Giant Robot Store and GR2 News
Back in the stone age/print era, we used to have a section of Giant Robot mag where we would invite friends and family to share My Perfect Day. Sometimes they were were artists, musicians, or filmmakers providing a glimpse into their awesome lives. More often they were regular dudes like you or me, simply enjoying and showing off their beloved hometowns.
I’ve been blogging a lot about the rad bands that are playing our next DIY punk matinee (The Chuck Dukowski Sextet, California) as well as how it’s going to benefit public schoolkids in Chinatown by paying for their music education. So you already know about it being a killer show for a great cause. But it’s also important to me is that people come to the neighborhood where my grandparents, in-laws, and now my daughter have spend time and have a rad day.
Last Monday night I was a guest on one of my favorite Internet radio shows, Los Angeles Nista. In each episode host Eddie Solis (who is also the shredder/singer in It’s Casual) delves into a specific neighborhood of his hometown, and this time our focus was Chinatown. I talked about eating tomato beef chow mein and drinking Sunkist soda there as a kid, as well as the area’s unmatched punk past and current art scene. While the conversation always returned to the Save Music in Chinatown concert series that my wife and I are starting, there was also talk about Los Angeles sports teams, skateboarding, public transportation, and Giant Robot mag. You can stream or download the entire episode for free at the Los Angeles Nista site, and it’s pretty funny. It’s also pretty rockin’. I made three short playlists of songs with bands that I associate with the neighborhood (X, Weirdos, Dils, No Age), groups with members that have been supportive of Save Music in Chinatown (The Zeroes, OFF!, Channel 3), and music by December 6 co-headliner Bob Forrest (Thelonious Monster, The Bicycle Thief). I brought songs by The Go-Go’s and Plugz, too, but there just wasn’t enough time… Since last week, there have been additions to the inaugural show’s lineup. Ex-Dirty Projectors member Angel Deradoorian has just finished touring with Animal Collective and wants to participate. Also, DJs from KCHUNG radio will be pitching in between acts. Pretty cool. Check out the updated flyer below and if you plan on going/supporting on December 6, you can buy tickets via Eventbrite. It’s cheaper that way and you can also get a deal on raffle tickets for some pretty rad items, as well. Prizes from the likes of Best Coast, Daniel Wu, Shizu Saldamando, Philippe The Original, and the Dodgers are listed on Eventbrite and the Facebook event page, too. Give the episode a listen and hope to see you at the show!
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Last Monday night I was a guest on one of my favorite Internet radio shows, Los Angeles Nista. In each episode host Eddie Solis (who is also the shredder/singer in It’s Casual) delves into a specific neighborhood of his hometown, and this time our focus was Chinatown. I talked about eating tomato beef chow mein and drinking Sunkist soda there as a kid, as well as the area’s unmatched punk past and current art scene. While the conversation always returned to the Save Music in Chinatown concert series that my wife and I are starting, there was also talk about Los Angeles sports teams, skateboarding, public transportation, and Giant Robot mag. You can stream or download the entire episode for free at the Los Angeles Nista site, and it’s pretty funny. It’s also pretty rockin’. I made three short playlists of songs with bands that I associate with the neighborhood (X, Weirdos, Dils, No Age), groups with members that have been supportive of Save Music in Chinatown (The Zeroes, OFF!, Channel 3), and music by December 6 co-headliner Bob Forrest (Thelonious Monster, The Bicycle Thief). I brought songs by The Go-Go’s and Plugz, too, but there just wasn’t enough time… Since last week, there have been additions to the inaugural show’s lineup. Ex-Dirty Projectors member Angel Deradoorian has just finished touring with Animal Collective and wants to participate. Also, DJs from KCHUNG radio will be pitching in between acts. Pretty cool. Check out the updated flyer below and if you plan on going/supporting on December 6, you can buy tickets via Eventbrite. It’s cheaper that way and you can also get a deal on raffle tickets for some pretty rad items, as well. Prizes from the likes of Best Coast, Daniel Wu, Shizu Saldamando, Philippe The Original, and the Dodgers are listed on Eventbrite and the Facebook event page, too. Give the episode a listen and hope to see you at the show!
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Ever heard of this sport? Super bad ass and filled with pride. Amazing. It’s another Rucker Park in the making or maybe it’s already made. Watch the doc trailer. Also check out this longer article about it. (latitudenews – 9-Man) [youtube]YumoQVJdK4U[/youtube]
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Do you live in the suburbs? Do you want to live in a Chinatown? For the novelty or maybe the rents, some of you want to do this. But what if you can live further away in a less crowded and “safer” area? You would. (Washington Post – Chinatown) The article discusses what’s going on and why. It’s happening everywhere. But will Chinatown die? Probably not. Tourists need to go somewhere and city councils will need something to support.
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