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Off-Ramp
Hosted by John Rabe

Exploring Southern California with John Rabe

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Episodes
  • John Rabe in the corner booth at Musso and Frank Grill in Hollywood
    Celebrating Leonard Nimoy and Spock, and comedian Felipe Esparza
    Leonard Nimoy’s son Adam tells us about his new film, "For the Love of Spock," which candidly digs into their difficult father-son relationship ... Kraftwerk, the German electronic music band at the Bowl next weekend, has a couple of surprising fans in pioneering LA Hip Hop DJs Arabian Prince and Egyptian Lover ... We'll talk with the last surviving member of the wheelchair basketball team that rose to national fame in 1947 from a VA rehab hospital in Norco ... And we go in-depth with Felipe Esparza. He's a common sight at comedy clubs and on TV, but years ago he was almost swallowed up by the gangs of East LA.
  • Crowds watch on as a float of female garment workers representing the United Garment Workers of America travels down Spring Street. The Los Angeles Times Building is present in the background, at Spring and First Street. Photo dated: September 7, 1936.
    Juan Gabriel, mom, and me
    When Adolfo Guzman Lopez hears the late Juan Gabriel’s music, he remembers the 1970s, listening to Gabriel’s songs on the radio as he and his mom rode in taxis and buses in Tijuana ... Why do waves happen, and why are they shaped like waves? Brains On brings in an expert to explain ... One of the founding fathers of LA punk, John Doe, joins us to talk about his memoir and sing new songs from his latest album ... Film score composer John Williams is at the Hollywood Bowl all weekend, leading the LA Phil in some of his best-known works. We talk with music writer Alex Ross about how Williams pretty much saved the classical music film score.
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  • A undated photo of the back of the Los Angeles Theatre in downtown LA, purchased by Ezat Delijani in 1982 at Mayor Bradley's request.
    RIP Downtown Theater Savior - Off-Ramp 9-3-2011
    Remembering Ezat Delijani, 83; bought and saved 4 downtown LA movie palaces ... A Noise Within gets a huge new theatre ... stick-fighting in Hermosa Beach ... Nick Roman remembers covering Cerritos plane crash 25 years ago ...
  • "Mr. Flamingo" and the "Bronze Buckaroo," Herb Jeffries
    Sweet, hot and windy - Off Ramp for 8-27-11
    A different music festival, less likely to be cancelled, comes to LA. Birding with a 15 year old expert, and how to bring a tornado to Long Beach.
  • Off-Ramp turns five years old this month. One of our heroes is Robbie Eisenberg, who died in 2003. He turned 101 in 1999, celebrating with a big cake at The Pantry, and was still selling zippers in downtown LA until he was 103.
    Happy 5th Birthday Off-Ramp - 8-20-11
    The best of five years of Off-Ramp including: Tom Jones ... Heston Remembered at the DWP ... Movies at the Cemetery ... Dog Pee v Skunks ... Rabe as Arnie and Andy ...
  • Men play tug of war at a Korean Institute of Southern California picnic in 1995. But feel free to sit in the shade at your local park this weekend and do absolutely nothing.
    Your turn to talk about 9/11 - Off-Ramp 8-13-11
    CyberFrequencies launches new 9-11 project ... Marvin Hamlisch on writing music for Barbra ... Eat:LA on making goat cheese at home, and eating burgers with Obama ... ArtWalk reacts to the baby tragedy ...
  • Filming "I Love Lucy" in 1952.
    Off-Ramp Loves Lucy -- 8-6-2011
    We celebrate TV pioneer Lucille Ball on her Centennial ... Kevin's grandma remembers WW2 and the USS Indianapolis ... The LA Jewish Symphony plays Bible stories at the Ford Ampitheatre ... a trip down Wilshire in 1970s photos ...
  • Author Lisa See (far right) with (L-R) Producer Wendi Murdoch, actress Li Bingbing, director Wayne Wang, and producer Florence Sloan, at a screening of Fox Searchlights' "Snowflower and the Secret Fan" on July 11, 2011 in Los Angeles, California.
    Lisa See Dreams of Joy on Off-Ramp 7-30-11
    Lisa See on "Dreams of Joy," the sequel to "Shanghai Girls ... "Leftover Cuties" live on KPCC's Jam and Banter ... Dinner Party Download makes you 15% smarter, 12% more attractive ... RIP Magu (Gilbert Luhan, founder of Los Four) ...
  • In this undated photo from the LA Public Library's fantastic online photo archive, a child captures Off-Ramp correspondent Hank Rosenfeld's disgust at the way officials treat the people who enjoy the free concerts at the Santa Monica Pier from blankets on the sand.
    Turturro Shares His "Passione" - Off-Ramp 7-23-11
    John Turturro on his Naples music doc Passione ... tour the new dino exhibit at the Natural History Museum ... Kidz Karmen at the Bowl ... The Man Harshes Good Vibe at SaMo Pier Concerts ... CyberFrequencies on Sexting ...
  • In Passione, Director John Turturro gets in front of the camera to dance with a few of the Neapolitans he meets on the street.
    Special: Actor and Director John Turturro on Passione, his newest film
    John Turturro talks with Kevin Ferguson about his love of Italian music, especially that of Naples, where his musical documentary takes place.
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