A Proud Weekend In Venice

Well,  that was fun! Venice Pride took over Venice for the weekend, and it was a celebration of diversity and inclusivity for the entire town. Venice has always been a place to be yourself, no matter what, and this past weekend brought that fact into sharp focus with a street party for the ages.

After a ceremony on Thursday (that I missed) to dedicate the rainbow lifeguard tower at Brooks Avenue and that stretch of sand to be officially known as Bill Rosendahl Beach, the real party went down on Friday night with an epic dance party in the street at Windward Avenue in front of the Venice sign.

Venetians of every make and model turned out to support their LBGTQ brothers and sisters (if they didn't identify as that themselves), and those brothers and sisters got DOWN. DJ Victor Rodriguez got the whole thing started at about 5 pm, and kept the party going in the streets until 11pm, when people dispersed to the many after-parties.

The crowd was huge, and beach balls were batted around overhead, in true beach party fashion. Each speaker's comments about the wonderful people and town of Venice were met with massive roars and applause, and you could tell that absolutely everyone was in the mood to blow off some of the steam this crazy world of ours has built up over recent weeks/months. That steam would have blown the roof off of the place, had their been one, but we were partying under the stars, and under the rainbow lights of our Venice sign.

The whole proceeding was family friendly, and many youngsters were spotted in the crowd, creating wonderful memories and building support for EVERYONE from a young age. I was so encouraged to watch my little friends loudly cheering and pumping their fists for every declaration of unity and love for all ... it gave me real hope for the future, watching them with their rainbow-sprayed heads of support. It was truly a night of One Love, and beautiful to behold.

Mike Bonin spoke, of course, as did Pride spear-headers Grant Turck and Danny Samakow. The celebrity sign lighter was Venice fixture, Lori Petty (star of Point Break, Tank Girl, and Orange Is The New Black), who spoke about how she came to Venice from Hollywood, saw naked, wet Red Hot Chili Peppers here, and decided never to leave. She talked about how everyone here is beautiful, and diverse, and how we stick up for what's right. How it's special here, and no greedy landlords or corporations can change that, no matter how hard they're trying. And you could feel exactly that.

All gathered yelled their agreement, and all the camera phones went up to count down from 10 to light the sign. When the rainbow bulbs lit the sky, the crowd went wild. Photos were taken, dancing re-commenced in the streets, and all was well in Venice, California. First Fridays was happening over on Abbot Kinney, but that's for tourists. If you wanted to see and know the real Venice, we were all on Windward Friday night.

The street party was so fun, and every time the streetlights changed, it was another dance-a-thon right there in the diagonal crosswalk under the Venice sign. Strangers danced together, high-fived, hugged, and generally thanked our lucky stars that we're living in a place that not only accepts all, but rejoices in our differences. It was truly an awesome sight to see.

After a while, people took off to all the various after-parties (I'm told the official one - "Gaywatch" at The Birdcage on Main Street was beyond packed, and went OFF). We just carried on dancing around in Venice, feeling happy that our gay friends once again had a place to celebrate on the Westside.

The weekend was super June gloomy, but that didn't dampen any spirits. There was a beach clean-up ("Beach Please") on Saturday morning, and then an all day party at Muscle Beach ("Status Is Sexy") with performances by singers and dancers, speakers, and all the Boardwalk tourists getting a taste of how we support each other down here by the sea.

Pride shirts were for sale, with proceeds going back to the Venice Pride organization to do it all again next year, even bigger and better. I want to shout out to the L.A. Rams and the L.A. Chargers for both so publicly supporting Venice Pride by buying up many of the light bulbs for the sign, and taking out ads voicing their support. For such a typically homophobic organization such as the NFL to come out in support of celebrating the wonderful diversity of Venice indicates a real sea change, and true progress for ALL. Super cool. *I do not want to shout-out Snapchat, who did not chip in, even though they could really use the good p.r. Just beat it already ... you're not wanted here. Thanks.

Sunday was pretty much a day of rest, as it felt much quieter everywhere. We basically kicked it with George at The Townhouse, having bloody marys inside to wait out the gloom and discuss how much fun everyone had had the nights before. An enormous THANK YOU to everyone who participated in this very prideful weekend in Venice, from the organizers to the partiers! The world is always watching, and we showed them that Venice continues to be a place of wonder and acceptance and a real good time. Pride is a great word for it, as I'm super proud of Venice when it comes together to support everyone like this.

Keep up the good work, everybody! xoxo

Kevin Ancell: Nos Vemos En Venecia!

There was a great art opening in Venice last night, and you could tell it was great before you even stepped inside. The overflow crowd spilled out into the street, where an impromptu street party just naturally happened. It was a celebration for the art of Kevin Ancell, another Dogtown legend.

Upon squeezing into the great space on Main Street, I thought it was a group show at first, so diverse were the styles and materials used. But nope, it was all Ancell, and it was all fantastic.

Right inside the door was a memorial to the old P.O.P., complete with burning candles illuminating the painted surfboard that probably surfed that pier.

I was especially taken by the oils that could fit right into the Sistine Chapel, but upon closer examination it was guys with surfboards, when Jesus Heals The Kooks (2014). Classic.

From traditional oils to a whole different medium, with shelves of ceramic busts of a woman who nearly turned Ancell into dust (per the book accompanying the show) in his Love Is A Dog From Hell (2015). Deep.

Ancell himself accepted congratulations as he milled through the crowd dressed in all white, with a Hawai'ian ti leaf lei around his neck as the man being honored. The accolades were well-deserved, of course, as one piece was cooler than the next.

Like Porn (2015), a depiction of Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf, with the image created out of the word "Porn" written over and over with graphite on paper. Creative and cutting and patient and wow.

There was a great oil painting of a homeless man pushing his cart down Abbot Kinney from the past to the future, in Moses Seeking Pharaoh (2015), a strong commentary on what has happened to the former West Washington Boulevard. It's powerful stuff.

Carrying on with powerful, there was a replica of an atom bomb, Kaboom: Nobody Ride For Free (2015), that one could actually ride up and down, in Ancell's homage to Dr. Strangelove. This proved to be a very popular attraction, as partiers took turns climbing aboard the bomb. Kaboom!

A chandelier of female busts lit the proceedings, and let you know that Ancell is one of those artists that sees the art in everything, and refuses to be limited by any one style or material. I dig that.

There was so much going on in the masterful Madonna (2013) that I'm probably going to go back and look at it some more when there isn't such a big crowd trying to see it. Featuring the homeless, gang members, graffiti and the cops all being watched over by glowing angels and the Madonna, it really is something to behold.

It was stiflingly hot in the gallery, so we inched our way back to the door where it was rumored that House beer was on ice. I never found that, but instead found that the party outside had grown even bigger, food trucks had arrived, as had a lot more revelers. Party without a permit!

A big old Dogtown reunion was in full effect ... legendary skaters, surfers, and artists of that legendary era all joined together again for a photo to celebrate one of their own. People were tearing it up on the roof and in the street, all the way into the fact that things were as they should be in Venice.

As C.R. Stecyk III wrote for the show's book, "The area has always been an entrepot for alternative culture, a haven for eccentrics, outcasts, outlaws and geniuses who if they weren't truly mad, they were at least excited." Truth. And last night, everyone was excited.

Kevin Ancell: Nos Vemos En Venecia runs now through October 15th at 1320 Main Street, Venice.

Nos Vemos En Venicia! See you in Venice!

Venice Art Crawl - The Afterburn Edition

September's Venice Art Crawl was one for the history books. SUPER fun, all evening long. This was the second "Afterburn" edition, with Venetians returning from Burning Man bringing some of that Playa to the middle of closed-down Rose Avenue.

The street was closed between Third and Fourth Streets, with art installations and colorful crowds of Burners and just folks out walking their dog that stumbled upon this eye and mind blowing art extravaganza.

It was a pure celebration of FREEDOM, in art, in dress, and in the collective minds of everyone there. Everything was all lit up, and music was thumping from the giant rave scene anchored by a giant Trojan Unicorn, filled with dancing revelers. It was awesome.

There was so much to see, from the art to the costumes, but the best part was bumping into friends every few feet. To a person, all said, "THIS is why we love living here! THIS is what Venice is supposed to be like!" Exactly and Amen.

The Yellow Submarines were present, with a little chill camp between them.

There was live painting going on up and down both sides of the street, with the art fully available for purchase, and inspiration.

There were a lot of interactive things going on too, that gave you a good feel of what it must be like at Burning Man (I've never been. I'm cool with that.). There was a keyboard sound studio thing you could make your own beats in.

I think my favorite piece (other than the unicorn) was this flat stringed instrument thing that a whole group could play together on at once. It brought unity through music, and friendship through jamming. I loved it.

There was a big bird cage people could sit together and chill (and be photographed in).

There was a covered wagon with people piled high atop it, perhaps on the way to the Unicorn Stampede at the other end (People in unicorn costumes running).

There was a neon corn hole game and a giant Connect Four people were playing. Pretty Sneaky, Sis!

There was no police presence at all, that I saw, and that was extra great. No one being hassled for nothing, just people having a great time.

There was a complete mingling of the Skid Row West population on Third and Rose, the hipsters that hang on Rose, and friends and neighbors that live for these moments in Venice. Again, totally why we live here.

After seeing pretty much everything and everyone (except Alex Rodriguez!) on Rose, there was still a lot of art to see, with Art Crawl venues stretching all the way down to Washington (the end I never seem to make it to, sorry!). After one amazing glance back, we set off to see what else we could see.

On the stroll South, we ran into a French couple looking at a map. I asked if they needed help, and they were trying to find the main part of Main Street. I pointed them in the right direction, and told them to take a detour on Rose. They had no idea what they were in for, and I totally wished I'd seen their faces. Hope you had fun, Frenchies!

On we went to the slick new men's surf and skate wear shop, General Admission. They were showing the awesome photography of Akira Kobayashi put on by Kana Manglapus featuring Venice back in the day. They were also serving up cocktails, which we enjoyed while spilling out on to Brooks Avenue and chatting with friends. One friend asked of another, "Do you two know each other?" To which they replied, "Probably." It was like that. One lady said, "Doesn't this remind you of how First Fridays used to be?" Which is exactly what I say about Art Crawl every time, and why we love it so much. It feels like real Venice, and those that know, know exactly what that means.

As nice of a time as we were having with the surf boys, we still had some time to see more. We gave our hugs and directions to the next spot, and headed over to Solé Bicycles to see more surf and skate (our favorite) photography from Brian Averil.

It was also super cool, made even cooler by having many of the works printed on Wood. There was a Venice company there, Blocksmith, who takes your photos and prints them on wood for you. I loved it, and you'll be getting a story about them soon.

As the clock had not yet struck midnight, we still had some time to squeeze in a little more. Some guys were having a house party on Venice Way, celebrating the release of their magazine, Rank (a Venice-based art and literary publication.

This was a great way to end the night, as it was a bunch of locals celebrating in a house (which they were cool enough to open to a slew of strangers, as everyone can do on the Art Crawl. Get your party spot listed for December!), comparing notes on all that we'd seen. They kindly had drinks and snacks, and even more dancing.

As I ambled on home after yet another house party, I couldn't help but smile the whole way home. It was a beautiful night in every way, in one of those rare instances where everyone agrees that it was.

www.theblocksmith.comThe feeling that I think people go to Burning Man to try and feel is something that you can find and feel anytime you want, because it's inside of all of our people that we have right here every day. File this one under "I Love You, Venice" for sure.

Thank you to all the hard working volunteers that put on this wonderful showcase of Venice with each and every Art Crawl.

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!