My evening on Friday seemed to consist mainly of mild swings of fortune. Two years in LA have taught me to lunge at empty parking spaces, so I was feeling fortunate when I spotted one on Fairfax not too far below Melrose. My jubilation evaporated as we trudged uphill, noting that there were at least half a dozen empty spots closer to our destination. And of course, upon arrival I discovered that Genghis Cohen, a Chinese restaurant that also features a small performance space, has its own parking lot.

We arrived at about 7:15, with the intention of eating a quick dinner in the restaurant before seeing Richard Julian, who I thought was scheduled to play at 8 p.m. The hostess, an aging Chinese woman, patted my arm repeatedly while apologizing that there was no way we’d be seated within the next forty-five minutes. So we set out onto the streets of West Hollywood hoping to find a quick bite to eat.

After an unsuccessful swing to the east along Melrose, where the only option was a pizza shop whose décor and level of cleanliness gave it the appearance of nothing more than a front for a money-laundering operation, it started to rain. We were rebuffed by the hostess of an Argentinean restaurant that was also fully booked. Fortunately, we found our salvation in a wine shop directly across the street, Froma on Melrose.

After a delightful dinner of wine, apricots, cheese and prosciutto, we made our way back up to Genghis Cohen only to discover the stage occupied by an a cappella group singing “Under the Boardwalk.” Retreating to the bar, where we were lucky enough to find a single unoccupied stool and a cheerful bartender, I began to worry that perhaps I had been misinformed about the time of Julian’s performance and we had missed it. My concerns were allayed when Richard himself appeared at the bar next to me, chatted with us briefly, and ordered a glass of tequila (which proceeded to occupy a stool next to him onstage, seemingly untouched, until the very end of his performance). (more…)