.comment-link {margin-left:.6em;}
FEATURED REVIEW: Samsung & First Look Studios ACROSS THE HALL Film Party

Monday, May 23, 2005

 

EVENT REVIEW: PCI's LUXURY SERVICES CONVENTION

by Don Rose

PCI, Private Chefs Inc., presented their annual LUXURY SERVICES CONVENTION on Monday, May 23rd at the Santa Monica Civic Center. This international event, always awaited with much anticipation by the luxury services industry, did not disappoint. The food samplings, displays and conversation were excellent, and the buzz was electric during the three-hour event. The running joke is that, on the day of the Convention, there is no entertaining in any celebrity homes in L.A., since many house managers, personal assistants, butlers, personal chefs and flight attendants of the rich and famous are in attendance at this exclusive event. Also in attendance were members of the media, and various special guests.

The International Luxury Services Convention highlights exclusive goods and services for private estates, yachts and jets -- purveyors of top-of-the-line products and services who meet the highest standards. Highlights included wine and food tastings by the Beverly Hills Cheese Store, Dom Perignon, Evian, and Melissa's (makers of healthy foods and dressings -- try their Sugar Cane sticks, which you can fashion into food skewers -- and their Quinoa superfood product, which is quite tasty AND healthy).

Then there was my personal favorite, the MELROSE BAKING COMPANY, who served up a wonderfully wild assortment of delectable bread products (with pesto or butter as an optional topping). MBC's pretzel bread seemed to be a crowd pleaser (certainly this reporter was very pleased, it's delicious!), and they generously gave every attendee a takeaway bag of gourmet bread to enjoy after the event.

Visit the Melrose Baking Company folks in Hollywood, at their Vienna Cafe; they offer catering and take-out, and free local delivery with a $15 min order; location is 7356 Melrose Avenue. Contact them at 323-651-3822 or visit http://www.viennacafe.com .

The festivities also included an annual awards ceremony in the following categories:
PRIVATE CHEF OF THE YEAR
BUTLER OF THE YEAR
CELEBRITY PERSONAL ASSISTANT OF THE YEAR
PRIVATE & CORPORATE JET FLIGHT ATTENDANT OF THE YEAR.
From left to right: Chris Parkes Butler of the year, Janice Pallett Flight Attendant of the Year, Janice Smith Celebrity personal assistant of the year, Alexander Kinzler Private Chef of the year, Paul Hogan (Butler from Joe Millionaire TV Show), Christian Paier (owner of PCI & organizer of the event)


Members of many fine organizations attended this year's International Luxury Services Convention, including professional butlers, personal assistants, concierges, chefs, house managers, personal assistants, cooks, private chefs, members of the aviation and private jet industries, and local media. Kudos to PCI's Christian Paier for organizing a most excellent event.

Thursday, May 19, 2005

 

MAY 19: GEN ART BENEFIT: Ascension - A Celebration of Dance, Music, Fashion, Art, & Culture

Thursday, May 19, 2005
8PM


Event Description:

Red Bull

invites

Gen Art Platinum & Associate Producer Members & a Guest to

ASCENSION

– a celebration of Dance, Music, Fashion & Art culture -

to benefit


Gen Art



Thursday, May 19th


VIP Pre-reception


8:00 - 9:30pm

Main Party:


9:30pm – 4:00am

Vanguard

6021 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, CA

After five successful years in San Francisco, this unbelievable evening of music, fashion, dance and performance art is coming to Los Angeles. And all proceeds from this crazy evening, which is supported by Red Bull, will go to benefit Gen Art.

Ascension is a homage to the diversity and creative power of an emerging culture combing technology, music, fashion, performance art, visuals, 2-D & 3-D art, and hybrids of all these forms of artistic expression. Encompassing a wide range of talent from a global network of eclectic sub-cultural artists, Ascension is activating a continual evolution of dance and art culture.

Platinum & Higher Level Members are invited to the invite-only pre-reception as well as the main event which starts immediately afterwards.

For all of the detail information on all of the cool things happening at this year's event: visit www.redbullascension.com/asc05/

To see photos from last year's San Francisco event, visit


www.redbullascension.com/asc04/



Tickets:


* Gen Art Platinum & Associate Producer Members: Receive 2 VIP Comps



For more info and to get tickets, click here



Venue Name: Vanguard
Address: 6024 Hollywood Blvd (@ Bronson Ave)


Wednesday, May 18, 2005

 

Event Review: E3 2005, DAY ONE: BABBAGE 'n BABEAGE


CONNECTED, COOL-CLAD, CONVERGENCE CENTRAL
by Don Rose
(May 18, 2005: LOS ANGELES, CA) Everyone converges on LA during E3 WEEK to see the latest convergence-touting devices at the LA Convention Center. And this, being First Day '05, brought together the usual amazing assortment of elements, all in a magic melting pot on a sweltering hot day.
A sampling of what I E3xperienced: ...beautiful bodacious Booth Babes... Atari Flashback 2.0, which will make your thumbs twitch with nostalgia... out-of-booth babes... babe friends of booth babes... massively parallel lines waiting for press badges (as one guy wears, I kid you not, an actual Propeller on his Head)... AOL GAMES guys brilliantly positioned all along these massive press-wait-lines, wearing backpackgear-rig-things with TVs on top, promoting the big push AOL has been making into the game domain (anyone, not just AOLers, can play tons of games online thanks to the online service, which also covers the huge boffo-billiondollar business like nobody's business)... Mountain Dew giving anyone free ICE COLD drinks (sweet! --but not overly Snapple sweet) to trumpet the arrival of XBOX 360, the newest games machine from Microsoft (which is trumping the other two giants, Sony and Nintendo, by promising their machine by this holiday season)... and, note to self: self, how come no Trump? isn't The Donald somehow involved with everything?... more babes, this time giving samples of BRUT AfterShave and posing for pix next to a hotrod -- I think someone from Webster's was there to put this photo in the dictionary beside the word "male"... Steven SPIELBERG (yes, astute reader, "spiel" DOES mean "GAME" in German) hanging out casual-like as a caravan of cameras silently popped (the digital E3 kind, no paparazzi), Steven wearing his cool black W.O.W. cap (does he ever NOT don a chapeau?) in front of his WAR OF THE WORLDS movie's "house" (you can take a mini tour inside, if you are brave enough to enter and can brave the lines) -- which is next to, wow, a W.O.W.game promotion vehicle (literally, as in a truck where you can enter an online contest at UGO.com).... hey look, even MORE babes, is there some babe-making machine in the back or something?... then there was the guy wearing a "I AM A BOOTH BABE" shirt -- great, the one day I forget to wear my "I APPRECIATE IRONY" shirt... and oversized DEVELOP magazine was there for the taking, the best mag-swag -- an issue with half-digitized Marilyn on cover and other goodies wrapped with it in plastic, a swell addition to other freely offered pubs like PC Magazine and WIRED (with half George Lucas half Darth Vader on cover). No TIME magazine given away, which currently features half XBOX half Bill Gates on cover -- coincidence? Or is it all connected?
Okay, it is now PM and early power outage finally mostly solved... old friends pop up everywhere, I feel so CONNECTED -- this is almost like an annual reunion.... upstairs now, and guess what? some adorable friendly babes with cute exposed midriffs and some shaggy thing over their calves in the PELICAN booth upstairs and -- what's that? what do they make? oh, yeah, um, awesome HEADPHONES and ear buds that feature enhanced bass, I mean REALLY good bass on those headphones, sounding crisp not muddy, and bud, they're not that much more expensive than iPod replacement buds.
Show floor finally closes... off to INTO THE PIXEL, a fine video-game-art exhibit, sponsored by LACMA's GAC (Graphic Arts Council), with, surprise, a gaggle of ga-ga gorgeous gals swiping badges for Spike TV... and at the SAITEK wine reception, a friendly press liaison touts their ultracool products, which include a thin portable scanner strip device (e.g., feed in photos, it pulls 'em through to complete the scan), a handheld POKER playing game machine (for beginners like me OR pokerface pokerheads), and a snazzy looking PC-gaming-targeted backlit keyboard... then across the street to the excellent INTEL/ZIFFDAVIS party poolside at the Hotel Fig, with gaming contests raging as we mere mortals munch on mega mountains of food and some dude with elfin ears kicks a beachball outside and, hey, those ears somehow remind me that there is no more new Star Trek on TV, no speck of Spock or Spock-like quality Trek programming being produced anymore, is it because everyone now prefers SF in other more compelling media like games, or were recent plots simply not that compelling? Back to reality, and now there is the festive finale, the massive INSIDE E3 party at the Avalon club, with even more gaming going down everywhere in the place, being taped or broadcast, with, yes, more babes, and a VIP room upstairs in the Spider Club with giftbags that included games and CDs and more.
This, my friends, is but a small sample of how E3 converges so many diverse elements, with a clear common thread connecting it all: babeage.
EPILOGUE: "EPISODE 3" --- driving home, as I noticed legions of Star Wars diehards waiting in line to be the first to see the newest epic installment at 12:01am Thursday, I ponder the puzzle of why so many WarsHeads were wrongly camped out at the MANN CHINESE for weeks (finally learning at abillionthingsbabesdontcareabout.com that movie locations are the Achilles Heel of the Force)... which reminded me how "STAR WARS EPISODE 3, the Game" was the biggest baddest promo display in between halls at E3, loud and large and mesmerizing, which gave me that old familiar joy-chill down the spine during the climax of the short presentation, as the massively parallel combination of sights and sounds and blasts and magic John Williams score combined into a nostalgic euphoric ecstatic delight - and then, alas, it ended - all too soon - and, whoooosh, some babes blew by - and, suddenly, for the first time in my life, I almost had the virtual urge to smoke a cigarette.
Thank God Charles Babbage didn't have access to all this Babeage way back when, or he may have been too distracted to invent the precursor to the modern mechanical computer, which became the digital computer, which shrunk to the computer chip, which galvanized our gallant go-go industry and empowers the gazillion glorious gigabyte gadgets that bring the Gidgets to fidget in the booths. Yep... it's all connected.

Saturday, May 14, 2005

 

MAY 14: GEORGE BARRIS CLASSIC CUSTOM CAR AUCTION


preview and commentary by Don Rose

Funny how some people impact your life in profound ways, and you don't even realize it till later in life. King of the car customizers George Barris is one such person, one of these great people I call the "Memory Men" -- he helped shape my formative mental memory banks, yet only recently did I learn how deep his impact was! Turns out this artistic automotive genius gave birth to the classic custom cars I/we/you know and love, from the Munsters coach (yes, I admit, I loved that wacky show, and my former rock band played the Munsters theme, don't get me started).... to the red rebel rocket General Lee on Dukes of Hazzard .... to the black beauty Batmobile from Batman (camp classic of the century -- the show, that is, not Barris's creation, which is way more cool than camp, and still is!)... and another classic also born in 1966, the Monkee-mobile. Skip ahead two decades and there is George again, making moviegoers like moi marvel at his tricked-out time travel DeLorean in Back to the Future! One cannot imagine any of these classics of entertainment without the Barris touch in them; he truly is "da Vinci of VaVoom" (or, if you prefer, "da Vinci of da Vehicle").

And so it is with a mixture of excitement and sadness that I announce the L.A. auction on May 14 of some of George's innovative internal-combustion inventions. Excited for George that he is getting a lot of well-deserved mega-attention (witness the cool tribute on USA TODAY's website, at http://www.usatoday.com/life/graphics/georgebarris/flash.htm ).... but sad that his gems are not all going to some Barris Museum of Wonder Wheels where legions of fans future and present can check out his creations forevermore. But then again, as long as those crazy cool cars remain etched in my memory, our collective memory, I guess they will last forever... safe and sound, and legend bound.

For more on George, check out www.barris.com .

Friday, May 13, 2005

 

MAY 13-15: MAC GATHERING - Great Show for Mac and PC People Alike

the Regional Macintosh GatheRING logoThe Regional Macintosh Gathering
Computer Expo for Southern California
Computer Expo & Seminars ~ May 14 -15, 2005
Pro Intensive Classes ~ May 13



T
he Mac Gathering...
Southern California’s own full-fledged computer convention,
covering most things Mac and Apple — for all levels of Mac user.

But...
it's not just a Mac and iPod convention; 1⁄2 of the seminars are for Windows too. Small business owners, expand computer skills. No matter what size business, employees can gain time-saving skills.

Location:
Beverly Garland's Holiday Inn
(Ms Garland is a Mac user)
4222 Vineland Ave, N Hollywood, CA 91602
Immediately at the Vineland Exit of the 101
Phone: 1-800-Beverly (not for reservations)
Call Laura at 818-255-7491 for reservations
Dates:
Intensive Classes
Friday, May 13, 2005
Exhibits, Free Features & Seminars
Saturday, May 14, 2005 from 10-6
Sunday May 15, 2005 from 10-6

Register!

Advance-purchase pricing ends May 10. Register now
The ONLY WAY TO BE IN THE PRIZE DRAWING IS TO PRE-REGISTER!
See the prizes here.

What you can expect

  • Exhibits full of great solutions — Programmers, product managers & reps
    Sit, discuss needs, see demos, get answers, learn from what others ask.
    Windows versions of cross-platform products are encouraged so both Mac & Win uses can learn the realities of the cross-platform world and their platform options.
  • Sunday Keynote by the one-and-only comedian/actor Sinbad!
    Quit being a power user and start using the power!
  • Feature presentations open to all attendees
    Virtual PC — learn about it from people at its very source
    The Mac In The Business Of... how folks use Macs in various business
    Podcasting discussions — hear from some of the best
    Marketing seminars
  • Birds-of-a-Feather discussions open to all attendees
  • Free help desk! --- top übergeek supports Mac and Windows 5 days a week, 9-5. He says he can handle it all.
  • 2 days of low-cost courses — 32+ excellent seminars to choose from — just $65 (in advance)
    Whether you are a Mac beginner, know the Mac well, or a business owner who hasn't even made a platform decision yet, these friendly, easy-to-follow courses can help. About half of the MacGathering seminars are cross-platform.
  • Tiger Extravaganza! An entertaining Saturday night full of Tiger.
  • Excellent door prizes — you must pre-register to be entered.

An excellent opportunity for networking!!!!

Special Offer for out-of-towners

Live too far to drive in for the day?
Get a free 2-day pass when you stay at the hotel for 1 night.

Rooms are just $105 + tax, under the code - MAC.

To take advantage of this offer:
Book the room by calling Laura 818-255-7491 and saying it's for the Mac Gathering (code MAC). If she is not in she will call back. Then send in your confirmation number and contact info. Bring proof of hotel payment to will-call at the show to receive your seminars pass. (This offer is limited, so act fast.)

Free Friday seminar!

Are you on a PC, wondering whether you can switch to a Mac but needing to run a couple of Windows-only apps?

Are you on a Mac, wanting to run that one great app that just isn't available for the Mac?

Or perhaps you're a web developer, needing to see how your pages look on both platforms? Even on other Intel-based operating systems.

If you're at all curious about Virtual PC, here's an excellent opportunity to learn whether Virtual PC will handle your Windows needs — learning from one of the main VPC programmers live and in person!

But there's more...
Virtual PC isn't the only thing you'll learn about in this 3-hour session. It's also your chance to learn about using Entourage to the fullest and learn how to use Entourage with an Exchange Server for business. Whether you're on the Mac end of this equation or you're the Exchange Administrator needing to understand the Mac end, this seminar may prove invaluable. The Word Product Manager will be on hand too.

To clarify, this seminar is 100% free — you don't need an Exhibits or Seminars pass to attend!
2pm - 5pm. Full details.


Want to exhibit or sponsor the Mac Gathering? If you'd like to attend as a vendor, email Deborah.

Sponsorships are also available. There is also a special long-distance sponsorship offer for those who want to participate but cannot make it to LA for this show.

If you have a question, please feel free to ask Deborah Shadovitz. She is running this great Gathering! Tell her The Rose Review sent you....

And finally.....
for you LEO LAPORTE LISTENERS! You can get a special discount here: http://www.macgathering.com/register/leo.html


Thursday, May 12, 2005

 

MAY 12: BUBLEY OPENING at STEPHEN COHEN GALLERY

ESTHER BUBLEY

May 12 – July 2, Stephen Cohen Gallery

Opening Reception To Be Held Thursday, May 12 From 7 – 9PM

WHAT: Stephen Cohen Gallery announces an exhibition of black and white images created by one of the true pioneers of photojournalism, Esther Bubley, which will take place May 12 – July 2. In looking at the breadth of her long career as a photojournalist, one cannot escape the fact that she worked very well with people — putting their humanity front and center — whether it was a soldier sleeping in a bus station waiting to return home or workers repairing the Brooklyn Bridge. Bubley, a protégé of legendary Roy Stryker, worked with him on his ongoing document of American life, a project which he started at the FSA, moved to the Office of War Information (OWI) and continued after the war under the auspices of the Standard Oil of New Jersey (SONJ). Notable among the SONJ stories are two Bubley projects, the 1945 portrayal of the oil town Tomball, Texas and the 1947 “Bus Story” which explored the role of long-distance bus travel in rapidly-changing American life. Images from these stories are included in this exhibition along with other significant work from from the 40s and early ‘50s.

WHEN: Opening Reception

Thursday, May 12

7 – 9PM

WHERE: Stephen Cohen Gallery

7358 Beverly Blvd.

Los Angeles, CA

INFO: For additional information on the exhibition, please call 323.937.5525 or visit www.stephencohengallery.com. Regular hours of operation following the opening reception are Tuesday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., and by appointment

______________________________________________________________________________

The Stephen Cohen Gallery was opened in 1992 and moved to its present location in 1995. Since its inception, the Gallery has exhibited vintage and contemporary photography and photo-based art from the United States, Europe and South America. As host gallery for photo l.a., artLA, photo san francisco and photo new york, the gallery has helped to expand the awareness of photography as an art form to be appreciated by experienced art collectors and enthusiasts.

# # #


Sunday, May 01, 2005

 

MAY 1-4: MUSEXPO Music & Media Forum


MUSEXPO: FIRST ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL MUSIC AND MEDIA FORUM SET FOR MAY 1-4 IN L.A.; TAKING SHAPE AS UNITED NATIONS OF GLOBAL MUSIC INDUSTRY


LARRY KING TO HOST KEYNOTE PANEL

A&R WORLDWIDE -- the influential global artist discovery/development firm based in Beverly Hills whose staff played a pivotal role in the early discovery, development and/or exposure of such artists as Dido, Missy Higgins, Keane and others outside of traditional channels -- has organized the first annual MUSEXPO international music and media forum May 1-4 in Los Angeles. The hotly tipped four-day event is taking shape as a United Nations of the music world for like-minded individuals who have a passion for and a critical stake in the discovery of new artists as well as developing platforms to create new international business opportunities.

MUSEXPO is drawing significant players from throughout the global industry, including Craig Kallman (COO/Co-Chairman Atlantic Records Group), David Massey (Executive VP A&R, Sony Music Label Group U.S.), Brian Becker (Chairman/CEO, Clear Channel Entertainment), Donald K. Donald (Chairman, DKDE Group, Canada), Dave Holmes (DC Music, Coldplay manager), Kenny MacPherson (President Chrysalis Music Group USA), Jeff Pollack (Chairman/CEO Pollack Media Group), Zane Lowe (Presenter BBC Radio 1/MTV Europe), Nic Harcourt (Head of Music, KCRW Los Angeles), Peter Asher (Sanctuary Artist Management), Alex Jones-Donnelly (Head of Music, BBC Radio 1, UK) and Peter Katsis (Sr. VP Music, The Firm). (*An expanded list of influential attendees follows below.)

Headquartered at the Wyndham Bel Age Hotel in West Hollywood, MUSEXPO is within walking distance to legendary Sunset Strip venues (Viper Room, The Roxy, Key Club), where showcases will be presented each night. The in-progress line up promises an eclectic mix of new talent at the Sunday through Wednesday event, which is dedicated to propelling music forward. The showcases will highlight 24 recently signed and unsigned bands from around the world, including the U.S., England, Australia, New Zealand, Germany and Sweden--all poised for global impact.

The four-day event will feature a special "keynote panel" hosted by CNN's Larry King, round-table networking sessions plus nightly showcases by up-and-coming artists. "We are honored that CNN's Larry King has agreed to support MUSEXPO," says A&R WORLDWIDE's Managing Director Jim McKeon. "He will host and interview a small distinguished group of international industry leaders. Instead of the normal one person, one keynote approach, we will kick off MUSEXPO on the morning of Monday, May 2 with this unique keynote panel of top internationally known music and media industry leaders." King--who has interviewed everyone from rock stars to royalty to captains of industry--will introduce and conduct this panel in much the same manner and format as his renowned "Larry King Live" program.

Encompassing a select number of high-level music and media professionals, MUSEXPO will address international music and media industry creative issues, while identifying artist development solutions and opportunities in the constantly evolving global music marketplace. United by a desire to build new relationships, discover artists and realize new business opportunities, the event will be attended by label presidents, A&R and publishing executives, managers, agents and programmers from some of the world's most influential radio stations, film/TV and interactive music supervisors, media bookers and promoters as well as artists and artist managers. Registration is being strictly controlled to maintain A&R WORLDWIDE's high standards, enhance the interpersonal experience and enable maximum productivity.

Some of the key industry topics will include: International Touring & the Growth of Festivals, Global Radio Programmers Summit, Traditional and Digital Music Distribution Issues, The Community of Indie Labels, Worldwide A&R/Talent Discovery View, Artists & their Representation, Music Supervision & Licensing--Film/TV/Videogames/Advertising, Music Publishing and World Territories Music.

The fiercely independent A&R WORLDWIDE is creating waves throughout the international music and media community with its fresh approach to finding and nurturing talent ripe for the global marketplace. The firm, launched January '04 by partners Sat Bisla, Jim McKeon and Steve Smith, produces two newsletters per week that are subscribed to by nearly 8,000 professionals around the world, to share information about breaking and soon to break artists from all territories globally. A&R WORLDWIDE also produces their own syndicated radio program, "Passport Approved," to deliver a united international front to showcase the best new emerging and breakthrough artists from around the globe. The two-hour weekly show--hosted by Bisla and Mike Savage--provides a crème de la crème cross-section of imports, B-sides and rarities to music enthusiasts and listeners.

The concept for MUSEXPO is based on a series of successful dinners (which began four years ago) in New York, Berlin, London and Los Angeles with creatively minded professionals. According to A&R WORLDWIDE co-founder Sat Bisla, "These exclusive dinners were organized with the purpose of bringing together friends from the radio, A&R, publishing and artist management communities to engage in creative dialogue and establish fresh business relationships." He explains: "The mission of these networking dinners and MUSEXPO is to encourage forward-thinking executives from the international music and media communities to connect with other similar creative professionals. All with the purpose to discover new music and develop un-conventional ways of doing business in a rapidly changing market."

Based in The Wyndham Bel Age Hotel, MUSEXPO represents an opportunity for Los Angeles to host a major music industry event. McKeon says "Our goal is to create a new 'red-letter date' on the global music business calendar...an annual event that would ultimately bring thousands of music and media creative talents and executives from around the world to Los Angeles each spring."

One expected attendee, Alex Jones-Donnelly (Head of Music & Live Music, BBC Radio 1 U.K.) said, "I'm coming to MUSEXPO because it represents a major presence for up-and-coming repertoire that will impact the global market. MUSEXPO has its pulse on breaking music and international radio trends and movements. A&R Worldwide has established itself as a credible organization that brings together the best creative minds in the world in the right type of networking environment."

For more details and registration information, visit: www.musexpo.net .