Spending the Day on Downtown's Sidewalks

A little over a week ago, I was walking on Broadway and saw the same thing in front of Eastern Columbia. It wasn't a punk crowd, but more the kind that made me think "maybe MTV is casting something."

However I was never able to find any sign of film/tv activity. Now that I think back, it would make a lot of sense if this was for a concert as well.

When I pulled in around 6:30 p.m., the line pretty much covered the block between Broadway and Spring/Main. In all likelihood, it went around the corner.

The line a week ago was for auditions for some dance/performance TV show. I believe it was "You Think You Can Dance?" or something like that.

The Orpheum Theater has been very busy lately. On Monday, there was the premiere for Tarantino's new film "Grindhouse". My building usually gets plenty of comps. No luck with that event.

Mars Volta rocks... too bad I'm not in LA tonight or I'd join those "kids"!

I think I hear my cue. Here's a report from the field.

It was "so you think you can Dance" and the tipping point was the producers egging on the crowd at 5am till midnight. Wasn't the moving in welcome home I had in mind.

I drove on Broadway last night around 11 pm and saw a ton of people walking out of the theatre. A sight usually seen in theatres all over New York or Hollywood. It was awesome to see it in downtown. Hopefully we get more events like this. Lot of the people were patronizing Broadway Bar next door.

Next week the Shins are in town so expect more crowds. A good thing I think. Funny thing is when I went to the Broadway Bar last summer, wearing jeans, t-shirt and flip-flops the security guard gave me the look over and said if it was the week end he wouldn't be able to let me in. Geez it was hot last summer. I'm guessing there will have to be a shift in dress codes if the Orpheum is going to continue to book indie bands.

I often hear of efforts to revitalize the stock of beautiful yet abandoned theaters on our Broadway. The efforts always seem to focus on traditional theatrical productions with Broadway in NYC as the template.

Perhaps, the Orpheum is showing there is a different way to bringing these venues back to life? It seems Mr. Needleman is on to something. As a resident, I'd say that this kind of activity -- concerts and movie premieres -- is definitely increasing. It certainly creates a different kind of activity on the street. I recall there was skepticism when he first went this route. But, he has been able to lure major TV productions, A-list film premieres, and concerts with some regularlity.

I like it, too, that the events cater to different segments of L.A.'s residents, not just the MTV set. Recently, some major acts from Korea packed the place. I recall a Mexican journalist was a big draw. There have been some big productions put on by black evangelicals. Very eclectic programming.

You should have seen the line Saturday at the Wiltern for the Goo Goo Dools. About 8-10 people were there circa noon for a show that started at 8 p.m. And the line grew all day. Some were playing board games (Clue) or reading to pass the time. One factor is the Wiltern doesn't assign seats, so to get the best view you need to be at the front of the line.

I believe the line for Mars Volta was as long as it was because the show was general admission and first come/first serve. the shins concert has presold out with assigned seats. i noticed on the orpheum website that patrons are not permitted to line up in front of the theatre prior to the mid-afternoon before the show. i believe this is why, earlier in the day, the line was in front of the Eastern Columbia.

i'm a huge proponent of this kind of usage for the orpheum and other theatres on broadway. concert goers (especially young folk or even just young at heart folk) are much more hardy and adventuresome when it comes to seeking out venues. they're willing to overlook concerns like parking or the myriad homeless-issues in order to see a show. to me, it seems like a perfect fit for broadway.