LAist: So, how did it Glow?

elenamarysiff

Sun, 27 Jul 2008 14:40:28 -0800

Anyone see SOLAR KOI parade? we paraded from 10:30pm to midnight up and down the pier and all through 3rd. Street Promenade and had a spectacular night! So many negative bloggers..unfortunate..SM was overwhelmed and next time they will get it right..just know that SM Arts Commission pulled this off on a shoestring budget and paid for no publicity...and still got 200,000 people to show up...thumbs up from SOLAR KOI team!!

Hindinwood

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 10:47:58 -0800

@ juanideas: That's awesome! You had the right idea. I wish more people would have embraced that spirit of proactive creativity vs. passive "entertain me" criticism. Imagine what an even more amazing event it would have been...

Zach Behrens

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:13:04 -0800

@juanideas, I enjoyed your volcanoes! thanks for doing them.

pickleburp

Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:12:11 -0800

To those giving it higher ratings only because it was the first time or because it was free......well it was hardly free to the local tax payers and I think it is fair to expect more from a great metropolitan city claiming to be putting on an Interantional art extravaganza." Who actually believes anything will be an international art extravaganza?! Let them claim whatever; that's simply marketing: just keep from falling for it. And I don't think it's a matter of giving it higher ratings due to the first and free factors; it's more of an accepting it as a learning experience, an opportunity to figure out improvements for future events, if any.

juanideas

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:19:42 -0800

By the way, I tried to submit a project to GLOW when they first made the call to artists (they sent me an email inviting me to participate) but they asked for so many essays, sketches, 3d images of the projected art, etc that I gave up. The morning of the event went to Home Depot, bought some shovels, candles and started building some stupid volcanoes... That's all. People enjoyed them and I enjoyed making them. Again, check out the pictures! http://flickr.com/photos/juanideas/sets/72157606297925458

juanideas

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 23:16:32 -0800

I had a great time but yes, it was mayhem. I built volcanoes on the beach (one hundred and five, to be exact) since the afternoon and kept them lit until 6AM, just north of the pier. It was my contribution to what I thought was a good idea: People enjoying an event overnight. The truth is that at 2AM the music was shut and people felt disappointed. The people I met at my installation were cool so I had a great time. Thank you for showing up and enjoying the simplicity of my volcanoes! Here is a link to some pics: http://flickr.com/photos/juanideas/sets/72157606297925458

kml

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 19:32:03 -0800

Ummm, let's see -- free, all-night party at the pier. Music. Random art scattered across the sand. Grunion running. What's the problem? Sure, a little bit of alcohol probably woulda made it even more fun. Better information about parking would've lowered my blood pressure from the start. But it sure seemed like a whole bunch of fun to me. And all for about $100,000 for the city -- maybe the price of a traffic light. I don't know from art, but it seemed like there were a whole bunch of interesting ideas, and ideas are more interesting (to me) than flawless execution. Heck, the afternoon before coming down to Glow I was at MOCA looking at a whole bunch of sketches of flowers on napkins tacked the wall, and lovin' it. Compared to that, some of the art on the beach looked positively refined!

Tom Andrews

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:43:04 -0800

Quote from a review seen on yelp "To those giving it higher ratings only because it was the first time or because it was free......well it was hardly free to the local tax payers and I think it is fair to expect more from a great metropolitan city claiming to be putting on an Interantional art extravaganza."

Hindinwood

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 16:16:17 -0800

"...it was sold to me as an art event that would be open from 7pm-7am and that it was not." But um...it was free. No one paid. Nothing was sold. I feel like a lot of the people complaining here showed up with a "here I am, now entertain me" stance (that was almost a Nirvana song!), and frankly could use an attitude adjustment. Even if the art wasn't mind-blowing (according to opinion) it was truely amazing to see the streets and beaches of this sleepy town come alive with thousands of people. The barriers of what it is acceptable to do in public space (people laying on the floor of the carousel building on blankets) were totally blurred, and to me that is worth a thousand museum visits and is much more subversive. I have lived in SM for 18 years (no longer) and have NEVER seen anything like it since photos my parents took in the 70's. Also, I HATE crowds and managed to enjoy this event by - surprise - avoiding the most crowded areas. Not to mention that there were no major incedents, and the police/authority figure presence was pretty low key. Really kind of amazing considering the huge area involved and potential for disaster. I feel like if this was attempted in LA cops would be making the rounds all night looking for people violating any kind of law whatsoever to hand out tickets. I think some of the above commenters need to focus on the positive aspects, and the enormous potential therin. the end.

GarySe7en

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:55:09 -0800

I think communicating where to find the art, especially performance pieces that were scheduled was poorly done, but I enjoyed the event primarily for the art experience. The orchestra on the ferris wheel made my night. I'd also like to point out I was not under the influence of anything. Yes things could have been much better, but more then anything this showed great potential. I've never seen so much draw for anything at night in Santa Monica, and even day time traffic to the beach on a Sunday weekend does not compare. This was a risky and bold thing to try and pull off, and wildly different from Santa Monica's extremely tame attitude toward things. I hope this sets a precedent for better things in the future. For a free event, with thousands having a good time, that I'm sure was a logistical nightmare, seems like an awful lot of whining.

Tom Andrews

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 15:19:41 -0800

This event was promoted as an art event with art as the core of the event. How could this event be considered a success if people didn't feel they were surrounded by art. I don't think the city of Santa Monica spent two years planning this so people would feel comfortable hanging out on the beach singing songs. This event was based on a European concept of keeping museums open late at night to view art. Sure, Santa Monica had a huge turnout but was it really about art? I don't feel they succeeded with the art aspect of the event. I don't think everyone is saying that they didn't have a good time, I think they are wondering where the art was. One can have a great time in an empty museum if they are around their friends, if you go to the museum to see art the museum needs to put something on the wall to look at. I didn't go to Santa Monica to party I went to view art. I feel that I have a right to complain about this event because it was sold to me as an art event that would be open from 7pm-7am and that it was not.

StreetCloud

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:42:02 -0800

we hung out late night near the drum circle. no one was complaining there. fun times.

Wooster

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:26:49 -0800

It was easily one of the worst events I have ever attended. If you went for the "art" then you were disappointed on all fronts. If you went to sit around in the sand with your friends and ride out your drugs then you probably enjoyed it. After seeing what was on offer I quickly washed my pain away with booze over at La Cabana.

GarySe7en

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:58:27 -0800

I think my expectations were higher then what was there, but I had a wonderful time. The orchestra on the ferris wheel was amazing performance art, and the fact that many people at the ferris wheel had no idea what was going on only added to it. Seeing different peoples faces as they got off was worth it alone. The pieces under the pier were beautifully executed, and the parade of suspended glowing coi fish backpacks marching down the pier splitting the masses like the red sea, was incredibly fun to watch. I followed their parade to the end of the pier letting them blaze a trail of ridicules antics. Watching people capitalize on the massive social gathering and creating their own mini sub parties was really encouraging to me as well. I was there from 9-4am and I had a great time the whole duration. I can acknowledge many areas where it could be improved and I hope they do it again even better, but I think people are being way too harsh on it.

Dmqwerty

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:26:12 -0800

Other than the sea creatures under the pier, which were really cool because of the recycled computer fans powering them, the "art" was a TOTAL JOKE. One of the "installations" was literally a cheap lava lamp from Spencer Gifts with a janky rope light circle around it, then covered with a canopy of balloons. I laughed when I looked at it. People were so confused as to what the "art" was, they were just going around and taking pictures of all the crap saying "oh I guess this is the art, let's take a picture of it" LAME

Hindinwood

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:13:28 -0800

"Only you, yourself, can make the magic –not the building you're in, or the pier you're walking on." EXACTLY. The negativity on here is seriously disheartening. Are people in LA really so jaded and spoiled? It's a FREE event, put on for the first time, and there're bound to be things that can be improved on. Anyone who expected to enter a museum was bound to be let down and needs to think outside the box a little. Having grown up in Santa Monica, and having fled due to the inherent boring yuppiness of the place, I was FLORED to see thousands of people partying on the pier and beach, riding the carousel for free, checking out the installations etc. The police were SO laid back it was unreal. The relative uncorporate-ness of the event and over all inclusive and spontaneous spirit was really refreshing, compared to say, Sunset Junction, where even locals are hassled about not paying $15 to walk down the street. More food options would have been wise, but I like the fact that this event didn't center on buying things like the Junction and Lotus fest. As with most things of life, it is what you make of it. A good lesson to learn.

twistfunk

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 13:09:16 -0800

If there were a circus tent with a DJ and a light show, I would have been happy. How do you not have that? Walking on the beach at night with my friends was cool, but we can do that any other night without 40K people crammed onto the pier and the streets. The laser fountain thing was rad.

Matt Vannucci

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:42:57 -0800

"If you build it, they will come..." I wasn't ready for the deluge of people that appeared on the pier for GLOW. Sure, the Pier is a public spot, but us locals who walk/bike feel like "the visitors are encroaching!" I know, wrong attitude, but it's true and I think that's why a lot of people were turned off by this event. We saw the water thing and bouncy room on the North side of the pier and then left. Ma'kai was good for a drink beforehand. I think an info table or a guidebook would've been greatly helpful with more detailed info on performers than was offered on their website. Whatever, gripe, gripe, gripe. I'm impressed with Santa Monica for having the moxie to have an all night event like this. Keep it coming!

Muley63

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:17:31 -0800

Ah, it's hard to complain about getting something for free, but ... More art, please. I guess there were other installations within the city, but I wasn't going to climb back up from the beach. Run Big Blue all night. As is, I had to leave around 11:00. I heard the music was cut off. That's a shame, since I was the head-noddin, foot tapping with babies, moms, middle-agers, and few grannies, granpappas to retro Trance! And people still did glow stick tricks! Brought back memories. On the whole, I had fun and wished to stay longer. Yeah, it was crazy crowded, but it was the crowd who made the night.

pickleburp

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:26:06 -0800

Wow. A lot of comments on this one. Humans love to put things down–as a group, especially. Now, I didn't go, but once I started hearing about it I never let my expectations rise too much. So, why then, did so many people seem to allow theirs to? Just because KCRW (which I'm a fan of) promoted it didn't mean it was going to be the cultural event of the century. Just like not every single song they play is good. Yes, I know, LA is in serious need of some new, creative and exciting things, but we've got a way to go yet, so there will most definitely be some hiccups should we continue to strive for such events. Sometimes it's just nice to get out of the house, which is why I've enjoyed the nights at LACMA and–gasp!– the Getty (which should run until, at least, 11pm). This just smells of those people who expect something magical to happen or change about them just because they've stepped over the threshold into some club, but if not, they get all pissed and say the place is dead, sucky, etc. Only you, yourself, can make the magic –not the building you're in, or the pier you're walking on. Expectations: keep 'em low.

Pimmy

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 10:36:23 -0800

It seems like far too many people are content to complain, and not just here. I too was underwhelmed, but so what? We weren't at LACMA or the Getty, fer krist's sake. We hung out on the pier, on the beach, in the park, til late at night, later than you really ever can in SM. We saw some cool stuff, and after a bit you realized that you (and the people around you) were as much a part of the show as the art. I too would have gone bigger with the art, but many of the pieces that were there were unusual and definitely not the kind of thing you are likely to see somewhere else. Sit on that. Where are you going to see the laser-water show, or have the glowy jellyfish under the pier, or some of the utterly odd stuff happening up in Palisades Park? It's just not going to happen somewhere else.

rinkrat

Mon, 21 Jul 2008 06:10:33 -0800

Well, after reading this I'm glad I didn't go and got to bed early.

milquetoast

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:47:18 -0800

Ehhhh, you're dealing with a city that's still user unfriendly with a shit load of people. That fucking "Subway to the Sea" is looking better and better now, isn't it?

DaleG

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 23:24:28 -0800

I must say that my expectations of world class art set me up to be underwhelmed. But once I let go of my cynicism, I was able to completely enjoy the festival atmosphere and spontaneous human interaction. The Ferris Wheel Orchestra was an absolute revelation. The tide of human spectators and spawning grunions were perfectly suited for each other and I loved the free form nature of this event. The funniest overheard quote "Im lost...Im looking for the reason I came" It wasn't what I thought I would get but that doesn't mean it was worthless. It was definitely something to improve upon.

adanz

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:59:50 -0800

Granted, the "art" element of it was pretty lame, but who's to say what passes as art anyway? I had a great time just people watching and hanging around for a few hours. It was fun to see so many thousands of people swarming the pier/beach. From what I gathered, more people were there as an excuse to pull an all-nighter at the beach with their friends, than to see some high class art...I had a good time.

jimejim

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:56:58 -0800

I was disappointed by the show itself. As others said, there wasn't really enough substance in it, and the fact that most of the stuff shut down way too early just made it that much worse. I did have fun last night, but I wouldn't say it was because of glow. I just ended up hanging out around the overcrowded pier and grabbed a few drinks with friends. The thing that really pissed me off was how they shut down the djs and then turned off most of the art around 2am despite saying it was supposed to last till 7am. I had a friend show up around 1:30 mainly to see what was playing and it was a complete waste of time for him. We had left to get a drink at a bar, came back and everything was pretty much dead other than people just hanging out on the beach.

jralph

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 22:21:46 -0800

I didn't think this was as bad of a disaster that everyone was making it out to be, considering it was the first like it in SM. The two best light shows were probably the fountain projection and the ferris wheel (yeah, the one that's permanently installed onto the pier, it so much flashier than the old one!) But I hope the organizers use the feedback from this year to make the next year better. It was indeed a sight to see a mass of people out in Santa Monica past 11pm. Driving to the Venice area, biking in, and free bike valet! wasn't as bad as I thought it would be either.

thelogikalone

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:34:08 -0800

"Whoever planned this should be re-assigned to the 405 to count cars."--- Best line ever. Some friends and I attended this event from about 12-3am. As soon as we got there we were immediately lost. I'm sure there were maps/schedules at one point, but i didn't get one or see anyone with one and i sure as hell didn't see an information booth anywhere. The flood lights were annoying when you wanted to view the "art", cough. The coolest part was being at the beach at night, granted it was roped off or a while. Not enough music or art. Overall I wish I just went back to my house after work got out at 11pm. If they properly advertised this I'm sure more of us would've had fun. --- GLOW: An excuse to drink and do drugs on a beach at night. BYOB & BYOD ---

benjamin

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 17:13:09 -0800

it was diy - weirdness for santa monica, and let's face it, that's not very weird.

Elise Thompson

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:50:23 -0800

I heard the art was primarily CalArts students. I liked how interactive everything was. I'm not going to critique people who worked so hard - it's more than I did. I thought shit like people randomly sticking glow-sticks in the sand was cool. It was very DIY - weirdness. There was a very communal atmosphere amongst the people on the beach, making random sand sculptures and starting sing-alongs. I had heard the pier was a nightmare and didn;t go there til about 3am. Too many people, not enough parking, food and bathrooms. But wouldn't bigger installations bring even MORE people?

rjmelville

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:11:45 -0800

So the "art" aspect wasn't as interesting as I thought it would be, but the REAL disappointment was when they decided to cut the music. I don't know the details of what inspired that decision, but it definitely killed it for me (and hundreds of others).

acee

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:20:22 -0800

I was pretty disappointed with the event, but it was really cool being out that late and just walking around or laying on the beach and seeing that many people out there as well.

euphoriasonic

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:13:53 -0800

The 1st annual GLOW Festival, was really cool. Yes, granted - it REALLY sucked, that they cut out the DJ's early... a main music stage is a must, and several, smaller dj/stage areas would have been great to have, too. The traffic was horrendous, but what do you expect when you bring Half of Los Angeles into the tiny area of the Santa Monica Pier? There WERE cops directing traffic, and i thought they did a GREAT job. the hordes of people were kept moving, i NEVER saw any major problems. Bigger parking garages and/or a larger parking area, with a shuttle would be best - also, LA needs to complete a major METRO system, to expand it to not only Santa Monica, but other west-side locations, along with other major areas in LA, it doesn't reach, too. Oh, and like others mentioned... not only METRO, but expand Bike routes, offer shuttles, and definately have more food concessions, or at least help the current food restaurants there (which were almost plenty enough - some taco stands and hot dog carts would've been great - especially if glowing!), with extra staff to support the masses. I didn't take any drugs, however i did notice that cops and officials were VERY EASY in this respect - and i thought that WAS REALLY, REALLY AWESOME... A GREAT MOVE. it allowed a mass amount of people to flock to the beach, enjoy each other and the beach and pier at night, and not have to worry if they decided to partake in some recreational activities, that weren't provided. And for this GLOW event, some smoke, a drink or maybe a little mind-altering substance fits perfect. MAJOR PROPS to the city for working REALLY HARD to protect our safety in traffic and in the population numbers, and NOT scolding people for choosing to enjoy themselves outside of sobriety. I was at a glowing bouncy-balloon tent out on the beach, when a girl had experienced some drug-related issues... cops came on ATV's, and were there to help - they didn't arrest her, clearly knowing she was on something. she was left with her friends, after deciding she was in healthy enough condition, and was ok. THANKS EXTRA to the city officials for their very relaxed police state, yet ready-to-help service nature. Again, EXTRA THANKS to the city for helping direct traffic, and every official i talked to throughout the event, was pretty nice, and trying to help. Even though people were irritable because of the un-expected huge mass of people, the Music getting cut off, long lines for food and water and bathrooms... overall, i thought it was GREAT turnout, and a good success. wish i stayed longer, was only there from 11:30 ish to about 3:30 am. I walked all over the pier several times, up and down each side of the beach. Lots of cool people, just doing their thing... great way to meet new friends, and experience cool, open-minded art and surroundings. Wish there was more cool glowing art, and lasers. The water projection show was REALLY AWESOME! wished it was on all night... seemed like they did a great job in keeping the water under control, there. The rides being on all night would've been great. heard they stopped early, for whatever reason. Wish there was there more music out and about, maybe smaller DJ setups or little live bands and artists on small stage setups, throughout the beach and the pier. Basically in a NUTSHELL: More music, more art. Better parking/traffic flow, and more food stands. Metro, ALL NIGHT, to the Pier, PLEASE. ANd the same amount of people, if not even more... it was awesome to have so many people there, trying to enjoy everything together. I thought the event was great, and although faltered for it's first try, could be much better planned and executed next time. Again, thanks to the City, all officials, and to everyone that came out and had a good time. I did, thank you :)

greengelato

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:07:21 -0800

i'm kind of surprised to see so many negative comments. my friends and i had a really great time...though we knew very little about it going in. highlights: 1) respectful and diverse crowd 2) trash-creature installation 3) grunion run! perfectly timed 4) the huge water spray thing it would've been cool if an infrastructure was set up to allow local artists to sell and showcase their work...kind of like an artwalk.

slippyjenkins

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:57:31 -0800

This festival was an abortion. The whole city of Santa Monica should be fired and banished to skid row. I'm from Chicago. We have an event called Taste of Chicago every year, where a million people descend upon the city to eat good food in the TORTUROUS humidity. It's the worst experience ever. Until last night. Now Glow Fest is the Worst Experience Ever.

Ali Miller

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:45:36 -0800

Was that what we were hearing by the ferris wheel? Pretty meh if you ask me. We stayed til around 1:30 or so and it seemed pretty mixed with tourists and people who actually went for Glow. Too much PR for not enough payoff, I guess.

mandor

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:41:55 -0800

Oh, and while the idea of a ferris wheel orchestra is awesome, only the drums could be heard. Did they bother to test this out for sound?

mandor

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:30:26 -0800

Parking was totally aggro. People thought the public library garage closed at 11pm as usual, so there was a long line out as well as in. There were no cops directing traffic, which would have helped the parking garage clusterfucks. Someone even said that the Big Blue Buses stopped running at their usual time of 11pm. I was expecting a beach covered in glowing art, not a few things here and there with long lines to walk through. The whole mess was a reminder of the reasons why I usually avoid events at the pier. Count me in as another sucker who wished she had stayed home.

benjamin

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:16:33 -0800

total waste of time.

sleepdep79

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:13:22 -0800

Wow. This was the dumbest thing ever. I feel like such a sucker for going. I should have bought a lite brite and stayed home.

alexd

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 14:10:15 -0800

Was out at GLOW from 2am to 5am. We walked over from main street on the coastline... what a trip to see so many people out on the sand at night. I knew this event was going to be packed when I overheard an old Polish woman at the gym telling her friends about it. and packed it was, I couldn't see the street under the mass of people walking down to the pier from Ocean Ave. Underwhelmed by the art. Except the installation under the Pier, that was brillilant. I'm sure we didn't see all of it, but I agree with commenter above that there needed to be more large scale light exhibits. Things that make you want to wander toward them. Or something with lasers. Extremely disappointed that there were no lasers! We couldn't find the DJs, and the pier itself was pretty barren of any artwork out of the ordinary, so we decided to ride the new ferris wheel. By the time we got off the wheel, they were clearing out Pacific Park... at 3:30am? We had to get a refund on the rest of our ride tickets. Headed over to the Carousel, and by the time we got there, the lights were on and they were clearing that out too. Overheard someone say that people were climbing on the carousel and they had to stop the music. Sigh. So basically by 4am everything was closed. Restaurants on the Pier that said they would be open all night (ahem, Bubba Gump) were closed down. Not sure if ones on the promenade were open, but thought the nearby restauraunts severely missed a chance to bank on 40,000 people with munchies. If there was a glowing bacon wrapped hot dog cart out there, they would have made millions. Poor Norms on Lincoln didn't know GLOW was going on or make any preparations and apparently their hostess walked out on the job right when we got there at 5. So while the event left a lot to be desired, there was a lot of fun to be had people watching and taking photos of people passed out in amusing locations. I hope they try again and work out the kinks. It was a big production to get right on first attempt, and I don't think anyone knew what to expect. One suggestion for next year: Have Pacific Park change their Muzak in the park to something more appropriate for the event. We almost fell asleep in line listening to the smooth jazz.

pickleburp

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:57:53 -0800

Well, I'm glad I was at a South Pasadena pool party, eating steaks all night then.

Johnny Black

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:13:48 -0800

I live in Santa Monica near Main Street and Ocean Park. Have to say I agree with the comment about the lack of quantity and quality of the exhibits. The event really needed more large pieces like the color projection fountain, and more live music or food concessions. As for the crowds and the traffic, now you know why Santa Monica no longer does 4th of July fireworks off the SM Pier. Overall, I thought it was much ado about nothing. Glad I live close enought to walk with friends. We ended up back on Main Street having a couple of beers. Funniest line of the night... At one point on the pier SMPD was escorting an ambulance through the crowd... somebody shouted "They're dying of boredom!" Hilarious.

damian_z

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 13:01:10 -0800

According to the GLOW website, there were off-site parking spots at the Civic Center and free shuttles available, though I didn't see them. Perhaps they off-loaded a little ways from the Pier? Maybe the event was more fun after 1am--friends who stuck around past my group's 10pm-12:30am exploration claimed it thinned out and became more of a "party", but I was incredibly disappointed by the entire event. Not only was the quantity of the art limited, but the quality was underwhelming. Beyond that, I kinda thought there would be more than one stage of music--and that there would be actual dance-floors, not just people forced to dance around erected bleachers filled with spectators sitting and viewing the audio-visual backdrops.

AmuseRiot

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:55:26 -0800

This event was a disaster. They had no clear vision for what the event would be. They were not prepared for the crowds that turned out. When they chose to eliminate the DJs they nuked the fridge. The "art" was a joke, even by LA standards. One display consisted of glow sticks in the sand for people to play with. This things was a seven-figure petting zoo gone terribly, terribly wrong. The trash sea creatures under the pier were the highlight but a member of the security staff (I'm not 6 and heard you the first time you said don't touch, I was just taking a picture) was so rude (possibly insane?!?) that I wished one of the creatures would come to life and drag her into the waves. Whoever planned this should be re-assigned to the 405 to count cars. That said the concept of an all night community event clearly played in a town with a 1:30AM last call...but who will pull it off?

HappyCappy

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:51:49 -0800

It was worse than LACMA's so-called late-night bashes. People just turning out in droves to get drunk and claim to be avant-garde while treating the event like it was going be a grand ol' glowstickin' rave with their "hugging drugs" and bad music. What's more why the hell were there so many people with kids there at midnight and beyond?! Strollers galore were trying to push their way through endless crowds of people when these people should have had their little ones in bed hours ago. It was horribly overrated and the quality of people's driving made it all the more a nightmare.

whatsmyname

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:48:57 -0800

I overheard a city cop tell a vendor that having Glow in the summer is a resource nightmare considering there are lots of cops out on vacation during that time. He seemed to indicate that the next Glow event will not be in the summer.

tp4free

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 12:23:00 -0800

ha. i laugh at those who tried to drive into this event. traffic was horrendous -- the 10 was backed up to the 405. luckily i rode in on my steel steed. the bike lane on broadway & arizona are awesome but once you hit the promanade, you're on your own. overall i had an enjoyable time. im not into art but thought the garbage lights and the fountain projection was cool. maybe they'll do a better job next year. possibly add OFFSITE PARKING & SHUTTLE??? free entertainment -- what more can you ask for?

Elise Thompson

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:30:12 -0800

I had a blast from 1am to 7am. many people made their own art and I liked how everything was interactive. They needed more refreshments than a Starbucks, but at least the bathrooms were open. Photo essay still to come...

Zach Behrens

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:22:43 -0800

I think it was great to see so many people crowding the streets so late. At 1 a.m., the streets were packed with people. This was a huge learning experience for SaMo officials. They have two years to take all the feedback they were getting and make it even better. I really would have liked a map/guide booklet to not just what the art was, but WHEN it was. It seemed that only KCRW's stage had a time table schedule (did I miss something?).

Tyroneshoelaces

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 11:10:33 -0800

Glow was falsely advertised. Actually, the marketing campaign might have been the biggest success. Cuz the event sucked. Art? If that's what you call colored light bulbs behind rice paper, well then there was art. I was there b/n 10 and 12 and it was just way too crowded to enjoy. Maybe it got better after the crowd died out, and if I had been on mood-altering substances...

Caroline on Crack

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:53:44 -0800

I agree with StickBus that this event should be a wake-up call to Santa Monica but in terms of the fact that they really need a Metro line. Traffic was ridiculous and parking even more ridiculous. Also, everything was too crowded to enjoy. Couldn't even grab a drink at King's Head or Ma'Kai. But if there was better crowd control, more venues open, a Metro line, lots more venues open, it would have been cool.

Andy Chuck

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:46:28 -0800

The art and music at Glow were extremely underwhelming. But it was pretty sweet to see a crowd of people like that in Santa Monica.

Tom Andrews

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 10:02:56 -0800

GLOW was a JOKE! I saw some plastic bags on the beach and a bunch of people that were searching for art. I think the city of Santa Monica spent more on advertising than on the actual event. It's sad that this took two years to plan, I wonder who planned this mess.

diwon

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 09:03:15 -0800

question...where the hell was that glowing worm-like thing seen in the picture above? a friend and i went around 4pm, and were severely disappointed.

StickBus

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:55:01 -0800

To me, it was a complete nightmare. I felt like too many of the pieces were amateur. Like what appeared to be a Christmas light/plastic cup mess floating next to the pier. And above that, this event needs to be a wake up call to Santa Monica about how awful the parking and traffic situations are in that city. They need bigger, better parking garages and need to find a way to make it more bike friendly to people coming from the east. A bike lane on Broadway doesn't cut it.

danielfarris

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 08:48:45 -0800

Ray Johnson is alive and well. It was a brilliant art prank. When you actually *have* art, people stay away in droves. Only by *not* really having any were they able to have 40,000 people wandering around trying to find some. It was performance art at its absolute finest. Having no music at all (for the two hours I was there) was the apple in the pig's mouth. Nice touch. "Joke's on you! YOU'RE THE ART! Here's a mirror."

starsonesp

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 06:17:42 -0800

I was there from 6:30 to 5:30 and had a perfectly lovely time. Yes, the art wasn't everything the label on the packaging seemed to promise, and various logistical decisions impacted the vibe of the event (killing the DJs early; turning on floodlights in glow-friendly areas). But, as in the Black Rock Desert, no matter what the theme or the art or the concept, it's all about the people. The crowd was diverse, gregarious, and expressive. I had far more fun dancing and mingling and getting to know new folks than I did perusing the luminescent art. Most impressively (to me), the authorities decided to play a VERY cool hand about the significant number of substance-altered attendees. Granted, I saw a few K-9 unit cars at the ready, but I also saw an entire beachfront filled with hundreds of people clearly on various planes of consciousness, and can't recall ever feeling threatened or under deep suspicion. So, yes, it wasn't the dance-all-night, explore-amazing-glow-art experience that I thought it would be, but it was wonderful in a more low-key, intimate, and subdued way.

agranados

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:29:46 -0800

and by peer i mean pier.

agranados

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 05:29:17 -0800

i agree that there were interesting things under the peer and the fountain projections were entertaining, but the other installations left much to be desired. overall, the event was a bit of a disappointment.

MFF0RD8

Sun, 20 Jul 2008 04:59:32 -0800

some of the best parts were the living garbage sea creatures under the pier and projections on the fountain of mist. we also rode the ferris wheel for the first time. i'd say it was fun, but we showed up at 145 am and it had cleared out a bit by then