Cake at the Troubador!

Please welcome, guest blogger Uziqguy!

LA is definitely a great place to see live music. With so many different venues, it isn't really surprising that on any given night you can catch a great show!

 

That being said, for some reason, I rarely go see concerts in LA. I don't really know why, either. It's not like I don't have the time or the money. Just for some reason, I don't take advantage of the great music scene of Los Angeles. In the 5-plus years we've been out here, we've seen less than 10 shows. It's shocking and shameful, really.

 

Well, one of the recent shows I did get a chance to see was Cake at the famous Troubadour on February 19th. Now I'm not a huge fan of Cake, but I do like their singles and can appreciate their quirky sound. So when a friend of ours told us that she had bought tickets for a bunch of us to go, I was very excited. I was long overdue to see a show!

 

February 19th rolled around and unfortunately, I had developed a pretty bad head cold. But I was damned if that wasn't going to stop me from going to see the show. So I dosed myself up with some meds and caught a ride to the Troubadour with some friends. The night was cold and rainy, which did nothing to help my sickened state.

 

So we get to the Troubadour and after waiting for about 20 minutes in the rain, we finally got in. Looking around, I could definitely see why this is such a great venue for music!

 

First, it's a little small. I love small venues because it feels more intimate and you actually have a better chance of seeing the band perform. The stage at the Troubadour is raised and sits about 30-40 feet from the back of the house. Now, normally small places have so-so sound, but this is not the case here. The acoustics here are great. Never once during the show did I feel it was too loud and the sound was perfectly mixed so nothing was distorted or over-amplified.

 

There is an upstairs area that doesn't cost extra to go up to and that has the best views of the stage. I walked up here a bit but didn't grab a seat as it seemed to be first-come, first-serve here and everything appeared to have been taken. The view of the stage was really great, though.

 

If you want to get away from the main room where the stage is, there is a nice little bar to the left as you walk in the door where you can relax and have a drink during the show. Large flat-screen TVs adorn the walls and you can even continue to watch the show through the window of the bar (which looks directly at the stage), in case you don't want to miss anything.

 

As the show was about to start, the friends I came with joined others at the foot of the stage. As I was under the weather, I hung by the bar in back and still had a great view of the show. Drink prices were a little high ($2.50 for a small glass of soda), but it was to be expected. People filed in and as the place filled up, I never got a sense of claustrophobia that usually accompanies smaller venues like this one. It was a little tough to walk around at times, but as it was a sold out show I kind of figured that might happen. 

 

The show went over two hours with a small intermission between sets. The crowd throughout the performance was enthusiastic and cheerful, which is a great crowd to share a concert with. I would attribute it to the overall vibe of the band. Cake is a solid band with fun quirky songs, and their fans love them for it. As I figured, the performance didn't really elevate my fan level, as I still see them as a quasi-novelty act. I do, however, have a new found appreciation of their style (flawlessly performed) and their overall fan base. The people that love them REALLY love them.

 

Overall, I was pretty impressed with the Troubadour. It's a great small venue to see music.  The rich, wood tones throughout the place speak to its age and history in Los Angeles. It's been around since 1957 and has quite a musical history. Even if you don't come here for a performance, you should at least stop in sometime and check out a music venue that has hosted such artists such as Elton John (his first US performance was here and he was introduced by Neil Diamond), Guns N Roses (this was where G n' R played their first show and where they were picked up by a music scout), Miles Davis, Elvis Costello, Willie Nelson and too many more to list here. You can find a full history (at least through 2009 here).

 

 

The Troubadour

9081 Santa Monica Blvd
West Hollywood, CA 90069
Neighborhood: West Hollywood

(310) 276-6168

www.troubadour.com

Uziqguy

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Happy Tradventuring!

Heather

The Getty

Whenever friends come to visit, they always want to "see the sights" in LA. Usually in a day or two. So I try to cram everything in from the Walk of Fame in HWood, to the Santa Monica Pier.  One place I always suggest, but no one ever takes me up on, is the Getty.

The piece of land the Getty sits on is incredible.  On a clear day you can see all the way to Long Beach, Downtown LA, and the ocean off Malibu. On a not-so-clear day you can see to the 405. Eh. What can you do?  But if you're an arty, artist, art-lover...whatever term you choose, the Getty is a must see.

Parking is $15, Outrageous!  But get this, the museum is FREE!  Yes free!  So pay to park and stay all day. It's worth it.  The museum does a great job of funneling the large crowds to the entrance on a monorail. Fun ride up the mountainside and you get a nice view along the way.  We went on a Sunday that was particularly cold in LA. I thought we would pretty much have the place to ourselves, but apparently so did the thousands of other people who were there. Eh. What can you do?

But the museum is so spread out, you really don't notice the crowds.  Each building has a separate theme for the art you'll find inside.  Most of it is the regular exhibit ranging from Renaissance art to classic French furniture.  All of which I love!  I could stare at a picture of some Duchess from the 17th century forever...and wonder about her life and how lovely it must be to be painted.  *sigh*  My favorite room is the Edgar Degas room. Go there and soak up the brilliance.

The rotating exhibit when we were there was Chinese photographs.  They were really insightful and poignant.  Look for the piece where the photography captured his parents in a single room over the last several years of their lives.  It shows them together, then just the dad with a picture of his wife, then eventually just a photo of the two of them after they passed away. Very moving stuff.

Once you've had your fill of culture, you'll probably be hungry or thirsty or both.  The cafeteria is very, very expensive for what you get.  I ordered a chicken salad sandwich, a cup of soup, chips and drink and it was nearly $17. And it wasn't very good on top of it. Eh. What can you do?  There's also a snack cart with less options, but much cheaper fare.

The best part of the Getty by far, is the garden terrace. This beautifully landscaped grounds allows you to cop a squat on the grass, walk next to a babbling brook, or simply admire the view of the floral pool. Bring a penny. Make a wish.  If it's to be surrounded by peaceful greenery and classic art, then your wish came true.

The Getty
1200 Getty Center Drive
Los Angeles, CA 90049
(310) 440-7300

Hours for the Getty Center site and galleries:

	Tuesday–Friday		10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
	Saturday		10:00 a.m.–9:00 p.m.
	Sunday		10:00 a.m.–5:30 p.m.
	Monday		CLOSED

Happy Tradventuring!
Heather

(stay tuned for a guest blog on the Troubador!)