Royal/T piano painted by Kenny Scharf (photo credit: Amanda Brooks)

Royal/T, the playful art space, shop and café, is expanding its nighttime offerings with live entertainment, a new art cabaret space, tapas and other culinary treats, and extravagant special events — fusing popular culture, music, film, and contemporary art into a creative Westside lounge environment.  Set in Royal/T’s back gallery space, Nighttime at Royal/T’s mission is to provide high quality eclectic programming in art-full, high-style surroundings filled with owner Susan Hancock’s world-class contemporary art collection.  The space will be open every Wednesday, Thursday as well as selected additional nights, featuring cabaret acts and eclectic music performances. Cabaret nights are free and run from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Cover charge for most other events range from $5 to $20.  Royal/T will also continue to offer special evening events featuring films, DJ sets, art performances, and theme parties.  Nighttime at Royal/T events will feature French-Japanese fusion tapas except when a guest chef reigns in the kitchen.

For Immediate Release
August 17, 2010

Culver City’s Royal/T Introduces
Nighttime at Royal/T
Expanding Its Evening Offerings
With Art Cabaret Nights Every Wednesday & Thursday
+ Eclectic Special Events
Fall 2010

* Live Entertainment * High Art * Engineered Cocktails * World Class Tapas *

CULVER CITY, CA – Royal/T, the playful art space, shop and café, is expanding its nighttime offerings with live entertainment, a new art cabaret space, tapas and other culinary treats, and extravagant special events — fusing popular culture, music, film, and contemporary art into a creative Westside lounge environment.  Set in Royal/T’s back gallery space, Nighttime at Royal/T’s mission is to provide high quality eclectic programming in art-full, high-style surroundings filled with owner Susan Hancock’s world-class contemporary art collection.  The space will be open every Wednesday, Thursday as well as selected additional nights, featuring cabaret acts and eclectic music performances. Cabaret nights are free and run from 6:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m. Cover charge for most other events range from $5 to $20.  Royal/T will also continue to offer special evening events featuring films, DJ sets, art performances, and theme parties.  Nighttime at Royal/T events will feature French-Japanese fusion tapas except when a guest chef reigns in the kitchen.  Royal/T (www.royal-t.org, 310.559.6300) is located at 8910 Washington Blvd. (back entrance at 8927 Lindblade St.), Culver City, CA 90232.

Fall 2010 NIghttime at Royal/T Event Highlights …

Evidence and Vibration Institute Orchestra

Wed. Aug. 25, 8:00 – 11:00pm -

An evening of improvised electronic music featuring Vibration Institute Orchestra and Evidence

Vibration Institute Orchestra (http://vibrationinstitutemusic.com/music) is an ambient improvisation group led by bassist/DJ/composer John von Seggern in collaboration with Matt Piper, Steve Tavaglione, and Laura Escudé.

Evidence (www.ecnedive.com) is a collaboration between sound artists Stephan Moore and Scott Smallwood, who have developed a distinctive language of deeply layered sound, using field recordings of natural and industrial sounds as a primary source of inspiration and sonic material.

Tapas menu will be available.

General admission is $10, $5 for students, at the door.
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Jose Promis (photo courtesy of the artist)

Thu. Aug. 26, 6:00 – 11:00pm -

Cabaret night with world troubador Jose Promis and 80s power metal lounge lizzard Kate Gibbens

Chilean-born singer-songwriter Jose Promis is inspired by the international styles of old world troubadours, yet sets his music firmly in the 21st century. He began in the cabarets and independent theaters of Los Angeles in the mid-2000s and has also played throughout Europe (www.myspace.com/promis).

Classically trained and seasoned voice-belter Kate Gibbens delivers a lounge act filled with hair metal, touching ballads, and punk irony. The wild redhead covers metal favorites from Lita Ford, Journey, Van Halen, and Prince.

A la carte items from Master Sushi Chef Kenny Yamada will be available.
No door cover charge.
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Soul Sisters LIVE (photo courtesy of the artists)

Wed. Sept. 1, 6:00 – 11:00pm -

Cabaret night with Soul Sisters LIVE

Soul Sisters LIVE are singing female/character illusionists.

The duo stars the humorous and uplifting Lady Red Couture (www.myspace.com/ladyredcouture)
and
the alluring and vivacious Roxy Wood (www.myspace.com/roxywood).

www.myspace.com/bootylicous77

A la carte items from Master Sushi Chef Kenny Yamada will be available.

No door cover charge.

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The Kandinsky Effect (photo: Florence Grimmeisen)

Fri. Sept. 3, 8:00 – 10:00pm -

Modern jazz with The Kandinsky Effect

The Kandinsky Effect is a 3-peice modern jazz ensemble searching for new ways to improvise within the jazz idiom.  Saxophonist Warren Walker, bassist Gael Petrina, and drummer Gauthier Garrigue can be found lurking along the borders of jazz, rock, electronica, hip hop, and experimental sounds searching for freedom of expression.

www.facebook.com/TheKandinskyEffect

Tapas menu will be available.

General admission is $10
$5 for students,  at the door
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Theo Bleckmann (photo: Susie Knoll)

Wed. Sept. 15, 8:30 – 10:30pm -

Jazz and rock with the Theo Bleckmann & Ben Monder Duo

An eclectic jazz singer and new music composer, Grammy-nominated Theo Bleckmann makes music that is accessibly sophisticated, unsentimentally emotional, and seriously playful.  In addition to his work as a soloist, Bleckmann loves to mix it up with other musicians. He maintains an ongoing creative relationship with guitar phenomenon Ben Monder, generating a series of performances and a pair of albums that wreak beautiful havoc with standard expectations of jazz and rock.

www.theobleckmann.com

Tapas menu will be available.
General admission is $20, $10 for students, at the door.

Purchase tickets at: www.brownpapertickets.com/event/124070
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For the Love of God, Laugh (2007) by Damien Hirst

Thu. Sept. 23, 8:00pm – 1:00am -

The Warholian Exhibition Opening Party

To celebrate Warholian, an exhibit of photos, film, portraits and objects inspired by Andy Warhol, Royal/T will kick off the show with a Factory-inspired opening extravaganza, which promises to be the see-and-be-seen event of the season.  Party features DJ sets by the iconic DJ Diabetic (aka Shepard Fairey) and David J (Bauhaus / Love & Rockets) who will be spinning a special Warholcentric DJ set.  The exhibit features a variety of recent Warhol-inspired pieces by artists such as Takashi Murakami, Richard Prince, Jeff Koons, and Damien Hirst, celebrating the great pop artist’s deep influence on contemporary art. Curated by Eric Shiner, The Milton Fine Curator of Art at The Andy Warhol Museum, the exhibit also features some of Warhol’s most recognizable original artwork including “Marilyn” (1967), “Electric Chair” (1971), “Dollar Sign” (1981) and many more from the Alan Finkelstein Collection.

The Warholian exhibit is free and open to the public 10:00am to 6:00pm daily from Sept. 24, 2010 through Jan. 31, 2011.
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Myra Melford (photo: Valerie Trucchia)

Mon. Oct. 4, 7:00 – 11:00pm -

Angel City Jazz Festival

This benefit for Angel City Arts features an ensemble led by pianist Myra Melford, with Mark Dresser, Stomu Takeishi and Alex Cline, acclaimed Japanese Butoh dancer Oguri, and Chef Paul Canales of Oliveto Restaurant. Guests are invited to enjoy food inspired by the music, which is simultaneously interpreted in dance.

A four-course meal will be served during the performance. There will also be an art auction with proceeds donated to Angel City Arts.

More info at www.angelcityjazz.com.

Tickets $65 per person, available at: www.brownpapertickets.com/producerevent/121612?prod_id=22581
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MTKJ Quartet (photo: Paul Kikuchi)

Tue. Nov. 2, 8:00 – 10:30pm -

Jazz performance by MTKJ Quartet

MTKJ Quartet is Jason Mears on saxophones/clarinet, Kris Tiner on trumpets/flugelhorn, Paul Kikuchi on drums/percussion, and Ivan Johnson on contrabass.

www.emptycagequartet.com

Tapas menu will be available.

General admission is $10

$5 for students
at the door

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For Nighttime at Royal/T calendar of events, see: www.royal-t.org/about/news/.

Menu
Tapas: For most evening events, when a guest chef is not reigning in the kitchen, Royal/T will feature the tapas menu.  Along with signature soju cocktails, specialty mimosas, wine, sake, and craft beer selections, Nighttime at Royal/T diners in the back lounge can choose from a selection of French-Japanese fusion tapas. Among the choices are Crispy Spicy Tuna topped with micro wasabi, Kobe Beef Sliders served three ways (Quail egg up, tomato chutney, and blue cheese & caramelized onions); Kurobuta Pork Belly with puréed taro and spicy rice noodles; and Sweet Potato Fries. Plate prices range from $4 to $10.

Sushi Pop Art Series: On Wednesdays and Thursdays, from Aug. 26 to Sept. 9, 6:00 – 10:00pm, the Royal/T café is hosting a special Sushi Pop Art series, a pop up dinner series featuring creations by artistic sushi luminary Chef Kenny Yamada (Hell’s Kitchen, Katsuya).  The Royal/T café will feature two prix fixe menus by reservation only ($45 and $90) during the series.  On these evenings, during Yamada’s tenure, the Nighttime at Royal/ T lounge menu will feature an à la carte selection from his Sushi Pop Art dishes for walk-in diners in the lounge.  For additional details on the Sushi Pop Art series and café reservations, see http://kennyyamada.com. Reservations are not required in the lounge.

About Royal/T
Located in Culver City’s Art District, Royal/T is a playful blending of café, concept shop, and art exhibition space. The 10,000-square-foot space reflects the interior realm of fantasy that strongly influences the artists included in owner Susan Hancock’s contemporary art collection. Royal/T’s café is inspired by the meido kissa (maid café) phenomena of Akihabara, Tokyo’s electronic district. Re-contextualizing the underground culture of Japan that celebrates “cosplay” (costume play), waitresses dress in maid uniforms with a Lolita-esque touch, while serving an amalgam of French and Japanese cuisine with local California style. The art space showcases curated exhibitions with a focus on Japanese contemporary art; and an inventive concept store emulates the collection’s sophistication, a seamless merging of Japanese pop culture and high-end design. Currently on display at Royal/T is the The Never Ending Story with works by an international group of artists working with the theme fairytales, and its contemporary expression, fantasy.  Starting Sept. 24, the Warholian exhibit features photos, film, portraits and objects by and inspired by Andy Warhol.

Susan Hancock, Owner
Susan Hancock opened Royal/T in the gallery district of Culver City in April 2008.  A philanthropist and avid art collector, Hancock is a member of the Director’s Circle at LACMA and serves as a member of MOCA Partners at LA’s MOCA Contemporary. Outside Los Angeles, Hancock serves as a member of the International Collector’s Circle at MOCA Miami and serves on the Producer’s Council at New York’s New Museum. She has previously served on the International Director’s Council for the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and on the Board of Trustees at the Independent Curators International. For five years, she has served on the Acquisition Committee for Painting and Sculpture at the Whitney, and has supported various museum shows such as “Little Boy” curated by Murakami at the Japan Society in New York.

The Susan Hancock Collection
Susan Hancock’s collection of contemporary Japanese art includes works by Chiho Aoshima, Chinatsu Ban, Yayoi Deki, Mitsuhiro Ikeda, Izumi Kato, Hideaki Kawashima, Mahomi Kunikata, Yayoi Kusama, Mr., Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Mitsuhiro Okamoto, Aya Takano, Yuken Teruya, and Keisuke Yamamoto. Other artists represented in her collection include Ghada Amer, Stephan Balkenhol, Louise Bourgeois, Cecily Brown, Tracy Emin, Tom Friedman, Mark Grotjahn, Jim Hodges, Mike Kelley, Chris Ofili, Elizabeth Peyton, Richard Prince, Wilhelm Sasnal, Fred Tomaselli, Piotr Uklanski, and Lisa Yuskavage.

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For more information, photos, or to arrange an interview, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 and lynn@greengalactic.com.

Royal/T piano painted by Kenny Scharf (photo credit: Amanda Brooks)

Antidote Films

Jon Reiss’ Global Graffiti Documentary
Bomb It
- Currently Hitting Film Festivals Around the Planet
- US Theatrical Release Around the Corner – Spring 2008

LOS ANGELES, CA – Antidote Films is pleased to present Bomb It, the global graffiti documentary by award winning director Jon Reiss. Currently on a whirlwind international film festival tour, the film will screen theatrically for US audiences in spring 2008 followed by the DVD release. Featuring street artists and top graffiti writers from 5 continents Bomb It is the first film to update the story of graffiti with a truly international perspective. Personalities such as Cornbread, Lady Pink, acclaimed hip hop artist and former graffiti writer KRS One, international art machine Shepard Fairey, Brazilian bombing twin brothers Os Gemeos, and others share their lives with the camera. Globally comprehensive as well as politically relevant, a recent review by IGN.com reported, “… At the core of the film is a poignant social statement about public space and the war being waged for it.” To learn more please visit http://bombit-themovie.com and http://www.myspace.com/bombitthemovie and for constant updates about this film and graffiti culture in general, especially artist’s rights, visit the Bomb It blog at http://bombit-themovie.com/blog.

Hot off the heels of festivals in Helsinki, Calgary, Berlin and Ireland, Bomb It hits these fine festivals in the coming weeks with more TBA:
- Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil – Latin American premiere on 10/25, 10/27, 10/29
- Doclisboa, Lisbon, Portugal – the centerpiece of the closing night festivities on 10/26 & 10/28
- Olympia Film Festival, Washington, USA – 11/7
- Leeds International Film Festival, England – official UK premiere on 11/9, 11/10 & 11/18
- Oslo International Film Festival, Norway – 11/19, 11/20 &11/21
- British Film Institute, Southbank, London, England – 11/23
- Black Nights Film Festival POFF, Tallinn, Estonia – opening night on 11/24

And these upcoming festivals with screening times and dates TBD:
- IDFA Amsterdam, Netherlands – Docs for Sale (festival runs: 11/22 – 12/2)
- Black Soil International Hip Hop Festival, Amsterdam/Rotterdam, Netherlands – (festival runs: 11/23 – 12/2)
- Espontánea Film Festival, Saragossa, Spain – June 2008

Starting with graffiti’s roots in New York and Philadelphia, Bomb It goes on to explore the graff cultures in London, Paris, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Barcelona, Berlin, Cape Town, São Paulo, and Tokyo, before finally wrapping up in Los Angeles. The film features original footage with artists around the world who have taken the form and applied it to their particular cultural and social conditions, from Latin America, where graffiti has been adapted into the mural tradition, to Japan where anime inspired rakugaki juxtaposes with formal calligraphy and conformist societal norms, to Europe where a dadaist/surrealist tradition produces deliberately confrontational prankstering.

While some believe the roots of graffiti can be traced back to pre-linguistic cave markings and the innate human need for self-expression, graffiti remains a highly controversial issue. Using a myriad of original interviews as well as guerilla footage of graffiti writers in action, Bomb It tells the story of contemporary graffiti from its roots in ancient rock paintings through Picasso to Latino placas through its notorious emergence as a visual adjunct to the rise of hip hop culture in 1970’s New York City culminating in its current, pervasive presence in a myriad of forms – on the streets and in pop culture throughout the world, co-opted into advertising, on our clothing, etc.

The controversy surrounding graffiti is an integral part of the story: from anti-tagging groups, to the impact of New York City’s infamous “Quality of Life” laws which directly targeted illicit writing (the film includes an interview with NYC’s most outspoken graffiti critic, NYC Councilman Peter Vallone Jr.), to the proliferation of these laws throughout the world. Graffiti – as well as stenciling, stickering, postering, and any unsanctioned graphic “interference” in public space – raises important questions that delve deep into our contemporary social structure such as: Who has the right to express themselves? What is a canvas? Where should art take place? If public space is a forum for discussion, which voices will be heard?

Bomb It is the most comprehensive documentary about graffiti and street art to date. Roughly 200 artists were interviewed for this film. In addition to those named above, interviewees included Mear One, Terrible T-KID 170, Taki 183, Zephyr, Tribe, Tats Cru, Chaz Bojorquez, Robbie Conal, Ron English, Cope 2, Daim, Revs, Blek Le Rat, Very One, Stay High 149, Tracy 168, KET, Chino, Revok, Pez, Sixe, Zezao, Faith 47 and so many more (see http://bombit-themovie.com/artists/default.html for full list of artists interviewed).

The film’s soundtrack combines a striking roster of hip hop, electronic music and native sounds from some of the locales visited. Highlights include tracks by Immortal Technique, Big Syphe, Disco D, Donald Byrd, Spank Rock, Virgin Tears vs Dave The Hustler, and Mathematics. Indie record labels such as Highpoint Lowlife, Daptone Records, and Ninja Tune were extremely helpful in the process. Soweto Gospel Choir, ACFC Choir, and Black Noise underscore the South African scenes while the São Paulo portion boasts songs by Brazil’s Arthur Joly, and ARD, and Uruguay’s Federico Ramos Composed.

“Filmmaker Jon Reiss finds himself drawn to subcultures with guts,” the Village Voice wrote in May of this year during an interview for Bomb It’s world premiere at the 2007 Tribeca Film Festival. Named one of “10 Digital Directors to Watch” by Daily Variety, Reiss has covered the West Coast punk explosion, documented the notorious San Francisco performance group Survival Research Laboratories, rave culture in his debut feature-length documentary, Better Living Through Circuitry, and now graffiti culture. He also has a non-doc under his belt: the award-winning dark psychological drama, Cleopatra’s Second Husband. Also famous for his music videos, in 1995 the Toronto Film Festival curated a retrospective of Reiss’ music videos, which included 1992’s acclaimed Nine Inch Nails video, “Happiness in Slavery.” Jon Reiss’ work has screened at festivals, theaters and cultural centers throughout the world as well as on channels such as IFC, Showtime, and the Sundance Channel. Reiss received his MFA from the UCLA Film School.

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For more information, images and interviews, please contact Green Galactic’s Lynn Hasty at 213-840-1201 or lynn@greengalactic.com.