I cannot make this stuff up folks. My girl, Xicanisma pointed me to this most random and ironic scene of what a regular day in Boyle Heights looks like. Think about it ? This is the google car that goes around mapping things with that camera on top of the car, incognito. Yet, it manages to catch something like this, police officers stopping to a person who may or may not be a cholo, you can make that up for yourself. Having him get into pat down position. The address on here is 2030 E. 1st Things like this make the barrio look bad and might scare off potential investors who wanna develop, but that’s just the way things are here in Boyle Heights.
I’ve never seen an Andy Warhol up close and person. Eh, I’ve never been a fan of anything “pop,” except for the kind fizzy kind. I saw it at the L.A. Art show. It’s aight, I would do a post, but I’m kinda tired right now, so bear with me until I get to it later. Probably after the show ends. If you wanna check it out, go to goldstar and get $10 tickets like I did. However, there are some other great events happening this weekend that are worth mentioning besides the Anarchist book fair. You won’t be disappointed. And in the spirit of Art month, go out and get your art on.
My good friend asked me to share her words about the Brooklyn Music Center, the new music space operated by Ollin’s front man, Scott Rodarte.
Brooklyn Avenue Roots, Alive and Rockin’
By Victoria Kraus
A new community music school will open its doors this January along Cesar Chavez Avenue (formerly Brooklyn Avenue) by East Los rockin’ roller, Scott Rodarte of local Chicano punk-rock band OllÃn.
The Brooklyn Music Center (BMC) will function primarily as a school offering children and adults alike in the community affordable group and private lessons on a variety of instruments. The space will also be equipped and available to bands for rehearsals and recording.
“Our vision is to help generate art in the neighborhood so folks don’t have to go outside of the community to create or be enriched, musically,†Rodarte says of his music center.
The Brooklyn Music Center was previously the Brooklyn Medical Clinic. The space, still reminiscent of its history with its vintage architecture and glass blocks along the storefront entrance, was a shared medical and optometry clinic owned and operated by Doctors Freidman and Kaplan. Scott and his brother, Randy, also of OllÃn, used to work at the clinic while in high school, where they made pairs of glasses among doing other administrative duties.
Rodarte remembers the variety of commerce that used to thrive on Brooklyn Avenue such as the Brooklyn Theatre directly across the street from his music school, Phillips Music a few doors down, and Kens, a sporting goods store. “You know, all the mom and pop stores that were around before the corporate entities like Guitar Center, AMC Theatres and Big 5 took hold of society,†Rodarte reminisces.
BMC might stir some friendly rivalry with Boyle Heights’ acclaimed Neighborhood Music School but friendly would be is as far is gets. Rodarte has more of a rocker’s intention with the music program he plans to build. Rodarte and fellow musicians from his band along with friends will be teaching everything from percussion to electric guitar, maybe even the washboard.
Remodeling of the Brooklyn Music Center is scheduled to complete in early January.
Starting last year, as proclaimed by our mayor Tony V, January is Art Month here in L.A. and it’s all about the arts. This is the second year of bringing attention to the plight that the arts are facing, which I’m sure a lot of people are already aware of because when things get tight, the arts go out the window. So, the whole point of Art month is to get people out and about into museums, galleries and events all month long to check out what L.A. has to offer and stimulate the local economy. Well I did some stimulating of my own on Wednesday at Corazon del Pueblo by listening to amazing poets put themselves out there. They even inspired me to get up there and read. Aside from that, I knew I had to hit up the Art Walk because not only is it Art’s Month, but it’s the first one of the year. The cities website states, “we are urging Angelenos to enjoy the best the art world has to offer without leaving Los Angeles. And we hope they will make it an adventure by discovering a new museum or performing arts venue!”Adventure ? I’m game.
Harry Blackstone Jr. was the first magician I ever saw. Sure, it was on television, but it seemed so real to me. Magic always has. He had so much style. He was the master of ceremonies, but he was just a conduit. Maybe I exaggerate his modesty because today’s popular magicians seem so arrogant and lacking in personality. Sleeveless and svelte, so easily ignored.
Harry Blackstone Jr. was the real deal. Plus, he had that funny, protypical television voice. To my ears, he wasn’t just old, he was old school. Just listen to him. You hear that playful, diabolical laugh:
“There. And now that you’ve seen it, my dear. Now that you’ve all looked at it carefully, may I show you… a miracle? (snaps fingers) Ha Ha Ha Ha. She says, ‘that’s impossible’. Of course, it’s impossible. That’s why we do it. Ha Ha Ha Ha.” Behold!
Magic. My departed grandmother’s drunken, toofless grin. My little cousins laughing. The five times I’ve been in love. The first time I heard John Bonham’s bass pedal. Eating tamales under the Guanajuato night sky, etc. All those events leave me in a quandary. That childish suspension of belief need not end in a dolt hood. I like shit that can’t be explained. It doesn’t have to be! It’s all an illusion anyway, yes?
“Nothing I do can’t be done by a 10-year-old… with 15 years of practice.”
(Harry Blackstone Jr.)
Disclaimer: If, after watching this video, you think, “Oh, I know how he did it. Let me explain…” put the mic/keyboard down and back the fuck up. This ain’t karaoke. And this ain’t club jenna. Wax on Wax off somewhere else, please. We don’t care. We don’t want to know. But, if you dare share your ignoble insecurity with us, we pray that a gazillion pneumatic lesions terrorize your nether regions. Alakazam!
It’s no secret that the blog has managed to garner attention in the last year or so that it’s been around. I’m one of the many people covering BH events and that in itself has gotten me attention from others as well, case in point 14th District Council Member Jose Huizar. He reads the blog and through the help of my good friend WC connecting me with Rick Coca, who’s Director of Communication, I got some time in with the councilmen, who’s district also covers Downtown, Eagle Rock, El Sereno, Garvanza, Glassell Park, Hermon, Highland Park and Mount Washington, to talk about what’s going down in the hood. But since I don’t live in those parts of town, so I focused my questions more on BH because that is where I live and it’s where a lot of action is taking place. Continue reading →
“We started these problems and it’s going to take us to fix them.” Alfred Lomas of L.A. Gang Tours
Due to some technical difficulties with technology, I’m writing this post through my iPhone, so be patient of minor flaws. More than usual anyway. Thanks to Wendy Carrillo, I was able to attend the L.A. Gang Tour media presentation today to get a better feel for it, which is starting next week. For most of the day I’ve been chewing on the fat of the tour over all and what I want to write and say about it and what is being questioned back and forth. Is this ok? Is it poor people watching? Does the tour suck? Etc.
Before I get into any of that, I wanna share where I’m coming from. I’m an adoptive son of Boyle Heights, but like a promiscuous lover, I’ve been around. A lot of the spots that are in the tour, I spent time there as a kid. Looking out the window crossing Alameda into South Central and Compton took me back to days of future past when I saw those same sights in the back seat of my parents car. I was back in the hood after being gone for so long.
All those memories came back in a rush and I was all smiles. I know what’s up here. I know the tour guide knows his stuff and he’s not selling any bullshit to sensationalize it. This allowed me the opportunity to really listen to what he’s saying. What he wants to accomplish with the tour, what the future may bring and how this is the first step in more monumental actions. Everyone is hung up with the safari/fish bowl aspect of the tour and not listening to his hopes, ideals, vision and most importantly his motivation, which he does through Jesus and the Dream Center. If you want details about how this happened, read DJ’s post or the Times article.
“It’s never about strategies or building funds. It’s always about the people. It’s always about the lives that are being touched. It’s about the individuals who are willing to stand up in these communities.” Lomas
The way I see it, this tour is no different than this very blog that is a tool, a device that allows us to tell our own stories the way we see fit from our individual perspectives. To empower ourselves through our stories, using them and sharing them with others. Fostering ideas and dialogue amongst ourselves, rather than letting others tell our stories in ways that don’t even come close to how it really is. This is what I see this tour doing. They’re former bangers and they know how fucked up the system is, but not only that, they decided to take action.
They want to create sustainability within their own city, not relying on outside help. Creating jobs for kids and most importantly a path to end the cycles that keep snatching others into the La Vida Loca. This is the conclusion I made half way through the tour when we stopped at a church to hear a pastor describe the challenges presented to our communities. The changes in people and him personally learning Spanish and adapting his parish to help folks from the Latino/a community. To bring them in rather than exclude them.
If you wanna know what the tour is about, go and find out for yourself. Because I was part of the media preview, some of the things I saw and heard were catered for media. The tour will be unique to itself. You can call it fucked up and a safari all you want, but that’s not what this tour is about. And if you’re nesio, then fuck off. This tour is about people sharing their stories, history and personal narrative to create positive change in their communities because it takes our own to fix our own.
I had my communist meeting today, of all days Dia de los Reyes, a day that in the Latino/a community is spent with family to close the holiday celebrations and to enjoy some rosca and chocolate. I didn’t know what time I would get home from my meeting and I didn’t want to miss out on the rosca. Good thing my friend called me last night and suggested I take one to the meeting, we would go half’ers on it. So as I make my way toward the Pavo Bakery on Chavez and Soto I notice that there is a small pile of nothing but roscas sitting on the counter. I look with amazement at their size as the aroma of freshly baked roscas charms me into hunger. At $6.50, I knew a small one would suffice for our meeting considering there won’t be that many of use there. A medium one cost $20 and it’s WAY too big. Too much rosca.
I asked the lady for a small one and she ever so kindly went to the back to look for one. When she came back she told the other ladies at the register that there are only three small rosca left and the other two are reserved. “Should I make sure that the one rosca isn’t reserved for anyone” she exclaimed in spanish. “Si” replied one of the other women. She went to the back and looked again. She told them again that it was in fact the last one and that it didn’t have a name on it. She went to the back one more time and brought the rosca to the counter. A lady next to me quickly looks at the rosca and ask that woman at the counter if she had any more small roscas, “no. That’s the very last one” she said in spanish. We both had a little laugh about me having the last one, I paid and thanked the women at the register. I took the bus to my meeting, said hi to everyone and shared the rosca with them. They loved it.
We used my friends pocket knife, which she previously used to cut aguacate, and tore into that rosca. She was the one to get the baby and I told her it’s an omen. “So does that mean I have to host the party on Feb 2 ?” she asked. “No. I means you’re gonna have a baby” I said. She looks at me with contempt and annoyed and says, “Yeah, like that’ll happen.” True story.
Bad ass urban planner James Rojas, co founder of the Latino Urban Forum, guided angelinos on a tour of nacimiento altars located throughout East L.A. Apparently, from what Victoria D. told me, this is the 8th year he’s doing this and with the gold line up and running, he opted to guide us to adjacent nacimiento altars at various stops. She said that in previous years, the tour was given on bikes. I for one was excited to go on the tour out of curiosity of what the tour would involve, what we would see and expanding my mind to new ideas and concepts and guess what ? Since VD took some pics, you get to come along too. I’ll be your online tour guide of a tour I was part of. Isn’t that kick ass ? You bet your ass it is. I seem to be using the word ass a lot. Sorry 🙂 Continue reading →
