In college I majored in Film and Visual Culture at UC Riverside. Why? Ummm… I don’t know. I just thought it sounded cool, to be very honest.
What I should have done was major in Studio Art and pursue my little love for screen printing and cutting shit up, but I chickened out. Never going to do that again. Half assing yourself totally sucks.
But, it’s cool. In college I met some really cool people who are still near and dear to me now.
So anyways, a lot of people ask me, since I’m a “refined film scholar” (sike! i barely passed), what my favorite film is.
No competition… it’s definitely
Fritz Lang’s Metropolis
some honorable mentions are…
Tonie Marshall’s Venus Beaute (institut)
Martin Scorsese’s – “Alice Doesn’t Live Here Anymore”
Another big influence on me, artistically, were the writers of Vice Magazine.
God, this was the worst publication. For all the right reasons.
It was this godawful, super raw, super punk rock styled magazine was probably put together by some probably super grimey dudes from either New York or London. I always wondered if the writers were hot. Anyways…
I think I found this magazine early on in high school in one of my best friend’s older brother’s room when we would snoop around his room for good finds. If not there, then at some record shop or specialty book store.
Where I found it didn’t matter. What mattered is that this magazine was such a standout. A bad ass layout, with these cool fonts, photos, drawings… etc. (basically what every trendy magazine does now, but it was cooler back in 99-00)
It was published, yet, there were no real “rules” to the way they wrote. It was the complete opposite of everything that was out there. Every contributing writer had so much swagger in the way they would curse, use incorrect grammar, talk shit about important shit.. just express themselves freely the way they wanted to. I loved it.
I wanted to write every one of my high school papers like that. I wanted to write just like the way I talked… just like how the guys from Vice Magazine did. Some teachers dug it, some hated it.
For all those haters, I just thought they didn’t understand was style was.
Probably one of the most influencial people in my life, artistically, is Erykah Badu. When I was in the 7th grade, one of my good friends, Malingua Hall, was playing this crazy good CD in the car when they were dropping me off from basketball practice one day. Before I got out of the car I remember telling Malingua and her Mom that I didn’t know what kinda music that was, but I really liked it. I had never heard anything that powerful and soulful… and sassy. Malingua’s mom hooked it up and let me borrow that CD for a week.
This album was Erykah Badu’s Live. Released in 1997. It was brand new off the shelf. In a small way, maybe a large way, I think that CD changed my life. For one, I mean, I really got into neo soul and hip hop after digging around for more music like this. Still love that genre the most, it raised me. And it set me apart from other 7th grade white chicks in my class. Ha!
Erykah Badu’s music and lyrics taught me a lot about wisdom and self respect…
… and I feel like that is a lost art amongst a lot of girls my age these days..
Next question you’re probably asking is…. my favorite track?
I was never a kid to hate where I was from (which, if you grew up in the desert, you know that is rare). I always really loved the desert, and I still do.
I think I wear my hometown on my sleeve. On my way I approach life. On the way I drive. On the way I talk. On me. I got this rule that I only buy clothes from my hometown.
I have another one I’ve been running for my hometown’s young art community for 2 years. It’s The Coachella Valley Art Scene, just in case anyone was curious.
Anyways, that’s not important. What is important, however, is the fact that for my birthday, March 4th, I promised myself the gift of starting a personal blog. An introduction to me. An expression of myself.
After pulling an all nighter two nights ago and passing out at 3am last night, I managed to be up and ready to hit the road by 9am this morning. Lucky for me, there was a really nice bathroom to take a warm shower in the house that we stayed at. I wish I would have thought to take pictures of the house while I stayed there because it was so interesting. It was like 3 stories, amazing architecture, and the best feature was that the bathroom has one of those really vintage styled bathtubs.
So anyways, after everyone got ready we headed over to the gallery to check out what was going on. On the drive over there I attempted to capture the little things things about Denver that fascinated me.
The gallery wasn’t open yet when we pulled up. So we went around the corner and chilled a bit, then navigated around the neighborhood and enjoyed some street art that Ron Englishhad put up.
As I snap the photo of Ron English’s piece, we hear a “hey!” from behind us. We turn around and it was Jet Set Graffiti and Ron English in a car. Pretty funny.
Got kinda hot outside. Time to go chill in the gallery.
In walks these group of four ladies to the gallery. Following them was a BET film crew.
Then, the entire gallery was blessed with the sounds of them singing gospel in front of one of the pieces. Everyone was sheading tears. It was really hard not to. I just kept invisioining what they could have went through throughout their lifetime. After years of singing in pain, I hope now they are singing for the joy and happiness in how much society has progressed.
Carlos and Armando were able to talk to the ladies and give them each a hug.
It got a little intense there for a moment, so we went around the side of the building and everyone started to release some tension by showing off their soccer skills. Of course, Alf Alpha stole the show.
We decided to head back to the Fashion Denver headquaters to eat at that really delicious sandwhich shop that we ate at the day before. After eating lunch Alf Alpha and I decided to hurry up and make our way to downtown to rent some bikes for free to ride around town before watching Barak Obama accept the Democratic Presidential nomination.
After biking around for about an hour, Alf Alpha and I had to hurried back over to the stadium to meet up with the Date Farmers to pick up our passes to get in the stadium. We waited in line for only about..hmm..3 hours. That is when, unfortunately, my camera died. There is something to be said about the most memerable moments in your life not being documented. The only place I guess where those memories can live is in my head, and that’s fine with me. The one picture I did take when I got back to the house after the speech was this one. You can see where we sat. We were wwaayyy up in the nose-bleed seats. But. it was all good. Big thank you for hooking it up you guys, muchas gracias.
Back at the pad we chilled with theDate Farmers and Maya Hayuk. To celebrate our experience and Barack’s excellent acceptance speech we went out and got a couple bottles of fine wine and apetizers from a nice bar down the street. Cheers to today, tomorrow, and change! Nite.
DAY 3 – DENVER, CO
Alf Alpha and I woke up to give the Date Farmers and Maya Hayuk a hug goodbye as they left to the airport. We still had Brandi’s G-ride so we drove into town, ate some good breakfast, did some sight seeing and headed back to the Fashion Denver Headquaters. We thanked Brandi for her hospitality and shared with her how much we grew to love the city of Denver within the 3 days of visiting. It’s truly an awesome city, very progressive and the locals are the chillest, coolest peeps that you will ever encounter. Brandi and friends gave us a ride to our bus stop….
We took a group photo, gave group hugs and waved goodbye…
9:00am in Denver. I was so tired that I decided to not be in charge of any major decisions and just followed Alf Alpha everywhere. He is a top notch tour guide.
This place reminds me of back home. Land, land and more land. Thank God, because living in LA can make you forget that open road and big skies ever existed.
Alf Alpha calls Armando of the Date Famers and tells him we have landed in Denver. Armando picks us up with friend Brandi, who runs FashionDenver. We all hop in Brandi’s awesome G-ride.
Detour to Brandi’s offical office, Fashion Denver World Headquarters.
I’m feellin’ it.
But I’m also feeling hungry. So we dip on over to the nearest sandwhich spot…which just so happens to be the cutest place ever. It’s a one man show in the there, the owner takes your order, makes your order all by himself. I have a lot of respect for people who do that. The food was soooooo good. While talking at lunch, Alf Alpha tells Brandi all about being DJ in LA. Brandi is in a band too, so we all swap stage stories and crack up. So, then we talk about how Alf Alpha has to DJ at the Manifest Hope tonight but forgot his Serato Records back at home. Brandi gets on the phone and quickly dials up her other band member and has him deliver two Serato records asap. We then head over to The Manifest Gallery.
Brandi gave Alf Alpha the keys to her car. Cool, huh? We had been in for only an hour and we already had keys to a dope ass ride. If only we knew how to drive the car….
(video coming soon…)
We pull up to the gallery…
We chop it up with David Choe and Sam Floresreal quick. Give Carlos, the other half of the Date Farmers, a hug. Meet Maya. Meet everyone volunteering at the gallery. Digging everyone’s vibe. Seems like the party is going to be pretty fun tonight. Check out some of the artwork that was in the gallery.
Video:
DJ Jeremy Sole was s djing the gallery when we arrived. He DJs for KCRW. Then Alf Alpha gets on the tables and kills it for 2 hours.
(peep David Choe and Sam Flores getting interviewed, then Shepard Farey entering the building and giving Alf Alpha props)
We run into Shepard Faireyright as we walk into the party. He gives Alf Alphaprops on the records he played earlier in the gallery. They talk about music for a minute and then I snap a photo.
Next stop, the free beer. Oh, yeah, there was plenty of that. What’s that I hear?…..oh DJ Diabeticon the turntables? Many have doubts about him being DJ and all…but, my honest opinion is although he is no mix master he plays the jams that rock parties. And playing the right music is half the craft. I dug it. But I definitely wasn’t the only one, the whole party was dancing and feeling the vibe. Everyone was just vibing out and had a good time.
Party was getting crowded….
Next thing I know, my fellow Jew named Sarah (Silverman) gets on the mic. I guess I didn’t get the memo that she was going to do a little stand up comedy. I didn’t think it was that funny. But, it was cool. I guess. Where’s Kimmel at?
While Sarah was on the mic, we all took the opportunity to get some more beer. My camera officially died. And I was officially depressed. Alf Alpha being as official as he always is decides to take my camera up to the DJ booth where DJ Z Tip is setting up. While he is up there and the Date Farmers are talking about their art with the Cold War Kids to my left I check back up on the stage to see Jenny Lewis making her way to the stage.
I love Jenny Lewis and so does my family, my Mom is pretty hip. Anyways, I was happy to see Zooey Deschanel too. She is cute. I remembered that Jason Swartzman dated her and I started to get all jelous.
By this time we had already made our rounds at the bar, taken a couple smoke breaks around the gallery’s corner, got in trouble and all agreed to call it a night. Sounded good to me. I had been up for about 45 hours and the last 24 were going to last a lifetime.
We gave everyone hugs goodbye and all 5 jumped in Brandi’s G-ride and took off back to the house to go to sleep.
I got off work at 7:30pm on Tuesday and rushed home. The minute I stepped in the door I started packing as fast as I could. Giving myself only 6 hours to prepare for this trip was probably not the best idea, but it. My plane was scheduled to depart from the LAX airport at 6:00am the next morning. So, that meant I had to be at the airport at 4:00am. DJ Alf Alpha and I agreed that instead of driving his car to the airport, we would take public transportation all the way from Silverlake to LAX. So, that would mean that I be catching the Metro bus at 2:00am to allow 1-2 hours of travel on the bus.
Just to be safe, at 1:45 am Alf Alpha and I were posted up at the closest bus stop to my apartment.
Turns out, either of us really knew how to get to Union Station. But, some cool peeps on the bus helped out.
They got us right where we needed to be. The free shuttle that takes you from Union Station to LAX.
After I boarded the plane and got as comfortable as I could in my seat I took the time to mentally prepare for all that ahead of me. While in Denver we will be staying with my friends art duo The Date Farmers. The Date Farmers were going to be debuting their gigantic Obama piece titled; “CABIO!” (Spanish for change) at The Manifest Hope Gallery. I had met the art due a while back through their good friend DJ Alf Alpha. We are all from the Coachella Valley.
Other artsists that were going to be displaying their works were Shepard Farey, David Choe, Sam Flores and Ron English. All of whom I have been a fan of since I was in high school. I was really looking forward to meeting everyone….
