Looks like many, many dozens of people who rode the Expo Line this weekend also got their photo taken by Snap Yourself, a firm that specializes in taking pics at big events and posting them on Facebook.
The above is a screengrab that only shows a few of the photos. Click here for many more.
Zombies on board -- from Anna Chen
The zombies of Thrill the World Los Angeles joined Expo’s opening day festivities with flash mob performances at each station.
Zombies go Expo -- from Anna Chen
Expo Line opens this Saturday with events being held at four stations along the line from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. All events are free to attend.
7th St/Metro Center Station - 7th Street between Figueroa and Hope
Entertainment at this station will include Double Gee NineNet, a Latino jazz band presented by Make Music L.A., as well as other bands and performers. Booths will include those by IRIS from Cirque du Soleil, the Music Center, AQMD, L.A. Kings, L.A. Downtown News, Coca-Cola, Downtown Center Business Improvement District, Snap Yourself! photo booth, Colburn School of Music and many more.
Expo Park/USC Station – Pardee Plaza at USC
Entertainment at this station will include Brian Schwartz Quartet presented by Make Music L.A. and other performers. Booths will include those by the California Science Center, the California African American Museum, the Natural History Museum, USC Athletics, Metro/LADOT Bicycle Program and many more.
A passing commuter decides to give the new piano at Union Station a whirl just minutes after it was installed.
Turning your life into an impromptu musical has just gotten easier. Thirty pianos – one of which is located inside Union Station by the Starbucks - are decorated by local artists and community arts organizations. The pianos have just been placed throughout neighborhoods of L.A. County as part of the ”Play Me, I’m Yours” installation presented by the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra.
The piano at Union Station is designed by the Los Angeles Music and Art School and hosted by Metro. All 30 pianos are free for everyone to play and enjoy, so if you’re passing through Union Station take some time to give the piano a little love.
“Play Me, I’m Yours” launched today with a simultaneous play-in of Bach’s The Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I Preludes at all 30 pianos. The performer at Union Station was Raymond Lowe, who was extremely well received by the crowd of travelers that gathered to watch the event. Immediately after Lowe finished his performance, others jumped in for the chance to play. Check out the YouTube video Metro staff made of the performance at the top of the post.
The "Play Me" piano was intalled Wednesday afternoon at Union Station.
The “Play Me, I’m Yours” installation by artist Luke Jerram is a celebration of pianist and conductor Jeffrey Kahane’s 15th anniversary as LACO music director. Los Angeles is the 23rd city to host the art project. “Play Me, I’m Yours” began in London in 2008 and has since spread to over 20 cities around the world, including Cincinnati, New York, Barcelona and Sydney.
The 30 pianos will be in town for just three weeks, so take some time and try to visit each one! Go to the L.A. ”Play Me, I’m Yours” website for photos, videos, a list of the piano designers/decoraters and a map of where all the pianos are located. Many are located close to Metro bus stops and stations, such as the ones at El Pueblo (Union Station), L.A. Live (7th/Metro or Pico Station) and Santa Monica Pier (Rapid Bus 720 to 4th/Colorado).
For those living in Orange County, Metrolink is providing an easy way to travel to the Golden Dragon Parade in Chinatown. The first 100 people to arrive at the Irvine Station at 8 a.m. on January 28 will get a free roundtrip Metrolink ticket to Union Station. From there, it’s a short walk or a one-stop ride on the Metro Gold Line to Chinatown.
Free food and entertainment will be provided at Irvine Station for those waiting to hop on a train to downtown Los Angeles. After the parade, feel free to stay for the Lunar New Year festivities, or take the opportunity to Metro somewhere else and make a weekend of it.
The Metrolink ticket will be good on the Gold Line to Chinatown, but if you want to pick up a free gift at the Chinatown BID event info booth, you’ll have to show a valid Metro Pass or Rail ticket. Follow the link for more information on Metrolink’s offer and train schedule, and I look forward to seeing you OC-ers there!
The Rose Queen Court on the Gold Line this morning. Photo by Luis Inzunza/Metro.
With New Year’s Day on a Sunday this year, Metro has decided to run 24-hour service on all five rail lines and the Orange Line busway beginning on Saturday night — New Year’s Eve — until the close of service on Monday night, Jan. 2.
Free rides on all Metro buses and trains are being offered on New Year’s Eve from 9 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m. Sunday, Jan. 1. That’s part of a public safety initiative. Anyone boarding a Metro bus or train after 2 a.m. Sunday must pay a fare.
The Tournament of Roses parade this year and the Rose Bowl game are being held on Monday, Jan. 2 — the parade begins at 8 a.m. and the game kicks off at 2:10 p.m. As a result, Metro Rail and the Orange Line will be in service all night on Sunday and early Monday morning. (Here’s the Tournament of Roses website).
Metro will also add train service on Monday to accommodate heavy passenger loads to and from Pasadena.
For out of town visitors: Fares on Metro are $1.50 per ride on a single line. A day pass for $5 offers unlimited rides for a single day. Here is a map of our bus and rail system and here is a map of the Gold Line light rail connecting Union Station in downtown Los Angeles to Pasadena. Here is the parade route map.
In addition, on Jan. 2, Metrolink commuter rail will be running trains on the San Bernardino and Antelope Valley Line, plus offering 2-for-1 discounts.
An event is being held this morning in downtown L.A. to promote Metro service to the Tournament of Roses. Here is the official news release from Metro, with more details:
METRO, METROLINK THE EASIEST, MOST ECONOMICAL WAY TO TRAVEL TO 2012 TOURNAMENT OF ROSES® FESTIVITIES
For those planning to attend the 2012 Tournament of Roses Parade® and other festivities in Pasadena, there is no easier way to get there than Metro and Metrolink.
The 123rd Rose Parade® presented by Honda themed “Just Imagine…” will feature spirited marching bands from throughout the nation, majestic floral floats, and equestrian units.
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro) will provide fast, frequent rail service to and from Pasadena, with four station stops near the parade route. Event-goers traveling by Metro will also avoid the costs of parking and hassle of traffic in Pasadena.
A photo of the event from GOOD's Facebook page.
Sick of traffic? Done with smog? Well, you’re not the only one.
This past Saturday, GOOD Attacks! took place right in the heart of downtown Los Angeles, and this intrepid Metro-ette was there right in the middle of the action. The gathering is the first in a series of events designed to use flash mobs to draw attention to the problem of congestion in the city.
Organized by GOOD and mono – GOOD is a media platform that promotes the good news, mono is a design and branding company – the event began at noon with organizers and attendees gathering in a parking lot across Pershing Square. Many participants arrived by bicycle, while some strolled over from the nearby Metro Red/Purple Line station.
County of Los Angeles Supervisor Gloria Molina and County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation invite Angelenos to Go Metro to free cultural events in South L.A. and East L.A. – part of the ArtsFest 2011.
The fun starts tonight at 6pm at Roosevelt Park, steps away from the Blue Line Florence Station. This event features an Art Walk, an educational art workshop from LACMA, Azteca Dance and live latin music by “La Palabra.”
The next two events take place at the East L.A. Civic Center – easily accessible by the Gold Line – on September 3rd and October 1st. Both feature an Art Walk and live music by the Susie Hansen Latin Band.
We’ve added all these events to our Go Metro Events Calendar so you can include them in your plans.
Grab a sack lunch, hop on the Red/Purple line to Civic Center Station and head up the unfortunately steep hill to California Plaza where today at noon (or tonight at 8 p.m.) you can hear “Hotel California” — mariachi style. (Only in SoCal!) Or you can take Angels Flight (re-opened after repairs), the Silver Line or the Red/Purple to Pershing Square Station.
The concert by El Mariachi Rock-O of Guadalajara,Mexico, is part of Grand Performances and it’s FREE. Hear a preview above.
