BLACKBURN AND SWEETZER

Went to Star Shoes last night to catch Oliver Wang of Soul Sides spin his signature funk ‘n’ soul, which did not disappoint, but was reminded why I stay clear of Hollywood. Seconds before breaking down and spending $8 for parking after a 20-plus minute search, we found a spot on the street at Selma and Ivar. The intersection is surrounded by new condos, just the tip of the iceberg in the development going on in Hollywood, which will be filled with people and more cars and more traffic. When is this city going to wake up to the absolute necessity of a subway system that allows people like me to get on a train somewhere off Fairfax or Wilshire (and not have to get over to Vermont to do it) or La Cienega and slide up to Hollywood sans vehicle?

The nabbed parking spot quelled our initial annoyance only to suffer a momentary scare upon seeing what ended up to be the snaking line to get into Cinespace and, thankfully, not our destination. We breezed into Star Shoes down the way, still relatively empty at 10:15. All was good with the world - Oliver got going at the back around 10:30; the bartendress entertained, applying her makeup in the mirror and smoothing out her hair with exacting care. Eventually, the place filled to the hilt and it became a nightmare to get to the bar and sign my tab. We got out of there before one with just enough time to get to the White Horse Inn, a true dive bar where it’s never too crowded. The bartender, a broad of a woman who holds court while dishing out booze and free snacks ‘o’ plenty (microwave popcorn, pretzels, chips, and hotdogs), showed us a cheek-to-cheek pic of her and Orlando Bloom. Luckily, there was no celeb contingent that night to bring down the anti-glitz appeal that is White Horse.