Philadelphia isnt Sunny

Willy Nilly Philly. Just got back yesterday from a business trip to Urban Outfitters which is located in Philadelphia. I have never been to this old city and after only one and a half days I would give it a......solid B.

From some reason unknown I wanted to give it an A+ before I even got there. I dont know why I wanted to like it so much and realistically it was more about the circumstances surrounding my timing of the trip that lowered it's score. The world series is in full swing there and unfortunately the night we went out was the only night a game was canceled. You pair this cancellation with sleet rain and tyrant winds and Philadelphia's nightlife turns into a graveyard filled with librarians. The city itself is truly beautiful and its history and architecture really does put LA to shame.

Weather and human life aside, I did encounter some great new friends and ended up having a blast with this group scampering from bar, to bar, to club to bar.

We ended up at last call in a bar where people go to commit suicide. The photo below was taken at 2am in a small depressing bar. Keep in mind my iphone does not have a flash. The entire bar was light as day lit with flourescent lights!!! However that Cat is pretty cool:)

Andy
Local Natives

Griffith Park

Sometimes we skip over the obvious. We are constantly looking for the super unknown, the too legit and the "only if your invited." Sitting around on Sundays looking for a Sunday Funday when all along it was right under our noses. Griffith Park is huge and wonderful! Remember how much fun grass is? Thats right, green grass! Grab some cheese, some crackers, some wine and maybe a frisbee or three and get down here. My trusted iphone didn't know what to do with all the joy it was looking at and took this picture at the park.

Andy
Local Natives

Thursday Night

Dance Right/Dress Right
I will be here.....I think Local Natives will be here? They haven't got back to me yet.

80s Purple(cool online retailer that I work with), Orthodox(Ive known these guys for a awhile now. Great mens and womens fashion collection) and Han Cholo(just getting into their ghetto jewels) Downtown LA Party. Come on over Rover!!

Andy
Local Natives

People verses Cars

I have officially deemed October as the "People vs. Cars" month.

Monday through Friday I commute home from downtown LA to Silver Lake using side streets. Since Oct. 1st, my peaceful and relaxing drive home has quickly turned into a stress-case game of dodge the crazy street crossing people. Downtown LA is known for its "unique" blend of nomads, crack heads and well meaning homeless societies. It's no surprise to suddenly have a skinny muscle ripped 55yr old homeless man jump out in front of your car waving a styrofoam cup with a hole in the bottom at you and wondering why his change keeps dissapearing. But what I'm experiencing this month is a whole new level.

The air we breathe has been infused with suicide confidence. Nomads no longer step out in front of your car but instead run from lane to lane in heavy moving traffic screaming and jumping like a lost frog on speed. Elderly women will suddenly decide that the giant red lit hand they see means to cross the street immediately without looking anywhere but to their small cart of bundled clothes and cans for protection from the oncoming Honda Accord. A fixed gear bike can somehow magically create a protective force field that allows the rider to glide through intersections without hesitation. Those feet absolutely cannot hit the ground even if that means an oncoming vehicle has to slam on his brakes in fear for his own life. The best part about it is......these indestructible people are having fun doing it! They walk, run, ride and hobble without a care in the world and I am jealous. October is quickly coming to a close and I fear this secret society of happy anarchists will disappear. I wish to run free with them.

Andy
Local Natives
ps. Would love to know if anyone else is expieriencing this?

Halloween Local Natives Style

FOOD FIGHT!

There are a handful of things in life that still can inject a no holds bar rush of sheer, immature joy into our hearts and minds. One of those is the feat of the Food Fight! 1 part 2am, 10 parts people, 177 parts fun juice and 1 part kitchen with nothing else better to do and you have yourselves the makings for the ideal food fight.

Creatures involved: Local Natives, Aushua and assorted friends.
Elements involved: Honey Nut cheerios, Flour, Sugar, Water, Pasta(both spaghetti and penne), Peanut butter and I believe some chips and sweat.

I like and live in LA but Orange, CA knows how to throw a mean food fight.
ps. Check us out in Costa Mesa on Saturday playing with our good friends in Aushua(pictured below)

Andy

LA short for LAME

How was my weekend you ask? My weekend was wonderful and thanks for asking!
Friday- Hanging with the friends to prepare for Saturday
Saturday- Union Line and Aushua Show at Karl Strauss festival(one six pack of water bottles and literally seven cases of beer and two kegs for 20 people backstage)

Enter...Saturday night.

I moved to LA/Silverlake about a year ago and thus far no huge complaints. I have always really thought that any place you decide to live is as good as you decide to make it. That is not to say of course that LA doesn't come with its own unique character and guidelines that one must try to follow especially when hanging out in the local music scene. In my neck of the woods there are a good amount of great indie venues and a handful of great indie bands. We have played the circuit a few times and are working our way to try and become one of the few. Lets just say its a close knit scene in our area and as indie and artsy as we all want it to be, at the end of the day LA's local music scene is run just like any other entertainment industry here. You gotta know somebody who knows somebody who needs a favor and knows someone who can get you what you want. So goes the nature of the beast.

With that being said on Saturday I happened to know someone who knew someone at Los Angeles's annual Detour Festival in Downtown LA. I would have to say being completely honest that I have been the last three years and each year has taken a step or two down from last and this year was no exception. On paper, an event such as this seems like the ultimate horaaaaay! for LA music loving locals. You get to see and hear great music from big and small artists who for one day take over city hall and let us all experience downtown LA in a whole new wonderful light. The reality is, that if you don't know someone(which I'm sure more than half the crowd did) for $45 you get a chance to see a few good artists and $7 cocktails. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the ingenious system they installed for purchasing food and drink this year(lathered in thick sarcasm). Upon entering if you happen to have the hearing of a rabbit with elephantiasis in it's ears, you come across a man shouting the guidelines for deciding to purchase food or drink. To expedite the process and keep the lines moving quicker you first purchase an "Event Card". The overjoyed people at Event Card Tent will put your hard earned cash onto a small plastic card which you can then take to the various drink/food stands. Once you arrive to the stand of choice the employee will swipe this magical card which electronically takes the cash from the card in exchange for the goods you ordered. What a world we live in! Wait, this "Card" reminds me of something.....oh yeah its called a fucking Credit Card and we all already have and use them! On top of the annoying "Event Card" process which most people didn't find out about until getting to the front of the drink line after waiting for 30min. They also forget to mention that you needed to go to a separate booth to get an id wristband if you wish to consume alcohol. I know, I know, we all have been to many festivals where this is the case and at every single festival we all think the same thing: "These id booths are retarded and a pain in my ass!!" After all, waiting in three lines for a cocktail is much better than one.

In light of keeping my head from exploding I'll stop here. In conclusion being a new local LA music citizen is fun and good, just in a really weird way that may lead to some opinions.....some much needed opinions.

Andy
Local Natives