Coffee Gallery on a Steep Hill

I was at the Coffee Gallery Backstage earlier this month to hear Will Ryan and the Cactus County Cowboys and write an article about them for Altadena Patch. (It was a really fun assignment.) I get to the Coffee Gallery pretty often.

The Coffee Gallery and Coffee Gallery Backstage are two separate but, shall we say, conjoined entities operating out of basically the same space. Both entities are institutions around here.

When John and I first moved to the San Gabriel Valley we rented a house in Altadena. We got married in the back yard there. We called the Coffee Gallery "Awake and Open" because of the sign hanging outside. It's always been part of our lives here.

Right now, both Coffee Gallery entities need to raise $20,000 by February 15th for their Conditional Use Pemit (CUP) and parking variance in order to keep their entertainment license.

They're having a fundraising concert on February 8th. Tickets are $18 and the artists, bless them, are donating 100% of the proceeds to the Coffee Gallery. Timothy Rutt wrote a good article about it on Altadenablog. If you can't make it to the show you can still make a donation.

$20,000. My god, that's steep. I think the Coffee Gallery will do it, but jeez louise, how's a small business supposed to survive in LA County with fees like that?

More Drive-By

This isn't really a drive-by shot, silly. It's not safe to shoot photographs while driving. This is a park-by shot.

But I'm keeping up my (teeny tine-y) theme in support of the Put a Fork in Hunger food drive, which is coming up this weekend (details below). The drive was put together by The Fork Guys: Phil Coombes, Ken Marshal and Bob Stane.

Two of The Fork Guys, Ken and Bob, operate the Coffee Gallery Backstage. I shot this photo at the back side of the building. I figure it's appropriate, it's a back room. Plus I love that sign in the window.

The Coffee Gallery Backstage offers musical entertainment in the evenings. Check the website for what's coming up. It's an intimate cabaret, dressed up to look like a coffee bean warehouse. But the room doesn't sit idle during the day. "For a slight fee or absolutely free depending on the event," the Coffee Gallery Backstage is a meeting room, a community space of sorts. For me it's a cherished spot because I join there once a month with one of my favorite groups, at the combined meeting of the local chapters of the Alameda Writers Group and the Independent Writers of Southern California.

Thanks so much, Fork Guys.

Update Friday morning: just received this bulletin from Phil:
Due to major traffic and safety concerns, people dropping off non-perishable items for food drive MUST enter Bellefontaine off Fair Oaks and proceed West. We want this to be safe and successful with no danger of accidents or the city shutting us down.
BTW, we are in desperate need of volunteers for both days. Please call Phil or email him if you can assist on either day for shifts 8-11 or 11-2. His number is below.

Details of the Put a Fork in Hunger Food Drive to benefit Union Station Homeless Services:
Saturday and Sunday, November 21st and 22nd between 8am and 4pm, at the Fork in the Road where Pasadena and St. John Avenues meet south of Bellefontaine. Drive by slowly (see update, above) and hand your non-perishable food items to the volunteers in the bright orange t-shirts and holding outreach bags. The Fork guys are also looking for volunteers. For further information or to volunteer, contact Phil @ AgentPhil.com or call 626 644-3227.