An Punk Rock Art And Music Weekend In Venice

With heavy things continuing to go down practically every day in the world, last weekend made clear that people were again in the mood to blow off some steam.

The weekend was also book-ended by tacos. After some Friday night hijinks, we finally got to try the excellent tacos at El Primo tacos, the little taco set up on Lincoln Boulevard by the old aquarium building. There was still a line after 11 p.m., and once we had a bite, we knew why. YUM. Get yourself there for some street tacos ... you will be happy.

Saturday was all about art. I picked up my pals at In Heroes We Trust, and we made our way over to San Juan and Main, where they were having a party with a virtual reality situation, set up to show new ways of advertising.

There was quite a line for the v.r. thing, so after admiring Matthew Heller's new First Amendment mural on the wall outside, we made our way over to the C.A.V. E. Gallery for the opening of the Still Screaming punk rock photography show.

The walls were covered with shots that do a great job at summing up that time period that was ruled by punk rock. My favorites were by our local photographer, Josh "Bagel" Klassman, whose black and whites greeted the opening goers right inside the door.

C.A.V.E. was packed with people in their Suicidal Tendencies sweatshirts and otherwise black clothing. It had been announced that Black Flag's Keith Morris was going to be there to spin the punk tunes, but he did not show due to a diabetic situation, we were told. Healing wishes to Mr. Morris!

This Is Why I'm Such A Mess took over the back room was decked out with the whimsical works of Amanda "Mando" Marie & The Lost Object (AKA XO), with her little girls and ghosts beguiling the crowd.

I also very much liked the wooden pieces that named beaches of Southern California, though Venice was missing, curiously. That would have sold for sure.

As it was pretty hot and crowded inside, a gang of us hung outside on the sidewalk, swapping tales and shooting the breeze. That was probably my favorite part, as you don't always get the chance to really stand around and talk with the homies at these events. We really slowed it down and talked, and remembered what we love about Venice ... exactly nights like these. Friends coming together for art and communion, and on this night we even got an extra big full moon to compliment it all. Dreamy. This show is on through July 3rd.

Sunday was the now annual Booze/Bands/Boil at The Cinema Bar, put on by my good friend, Matt Ellis. It was a gorgeous day, and after a fiery set by Chief White Lightning, we took it out back to the patio to indulge in the wonderful crawfish boil put out by our friends at Hatchet Hall.

It's a very messy proceeding, but one that is always fun, always delicious, and once again, designed to bring about a communal vibe. Everyone is in the same boat, ripping off crawfish heads and sucking them down, with juice all over their faces. What a great time!

Lacey Kay Cowden was at her boot-stomping best, with her full band bringing it just as hard. The sunshine steamed in the windows, and her cinematic songs gave us all a bit of an escape ... not that we needed one. Things were perfectly great right where we were.

By now a whole lot of my friends had shown up, so it was back to the patio to do some laughing and catching up, but not before I caught a bunch of good songs by Kat Myer & The Buzzards, who I'd never seen before, but will now certainly keep an eye out for. They were great.

Golden hour found us laughing our heads off, and boy, was that needed. These escapism afternoons are pretty much the only things holding us together these days, and I was full of gratitude for all the great people and vibes. It really is what this life is all about.

Matt Ellis and his full band were in excellent form to headline the proceedings, and we were all in there singing and dancing along the whole time. Any woes that had been brought along this afternoon were soon forgotten, as friends belted out their friend's songs with abandon.

"They Don't Make 'Em Like They Used To" is the Matt Ellis/Paul Chesne duet that finds that title absolutely true ... they sure don't make 'em like these guys anymore. Make sure you get out to see them play - it's always a great time, and they play a lot. Lucky us!

The Cinema's little stage is so small that bass player, Dustin Bookatz, stood on the floor along with the crowd. Each player (also Fern Sanchez, Josh Norton, and Tim Walker - all awesome) in Ellis' ensemble is so good, I always find myself getting distracted by watching one of them riff, and then snap myself back to the whole. Ellis ended his high-energy set with his "Hey, Mister" song, that we all again sang along to, reminding the Misters of now that we are not down with what's going on. Music for the People.

By now, the People were hungry again, and that meant Tito's Tacos. The line was insane, but the tacos were well worth it, as ever. It was again communally fun, as all the people in line chatted and mingled, and made even a long line fun.

Back to the Ellis Ranch, for more tunes and more fun, and more denial that the weekend was coming to a close. One that had been great, and jam packed with all the things that make being in Venice (and its adjacent zones) so dang great ... especially in the Summer - which it's just now starting to feel like. I'll see you out there, everyone! Have fun, People!

A Community Fundraiser To Save Penmar!

There have been too many good times to count at the corner of Penmar and Palms over the years. The little row of bungalows have hosted countless parties and gatherings of friends, and have been a headquarters for the community for years. As Gentrification continues to rear its ugly head here in Venice, now the Penmar bungalows are in jeopardy. The property has been purchased by an overseas investment group who intend to build more big, ugly, boxes (BUBS), and who could care less about the community.

So that Community came together on Sunday to have a fundraiser to help pay for legal fees as the residents prepare to do battle with the Man. Some may feel that it's just too bad, someone bought the property, live with it. But enough of that. If no one ever stands up to anything, the bad guys win. Penmar residents and their neighbors are standing up, speaking out, and it's a wonderful thing to behold.

Friends and neighbors gathered in the golden hour, and enjoyed a fried chicken spread donated by Hatchet Hall. Several different friends have lived in these bungalows, passing one on to the next friend when they moved, so there were plenty of stories being swapped about the good times had there over the years.

It was touching to see many residents of the surrounding neighborhood show up in support even though it's not their exact battle ... as one woman spoke and pointed out, "It's here now, but it will happen there." People are the fabric of our community, and if all our housing is unaffordable (and ugly with no sense of place or history) and owned by companies that don't even live here, it erodes the character of the neighborhood. And no one wants that.

Entertainment was provided by current resident Lacey Kay Cowden, who regaled us with her beautiful tunes as the stars began twinkling overhead. It was beautiful, enhanced by the knowledge that we were all together in solidarity for a meaningful purpose.

Former residents Matt Ellis and Vavine Tahapehi shared their songs in the backyard that they transformed into a lovely gathering spot for our family of friends, and it all felt timeless - just as it should.

Might as well be resident Paul Chesne brought it home with his custom brand of rock and roll, frequent visitor Paddy Wilkins (DJ Bright Moments) kept the party going with his spinning, and it was greatly enjoyed by all assembled, from oldsters I'd never met before, to our brand new friends that are looking forward to growing up in the uniquely wonderful Venice that we were there to protect.

This stupid project has already been approved by the City Of L.A. (seeing $$$ signs, no doubt), but the concerned neighbors are appealing it. There is a hearing TOMORROW JANUARY 18 with the West L.A. Area Planning Commission. All who care about the future of Venice are encouraged to attend and wear red in solidarity. The information is all on this flyer or you can contact the group at Palms.Penmar@Gmail.com:

This is a time of mass protest in America. Now, more than ever, it is crucial that the PEOPLE band together to accomplish that things that make life in American - and Venice - worth living. This hearing is a wonderful warm-up for the week (year, four years ...) of demonstrating that is about to go down. Please consider joining everyone in making your voice heard.

Save Penmar! Save Venice! Save The United States! Save The World! It all starts somewhere ...

Fourth Of July In Venice - Freedom!

When you leave somewhere as pretty as Minnesota in the Summer, it helps to return to somewhere as pretty as Venice. It helps even more when your excellent friends plan a July 4th party to rock their foundation.

A foundation that is in jeopardy, by the way, as big developers once again are trying to cleanse our town of our charming bungalows to put up massive ugly boxes, this time on Penmar. So, what better way to celebrate our freedom than a big old bash/show of defiance? And that's exactly what we did.

It was not only a Fourth of July party, but also a one year birthday party for Hatchet Hall (and the 111th birthday for Venice!), the restaurant owned and operated by our party hosts. Chef Brian Dunsmoor and his team closed down the restaurant for the day, but did not take the day off, as they cooked up a crawfish boil feast for all of us lucky friends. Crawfish, sausage, Weiser Farms potatoes, corn on the cob, fried chicken, biscuits, watermelon ... that's about as American as you can get, and it was outrageously delicious. Of course.

Andy Clockwise spun tunes for us all day (kindly throwing down a lot of Prince as I'd just come from visiting Paisley Park and was missing the Minneapolis fireworks coordinated to his music), and we all got DOWN. There's not a whole lot better than day drinking and dancing in the sunshine ... unless it's sunset drinking and dancing ... or nighttime fireworks drinking and dancing ... all of which are American dreams.

The Penmar residents graciously opened the party up to all of Venice, so the crowd was a fine mix of old friends and new. I started a million stories that I didn't finish, only to pick back up where we left off hours later. New stories were also created, as the kegs were slowly depleted and the explosions in the sky began. We all gathered outside for a group photo before it got dark, to document a special time in history, a special day, and a special and beloved place that might not always be here, at least like it was.

It truly was a Happy 4th Of July. We never made it down to the beach to see the official fireworks display, but we didn't need to. The feeling is inside of us, and it was really just about being together. Happy Birthday to our Venice ... we love you just the way you are!  We The People! Freedom!

Thank you to Brian and Lacey for hosting a day we won't soon forget. Love!

Thankfulness Weekend

Well, we're all back at it after a long, beautiful, relaxing and fun Thanksgiving weekend, and that's always hard. This Monday was a little harder than most because I started it off by dropping my phone in water. With all the gorgeous Thanksgiving weekend photos on it - that weren't backed up. Ugh. So, I'm starting fresh to kick off the holiday season ... again.

We had one of the hands-down best Thanksgiving meals together with friends at Hatchet Hall. The restaurant was closed for the holiday, so we had free reign of the place.

Every counter surface was taken up by the pot luck dishes all our friends brought, and as you looked around, all you could think was ABUNDANCE. And THANK YOU.

From Lacey's Mom's unreal corn dish and perfect mashed potatoes to David's foie gras gravy (yes, FOIE GRAS GRAVY!) to Brian's perfect turkey, and Vavine's roasted apples ...

 ... one morsel was more delicious than the next. It was truly an embarrassment of riches.

I threw down on the pies, as usual, and even managed to get myself a slice this year! Not a whole lot of meals can beat Thanksgiving if you're an American, but even with all of the ridiculous piles of mouth watering food, the story of the day was still all about gratitude, and being thankful for all that we have. Like, we talked about it. And meant it.

That gratefulness carried over all weekend, as most of the people I know chose to opt out of the Black Friday disgusting mayhem, and opt OUTSIDE. R.E.I. kind of kicked off that sentiment by being closed that day for their employees to have a day to get outside, and we fully took that to heart.

Last year we got out of dodge on Black Friday, and headed for Yosemite, which was glorious. We didn't have the same luxury of time this year, so settled for Saddle Peak in Malibu, which isn't really settling. Our hike to the summit was rewarded by majestic 360 views, but even better was the surprise deer couple that bounded right by us (and of course that awesome photo is now gone forever). A stunning O.P. looking sunset was the icing on top, and the perfect location and visual for mindful gratitude.

The rest of the weekend was almost all outside, except movies, and for watching our Vikings take over first place in our division yesterday (!), capping off a wonderful, idyllic weekend of family, friendship, and fun.

I hope yours was all of that good stuff too - sans the phone casualties. And now, here we go! Off to the races toward the end of the year, all set with a new phone and tons of room for new photos, videos, stories and excellent messages ... let's get going!

HAPPY Holiday Season to us all!

*Photos kindly donated by Paul Gronner and Steve Taschler.

A Neighborhood Labor Day Weekend

Lots of people like to head out of town for long holiday weekends, but when you live in Venice, why on Earth would you go anywhere else (and not have a parking spot when you got back)? This Labor Day weekend was really one for the books of awesome.

The entire weekend was hot and sunny, so that meant the beach, of course. The water was unusually warm, the sand was foot-burning hot, and though the waves were big and rough, in the surf was the place to be. We laughed to look up and see an airplane pulling a banner advertising "Big Sugary Buds" with a photo of a big, sugary bud. Just in case people weren't sure they were in Venice.

It's nice to linger on the sand until the sun goes down, but we had places to be. Sunday was the big pre-Labor Day Block Party on the 600 block of Victoria, and it was going to be a big, old-fashioned get-down. We just missed Ray Flores playing with his band, The Crop, dangit, but arrived just in time to see young Sean Vercos shred apart his guitar. He literally destroyed the solo on "Freebird" and had the entire street pretty much chanting his name. He's 12.

The epicenter of the party was my friend Karen's yard. The one with the boat eternally docked there on the grass. Karen was one of my first friends when I moved to Venice, and my brother and I love her like a second mother. She would leave bags of produce on her fence with my name on it because she knew I'd be walking by to get coffee. Country style. She's fine with letting the whole neighborhood use her inside bathroom at the party. She makes every new face feel more than welcome. She is the neighbor everybody wishes they had, and we love her dearly. Thank you, Karen!

The street was blocked off so the whole shindig could take place in the street. There were long tables of food that everyone either brought their own dishes to or put money in the donation jar. There were coolers of beer and kegs and a seemingly endless supply of Jell-O shots. There were two bouncing castles - one for the bigger kids, one for the littles. Smart.

Bearded dudes sat talking to old ladies. Babies were held by teenagers. Old familiar faces caught up while brand new friends were made.

Clay Pruitt played and then Matt Ellis got the street dancing with his upbeat set that featured a duet with his wife, Vavine, and dog, Banjo. The whole day was a family affair!

That's almost what I loved the most about the day - that all these kids were seeing and experiencing what is good and fun and legit about where we live, and why we love it here. And hopefully will grow up wanting this for their kids too.

This whole party was attended by the good, real People of Venice that don't care how hip you are, or if you got a reservation at the hot spot, or certainly not how much you gouged someone on their rent for. They care about the art you're making, the music you're creating, and the lives you're helping in your way. Real deal stuff.

These are the People that fight against that gentrification b.s., and to preserve the integrity of our community - every day, but especially on days like this that remind you what you're still here for - and staying for.

Jody Jones and Tawny Ellis both had great sets lit up by the golden hour, and NOCONA brought the party into the sunset with their awesome Americana (and Adrienne's gorgeous dress).

Teens were playing ping pong in the street, Flores was showing off his skateboards and giving neighborhood kids skate pointers, and it really seemed like the entire street was a gathering of very best friends.

By this point we were all having a grand old time, but needed to take a breather to eat for real, so we went off to a campfire at my friends' house nearby. This meant we missed hearing Big Blue Planet and Chris Croften play, but I'm sure it was also awesome. When we walked back, the party on Victoria was still raging, and Sean Vercos was still playing! This kid is going places.

As were we. Home, to bed. Because the next day was Labor Day, and we were going to do it all over again. Beautiful beach day, gorgeous swims, the last gasps of Summer before back to school, back to business. Then it was off to our friends' Brian and Lacey's for a good old Southern crawfish boil.

This was seriously Brian's first day off since opening the fantastic Hatchet Hall, and he spent the day over the hot stove creating this feast for his friends to enjoy on the last day of Summer. That is a heck of a guy.

More revelry, more laughter, more golden-tinged memories to file under Summer 2015. I can't think of a better way to have spent the weekend, with wonderful people in a wonderful neighborhood with all of us knowing it in the moment.

And if you can keep that going ... it's an Endless Summer.