Why I Love WeHo #1: Hotel Music Series

Hello! My name is Brittany Nicole and I’m the PR and Marketing intern at the West Hollywood Marketing and Visitor’s Bureau! Although I live in LA, I’m mostly new to West Hollywood. Through my internship, I’ve been able to learn a lot about the city, its history, and its super-fun entertainment, nightlife, special events, LGBT scene, delicious restaurants and designer shopping. I can truly say that I’m falling in love with WeHo the more I discover.

That’s why I created the “Why I Love WeHo” blog series. As I get out and explore the city, I want to share my cool findings, fun experiences and reasons for falling in love with West Hollywood with you. Whether you’re a local who wants to find out about new things to do, a SoCal native that doesn’t make the trip to WeHo very often, or someone from out of state or even the country, you can follow me through my blogs and learn about West Hollywood with me!

I hope that you come to love it as much as I do. Feel free to comment on my blogs, send me topic suggestions, or use the hashtag #WhyILoveWeHo on Twitter to share the reasons why YOU love WeHo too!

Week 1

This week’s topic is hotel music series. This summer (aptly renamed the Summer of Music by us here at the Marketing and Visitors Bureau); several West Hollywood hotels are holding weekly or monthly acoustic concerts on site: The Standard West Hollywood, the Andaz, Sunset Marquis and the Mondrian. My coworker and I journeyed to The Standard for Desert Nights and had a great time.

The Standard Desert Nights

The Standard Desert Nights concert series is held every Wednesday night in the hotel’s Cactus Lounge, a small and intimate lounge with food and drink service located between the lobby and pool deck. Although my coworker and I arrived a little after the 7 pm show time, we still found seats right in front of the stage (and were even greeted by Jo Krasevich, the singer on stage at the time)!

The vibe was relaxed and cozy, with mood lighting, soulful tunes, and waiters quietly moving in between tables bringing cocktails, beer and sandwiches. The artists performing played very mellow, folks-y music – not the kind of music that I usually go out of my way to listen to, but a refreshing change nonetheless. It was the perfect atmosphere to unwind in after a long day at work, and the middle-of-the-week Wednesday date was a great choice.

Each Wednesday night KCRW’s DJ Valida curates 3 different acoustic musical artists to perform, meant to “evok[e] an impromptu jam in a musician’s living room.” The concert is always free. On Wednesday the 18^th the three acts were Jo Krasevich, Billy Harvey and Keith Zariello. Krasevich’s lyrics were dreamy and soulful, and really creative. When I was listening, I felt like I was being rocked to sleep in a small room with a comfortable blanket and a warm fire. I emerged from her set completely relaxed and with a new appreciation for what folk music can do. Billy Harvey was the life of the party – cracking jokes about an Italian couple that loudly sang along (incorrectly) to his songs, telling stories, etc. The main act was Keith Zariello, part of the band The Shivers. He brought records to place by the mic stand, and brought his own old-school oval microphone, reminiscent of the styles of the 1950s. I felt like with his voice and his props, I was transported to another era.

Overall, Desert Nights was a great way to end a workday. Definitely not a party or environment that makes you want to dance, but a fun (and free) way to experience a different genre of music. Check it out for yourself and learn more at The Standard Hollywood.