Help Keep Juice Magazine Alive - Pools, Pipes, And Punk Rock!

Juice Magazine is arguably the very heart and soul of Venice, California. They have been documenting the skate, surf, and music scenes around the world since 1993, and a lot of the town's cool can be easily traced back to Juice. Publisher/Editor/Owner, Terri Craft, and Assistant Editor, Dan Levy, have been bringing everyone the Juice for over 26 years, and now it's time to return the favor.

With the Covid-19 crisis, magazine shipments have been put on hold, which means the Juice lifeblood (money) has also been on hold. With a looming line of credit that must be repaid, there is a very real threat that the magazine would have to shutter without the means to continue publishing. We, as a global and local community of skaters, surfers, musicians, and artists (and those who love them), now need to step up to provide some assistance in order to keep them going. And we will.

A Go Fund Me has been set up for just this purpose, and you may donate HERE to help this excellent-  and vital - publication keep on trucking long into the future. All one has to do is glance at the beloved Venice Skatepark currently all filled in with sand to visualize what a (temporary) loss that is, and what the loss of Juice would be. Juice Magazine is pretty much the Bible to so many in the skate world, not only in Venice, but around the world ... Venice just gets to call them our own.

SO many awesome times have originated with Juice ... from skate contests to ragers at the Juice headquarters, from epic art exhibitions like Beyond The Streets to little art shows in local galleries.

From collaborations with the California Locos and Shepard Fairey (and a new print for Juice is coming very soon by Fairey in another effort to fundraise - how cool!) to showcasing the work of local and coming up artists - and bands and writers and everyone who gets and appreciates the Juice vibe - and who doesn't? Lizzo knows ... Blame it on my Juice!

My brother Paul and I have had the true pleasure of covering things for Juice, and are honored to call them our friends ... our Venice family. The Go Fund Me tells the whole story of the Juice origins up to now, as well as all of their accomplishments and credits, which are a great many. They were fundamental in helping to get the Venice Skatepark built, as well as getting the documentary about it made - Made In Venice is crucial viewing for anyone who cares about skating and/or Venice.

I know how hard it is to ask for help for these friends, because I'm a lot like that myself. More than happy to step in and help anyone, but super hard to put yourself out there to let people know that you are in need. That's when you hope that your friends will do it for you ... so here we are.

PLEASE kick in whatever little bit (or massive, some of you bands and pro skaters and artists that have been featured in Juice!) you can, because we want to help keep alive the only skate publication used by the Smithsonian Institute - it's that legit.

And Juice really needs your help NOW. We have already lost so much from this awful virus, don't let it happen to one of the very best things about Venice/the skate/surf/art/music world. I miss being in Venice so much right now, and the Juice family is one of the things I miss the very most. PLEASE let it still be there when I get back. PLEASE let us now have their back.

One more time, you may donate HERE. THANK YOU SO MUCH for helping to bring so many more awesome times to us all! You're awesome too.

LONG LIVE JUICE!


*Photo of Terri Craft by Dan Levy.
*Photo of Dan Levy by Pep Williams.
*Photo of sandy Skatepark by Twistedsifter.com

BeachLife Festival - One Love On The Beach!

The first ever BeachLife Festival took place last weekend in Redondo Beach, and was one of the best times ever. My brother, Paul, and I were called in to pinch hit for our friends at Juice Magazine and already had plans for the first two days of the Festival, but Day Three made us wish we'd been there the whole time (especially for Chevy Metal and Tony Alva's band, His Eyes Have Fangs). What a great day!

There really isn't another live music festival situation on the beach in Los Angeles, so I have a feeling this one is only going to grow way huger in the years to come. There were definitely naysayers leading up to BeachLife, but they should all be zipped up now, as it was one of the more impressive festivals I've been to in a while, in an absolutely excellent location. The grounds were big, but not too big that you couldn't get back and forth between the High Tide, Low Tide, and Riptide stages quickly and easily.

As it was Cinco de Mayo, the festival goers were extra festive, and more than a few sombreros were spotted in the crowd. We were a little late due to our own Cinco activities (Happy Birthday Mia!), and just missed the set by our homies, Venice. We cruised the grounds to check it all out, and there was plenty to entertain. Food booths, beer and wine gardens, a Body Glove bar, art tents, little shops, games, and all of the music, of course. It was a family affair, as kids ran wild - and so did their parents. As the headliners each day were all Senior citizens (Bob Weir, Brian Wilson, Willie Nelson), many of their fans were too, which made for a nice mix of people from all ages, all digging the day together.

We had found parking a few blocks away, so it was an easy stroll into the Festival grounds, and as we could hear bass thumping over by the water, we headed first to the Low Tide stage on the sand, just in time to hear Colin Hay begin. Only we couldn't hear him. He was singing away, but the mics had cut out so we only saw moving lips. Workers scrambled as Hay and his band stood side-stage waiting, but no one really seemed to mind. Beach balls were being batted around the crowd, beers were flowing, and people were just stoked to be there. Soon, the mics crackled and Hay returned, saying, "That was an example of some REAL Men At Work! Let's enjoy being down by the sea -  by some coincidence of nature, I have a song called "Down By The Sea"! Hay's voice rang out clearly, and was met by shouts from everyone, happy to have the sound back. That right there was the only glitch I saw the entire day, which is pretty impressive for year one of any Festival. The song was perfect for the setting, and everyone was into it - especially the female saxophonist.

The classic "Who Can It Be Now" was next, and got the reception that every band's big hits get. "People think we're Australian, but we're really Scottish," said Hay, which was news to me. He introduced his wife, singer, Cecilia Noel to the crowd, and she joined the band for a cover of AC/DC's "You Shook Me All Night Long" that everyone loved and sang along to. We stuck around to hear the Men At Work classic, "Overkill", and then headed over to the High Tide stage to catch the Blues Traveler set.

The High Tide stage was all fake grass, so everyone had set out beach blankets and towels, enjoying the sunshine and taking a load off while stagehands set up for Blues Traveler. We had only been standing there a moment when John Popper walked on stage to the tune of "It's Hard Out Here For A Pimp." He looked more slimmed down and healthy, shouting out, "What do you say, let's boogie!," and lit into an extended harmonica jam to get things going, which led into "Things Are Looking Up". The electric guitar player was shredding for this number, and shared solos with the bassist while Popper already took a break. He came back for the big Blues Traveler hit, "Run-Around" and while everyone was real happy about that, they were even more into their cover of Sublime's "What I Got", this being the South Bay after all.

We followed the pelicans flying overhead back to the Low Tide stage to catch Big Head Todd and The Monsters. Big Head Todd Park Mohr was all decked out in a tropical shirt appropriate for the beach scene, as he led his band into "New World's Arisin'," and got the crowd going. Their big hit "Bittersweet" was next, and got the recognition it deserved from the BHTATM fans.

This seemed to be a good time to head to the Body Glove Bar for a drink, so that's what we did. We ran into Marky Lennon from Venice, and were again bummed that we hadn't made it down there in time for their set. We checked out the Rip Tide smaller stage, and a band I hadn't heard of yet was rocking pretty hard - Lost Beach. People were into it, and that's another thing I like about festivals - the discovery of new bands!

There was workers or volunteers all around, holding up signs letting you know they were the people to ask questions of. There were garbage cans and recycling bins underneath their own little tents, so everything looked nice and tidy all day. There were smiles on every face that you passed by on this gorgeous day, and I can only imagine that this festival will live long and prosper. We cruised back to the High Tide stage while making these observations, and got there just in time for Grace Potter and The Nocturnals. Who I love.

It was nice to see a female on the big main stage, and Potter made it all her own. In full hippie-chick mode, with fringed vest and floral vest, she took to the stage dancing from the get-go. They went right for it, playing her rocking "Medicine". "Thank you for coming, Redondo Beach is an amazing place! I've been here before, but never like this (me too!)!" Because this was Redondo at its finest.

"You all look so colorful out there! If you're chilly, dance harder!" Some high clouds had rolled in and some jackets were being put on at this point, but no one seemed to mind, and did indeed dance harder. They next gave us "Ah, Mary", and Potter brought out her signature Gibson Flying V guitar for this one. The band went briefly into Jackie DeShannon's  "Put A Little Love In Your Heart" before seguing into their own "Empty Heart". There was a big crowd gathered, and they now all loved Grace Potter if they didn't know her before. She was ripping on the organ when we left to post up for Ziggy Marley, and we heard a great cover of "Son Of A Preacher Man" as we were strolling.

A big crowd had already gathered for Ziggy Marley, as what could be better than listening to reggae while smoking and smiling in the sunshine on the beach, actually on the sand at the Low Tide stage. I was hoping Marley would play his Dad's "High Tide and Low Tide" for the occasion, but he came dancing on to the stage to his own latest one, "I Will Be Glad" from Rebellion Rises (which the drum kit also said). When they finished, Marley yelled, "JAH, Rastafari!" and people went wild. Then they played the title track, "Rebellion Rises" with its chorus, "Who change time?" and we'd all yell back, "WE change time!" Because we are the People.

Marley brought his kids out to join him for "World Revolution" and held the mics to the little boys to sing the chorus with their dad - as Ziggy no doubt did with his own Dad back in the day. The kids were dancing and smiling away, clearly having a ball - as were every single one of us there. They fist bumped their dad and left the stage to cheers, as we watched the next generation of this peace and love loving family dance off. The crowd was super diverse and unified in their joy. "Justice" sung with fists raised, led into "Get Up, Stand Up" and everyone sang along to that classic rebel song.

"Them Belly Full" had everyone following the instructions of the song to "Forget your sorrows and DANCE!" There were no sorrows here on this day, and the whole place was dancing there on the beach as the sun began to sink. "One Love" was beautiful to witness, as it really felt like that.

"It's good to be on the beach!," shouted Marley. "You gotta keep the beach clean! We gotta leave a good planet! I don't want to live on Mars!" and that was also the song they played next, from the Fly Rasta album. We stayed for "On A Beach In Hawai'i (or Redondo, as it were)", and it was real hard to leave, but there were no press photo passes given out for the Willie Nelson set happening next over at the High Tide stage, and we wanted to get as close as possible. It was hard to hear Marley playing "Coming In From The Cold" on the wind instead of right down front, but Willie ... come on.

We squeezed in with everyone on the VIP platform, and the entire area was already engulfed in a cloud of weed smoke for Willie. Things were running a little behind schedule, so by the time Nelson took the stage, the sunset was bright orange and there was stiff competition for where to look - at the stage or the natural phenomenon going on - but then you realize Nelson is 86 years old and a natural phenomenon in his own right. I felt emotional. They opened with "Whiskey River" and the crowd just ate it all up. Nelson played his trusty Trigger, and the guitar is even more bashed up than when I saw it last summer at the Hollywood Bowl.

"Still Is Still Moving To Me" was up next, and the sunset was only getting better. The festival organizers must have been high-fiving each other and popping bottles at this point, because the backdrop was truly exceptional and as beautiful as you could wish for. People were passing joints between strangers, toasting each other, and generally just ecstatic to be right there. The screens showed some extra happy older ladies right in front, singing and dancing and laughing and LOVING it. I was so happy for them ... I was so happy for all of us. Because it was very moving to see so many people so collectively happy and all in agreement for once - that Willie Nelson is an American Treasure and we love him. "Whiskey For My Men, Beer For My Horses" and "Good Hearted Woman" showed off Nelson's 88 year old sister, Bobbie, banging on her piano like someone half her age at least.

"It's All Going To Pot" and "Roll Me Up And Smoke Me When I Die" were a pair for the smokers, who only smoked more as these were being played, as they all sang along lustily. Nelson introduced his son, Micah ("The Particle Kid!"), who both sang and played guitar along with his Dad. "If You've Got The Money, I've Got The Time" and "Mamas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Cowboys" were next, but I think there were several Mamas who did not heed that advice, as there sure were a lot of cowboy hats in the house. Nelson would kind of talk/sing at times, but every time he got to the word "Mamas" he growled it extra firm and loud. With gusto!


"Angel Flying Too Close To The Ground" featured a solo on Trigger that prompted me to say to my brother, "This is American history!" as we watched. "On The Road Again" only solidified that fact, and showed off how very beloved Nelson is, as the entire joint belted it out word for word. A drunk guy climbed a palm tree behind us for a better view, but the distraction was brief, as Nelson swung into "You Were Always On My Mind" and I got emotional all over again. Respect was shown, and as loud as it had just been, it was now silent as an "Awww!" was said in unison at the beautiful song's start. "Shoeshine Man" and "My Favorite Picture Of You" were also both great, and then the nearly 90 year old played a new song, "Ride Me Back Home" and it was an instant classic. Bobbie Nelson played a solo that prompted my brother to say, "This train ain't stopping!" cracking me up.

Nelson through his autographed cowboy hat into the crowd just then, and the whole place again went AWWWW! Whoever grabbed that thing is stoked. Nelson left the stage briefly, to return in his signature red bandana over his braids. "Georgia On My Mind" had everyone swaying together, and then it was time for the full church revival version medley of "Will The Circle Be Unbroken?/I'll Fly Away/I Saw The Light" Lights came up on the crowd as everyone clapped and sang along to Bobbie tearing up the keys, and John Popper came up to rip through a harmonica solo for it. It all built up and up until the last chord, and Nelson shouted, "Thank you! We Love you!" while waving to the crowd. Popper played him off the stage as no one wanted to let him go. It was really touching to see so much unity and love in action ... all together there on the beach.

Congratulations to BeachLife Festival on a wonderful first event! We're already looking forward to next year! Thank you!

*Photos by Paul Gronner Photography
** Photos of Willie Nelson by Jessie Lee Cederblom for BeachLife

Failure Close Tour WIth Hometown Show At The Fonda!

The seminal 90's band, Failure, is back and closed out their tour in support of their most recent album (really 4 ep's), In The Future Your Body Will Be The Furthest Thing From Your Mind, with a fantastic hometown show April 24th at the Fonda Theater in Hollywood. They were joined by another 90's band, Swervedriver, but this night was all about Failure for us.

Failure is my brother Paul's favorite, and he was down front to capture the show photographically, as well as lose his mind, being extra elated to be listening to his favorite music in person and so close, as we were covering the show for our friends at Juice Magazine. Neither band was ever really my own thing, but Failure showed why they are both so underrated, so fondly remembered, and still so celebrated - at least by this heavily Generation X audience that was positively thrilled.

Swervedriver didn't even break a sweat (unless it was due to the heavily lit stage), and their shoes were definitely being gazed at when we arrived near the end of their set. Someone on the floor yelled out, "Welcome back!" to the Oxford, England based band, and though almost exactly zero lyrics were decipherable through their super distorted guitar pedal fuzz, people other than me seemed to know what songs they were. A guy in a Jane's Addiction shirt was next to me, and that's who I was listening to instead of these guys. I found it to be a bit of a snooze, but the majorly stoned crowd (everyone seemed to have at least a vape pen, if not a real jay) nodded along happily, so good for them! The highlight for everyone (judging from the shrieks and the extendo jam nobody seemed to mind) was "Last Train To Satansville" from their Mezcal Head album, aptly titled, as I felt like I had mezcal head listening to it. Maybe that's when you listen to Swervedriver to really get them ... will give it a shot.

In between the sets, I sat up in the balcony waiting for Failure and observing the floor like Bran from Game Of Thrones this season. I wasn't really in the mood for mingling or partying, or even a rock show, really, but I knew how much this show meant to my brother, so I was there for it all. Old Failure heads from back in the day greeted each other by yelling across the floor with their rolled up collector posters as megaphones, and it was constant hugs and high fives down there. People were stoked. Then the house suddenly went dark, and there was Failure! Many in the house hadn't seen this band live in like 17 years, so to say they went wild when the haunting feedback intro led into "Solar Eyes" off the latest album was a major understatement. Thrilled!

The bass was so heavy I felt it in my throat all the way up in the balcony, and I could see my brother down front shooting, and knew how stoked he was. Ken Andrews was in fine voice ... he reminds me a bit of Beck - singing, not looks.

Andrews traded off guitar and bass duties with Greg Edwards, and Kellii Scott held it all down on the drums. "Distorted Fields" and "Heavy and Blind" (also off the new album, which was nice to see so many people loving and not yelling for oldies) were aptly titled, as there was hella distortion going down, the jams were heavy, and we were all nearly blind from the constant use of colored Klieg-type lights that almost never let you see the band fully (Kudos to the photographers that somehow found them in the chaos!).

"Fine citizens of Los Angeles, will you jump in a rocket ship with us for a trip to Fantastic Land?!" said Andrews, and the crowd answered in the affirmative, gaining them a bunch of songs from Fantastic Planet - their best loved and most well-known album. "Another Space Song" and "Smoking Umbrellas" were also titled pretty on the nose for these space rockers, and the smokers in the house that loved them. Andrews addressed the crowd here, saying, "What's happening, Los Angeles?! It's so good to be home!", with his arms up in victory formation.  He went on to say that it was great to be playing at home for family and friends, and that his two kids were here to see them play - and they were right in front of me in the balcony, head banging along and going crazy for their Dad. It was awesome. "Pillowhead" got the whole place going crazy, and featured a whole lot of air-drumming from the crowd trying to keep time with Scott.

The highlight from this segment was probably their biggest hit ever, "Stuck On You", and not just because a dude stage dove off of the stage at its start. It's a melodic anthem with great lyrics (I thought I'd drop you easily/but that was not to be/You burrowed like a summer tick/so you invade my sleep/and confuse my dreams/Turn my nights to sleepless itch) that also appeared to be every couple in the room's "song", as there was much swaying and kissing down there during this one. Fantastic Land is cool.

The Magnified album was featured next, and we got "Undone" and "Frogs". These were straight up ROCK, and reminded me a bit of Queens Of The Stone Age and maybe Tool, which is no surprise, considering these fellows opened for them on many a show. The Heart Is A Monster was the source material for the next jams: "A.M. Amnesia" and "Counterfeit Sky" which caused one guy (and there's always that guy) to yell out, "Fuck yeah, Failure!" - which is kind of funny to hear. Like "Hooray for failure!" would only come up if it was for this band.

 "Thanks for recognizing our new album. We love playing it on tour, thank you for supporting it!", said Andrews by way of introducing three more from ITFYBWBTFFYM, and next came "Dark Speed", "No One Left" and the magnum opus that is "The Pineal Electorate" (my brother's favorite of the night - among many). Those last two were switcheroos, as Andrews and Edwards traded vocals and instruments, and it was pretty metal. It ended with a cacophony of sound and feedback that showcased how good Failure's sound was in comparison to Swervedriver. Like, whoa. Failure is known for their sonic excellence, and they don't use any amps on the stage. They travel with their own sound guy, and play through the sound system - super technical and hard to pull off, but these guys do it with aplomb.

We went back to the Fantastic Planet for the last song of the main set, and Failure ripped through "Heliotropic" and its heavy rock punctuated by effective lighting cues. It was a jammer, and the guys in the crowd loved it, especially when Andrews was tossing out picks at its end, before leaving the stage for the obligatory encore pause. After a bunch of yelling and cheers, the band came back out for a bit of audience participation on "The Nurse Who Loved Me" - a much loved and covered tune also from Fantastic Planet (the one I'd get as a primer to Failure along with the latest). They took us back to their first album for the final two numbers, and we learned that Comfort was recorded in 1991 in Minnesota (our home state!) with producer, Steve Albini. Paul's favorite band was recording right in town and he didn't even know it! Now he likes them even more. "Macaque" and "Screen Man" made the entire room - including Andrews' kids - head bang even harder than before, both because they fully rocked, but also because it was the last show of this tour - and the way things go, you never know if there will be another live moment with your favorite band.

And if you've never seen an older band live before (like me with these guys), you gotta go see them when you can, because they might turn into your favorite band - even if you're late to the party. I'd like to thank Failure for greatly improving my mood, and reminding of the power of music to heal, uplift, and to unite. The crowd didn't want to let the band go (because they wanted more, but also because they kept throwing their stuff into the crowd!), and the lines for merch were long - again probably because you never know. But in this case, yes, it was a bit of time travel back to the 90's ... but it's most likely also a glimpse into the future, as these guys are at the very top of their game - and should now maybe consider a name change to Success.

*All photos by Paul Gronner Photography

Skateboarding Through Venice In The 80's With Josh Bagel Klassman

There was a cool photo show last night at a space called the Red Bull ConsuLAte (?) on Abbot Kinney, with all sorts of great skate images from Dogtown's prime taken by Venice's own Josh "Bagel" Klassman.

There was a guest list, there were beverages (shout out to House Beer!), and there were skaters sitting on couches watching skate videos like it was at their own pad. Mellow.

The fact that it was sponsored by Red Bull in a seemingly pop-up space ("ConsuLAte is an inspiring space and bespoke {"Bespoke!"} resource offering curated experiences through the lens of Red Bull {or Venice locals' lenses} for atheletes and special guests {Ooh! You mean famous people?!} on Abbot Kinney smacked of "Hey, let's do a show by a beloved local to gain a little street cred here on this hip shopping boulevard in the home of skateboard culture, guys!" I can just hear the meeting - but, Bagel IS beloved, and we'll all drink your drinks and look at fantastic shots of local skate legends like Joey Tran ...

... And Christian Hosoi, and Jay Adams (RIP), and all the names who made this place a place that brands like Red Bull now want a piece of. Only instead of being like Adidas and making the ridiculously bold claim that they were "Defining Venice" (before they had even opened the old Hal's doors), now brands are feting the locals and trying to gain respect through the actual respect that these O.G.'s really have. I get it. And I'm happy for the guys like Bagel who are getting the recognition they so richly deserve.

This is Dogtown, and they can smell legit a mile away - so let's celebrate it all over again! And if it's on the corporate dime? It's about time. Take it. That's right. They weren't there, but you were, and that's why we love you and tolerate them. Sometimes. Times like this. Get it.

Long live Dogtown! (why there's a Blogtown).

Beyond The Streets To The Venice Pavilion - Welcome 2 Venice!

One of the best parties ever was held last Sunday at the Beyond The Streets art exhibit in downtown L.A. ... but it was exactly like Venice, only not in Venice. A recreation of the Venice Pavilion had been constructed using old photographs to get it as real as possible, and they did an awesome job. I showed someone photos the next day, and they were like "Whoa. It's exactly the same, but cleaner." Yep. It was like a time machine landed us right back in '90's Venice, complete with almost all of the same people too. It was one of the best Summer kick-off parties ever, hosted by our excellent friends at Juice Magazine.

Juice had a party the night before, so it really was a proper Dogtown Memorial Weekend - and one for the books. It was a hot, sunny day downtown, and folks were in the mood to let loose. There was free beer and food to help with that, and art and skating enough to satisfy even the most hardcore.

Old friends caught up all day, and new friends were made. There were some people I hadn't seen pretty much since the Pavilion was bulldozed over in 2000, and some that I'd seen just the night before, and everyone agreed that it was the most awesome thing every to all be back together in the Pit ... even if it was a fake one, it was as real a time as we've all had in a long while.

Josh "Bagel" Klassman had the best birthday party ever, as this jam fell on his day, and was also the release of a book of his photographs that Adidas Skateboarding put together (perhaps in a bit of penance for their earlier claim that they were "Defining Venice". No, THIS kind of day helps define Venice.), called It Wuz All A Beautiful Disaster. And it truly was.

This day wasn't, however. It was the best. A punk rocking set from The Shrine (a new favorite band now featuring Corey Parks from Nashville Pussy on bass!), and an even harder one from Excel set the tone and created a pit of skateboarding moshers. Super extra fun, and everyone just felt happy to be there (though like the old days, someone did have to be taken away in an ambulance - then the party went right back to raging after wishing him well). Metallica's Robert Trujillo was there mixing and mingling, and you name a skate hero and they were probably there.

Juice Dan was the M.C. for the day, and Juice Terri held down the Juice booth, and both accepted lots of love all day for the support and love they've given the skate community, Venice and international.

Skating was front and center, and you got wall rides from Christian Hosoi, Tuma Britton, Bennet Harada, and all the O.G. cats that gave Venice its name in skating. Everyone was tripping all day on how weird (and cool at the same time) to have picked up the Pavilion and transported it to a parking lot in downtown L.A. ... though an ocean breeze would have been most welcome. Maybe we can keep it and bring it back home? (Though I'm hearing a low buzz about unearthing the original again ... why not?)

Though the Pavilion pop-up was the place to be, there was also ridiculously sick art inside to be seen at the Beyond The Streets extravaganza back inside - and get yourself a little break from the relentless sun. Celebrating street art in all its forms - and beyond - the cavernous warehouse had room after room of mind-blowing art from legends of the genre, beautifully curated by graffiti historian, Roger Gastman.

The show opens with an entire wall of spray paint cans, illustrating the importance of this material in street art's history.

There was a "Cosmic Cavern" of all glow in the dark colors, that would have been fun to hang out in a bit while altered. Grooovy.

There was a room dedicated to the female street artists, repped largely by the Guerrilla Girls.

There were old school works by Basquiat, Keith Haring, Chaz Bojórquez, and Kilroy! ... all the way up to the latest stuff from the latest artists like ... you name it.

I loved an old man by Swoon (and I always swoon for Swoon) ...

Shepard Fairey work always has to be in this conversation, and his Andre The Giant pieces were well represented.

Slick showed up with his L.A. Hands, showing off Southern California in a nutshell.

Famed tattoo artist Mr. Cartoon created a funeral home installation insisting that "All Dawgs Go To Heaven". I sure hope so.

All souls need saving, some more than others ...

Another installation that was one of the heavier ones showed a bomb aimed at a wall of condoms, and when you looked inside of the bomb, it had a drive-in theater full of cars watching the world explode. It was as cool as it was gnarly.

The space was HUGE, and so were some of the pieces. The scale is not just beyond the streets, it's beyond impressive.

There had to be a C.R. Steckyk III wall, and there was. Topped off by a shark created from license plates.

"Trash Records" was an installation that exactly replicated the kind of record store we all know and love ... and miss.

Faile showed up with an enormous mausoleum that would not be out of place in an old European cemetery - or Vegas.

Much like the We Rise show that is located just a couple blocks away (and was just extended through June 10th - GO!), I've shown you a lot here, but I haven't barely scratched the surface with how much there is to see in this show (that goes through July, so get here also!). It's massive - and truly a spectacle to see.

There won't be an awesome Juice party when you go, and that is really what made this event SO special. Sure, it's the art and the skating and the memories and the cool, but what really makes something real is the people that know and love a place. Like the Pavilion. Like Venice itself.

It was an incredible day, with incredible people doing incredible things, and we were all lucky to be there - and we knew it. I think anyone that was there felt a real tug on their heartstrings, and a renewed internal vow to keep Venice real, to keep it special, to keep creating art and music and a new generation of skaters. Deeply heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in such an honestly epic day.

Love forever. Venice forever.