyberia, aboard the spacetime machine of your favorite chair! BYOB, snacks, popcorn, and favorite foods that wouldn't have done well if you'd taken them on a long car ride to some other festival (that got cancelled).
Stayin' hunkered down suddenly got a lot more appealing, now, didn't it?
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Live online 3 x weekly... (new 3/22)
The delightful Marina V -- live from Cyberia
We've brought you a couple of stories, of late, of how Marina V continues to put her music out there, while staying home with a new baby. Since she is one of the few globetrotting artists who was already well practiced with live cyber concerts to the world from from her California home, she and musician husband Nick are good at it. So It's no surprise they're expanding from two, to now three, shows a week.
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It's not a re-run if you haven't seen it... (new March 21, 6:15 pm Pacific)
Archived concerts return from Kulak's Woodshed
Kulak’s Woodshed in Valley Village / North Hollywood, CA is re-broadcasting past live performances from their archives. Each was recorded with their multi-camera set-up, so any and all are good viewing (as well as listening) experiences.
Here's the schedule (so far) of their past shows, released late Saturday, March 21st.
Paul Kulak recognizes that "Artists are hurting more than ever now. Please make a donation to them via their PayPal and/or Venmo account/s which will be posted for you to see during their re-broadcast shows."
Sat, Mar 21, 8 pm - Melissa Crispo
Sun, Mar 22, 8 pm - Julia Othmer
Mon, Mar 23, 8 pm - Phillip Brandon
Tue, Mar 24, 8 pm - Beto Hale
Wed, Mar 25, 8 pm - Sophia Alone
Thu, Mar 26, 8 pm - Blue Bossa
Fri, Mar 27, 8 pm - Acoustic Soul
All of Kulak's webcasts are at:
https://www.facebook.com/kulakswoodshed
(We do not know if you need to have a Facebook account, and therefore have your devices infested with Facebook spyware to allow you to watch. Try it and see.)
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Live from Hollywood, unique each night through March 31st... (newly added March 21)
"12 Days of Quarantine," Hollywood venue's live cyber series
Theatre of NOTE in Hollywood is satirical singer-songwriter Phil Ward's home-away-from-home. It seems cast members there have been presenting talent from their own in-house musical-comedy-theatrical ensemble (and elsewhere) in cyber shows. Phil just got around to telling us, late on Saturday, since his set is Sunday night, March 22nd.
Phil will present his intricately witty satirical tuneage, and he tells us, "I'll make sure my harmony-belting wife Silvie is right beside me."
It's all about having members of the theatre's troupe live-stream 30-minute-ish shows online, one each, for 12 days. The shows are free, with a way for you to support the artists' beloved theatre.
At 8 pm any night through the 31st, you can catch that evening's live show, at:
www.facebook.com/theatreofnote
If you like the series and want to help support NOTE, you can label your donation "12 DAYS" and pitch in whatever you like, at:
www.theatreofnote.com/support
(As always with anything involving Facebook, we do not know if anyone can watch, or if having your own Facebook account is required. We DO know that merely having an FB page of your own downloads a phenomenon amount of their spyware into your devices.)
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No longer the winter of our discontent...
Spring is in the air... and a damn microorganism shouldn't sabotage your self-renewal
Hard to believe, but SPRING arrives tonight, as our whirling blue orb crosses the invisible line of the Vernal Eqinox, when daylight and darkness are of equal length. From here on, until the Summer Solstice in June, every day gets a bit longer, in terms of sunlight.
We can't quote Shakespeare any more, with that "Winter of our discontent" line.
It's all so crazy. There is fresh snow in the San Gabriel Mountains, and more may fall early next week. Tiptoeing through the tulips isn't illegal, but Descanso Gardens, South Coast Botanic Gardens, the Los Angeles County Arboretum, and everything else is closed if you try to go anywhere.
They don't want you on the beaches. You can't hike in the mountains because the trails are beneath soft fresh snow. And the weekends of competing spring music festivals are no where to be found, anywhere in the world.
But it is spring. Traditional time of rebirth and renewal.
So write a new song. Learn to recite a poem you like. Do your spring cleaning (even if all the cleaning supplies were already raided by hoarders). Organize your computer files -- you know you have thousands of pictures that you can't find, but they're in there, someplace.
Take advantage of the opportunity for some creative time!
And if course, stay safe and healthy!
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A member of Congress has a good message...
Helping those in greatest need
Congresswoman Norma Torres, a Democrat who represents California's 35th District, is focused on sharing ways we can get through this together. We like what she says:
"...here are some organizations that could really use our help right now (her list, with links):
She adds: "If you can't give financially during this season, there are many other ways to help others: check on your elderly neighbors by phone or by email, reach out to your immunocompromised friends, and stay at home if you are able.
"If we all do our part, we can get through this health crisis stronger together than we can apart."
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San Pedro venue goes cyber... (added March 20th)
Live performances from the Grand Annex archives
They reliably present wonderfully tuneful times. Here's their message about cyber accessibility.
The Healing Power of Music
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Music has the power to transport us, conjuring distant places and experiences, and drawing out memories from our subconscious. Music can also transform us—relaxing us, energizing us, and drawing us into quiet contemplation. As we limit our activities, try exercising some musical “self-healing” by listening to music that you enjoy and find meaningful.
When we listen to music that we like, it stimulates the neurotransmitter dopamine, making us happier, more motivated and less stressed. When we are less stressed, we are less likely to get sick. So, listen to music!
For you listening pleasure, here are some highlights from the Grand Annex playlist to get you through the month of March. Enjoy and stay tuned for more!
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Being in the moment can screw others...
Obtuse impacts -- selfishly oblivious behavior
With everybody at home, too damn many are all trying to watch movies on the web.
Netflix has been asked by the EU to stream in lower definition to avoid breaking the internet. Well, it seems Netflix is talking the talk but not walking the walk, really not wanting to give-in. So they're holding meetings tomorrow with EU officials about it (even though nobody is supposed to go to meetings).
In the US, Facebook CEO (and spyware czar) Zuckerberg doesn't have meetings. He just does mass-calls to reporters as he did yesterday, to pontificate and hand-down edicts on how it is. That's while he acknowledges a new constant traffic load on par with the annual New Year's Eve spike. Which is always the year's biggest for the video-phone and multimedia signals that his empire of spyware delivers after it datamines them and picks through all the files in your phone for saleable private information.
With most phones now of the 5G type, the net itself cannot handle the load of any of this high-def moving-image stuff in such volume. Consequently, simple things like email may be lost entirely, or left clogging-up the pipes until eventually getting delivered.
It's reminiscent of the sewers overflowing during the first commercial break in the Super Bowl. That "royal flush" gave birth to crafting commercials that are better than the game, so everybody doesn't get up (to go sit down) at the same time. It's all about the capacity of the infrastructure.
Too many kids, home from school shutdowns, are all watching movies, each individually on their screens, while furloughed parents supposedly working from home are each binge-watching other crap the kids can't see. And all are trying to watch 5G high def from Netflix or some other purveyor of long-format programming, like archived sports championships, 12-part made-for-web series, and movies they didn't care enough to drop eight bucks to see ladt year in the theatre.
Do live streaming concerts stand a chance on that rush-hour-near-LAX cyber 405?
Expectation is that most people will be profoundly selfish, declaring "I PAID to have This! I'M gonna stream for 15 hours, so screw THEM!" and they will break the internet.
Not quite the Fall of Rome, but probably apoplexy for Millenials who have never tried to fold a gas station map or do anything without texting about it.
Meanwhile, we've been reporting in the Guide all the live-online concerts, designed to keep musicians in moccasins and the rest of us sane. And now Paul Kukak will do his part, like a one-millionth of a YouTube, with multicamera nightly vids of old concerts at Kulak's Woodshed.
At least we know why we're all getting bombarded with non-ionizing radiation from 5G celph transmitters on every telephone pole. Wonder what they'll call this disease?
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A bit o' tardy St. Patrick's...
Irish "Easter Rising Centenary" 1916-2016 Commemoration, Free online
Ken O'Malley is L.A.'s resident Irish-born flamekeeper of traditional Irish music. He is a dazzling instrumentalist, fine vocalist, and the originals he writes and features in his sets are perfect fits alongside timeless classics of the Emerald Isle. Back on April 24, 2016, he performed at an event to honor the memory of those who lost their lives in the cause of Irish freedom one hundred years earlier, to the day, in 1916.
A video was made of the event, with Ken's performance. Currently, it is FREE to watch online at Ken's website. Running time is 75 minutes. It, and more, are at:
http://kenomalley.com
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Catching up on reading that overcomes social distancing... (new March 20th; links added 3/21)
We'd like you to meet PM Press
You need to know about these folks. Their site features "mutual aid resources and ways to support independent bookstores" and much more. Another resource to share, and they invite you to send them new information.
You'll also find selections from the new "PM Press Blog series," titled, "All We Have Is Each Other," with resources, interviews, and articles challenging the dominant narratives of the crisis.
We just discovered PM Press when we bought the new book by LEE CAMP. You know his name. We've referred you to his biting, brilliant observations many times, both in his comedy special videos and his weekly tv/web show, "REDACTED TONIGHT."
PM Press is his publisher. They remain committed to publishing books and media to create a better world.
RIGHT NOW THEY'RE OFFERING 40% OFF all their books, eBooks, DVDs, and CDs. Just go to
pmpress.org
and use coupon code SOLIDARITY
When you purchase a print book, you get the corresponding eBook for free.
Their mission is "to amplify the vital voices of our authors, artists, and activists."
We readily embrace their admonition, "Let's read more books and demand the impossible," and likewise appreciate their message signature lines: "Stay safe and hopeful, and take care of each other. Yours in love, rage, struggle, and solidarity, PM Press."
Check out these music history titles from PM -- each one links to a description:
And you're sure to like many of their CDs:
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Republished story from March 18th...
Art from Your Couch
Our friends at the delightful little two-stage theater-with-a-music-series, Boston Court in Pasadena, CA, have assembled cyber arts / virtual tour resources for you.
It's an ongoing project, and YOU CAN ADD things for others to see as their project grows.
Here's what they have so far.
ENJOY THE ARTS RIGHT FROM YOUR COUCH
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"The famed opera house, a pioneer of live-streamed theatrical performances, is mining its vault to help all those Verdi and Donizetti fans cope with their cabin fever..." - FastCompany
The performances will go live everyday at 7:30 pm ET (4:30 pm our time) and will remain active for 20 hours.
Playbill correspondent and SiriusXM Broadway host Seth Rudetsky and producer James Wesley will produce a daily live streamed concert series, Stars in the House, to promote support for The Actors Fund.
New shows will air daily at 2 pm ET and 8 pm ET, (11 am & 5 pm Pacific) featuring performances by stars of stage and screen and conversations with Rudetsky between each tune.
The famed Paris landmark offers a virtual tour through its Egyptian antiquities department and the recently restored Galerie d'Apollon.
Want more fine art? Madrid's Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, has its Rembrandt and Portraiture in Amsterdam, 1590-1670 exhibit on virtual view. |
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DO YOU KNOW OF ANY OTHER FUN VIRTUAL ART EXPERIENCES?
LET Boston Court KNOW!
SEND ANY RECOMMENDATIONS TO SOCIAL@BOSTONCOURTPASADENA.ORG. |
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We understand the enormous financial impact that COVID-19 is having on all of the freelance artists in our community. We are working on compiling a list of organizations that are here to help in this time of uncertainty.
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The above "non-fund-raising" poster is also from Boston Court. If you want to contribute information for them to add to their new "Virtual Art Experience" cyber resource series -- or contribute funds to them for their sustenance, use the email address above.
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Here at The Guide, we're already seeing financial appeals from venues
One particularly touching one came last night from Little Fish Theatre in San Pedro. They are contractually obligated to pay the actors from the shows that were currently in production and rehearsal. They're doing that, but it comes at the expense of being able to meet existential obligations like rent and utilities.
Then there's Paul Kulak at Kulak's Woodshed, who is perpetually struggling financially, but now is trying to decide whether to present live online shows with no audience for the chance of a positive revenue stream, or whether it's ethical to get the artists to come out and risk exposure along the way, while playing for free to support his venue.
Our friends at the Coffee Gallery Backstage in Altadena, at McCabe's in Santa Monica, at the Fret House in Covina, at Boulevard Music in Culver City, at the Folk Music Center and Museum in Claremont, at the trio of San Pedro venues -- the Grand Annex, Warner Grand, and Alvas Showroom -- and MANY OTHERS, are all small businesses that present concerts, and these "pandemic-amonium" times (yep, we came up with that one) are financially scarey for all of them.
We'll leave it to each artist / arts organization / arts presenter to make their own appeals.
(Latest from one of those venues: Paul Kulak is preparing to re-broadcast archived Kulak’s Woodshed shows on the Kulak’s Woodshed Facebook Live page -- https://www.facebook.com/kulakswoodshed/. Viewers would be encouraged to make a donation to the artists' PayPal and/or Venmo account/s. It would be the artists choice to share a portion of their donations with the Woodshed.)
In the meantime, keep the high-and-dry musicians and the empty-pocket venues in your thoughts. |
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ONGOING WEB EVENTS, first reported March 18th...
"Our doors may be closed. Our mission isn't."
Grammy Museum's online programs began Wednesday
"This is about our community, nationwide, even globally," says Michael Sticka, President of the Los Angeles-based GRAMMY Museum.
He continues, "I believe the core of everything that we do at the GRAMMY Museum is to engage our community through music. In the span of two short weeks, however, we've had to re-evaluate what this engagement looks like through a new lens of 'social distance.'"
Starting Wednesday, the GRAMMY Museum is making available to everyone, for FREE, never-before-released content from the Museum's collections and archives.
Sticka tells us, "Each day will spotlight a different pillar of our Mission." Here's the program and release / activity schedule:
- Sunday and Tuesday: Music Education Lessons and Activities
- Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday: Opening our Public Program Archives
- Thursday: Member Engagement Nights
- Friday: At-home Exhibit Exploration
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He concludes, "We'll also be sharing daily playlists and thoughts curated by our staff, including the guest services and security team members in an effort to continue keeping all employees engaged during this closure. And, of course, we want to hear from you through our social media channels."
To learn more, you can watch this video that he "filmed at home, while responsibly practicing social distancing."
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Keeping properly spaced...
We are, after all, a mote of dust
in a vast sea of darkness
...and yet, each of us inhabitating that speck is still unique
The image above shows a region of space called LHA 120-N150. It is a substructure of the gigantic Tarantula Nebula. The latter is the largest known "stellar nursery" -- where stars are born -- anywhere in the local Universe. The nebula is situated more than 160,000 light-years away in the Large Magellanic Cloud, a neighbouring dwarf irregular galaxy that orbits the Milky Way.
All those place names for things too far away to seem real. But look at it this way: Mars is right next door, and we get fresh pictures taken on its surface every day -- but even it is just a reddish dot in the night sky.
So there is still some perspective to be had. Now try this: the above image comes from the Hubble space telescope. The image below is the best we can do with a ground-based telescope here on Earth.
For fun, figure where the top image fits into the bottom image. Or just ponder the infinite.
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Online THROUGH SUNDAY; first reported March 18th...
Experience the Autry's annual Western Art Show online
Through March 22nd, you can still view -- and purchase -- original art
The Autry National Center / Autry Museum of the American West in Griffith Park / Los Angeles is closed for the same reason as everything else. But they've taken the current exhibition online.
Let Masters of the American West® Art Exhibition and Sale Come to You!
While the museum is temporarily closed to the public, the folks at the Autry want you to know you can access the works from Masters artists in a number of ways.
Artworks Available for Purchase
You can see Masters works available online through March 22. To inquire about pieces for sale, contact Janet Reilly at jreilly@theautry.org.
>Available Artworks
Masters Catalogue
Copies of the exhibition catalogue are available for $42. You can buy your own today by contacting Jasmine Aslanyan at jaslanyan@theautry.org.
Masters Online
Hear from Masters artists themselves. Watch videos of talks by Billy Schenck and Kim Wiggins, from the exhibition's opening weekend.
>Billy Schenck, Origins of Western Pop Art
>Kim Wiggins, The New West
You can also take a tour of the gallery online by following the Autry on Instagram and checking out their Story. |
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| Proceeds from Masters supports the Campaign for the Autry, which helps provide essential support for the Autry’s educational programs, innovative exhibitions, and over 100 public events annually. |
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Oh to see what is there to see, see and be seen... (new March 20th)
Galleries go dark; art stays lit
We like the South Bay's Easy Reader News for its quality local journalism and exemplary coverage of the arts. Their March 18th edition has a nice piece by Bondo Wyszpolski with lots of color images of the art you can't go see face-to-face because the gallery shows, like everything else, are on hold.
You can (and should)
go read his story. Meantime, here are some of the sequestered works in the dark and silent galleries.
At left: “I Wish You Bluebirds,” by Vanesa Andrade, is among the works at Artlife Gallery in El Segundo. The gallery intends to have a strong online presence, with virtual gallery tours and more.
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An image on the Palos Verdes Art Center website is Monica Orozco’s “Suffragette,” from the 2018 Women’s March in Los Angeles.
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From SoLA (South LA Contemporary) is “Fray,” (above) by Kaleeka Bond.
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Our favorite from Wyszpolski's explorations: “Hermosa Pier Underwater” by Clark McNulty (below), is among the works at Resin in Hermosa Beach.
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We close with one of Irina Vladi’s compelling portraits at ShockBoxx in Hermosa Beach.
Wyszpolski's story has many more pieces of art to oogle. He promises more about scheduled openings now on hold, "as fluctuating conditions stabilize."
His concluding testament warrants quoting:
"Artists, with their indomitable spirit, are already adapting to uncertain times. The show goes on."
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Socially distanced social safety net: More hole than net... (new March 20th)
"Starving students" is not a cliche. It's real
With schools closed, some kids don't eat. We're not exaggerating. On a typical day, Los Angeles schools furnish over ONE MILLION meals to students. The schools, though shuttered, are attempting to serve quality "grab and go" meals to the most vulnerable kids. But without the "ADA" money from state and federal sources, based on attendance at school, the massive local school district is left holding the bag.
Check it and consider contributing to feed kids, at:
calfund.org/LAstudentsMostinNeed
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Updated as provocative commentary arrives...
Our Mailbox -- some back-and-forth with musicians and readers
Finally getting my 5 classes full before the shut-down, but now finding the trade-off of creative time for myself... and then the continuing saga of [venues]... and life being a whirlwind...
- Donna
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At some point I think we transitioned to that comedic chart of evolution, where the upright walking man begins to stoop over once again, and resemble the ape.
- Skylar
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Well haven't you heard everything is cyclic?? 🤗😀😗😮 Enjoy the ride. What's left of it. And stop going against the grain. We're overpopulated, overpolluted, too greedy, too selfish, too fast, too expensive... think we hit the top of the arc a very long time ago. Why don't you see what Harry and Meghan are up to?? Don't know if I ever mentioned this but I went to the same high school she went to in Los Feliz... Immaculate Heart... before I transferred to John Marshall also in Los Feliz... however tuition then was about $30/month. Now it's 😮 $1700/month.
- Jordan
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If you've noticed, the answer from (as you have called him) 'the pink-eyed orange imbecile' to every criticism is, 'But nothing like this has ever happened before!'
Yeah? I've got a two-word rebuttal:
Nineteen eighteen.
(If he did not, steadfastly, refuse to read anything, the dumbass would know that.)
- Skylar
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Who'd thunk we would come to the point of enticing someone to come over to share a weekend online music festival by saying, "I have toilet paper!"
- name withheld because nobody is supposed to invite anybody to, you know...
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Just when it seemed like nobody gave a f*ck about gig workers I see where you talk about ways for musicians to make rent. Maybe somebody will figure something for the rest of us
- Kaz
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A friend sent us this lengthy and thought-provoking comment written by Karen Tate:
Well, I believe Covid 19, while not as dangerous as the Black Death, is going to shake things up big time over the months ahead. My friend and I were talking about how we're already seeing how much more important the truck driver delivering the tissue paper is than the hedge fund manager. Or how much more useful to society is the cashier at the grocery store than the super model. Or how nurses are our real sheros, not guys who can shoot hoops. Our values are being put to the test. We're seeing who we really need to make society function, who is valuable in this society. The once diminished and under-valued are the ones coming to our rescue.
In this conversation with my friend, she told me about the benefits of the Great Plague on humanity she learned from the Great Courses classes available on Amazon Prime. Just some of the benefits of the Black Death (and you can google this) was the beginning of humanism, freedom of thought and the middle class. She told me, and I agree, this virus will teach us we need to restore manufacturing and unions in this country and pay people who are low down on the totem pole a living wage with benefits because these are the folks who are keeping society afloat, doing the truly essential jobs we truly need in this crisis. Cleaning. Driving trucks. Sewing masks. Selling us food and medicine. The people on the front lines at the hospital and urgent care facilities, the butcher, the gas station attendant, the people at utility companies, the guy picking the fruit. We're seeing how we need Medicare for All. How we must value science and education and teachers!
My friend and I think when this virus is over the world will be changed forever. No longer will we tolerate the predator capitalism. We'll demand our tax dollars serve the people and not the 1% who doesn't need our money or tax cuts. We'll demand manufacturing and unions be restored in this country so we don't have to depend on other countries for essentials in times of crisis. And how many of the saviors out there during this crisis are women? None of these essential people are going to roll over and go back to being marginalized, underpaid and under-valued.
Like Rosie the Riveter, a cultural icon of WWII, showing the power and ability of women outside the home, she symbolized a trend of change, and so will this virus.
I don't yet know what that iconic symbol will be to move us toward Democratic Socialism and income equality, shifting our minds toward the We and the Us instead of the I and the Me, but rest assured, we're watching the times change before our eyes. This is what a revolution looks like on a daily basis. Step by step. This virus along with the Orange Jumpsuit are shifting humanity's psyche and hearts to value those once taken for granted.
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Can't thank you guys enough For the stayathomefestival.com! My gf read read it and we've been streaming all day. Pure cure for Great Depresh 2.0!!!
- Sueshee
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How about this: take the money from Trump's stupid "Border Wall" and spend it to help those struggling from Coronavirus impacts (medical, and financial due to cancelled gigs). Sen. Elizabeth Warren proposed that in a bill in Congress back in February, and got ridiculed by all the "brown scare" xenophobes. Her bill will transfer all funds for Trump's border wall to the departments responsible for combatting the coronavirus. That was a good idea then and a great one now. Looks like Americans are realizing that. Hey, the $10 billion it would raise is a lot of rent checks, student loan payments, and paid sick days.
- Kenny
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We're living through history. How does today compare with the same day in past years?
Today is Thursday, March 19, 2020. Spring arrives tonight.
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Thoughts for today by two born on this date...
"I would be wonderful with a 100-year moratorium on literature talk, if you shut down all literature departments, close the book reviews, ban the critics. The readers should be alone with the books, and if anyone dared to say anything about them, they would be shot or imprisoned right on the spot. Yes, shot. A 100-year moratorium on insufferable literary talk. You should let people fight with the books on their own and rediscover what they are and what they are not. Anything other than this talk. Fairytale talk. As soon as you generalize, you are in a completely different universe than that of literature, and there's no bridge between the two."
~ Philip Roth, American writer and novelist who won two National Book Awards, three PEN/Faulkner Awards, two National Book Critics Circle Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize (born March 19, 1933, died 2018)
AND...
"Many people consider the things government does for them to be social progress but they regard the things government does for others as socialism."
~ Earl Warren, 14th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (born March 19, 1891, died 1974)
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On this day...
Launching of the poet laureate of American folk and rock...
Soon to be a highly influential artist, Bob Dylan released his first album, "Bob Dylan," on Columbia Records, today in 1962.
Women's History Month...
"It's the birthday of legendary African-American singer and comedian Jackie 'Moms' Mabley, born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard, North Carolina (1894-1975). Her career as a performer began when she moved to Cleveland at 14 to get away from her tragic past — her parents died in separate accidents; she was raped twice as a teenager, resulting in having two children who were taken from her; and she was being forced into a marriage with an older man. In Cleveland, she met the vaudeville team Butterbeans and Susie. She went to New York City and became very successful on the Chitlin' Circuit, earning more than $10,000 a week. In 1939, Mabley was the first female comedian to perform at the Apollo Theater." ~ Garrison Keillor.
Tech...
Auguste and Louis Lumière recorded their first footage using their newly patented cinematograph today in 1895.
Does anybody really know what time it is...
The US Congress established time zones and approved daylight saving time today in 1918, though the railroads, who invented time zones, had been using them for years.
Lost & Found...
157 years ago today, in 1863, the SS Georgiana, said to have been the most powerful Confederate cruiser, is destroyed on her maiden voyage with a cargo of munitions, medicines, and merchandise then valued at over $1,000,000.
Exactly 102 years later, today in 1965, the wreck of the SS Georgiana is discovered by teenage diver and pioneer underwater archaeologist E. Lee Spence, and its cargo, as treasure and archaeological salvage, is valued at over $50,000,000.
Losing the peace...
Today in 1920 -- 100 years ago -- the US Senate rejectef the Treaty of Versailles for the second time (the first time was on November 19, 1919), failing to put the US in the League of Nations, secure a just peace with Germany, and by reembarking on an isolationist course and virtually assuring that Europe would have another world war.
Fighting Irish...
Today in 1921, the Irish War of Independence saw one of its biggest engagements. About 100 Irish Republican Army (IRA) volunteers escaped an attempt by over 1,300 British forces to encircle them at Crossbarry, County Cork.
Bet it on the red or the black...
Today in 1931 gambling was re-legalized in Nevada; it had been legal in the Old West, but Nevada brought it back into what became the spectacle of our time.
World War II... in 1945, 75 years ago today...
European Theatre: Adolf Hitler issued his "Nero Decree" ordering all industries, military installations, shops, transportation facilities, and communications facilities in Germany to be destroyed as Allied forces advanced from East and West.
Pacific Theatre: Off the coast of Japan, a dive bomber hits the aircraft carrier USS Franklin, killing 724 of her crew. Badly damaged, the ship is able to return to the US under her own power in a heroic saga of the sea. Sadly, upon her return, she was scrapped.
Spaciness...
In GRB 080319B, a cosmic burst that is the farthest object visible to the naked eye is briefly observed today in 2008.
Last of the breed...
Today in 2018, the last male northern white rhinoceros, Sudan, dies, ensuring extinction for the species, barring cloning.
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Happy Birthday today to...
Jimi Yamagishi, American musician, songwriter, music biz supernumerary, longtime president of nonprofit Songwriters Network (SongNet)
Hans York, German singer-songwriter and acoustic guitar wizard
Ursula Andress, Swiss model and actress
Bruce Willis, German-American actor and producer
Phyllis Newman, American actress and singer
Clarence "Frogman" Henry, American R&B singer and pianist
Ruth Pointer, American musician, one of The Pointer Sisters
Glenn Close, American actress, singer, and producer
David Schnitter, American saxophonist and educator
Eliane Elias, Brazilian singer-songwriter and pianist
Vivian Hsu, Taiwanese singer and actress
Mikuni Shimokawa, Japanese singer-songwriter
Yoko Kanno, Japanese pianist and composer
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In memorium to these musicians & influencers born on this date...
Wyatt Earp (1848-1929), American frontier lawman famous for the Gunfight at the OK Corral, and early movie advisor who taught young actor Marion Morrison about the West; Morrison would become John Wayne.
Charles Marion "C.M." Russell, American painter and sculptor (1864-1926)
William Jennings Bryan (1860-1925), American lawyer and politician, 41st United States Secretary of State, 2-time Democratic nominee for President, and remembered as the defender of Creationism in the Scopes Monkey Trial.
Jackie "Moms" Mabley, born Loretta Mary Aiken, legendary black American comedian who overcame multiple tragedies of childhood and youth (1894-1975)
Earl Warren, 14th Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court (1891-1974)
Philip Roth (1933-2018), American writer and novelist who won two National Book Awards, three PEN/Faulkner Awards, two National Book Critics Circle Awards, and a Pulitzer Prize
Patricia Morison, American actress and singer (1915-2018)
Harald Johnsen, Norwegian bassist and composer (1970-2011)
Irving Wallace, American journalist, author, and screenwriter (1916-1990)
Ricky Wilson, American singer-songwriter and musician (1953-1985)
Lennie Tristano, American pianist, composer, and educator (1919-1978)
Attik, Greek composer (1885-1944)
Anna Held, Polish singer (1872-1918)
Max Reger, German pianist, composer, and conductor (1873-1916)
Johannes Verhulst, Dutch composer and conductor (1816-1891)
Fredrik Pacius, German composer and conductor (1809-1891)
David Livingstone, Scottish missionary and explorer (1813-1873)
Francesco Gasparini, Italian composer and educator (1661-1727)
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