Hollywood Babel On: Summer Winding Down? No, It’s Just Getting Hotter…

It is the best of times; it is the worst of times.  It is Rome before the Fall.  It is the last cabaret in Berlin.  The Emperor sips tea while the opposition join forces at the gate.  Still the violins play on while the Titanic sinks.  Nothing stops the music.  Nothing silences the singing.  Nothing can suppress the art that decorates our lives and simultaneously gives it meaning.  That’s the key to our survival.  That’s our tiny window in the upper corner of a stifling prison cell, a little patch of blue and a little ray of hope in the darkest and direst of situations.  In other words—and I quote—“loosen your butt screws” and dance a little.  The Fall will come later.  For now it’s still summer.

And so it is in LA.  While department stores start rolling out the ‘back to school’ ads, the joint’s just started rockin’ downtown and around.  The hottest days of summer usually don’t come until the fall, after all, like 27 Sept. 2010, the hottest day in history here, which I remember distinctly.  The music is even hotter, and this weekend is no exception.  Sometimes it boggles my little brain how so much good music can be crammed into one area at one time—and all for free!—like so: Levitt Pasadena has Limelight Steel Orchestra, Mariachi Divas, and Samba Society this weekend for the perfect world-music trifecta, while Grand Performances at Cal Plaza water court downtown has got one of the weekend’s best tickets (still free BTW) with ‘Tale of Two Nations: Brooklyn’s Nation Beat and Brazil’s Estrela Brilhante (‘Shining Star’) straight out of Recife.  I holed up there for Carnaval 2006.  It rocked.

Other than that American music rules, with the Echo Park Rising fest out on the streets of LA’s hippest ‘hood all weekend, and all free.  Except for Quinto Sol, most of them I’ve never heard of.  It should be good.  But there are still old-timers around to show how it’s done, like David Lindley at Levitt LA Sunday eve and X (remember X?) at Pershing Square Saturday night.  Actually if I play my cards right, I just might be able to hit two or three venues on Saturday, just like the old days.  Now there’s a trifecta que me gustan.  Dori Caymmi is out at LACMA, too.  I forgot about that.  Justo Almario will be there next week.  Chucho Valdes was there last week.  It’s unbelievable.