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Podcasts Off-Ramp
From a warehouse in Compton to the tallest restaurant in the West ...
Off-Ramp with John Rabe Hero Image
(
Dan Carino
)
Episode 15199
Listen • 49:03
From a warehouse in Compton to the tallest restaurant in the West ...

You want an Only-in-LA story? Try this: a 78-year old Japanese-Brazilian-American artist (right) who works in Compton, was Marlon Brando's gardener, and got his first big break at the Hammer Museum last year. ... How would you feel about living in a murder house? It's in Silver Lake, and we talk to the tenants. ... We ride the elevator 71 floors to talk with the owner and chef of the tallest restaurant in the West. Take a virtual tour inside Elizabeth Taylor’s home with photographer Catherine Opie, who got exclusive access to 700 Nimes Road.

Artist Kenzi Shiokava is a woodcarver. He works with driftwood, found wood and plain old boards he's salvaged.
Artist Kenzi Shiokava is a woodcarver. He works with driftwood, found wood and plain old boards he's salvaged.
(
Maya Sugarman/KPCC
)

You want an Only-in-LA story? Try this: a 78-year old Japanese-Brazilian-American artist who works in Compton, was Marlon Brando's gardener, and got his first big break at the Hammer Museum last year. ... How would you feel about living in a murder house? How about a house where the wife’s lover – who lived in the attic – shot the husband? It's in Silver Lake. ... We ride the elevator 71 floors to the top of the US Bank Tower to talk with the owner and chef of the tallest restaurant in the West. Take a virtual tour inside Elizabeth Taylor’s home with photographer Catherine Opie, who got exclusive access to Taylor’s house at 700 Nimes Road.

Song of the Week: Queer girl group MUNA's 'Crying On the Bathroom Floor'
MUNA uses the contrast of danceable music with introspective lyrics, noticeably influenced by other queer dance icons like Robyn and La Roux.
Hidden History of LA: The murderous lover who lived in a Silver Lake attic
Listen • 12:51
Few stories are as weird as the case of a married woman who kept her lover in the attic for decades. It didn't end well. We'll knock on the door of one of LA's most notorious murder houses.
From dancing to dodgeball, Off-Ramp recommends: Night on Broadway
Night on Broadway is a free arts and music street festival, opening the doors of 6 historic theaters in Downtown LA, with dance parties, comedy, art installations, docent-led tours, and lectures. There will even be a dodgeball competition.
Remembering the long lost Atomic Cafe, Little Tokyo’s punk haven
Listen • 7:14
Flash back in time to discover a Japanese-American cafe turned punk rock hub in Los Angeles' Little Tokyo neighborhood.
Punk icon John Doe has a book about the old days and an album of new music
Listen • 15:39
In "Under the Big Black Sun," John Doe and other seminal voices tell stories about LA's punk scene. Doe joined us to talk about the book, and play tunes from his new album, "The Westerner."
Marlon Brando's former gardener, now 78, gets big break at The Hammer
Listen • 7:51
Kenzi Shiokava has been carving wood and making assemblages in relative obscurity. Now, at 78, the Japanese-Brazilian-American has a whole room at the Hammer Museum's Made in LA biennial.
Butch meets hyperfeminine as Catherine Opie photographs Elizabeth Taylor's home
Listen • 15:52
Catherine Opie's photos of Elizabeth Taylor's home show a real, warm person with a sense of humor, and Opie says the gig challenged her identity.
71Above: Everything at LA's tallest restaurant (even the chef) started at the bottom
Listen • 10:31
Being at the top of the US Bank building, and at the mercy of the elevators, adds another layer of complexity to 71Above, the tallest restaurant in the West.