Can't We All Just Get Along - 2007

(Originally posted on LAist on April 29)



Today marks the fifteen year anniversary of one of the darkest chapters in Los Angeles history: the 1992 LA Riots.

On April 29, 1992, four police officers charged in the controversial 1991 beating of motorist Rodney King were acquitted, sending shockwaves through a community already in unrest. Anger had been rising over perceived racism by LAPD, poor economic conditions, and friction between minority groups in South Central. Nevertheless, no one could have anticipated the resulting response to the trial.

For five days, all of the stored up bitterness, resentment, and frustrations were unleashed in a cathartic rage on the city as the rest of the world watched. Anarchy reigned as whole blocks of businesses were set on fire, people were carjacked and randomly beaten, and rampant shooting broke out against rescue workers and between shopkeepers and looters. And of course, the enduring image of the riots was the brutal beating of truck driver Reginald Denny at the intersection of Florence and Normandie.

By the time the National Guard finally regained control, 53 people were dead, over 1,100 building were destroyed, 10,000 people were arrested, and nearly $1 billion in damage had been caused. The worst riots in recent US history. A mighty city left with deep physical scars, but even deeper emotional wounds.

Time posted a special retrospective report on the Riots, profiling and interviewing some of the key figures involved in the events, which is worth a read if only just to remember how things were fifteen years ago.

Do you remember where you were? I was a teenager at the time and remember being glued to the TV with a mixture of horror and fascination at the events as they unfolded. While I was nowhere close to any of the burn zones, I feared for the safety of extended family members that lived on the borders of South Central, particularly being Asian-American. I was too young and unaware to see the riots from any perspective beyond the overplayed race angle, whether Black and White or Black and Asian. But I was struck by the amount of perceived marginalization and mistreatment that could cause somebody to act with such anger.

Now, in 2007, I wonder how far our city and our society have truly come in mending the fences during these last fifteen years. Not just between races. Between classes. Between religious groups. Between genders. Between straight and gay.

I would like to think that we’ve come a long way, that every day our society grows more culturally aware, more tolerant, and more respective but respectful of the differences between our fellow man. I see our city with a Latino mayor, two of our leading presidential candidates being an African-American man and a White woman, and greater percentages of minorities rising to positions of power and prominence in the business sector and in Hollywood, and think that maybe we’re seeing people for who they are, not just what they are.

But then I am also reminded of things like the bigoted comments of public figures like Don Imus, Ann Coulter, and Michael Richards, the protests of citizens feeling overwhelmed by immigrant influences in their neighborhoods, and a rising income gap between classes. I notice that out of the thirty or so people that comprise senior management at my unnamed employer, only three are women and only three are non-white (with no non-white women). And despite being arguably the most multicultural city in the US, I see the widespread segregation that is so clearly pronounced that you could take a Crayola and color code a Thomas Bros by neighborhood (here’s a USC study based on the 2000 census), letting me know that there is still much work to be done.

Then I look at my own life and see that the majority of my friends are like me, Asian-Americans from middle to upper-middle class backgrounds, or from a similar Christian faith. Like anyone else, I naturally gravitate towards those with whom I can relate and have a shared experience and interest. I spend my time in those places which are safe and comfortable. But safe and comfortable means familiar, and familiar means status quo. And by holding on to the status quo, progress can’t ever happen.

The world has changed a lot since April 29, 1992 and LA has repaired itself and moved forward from that horrible episode in its past. Doesn’t mean those issues have just magically disappeared in 2007. Hopefully the lessons of the Riots will remind us that we don’t have to wait for the city to burn to ash before getting out there and being an advocate for change. There’s still room for progress. Starting with me.

Break-Up Therapy Trailer

Here's the trailer for the upcoming short film Break-Up Therapy, featuring yours truly, directed by David Ngo and produced by Double Oh Three Productions. The film will be premiering at VC Filmfest 2007 on May 9.

It Ends Tonight

(Originally posted on LAist on April 18)

It all comes down to this. One night. A grueling, six-month season, all decided in 48 minutes on the court.

Unfortunately for the Clippers, the court in question will be the Rose Garden in Portland, where the Golden St. Warriors play the Blazers. A win for the Warriors and they advance to the playoffs for the first time in 13 years. A loss opens the door for the Clips to potentially sneak in if they take care of business against the Hornets tonight at Staples. Since the Warrior game tips off a half-hour before the Clipper game, the Clips will be able to see their postseason lives unfolding in front of them on the out-of-town scoreboard.

We could wax poetic for hours on how the Clippers somehow beat Phoenix, the second-best team in the NBA playing their regular eight-man rotation, on the road last night, yet lost at home two days earlier to Sacramento, one of the weakest teams playing their young scrubs off the bench. This has been a microcosm of the season for the Clips: inconsistent effort and performance, leading to disappointing results. But it doesn’t matter now.

The only thing that does matter is whether the Warriors can close the deal and take advantage of the gift opening that the Clippers gave them on Sunday. On paper, it seems like a safe bet. The Warriors have won eight of nine, including their last four by an average of 21 points per game. The Blazers have lost nine of twelve, and have most of their top players sidelined, including likely rookie-of-the-year Brandon Roy, Zach Randolph, and LaMarcus Aldridge.

What can give Clipper Nation hope is the fact that it’s the Warriors, a team that hasn’t been in this position in more than a decade, and has rivaled the Clippers in terms of recent ineptitude. Warrior fans may be supremely confident, but there’s always a fatalistic sense of waiting for the other shoe to drop. It would be somehow appropriate if the Warriors whittled away a season where they exceeded expectations by choking in their last game.

Yes, this is the sad state of being a Clipper fan. Depending on someone to commit a bigger choke than you. Now please excuse me while I go get my Baron Davis voodoo doll and pour myself a big glass of haterade.

AP photo by Paul Connors

Desperately in Need of a Pick Up

(Originally posted on LAist on April 16)

So a guy goes to a bar with a bunch of his buddies. Let’s call him Elton. He hasn’t historically had a lot of success with the ladies, but the last time he visited this bar, things worked out really well for him.

He and his buddies have been making the rounds, working the room and evaluating the talent. Some of his buddies, like Tim, Steve, and Tracy, are getting play almost immediately. Meanwhile, Elton was a little off his game at the beginning, but he’s recovered nicely. In particular, one very attractive woman has really been digging him, laughing at his jokes and giving him the look.

There’s another guy, Baron, who’s been eyeing the same girl that Elton is feeling. But she’s not feeling Baron like she feels Elton. All Elton needs to do to close the deal is buy her one more drink and take her out on to the dance floor.

As Elton waits for the bartender to order another round, he starts talking up the fact that he lives at home with his mom. The woman is thrown off by this and starts turning her attention back to Baron, who’s ready to move in and capitalize on Elton’s blunder. Elton realizes his mistake, but now sees his only chance to win the woman back is for one of his boys, Dirk, who’s already set for the night, to go over and cock-block Baron.

Elton Brand and the Clippers were in prime position to make a return trip to the playoffs. After their huge comeback win against the Lakers last Thursday and easy win over the Blazers on Friday, the Clippers had a simple task to accomplish their season-long goal. Just win three straight games against unmotivated opponents: a last-place Sacramento team who had lost seven out of nine; a Phoenix team likely to be resting its starters with the second seed locked up; and a NO/OKC team that had just been eliminated from contention. Buy the drink and ask the girl for a dance.

One problem. The Clips somehow managed to bungle this slam-dunk opportunity by losing to the lowly Kings yesterday, on their home court no less. By doing so, the Clippers allowed Baron Davis and the Warriors to pass them in the standings for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Now, with only two games left in the season, the Clips can only make it to the playoffs if Golden St. loses one of its last two games and the Clippers win out.

The worst part? The Clippers gave it up in spectacularly bad fashion. Sacramento did everything in its power to give the Clippers the game, purposely putting a crappy team out on the court playing its young players for most of the second half. But in spite of the Kings’ best efforts to lose and improve their position in the draft lottery, the Clips worked even harder to choke it away.

The Clips fell behind by as many as 24 against a lineup prominently featuring D-league all-stars like John Salmons, Quincy Douby, Justin Williams, and Francisco Garcia before fighting back in the fourth quarter to make it respectable. LA made countless defensive lapses resulting in wide-open threes (Sac had ten 3s) and careless turnovers directly leading to Kings’ buckets (25 points off of 17 TOs). Just an all-out embarrassment considering the stakes.

So now the Clippers will be stuck scoreboard watching on Tuesday and Wednesday night. The Warriors’ remaining games are with league-leading Dallas and at bottom-feeder Portland. Realistically, with Golden St. playing such inspired ball (seven wins in its last eight games), only the Mavs have a chance to pull off a win, so Clipper Nation has to cheer hard for Dirk Nowitzki and company. The problem is that the Mavs clinched homecourt advantage a long time ago and don’t need to go all out. The one positive is that Dallas coach Avery Johnson is trying to keep his team sharp and may elect to play his starters close to normal minutes.

Of course, if the Clippers have another repeat of yesterday, it won’t matter what the Warriors do the rest of the way. The Clips will be the ones leaving the bar alone at the end of the night.

AP photo by Chris Pizzello

A Whole New Ball Game

(Originally posted on LAist on April 13)

This isn’t normally how the script goes.

For the first 30 minutes, all signs were pointing to the Lakers reasserting themselves as the team in LA, clinching their playoff spot, with the Clippers laying an egg in their most important game of the season. Kobe was scoring from all over the court, getting to the line, and creating easy shots for his teammates. When Kobe drained a three-pointer from the wing for his 38th point with eight minutes left in the third quarter, giving the Lakers a 17-point lead, the fat lady was already warming her pipes.

Same ol’ Lakers. Same ol’ Clippers. Business as usual.

Except that these aren’t your father’s Lakers. And these aren’t your father’s Clippers either.

The Clippers, having blown several big leads lately, responding to the challenge by slowly and methodically chipping away at the lead behind the low-post game of Elton Brand and the constant penetration of Corey Maggette. But Kobe, with some help from (surprise!) Smush Parker and Mo Evans, fended off the Clippers comeback efforts, and the Lakers maintained a comfortable ten-point lead with eight and a half to go. Kobe had 50 points at that point, and the only question seemed to be whether he was going to finish with 65 or 75.

Except Kobe didn’t score the rest of the way.

Meanwhile, the Lakers’ season-long shortcoming, its matador defense, reared its ugly head once again. With the floodgates open, the Clippers ran their offense to perfection with high pick and rolls and inside-out post to perimeter play, slicing and dicing their way to a 26-8 finish to the game and a stunning 118-110 win.

How did this happen? Start with a record night from Maggette, who took advantage of the referee’s liberal whistles to secure 24 free-throw attempts, repeatedly launching his body into traffic en route to a career-high 39 points. Mix in some Brand, who had his way with the Kwame-less Laker frontcourt (Laker fans, did you ever imagine you would miss #54 this much?) for 32 and 12.

But for Clipper Nation, the biggest factor was the return of Sam Cassell, Billy Crystal’s favorite senior citizen. Despite having been sidelined for all but seventeen minutes in the team’s last ten games because of his geriatric back, he decided to suit up because of the magnitude of the game. Cassell is still the heart of the Clippers, and it was obvious that the team responded to his presence down the stretch, playing confidently despite their deficit. The Lakers raced out to their big lead in part because of the relentless defensive pressure (yes, you read that correctly) that Laker guards were putting on Jason Hart, causing numerous turnovers and fast-break points, as well as completely disrupting the Clipper offense. With Cassell on the court for the bulk of the fourth quarter, the tempo totally changed.

In Lakerland, it was a scary sight indeed to watch Kobe do his thing on offense and have it still not be enough to deliver a win over a mediocre opponent. As TNT analyst Doug Collins pointed out in the second quarter, just as Kobe was starting on his scoring binge, it felt like one of those nights when Kobe wasn’t going to let his team lose.

Yet the Lakers lost. Kobe couldn’t deliver down the stretch. When was the last time he went scoreless in the last eight-plus minutes of a close game of this importance? The Clippers threw two and sometimes three defenders at him, desperate to make someone else beat them, even if it meant giving up completely uncontested shots. Earlier in the game, guys like Luke Walton and Ronny Turiaf, along with Parker and Evans, were making some great energy plays, opening up repeated easy hoops inside. But when the game got tight, the energy waned, the jumpers got tighter, and the putbacks got tougher. No one stepped up.

It is these inconsistent offensive contributions from the supporting cast that are highlighted when the Lakers don’t play defense, and ultimately don’t win games. The way the Lakers are playing, they aren’t going to win by clamping down on D. They’re going to have to outscore their opponents, a la Phoenix, Golden St., or Denver. But it’s hard to do that when only one guy is doing the scoring.

With last night’s result, the playoff race just got a whole lot more interesting. The Lakers’ lead for the seventh seed is down to a game-and-a-half, and only one in the loss column. The Clippers regained the eighth spot, pulling into a tie with the Warriors. The Hornets are still lurking a game behind those two.

Tonight, it gets fun. For all of the potential significance of last night’s outcome, it all gets thrown out the window if the Clippers don’t build off the momentum or the Lakers shrug it off and right the ship. The Clippers should have a slam dunk game against the lowly Blazers at Staples (7:30, FSW2), while the Lakers travel to Phoenix for a date with the mighty Suns (7:30, ESPN). With the Hornets facing the Nuggets at 5 pm, and the Warriors in Sacramento at 7 pm, the playoff race may start to take some definition by the end of the night. Or it may be even more muddled.

Only one way to find out. Tune in to cheer on your teams. Unless you’ve got a hot date or something.

AP photo by Jeff Lewis

Not Clutch

(Originally posted on LAist on April 11)

The difference between great teams and pretty-good teams, or pretty-good teams and mediocre teams is small. It’s a demonstrated ability to make plays at critical junctures of games. Great teams do it often, pretty-good teams do it sometimes, mediocre teams only occasionally. Memphis Grizzlies, never.

The Clippers’ deflating three-point overtime loss to the NO/OKC Hornets last night once again reflected the teams’ inability to make the plays in the clutch, an ability that has by and large eluded them all season, even during this most recent stretch of winning, and the primary cause for their current position of ninth place in the West, a half-game behind Golden St. Last night, it was critical mental errors that led to their demise.

In what is becoming too familiar a tale, the Clips raced out to a first-half double-digit lead, but were thoroughly outplayed in the third quarter. Trailing most of the way in the fourth, they turned to their superstar Elton Brand, who responded with a Herculean effort, resembling the EB who carried the Clips to the second round last year. Brand made shot after clutch shot, regardless of the Hornets’ defense en route to a season high 37 points. Brand’s dunk with 9.2 seconds left tied the game.

But on the ensuing inbounds pass, newbie point guard Jason Hart inexplicably fouled Chris Paul around halfcourt, giving the Hornets’ star point guard the go-ahead two free-throws. Complete mental breakdown. Throughout LA, Clipper Nation could be heard throwing things at the TV. Brand was there to rescue the Clips again, hitting a baseline jumper with 1 second left to send the game in overtime.

In overtime, the Clippers apparently developed an allergic reaction to rebounding. Down by three in the last two minutes, the team stood idly by and watched the Hornets’ David West grab uncontested offensive rebounds and putbacks on consecutive possessions to effectively ice the game. It’s one thing if a guy makes a great hustle play or an uber-athletic play to get the ball. It’s another thing entirely if no one bothers to lay a hand on a guy who scored 33 freakin’ points. Boxing out is a skill that is learned at the Y in grade school. But the Clippers were apparently too tired or too lazy to find a man and stick their asses into his midsection. Meanwhile, Clipper Nation was grabbing their throats in agony.

The rest of the Western playoff contenders were idle on Tuesday. The Hornets climbed to within a game of the Warriors and a half-game of the Clippers with the win. The Clips now face a virtual must-win game on Thursday against the Lakers, in what is perhaps the most important meeting between the squads ever, given the stakes for both teams (which has never been the case, um, ever). While the Lakers are still two games up on the Warriors and two-and-a-half on the Clippers, a loss significantly tightens up the race. Since the Lakers are playing poorly not only in crunch time, but most of the game (particularly on defense) these days, it promises to be a highly competitive affair.

AP photo by Sue Ogrocki

The CW (Clipper Weekly): Fight to the Finish

(Originally posted on LAist on April 10)

Current Record: 37-39, T-3rd Pacific, T-8th West

Last Week:

The Clippers entered the week with the opportunity to take control of their playoff fate and to put themselves in the drivers’ seat for one of the three remaining playoff spots. This morning, they are left still in control of their destiny, but very much in a fight for survival.

Things started well with a narrow victory over the Lakers on Wednesday, piling on to their co-tenants’ recent woes, and continuing the Clips’ overall strong play. And for most of Saturday’s game against Denver, the team appeared to making a statement about their legitimacy as the strongest of these final playoff contenders. With EB doing his thing down on the block, Corey getting to the line at will, and Kaman sending Denver shots back, the Clips took an eight-point lead heading into the fourth quarter. A Clipper win seemed all but certain, given that the team came in with a 31-2 record when ahead after three quarters.

Yes, that’s 31-2.

But during a twelve-minute stretch which could potentially define their season, the Clips saw it all slip through their fingers. The jump shots that were going in all game started finding iron. And in a nightmare scenario, Allen Iverson, the guy who LAist had clamored the front office to trade for, went off, singlehandedly outscoring the Clips 15-11 over a nine-minute stretch, getting the Nuggets back to a tie game with under a minute to play.

Nevertheless, the Clippers were in position to win after a Brand putback gave them a two-point lead with 43 seconds left. But in a finish eerily reminiscent of their lone loss over the previous two weeks against Houston, unheralded scrub Linas Kleiza made a go-ahead three-pointer (his only field goal of the game) from the corner. Maggette was then stripped by AI on the other end on a potential game-winning drive, and that was all she wrote.

Insult to injury was added when the Clippers had to travel to Dallas last night and take on the best team in the NBA on their court. Playing shorthanded not only without Cassell and Livingston, but also Tim Thomas, who sprained his wrist on an awkward fall against Denver, the Clips simply didn’t have the firepower to run with the Mavs. The loss dropped the Clippers into a tie with the Warriors for the final playoff spot.

Quick Take/Playoff Push:

With only a week and a half to go, every night is going to be important in determining who earns the final three spots in the Western Conference. Here is a quick rundown of the remaining schedules of the Clippers and their main contenders. LAist will be checking in daily the rest of the way to keep you informed, including updates on the most pivotal team: the Sacramento Kings. They play four of the five contenders and have a major chance to be the proverbial spoiler.

#6 Denver (41-36): at Utah (48-29), at New Orleans/Oklahoma City (36-41), at Memphis (19-59), vs. Minnesota (32-45), at San Antonio (56-21)

The Nuggets have caught fire at the right time with a six-game winning streak, including three wins against the LA teams over the last week to distance themselves from the pack. Though arguably the seventh seed is a more favorable draw (Phoenix instead of San Antonio), Denver is happy to finally be living up to the potential that was forecast after making the AI trade. Nothing is guaranteed in this league, but likely wins against Memphis and Minnesota should be enough to lock down the #6 spot since the Nuggets hold the tiebreakers over both the Lakers and Clippers.

#7 Lakers (40-38): vs. Clippers (38-39), at Phoenix (58-19), vs. Seattle (31-47), at Sacramento (31-45)

The Lakers are on the other extreme as the Nuggets, falling faster than Britney’s Q-rating, losing four out of five. Kobe is finding it lonely without any consistent frontcourt help, and Smush Parker is causing a stir because he thinks he merits playing time, despite the fact that he sucks. The last two should be winnable games, but if the Lakers don’t get this next one against the Clippers, they could be facing the huge negative momentum of a potentially unthinkable collapse, given that they aren’t likely to beat Phoenix with the Suns still playing for homecourt in the second round. I can only imagine the insanity at Arco Arena next Wednesday if the Kings have the chance to exercise (and exorcise) their inferiority complex and knock their despised rivals out of the playoffs.

#8 Warriors (38-40): at Sacramento (31-45), vs. Minnesota (32-45), vs. Dallas (64-13), at Portland (31-46)

The Warriors have really played some good ball since getting their full roster back, running teams off the court literally with the fast-paced Nellie ball in full effect. They have the easiest schedule of the contenders, with none of their upcoming opponents likely to put up a huge fight: the Mavs will be resting their stars for the playoffs and the other teams will be tanking to secure a better draft position. The Warriors lose the tiebreaker to the Lakers on head-to-head, but will win the tiebreaker with the Clippers on better conference record. Definitely something to keep in mind.

Clippers (37-39, 0 GB): at New Orleans/Oklahoma City (36-41), at Lakers (39-34), vs. Portland (31-46), vs. Sacramento (31-45), at Phoenix (58-19), vs. New Orleans/Oklahoma City (36-41)

One game at a time for the Clips. With six games in nine days (seven in ten if you count last night), the Clippers will be tested, including three games against fellow contenders. They are playing together as well as they have at any point this season, with Corey and Cat Mobley doing a great job creating scoring for others as well as themselves. Jason Hart is playing far better than could have been expected. Can they continue to get balanced contributions on the offensive end? Does EB have it in him to carry the team like he did down the stretch last year? With Thomas’ injury (though he’s going to try to play), do they have enough frontcourt depth to defend the paint and rebound effectively? The answers start coming tonight against the Hornets.

New Orleans/Oklahoma City (36-41, 1.5 GB): vs. LA Clippers (37-39), vs. Denver (41-36), at Houston (49-29), at Sacramento (31-45), at LA Clippers (37-39)

The Hornets seemed dead a week ago, but winning four out of five has propelled them back to the fringes of the race. Because they get two more games with the Clippers, they still are very much alive if they win out and can get some help from whomever’s playing Golden St. The fact that they are still alive despite having significant injuries to their entire rotation is a testament to their toughness. Still, with Des Mason now out for the season alongside Peja Stojakovic, and Tyson Chandler pretty iffy with a bruised toe, Chris Paul will have to be a monster for them to pull off this stretch. The Clips can finish them off tonight.

AP photo by Donna McWilliam

A Place to Call Home

(Originally posted on LAist on April 8)

The Clippers finally broke ground on their long overdue practice facility on Thursday afternoon, a 42,500 square foot facility at Playa Vista. The facility is scheduled to be completed early next year, outfitted with the same quality of equipment as you’d find at Sports Club LA (minus all of the beautiful, surgically enhanced clientele).

With $25 million invested into the project, now Elton Brand, Cat Mobley, et al will finally have a legitimate place to work out and train in the offseason and on off-days, building up endurance for sustained playoff runs in the years ahead.

So now when Elgin Baylor and Mike Dunleavy try to sell free agents on joining the team, they won’t have to hang their head in shame when asked why the Lakers are the only team in town with actual top-notch digs. While the Lakers spend their down time at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, the Clips have been practicing down the street at a Spectrum Health Club along with Bubba, the physical trainer.

Although the Clippers are eight years behind the Lakers in terms of getting facilities, and light years behind in accomplishments, each step they make these days symbolizes a bold move towards closing the gap and gaining permanent respectability as a franchise. With Donald Sterling committed to spending a few of his shillings to at least be on par with other teams in terms of personnel, the Clips are primed to pass along NBA laughingstock status to the Warriors once and for all. They just have to make sure to finish ahead of them this season.

John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae @ UCI, 4/3

(Originally posted on LAist on April 5)



John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae kicked off their 33-date US tour at UCI’s Bren Events Center on Tuesday night, reuniting two of the young stars who (along with Mr. Jessica Simpson John Mayer) delivered a poignant sleepy set at February’s Grammy Awards. In contrast to that milquetoast performance, Legend and CBR gave a lively three-hour show which even got the normally subdued Orange County crowd on its feet.

In this current era of pop music, where manufactured electronic beats coupled with absurdly simple lyrics (e.g. “I’m hot cuz I’m fly, you ain’t cuz you not,” or anything by Fergie) dominate the charts, it’s becoming increasingly rare to find artists that successfully cross over into the mainstream while maintaining a shred of originality, creativity, and versatility. Thus, it was refreshing to see John and Corinne exhibit all of these things while rockin’ the stage.

The British CBR, who was nominated for three Grammys in 2007 including Best New Artist, is best known for the breezy, sugary sweet “Put Your Records On” and the vulnerable “Like a Star” off her eponymous album. While both of those tracks possess a nice non-threatening pop sound, they belie the actual force of her voice and the rock and jazz-infused soul which underlies more of her music. Indeed, one of the most impactful songs was a take on Led Zeppelin’s piercing ballad, “Since I’ve Been Loving You”, which alternated between bass-syncopated rhythms and a heavy electric guitar riffs behind Corinne’s emotional vocals.

At the same time, CBR showed off her playful personality with her easy delivery of the funky “I’d Like To”. Although some of my female companions were preoccupied with her nice legs, I was drawn into her upper register runs on the passionate “Breathless”. But the unique quality of her voice was really highlighted when the band fell to the background on the slower songs like “Till It Happens to You”, allowing Corinne’s slightly melancholy tone to resonate throughout the arena, giving off a near haunting vibe.

Like Corinne, five-time Grammy award winner John Legend is perhaps better known for his soft piano-heavy ballads like “Ordinary People” but has been a force in the R&B/hip-hop scene for several years, collaborating with artists such as Kanye West, Common, and Fort Minor. Thus, it wasn’t entirely surprising to see Legend in full showmanship mode. Nevertheless, it was interesting to contrast his trademark grand piano at center stage with his constant prancing and preening around the stage.

Legend seemed determined to leave a memorable performance, perhaps to live up to his namesake (his actual last name is Stephens). He was backed by a full band, including horn section, which dialed up the beat and energy level for some of his more sweet tracks like “P.D.A. (We Just Don’t Care)” and “Number One”. Legend even wandered into the crowd for a performance of the Sly & the Family Stone classic “Dance to the Music”. He got his sexy on as well, grinding up on a girl from the first row while ripping through “Slow Dance”.

That isn’t to say that Legend totally ignored his tender side. While not possessing the purest vocal, Legend’s smoky tenor provided a rich contrast in sound to the simple elegance of his piano playing when he slowed it down for a heartfelt rendition of “Coming Home” or the sweet “Where Did My Baby Go”. It is precisely this ability to lace a beautiful melody with a sensitive lyric that separates Legend from many of his peers in the genre, who are heavily reliant on oversexed, machismo-laden dance hall tracks. Legend does dabble into these types of songs, but really makes his mark when he displays his vulnerability.

Legend actually performed all but about five tracks from his 2004 Get Lifted album and the 2006 Once Again album. He even threw in the Latin-influenced “Please Baby Don’t” which he recorded on Sergio Mendes’ Timeless album. However, it was a surprise duet with CBR that elicited the biggest cheer from the crowd, a fun version of Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway’s “Where is The Love?” Two great performers with great voices having a great time on stage together.

John Legend and Corinne Bailey Rae will be performing at Gibson Amphitheatre on Friday at 8 pm.

One Side of the Coin: Clippers Coming Up Lakers' Tail

(Originally posted on LAist on April 5)

While panic is setting in for the purple and gold, confidence is rising for the red, white, and blue. In a playoff atmosphere at Staples, the Clippers withstood a huge second-half surge by the Lakers and hung on for a 90-82 win.

With the Clippers notching their first victory over the Lakers this season, and seventh out of eight overall, the two LA teams finally seem to reverting back to preseason expectations as the regular season winds down, as the Lakers stumble to the finish line with four losses out of five. The Clippers are now just a game-and-a-half behind their co-tenants and back at .500 for the first time in two months.

For the Clips, last night’s game was nearly a damaging replay of last Wednesday’s loss to the Rockets. They outworked, outhustled, and outplayed the Lakers in all aspects while sprinting out to a 15-point halftime lead. Corey Maggette, Cuttino Mobley, and Jason Hart were nearly flawless from the perimeter, and Kobe was having to work extremely hard to get his points.

But when the third quarter rolled around, the Lakers began to clamp down, and the Clippers relapsed into their tendency to isolate one side of the court and play one-on-one ball. Meanwhile, the Lakers were able to create offense in transition off of turnovers and crept all the way back to within one point with five minutes to play.

It was an unlikely hero that came to the rescue: Chris Kaman. He with the big bald spot. As bad as Kaman has been most of the year, he must be given his props when he earns his check. He turned in his best effort in weeks with 17 points, 14 boards, and 4 blocks. He repeatedly schooled young Andrew Bynum in the post and was active on the offensive glass, taking advantage of the Lakers’ smallish and thin frontline. Kaman was reinserted right after the Lakers had gotten to their closest point in the fourth, and stopped the Lakers’ momentum with a left-handed baby hook and drawing a foul on Bynum for free throws on consecutive possessions.

As has been the case during the team’s hot streak, the Clips played as a unit on both ends and got important contributions from many sources. Five players scored in double figures, with six getting between nine and seventeen shots. Contrast this with the Lakers, who watched Kobe jack up 34 shots, and were too often standing around waiting for him to make a play.

Of course, it was the waves of defenders that Mike Dunleavy threw at Kobe that harassed him into his poor shooting, in particular Mobley and Q. Ross, and the mostly solid defensive rotation that prevented the Lakers’ role players from getting many open jumpers out of those double teams. Despite the Clippers’ dismal 33-point second half, they showed the ability to make the critical plays when they were most needed.

With the Lakers’ once seemingly unbreakable stranglehold on the six seed slipping quickly, expect next Thursday’s matchup between LA’s finest to be even more intense with potentially more at stake. The way things are trending, it could be the Clippers’ chance to bury the Lakers next time around.

AP photo by Mark J. Terrill

The CW (Clipper Weekly): Together Everyone Achieves More

(Originally posted on LAist on April 3)

Current Record: 36-37, 3rd Pacific, 8th West

Last Week:

It’s amazing how sometimes a little adversity can galvanize a group of people and inspire them to achieve more than was thought possible. OK, so in the Clippers’ case, they’re basically achieving what was expected at the beginning of the season. Nevertheless, after utterly disappointing play for most of the season, the Clips seem to have finally found their groove just in the nick of time, playing their best three-week stretch of ball despite the absence of their leader of today (Sam Cassell) and leader of tomorrow (Shaun Livingston).

While the Clippers were unable to close out a nailbiter against a tough Houston squad, the team responded with back-to-back road wins, including breaking a Washington Generals-like ten year losing streak in Sacramento (17 games), and a laugher against Portland. The Clips have maintained a high level of execution, particularly on offense, which means a lot of people are getting touches. And surprise, surprise, when people are getting the ball and the team is winning six out of seven, the clubhouse mood gets a little bit lighter. Corey Maggette is happier with his increased role. Jason Hart has gone from in-over-his-head to team catalyst. Chris Kaman… well, he’s still playing like a stiff, so not everything has changed for the better.

Quick Take:

Yes, that is a feeling of anticipation that is arising from Clipper Nation once again. Despite the fact that most fans expected the team to be closer to title contention than the lottery, this is still the same franchise that has four playoff appearances in its 23 years in LA and has never had two consecutive winning seasons. Just getting to be a part of the dance means something to the Clips. It may not seem like a big deal to the Showtime crowd, but to even be validated as an above-average team (and not just a one-year wonder) is significant. It represents a hope that Clipper fans can dream bigger.

Last year’s success was predicated on a team concept, working together on defense and spreading the wealth on offense. It was this togetherness that resonated with fans – that and the whole winning thing. For most of the year, the Clippers have been a collection of individuals rather than a team. Big difference. Painful to watch. But the team is beginning to resemble last year more, with five or even six players routinely scoring in double figures and active on both ends of the court.

If there is any bad news, it’s that the injury bug continues to claim additional victims. Maggette missed Saturday’s win after taking an elbow to the chest, and is questionable for the big crosstown showdown against the Kobes Lakers on Wednesday. Cassell is showing no signs of returning from his back injury. No, Kaman isn’t injured. Seriously. He’s just bad.

Playoff Push:

#6 Lakers (39-34): vs. Denver (36-36), at Clippers (36-37), at Seattle (30-43)
#7 Denver (36-36): at Lakers (39-34), vs. Sacramento (30-42), vs. Dallas (61-12), at Clippers (36-37)
#8 Clippers (36-37): vs. Lakers (39-34), vs. Denver (36-36)
Golden St (35-39): at Houston (47-27), at Memphis (19-56), at San Antonio (52-21)

Decide it on the court. That’s the rub for the Lakers, Nuggets, and Clippers, who have a little round robin action this week with the opportunity to determine their own playoff destiny. Granted, the race for #6 isn’t exactly the most meaningful, especially when considering the negligible difference of getting a first-round facial by the Spurs (#3), Suns (#2), or Mavs (#1), by far the three best teams in the Association. What’s more important for each of these teams is to finish on a good note, given all of the turmoil that all three have faced this year, to build some forward momentum for next season.

The Lakers can all but wrap the #6 seed with a couple of wins, while the Nuggets and Clippers can give themselves some more buffer from the Warriors. With Golden St. playing two extremely tough road games, a strong week by either Denver or LAC could virtually clinch a playoff spot.

This Week:

Wednesday: vs. Lakers (FSW2/FSN, 7:30 pm) – the Lakers have won both games in the series, but it’s been four months since the two teams met, and much has changed in that time. What’s not different is the fact that the Clips have to find an answer for #24, who’s averaged 34.5 in the two meetings. Q. Ross, who’s been primarily collecting splinters on the bench, will probably have the first crack, especially with Maggette ailing. However, with the Lakers apparently allergic to playing anything resembling defense (nearly allowing 108 points per game over the last 15), EB should be licking his chops at getting to face their highly inconsistent front line. More on this game later in the week.

Saturday: vs. Denver (KTLA-CW, 7:30 pm) – the Nuggets continue to putter along, waiting for the burst that the Iverson trade was supposed to bring which hasn’t materialized. On paper, it feels like Denver should be better, with the NBA’s top scoring duo of Melo and AI ringing up 56 points a game, plus two tough bigs in Nene and Marcus Camby. But the two superstars haven’t really figured out how to elevate each other’s game on offense, while both are suspect on defense. The Clips need to make it a halfcourt game since Denver’s offense is much weaker in the set offense (read: isolation plays for the two stars) than in transition.

AP photo by Rick Bowmer