LASERIUM In Popular Culture Brief Mentions Noho: Local Poets Weigh in on the Power of Language... Some of Ivan Dryer's thoughts about poetry. See the page. EchoParkPatch: Echo Park’s Last And Truest Bohemians Alexander remembers a friend of Les and Annie's showing a 16mm movie which included some pretty cool laser images he had created. He remembers thinking "this is unbelievably cool, but how will they make money with it? Well Ivan Dryer and his friend, (Charlie, I think), went on to create the Laserium show at that ran over 25 years at the Griffith Park Observatory." See the page. SF360: Kuchar, Belson Bid Adieu ...In 1957, Belson created the Vortex Concerts with composer/DJ Henry Jacobs at Morrison Planetarium. These experiential light-projection shows inspired the rock’n’roll light shows of the ’60s and the Laserium shows of the ‘70s and ‘80s... See the page. Before the Living Roof: The California Academy of Sciences This SFGate article looked back at the California Academy of Sciences, before its recent renovation, in a series of photos. The one of Morrison Planetarium, longtime host of Laserium, caught our eye: Dec. 12, 1971: This photo is labeled 1971, but I'm skeptical. These kids look like they came straight from a 1950s "Leave it to Beaver" episode -- no way this was taken after the fourth Led Zeppelin album came out. Speaking of which, my dominant memories of the Morrison Planetarium are from the Laserium shows. I don't remember sitting in a proper planetarium demonstration, but the "Moon Rocks" show with the intercom warning not to smoke pot during the "Dark Side of the Moon" show is fresh in my head. See the page. Writing about the Carrie Underwood show: The show was also a little short on intimacy. We got a gown that turned into laserium for "Change" and a full-throttle duet with opener Sons of Sylvia on "What Can I Say." But we could have used even a brief acoustic set to reveal a more raw and tender side hinted at on "Mama's Song." See the page. 2010 Grammy Awards Best New Age Album (2010) — I’m not familiar with any of them, but "Laserium for the Soul" has a pretty new-age-y title. See the page. Get the album: http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/laserium-for-the-soul/id326936298 Jake Gyllenhaal - On time travel: "Right now, I'm very fascinated with 1920s Berlin. I mean, probably the more interesting thing would be to go to the beginning of civilization or precivilization-like polytheistic times. It would be interesting to see what came before modern religion and culture-what circumstances created the environment or the need for it. I actually felt like I was in a time machine last week when I went with Jay-Z to the Laserium in Los Angeles... Those kinds of [laser] shows really do take you back to a more innocent time when that stuff was superimpressive . . . Well, not even a more innocent time but maybe a more drugged-out time." See the page. Public_Art_Walkabout_Conservation_of_Public_Art In the I-5 underpass that connects Old Sacramento and the Downtown Plaza is Laserium by the Centro de Artistas Chicanos, Sharon Kilgore explains its history and how it is slowly degrading. See the page. Lane Lights Mean The 110 Freeway Goes Both Ways Surely you have noticed the cool new blue lane lights on the 110 Freeway delineating the transition lane to the 5 North (see a video embedded below). The lighted pavement markers, or Smart-stud systems, are a way to finally stop all of those jerks from sneaking into the front of the line when we have all been waiting patiently in line for the 5 North like good citizens. Plus they make your night-time drive more psychedelic, like you are at the laserium. See the page. Lyrics for "Storm In A Teacup" by the Red Hot Chili Peppers Come on come on baby Let me show you what I'm talkin' about You try to be a lady But you're walkin' like a sour kraut Looka looka lika lika Like you want to get some If you never tell a lie Then you never have to play dumb Dirty baby time you're gonna take some Pretty baby love you're gonna make some Little lady hearts you're gonna break some Kinda shady tears you're gonna fake some Dirty baby we've got a situation Pretty baby open invitation Little lady what a reputation Kinda shady now you're gonna make again I know you can straddle The atmosphere A tiny storm in your teacup girl I know you can battle the Masses, dear A tiny storm in your teacup girl Every other day you say You're gonna have to bury ´em Famous last words Spoken from the laserium Descendants had a record Sayin' somethin' 'bout Milo You can take the a train But you're gonna have to lie low I know you can straddle The atmosphere A tiny storm in your teacup girl I know you can battle the Masses, dear A tiny storm in your teacup girl Dirty baby time you're gonna take some Pretty baby love you're gonna make some Little lady hearts you're gonna break some Kinda shady tears you're gonna fake some Dirty baby we've got a situation Pretty baby open invitation Little lady what a reputation Kinda shady now you're gonna make again I know you can straddle The atmosphere A tiny storm in your teacup girl I know you can battle the Masses, dear A tiny storm in your teacup girl