Thursday evening after work I went to check out Downtown Los Angeles Art Walk. Art Walk takes place every 2nd Thursday of the month and after working in downtown for months I finally went to check it out. Part of the excursion was for work and this will be revealed later on, but after walking around the few blocks and checking out the various galleries I think that I will make this a monthy routine. Bars, cafes, and galleries were open to see some new artwork and of course have a few cocktails.

Thousands of people head down to DTLA for this event and crowd the streets.

Live performances are common

Of course we stopped by the Last Laugh and checked out Cartoon in action and Estevan’s gallery of photos

“The Must” is a must stop by for happy hour and wine. I highly recommend the butternut curry soup and mac and cheese!

Friday I went down to Venice to visit the Rogue Status x DTA crew. I have worked for months on a story idea with Super Street magazine and finally a few photoshoots and interviews are taking place. The article comes out in December for the January issue and should be very interesting. Be sure to pick up a copy as it will have some very close “friends” featured.

It happened to be the day after the RS guys were featured on “Fantasy Factory” and they showed me the clip of them with Rob and Travis.

More importantly were did they get the leg lamp!

The photos by Estevan Oriol on wall have inspired me to finally start decorating my place…

Finally check out this quick vid from the infamous bench outside the shop.

Saturday I found myself at an engagement party. As I get older the more grown-up parties I find myself attending. Alcohol is always flowing at these things…

Someone can always be found on the dancefloor and the star of the show was this breakdancing baby.

The unofficial teaser trailer to the documentary “Electro Wars,” by Stephen Vasquez. Looks cool and I want to check it out when it’s done.

Fatlace friend Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has announced his retirement from the UFC to pursue his acting career after taking the role as B.A. Baracus in the upcoming A-Team movie. This is sad news for MMA fans as Rampage is still one of the top fighters in the world at the Light-Heavyweight class and was set to fight Rashad Evans to settle a beef the two have. Both are coaches on the current “The Ultimate Fighter” reality show and this season is one of the most anticipated with all heavyweights fighting for a UFC contract including Kimbo Slice (if you don’t know Kimbo by now then look his name up on You Tube and you’ll see some awesome backyard brawls).

According to Rampage, “I reinjured my jaw in the fight with Wanderlei (Silva) & Jardine,” wrote Jackson. “Frank Mir gets hurt so they wanted to switch my fight from UFC 100 to the fight Frank couldn’t make (at UFC 98) but I couldn’t fight cause I needed jaw surgury. So they give Machida the fight against Rashad and they told me they want me to coach TUF season 10 against Rashad. That’s why I wanted Rashad to win so bad but when Rashad got knocked out I told them I wanted to fight Machida for the belt but Dana told me if I coach TUF against Rashad that I could fight Machida afterwards cause this was a different type of ultimate fighter show they were doing.

“After I signed the contract Dana then changes his mind & says I have to fight Rashad and even told me what to say in the press & so my fans think I was scared to fight Machida. After all that I still never complained and I did it all.”

More details can be found here.

Rashad on Rampage’s Retirement

I personally hope the best for Rampage as he is a great guy and I’ve had the opportunity to hang out with him a few times and he really is as funny in person. I do understand his point and he is afterall looking after his own future and Hollywood pays a lot more with a lot less wear and tear than MMA does even with endorsements. I hope after the movie is done with filming he reconsiders this retirement choice and comes back swinging. I know his fans would love to see a fight with him and Rashad, Machida, Shogun, and eventually a re-match with Forest Griffin. Who knows maybe his acting career will take off…let’s just hope it’s not another Shaq and “Kaazam”.

Steve Aoki and Zuper Blahq (the top secret identity is still to be officially revealed but it’s really Will.I.Am) released this video a few weeks ago. For some reason I keep coming back to watching it. I’m excited to hear more stuff coming out of this side project and from Dim Mak in general.

Saw this video on Kanye’s blog. One of the funniest songs and music videos I’ve seen in a long time from rapper C-Rayz Walz. I’ve known about this dude for a few years now leading back to the days when he was freestyle battling.

Friday night the usual debauchery continued at iLounge with a performance from the Far East Movement. This was the first time meeting the guys and they were very mellow and cool. They put on a great show and had the whole club rocking. For those that missed out they will be performing at the Formula DRIFT Finals next month at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

A night wouldn’t be complete without a few shots

Saturday night was a special evening for one of my closest friends from high school. After over 10 years he finally got married. Much like all good weddings the reception was complete with food, music, and an open bar…even a semi-celeb showed up (Autumn Reeser from the OC and Entourage). Good times and even though I missed both the UFC and Mayweather fight it was well worth it (just saw the highlights via the MMA forums).

And even though the Chargers lost it was still a great weekend…plus my fantasy team is still undefeated.

For those in the area the Far East Movement will be performing at iLounge this Friday. For those wondering who these guys are they have that hit single, “Girls on the dancefloor.” If you’re in the area and want to go email me at  john at fatlace.com for my guestlist.

If you want to hear the song…(sorry not the official music video – couldn’t find it)

They will also be performing live at Formula DRIFT Round 7: Judgment Day at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale on October 17.

Most of my MAGIC experience this year was spent working with our new client Famous Stars and Straps. Our agency was selected to help with their PR initiative for their 10th anniversary and MAGIC was one of their key initiatives. Famous unveiled a line of juniors and women’s apparel to round out their collection. Beach wear was also added to the men’s line including board shorts, flip flops, and a beach towel. We invited key media to check out the new line from Famous and the other brands within the family including Expensive Taste, The Wild Ones, and Rogue Status. Media guests such as Complex, Antenna, and Skinnie Magazine were able to find out the latest news from the brands and meet some of the Famous family members.

The booth consisted of bikes on display, a live art show, and a few of the hottest DJ’s performing throughout the day including DJ Spider and Marshall Barnes. A couple times during the show a few kids got down to “Do the jerk.” (mellow orange posted the Quebradita version.)

In true Famous style a party was thrown at the booth. We secured Heineken as a sponsor and they made sure that beer was poured for all. Guests included the Famous skate team, stunt bike team, and MMA fighter “Razor” Rob McCullough (who is now scheduled to fight again in November.) A couple other Famous friends came out to celebrate including Paul Wall, LMFAO, and Estevan Oriol.

To keep the party goin Famous threw a party at the Palms hotel and casino inside Rain nightclub. The entire crew came to celebrate alongside hundred of guests. Special performances by Mixmaster Mike, DJ Jazzy Jeff, and DJ Premier kept everyone entertained throughout the evening.

Later that evening I met up with my brother and checked out the Creative Recreation / Hudson Jeans party at XS inside Encore. The party was a lot of fun and had a great crowd. Ravi Drums from Skam Artists performed along with DJ Vice. The club is gorgeous poolside and I even ran into Ivan from Fatlace there.

Check out this off a bounce, over a person standing, between the legs dunk by Guy Dupuy of Team Flight Brothers. Named the “Dubble Up 2.0″.

Formula DRIFT Round 7: Judgment Day Tickets On-Sale Now;
Features and Entertainment Announced

Long Beach, Calif. – September 3, 2009 – Formula DRIFT heads into the final event of the 2009 season at the Toyota Speedway at Irwindale with reserved tickets on-sale now. Round 7: Judgment Day on October 16-17 to feature the Formula DRIFT Championship finale, Pro-Am competition, Jtuned Auto Gallery, Famous Stars and Straps stunt bike team demo, and a performance by the Far East Movement.

“With the Formula DRIFT Championship on the line, the stage is set for a very exciting finale,” said Ryan Sage, Vice President of Marketing and Co-Founder of Formula DRIFT. “On top of witnessing a new champion being crowned we have added additional features to the event weekend to provide fans with a complete entertainment experience.”

Round 7: Judgment Day will feature the battle for the Formula DRIFT Championship and with the Championship still up for grabs the drivers will be sure to put on another exciting show, but only one can be crowned Champion. The Tires.com Triple Crown bonus prize will be determined at this the 3rd of 3 events. Chris Forsberg in the NOS Energy / Maxxis Tires Nissan 350Z leads the point standings for both the Championship and Tires.com Triple Crown and sets his sights to be the first driver in history to win both in the same season.

To add to the action packed weekend the event will feature the Formula DRIFT Pro-Am competition with top regional and amateur drifters competing for their professional license and a chance prove themselves at the legendary “House of Drift.” Fans can meet the stars of Formula DRIFT during the fan autograph session. The Jtuned Auto Gallery car show will feature the hottest show cars in the industry. Fans will be treated to a stunt bike demonstration by the Famous Stars and Straps team featuring Warren James, Crow, and J-Beats. The event will also feature a performance by “Far East Movement” known for their hit single, “Girls on the Dancefloor.”

The main event will feature an all reserved seating ticket and 2-day ticket packages are available starting at $30. Reserved seating will give fans a chance to save their seat for the entire main event day without worrying about losing their seat and additionally fans can choose the section and specific seat that they would like to sit in when purchasing their ticket online in advance. Reserved seats are first come first served with tickets selling out quickly. A special limited VIP Ticket package is also available. Online tickets can be purchased on the Formula DRIFT website and for more information, visit: www.formuladrift.com.