By CHARLES ANDREWS
QUICK TAKES FIRST
Necessary business out of the way.
Mark my words. We can change the fallen reputation of the great city of Santa Monica. It should be known as a haven for the arts. A place where visitors (and locals) might encounter a really good singer-songwriter playing on the corner of a park, a Shakespeare performance staged along the Third Street Promenade, a reggae or jazz band on the beach, world-class galleries at Bergamot, or the LA Opera or LA Philharmonic working out at the restored Santa Monica Civic Auditorium.
That restored Civic is the linchpin. We were on the cusp of moving forward with that, with a plan from top entertainment professionals, the RPG Group, until four members of our City Council decided they had better ideas. They pulled the rug out from under RPG, for what? A better offer from a better group? Or… other possibilities for that very valuable urban acreage, our Civic space. Maybe demolishing it to make way for even more housing, most of it likely market rate, and probably another hotel, restaurants, and some retail space.
Yes, such a senseless, heartless move is much more than some naive notion that we could get an offer more beneficial to all of Santa Monica. It is a clear indication of the mindset of those four Council members, who have all indicated they believe dense development is the answer to our problems. Meaning we can look for them to continue to vote their philosophies, rather than the expressed needs and wants of their constituents. Such rigid ideologues believe religiously that they are right. So we must remember those four names –
DAN HALL… NATALYA ZERNITSKAYA… JESSE ZWICK… CAROLINE TOROSIS…
Because as long as they are on our Council, we will continue to see our historic, world-famous, cherished city by the sea transformed into another high-rise Miami Beach. With only a couple of brief moments excepted, the same people have been controlling our government here for decades. Time for a radical change. It’s not too late.
WHERE ARE YOU, MR. MUSIC??
People tell me it’s not always easy to find a copy of The Mirror on Fridays. Nor to remember to search online on the right day. So, make it easy on yourself if you want to find my two columns. Subscribe to my MUSIC, POLITICS, LIFE substack – free, no strings – and they will show up in your email. Go to:
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED:
THE PETER ERSKINE QUARTET – In 2025, in L.A., Kendrick Lamar knocked you out, Willie bowled you over, Beyonce scooted your boots, and Neil was forever young. At the benefit concerts for fire victims – organized in just a couple of weeks by members of the same RPG Group, even though two of them lost their homes – you took in Lady Gaga, Dr. Dre, Olivia, Ariana, Joni, Sting, Stevie Wonder and Nicks, Pink, The Weekend, Billie Eilish, and many more. But I’m telling you true, musically, minus the fireworks, this little jazz concert at SMC might be the best LA concert of the year. And it is only 10 bucks, unbelievable. Some think Erskine is the most gifted drummer on the planet (like me, and my son Chris), and his bandmates Oles and Pasqua have spent decades with him, polishing their sonic jewel. Add in frequent collaborator Bob Mintzner on sax, and then soak in the swingin’ artistry. Fri 6:30 p.m., Music Hall, SMC, $10.
LA OPERA, “LA BOHEME,” PUCCINI – Sure, it’s a “warhorse,” but that just means it’s really popular, throughout the centuries. There are good reasons for that. Puccini is one, pretty good one. Even I have seen this a couple of times. It will be here for a while, so I will try to report back on this staging, but I’m completely confident giving it a high recommendation. Sat 8 p.m., Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, LS, $134-435.
“HAVE I GOT NEWS FOR YOU” – Panel game show format takes on politics and current events, but it’s more important to be funny than right. Often hilarious. The chaos is overseen by one of my favorites, Roy Wood Jr., but his two team captains, Amber Ruffin and Michael Ian Black, dish up the biggest laughs, most of them spontaneously. Sometimes they have a lame guest panelist on, but Michael, Amber, and Roy carry the show. Every Sat, 9 p.m., CNN
“THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION,” KEN BURNS – Timing is everything. Burns has been working on this one for 10 years and feels it is his most important documentary. It is 12 hours airing in two-hour segments over six consecutive nights, through Friday. Tonight, Thurs, Fri, 8-10 p.m. (but check your area listings), PBS.
HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES – You can go to the Cinema Bar any Monday night, 9-11:30, free, for almost 14 years now, and hear these hot players run through Django Reinhardt-style ‘30s jazz. This amazing ensemble is a treasure. Mon 9 p.m., Cinema Bar, Culver City, free.
RECOMMENDED:
DAVID BYRNE – Who knew that awkward, quirky, skinny “New Wave” ‘70s guy would turn out to be an artist of significance and staying power? Two things you know about a Byrne concert: there is absolutely no telling what he will do, solo acoustic guitar or 50 plumed dancers on stage – and it will be challenging, and memorably good. Thurs, Fri 8 p.m., Dolby Theatre, Hollywood, $253-1,725.
TOLEDO DIAMOND – His decades-long Sunday night residency at Santa Monica’s Harvelle’s, the oldest blues bar in LA (almost a century!), is the stuff of myth. Toledo choreographs (literally) a truly unique show, a blend of ‘50s hipster jazz and his dancing dames and a most modern smokin’ hot band that gets better all the time. Sun 9 p.m., Harvelle’s, Santa Monica, $13.
COMING ATTRACTIONS (also recommended): TOLEDO DIAMOND, Harvelle’s Santa Monica, 11/23, 30, 12/7, 14, 21, 28; HOT CLUB OF LOS ANGELES, Cinema Bar, 11/24, 12/1, 8, 15, 22, 29; DAVID BYRNE, Dolby Theatre, 11/20, 21; DJANGO FESTIVAL ALL STARS, Theatre Raymond Kabbaz, 11/20; LA OPERA’s “LA BOHEME,” Dorothy Chandler Pavilion, 11/22, 30, 12/4, 6, 10, 14; THREE VISITORS, Jazz Bakery, 11/23
DOWN THE ROAD (also recommended): DENGUE FEVER, Venice West, 12/5; JACKY TERRASSON TRIO, Sam First, 12/5, 6; JACKSHIT, McCabe’s, 12/9, 10, 11; LA PHIL, MOZART, SIBELIUS, Disney Hall, 12/12, 13, 14; LIBRARY GIRL, Ruskin Theatre, 12/14; CHARLES LLOYD QUARTET w/ GERALD CLAYTON, Blue Note, 12/15; ALLMAN BETTS FAMILY REVIVAL, Orpheum Theatre, 12/20.
Charles Andrews has listened to a lot of music of all kinds, including more than 3,500 live shows. He has lived in Santa Monica for 39 years and wouldn’t live anywhere else in the world. Really. Send love and/or hate mail to: therealmrmusic@gmail.com
