Also see my preview article, “Los Tigres del Norte to make history at Walt Disney Concert Hall,” published in the Los Angeles Times. Los Tigres del Norte plays at the same venues that host rodeos, professional bull riders and country fairs. So its show last Friday night at Walt Disney Concert Hall offered the band an opportunity … Continue reading
By: Daina Beth Solomon *Unpublished March 3, 2010 Imagine picking up the colorful, alternative LA Weekly instead of a brick-thick Sociology or Urban Studies textbook, and, for homework, reading Jonathan Gold’s restaurant reviews. More than describe the best spots for tortas ahogadas or Peking duck, Gold’s writings also comment on Los Angeles culture and society. … Continue reading
By: Daina Beth Solomon Issue date: 3/25/09 Section: Features The façade of Eagle Rock Plaza is unremarkable. Some might call it ugly. Street-level stores suggest a predictable American mall, featuring Chuck E. Cheese, Macy’s and Target. But underneath, nothing is ordinary. An oasis of cultural delight and wonder hides on the lower level. Tangy, tantalizing … Continue reading
A journey one hundred years back to the age of kerosene lamps and cross-country train expeditions, preserved in central Los Angeles By: Daina Beth Solomon Issue date: 11/25/08 Section: Features What is that cluster of Victorian buildings by the Arroyo Seco that drivers see from the Pasadena Freeway? A movie set? A Victorian-style theme park? … Continue reading
By: Daina Beth Solomon Issue date: 10/15/08 Section: Entertainment Northeast Los Angeles is blessed with religion. The area surrounding Occidental is a landscape of world religions. An informal internet inventory revealed over 100 religious centers within Occidental’s 2.5 mile radius. There are eight Seventh-Day Adventist churches, seven Foursquare Churches and three Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls. … Continue reading
By: Daina Solomon Issue date: 10/8/08 Section: Entertainment Why do we love book fairs? Is it the fun of meeting some of the best writers on the planet and hearing brilliant discussions of ideas and events shaping our world? Is it for the chance to pose burning questions to favorite literary figures? We love book … Continue reading
As the Metro Gold Line’s sleek train approaches Union Station, the east-bound passengers waiting on the platform come to attention. Giggling teenage girls with studded lips and bright fuscia hair stop smacking their chewing gum. A young guy, shaking his head to the sound of his earphones, grips his skateboard more tightly to his chest. Another man, jeans splattered with white paint, firmly guides his bicycle. A woman in an electric wheelchair moves forward down the platform. They are all headed East…. Continue reading
Thordal Christensen transforms from Artistic Director to dancer as he roars “Bigger! Like this!” and demonstrates the Mouse King’s grand leap in the battle scene of The Nutcracker. Each detail of the move from deep plie to outstretched limbs is executed to precision, showcasing a fierce attack. The cast gathered in the rehearsal studio is transfixed, as is co-Artistic Director Colleen Neary. Although Christensen and Neary have danced in countless Nutcracker performances, this time they are focusing all efforts on their newly formed company, Los Angeles Ballet. Continue reading
What’s wrong with a catchy song celebrating American diversity? Nothing, except that the Great American Melting Pot is a lie, or at best, a myth. Continue reading
![[Oxy Weekly] Day of the Dead: Rituals Remixed](https://dainabeth.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/october-08-080.jpg?w=290&h=290&crop=1 "[Oxy Weekly] Day of the Dead: Rituals Remixed")
This Latin American holiday has undergone transformations in the United States that have extended its celebration beyond conventional reverence for the dead to include expanded festivities favoring skulls and bones in an open-ended political forum. Continue reading
Lotus land 