Chris and Ryan go to the Wiltern

I'm a pretty religious man, while Chris is pretty much on the agnostic side. Well, Chris is just kind of apathetic towards life in general, so I'm not quite sure he believes anything exists these days, but what I am sure about, is that he would agree with me that God has quite a sense of humor. If he didn't, why would The Wiltern be smack in the middle of what is now known as Korea Town?

The Wiltern is a historic theater, and even if it wasn't surrounded by all things Korean, would still be one of my favorite places to see a show. Everyone from Brian Wilson to The Streets has performed there and it's always been a great experience. What enhances the experience even more for Chris and myself is the fact that we get to eat a pretty delicious meal beforehand. In a way, I feel like the Wiltern was made for us, a couple on Korean-American indie rock loving kids, and since we don't live in Los Angeles, don't get tired of either The Wiltern or the Korean food that Korea Town has to offer. It's our home away from home.

Unfortunately for the hipster crowd, Korean food isn't really in vogue (with the exception of the BBQ, which is always in vogue for the gluttons). So when they arrive to the Wiltern early, they're usually searching for the nearest Subway or McDonalds. They're easy to spot with their confused looks, plaid shirts, unkempt hair, and skinny jeans. It's understandable. I'd never go into a place where I or and the rest of my party couldn't read the signs or the menus. Plus with all the smelly cabbage and spicy tofu, I'm not sure that's what a Korean food first timer wants to eat right before bouncing up and down to Animal Collective.

Chris and I usually eat at BCD Tofu house (spicy Korean tofu soup) and now there's Mr. Pizza Factory, a Korean pizza place. What's makes the pizza Korean? Sweet potato paste in the outer crust and some gourmet combonations (seafood, baked potato theme, etc). It's definitely not for the health conscious, though probably healthier than eating pounds of short ribs in one sitting.

The last time Chris and I were at the Wiltern for a show was for Death Cab for Cutie on the Transatlanticism "victory lap" tour. We went to BCD and ate tofu with a side of short ribs. This was the 2nd time I had seen Death Cab for Cutie, but the first time at The Wiltern. This was almost 5 years ago, we barely still qualified as student (Chris was finishing up, I had one class to complete), and Death Cab for Cutie was just starting their ascent to the mainstream. This wasn't the last time that I saw the band in concert (Bridge School, 2006), but it's the last time that I've been to the Wiltern. Chris and I will be going back there tonight to see Grizzly Bear for the first time. I can't promise that we'll be blown away by the band tonight (but I'm sure we will), but I can promise that after 5 years, we will go through the same routine of eating a hearty Korean meal before heading to the show, and it will feel just like it did 5 years ago, and that's what a home is all about.