Memorial Sunday - BBQs, Beers, Boils, Bands!

You know when all the fun stuff happens on the same day? Well, that was this Memorial Weekend's Sunday ... jam packed, with decisions to be made. The good news was that all of the options were extra fun, so you really couldn't go wrong. One of the highlights of last year's same weekend was the block party happening on Victoria Avenue, so that had to be a top priority this time around for sure.

It was another beautiful, perfect day and people were in the mood for a party, and to kick off this Summer season, after a fairly tough, emotional year so far for seemingly everyone. It was time to celebrate all of the good that this country has to offer, and what better way to do that than with a day chock full of Americana music!

I could hear the music already when I walked down the street, and when I got to the headquarters at my friend Karen's house, I saw that I was just barely in time to catch the Sean Vercos Experience. Young Sean is Karen's next door neighbor, and he's 12. Years old. It's no mistake that his band (made up of his Dad and friends) is called the Experience, as young Vercos is a Hendrixian-style shredder on his electric guitar, and never fails to floor all of us grownups. I already love this kid, but when he threw down the guitar solo on "Purple Rain" (perfectly), he really sealed the deal. It's going to be so fun to watch this guy grow up and blow minds, for real.

No sooner had I arrived than it was time - as tradition dictates - for Karen's Jell-O shots. No one had a problem with that at all, and BAM! The party was on.

The Victoria Avenue neighbors are a wonderful bunch of folks, and my favorite part of the day is always just looking around and seeing the fantastic mix of young and old, every race, gangster or grandma, brand new friends and old friends forever, all having a blast together in the sunshine in the town we love. It's completely awesome.

I was "backstage" for a bit, catching up with the legends Karen and Mo Cotter, and all we kept talking about is how lucky we are. Lucky that everyone is so cool, lucky that we've known each other for so long, and lucky basically just to be alive and still here together. Celebrate!

The music was excellent, and distracting me from our chats, so I had to go see it from the front. Patrolled By Radar was laying it DOWN, and they instantly got put on my list of favorite local bands. REALLY good, and singer, Jay Souza, was wearing a "Bernie" shirt too. Solid.

The Victoria crew had generously provided a taco stand from Berdo's Tacos, where Albert Martinez kept the revelers happy and fed for hours. I can strongly recommend the El Pastor as maybe the best I've ever had. Once again, this was a no permit party - Venice style - and the taco stand was set up right in the street, along with the other food tables and coolers and stuff. No problem whatsoever ... you only had to look out for the renegade children that were joy-riding around in a little electric car like baby Thelma and Louise's. It was impressive.

Nocona hit the stage next and transformed the yard into a honky tonk dance party, where even the oldest party-goers were toe-tapping and moving to the beat. I love Nocona, and as I was listening, I once again just got that very tangible "We're so lucky" feeling. World class music, icy cold beers, the greatest people ... without ever leaving the neighborhood! It's truly the best.

But then we had to leave the neighborhood, because another group of top shelf friends were playing over at The Cinema Bar, and that could not be missed (though a bunch of good bands were missed on Victoria, making me think we all have to coordinate our watches next year so we cal all see everything!) We got to the Cinema right as our dear Lacey Kay Cowden was beguiling the tiny Cinema room with her gorgeous, soulful tunes as the sun streamed in from outside. If you weren't already a fan, you were now.

The place was packed solid, and as I made my way out to the back patio, it was one big embrace after another, as the day only got better. Out back there was a crawfish boil in full swing, helmed by Chef Brian Dunsmoor from Hatchet Hall.

People lined up to get themselves a basket of crawfish, corn, potatoes, and sausage all in that garlic butter spicy sauce that throws any kind of manners out the window. You just slurp and suck and make a total mess - and love every minute of it.

The alley became a spot to get some fresh air after being squeezed tight in with all your friends, and that's nice, but only for so long because Paul Chesne was up next. And Chesne is the best.

I don't even remember which songs Chesne and his rock solid band played, but I know the whole place was dancing. I looked around to see that some of the other folks from the Victoria block party had also made their way over to Sepulveda, and now the parties were merging. Excellent.

A breather out back after Chesne wasn't really a breather, because DJ Bright Moments (Paddy Wilkins) was back there spinning, and every song had us singing and dancing along (it may or may not surprise you that the big crowd pleasers were "I've Had The Time Of My Life" from Dirty Dancing and "All Night Long" from Lionel Richie ... tipping the hand that perhaps we'd all been teens in the later '80's). It was an absolute blast.

Back inside we went to get down to Matt Ellis and his band, sounding as great as ever on that little stage - so tiny that bassist Dustin Bookatz just played from right in the crowd. Vavine Tahapehi joined her husband for a couple tunes, and as we all sang along and loved each other, there again was that LUCKY feeling. And the AWARENESS of it.

After the bands all finished, everyone danced and sang some more out on the patio until we got the boot. The party adjourned and several of us met up to sing even more around a campfire. As the stars came out and everyone started to get sloppy, I gave a moment of thought to what the day was about. Yes, Memorial Day is about remembering our fallen Veterans of wars, but it's also about remembering what they fought for. I've known plenty of Veterans (I was thinking mostly of Tomas Young on this particular day), and none of them signed up to fight for oil rights or to prop up foreign dictators who play along with the American agenda. No, they all signed up to protect US, and days like we had on Sunday. Friends and families gathered together to celebrate each other, and to celebrate Freedom. To break bread together and listen to the music that defines who we are and what we're about. To live together, in unity, with justice for ALL. THAT is what it's about. And that is what WE were about on this perfectly wonderful day under the Stars and Stripes. FREEDOM.


THANK YOU to every single person involved, whether you organized it or attended it, it was great because of you being there.

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.

Memorial Day In Venice - No Permit

It was kind of a drag to wake up on Memorial Day morning and find that it was completely socked in with fog, not remotely the beach day I'd had in mind. It's always nice to have a day off, even if it's just to catch up on reading or whatever else doesn't require sunshine. But then I remembered that my former neighbor Karen was hosting a block party over on Victoria, and we would certainly be making our own sunshine over there.

Karen's house is a landmark in Venice because it has had a big boat docked there in the yard for at least the last 20 years that I've known her. I've never been inside of it, it just sits there, looking great. We call it yard sailing.

This is a tight block, one of the good ones where neighbors look out for each other. Where Karen will leave you some produce from her garden hanging on the fence in a bag with your name on it. Where kids can bang into other kids' houses without knocking, and parents know they're all being watched in the village that it takes. Where kids wear tie dye.

As it was a holiday, there had to be live music. Nocona had us all stomping our feet and clapping along to their rock with a twang, and as they played this front yard hootenanny, that sun finally came out.

The grills were set up in the street, and as Karen said, "This is real Venice. No permits." Perfect. Neighbors grilled and shared their favorites there on the avenue, as kids and dogs raced around underfoot.

The dining table was a surf board, or your lap. Little babies and old ladies and everyone in between sat and chatted and told stories about how they'd met and funny things that had happened in the neighborhood over the years. It was exactly the kind of block party you want on a holiday weekend, all ages, and the more the merrier.

Paul Chesne played all afternoon, and was as great as ever, maybe even more so because we were all outside, enjoying being alive together. We actually toasted that fact many times, and also poured some out for those who are gone but not forgotten, especially on Memorial Day.

I hadn't been over to my old neighborhood to hang out in a while, and it was so nice to see old, familiar faces, and meet new ones - fun ones with eagles on their jackets. There was plenty of holiday spirit to go around, that's for sure.

I asked one old friend how her baby was, and she pointed to a grown kid and told me that the four week old baby was inside the house. Time is FLYING! Treasure it.

It was even trippier to find that the sweet little boy nextdoor was now 12 and a total ripper on guitar. Sean Vercos got up there with Paul Chesne and blew our minds. Someone yelled - as someone always does - "Freebird!" ... but I don't think they were prepared for Sean to tear that song's classic guitar solo to absolute sonic shreds. Like, jaws dropped. It wasn't like a novelty thing where he had it memorized either. He was in a musical conversation with the big boys all afternoon long, adding little bluesy flourishes in whenever they were perfect. I didn't see him look at an electronic device once all afternoon, he just wanted to keep jamming. Keep your ears perked for this little guy Sean Vercos is going places with that guitar (The video got cut off, but trust).

The sun began to set, people began to pass out, and the work week loomed over us as the morning would come fast. But there in the golden light, looking around at the dear friends and family that make up our fair town, it was all about being in the moment, and it was all good.

Thank you to Karen and everyone on Victoria who gave of themselves to make a wonderful day of Memorial memories for everyone!