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My Take:
I went to Los Angeles with high hopes and good intentions. I returned with a suitcase full of memories and positive vibes. In between, I experienced a transformation, the like of which I thought was impossible after my similarly envigorating trip to Nashville. So lets get right into dispelling some common negative stereotypes I had been told to expect in Los Angeles:
Myth: LA is full of jaded industry folks who will use you up and spit you out, with no concern for you, and with focused concern on their bottom line at the expense of your bottom line.
Reality: LA IS full of experienced and professional folks who will share that experience with you, if you show sincerity and respect for the hard work they put in to get where they are. Time and again, I was met with open arms by people who had nothing to personally gain from doing so, except the chance to pass on advice, information, contacts and their wisdom to someone who will use it in a positive way.
Myth: LA is a cliquish group, and the members of those cliques have sold out and are living high on the hog off the work and efforts of the little guys all around the globe.
Reality: Never confuse cliquishness with loyalty and friendship. A clique is an exclusive group who refuses diversity and is inpenetrable. In LA, I found every tight group of friends totally open to new folks. It was a community where the word of a respected associate was gold, and people have worked long and hard to build up these trusting relationships through mutual support and the sweat of their brow. I found no example of anyone simply kicking back and taking an easy ride. To the contrary, I was amazed at the perseverance and daily grit and struggle even from those whom outsiders might consider "above the fray."
Myth: Most of the organizations and companies in LA are simply self serving and don't really care about their members or the common Just Plain Folks!
Reality: With each of the organizations, or organization heads I met with, I was very impressed with their total committment to their group and their members. These folks are pouring their heart and soul into their work. Groups like LASS, NAS, SGA, IAEKM, and TAXI clearly had the "vibe" that we all enjoy here at Just Plain Folks. They are for the writers. They are for their artists. And they approach every decision by saying "What is best for the members?" I had the good fortune to see into the souls of these groups, and what I saw looking back was sincerity. Plain and Simple.
Myth: LA has horrible pollution, horrible traffic, horrible crime, horrible prices, insane drivers and a serious attitude problem in general. And forget finding a steak, everyone is a vegetarian or a sushi lover.
Reality: Although there certainly was some haze out there, the pollution was not really bad at all. The traffic, even during rush hour, paled in comparison to Chicago, where I lived for years. We were in a neighborhood that was supposedly a crime problem, and yet never saw a single piece of evidence supporting that. The prices in some cases were actually cheaper than they were for similar items back here in the midwest! The drivers were actually more polite than most of the places I have been and the folks were as friendly or more so than any other city I have visited anywhere in the US or Europe. As for the steaks and sushi, well.. okay, that seemed fairly acurate. For three meat eating midwesterners, we had to enjoy a lot of pasta dishes. No raw fish for me thanks! = )
"LA, it's like Nashville with a tan"-Shawn Mullins
Conclusion:
Los Angeles, and the surrounding areas are indeed full of Just
Plain Folks like the rest of us. I will remember fondly all
of the sensitive "Dead Toads" I met there. People
living life in pursuit of their dreams, while taking the time
to share it with others.
***************************************************************************
Just Plain Guardian Angel
"I've got my heart on the line"
-The Band Gravity, including members Harold Payne,
Clydene Jackson Edwards and Oliver Brown
When I first began to plan the trip to Los Angeles, I felt I faced a daunting task. Not only had my head been filled with all those nasty myths I debunked above, but, unlike my trip to Nashville, I couldn't just pack up the Explorer and drive home if it didn't work out. (Nashville of course worked out wonderfully. Read about that trip in Just Plain Notes V1.9 part one and two, and see pics on the web site). I started focusing on figuring out which members of Just Plain Folks were from LA, and dropped several hints in the newsletters and bulletins about our upcoming trip. I was a bit discourage from the lack of interest at first and began thinking that perhaps I couldn't repeat the experience of Nashville in the nations second largest city. Then the sky opened, and dropped into our midst, the Just Plain Folks Guardian Angel in the form of member Harold Payne.
Harold had been a member for a relatively short time, but apparently had the foresight and instincts to know a good thing when he saw it. Harold first told me that the folks at the National Academy of Songwriters wanted to help Just Plain Folks in any way they could. This was a relief, as I know there are some organizations out there who see us (in the tired and true tradition of the music industry at large) as an adversary or threat to their own groups. Thankfully, the folks there had the vision that cooperation and support are what both our groups are supposed to be all about. Harold acted as point man, and the fact that he and NAS showed us support quickly got my confidence up in the trip and the possibilities of what going to LA might bring. Shortly after that first offer of support, Harold came up with the piece de resistance. He was personal friends with Jay Tinsky, who operates the acoustic club and restraunt "Ghengis Cohens." He offered to help set up a showcase, meet and greet at the club, and suggested Super Bowl Sunday. At first, I thought to myself that no one would show up, until Harold reminded I was no longer in Kansas, Dorothy (well, okay.. Indianapolis, Brian) and that the game would be over 3 hours earlier than I was accustomed to. This came up app. 10 days before the show was to be held.
Harold got on the phones, contacted his impressive and wonderful
list of friends and associates in LA and I did the same with the
current members of Just Plain Folks. Before we knew it, the
new concern was that we couldn't possibly fit all the folks in
the club. So we actually stopped promoting it. As you will
read later on, it will forever be known as a permanent milestone
to the history and success of Just Plain Folks, and we all have
Harold Payne to thank for it! As if that wasn't enough, Harold
also volunteered the use of his personal offices, computer and
phone, the help from his wonderful assistant Chris Fletcher
and basically anything else we needed while in LA. Thanks Harold,
from all of us Just Plain Folks! You will be able to read
a complete Bio about Harold on our upcoming Just Plain Mentors
board on the web site.
***************************************************************************
Just Plain Plane
"Follow the yellow brick road. Follow the yellow brick
road."
-Wizard of Oz Munchkins
***************************************************************************
Just Plain Day 1
"They're Here" Poltergeist
Once we got our rental, and got checked into our nice hotel room, we hit the road to drive around in the foreign land of Los Angeles. We hit La Brea, never actually seeing the tar pits (where are they anyway?) but immediately realizing the scene had changed. Every tree in Los Angeles looks like it is part of a movie set. Although LA natives will be amused by this, we never could get over the oddness of the foliage and the way that every tree lined street was so meticulously sculpted and cared for. We soon found our way to all the famous streets we had heard about all our lives. From Sheryl Crowe's Santa Monica Blvd, to America's Ventura Highway. My younger brother had never seen the ocean in his life, so our first stop was Venice Beach, certainly home to the most tatoo parlors per capita in the world. The area is what most towns would consider an artist community, only 10 times bigger. (And, as we would find out, there are tons of these artist communities all over the LA area.) One shop after another lined the walk way next to the beach, with people selling about any and everything you can imagine. As we walked the beach, we watched the sun set over the Pacific ocean, which was quite beautiful.
We headed to a little cafe at a corner of Venice, a block off the beach. I think the name is Paesano. We had great service, and there was piano up on a little stage in the corner, and with some prodding by my two brothers, I went up and played for a bit. I realized it had been over a year since I had played live, and nearly 6 months since I had really sat and played music. (One of the downsides to working away day and night on the computer). I actually got some applause from the small number of folks, and can say I did in fact play Los Angeles and received applause on my first day there! = ) (See Picture on the website.)
After dinner, we headed up to Santa Monica Pier to meet with the first members of Just Plain Folks of the trip. Member Debra Davis was playing Rusty's on the pier at 9PM. We drove up the coast, past monster mansions that lined the highway. The pier itself is quite famous in it's own right. You will see it in countless movies, where the large lighted ferris wheel dominates the sky. The movie Lost Boys comes to mind first. We strolled around the pier, checked out the rides and the history info at the end. I met up with Debra just before her show and was impressed with how in control she was of everything that was going on. She had a nice gathering of loyal fans coming in, and after a bit of a late start, they proceeded to play a great show. Her music was well written, her lyrics were strong and the band was tight. She has a great voice, and really projects her creative energy out to the audience. Their music was in the pop/rock genre, akin to a Sheryl Crowe type of feel. Her drummer and her bass player wow'd the audience with an intense solo jam at one stage, with the drummer playing the bass by hitting it with his drum sticks. It rocked! Later I discovered that the drummer is married to Debra, and he was the drummer for Melissa Etheridge as well! The show was a great welcome to Los Angeles, and a very impressive showing from a Just Plain Folks member.
Let the networking begin!
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