Darth Vader and salsa in the City of Angels

Hi from LA!

We got in late last night but that didn't stop us from staying up even later. Our hotel is right beside a neat open-air bar that had live independent bands playing well into the early morning.

So, needless to say, I'm glad we had a free day today. We slept in and then wandered outside. We found that we're close to a downtown market so we had a late breakfast of tacos... yeah, the Mexican food is a theme today.

Then we hopped a bus to Melrose Avenue and Orange Street half an hour away to go see an art exhibition called The Vader Project (explained in more detail below). After that, it was a great day of shopping, walking and people watching. We purchased some fresh fruit (garnished with chili spice and lime) and our first kimchi tacos. At the end of the afternoon, we snagged a patio table at a Mexican restaurant and ate fresh salsa and quacamole. Yes, it's been good.

So, while Natalie naps, I've decided to update the blog(s). Below is what I've just posted on The Review Crew, but I figured it was so awesome I should post it here too.

Dark Art: A Trip To The Vader Project

There are a few things you could do in LA during your free day before E3. But in between theme parks and celeb-seeking, might I suggest a trip to The Vader Project to see 100 artist interpretations of the classic black dome of the Sith?

Running now until June 20, this exhibition is the public's free glimpse at all the works of art before they are sold by Freeman's Auction House in Philadelphia on July 10.

We spent over half an hour touring the Darth busts in the one-room makeshift gallery at 6812 Melrose Avenue. It was fascinating to see each artist express their different takes on the well-known helmet. Some went for decorative high art while others opted to explore the humour of having the chosen one's head to do what they will. Helmets ranged from beautiful to frightening to ridiculous.

Currently, each helmet is priced at $3,000 - $5,000 in advance of the auction next month. Whether they'll go for that much is yet to be seen.

Freeman's is also selling a catalog of all the helmets for $4o. From a quick flip through, it's a high quality book that would make a good addition to your coffee table (if your coffee table is the kind that has a Salacious Crumb action figure within a 2 meter radius). It had great pull-page photos of each helmet with a series of detail shots and alternate angles so you can really get the full view of each artifact. You can purchase it on their website (link below), at the exhibition or at many of the nerdier shops along Melrose.

















[The Vader Project]