Hippodrome and Hazard's Pavilion ready for LA ArtWalk

December 11: THE HIPPODROME and HAZARD'S PAVILION Esotouric's Curated Downtown LA Art Walk Shuttles

WHAT: The Hippodrome and Hazard's Pavilion, two rolling curated salons on customized party buses

WHEN: 6-10pm on December 11, and every Second Thursday during downtown LA Art Walk

WHERE: The Hippodrome shuttle route circles Gallery Row (Main and Spring Streets between 9th and 2nd Streets); Hazard's Pavilion route includes 7+Fig, Ralph's, 7th Street Restaurant Row, Colori Kitchen, FIDM and GalleryRow

ROUTE MAP: Online at http://www.downtownartwalk.com/map/DAW_map.html

COST: Free shuttle and entertainment

FEATURING ON DECEMBER 13:

1) On Hazard's Pavilion: Hostess Kim Cooper with gypsy acoustic guitar and poetry from EYAL PERISH, rousing folk from THE HATS, hilarious tunes from THE UKULADY and old time Americana from CHRIS BERRY.

2) On The Hippodrome: Host Richard Schave with comic magicians RAUL and ERIKTAIT, the mournful acoustic picking of FORT KING, a suite of songs about the Alexandria Hotel by CLOWNS AND FOETUSES and historic LA verse from MIKE THE POET.

INFO: http://www.esotouric.com/hippodrome, 323-223-2767

The Downtown L.A. Art Walk, held every second Thursday year round, is one of the great success stories of the neighborhood's revival.

Launched in 2004 by a small group of independent gallery owners in what was then the western edge of Skid Row, the event now draws upwards of 4000 people, and includes live music, a thriving bar and restaurant scene, book signings, and of course art exhibits.

December 11 sees the seventh month when Kim Cooper and Richard Schave of Esotouric - the eclectic bus adventure company whose tours reveal L.A.'s secret history - provide free downtown transportation and curated entertainment during Art Walk. Now passengers can choose from the popular Hippodrome shuttle and the new Hazard's Pavilion shuttle, connecting Western downtown with Gallery Row.

Art Walk visitors can hail the Hippodrome and Hazard's Pavilion to get to the 7th and Fig Metro Station, Bert Green Fine Arts, The Hive, Colori Kitchen, Ralph's or FIDM -- but with so many interesting things happening on the bus, they may find they don't want to disembark when they arrive.The Hippodrome shuttle is named in honor of promoter Adolph Ramish's legendary Hippodrome Theater, formerly located at 4th and Main. The new Hippodrome is a customized former school bus brightly painted on the outside with lively graffiti-style scenes of beautiful women. Inside, passengers and performers sit face-to-face in a comfortable nightclub-style setting, with checkerboard flooring, cocktail tables and softly blinking lights. The Hippodrome Art Walk shuttle bus is sponsored by DLANC and the tour guides by the Historic Downtown BID.

Hazard's Pavilion, named for the late, lamented historic performance space at 5th and Olive, is sponsored by Brookfield Properties and 7+FIG at Ernst &Young Plaza, Downtown LA's Premiere Shopping and Dining Destination. The bus is a customized giant limo, stealth black on the outside and cozy within with luxurious leather seats, intimate performance spaces, and big screen TVs showing vintage Los Angeles scenes.

Every month the Hippodrome and Hazard's Pavilion feature interesting performers channeling the spirit of the neighborhood's storied past.

Appearing during the December 11 Art Walk:

ON THE HIPPODROME:
(6pm-6:30pm) Be prepared to be Amazed, Baffled and Confused by the MAGIC OF RAUL.
(6:45pm-7:45pm) Sweet and mournful acoustic picking from the captivating FORT KING.
(8pm-8:45pm) Presenting a suite of songs inspired by the ghosts and legends of the Alexandria Hotel (especially the late, great downstairs bar), we welcome CLOWNS AND FOETUSES.
(9:00pm-9:30pm) Dig MIKE THE POET as he gets the Hippodrome rocking with poems of civic pride and memory.
(9:30pm-10pm) Be seduced by the comic magic of ERIK TAIT, as he uses the ancient arts of conjuring to relieve grown women of their telephone numbers and grown men of their dates.

ON HAZARD'S PAVILION:
(6pm-6:45pm) A set of abstract gypsy guitar music and poetry from EYAL PERISH.
(7pm-7:45pm) Debuting their "Hazard's Pavilion Theme Song" and other rousing ditties, we welcome folk troubadours THE HATS.
(8:00pm-8:45pm) Until you've heard THE UKULADY's hilarious repertoire, you just don't know how hard a uke can rock. Be prepared to giggle, guffaw and gape.
(8:45pm-9:30pm) Old-time blues, ragtime and country music from the first last few decades of the 19th century and the first few of the 20th, courtesy of CHRIS BERRY.

ON THE STREETS: And don't miss the Hazard's Pavilion "human bus stops," fascinating performers who can provide you with printed information about the Hazard's Pavilion route and performers, and the exhibition I M M E R S IO N by Cheryl Walker inside the 7+Fig Art Space. (6pm-9pm) Amazing athletic feats and information about Hazard's Pavilion and the Art Walk from CIRQUS-FORNIA, the living bus stops at 7th & Figueroa. (6pm-9pm) See original art created before your eyes and get information about Hazard's Pavilion and the Art Walk from the fascinating JOHN of LET'S PAINT TV, the living bus stop at 5th & Spring.

LINKS FOR HIPPODROME PERFORMERS available at
http://esotouric.com/hippodrome

LINKS FOR HAZARD'S PAVILION PERFORMERS available at
http://esotouric.com/hazardspavilion