Moby I Feel It (Synthe Mix)

LOOOOVE this Moby classc. Going home and making a mix with this and other goodies

Elyisian Park

I grew up in Elysian Park. My mom's family had a home there and were forced out for development that never happened.

Then Dodger stadium came and took out others from the hills surrounding the park. I would be told stories of living there, the ghosts, the fun, the freedom, the people and animals.

I rode my bike as a kid all over that park. Hiked all its trails. Would have beers at the top above the reservoir or on the bridge high over the 110. It's a refuge full of memories, an escape where I can let my mind wander, and empty out what I don't need, sharpen what I'm looking for clarity on, and a good work out area when I need to get my heart and lungs pumping.

I have shared many great times alone, with friends and family there. These are pics from one path I recently walked. To all the people who've shared time with me there and others who know what I'm talking about, these little sights are for you. The park never lets me down.


The start or bottom of this path.














You can see a snow capped mountain, past the grass and trees

















Wide trails and thin ones


















The top and the flowers

Watching "Watchmen"

It was a premonition that I was defending my Star Trek love to Fran over at the Brooklyn and Boyle offices, hours before El Random Hero and I went to catch the 12:31 am screening of "Watchmen." Fran was picking on us for being such geeks and I said "You have no I idea how deep the geek hole I go." I admitted I had a Star Trek shirt and mentioned that I should go home and get it to wear tonight, just to up the geekiness of the night.

After eating at El Gran Burritto we got to the Arclight a 1/2 before our show to take in the sights of the opening of this much anticipated film.





As soon as we walked in my homie Brent came up said "Hi" and told me that Zachary Quinto was there to watch the movie. Ofcourse I told EHR that Sylar / Spock was in the house and too keep an eye out.

Near the cafe / bar they had on display three minature models of the USS Enterprise which are a part of an art show celebrating Star Trek. The art show will have some 40 different models from different artist interpreting the Enterprise. This one said it had Aztec influence. I don't see it, but it's dope nonetheless.















Next we took in some of the costumes from the "Watchmen" and some of the peeps dressed like characters from the film.

















We still had some time so we posted up where we could get a view of the room and soon enough Zachary Quinto was right in front of us.























I noticed next to Quinto was JJ Abrams, the creator of LOST. OMG
I immediately sent ERH to ask for his photo too and then I saw that Quinto was kickin it with some other pretty peeps. I asked Abrams if that was is Kirk, he said "Yes that it is my Spock, Kirk and Uhura." WOW the new Star Trek crew was in the house!

I stood there mentally kicking myself for not having put on my Star Trek shirt. I could have gone up to them and said something like "Hey I know we are undercover here, you know prime directive and all, but just letting you know, I'm with you." Then I could have flash them my shirt!

I once crashed a Midnight Ridazz ride dedicated to Star Wars while wearing my Star Trek shirt. A lot of people were mad at me. I would just respond with "When you guys figure out how to time travel, mess with the space time continuum and figure out transporters, talk to me. Til then I have restrictions on how much I can interact with primitive societies." Geek on ese.

Oh yeah the "Watchmen" movie. I liked it. I expected a lil more. The fans will like it. I don't know how many peeps who like a decent detective story with super hero costumes are out there. I hope there are a lot and that they come out and see the film.

Frank Del Rio 50 th B-day

A couple of weeks ago I went to Circus for an invite only b-day dinner party for legendary LA DJ Frank Del Rio.

Del Rio's DJ sets in the mid 1980's to 1990's at Circus Disco where he was the resident, as well as many other locations, were what helped shape DJ mixing styles and programming for many DJs.

He was one of the big name DJs that was both illusive and ubiquitous as only the best DJs are.

In high school I would hear about how he blended this song or that. After school I would run home to try to do the mix myself, if I even had the records. All us high school DJs, at that time, were in awe of him. To run into him, at Exodus Records in Montebello or at his record Cut Above Records on Melrose, was like bumping into a celebrity. Any record he said was cool, we would buy two copies. He was also one of the first remixers to come out of L.A. and was one of the first Latino names we got to see on the records us DJs were buying up in stacks. He let us know how far this DJ thing could go.

Of course there were other DJs we looked up to like Poison and Nemesis, but Del Rio was a resident at Circus and only the best DJs played there. Martin Rodriguez, Victor Flores, Henry De La Pe~a and Del Rio were the big four in our parlay. They set the standard for what a good DJ sounded like from spinning at Circus. To be honest us youngsters only heard mixed tapes or heard stories from people who were old enough to go to Circus.

The first time I heard Del Rio was at a 'Rock of the 80's' at Pico Rivera Sports Arena. He plugged in a reel to reel and started off with the theme from "The Twilight Zone." The rest was a seamless mix of pieces of songs I knew mixed with a lot stuff I didn't. Mind blowing, but I didn't know what the reel to reel was for.

Years later I heard him at The Red Onion in West Covina on two turntables. The night was going ok, the earlier DJ couldn't gel the crowd. As soon as Del Rio got on the sound got better, louder and the floor erupted. He had two copies of "Knock On Wood" and was looping the opening drums going back and forth between the copies. Flawless.

Years later Richard and I invited him to judge our annual Power Tools DJ contest. We hadn't seen or heard about Del Rio in a while and were so stoked that he showed up. We were more nervous than the contestants. I don't even remember who won that year.

Then Frank Del Rio disappeared.

Rumors of him living in Tijuana, going Christian, dieing, hiding out, selling cars; spread and changed over the years.

He actually got a bad case of diabetes, lost a leg from it and at one point was in a coma.
With the growth of the retro disco parties thanks to Back to Disco and other websites, Del Rio has come back and hosted his own parties with his girlfriend Annie.

When I got invited to his 50th B-day party was like being invited to the big kid's table.

As I sat there and listened to people speak on mic for all to hear about their memories with Del Rio at Circus and as a friend, while he sat on the stage surrounded by his family it really was an LA history moment. This man with the help of so many other players, promoters, DJs, lightmen, and others had really touched a generation of disco dancers from mostly the Eastside of L.A.
He is our Larry Levan, our David Mancuso, our Nicky Siano. Those guys shaped NYC DJ culture, we got ours.
Thanks Frank.