So apologies are in order, I’ve been preoccupied the last couple weeks with custom toy building (blog entry to follow shortly 😉 ) but thanks to the magic of the Time Off vault the cogs kept on turning. Last week we had Mosman Alder and this week we have Epidemic… Over as our Time Off Magazine‘s Live cover shoots.
We also jumped into the mosh with Silverstein at the Zoo.
Check all this out in the issues #1581 and #1582.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read current and back issues online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
Armada in the Dusk are our Time Off Magazine‘s Live cover shoot this week.
We also battled the screaming teens and caught Matt Corby at the Tivoli.
Check them both out in this week’s issue #1580.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
You are getting sleepy… SLLLEEEPPPYY..Sleepwalks stumble their way into our Time Off Magazine‘s Live cover shoot this week.
Check them out in this week’s issue #1579.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
Seaplane are our Time Off Magazine‘s Live cover shoot this week.
Check them out in this week’s issue #1578.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
This week we have Awaken I Am in for the Time Off Magazine‘s Live cover shoot. They chat about laser tag and beer pong, my kinda guys!
Check them out in this week’s issue #1577.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it once again online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
Annnnnddd we’re back! The winged monkeys have been busy in the Time Off dungeon and have revamped the online version of the mag, now you can go back to sneaking a peek at work without leaving your desk to get a copy 😉
This week we have Gung Ho in the hot seat for Time Off Magazine‘s Live cover shoot.
We also caught one of Australia’s song writing greats, Mick Thomas at the Beetle bar.
Check all this out in this week’s issue #1576.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets or read it once again online @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
The days are starting to get to the point where you wish it was winter again so I thought I’d put a break in the weather with some summery Adidas and icypoles! Almost makes you want to open a fire hydrant and play in the street… or if you’re Australian, find a tarp, a hose and a bottle of dish washing liquid 😉
Whoa! We’re everywhere like Obama in this week’s Time Off magazine!
First up, the big news – we rocked out our very first Time Off magazine cover (and associated feature article photo) with Brisbane rock legends, Screamfeeder!. And we manage to only annoy one elderly golf cart wielding security guard lady :p They (the band, not security!) have a yarn about their 20 year career, what the future holds and some of their most memorable gigs.
From our Live locals cover shoot we have indy pop band Founds and lastly we caught Sydney-siders Boy and Bear live at the Tivoli. Review and pic in this issue as well.
In other Time Off news, the guys have tweaked the lay out with a bedazzling new look, hooray!
Check out all this and much more in this week’s issue #1553.
Get it FREE from all the usual street press outlets. The Time Off website is under going some major bedazzling as well so it is currently offline, but the you can still read the mag @ Time Off magazine – Brisbane
Nike Air Vengeance
“Vintage is back..” fictitious ad campaign.
These bad boys were originally released in 1985 but have had the remake treatment like so many other Nike models in the last 5 years.
They keep true to the styling and materials but with modern build quality and colourways. This “maize” colour got a more limited release as opposed to the red or blue, so the choice was easy, even if I was already sold on that colour 😉
A side note, not being very Photoshop literate, this is actually the first time I’ve ever used gradients on an image (applied to the original image) so it makes it a little special. But don’t worry, I have no inclination to become a shop-tographer anytime soon!
If you missed the first part of our LA adventures, check them out here
Sunset Blvd
Keep on cruisin down Melrose and you’ll come across a skate shop – few less cliché skate items/brands and a few Nike SB items; Fat Beats for your hiphop music needs; forget trying to find the Footlocker, its gone but is still listed in directory searches; plenty of little boutique clothing and jewellery stores; then a few metres right, into N Fuller Av is JapanLA. As the name suggests, they stock cutsie Japanese inspired fashion, mostly Tokidoki but with more variety and generous sale items. There’s even boxes of clearance items at the back, hello Gloomy Bear figures for $7. The staff are very friendly and very easy on the eyes 😉 They also stock Mr. Egg and Mr. Toast! ^__^
Shopping in between season means you get winter bargains like Tokidoki hoodies for $30-40US. Winner!
The vinyl obsession continues a couple doors down with Munky King. This store is set up more like an art gallery than a retail store. Minimal lush fittings and an art space towards the rear of the store. They stock a big range of the usual Kidrobot and associate style vinyls as well as a few other more obscure designs and artists. There’s also a small selection of apparel. Definitely the place to visit if you’re getting sick of Dunnys or Labbits.
On the subject of vinyls and similar toys/action figures, be ready to pull them out of your carry on at American customs, especially those with small parts like Revoltech figures. Thanks to the unusual shapes and small parts, under the x-ray machine they tend to come up as “unknown”.
The shops start to thin off after this, but hook a left into La Brea for a couple of LA’s colourful landmarks. First is Pink’s Hot Dogs, no, not the singer but just as famous with many celebrities choosing to pop in for a quick bite and also being featured in many movies and TV shows. We weren’t disappointed when we walked passed and saw a banner “Pink’s welcomes David Hassellhoff“. Sure enough, The Hoff was there slingin dogs to a line half way down the block. Though a long line up is hardly out of the norm and is classed as part of its charm. We didn’t have time to sample the cuisine but all reports say its worth the wait.
Pink's Hotdogs on La Brea Hollywood
If you didn’t want to wait for food there’s a few fast food places including Macca’s as you head north on La Brea. Couple blocks on, you’ll also come across a Best Buy (like a cross between Office Works and Harvey Norman) and a group of shops including Target. In this centre, if you walk up the stairs to Target, there’s a landing where you have a clear view of the Hollywood sign. Perfect if you aren’t going up in the hills to check it out. Photographer’s tip: for a nice big shot of the sign – point and shoot users – you’ll need at least a 10x zoom; dslr users – 200mm is ok but 300mm if you want to fill the frame. Another photo op is available on Sunset Blvd at the intersection looking west at sunset (they don’t call it that for nothing!) against a backdrop of the clichéd palm tree lined street.
Hollywood sign
A block and a bit further you’ll come across everyone’s favourite tattooist, Kate Von D and her famous LA Ink store aka High Voltage Tattoo. If you’re familiar with the TV series, the store is just as crazy in real life with wall to wall decorations of memorabilia, varies knick knacks and art pieces. Even if you only have a passing interest in the pierced and painted, simply hanging round the store sees all matter of subjects from the quirky to the down right weird! Good luck getting an appointment on short notice tho!
If you’re Google mapping, search for “High Voltage Tattoo” which is the actual store, “LA Ink” shows up as its studio which is further down the block.
LA Ink - High Voltage Tattoo on La Brea, Hollywood
Beginning of Hollywood walk of fame
About 4 blocks after that and passing Jim Henderson’s Muppet Studio, you’ll hit Hollywood Blvd, which is the start of the Hollywood Walk of Fame and home to iconic landmarks such as Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, Madame Tussauds, Ripley’s Believe it or not and Capitol Records Tower.
Hollywood Blvd
There are also plenty of tacky tourist shops on this strip, but the pricing for the most part is reasonable and you can pick up multiple souvenir tee’s for $10US. Just check their quality first, even though the design might be the same, the consistency of the shirts tend to vary.
Hollywood Blvd
By now you’re probably just about spent but if you’ve still got a couple bucks left in your wallet and the shopping bags haven’t completely severed your fingers off, jump in a cab and head to the Beverly Center
On the cheap: find a bus that goes all the way down N La Brea to W 3rd St then get another that goes from there out to La Cienega Blvd.
The Beverly Center is probably the closest you’ll find to Brisbane’s own Myer center. Couple large higher end Department stores like Bloomingdale’s and Macy’s and then the countless specialty shops with the majority leaning towards female shoes and apparel. There is a cinema and food court on the top level but the real reason to head here is for the view. There’s an outdoor courtyard on the top level with a nice broad 180 degree view of LA.
Photographers tip: bring a tripod to set on a chair to shoot over the glass partition or a point and shoot to sit on top of one of the frame if you’re shooting at night to get pass the reflections, unless of course you carry a black bed sheet around!
LA at night - view from the Beverly Center (click for big)
In the way of sneakers you have a choice of 2 sporting stores Champs and Finish Line and 1 specialist (on the top floor level 8 ) Shiekh Shoes and Footlocker (floor 6). While only Shiekh Shoes has a selection of slightly more obscured models and colourways the real benefit is they all have a good selection of items on sale at great prices. 2 pairs of Adidas Attitudes for $50US? Don’t mind if I do! The Footlocker here is quite large as well so there’s a chance you’ll find a few extra colourways.
Useless fact: In the movie “Volcano” they have scenes when the center was still under construction.
By now, you’ll probably be as broke and broken as we were. We contemplated paying $50 for a cab back to Santa Monica but with a bus stop on the corner, we caught one up La Cienega Blvd to Santa Monica Blvd, got some booze and aspirin from the CVS drug store and then another bus all the way back out to 4th street in Santa Monica for a fraction of the cost.
Back in Santa Monica we hit the hay so we could hit boardwalk the next day.
Next up… Santa Monica and Venice Beach!
Los Angeles holiday photos here
Los Angeles part #1 – West Hollywood
Los Angeles part #2 – West Hollywood(pt 2)
Los Angeles part #3 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Shopping
Los Angeles part #4 – Santa Monica and Venice Beach Sightseeing
