Oh No, Boho!

I work in an area of town called North Hollywood, inevitably abbreviated as NoHo. (See also, SoCal. I have heard vehemently conflicting reports, on the other hand, as to the true currency of "NorCal." Stay tuned for any updates on that as they become available.) Not surprisingly, there is something nearby called the Noho Arts District, upon which official city neighborhood signage has been conferred, along with several much tackier visual devices announcing the district's existence.

Equally unsurprisingly, upon learning that I am a musician, a non-artist co-worker has recommended that I investigate this magical land of streetlight banners, tapas bars, cardboard condos, and fluorescent paint. He expects I will find both personal and professional opportunities of which to avail myself. My only question: after how long is habitual antisocial skepticism transformed by time into the wisdom of age and experience, and am I there yet? My instinct here is, of course, to stay as far away as possible from people and institutions who announce themselves so loudly as artists, knowing from experience that the most interesting work (yes, I'm pretty comfortable with that as a one-word distillation of value, so just go with me for the next paragraph or so) is not nearly profitable enough to fund its own conspicousness. There's also this, which fails utterly to inspire confidence. Seriously, metal karaoke?

As I'm sure the other musicians reading this know, explaining all of this to your co-worker is a fool's errand, just like when he asks you, "Why don't you just join an orchestra?" or "I heard [pop star] is doing a record with horns." So I said I might check it out, and then a few days later realized I was actually thinking about doing so. That would be a mistake, and I know that because it's one I've made before. So, I'll be waiting until something specific draws me there, and not exactly holding my breath on the matter. I have to admit, though, pastel color schemes and freeway signage are a sneaky-good combination.