Dos Equis

Letting a Brazilian girl coil her leg around him while she shows him her snake ring.  14,000 ft up on a mountain in China, breathing air out of a can, minutes before handing Necco wafers to some rich FOB girls that he just met that were standing in line with him.  Biting the legs off of a grasshopper on the streets of Bankok.  Landing in New York with no place to stay, then staying for a week.  Concertmaster of the orchestra.  Looking a killer straight in the eye before testifying against him at a death penalty trial.  Waiting for a friend while he gets a $10 blow job in Tijuana.  Putting on the alien mask so that he can be a model for the Space Mountain exit display at Disneyland.  Giving $6000 to the bank robber.  Standing in front of Paris Hilton's car while daring her and her boyfriend to run him over.  Standing in front of his pen pal's apartment in Paris, hoping she still lives there.  Shooting gun bullets 3 inches from his foot.  Getting frostbite for month while having a temper tantrum in the Canadian snow.  Sneaking into the Jay-Z concert.  Posing for a picture in front of a sign then getting blitzed kissed by a hot Asian milf stranger.  Having ten police guns pointed at him and living to tell about it.  Putting on three pairs of jeans... and walking out of the store with them.  Passing the ball to Kobe Bryant.  Getting tipsy on great conversation and wine a month ago with a Xangan. 

"He is... the most interesting man in the world..."

I can no longer watch a ballgame in peace.  This commercial comes on and someone in the room yells, "Howie!"  Venture outside of the room, I have a different name.  They say matter-of-factly, "Dos Equis."

So I've inherited a new nickname.  I don't know what in the commercials triggered it for my friends.  The bear and the bear trap?  The two hot girls next to him at the table?  Playing Jai Lai?  Running from the soldiers on horses?  Coming out of a rocket top in the middle of the ocean? 

Well, there are worse titles to have.  Just looking at some of the things from above, I guess I do lead in interesting life sometimes.  The name intrigues me so I just might have to let this one stick.  Until then, more importantly?  Stay thirsty my friends. 

And you go by???  What are you fave and least fave nicknames that you've inherited over the years?   

VV Brown @ the Troubadour - May 12, 2010

I almost missed the opener, Darrelle London, but I'm glad I didn't.  Not very many people there to catch her, the chatty college kids in the front probably dismissing her because of her sweet little voice and diminutive size.  That's a shame, because she has a beautiful voice, a playful charm to her songs, light and airy with creative lyrics.  She's in the singer/songwriter mold, a mix of Kate Nash/Ingrid Michelson.  I think in a couple of years she'll be a headliner herself at the Troubadour. 

VV Brown (aka Vanessa Brown) has been a buzz word for the past year on various music publications artists to watch for 2010.  Lumped in the Amy Winehouse, Duffy, Adele, Kate Nash genre, VV is very much her own style.  I was intrigued because 1) she sounded very retro 60s soul, but with 2010 flavor, 2) her outfits were creative, 3) she's gorgeous in her pictures, and 4) is she the next Winehouse, Duffy, Adele, Kate Nash, or neither? 

You'll have to excuse the picture heaviness of it all.  I took a lot of pics and couldn't choose between them.  Arriving only 30 minutes before she was about to take stage and I couldn't believe that front row, center stage was wide open.  I pounced. 

She didn't bring out any of her homemade masks, but she did have on face paint and wore an Egyptian style dress that made her look like a desert princess. 

When VV was singing a cover of Drake's "Best I Ever Had" and looking me straight in the eye and smiling when singing the chorus, "You 'da best I ever had..."  Damn it was so hard for me to stay calm...  Add to that, I'm not a foot fetish clown, but she has perfect feet! 

She played the longest on "Crying Blood," going regular version, vibed it into a Caribbean jam, then finishing it back to normal.   I thought the show would end when she played her hit "Shark In the Water" as the last song (that's usually been her encore), but afterwards she came back out with "Quick Fix." 

Thanks to Beatcrave.com for the setlist:  

1. Everybody
2. Game Over
3. Bottles
4. L.O.V.E.
5. Back In Time
6. I Love You
7. Best I Ever Had (Drake cover)
8. Fela Kuti interlude
9. Traveling Like The Light
10. Crying Blood
11. Leave
12. Shark in the Water

• Encore: Quick Fix

I'm curious to see if VV will catch on.  She's going to get exposure because she'll be opening for Maroon 5 this summer.  What I really want to hear is her next album.  The songs on this album are very good, but I'm not sure that there's an obvious #1 type hit.  She's got all the intagibles:  stage presence, style, youth, writes her own songs, good pipes, and she's frickin' beautiful.   At 5'11", she's taller than most musicians so shooting her was a little challenging.  I might be a little too gaga, but hey, the girl just scored a modeling contract with Marks & Spencer (it's the Macy's of the UK).   

This is my favorite picture from the night...

Well, after this one of course...

She's so humble and sweet!  She had some Tina Turner energy on stage, but then after songs ended she would sheepishly thank us for coming.  Talked with everyone that waited for her and signed everyone's CDs.  I heart Vanessa Brown!

Movie Crazy

I went a little movie crazy at the massive Second Spin store at Ontario Mills Mall (It's this large outlet mall, strangely, the layout is the exact same as Great Mall in San Jose).  It's so hard to find used foreign DVDs and they had a whole bunch!  I must've been in the store for 60-90 minutes looking at movies and CDs.  I'm so Asian, I was looking up used prices and reviews for each movie that interested me... if I would save $4 or more buying from Amazon, then I wouldn't buy it at the store.

I was doing really well, I had 9 movies for about $5 each, then the last stand I checked had the holy grail of all DVDs...  John Woo's "The Killer" Criterion Edition.  It was $50 and all used items were 20% off, so that meant it was only $40.  It was near mint with liner notes... you have to understand, I've been searching for this for 10 years!  It went out of print soon after it came out and includes director commentary and deleted scenes.  It normally sells for $125-$200. 

I got home and researched my find.  Crap, I think it's a fake.  They did a really good job on reproducing the inserts and disc.  What gives it away is that it didn't have the production words "nimbus" on the inner silver ring. At least I can still burn a copy and sell it for the same price... It's all about the long lost footage.  

I'm writing this while eating my Fat Boy ice cream sandwich dinner.  Have you seen any of these films before?  They all ranked over 80% on Rotten Tomatoes.  In case you cared, "The Killer" ranks a perfect 100.  I'm so geeked out... so much good stuff to watch.  Time to catch up on being cultured!   

80% +

• Three Times - Taiwanese, 2005
• Winter Sleepers - German, 1997
• Va Savoir - French, 2001

90% +

• The Killer (Criterion Edition) - Hong Kong, 1989
• The Lives of Others - German 2006
• Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... And Spring - Korean, 2003
• Osama - Afghanistan, 2004
• Persepolis - Iran, 2007
• Y Tu Mama Tambien - Mexico, 2002
• Battlestar Galactica: Razor - United States, 2007

By the way, I also saw "Kick Ass" this weekend.  Loved it, highly recommended.  Looks like a dumb concept (wannabe superhero), but the movie will way surpass any expectations you have for it. 

Are you a foreign film buff?  What are your favorite foreign flicks?

Marche Moderne - 3rd Anniversary - Spanish Nights

I found out about Marche Moderne's 3rd Anniversary Spain theme on the 10th and last day of the celebration.  It's my favorite non-Asian restaurant around here.  Marche does only French Bistro, but for 10 days they got creative and switched it to all Spanish dishes.  A chef's dream, to be able to change up your whole menu just for the fun of it, right?  I've never had a bad meal there and had to try it, even if it was by my lonesome (a lot of my friends aren't willing to spend money on shi shi food, I like to treat myself once in awhile).

The menus...

Serrano Ham ($15).  I wish it was more common here (in SoCal), because I love having the European meal of cured ham and some cheese and bread with a glass of wine.  The server gave me a fork but I went tribal and used my fingers to eat this.  I also had their Sangria, which was the best I've ever had (but I've never been to Spain or Peru, so what do I know).

Paella with Smoked Paprika and Sherry Marinated Chicken ($26).  The picture doesn't show the vibrancy of the dish, but you can see that it was packed with seafood in every bite.  There was more seafood than rice!  Shrimp, clams, mussels, chorizos, calamari... I not a huge seafood person but this had me at every bite.  The rice was a little salty, sweet, broth cooked, very moist but still chewy.   

Mmmm... all gone!

Hands down one of the best meals I've had this year.  I wish I would've found out about their event sooner, I would've made sure to have gone one more night. 

check protected

Sara Bareilles @ Hotel Cafe - March 11, 2009

WAY OVERDUE!  I can't believe that it's been over a year ago that I saw Sara Bareilles.  Just a little behind on my concert reviews, but you don't mind right?  I had some good photos that I wanted to put up (please excuse the dark lighting). 

Opening for Sara were the four girl group Raining Jane.  Very ordinary.  They did help Jason Mraz write a song and one of there songs was on Grey's Anatomy.  Then again, who's slow song hasn't been on Grey's Anatomy before?

The next opener was Tony Lucca.  His music is like a bluesy Jon B.  Wikipedia says he dated Keri Russell off and on for eight years!  And just learned that she was born in my hometown!   

SARA!!!

She's got such a potty mouth, but such a babe!  

Hotel Cafe is one of the raddest places in LA to see a show (haven't been Largo yet, but it's up there with the Troubadour in my book).  You're not going to get rock acts here, it's mostly singer-songwriters.  Adele has performed there, Macy Gray, the whole Hotel Cafe crew... Sara, Ingrid Michaelson, Priscilla Ahn, Cary Brothers, Kina Grannis.  

What makes it special?  It serves alcohol with two bars in the back, but has a Starbucks casual vibe.  It's tiny, only fitting about 150 people.  All presale tickets must be picked up at the door the night of the show... which allows only real fans to get in.  Tickets are $8-10 most nights for no name artists, for big name headliners like Sara it was still only $35 (including service charges).  A bargain, considering we were practically sitting in her lap we were so close!

Thanks to Xangan and former Yelp Elitist Fangstar for filling the extra ticket.  My other friend bought eight tickets so a whole bunch of our friends were able to go.  I bought four, sold two, then the last two for me and Mitchell.

Sorry for stating the obvious, but she's so adorable!   

Not that she's trying to, but she blows her contemporaries Ingrid Michaelson and Priscilla Ahn out of the water.   She's got more spunk and singing range.  From fun "Vegas" to her #1 hit "Love Song" to her heart cruncher "Gravity."   Man, last song "Gravity" was so intense, it weighed on the room for a good five minutes after she left the stage and building out the back door. 

Is this a small world or what item of the day... We secured our spot in the front of the room, I turn around and the girl behind me looks strangely familiar.  "Hey!  Aren't you Xtineey from Xanga?"  I'd never met or seen her in my life before, only on Xanga.  What are the chances... two Xangans, two Orange County people, bumping into each other in LA on a weeknight in a room that only fits 150...  Xtineey's in the middle, her friend next to her.   Small world, small world.   All thanks to Sara of course.  =)

The dinner on Thursday went alright.  How is it supposed to go when you have a meal with someone that you don't mind having a meal with, but aren't necessarily enamored with either?  The past pissed offedness still resided but subsided as much as 18 months can do.  It's not like I'd ever invite her to any sort of event ever again.   If you give people a torch and they try to light you on fire with it, you don't give them another torch right?  So no, I'm not going to get burned again, I maybe be dumb, but I'm not stupid.

"I always pick the wrong ones!" 

That was what she said when I asked about her dating life.  I think for the past 10 years, the answer has always been the same... she always meets the kooks, and the cocks, and the nots.  Are all of our exes assholes, bitches or jerks?  No.  Some of them were self-centered, greedy or moody, but others weren't.  I have a hard time believing they were all asses.  Sometimes we date witches, other times we date nice girls or guys that just aren't a match for us.  I haven't once heard her ever admit that she was at fault in those relationships.  Either she knows how to pick 'em, or she is just not good at acknowledging her shortcomings when it comes to being in a relationship.  I would put all my money on the latter. 

Travel talk came up and I know she likes to travel, as do I.  

"We should go to London!" 

A chill went up and down my spine as fast as Jerry Lee Lewis flies his hands up and down a piano keyboard on "Great Balls of Fire."   I quickly laughed it off and said, "It's so expensive!  My friend lives/lived there and I already visited her a few years ago..."  Way to avoid the volley How! 

What guy can't resist traveling with a beautiful girl?  Unfortunately, I might have to decline for my sanity.  My great travel fear is traveling with someone who places too many restrictions on things.  One who's too picky or fussy.  I want to blend in with the country, not stick out.   I can't risk going on a $1000-$2000 vacation for a week, worrying if I'm going to be annoyed with the person.  Sure we are bound to bug each other a little if we are together for days, that's not what I'm worried about, it's the bigger things. 

I want to munch on pistachio macaroons in Paris with someone.  I want to try on shirts in London at Topshop with a gorgeous gal.  I want to share fresh hot soybean milk out of a plastic baggie while walking a night market in Taiwan, want to roll craps in Vegas, want to fix a flat tire in the middle of the desert, want to elevator up to the top of the Empire State Building, want to do all of that with someone I'm friends with and care about, not someone who always places the blame on others, who gets in fusses and can't reconcile with her family, her exes, or her friends. 

The night ended easily with a film.  I can travel to movie fantasyland with you for a night, I just can't take a flight anywhere with you.   

The Tale of Two Friends

Dinner with the ex-crush ex-co-worker is this Thursday.  Tall (5'8"), slender, gorgeous, Chinese.  In she walks and everyone in the room looks and girls hate her.  Threat or bitch or both.   With her 4" heels, she's as tall as me.  She's also the only friend that I can remember writing off. 

The last time I talked to her was 18 months ago, after she had the balls to get mad at me because I told her it wasn't cool that she cancelled out of going to something at the last minute due to her own bad scheduling.  Like 10:30 p.m. on a Saturday night while I'm sitting inside a John Mayer acoustic concert with a Xanga friend (who's visiting from New York) when the event is Sunday morning.  When she begged me to take her, even though I didn't even tell her about the event.  "Take me!  Take me!  Take me!"  

Maybe it's just better if I don't be your friend, because clearly I'm getting no benefit out of this friendship, only blame for being a friend.   Never will I invite or let her invite herself to anything again.

That crush?  That was so 10 years ago.  If she pet my leg tomorrow and scowled, I still couldn't get it up.  Who says guys don't care about personality?  I do.  It really does matter.  If you're hot but I know you're a bitch, I couldn't pack heat even if I popped Viagra.  Anyhow, she messaged me last week and requested to hang out so I figured, once every 18 months, I don't mind, as long as I don't have to drive to LA to see you, because you're not worth the LA drive. 

Trust me, it takes a lot for me to feel this way.  Wish me luck.   

If there's such a thing as a virgin Almond Pocky experience, I provided it to my co-worker this week.  "Mmmm.... this is good..." is what she muttered while devouring that chocolatey almond covered goodness. 

She raided my cube today and stole the last of my Muscat Gummy Chocos, then hit me with the empty tube.   It was the only chocolate left in the building.  I said, "Ha ha, you don't even know where to get this stuff."  She's a tall blond that loves country music and is a candy freak.  If she behaves herself, maybe I'll take her to the Chinese or Japanese market and show her Hi-Chew, white rabbit, gummy lychee, Botan rice candy, all that good stuff.   It's the only card I hold.    

On the way to the printer I get rammed to the left like I'm in a roller derby because she wants her printouts first, only to find that the tray is jammed.  Guess who has to fix it?   For all of that, I get a bagged tube of her mom's homemade chocolate chip cookies that were mailed to her for Easter.  She's only been here a few months and it's like we are brother and sister. 

That is what friendship should be. 

The Other Side of the Coin 

A girl I once dated had told me: 

"It's been four months and I don't even feel that I know you.  I know I can sometimes dominate the conversation a little, but I feel that I'm very open and share everything about my life and for you... I don't know that much about you."

When she finished, I was thinking of why she felt that way.  I didn't talk as much as her, but I always tried to give my honest thoughts, opinions or feelings. 

"Is there something specific?  You know you can always ask me.  Did you ask?" 

No, she never asked and there wasn't anything specific.  She concurred that I always gave my honest thoughts.    

There's the assumption in relationships that everything should progress toward open book status.  I get that.  Maybe I didn't share as much as she expected, but it's not because I didn't have anything to share, it's because I didn't want to bore her.  Who wants to hear about work?  I don't want to relive and retell my day in my cube updating spreadsheets with bolds, highlights, and +/- formulas.   It's accounting.  I want to fall asleep just thinking about it.  But her job, it was more interesting, each day was different, so I wanted to hear about that. 

I love talking about my other hobby, concert tickets, but most people are gonna get bored hearing about how I had to take a 50% loss on my Courtney Love/Hole tickets and made a 200% gain on some Lady Gagas.  Plus, talking about money too much is not good.  People get jealous, whether you make $50 or $500.  I can't really talk about all the bands I see, because none of my friends cares about who We Were Promised Jetpacks were and no one cared about the La Roux show I attended last October until she got played on the radio this month. 

The big problem is that I don't have much drama in my life.  Things happen, but there aren't any crises in my life.  I don't smoke, I don't do drugs, I'm financially stable, I'm not depressed, I don't have stalker ex-girlfriends, I don't stalk ex-girlfriends, I'm not arrogant-cocky (maybe cocky for fun sometimes), I'm not insecure, I know my place with God, I'm on speaking terms with my mom, I don't pay child support, I have a job.  Opinions I don't mind giving mine if I've read up on the subject.   Feelings... I'll tell you what I'm feeling if I think you can handle the truth.   But that wasn't the issue.  I think it was that I should just want to naturally spill all that stuff.  But what if I don't have drama to spill?  What if I don't have major problems for her to fix?   

I have lots of thoughts, constant thoughts, lots of dreams, but I don't want to talk about them all the time because I don't like being one of those talkers that don't follow through, I would prefer to just have the results show themselves. 

I know, I'm sounding like I don't talk at all, but I write plenty in my blog right?  Of course I never showed her the blog.  But like she said, she tends to dominate the conversation, so I'd listen (which I enjoyed), and ask more questions so that I could understand her thoughts or frustrations and so that she could get that out of her system.  Not many breaks where I could just riff about random thoughts.  Sometimes guys get penalized for listening.  It sucks!  I never told her because I thought she'd just get upset.  Plus, it was near the end of our time together. 

If this happens again in a future relationship, I doubt I'd know how to handle it. 

1. Is it an actual problem, or just a perception problem, where one person thinks they're being left out of the loop when there is no loop? 
2. You listen, which is what your friends or sig others want, but is there a graceful way of telling someone that in all their talking, they can't expect to know all about you when they forget to ask because they were so focused on telling their story?  Any solutions?    
3. Assuming that the most a man talks about his feelings and/or dreams is once a month and that the average male probably only thinks about it twice a year...  What other factors do you use to determine that a man will be good at sharing his thoughts with you? 

Lakers vs. Thunder - Round 1, Game 1 - Sunday, April 18, 2010

This is the series that everyone was sleeping on.  Not anymore!  I was telling anyone who would listen that this was going to be a fun series.  Durant gunnin' and Westbrook jammin' it down the Lakers throats.  For some reason, people didn't believe, I could tell because playoff tickets were only selling at cover price.  People were paying $320 for four tickets to see last place Sacramento play before the season ended but won't pay $300 to see the Thunder?  

Anyhow... Game 1, had to go to pick up my free shirt. 

Vic the Brick, greeting an Oklahoma City native.  Send him packing Vic! 

Vic the Brick and Sam Chi doin' the Nixon.  Vic started telling us about his wooden Buddhist beads from Saigon.  We didn't even ask him about them... he must of felt the Asian bond with us. 

Lady Dy(an) Cannon arrives. 

Dyan Cannon, giving some camera love to the California Democrats. 

Worst advertising/movie promotion ever in the history of sports.  Why would you even put this up before you start the playoffs?   Ha ha ha, you callin' my Lakers losers? 

Vampire Weekend @ Fox Theatre in Pomona - April 14, 2010 

The boys are back!  Blessed again to see them at a smallish venue (fits about 2000), this time it was at the newly remodeled Fox Theatre in Pomona.   Its one of the few venues in Southern California that I hadn't been to yet.  If you want a rough idea of what it's like inside, the layout is similar to the Wiltern in Los Angeles, except the Wiltern has a larger entrance hall. 

If you go upstairs, there's a smoking patio with bar that faces Downtown Pomona... I liked it.  You can even watch the concert on a projection feed on the wall. 

There are seats in the balcony and the floor has a pit area and a couple of carpeted tiers to stand on.  The pit size is double that of the Wiltern's, that's where there are less tiers to stand on.  The Fox also sets up chairs on the lower level for certain shows.  Even though the Fox is newer inside, I still like the Wiltern better, with the blue lighting vs. Fox's mesa orange walls. 

I want to rave about how the Vampire boys are 100% strawberries and cream on Sara Lee poundcake rad, but I already did that on my first review of them back in 2008.  If you missed that, you can check it out here (it has much better pictures because I was front and center in the pit that day)...

Vampire Weekend @ the Wiltern - September 17, 2008

For some odd reason, the same crap band was opening for them two years later... Abe Vigoda.  As the lights dimmed as they were about to come on, the crowd cheered with nervous excitement that the show was under way.  In my head I was saying to myself, "No people, don't clap!  Don't clap... you'll regret it!"  Five songs in with three songs to go, everyone around me was muttering, "Damn, they suck ass."  When they left, the applause sounded like sprinkling raindrops. 

Vampire Weekend played an summer backyard partyish 80 minute set that covered all the major songs from their first two albums.  I was hoping to, but didn't get to hear b-side "Ladies of Cambridge."  No violinists to accompany them this time around, but one of the Chrises did bust out an electric cello for one of the pieces. 

I like their first album better than the second, but their second album is growing on me.  The albums sound breezy fun and mellow, but when I see them live, I realize that their records have been holding them back.  Live, their energy and spunk overflows like popcorn in the microwave.  I want to say they rock, but they don't, because their music isn't for jamming like that, but they do bring the energy, waves and waves of it.  You can't help but dance.   

Thanks for going with me Betz!  Betz Dauterman, you're going to hear about her someday.  She's a young, up and coming fashion model photographer that's worked in New York and LA. 

She & Him (M. Ward & Zooey Deschanel) @ Glass House in Pomona - April 15, 2010

Bollocks!  No pictures... WTF?  For the first time ever, the Glass House, one of the most lax venues in the greater LA area, bans cameras per artist request.  I still snuck mine in (I won't tell you how), but didn't try to take pictures during the show as security was all around. 

Opening for She & Him were two of the three Chapin Sisters (one sister was off having a kid).  The sisters also played backup vocals for She & Him when they came on here and at Coachella.  They sing well, but their songs themselves didn't generate much excitement with me.  The all sounded a little slow and monotone.  Just not my flav. 

If I don't get to the She & Him review, Smartlikeachicken is gonna kill me!  Unfortunately, I don't have too much to write.  I don't own any She & Him records so I couldn't really compare the live with the recorded versions.   Oh who is She & Him you ask?  She & Him is the power duo of M. Ward (an indie recording star in his own right) and actress/singer Zooey Deschanel.  A movie star is in the house! 

She & Him songs bring you back to the springy, summery songs of the '60s and '70s.  They make you want to go stroll with your girl (who's wearing her flower dress), while she skips down the sidewalk on your way to get a milkshake at the diner.  Live, Summer/Zooey (Don't tell me you haven't seen the manheart ripper movie, 500 Days of Summer!), surprised me by singing perfectly, hitting all notes, giving all songs the fruitiness that they deserve.  Equally entertaining was watching M. Ward jam on the guitar, as he does of lot of sliding back to the head of the neck with his fingers to get them reset for the next strum.  He totally owned his guitar as he vibratoed every note and his timing was precise on each note. 

What was odd was that Zooey seemed a little rigid on stage.  Maybe that's why they have the camera ban, because I could see that she was concetrating hard when she was song singing.  But the Summer that you saw on 500 Days, the actress that you've seen in movies that so whimsical and charming and flirty, none of that comes across on the concert stage.  Weird.  Maybe it's because she's not used to singing to live audiences yet.  The only dance she does is this jumpy clap with the tambourine.  There was no head turn, no delayed look into my eye, no smarmy comments.   If I could have one minute of performance coaching advice with her, I would say, "Let some of that on camera persona out when you're on the music stage.  Banter, engage, embrace the audience."  

Okay, I snuck you one picture from the end of the show.  Not the best, but hey, I didn't want to get kicked out!  Take your girl to see She & Him, she'll love you for it. 

I'm lovin' this shirt from the show, it's my new favorite shirt... makes me feel all happy and minty clean! 

Jamie Cullum @ the Avalon in Hollywood - March 25, 2010

Jamie Cullum is the man!  I still think he's one of the most underrated artists in all of America (maybe because he's from UK?).  Shorty is married to Euro model Sophie Dahl (she's way taller than him!). Chanrith knew nothing about Jamie and came out wowed.  He's new jazz, he's pop, and a damn creative musician that downs Guinness all night on stage.

A ball of energy on stage, he does jazz favorites, remixes of Pharrell's "Frontin'" and Rihanna's "Don't Stop the Music" and almost made me cry when he sang"Gran Torino" with only him and his piano.   

On the way to the Avalon, we spotted James Dean!