THE R-Bar.
A few hours earlier we were out at a secret bar, with a secret name, that required a secret password to enter through the secret door. The real secret was why there were so many secrets. Once inside the atmosphere wasn't so clandestine. It felt like a regular bar with expensive drinks and loud music.
The highlight was the local artist named Jonathan Bussiere, who was "performing" a live painting sponsored by Puma. This artist runs his own design company called "hips and hair", through which he makes t-shirts and paintings. While I mingled with a group of his friends, some of whom were dressed in "hips and hair" attire, I watched as he stood next to the DJ, concentrating on his multimedia painting. Occasionally I took a few photos.
I made six new friends at the bar, all of whom reminded me of my close friends from my college days. They were all long time Angelians, as one of them said they should be called, so I asked for their advice on this and that. I told them my first impressions of L.A. and what I expected before I had ever been here. "It's not like gang members are falling out of palm trees" one of them said. I liked that.
As per my mission here in L.A. I asked about working as an extra. A couple of my new friends just happened to work as actors, or had at one time. They suggested craigslist as a source of acting jobs, and I agreed I'd look into it. I said I'd never acted before and I'm not even sure I'd be qualified. They assured me working as an extra is easy, well paid, but boring. Getting a job as an extra is simply a matter of having the look that the production needs. My lingering question then is: do I have the look?
I do like my new friends though.
