The Musical Finale Of Abbot's Habit - The True End Of An Era

This was an all-time classic Venice weekend, kicked off with the farewell to an absolute Venice treasure. It's true. Abbot's Habit is closing for good this Wednesday, June 28th. The corner of Abbot Kinney and California will never be the same ... and this is the one that hurts the most. By far.

There are so many memories tied up within the walls of this legendary coffee shop you can almost see the ghosts of Venice past with your naked eye every time you enter. Last Friday night we gathered to have one last hurrah, with a musical celebration of both the people and the place that has been so special to so many.

My brother, Paul Gronner, managed Abbot's Habit for years, and during his tenure there he and our friend, Scott Passaglia (Scotty P!) hosted a music night most Fridays (setting off what became the dread First Fridays that are now nothing like they were). Many of the musical artists from those storied days returned on Friday to serenade what seemed like ALL of Venice crammed into Abbot's for one last throw-down. Those who didn't fit (many) spilled out on to the sidewalks, in a visual display of just how much this place meant to us, and how very much it will be missed.

The evening started when it was still light out ... and so did the tears. Mikel Farber opened up the music, and got me choked up right off the bat by remembering the friends who would hang out outside every day ... Abbot's Habit was their spot. Dr. John ... Zeta ... they've passed away now, but their presence was tangibly felt through Farber's touchingly beautiful musical tribute. He sang, "He'd hang for hours because he knew it was where it was at." Abbot's Habit was always where it was at in Venice ... people left for years, and Abbot's would be their first stop back, because they knew they'd run into someone they knew and get caught up on all the latest in Venice. Now that is no more. Farber posed the question ... "What's next?!" Indeed, what? Where do we go from here, Venice? What are we going to do about it?

Hugs, laughter, stories, beers, joints, and love were all being shared along with the music, and Holly Long continued the Irish Wake of a night. A motorcycle roared by in the middle of one of her songs, and she said, "That's what I remember!" She was a young mother, and would come to Abbot's Habit to get out of the house, meet other people, and find her community. That story was told often. Once the kids grew a bit and Long wanted to explore her music more, Abbot's was the place that gave her that opportunity. It was obviously a very special place to her, as she choked up, saying, "I'm amazed I can sing!" Looking around, she noted her first guitar teacher was there among all the familiar faces, adding, "When you're up here, it's super trippy." It was very much old home night.

Tom Freund was next, giving us the appropriate "East Of Lincoln", singing, "When I moved east of Lincoln, I started drinking ... I feel my heart sinking..." echoing many thoughts in the room. Next up was "Truly Mellow" about "the smells of Venice", complete with toke breathing flourishes. The singalong at the end "La di dah!" belted out by absolutely everyone might have been my favorite part of the night, as it was the "Venice Choral Society" all singing together in solidarity for a time and place we knew was fleeting. It was emotional once again, for sure. Steve McCormick and Heather Donovan joined Freund for his "Collapsible Plans", and it was beautiful. Freund had his last Abbot's coffee and said, " I send my love to you all, may it grow in another place!" Yes, please. But where?

Paul Chesne and Dutch Suoninen were up next (there were many acts booked, so we had to keep it moving!), and gave it their Venice all. Chesne spoke about playing here with wine in his coffee cup (which many of us had in our hands that moment), and kicked off their set with the fun, "Pink Champagne", which the crowd (now equally as large outside as in) ate up. They gave us a brand new one called, "It's Called I'm In Love With You" that was swoon-worthy, and for "one more song at Abbot's Habit", they got down with "Get Myself Right". Chesne ended up with a "Who you gonna call?!" chant that had everyone yelling back "Ghostbusters" in the Snapchat dig of the night. Ugh. Looking around now, it was like the All Star Game of Venice musicians in there ... and their fans. It was like the coolest family reunion possible ... which it exactly was.

Kim Michaelowski played a gorgeous set, but I didn't hear the specifics because it was very hot inside, and like musical chairs in that some would go outside to give others a chance to hear inside. I was outside at this point to catch my breath, and Kim sounded so good that even more people wanted to cram inside.

I returned just in time to see Kim taking the crowd's photo from the stage, and thanking Abbot's Habit, and its owner, Nina Santangelo, for everything over the years.

Nina was being thanked and hugged all night, and it was hard to hold back the tears when doing so. How do you even begin to sum it all up?! I mean, I remember when 9/11 happened and my brother was working early shift at the Habit, and some stoned guy called there to ask if what he was seeing was real. Paul called me and woke me up telling me to turn on the t.v. ... and I saw that horror show live. I found out Paul Wellstone died while getting coffee at the Habit. Love stories began here. I  know a dear couple who met and had their first date at the Habit. They just happened to be back in town this weekend, and went to have coffee at their old table, and renew their vows to each other there while they were at it. Their kids got to see where Mommy and Daddy met. We had so many art shows, naked poetry open mic nights, and the wonderful music nights we were honoring on this night. It's all just too much to even process yet ...

So let's keep talking about the music! Matt Ellis and Vavine Tahapehi took over the stage, and I again got teary, because we met these two now wonderful, lifelong friends, right there at the Habit music night. They were new to town from Australia, and instantly found their people there. As Vav said, "If we'd lived anywhere else in Los Angeles, we wouldn't be here anymore. Here's to you, Venice!" And they sang their lush and gorgeous "Seven Years At Sea", which is all about finding their way here. As we sat on the wooden pews, I heard someone behind me say, "It kind of IS our church." Exactly, and the solemn reverence Abbot's Habit was receiving on this night was both appropriate and well-deserved. "Heart Of Mine" was played first ever at the Habit music night, and Ellis' last Abbot's song - "Won't Let This Die" - was about the friendships forged within those walls, that will last "'Til the day we die!" Venice friends are forever.

Steve McCormick and Stan Behrens played the blues that everyone was feeling, and "Lying On The Bottom Of The Mississippi River" is just about how we felt ... but in a good way. David Ralicke joined them to rule the trombone. It was Venice Greatest Hits in there, man, and it was good. I feel for Stan maybe the most ... he and his cronies have hung out on the sidewalk in front of Abbot's Habit ever since I've been here ... a good twenty plus years. Where will he go for his morning joe and shooting of the breeze? It's all just sad. Period.

Stan stayed up there to accompany John Vester and Marky Lennon (of the band, Venice), and they played beautifully together, with Stan's artful harmonica weaving a spell around John's acoustic guitar and Lennon's harmonies. It was the world's greatest living room concert in a coffee shop. I miss it so much already just typing about it ...

Amilia K Spicer is one of my very favorite songbirds, and we were privileged to get her back at Abbot's Habit one more time before it's gone. She had a mandolin player with her, and together they astounded everyone with the beauty of the harmonies. The reception to the music was so great that she urged, "Come on the road with me!" It was so, so beautiful, and you can hear more at Spicer's c.d. release show at Beyond Baroque on July 15th. SO good.

Music Night co-founder, Scotty P. was next, with "She Has Magic In Her Heart", where she might have been Venice, and her heart might have been Abbot's. "This place is special. It's been a really great spot in Venice for everyone, and I'm gonna make up a song right now," said an inspired Scotty P. And did just that. While he was riffing on the spot, my friend Shane leaned over and asked me, "Can you imagine not coming here anymore?" All I could say was "No." I truly can't imagine it.

And we've only got until this Wednesday now - even though last Friday felt like the real goodbye. The final made-up lyrics from Scotty P's last Abbot's gig were, "Celebrate life, making memories that will last until the end of time ... remember the good times!" He's right. That's all we can do. And must do.

Crash was up next, and I must be forgiven because I was back outside trying to breathe again during his set, but my brother said the loungey vibe was great, and that Crash even sparked up a j while singing, in true Venice fashion. I'm sorry I missed being inside for it, but it sounded fun from outside - where it was also real fun. People were feeling it, and not wanting to let it go.

Scotty P. introduced my brother, and asked for a big salute to him for starting the music nights back in the day, and everyone hooted and hollered. "We've met some of our best friends here ... and now, Ladies and Gentlemen - spaceblanket!" A shiny silver spaceblanket back-drop was unfurled and Paul's shoegaze band mesmerized the room for the remainder of the night. There are no lyrics and no singing, which I think was apt for the occasion that there really were no words for. I looked around the room as they played, and saw so much love in the eyes that it really capped off the emotional night for me. After the last song, the mics had already been put away, so Paul just shouted "I love you! I love us all! We gotta stick together! Thank you, Nina! Thank you, Abbot's Habit!"

And that was that. The last music event ever at Abbot's Habit. The crowd didn't want the fun - or the camaraderie to end there, so everyone dispersed to after-party ... and another wonderful Venice night went down in history.

I love you! I love us all! We gotta stick together! Thank you, Nina! Thank you, Noah Farrell! Thank you, Abbot's Habit!!!

From us all.

Abbot's Habit
1993-2017

*Photos by Paul Gronner Photography
**Exterior shot by Ron Geren Photography

A Mural For Standing Rock - The Art Of Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle Sanchez

Hi! There have been some technical, personal, and national difficulties that haven't allowed me to be as prolific with Venice stories as I'd like to be lately, and for that I apologize, and thank you for being here to read again now. There is so much to say about the election nightmare, but I think it's really better to go forward now, and think and talk about things that we as people can do together in the name of good, regardless of whomever our leaders are. The climate is in deep crisis (Please everyone watch Before The Flood online asap), and it won't matter at all who's in charge for four years when no one is able to inhabit Earth anymore. So let's focus on what's really important. LIFE.

Water is Life. When we first started hearing about the protest against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock Sioux Reservation, everyone was appalled at the images coming out of there with Native Americans being tear gassed and attacked by police dogs. For peacefully wanting clean drinking water. Let that sink in.

Some people want to help more than look away, and Kim Michalowski is one of them. She owns the Ananda boutique on Abbot Kinney, as well as being a wonderful friend to all of Venice. We talked about the idea of having a mural done in support of Standing Rock on the front of her shop, and started reaching out to Native American artists. Friends connected Michalowski with artist Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle Sanchez, a Navajo from Arizona. Thunder Voice Eagle recently returned from Standing Rock, and after sitting down with him to talk about it all, I feel both inspired and encouraged, as well as super impressed with both his art and his humanity.

Thunder Voice Eagle worked for years with his father's organization, Anasazi.org, a kind of Outward Bound type group that takes at-risk kids out into nature for 50 day trips (awesome). A few years back,  he had a dream that he had a message to help his people, and that his art work would be the best tool to do so. He did a painting for a family friend that was so well-received that he began to focus on art full-time, selling paintings through Instagram and his website, as well as through various galleries.

"Nothing has changed for the Natives, now it just feels like we have a whole bunch of new allies," Thunder Voice Eagle told me. "Every reservation has crazy stuff happening. There has always been corporate land grabs, it's never on the news, and we always lose. But now we have social media."

The U.S. Government separated tribes by design, so they wouldn't band together to oppose the stealing of their land and resources. Once reservations got cell towers, the people got cell phones. MySpace days started connecting people. Facebook has connected us all. Once the Facebook Live videos started coming out about elders, pregnant women, kids, everyone being attacked at Standing Rock by police in riot gear for peacefully protesting, tribes across the nation saw it, grabbed their stuff, and went to North Dakota. United.

Native leaders can also not always be trusted, and often take the corporate money to line their own pockets to the detriment of their people. Standing Rock is not like that because their leaders said no, and realize how this awful pipeline will affect the drinking water of so many people all over the affected area, not just those on the reservation that our government tends to dismiss. All Americans, all who deserve better. "This situation has stirred something in the warriors, it has become their top priority," explained Thunder Voice Eagle. He told me that the pipeline company took the information of where Native burial grounds were and dug them up so there would be no evidence of it ... it's really that sinister. And must be stopped, for us all.

In talking about the mural and the message, Thunder Voice Eagle said, "It's really about hope. I believe that people are inherently good, sometimes they just forget. Like the mural says at the top, 'Protect the Sacred' ... People need to protect themselves, because they're worth it. You must remember that YOU are sacred. The more we remember that, the less things like this will happen." I love that. Remember that you are sacred. If you do that, chances are you absolutely will not put up with anything that harms anyone. Right?

"We have to learn forgiveness. Those police are scared too, they're doing their job that they've been ordered to do. But if we took off the riot gear and the headdresses, we're all just people. We can sit down to dinner together and talk about what's next, and how we can work together." I got a true sense of calm when talking with Thunder Voice Eagle, and am choosing now to look at things like he does. That we are now being forced into action as a people, and that we are in the time of being Rainbow Warriors - warriors of all colors standing together. We have to be to survive these times, and try to protect our Mother Earth. Nothing else is more crucial right now.

I could have sat and talked all day with Lehi Thunder Voice Eagle, but I was hogging him and others needed to hear his wisdom, so he left me with this ... "Have a heart at peace, but stand strong for what is right." And please, please remember what this wonderful new mural says ...

"When the last tree is cut down, the last fish is eaten and the last stream poisoned, you will realize you cannot eat money." - Cree prophecy

Support Standing Rock in any way you can. Support EACH OTHER any way you can. Now, more than ever.

#NODAPL