Tag Archives: Los Angeles

A Day at the GRAMMY Museum

On a recent trip to Los Angeles, Gregg and I planned an afternoon at the GRAMMY Museum. It was raining for most of our visit, so checking out the Museum was a great way to spend a day.  There was so much to see and do, from exhibits and film screenings to immersive experiences and listening stations.

Here are a few highlights of our visit:

The “Shining Like a National Guitar” exhibit showcased an impressive display of vintage guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles.

Founded in 1927, the National String Instrument Corporation was an American guitar company first formed to manufacture banjos and then the original resonator guitars. They also produced resonator ukuleles and mandolins. Now defunct, their original instruments are in high demand. It was a great treat to see so many of these unique instruments that have been associated with artists such as Bukka White, Mark Knopfler, and Johnny Winter, to name a few, in one place.

The “Musical Crossroads” exhibit was cool. It featured four genre “pods” where you could deep dive into the worlds of hip-hop, pop, folk, and gospel. It demonstrated how genres, musical influences, fandom, and technology intersect.

The “Janet Jackson Music Video Looks” display showcased the “That’s the Way Love Goes” and “Scream” music video-worn outfits.

The traveling exhibit, “Luther Vandross Artistry and Elegance,” featured artifacts including one of Vandross’ GRAMMYs, two full sets of custom-designed, hand-beaded stage wear worn by Vandross and his backup singer/dancers, performance footage, handwritten lyrics, studio notes, and more. I enjoyed the glimpse into Vandross’ creative process and the never-before-heard recording of him.

There were so many interesting and entertaining presentations to interact with, but one of my favorite activities was watching a variety of curated performance clips from past GRAMMY Awards broadcasts. So much incredible talent has graced the GRAMMY stage!

If you’re a music lover like me, a visit to the GRAMMY Museum is a must. Exhibits change all the time, so there’s something new to see on each visit. 

I look forward to watching artists’ musical achievements being awarded with that gilded gramophone during the GRAMMY Awards ceremony tonight. There could be a history-making performance that will be featured in the GRAMMY Museum in the future.

The GRAMMY Museum is located at 800 W Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90015.

California Dreamin’

California Dreamin’. I did that for two years but I finally made that dream a reality.

On my recent trip to Los Angeles, I not only strolled Rodeo Drive and checked out The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios Hollywood, I also visited a few music-related sites.

If you’re going to California soon, here are a few places I visited that you might like too.

Laurel Canyon

The mountainous neighborhood in the Hollywood Hills was a center for the counterculture and home to many musicians in the 1960s. Mama Cass, Joni Mitchell, Frank Zappa, Linda Ronstadt, Jim Morrison, plus members of many bands including The Beach Boys and The Eagles, to name a few, all called Laurel Canyon home. 

I just loved the winding roads and the views from high up the hills were spectacular! I can see why the area served as inspiration for many popular songs of the time.

Whisky A Go Go

Although it was closed when we visited in the afternoon, it was still thrilling to stand outside the Whisky.  

Opened in 1964, the Club launched the careers of many bands.The Doors were the house band in 1966, and Janis Joplin, The Byrds, Led Zeppelin, and Fleetwood Mac all played there. In the ‘80s, bands like Motley Crue and Guns N’ Roses took to the stage. There’s soo much music history there!

Of special note, the Whisky is the first ever music venue to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame.

Amoeba Music

The independent music store chain that was founded in 1990 in Berkeley has a brand new location on Hollywood Blvd.  Of course I had to check it out.  The space was BIG and they carried LOTS of new and vintage vinyl plus movies, CDs, posters, Amoeba-branded merch, and all kinds of cute music-related stuff.  I didn’t have nearly enough time there to do the shopping that I wanted to do, but I did pick up a few fun rockabilly records and a T-shirt.

Hollywood Forever Cemetery 

You might think it’s kind of weird and morbid to visit a cemetery while on vacation but the Hollywood Forever Cemetery is not your ordinary cemetery. The site regularly hosts community events such as live music and summer movies.

Founded in 1899, it’s one of the world’s most visited landmarks, and the final resting place of hundreds of Hollywood legends including Judy Garland, Cecil B. DeMille, Rudolph Valentino, Mickey Rooney, Johnny and Dee Dee Ramone, Chris Cornell, and Scott Weiland, to name a few.  

I was able to find Johnny Ramone’s grave which was topped with a fantastic sculpture of him playing guitar.  I also found Chris Cornell’s grave which was much simpler than what I was expecting. 

Don’t know when I’m going back to Cali, but I want to experience the nightlife of the Sunset Strip; the Viper Room, The Roxy, the Rainbow, and of course, the Whisky. Also on my must-see list for next time are The Hollywood Bowl, the GRAMMY Museum, and the Capitol Records tower. Until then, I’ll be in Lansdowne!