Who Is Scott Austin?

So we’re t-plus 72 hours into 2010 and I have already discovered 3 things that I should have in 2009!

First, the RedBox DVD rental device. This very 2009, maybe even 2008 invention blew my mind yesterday, offering up over a hundred amazing dvd movies for just a buck, without having to deal with a line at the rental store or having to wait for the mail man via netflix. All in all, a win-win, thank you RedBox:

Second, and directly related to the RedBox, the Tom Cruise-led Valkyrie. This is EXACTLY my kind of movie. I’ll admit, I went into the second act a bit skeptical of the depiction of actual German events acted out entirely in English, but I quickly got over my fears. This movie is incredible, and exactly the kind of strategy-thriller I would expect from the man who could pull off the lead in both Jerry Maguire and Vanilla Sky in the same decade. I only wish I had seen it in theaters. God bless RedBox.

Finally, and only because we are staying on topic, we also rented Up. Pixar rarely disappoints, and I’m convinced that they’re target audience is adults, not kids. This one may prove the point even more so, with a storyline that starts off as nothing less than a bit “adult”, even dark, but rewards with colorful and otherworldy animation and a storyline finale that should make even the most hardened soul tear up. Bravo!

Ok, so with approximately 24 hours of vacation time left, and after a terrific meal/drinks outing with good friends Devil Ash and beau Christopher at Silverlake’s fabulous Malo Restaurant, I am back in the lair speaking of a great technological find that dispenses great new films at great prices, all whilst sipping a freshly tapped Heineken courtesy of other great invention (and recent Xmas gift from smASH) the Krups Beertender. Cheers!

Another year, another trek to the annual South By Southwest Music fest in Austin, Texas. As usual, I am going to skip the bla bla blogging and go right to the pics!

Bloody Mary’s with The Kin at the BMI Brunch @ Four Seasons

Charging up with Dear Future on some AMP, courtesy of the AMP rolling ice chest girl

Strolling down 6th with …

Waiting for another meeting, are you seeing a pattern here?

(p.s. shot over 4 days so give me a break!)

Time for the (?!)th annual Holiday Party hosted this year by Scott Austin, Authentik Artists, Ashley Ihasz, Octavio Gallardo and Jessica Reynolds. If you know the location of Authentik HQ, then make your way there for what is sure to be the biggest and best Holiday Party we’ve ever thrown…

As always, this is sure to be THE most talked about event of the century, and it wouldn’t be the same without you so make sure to make an appearance and toast another amazing year with some good friends…

Cheers!

So on what would be a tropical day anywhere but here (it was high 60’s), we got to celebrate Thanksgiving the way it was meant to be celebrated… Under sunny California skies.

Rok was largely responsible for the cooking of the feast (including the tastiest, BBQ-roasted turkey I’ve ever had), with only a small gathering to celebrate the holiday in style.

Photo credit: Scott Austin

Scott with Turkey on BBQ (WTF???!!!)

Scott with Sis

The Crew (L to R: Sis, Janice, Scotty P., Mom(s), Jess, Roktavio)

Gobble Gobble!

I have seen hundreds of shows in my career spanning everyone from the local bar band to U2, Radiohead, Coldplay, Fleetwood Mac, Aerosmith, Christina Aguilera, Rod Stewart and others, but as of tonight everything pales in comparison to the one I saw last night.

Thanks to smASH, we scored about the most amazing seats one can get to Neil Diamond at the Hollywood Bowl!!! Fourth row, CENTER! So close we could touch him!

This was one of the greatest Performances I have ever seen and is a reinforcement of music’s need for iconic rockstars!

Our journey is chronicled below:

Start with 2 Martinis and a healthy snack:

Take a quick stroll up the hill to the Hollywood Bowl:

Find out you’re sitting 6 feet from Neil in an audience of 18,000:

Sing it Neil:

Give us more:

How cool. Last night after a delicious Italian meal in old town Pasadena, one of my favorite towns in L.A., smASH and I had the distinct pleasure of happening upon a place she has been trying to get me to check out for a few weeks now.

Wish Tree for Pasadena was setup by Yoko Ono and it’s literally a collection of trees surrounded with tables with boxes full of tags and little pencils where anyone can scribe their thoughts, wishes or otherwise and hang them on tree branches for the whole world to see. We spent a good 20 minutes wandering around and reading the thoughts and hopes of those who had already contributed.

If you’re looking for one small reminder of why we’re all here, grab a coffee and wander around the thousands of wishes and hopes, but try to do it at night!

Was great to get a last minute call from old friend and the smartest entrepreneur in the music business Jason Flom to grab a bite at the always impressive Polo Lounge at the Beverly Hills Hotel last night… If the salmon special weren’t enough, we had the pleasure of dining next to Sharon Osbourne whom I hadn’t seen since watching Elton John perform in her and Ozzy’s backyard a few years back!

And to pour further salt in the wounds, I’m off to a special VIP tasting at the soon-to-be-opened Morton’s Beverly Hills tonight.

Please, no press this time, I’m too spoiled.

OK, maybe one stock shot of the hotel’s magnificent pool:

To my beautiful main squeeze smASH on an amazing art show last night!!! The house was packed with VIP admirers and she made a sale of arguably the finest piece, Axl Rose, to our good friend Andrew Brightman.

Special thanks to our stretched limo driver and the fine folks at Morton’s who took care of us at the bar AND who showed their appreciation of the countless tens of thousands of dollars of corporate record company money I spent over the years by immortalizing me and smASH on the Morton’s photo wall!

My affinity for fine Italian food is a given, and when it came time to pick a dining location to celebrate smASH’s 24th, I thought it would be fun to challenge the ordinary and try a spot other than Il Sole or E. Baldi (though I’m hitting E. tonight since it will be gone soon!).  So with that in mind, Brentwood lured my attention with an intimate eatery called Pecorino.

I’m sure you Westsiders are familiar with the joint but for those of us on the other side of suburbia, this is well worth the drive.  A couple of glasses of Pinot Grigio and burrata with red peppers to start and spaghetti with pecorino and black pepper is about the best meal I could have asked for. smASH got to open some (great) presents while I eavesdropped and even chimed in a little on a heated political conversation at the table next door.

Dee-lish.

p.s. see some of you at the smASH art show tomo night and if we miss you meet us at Morton’s for a Mortini!

I had the distinct pleasure of fine dining with my friend EXTRA honcho Jeremy Spiegel at favorite haunt E. Baldi last night.

After sipping fine wine and delicately destroying our salads, I was telling a story and racking my brain for the name of a recent artist whose music was featured in Grey’s Anatomy and J kindly pointed out that I should just ask the table next to us where Eric Dane and Rebecca Gayheart were also enjoying some delicious grub.

Where else can you get 2 SLABs of prosciutto and a pile of burrata like this? (Avid readers will remember the single slab shown in the last E. Baldi blog!)

Bad news though, on the way out, we noticed a sign indicating E. Baldi will soon be no more, replaced by a Japanese Steak House!!!

R.I.P.