Venice Celebrates Cinco de Mayo - Olé!

What a gorgeous day for Cinco de Mayo we had this year! The sun was out, the breezes were warm, and people were in the mood to fiesta!

 I didn't get to catch the actual parade that went down Lincoln Boulevard, but I heard (and saw below) that it was fantastic. The car clubs came out with their lowriders and hot rods, there were beautiful, brightly costumed Folklorico and Azteca dancers twirling their skirts, and the Mariachi played all over town - from Oakwood Park to the rooftop of La Cabaña!

Oakwood Park was the epicenter of the fun this year, and it was packed with revelers of all cultures and backgrounds celebrating the Mexican and Chicano history that is so crucial to Venice, and especially this neighborhood (It's also right across the street from the Baptist Church that we sure would like to save as part of the town's equally important history).

There were food booths, arts and crafts you could purchase, performances from the dancers and musicians, and several speakers who educated everyone on the local and national histories behind this holiday (really commemorating the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862 over the French, not Mexican Independence Day, as many believe, and also why Mexicans have bolillos ... they learned the baking from the French).

Friends and neighbors pulled up lawn chairs and blankets, settling in to enjoy and to learn. It was a bright, colorful, beautiful, festive day in Venice, for sure. I couldn't stay as long as I'd have liked at the park, as it was also the birthday of my little friend, Mia, and her mother's 19th Anniversary of owning Burro on Abbot Kinney AND my friend Lacey's birthday too! Partying was in order. And was done.

One of the speakers at the wonderful Cinco de Mayo celebration in the park (planned and organized by Darlene Rodriguez and Laura Ceballos) explained how important the Mexican and Chicano history is in Venice, and that the working class of all colors is what made Venice what it is today. They are raising funds for a monument to go in Windward Circle (where nearby the Venice sign is now lit with the red, green, and white of the Mexican flag) so that all may know of the contributions made to our town by our Latino friends and neighbors. "We don't care about the color of your skin in Venice, we care about your heart." Exactly. And on days like this in Venice, you can feel pretty good about the hearts that call it home.

Viva Mexico! Viva Venice!

*Video courtesy of Brad Hennegen

A Maori Morning!

I was out this morning for my beach walk before the Farmer's Market, and hustling to get there before it was over (got a late start). Race walking down the Boardwalk, I saw a group of Maori people in full regalia heading for Windward. I followed them, of course.

The members of the Haka troupe began to chant, and then burst into a beautiful, powerful chorus that stopped people in their tracks to listen and watch. "Rejoice" was the word that kept running through my head ... and the reminder of that truth told me long ago by a shaman-type lady on the beach, that "Gratitude is the glory." I was certainly grateful to start my day with such a deeply moving performance to carry me off into what is sure to be a fun-filled Halloween party weekend.

The group is performing all weekend and every day until November 2nd at 11 am and 3 pm, so be sure to get down to the beach to experience it for yourselves. There is also an exhibition going on until the 2nd at The Rose Room (behind the Venice Ale House) called Tuku Iho - Living Legacy, celebrating the New Zealand and the Maori culture, as well as a sunset  Haka/Maori music session on Sunday evening on the Hotel Erwin rooftop.

Thanks to all the wonderful performers who made my morning, and Happy Weekend to all!

Info: www.nzmaci.com/projects/tuku-iho

Beyoncé's Formation Tour At Dodger Stadium - Seriously Slayed

I have never been a member of the BeyHive, but after seeing Beyoncé live for the first time last night at Dodger Stadium, I think I might be in there. Destiny's Child was never my thing, and I've had a bit of a chip on my shoulder for Beyoncé for her past instances of trying (TRYING) to upstage Prince (See that one Grammys. See surprise dropping her Lemonade album like a day after Prince died. Please.), but I went because you should see everyone once, right? I even felt bad because I know how many people out there LOVE her and would have sold their souls to go. So, I adjusted my attitude and went. And I'm so glad I did. WOW.

The traffic getting to Dodger Stadium was so bad I don't even know if I'd attend a show there again. Like people were getting out of their Übers and walking the rest of the way it was so bad. We left before 7 and didn't park until shortly before 9. Then had like 5 miles of parking lot to walk, which seemed tough for the many men in drag that showed up. Once inside and in the eternally long bathroom line, the stadium went dark and everyone lost their ever loving minds at the beginning of "Formation". I've never heard such screaming from grown women - and men. This show is a SPECTACLE. Skyscraper-height video screens. Fireworks. Regular fire. Aerial artists. An army of dancers. And Beyoncé.

What an impressive woman. I got into it pretty early, as I'm always down for badass women, and Beyoncé is taking names. She is a Boss. She is Fierce. She really is all of those things. As I watched her perform flawlessly- and look like she was having a blast doing it - smiling and tossing her giant mane around, I finally got it. But I was still thinking wow, that's a pretty big ego right there. The whole production is very, very self-aggrandizing ... I mean, she calls herself The Queen. OK.

But then it was time for yet another (amazing) costume change, and the lights went out. except for a giant blank purple screen. The opening chords for "Purple Rain" began, and the entire Dodger Stadium lit up and sang along for Prince's recorded version. I will admit that I have now cried at a Beyoncé concert. It was extremely moving, and also very classy, that she would concede the stage to the memory of Prince, and not even try to sing it herself. I finally got a big public memorial moment. That did the trick. I'm a fan.

By the time Beyoncé and her dancers stomped around on the water stage for "Freedom" ... I was strongly considering getting copycat braids and strutting around with a fur coat and baseball bat every day. It really was an incredible show. Standing there dripping wet, singing and dancing her heart out, it's hard not to appreciate the absolute ALL that this entertainer gives it.

"This is LIFE!" yelled the total superfan sitting next to me, and while I think there might be a bit more to it, I can agree that it was a pretty cool part of it.

Thanks, Beyoncé! Love, A freshly converted Fan

Tom Freund's Same Old Shit, Different Day - A Venice Video

In the latest collaboration between my brother Paul and I, we made a video for Tom Freund's "Same Old Shit, Different Day," from his recent Two Moons album.

It is a love letter, to and from Venice.  The Venice Freak Show (and just Venice in general) teaches us that nothing is normal, and that we should come together through celebrating our differences. Tom sums that up in song right here. This is what it feels like to be in Venice ... where we NEVER want to say, "Same old shit, different day."

Enjoy!

*Thanks to all the skaters, bike riders, dancers, clowns, piano players, freaks, seagulls, artists, performers, sailboats, drummers, sunsets, friends and neighbors who go nuts with us every single day.