Venice Beach?

[Evan Young]

A playboy model who lives in Venice Beach told me I should go down there to do street shows. Anyone know what the deal is for jugglers down there?
I've set my last day at my real job for Apr. 5th. I was gonna go strait to Boulder, but I think it's probly a bit early in the season, so I want to go somplace warm for a month first. Wehre should I go?

[The Pretty Good]

Evan its simple.
Go to where the Playboy Bunnies are!

[Evan Young]

Thanks Brendon. You have made things so much more clear for me. I'm planning the trip now. I think I'm gonna take Historic Route 66 to get there. wow.
By the way, thanks for hanging out with us at mardi gras, it was fun.

What I really want to know is if I will need to audition for a permit or anything like that.
Anybody know?

[stickman]

Been a few years since I tried it, but should still be workable. Was told no fire/etc.. Did it anyhow, without any real problems. Offered a bunch of work, that didn't pan out. (Music video's etc..) Used to be the winter pitch. Santa Monica looked better, couldn't get a permit though due to city hall shutting down every second friday. (Cuts down traffic I was told!) Looks more controlled though. If worse comes to worse get the bunnie to console you. Say hi to the wierd clown with the parrets for me, if he's still around.

Stickman

http://www.weeble.org

[GlassHarper]

Hey, Evan --

I passed thru Venice Beach on my way to Alaska last summer. The feeling I got was the gangs had taken over so completely that it was a dangerous place to be. I'm told the roller-blading guitarist who's been there for a hundred years is still at it, but I didn't see him. The board walk there has been kind to me on several occasions in the past (but remember, I'm a musical act).

I did play Santa Monica, but was warned not to come back until I had a permit. I just stayed the one night.

Pacific Avenue in Santa Cruz has proved a great venue on several occasions.

I was hassled by other street performers and a female cop in Boulder (Pine St. Mall ??) the one time I passed thru.

Break a leg!

[David Groves]

I played Venice Beach for five or six weekends earlier this year.

IMHO, it's a fine pitch. I had no run-ins at all with gangs because it is well policed. It is under the jurisdiction of the LAPD, which is a bit rougher and tougher than the Santa Monica PD who run the Third Street Promenade, but they really don't bother you much.

There is a major rule for show performers, though. Most of the people down there have tables--tarot readers, massage therapists, jewelry vendors, incense sellers, etc.--and the performers are more rare. The police keep them in certain areas that are designated for performance, which are the green pagodas, which occur every fifty yards or so. You can do your show on one side of the pagoda but not in the middle. That's the big performing rule down there.

Don't know about fire or knives. Never tried those down there.

There are some fine buskers who make a good living down there, the main ones being Alfred & Seymour (the best buskers in LA!) and Rod Layson.

Hope that helps.

[ 04-30-2002: Message edited by: David Groves ]</p>

[scot]

Heres a tool for checkin' the flow on Venice Beach.

Venice Beach Cam

[thayr]

Venice Beach / Santa Monica

I was considering hitting these pitches sometime in the near future. I had considered it in the past but now that I'm probably moving down there it would make it a whole lot easier than lugging my stuff down from up in the valley. What I've found about permits:


"Venice Beach: Individuals interested in exercising free speech, public expression, or performance at the Venice Beach Boardwalk are required to obtain a Venice Beach Boardwalk Public Expression Permit. Permits can be obtained at the Venice Beach Park Office, located at 1800 Oceanfront Walk, daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Photo permits are issued the same day. Individuals requesting a permit will need to bring photo ID, pay a one-time, $25.00 fee, and will be required to sign a statement that states they have read and understood the Venice Beach Boardwalk Guidelines. The guidelines are based on Los Angeles Municipal Code 42.15, which can be viewed online at www.cityofla.org."

"Santa Monica Pier: A street performer’s permit can be obtained at City Hall Permits Office, 1685 Main Street, Santa Monica, CA 90401. The contact phone number is 310-458-8745. The fee is $37 for a street performer’s permit."

"Third Street Promenade: Street performers' licenses are issued out of Santa Monica City Hall at 1685 Main Street, Rm 103. Call 310-458-8745 for more information. An application may be obtained in person, and two passport-sized photos and a photo ID are required. The licensing office is open between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday and alternate Fridays. The application process takes three days. The license fee is $37 per person for one year and runs from January 1 to December 31."

[GlassHarper]

Free Speech?

"Free Speech" isn't free if you have to pay for it!

[thayr]

Re: Free Speech

"(b) Exception: During peak season after 12:00 p.m. (noon), any person,
whether or not a permit holder, may use any unoccupied space in the P-Zones subject to all other provisions of this section; provided that if the
permit holder to which the space was assigned arrives after noon and asks
to use his/her assigned space, the person not assigned the space shall
immediately relinquish the space to the assigned permit holder.

5, Unassigned Spaces in the P-Zones, Ten of the 105 designated P-Zone
spaces shall be made available on a first-come, first-served basis for persons
engaged in activity that is not vending and does not use amplified sound, those spaces shall be made available for persons giving away food."

[Devinthejuggler]

aah venice beach, i will always remember it as the place that handed my ass to me because i didn't know what i was doing, I will deffinitly be making a turn past there next year to reclaim some of my ego i left on the floor there.

I saw some guys really kill there.

enjoy.

[Juggalicious]

I've lived in LA for two years - I don't think I'll ever perform on Venice Beach.... SOCAL has a farmers market in Huntington Beach on Tuesday night's -they allow street performers -

pretty good crowds - bad hats-


I reckon there are shows to be done in Laguna Beach + Hermosa Beach -

[thayr]

aah venice beach, i will always remember it as the place that handed my ass to me because i didn't know what i was doing

Care to elaborate on how your ass was handed to you?

[Storm Surge]

do tell

Care to elaborate on how your ass was handed to you?

yes please do. others misfortune on the street can be so uplifting.