Another Supa Dupa LA weekend!

I'm on vacation and this past weekend was the epitome of a great LA weekend:

Thurs:
After a great accupuncture session in the valle, as I was driving down the 5 back to BH, Harry G. called me to be sure to pick up a copy of the latest "L.A. Weekly." It has a new feature article by Pachucoville's favorite Daniel Hernandez titled "The Art Outlaws of East L.A.". It is about Asco the art collective started by Harry Gamboa Jr., Gronk, Patsi Valdez and Willie Heron in the late 1960s. It is dope because it sheds a light on this super group of artists. Just the images alone show that these Chicanos with no art school credentials, from the streets of ELA were able to shake things up in ways many today are still trying to do. Looking at how hip they look and knowing how bad ass they are in their own way really made me happy that Chicano/as have Asco to look to for inspiration and angry that the "LA Weekly" ignores so many contemporary bad ass Chicano artists. Two weeks ago they had their annual "LA People" issue where they list people they think are cool or are 'doing something' for LA. Some folks were in there for truly doing something others for being a door guy, being born to rich parents and able to be weird on a trust fund, others because they surf! Anyway, I'll stick to positives. Read this article.

Fri:
MIDNITE RIDAZZ!!!! Big Bike Dan put this ride together and called it The World's Slowest Race!
We started at House of Spirits in Echo Park, rode East back to BH and to the Mariachi Plaza where Big Bike Dan played some cumbias, boleros and other Spanish party music for the Ridazz to dance to. We then headed back over the river via 4th/3rd st. and back West on Temple to Hoover North, East on Sunset to Echo Park where the 'race' to be last was held. DOPE L.A. Style!

Sat:*
My homeboy RC1 had his B-day party in Malibu @ Moonshadows (yup where Mel Gibson got pedo and busted), so it was a ride and half. Very fun, though. Driving the long way through the valley and through Las Virgenes is what So. Cal driving beauty is all about. If you don't know, ask somebody. Moonshadows on the edge of the Pacific, with dope beats, great friends and pretty people, are the stuff "Entourage" scenes are written around. Lovely.

Sun:
Grand Performances kicked off their season by shutting down Grand Ave. between 4th and 2nd streets and let Ozomatli headline a dope afternoon of LA style beats. WOW, can never go wrong with Ozo in the L.A. streets.
DEEP 'Where House Lives' was hosting Body & Soul from NYC.
Some background: Deep has been going on for about 9 or 10 yrs now in and around Hollywood. It has been at the Vanguard on Hollywood Blvd. for the last two years. Its resident DJ, founder, guru, rock star, is Marques Wyatt. He has kept Deep alive on Sunday nights by surrounding himself with great peeps and hosting house-landia's premiere DJs.
Body & Soul was a long running party in NYC that lasted about 10yrs and ended about 7 years ago.Today it tours around the world. Its DJs are Francois Kervorkian, Danny Krivit and Joe Joaquin Clausell. These three are all successful veteran DJs and producers who have spent most of their lives traveling the world because of their skills as DJs and their music.
I got there about 10:45 and the party was in full effect. Everyone associated with house music was there. One guy put his foot in his mouth when he said he felt like he was at the Winter Music Conference in Miami, because of the all the DJs and music heads. He was quickly reminded that we have parties like this in LA every weekend, not just during conference. Anyway. It was magical.


The music, the programming, the dancers, the energy, the trust in the DJs, the love of the dancefloor, all were hitting their ideal levels and kept over 400 people clapping and cheeringt until 4:15 pm when 'Lovely Day," the last song, ended. Most peeps I talked to today said they will go on record saying that this was the best event they have been to in a long time.

Next week at Deep, Louie Vega of Masters At Work and Elements of Life will DJ and celebrate his birthday. He makes sure he celebrates his b-day every year in LA at Deep, he knows.

Thanks Marques, Big Cee, Slick Dada, Augie, and everyone involved for keeping house music's home going strong.

Thanks LA for another supa dupa weekend.
I hope everyone has supa dupa dope times.

"Not everyone understands house music, it's a spiritual thing, a body thing, a soul thing." - Eddie Amador, House Music

*Thanks Yaneth for the heads up!