Vin's Moments

The most popular Dodger has never hit a homerun, and probably could barely make it to first base.  It's of course Vin Scully.

Why is he so popular?  He probably said it himself when he once explained, "Everything else about this team changes: the players, the management, the owners, even the city.  But I am always the same."

He is also a very poetic announcer with a throwback, low-key style that, after experiencing, makes it hard to return to the loudmouths on TBS, Fox, etc.

These days, Scully only ventures as far east as Colorado, however it appears he is making an exception for tonight and tomorrow's games.  He'll be calling the game in St. Louis, though I don't know if he's actually traveling there; I would assume so.  As usual, it's radio only.

Vin had two great quips the other day which I found funny.

One was on a fly ball that dropped in short center field.  "Puig had to come all the way from Pasadena to grab that ball."  Thought that was a good local touch.

And then this comment as an inning started.   Some loud hip hop music was blaring out in between innings.  "As the music fades, well, we're calling this music anyway, the inning is set to begin."

He always seems to have the right thing to say....

Fab Faux Return!

In what has become an annual October event, the Fab Faux returned to the Orpheum in downtown Los Angeles on Saturday.  I think this may be the fourth or fifth year in a row they've played here.

I once said that a recent Prince concert I attended was "concert heaven," but I think this might actually be concert heaven, or at least a different form of it.

The Fab Faux are a Beatles cover band, which sounds pretty bad from the outset, making you think of dorky guys in mop haircut wigs, who then change into Sgt. Pepper outfits mid-show, all the while affecting Liverpool accents.

This band, though, is more like an orchestra playing Beethoven or Brahms - it's about enjoying and appreciating the music the Beatles composed, and hearing it live.  For aside from the early years of 30 minute shows drowned out by screaming, the Beatles never played live.

To hear their music played in person, with modern sound, live instruments, and every detail and nuance emphasized, is worth the rather pricey tickets.

The band is made up of Will Lee, the bass player from Letterman, Jimmy Vivino, the guitarist from Conan, and three other session musicians with amazing chops on multiple instruments.  All of them can sing.  Jack Petruzelli, mostly on keyboards, is particularly good vocally, belting out a very powerful "Oh Darling" that always gets a standing ovation.

For most of the LA October shows, we've been treated to some kind of album adventure. The White Album in full, for example.  Or Rubber Soul and Revolver back to back.   (If memory serves me.)  This time, it was a variety of songs, which wasn't quite as cool, but still worth it.

What makes these shows so great, aside from hearing probably the best pop/rock music ever written, is that the band does jam on the material.  So while they will faithfully reproduce the underwater sound effects on Octopus' Garden, or bring out a tiny bugle for the Penny Lane bridge, they will also add on a psychedelic jam to Strawberry Fields Forever, complete with an extended double drum solo.  And as for Guitar Gently Weeps, the band effortlessly improvises over the ending changes better than Clapton himself. (Maybe.)

Tonight's show featured Gary Oldman on vocals a few times, which was a bit of a surprise!

Add to the aforementioned great things the perfect sound and cool decor of the historic Orpheum, an attentive and "normal" crowd, and above-all the band's geeky attention to detail, and you have one of the few cover bands you can be proud to see without feeling embarrassed.  Here's hoping they come around again next October.

Wetsuit Reprieve

As if answering my lament concerning wetsuits, today it is in the 80s at the beach.  Even with water at 65, wetsuits are, for a little longer, not required!

Wetsuit Day

One of the saddest days of the year is Wetsuit Day.

This is the day when it's no longer really possible to surf without a wetsuit on.  After months of trunks, the switch back to the suit is a big downer.....and there is no turning back.  The water will only get colder and colder.

Today was that day.  Despite some warm air, the ocean was just too cold.  Of course we are spoiled to even have wetsuits, but nonetheless....

Beer Made to Taste Like a Pie

The Bruery is one of the many local breweries that have, in the last five years or so, popped up all over LA and Orange County.  LA has gone from a craft beer wasteland to, arguably, the best, or at least fastest-growing, craft beer area in the country.

One of the more unusual craft beer concoctions is the sour beer.  Sour beers are exactly what they sound like: beers that taste sour.  Often, so sour that you wince afterward, as if you'd had a sour ball candy.

Sour beers are not for everyone, and can be hard to find.   When you do find them, they tend to cost double to triple what a regular beer would cost.

Back to the Bruery, they are known for fairly exotic beers and unusual creations.  Their "Windowsill" was inspired by the host of KCRW's "Good Food."  He had just had a rhubarb raspberry pie, and thought a beer that tasted like a pie would be a good idea.  I guess he knew the folks at the Bruery, because they got together and cooked up this batch of "Windowsill," named so because one might set a pie on the windowsill to cool.

I had Windowsill at the Beachwood BBQ Sour Fest (a very popular festival held once every two years down in Seal Beach.)   It was very strong and very good.  Most sour beers are average to light in alcohol strength; this one is up around 10%.  I think it is the strongest sour beer I've encountered.

How does Windowsill taste?  It sounds fairly disgusting, but it's in fact quite good.  So good that I've searched out the last remaining bottles, very much hoping this isn't a one-time collaboration.

So, if you're feeling adventurous, and like pie, try a Windowsill, if you can find a bottle....

How To Enjoy Dodger Playoff Games with Vin

Vin Scully is probably the best baseball announcer alive, maybe the best of all time.

But, sadly, when the Dodgers make it to any post-season play, Scully is relegated to the radio only.

In fact, he only does innings 1-3, skipping 4-6, then returning for 7-9.

The obvious solution would be to turn down the sound on the TV, and simply turn on the radio.

However the two broadcasts are never in sync.

Luckily we have Tivo and DVRs.

Once the game starts, you have to watch a few pitches, and figure out how far ahead the radio is.

Then, simply pause the TV for a few seconds.  It usually takes a few attempts, but eventually, you have the two in sync.

Sadly, on some days, the TV is actually ahead of the radio.  When that happens, there is no way to pause the radio, so you are essentially out of luck.  You can, of course, listen to Scully announce everything a few seconds after it happens, but that is probably not for most people.

But usually it works.  Now you have all the background, stories, and low-key observations...so much better than the network guys.  Especially Fox.

The question arises: what does one do during innings 4-6? I guess to get us used to Charlie, he does the play by play during those middle innings.  He isn't a terrible announcer, but he pales in comparison.

If it's TBS, I switch to them usually.  If it's Fox, especially Joe Buck, I go with Steiner.

Hopefully we'll have many opportunities all the way through Halloween to hear Scully call plays in October.....

Something Probably Only I Noticed

I was recently sitting in Peet's on Beverly, looking across the street at the above view.

A painter was there on a ladder, applying a slightly different shade of yellow to the Mrs. Beasley's shop.

As he was painting, I noticed he was perilously close to the adjacent building, the brick Beverly Hills Jewelers.  I thought, "What if he accidentally paints some of those bricks?"  (Which made me think of a whole bunch of other issues that must come up with tenants who share a wall, but I won't go into all of those...)

As if responding to my pondering, a few seconds later, he indeed missed a stroke, leaving a splotch of paint behind.

In real life, this spot is much more noticeable, even from across the street.

So I wondered what happens in situations like this.  Does anyone even notice?  Did the Beverly Hills Jewelry Store become upset?

The painter was unfazed; he just kept painting, making no attempt to remove his mistake.  In fact, I don't even know if he noticed himself.

It's two months later, and every day, I still see this spot of paint.   I believe I am the only person who knows about it.

And yes, this may be the ultimate "who really cares about that" post, but for whatever reason, I found it intriguing.  So next time you're in Peet's, look for the yellow splotch across the street...