The LA Beat

Guest Post and Photos by Else “Evil E” Duff

I can walk pretty quickly down to Hollywood Blvd, yet I rarely catch the Walk of Fame star presentation ceremonies. For one, it’s almost always impossible to see. But it’s really because when I saw Mark Hamill get his star and he said, “May the force be with you,” I swear on Peter Cushing’s grave that a nerd next to me just fainted dead away, so kinda hard to beat that. (I checked on him, he was fine.) Anyway, I was out of my knee pills and Kelly Clarkson was getting her star near Walgreens on Hollywood Blvd, which also seemed like the perfect excuse to hang out with Kasey Bomber.

Bomber and I meet on Hollywood Blvd between Walgreens and the Ovation Theater which they may still refer to as the Dolby Theater but certainly no longer Kodak. Whatever. I’m not exactly on the press list for the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and was kinda just going off what I saw on the Hollywood Walk of Fame Intsa, That’s also where someone commented that the ceremony was the same time as the broadcast of the Queen’s funeral and inquired if the event would go on. No official response was granted but I responded with: “dude, priorities!” Continue reading →

Guest Post and Photos By Else “Evil E” Duff

I never bought a Duran Duran record but do I remember when “Rio” came out, my friends were losing their minds. I certainly liked it but not enough to buy it. I was way into Van Halen and my heart belonged to Eddie. So when it was announced that Duran Duran was doing 3 shows at the Hollywood Bowl I was intrigued, yet not really enthusiastic. A friend since Junior High informed me she would be coming in town for the show, so when another friend asked on The Facebook if anyone was going to the show, I responded something like “I’ll go if you want to go for the cheapest seats.” She responded, “Fuck it. Girls gone mild.” Right on! Couldn’t go without my trusty concert buddy Su so I got 3 tickets in section W2.

Nile Rodgers and Chic was the opener and I was pretty excited to see them. But there was an unexpected act on the bill and that was Hurricane Kay. So grateful for rain especially with the L.A. heatwave, but everything indicated the wet remainder of Kay would be hitting at the earliest on our walk home from the Bowl. Funny thing about weather, gonna do what it wants whether you think you got it figured out or not. Late afternoon drizzle had subsided but I brought my umbrella just in case I needed it on the way home. I must have jinxed Su because she had to cancel. But I still had my dear friend Maul’r and we were ready to get moderately enthused. Continue reading →