FRIDAY, JAN. 3
If your new year’s resolution was to not only get out more but get more connected with your community, you really can’t do any better today than heading over to Bixby Knolls and taking part in the first, First Friday of the year.
If you’ve never been, here’s how it goes: over a series of blocks, stores throw their doors open, artisans of all stripes set up tables on the sidewalks and side alleys. (Add to that, journalists, since we here at the Hi-lo set up a table in what’s called “The Allery” every First Friday to just kind of hang and talk and meet local celebrities such as the person who needs no introduction above hanging out with our own Asia Morris.)
Tying it all together in a kind of sonic quilt, are a voluminous amount of musicians, bands and singers positioned all over the place. The music is usually themed and the theme for today’s First Friday is jazz…
… come back, come back! There’s no law that says you have to linger and listen to the jazz, though, you may find you really dig the jazz because the acts they’ve assembled are pretty exceptional. The bands/acts play/spin from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Dig (jazz term):
Albatross Trio at Willmore Wine Bar (3848 Atlantic Ave.)
Telegram Sam at MIXX Kitchen (3853 Atlantic Ave.)
Gloria Arjona Latin Jazz at Lola’s Mexican Cuisine (4140 Atlantic Ave.)
Sylvia Bosco at The Pan (3550 Long Beach Blvd.)
Johann Carbajal and Keal Sharpe at Bixby Corner (Atlantic Avenue & Bixby Corner)
Like Minds at Expo Arts Center, North Room (4321 Atlantic Ave.)
Toaster Music at Expo Arts Center, North Gallery (4321 Atlantic Ave.)
Majic Bullet Theory at Ground Control (4313 Atlantic Ave.)
Think of One at Dutch’s Brewhouse (4244 Atlantic Ave.)
Hedgehog Swing at Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf (4105 Atlantic Ave., Ste A)
The Killer West at Georgie’s Place (3850 Atlantic Ave.)
Brandon Baker at Bixby Joe (4245 Atlantic Ave.)
DJ Lonely Creeper spinning his collection of Jazz records at Ambitious Ales (4019 Atlantic Ave.)
Another great thing: Every First Friday, there’s also a huge art show at the Expo Arts Center. One of the featured artists at this Art Massive (art term) is Andrew Ruano. Ruano does a whole lot of interesting, colorful stuff, most notably the stuff he does with adorable robots. Behold (pretentious term):
Giving us a moment’s pause: We far prefer adorable robots to the murderous, self-actualized ones who are stealing all the jobs in the fast food industry.
First Fridays takes place from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on and around Atlantic Blvd. For more information, click here.