Beyond the Valley of 45s AKA Marco's L.A. Diary
soulmarcosa
4,296 Posts
Finally here is my attempt to recount my trip to LA during Aug 10 - Aug 15 for Tony The Tyger's big SATISFACTION monthly 60s party.You can check full photo galleries here:SYD'S PHOTOShttp://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8SaN2zRw1YZsTONY'S PHOTOShttp://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AbNXDJs2bNWOpMARCO'S PHOTOShttp://www.solidsoundsystem.com/music/clubs/satisfaction/satisfaction_aug18_2005_marco/satisfaction_aug18.htmCOWBWOY'S PHOTOShttp://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=8AZNWbRo5cOH3gAnd now the diary...----------------------------------------WED. AUG 10, 2005----------------------------------------First flight from Raleigh to Phoenix? Uneventful. Connecting flight? Sat beside a fiftysomething fellow who chatted for the entire 2-hour flight from Phoenix to LA. He told me he was a scriptwriter with a development deal at Disney. Wait, I'm on a flight to LA, and there's someone who claims to be "in the biz" right next to me? Will wonders never cease! His script was called HOBGOBLINS, kind of "an American Harry Potter," which struck me as incredibly original. Of course when we got down to brass tacks, turns out he's a 20-year vet of the Boulder CO Fire Department who writes (undeveloped) screenplays on the side. And did you know that they stole his story idea for Jim Carrey's LIAR LIAR? Well, they did. Just ask him. Mr. Jack of all Trades also told me about his amazing idea for a new upscale coffee creamer called, frighteningly enough, "Foo-Foo."When I arrived to the quanset hut known as Burbank airport, my man Mark Starr (formerly of Estrus' The Gimmicks for those keeping score) picked me up and we caught up on old times, hitting some record spots on the way to his place. We also had a delicious lunch at Truly Vegan restaurant, which for me meant vegetable tofu soup and an amazing faux-chicken sandwich. Once at Mark's place, I took a nap as he went to get his girl Kelsi who was visiting from NYC. All three of us then hit Amoeba Records where I met the one-and-only Funky Guzzo who told me the story about how his mom came to call him "a smut peddler."AMOEBA RECORDS ($32)Bow Wow Wow: Chihuahua / Golly! Golly! Go Buddy! 12" (pic sleeve) RCA Bow Wow Wow: Go Wild in the Country / El Boss Dicho! 12" (pic sleeve) RCA UK Cristina: s/t LP (promo) Ze / ??rista The Other Side: (Don't Look Back) Behind the Shack LP Desco Takeo Yamashita: YamaTakeMania 2LP Wilplus Japan MARK STARR (trade)The Delfonics: La La Means I Love You LP Philly Groove 
After a lot of lingering at Amoeba, Mark, Kelsi & I hit Paru's Vegetarian Indian restaurant where I had my second delicious meal of the day. Then we headed down to some dive club that appeared to emerged unscathed from the grunge era circa 1993, complete with long-haired blonde dude with leather jacket and Sub Pop LOSER T-shirt. Well, we WERE there to see Hater, the Seattle supergroup from ten years back, so I guess it all made sense. Hater were completely lackluster, but I was happy to see ex-Void & Earth Eighteen guitarist Jon "Bubba" Dupree back in action. I was even happier when I told him that I loved his Earth Eighteen album, only to have him completely light up with a big aw-shucks grin and say "Whoa... Everybody remembers Void but nobody remembers that band! You totally made my day!" Turns out the lack of success of the E-18 album was due to the label parting ways with WB on the DAY that the album was released. Shouldn't have happened to such a talented guy.After the show and being quickly introduced to the (former straightedge hc) guy who runs Southern Lord Records, Mark, Kelsi & I returned to Mark's place (all three of our's homebase for the week) relatively early and slept well for the activities planned for the next day.COMING NEXT: A DAY ON MAGIC MOUNTAIN
After a lot of lingering at Amoeba, Mark, Kelsi & I hit Paru's Vegetarian Indian restaurant where I had my second delicious meal of the day. Then we headed down to some dive club that appeared to emerged unscathed from the grunge era circa 1993, complete with long-haired blonde dude with leather jacket and Sub Pop LOSER T-shirt. Well, we WERE there to see Hater, the Seattle supergroup from ten years back, so I guess it all made sense. Hater were completely lackluster, but I was happy to see ex-Void & Earth Eighteen guitarist Jon "Bubba" Dupree back in action. I was even happier when I told him that I loved his Earth Eighteen album, only to have him completely light up with a big aw-shucks grin and say "Whoa... Everybody remembers Void but nobody remembers that band! You totally made my day!" Turns out the lack of success of the E-18 album was due to the label parting ways with WB on the DAY that the album was released. Shouldn't have happened to such a talented guy.After the show and being quickly introduced to the (former straightedge hc) guy who runs Southern Lord Records, Mark, Kelsi & I returned to Mark's place (all three of our's homebase for the week) relatively early and slept well for the activities planned for the next day.COMING NEXT: A DAY ON MAGIC MOUNTAIN
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THU. AUG 11, 2005
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Ah, the joy of waking up in LA at 8am. 8am!?!? Yep, today was our day at Six Flags Magic Mountain - all gratis courtesy Mark???s man Nate who works there (all day passes usually run $40-$50), and we wanted to get there bright & early. So after getting some fruit and bagels at the grocery store down the street from the nearby Scientology Celebrity Center (glad to see egalitarianism and religion working hand in hand), we were on our way.
At the park we met a couple Mark???s super-nice friends, Senya and Marcos. Yes, you have to love it: Mark, Mark/Marco and Marcos all rolling in the same posse. Onward we braved hot sun and long waits all day long in search of rollercoaster adrenaline rushes, seeing more Volcom-clad teens in 8 hours than we cared to count. In order of intensity...
1. X. So much the king of rollercoasters right now. You???re riding backwards, upside down and every which way through tons of crazy turns and your feet just hanging out there ready to be chopped off. Don???t forget the diapers. Worst ride wait to ride length ratio, though: 1 hour 45 min. wait vs. 2 min. ride. No friends to jabber with while in line? Take that shit to shouldhavebroughtabook.com son.
2. DEJA VU :: Ready to be dropped straight down 200 feet? Three times? Backwards? HELL YES.
3. SCREAM:: it???s like the classic rollercoaster gone haywire - loops and speed - really great!
4. BATMAN: THE RIDE :: Hm. The production design for the ???Gotham Backlot??? is basically ???Los Angeles trash-filled streets filled with industrial refuse we found on the way to work.??? Not a good look. And the ride was only about 30 seconds long. BUT the wait was surprisingly short and the ride was one of the fastest and most intense of the day. Sleeper hit.
5. RIDDLER???S REVENGE :: An incredibly long wait (with people-cooling sprinkler overkill) for a completely unexciting ride. Boring and uncomfortable.
6. LOG JAMMER :: Oh please. The slowest and most uncomfortable flume ride ever invented. And the name. Jesus. No thanks.
Halfway through the day, Nate called in and met us at the Deja Vu to give us some free meal tickets, but as you can imagine, vegan options were slim. So Kelsi & I settled on pretzels as a last resort.
ME: I???d like a pretzel.
PRETZEL DUDE: Salted?
ME: Naw.
PRETZEL DUDE: Ok. You want mustard?
ME: Um...sure!
PRETZEL DUDE: Ok. (rummages for a bit) We don???t have mustard.
After praising the Pretzel Dude for his methods of condiment taunting, I enjoyed my unsalted, unmustarded bread and $4 bottle of water with the all the relish of an inmate at Alcatraz in solitary.
As a sidenote, since our girl Senya wasn???t down to ride ANY of the coasters (she waited in every line and held our valuables while we rode - what a saint), we indulged her one wish by riding the carousel with her at the end of the day. I got stuck behind the stationary bench, though, right in view of this couple who had apparently been riding all evening, making out. Yo, Romeo - get a room.
By now it was almost 8pm so we bid farewell to Nate, Marcos & Senya and proceeded to spend about 30 minutes looking for our car in Magic Mountain???s behemoth of a parking lot. Once found, we consulted Mark???s list of area vegan restaurants and settled on a Malaysian spot nearby. It wasn???t the best food in the world, but it was an interesting change of pace for me; I???d never eaten Malaysian fare before. Plus the owner sat down with us to talk about the menu and how she was happy we came to eat there, and they let me buy a sixpack of Sierra Nevada IPA at the liquor store around the corner and bring it in to drink.
After dinner we went back to Mark???s place, cleaned up (My face was totally sunburned from Magic Mountain - just call me Rudolph), and headed back out to hit some Hollywood Boulevard night clubs. On the way, we passed a street shoot for the TNT series WANTED. It featured an ambulance, a typical model-type out on the street on her cell phone, and some detectives asking here some questions. Some moron in the crowd kept yelling during the takes. Fucking tourists!
BEAUTY BAR
Pretty much the epitome of hipster victimitis, the DJ was playing endless 80s cheese and current rock/rap mashups, and the crowd was pretty much all white twentysomethings who likely had the entire DJ???s set in their respective iPods. Still, they *were* dancing, so it was vaguely fun to hang out and try to enjoy it for a bit. One girl came up to us and I???m not really sure which one of us she was trying to hit on, but she mock-berated me for not dancing to ???Don???t Stop Believing??? by Journey. ???You KNOW you know this song! You???re just pretending that you don???t know it.??? BINGO, HONEY! Another girl came up to us, told me ???you???re not trying hard enough??? and actually PIROUETTED across the floor. To Journey. Ok. I???m done with my gin & tonic. Let???s go.
THE BURGUNDY ROOM
I???m pretty sure this was one of Mark???s fave hangouts, as it seemed to be a slightly older and more rock-oriented crowd. Which I felt a bit more at home with, except that the place was basically a hall with a bar taking up half the space, and had the lighting of a basement crawlspace. I couldn???t see a damn thing, and the DJ wasn???t really taking chances with his Billy Idol, Stones, and James Brown selections. Classic songs, for sure, but way overplayed. Plus only one guy (in a trucker hat) was dancing, so trying to get my groove on wasn???t really an option. With the eclipse-like lighting, social interaction was nigh impossible so we jetted after Mark talked to a friend or two.
SOME REALLY NICE BAR THAT WAS EMPTY
Now this was a great place. A luxuriously kitschy old-style Hollywood bar with red velvet walls, grecian columns, and other hallmarks of absurd faux-excess. The perfect location for a Vampyros Lesbos resurrection, and the DJ was playing Manu Dibango???s ???Soul Makossa??? when we walked in. Perfect, except for the fact that there were exactly three people in the club that didn???t work there, and they were outside on the back patio. Which, by the time we reached it, was enveloped no longer in classic afro-funk, but wallpapery latin house. We couldn???t leave fast enough.
A DIVEY BAR WITH LOTS OF MIRRORS
We saw a lot of people coming and going outta this place on the way past it the first time, so we checked it out around 1:30am to see what the deal was. Things were definitely winding down but there was still a small crowd there getting into some decent soulful house. The DJ had a hypeman on the mic which was cool, the vibe was positive, and the crowd was the most diverse of the evening. Reminded me of Chico & Castro???s Neu Romance night here at home. But to be honest it wasn???t really our scene so we left to get some sleep.
Well by now it was 1:50 am and as we walked home, I couldn???t believe that ALL THE CLUBS WERE CLOSED. Jesus, the Beauty Bar was locked and its patrons all on the street. Gotta give the advantage to NC on this one - our last call is also 2am, but very few bars outside of Jackpot in Raleigh will throw people out if there???s enough of them wanting to hang out after the alcohol is locked up. LA get a life!
COMING NEXT: ON THE BEACH AND SATISFIED
BACK FROM PAGE 4 OBLIVION, YALL
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FRI. AUG 12, 2005
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Friday morning in LA... no rain, a cloudless sky, and sun shining through numerous layers of haze resulting in a dull brown-gray tinge all around. In NC, such conditions would be grounds for a red ozone alert, but here in Semi-Sunny Smog City this is what???s known as great weather. And what better activity on such a day than boogie boarding in the 1-foot high waves of Santa Monica! So that???s what Mark, Kelsi & I did for most of the day. And though we weren???t exactly giving the extreme sports world a run for its money, it was fun and rejuvenating to be in the sea for several hours. It was my first time actually swimming in the Pacific Ocean, and I even remembered to wear sunblock. Being able to look at amazing vintage architecture scattered on the hills surrounding the shore while swimming was a nice bonus. Great times.
On the way to the beach, Mark drove us past Rodeo Dr. and landmarks such as the Whiskey A Go Go; a nice little sightseeing tour. One thing I had noticed about LA immediately upon my arrival two days previous was the almost palpable sense of decay that had set in everywhere, even in the most formerly-glamorous settings. Brown weeds are rampant, roads are in disrepair, and even the Capitol Records building has many windows broken out. But those observations were made before Mark drove us into Beverly Hills on our way to the beach. Once you pass the Beverly Hills road sign, suddenly you???re in a world of bright green manicured shrubbery, luxurious and well-kept houses, and clean sidewalks. It really was quite a contrast from what else I???d seen of the city thus far. Though I can???t say much for the road leading up to the (well-hidden) Playboy Mansion; the concrete was broken and pitted as any rural NC byway. But I guess when you???re chauffeured around in Escalade suspension, little things like potholes are beneath notice. Not so much when you???re rolling in a decade-plus-old Jetta as we were.
After swimming, we drove into the sparkly beach town of Santa Monica and hit a vintage thrift store where I picked up a couple pairs of pants and a shirt. Kelsi was immediately taken with one of the numerous vintage rock jerseys/tees hanging from the ceiling - a Bad Company tour shirt from the early 80s. The $120 pricetag deterred her slightly, however. I???ll admit, the 80s rock tee market was a collectible arena I had no idea really even existed. But by the end of my time in LA I was made well aware that even the most banal vintage screenprint tee like New Kids on the Block or Alabama is worth much coin in this city as long as it???s at least 10 years old and able to be worn in some sort of ironic fashion.
Our next stop was a record spot across the street called House of Records that didn???t have much in the way of worthy old wax, but was a goldmine for cheap new promo 12???s and a few pop records from the last 3 years that I???d had trouble finding. And in my defense, let me say I bought the Eminem 12??? for the instrumental which is basically on some smoked-out sitar headnod shit and bought the Britney double 12??? for the Rishi Rich Punjabi remix, which actually turned out to be a slightly different mix than what I had on CD. BLAME IT ON THE BHANGRA.
HOUSE OF RECORDS ($43)
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Akon: Belly Dancer (Bananza) / Trouble Nobody 12" (promo) Universal
Nikka Costa: Like A Feather 12" (promo) Virgin
Eminem: Ass Like That 12" (promo, clear wax) Interscope
The Faint: The Conductor / Glass Danse 12" (promo) Astralwerks
Kelis: Tasty 2LP Universal
Teairra Mari: No Daddy 12" (promo) Roc-A-Fella
Memphis Bleek w/ Rihanna: The One 12" (promo) Roc-A-Fella
Monica: So Gone 12" J
Remy Ma: Whuteva 12" (promo) Universal
Britney Spears: Me Against the Music 2x12" (promo) Jive
After the record store we passed through Koreatown and stopped for dinner at Sallim Korean Vegelife Restaurant, a huge vegetarian-only buffet spot. In fact, everything on the menu (50+ items) was vegan except the pizza so we went wild. To be honest, none of the individual items knocked me out and almost everything tasted differently than it looked. What you???d expect to be spicy hot noodles would often turn out to be cold and sweet. Still, the sheer variety of items and the clean, friendly & spacious environment made the stop worthwhile so I???d definitely go back the next time I???m in LA.
Since we were all covered with sand and salt from the beach, we went back to Mark???s place and got cleaned up. It was 9pm by now so as soon as I got ready, Mark dropped me off at The Derby on Los Feliz, the home of Tony the Tyger???s monthly Satisfaction 60s party, and said he???d be back with Kelsi later in the evening.
Entering the Derby, I was struck with just how huge it was and how glamorous it felt. The space was an amazingly preserved 50s-60s time capsule with big domed ceiling, immense circular bar, great carpet and ornate (I think) booths. But in addition, The Satisfaction crew really outdid themselves with the psychedelic lighting, 60s projections, beat videos on three big video screens and of course two go-go girls with their own platforms!
But the real treat was that finally after 2 days in LA I got to see the rest of the people who prompted the whole visit in the first place: Tony Tyger and Satisfaction cohorts DJ Rena La Reine + hubby/organizer Glenn, C3PLOS and Irene, my DJ partner Cowbwoy (who???d just flown in that day), our buddy from NC Mike Z., Jodie Artichoke, Dr. Scott, Mike Nipper my man from way back, Wayne from CT, Stephanie from San Fran... the list seemed endless and it really was like old home week, especially when Mark & Kelsi showed up with their posse. I was also introduced to new folks like DJ Toningo and Leenda Karina. Plus an enthusiast of my Honey Machine mix came out too - a SoulStrut lurker named R*ger. Wow - my first real fan! What a great way to drink, dance and party with friends, especially on such an occasion as Tony the Tyger???s birthday.
Before I went on, I was resolved to get as smashed as possible, and was well on my way with the aid of a BYOB sixpack of Sierra Nevada, a couple of drink ticket g&t???s, and some more brews courtesy of Tony the Tyger???s car trunk cooler (accessible by the backstage door of course). However, if I was almost 3 sheets to the wind before our DJ set, my man Cowbwoy was a full 5 sheets gone, since he???d arrived a couple hours before me and had a bit of a headstart in our drunkyard dash. The Midnite man was definitely leaning, saying things that didn???t quite make even 35% sense, and getting truly snaphappy with his camera. As a ???square jawn??? from PA (no, still no holler at Philly girls who don???t know Cosmo Baker) & her friend tried to hit on Mike Z. and myself, Mike and I were actually more concerned with exchanging glances of concern (okay - smirks of laughter) about our bwoy.
But I have to admit that even though I seriously doubted Brian???s ability to even put a record on the turntable by the time Deke Dickerson closed his set, he definitely came through with flying colors. And I???m proud to say that we kept at least a few people on the dancefloor with our alternating doubleshot original vinyl selections, so here they are for your approval.
MIDNITE COWBWOY
The Presidents - Which Way
Eddy Mitchell - Otis
DJ MARCO
Claude & Frank Carbo: Fox In A Mini Skirt - 45 (Castle)
Gunga Din: Crabcakes - 45 (Valise)
MIDNITE COWBWOY
Roy Thompson - Sookie Sookie
Claude Francois - Reste
DJ MARCO
Jenny Rock: Le Tra in Pour Memphis - 45 (Citation Canada)
Jocy: Dans Les Dix Premiers - 45 (Jem France)
MIDNITE COWBWOY
Lee Moses - Day Tripper
Gary Brown - Spoiled Child
DJ MARCO
Balloon Farm: A Question of Temperature - 45 (Laurie)
Floyd Smith: Soul Strut - 45 (Dakar)
MIDNITE COWBWOY
Willie Hobbs - Gloria
The Tams - Trouble Maker
DJ MARCO
Charlie Palmieri: Fat Papa - LP (Alegre)
Johnny Zamot: Boogaloo Frog - 45 (Grande)
MIDNITE COWBWOY
This 'N' That - Get Down With It / I Can't Get No Satisfaction
The Capitols - Patty Cake
Once our set was done, we immediately took to the floor to dance with all of our friends until the club shut down. I???m not sure who was DJing at that point but my hat goes off to them - I was loving the tunes. To give you an impression of the scene, here???s a rather amusing distillation of how Marco gets down in such a situation, brought to you by the west coast???s undisputed master of the incriminating collage, Mr. Tony The Tyger:
But soon it was time to wrap things up and close the club. After much chatter and clatter outside the venue picking rides and getting directions to the afterparty at a go-go girl???s house, finally I piled into a car with SF Syd at the wheel, Jodie A. riding shotgun, and Dr. Scott & Nipper sharing the backseat with me. I don???t remember much about the ride other than 1) somehow hugging Syd from the backseat to thank her (rather loudly) for driving us around, and 2) yelling out old Dischord lyrics with Dr. Scott, to wit: ???ARTIFICIAL PEACE! IT???S JUST HUMAN!??? In vino veritas.
We arrived to the party fashionably drunk, but I must admit that the night remains somewhat of a blur as I didn???t apparently think my sobriety was sufficiently euthanized, and I continued to medicate myself alcholically once I arrived. A few flashes though: Being blown away by the top-to-bottom 60s decor of the house and accompanying French psychedelic soundtrack. Hanging out in the front room chatting with Mark, Kelsi, Leenda, Jodie & Nipper. Giving my cell to Jodie to holler at my man Cosmo in NYC. Noticing a voicemail from Funky Guzzo and Iron Monkey asking where???s the party and giving the phone to Leenda to give them directions. Recognizing the Monk on sight when they arrived 30 minutes later and making sure he & Guzzo got drinks from the surprisingly well-stocked makeshift bar. Talking with Glenn about something or other on a mattress. Rappitating with several people I don???t remember on the balcony. Being __________________ by ___________________ and _____________________. You get the idea. Suffice to say, it was daylight when I left, and I ended up being dropped off at Mark???s place by someone I hadn???t even met until that evening. The time of the dropoff? 9:40am.
To paraphrase a great philosopher-poet-transsexual, it might not have been my happening, but it most certainly freaked me out.
In other words, to quote a song I???d never thought I???d voluntarily admit to knowing:
I LOVE L.A.!
NEXT: TSEGA (AND STAR SHOES) TAKE NO SHORTS
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SAT. AUG 13, 2005
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After the previous nights revels and excess, I wasn???t about to wake up at any kind of reasonable hour, even though Tony The Tyger???s birthday BBQ at Cranes was going to begin at 3pm. Mark and Kelsi left me in the house to do their own thing around 2:30pm while I tried to sleep off a spinning brain and on-fire stomach until 5:30pm, when I finally struggled to take a shower and get dressed. I gave my man Tsega a call and we agreed to meet at Truly vegetarian restaurant around the corner.
I made it to the restaurant somewhat intact, resolving to not touch alcohol for the rest of the night, a resolution that wasn???t in the least bit difficult to keep. I rather unwisely ordered red curry but was far from up to the task of actually eating it, as I had serious doubts that even a bite would remain in my stomach for long. Soon Tsega showed up and we caught up on things as I basically left my curry in the bowl to weather a bout of cold sweats. Luckily I made it through the meal without serious incident, and even recognized a dude who took a booth, Jon C*rl , from last night???s party. I introduced myself and got his number ???cos he told me about a big loft party going on that night and I didn???t want to miss out, just in case.
Tsega was a true pal that night and gave me free rides all around LA. Our first stop was the Cranes lounge around 8pm to meet back up with the Satisfaction crew. Upon my arrival, I was given the third degree, chastised, tsked-tsked, and/or snickered at for my behavior at the party the night before. I diplomatically claimed memory loss and nursed glasses of water for the remainder of the evening to avoid a repeat performance.
The get-together was extremely low key but lots of fun, and gave me a chance to actually talk to folks instead of just ramble drunkenly. We also did a lot of dancing, as there was a roster of about a dozen DJs from 3pm-12am and they were all playing massive 60s-70s heat (funk, soul, r???n???b, reggae, ska, garage, psych, hard rock, go go, latin, you name it) all night on the back patio outside. I don???t think a single person didn???t dance at some point in the night. DJs included Jodie Artichoke, Midnite Cowbwoy, Clifton, Major Sean, C3PLOS, Dr. Scott, Mike Vague, Rena LaReine, Tony The Tyger , myself and several others.
Here???s what I played:
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DJ MARCO SETLIST
TONY THE TYGER???S B-DAY BBQ
AT THE CRANES
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(In approximate sequence)
The Radors: Finger Licking Chicken - 45 (Leoso)
The Fabulous Fantoms: The Mau Mau - 45 (Big Deal)
Flamingo Group feat. Marie Rottrova & Petr Nemec:
Big Chain - LP (Supraphon Czechkoslovakia)
Wanderl??a: Quem Muito Fala, Pouco Acerta - LP (Columbia Brasil)
Michel Polnareff: Ne Me Marchez Pas Sur Les Pieds - 45 (AZ France)
Joe Harnell: Work Sunny Work (Work Song/Sunny) - 45 (Columbia)
The Aztecs: Damelo Baby - 45 (Scepter)
Tito Rodriguez: Boogaloo En Puerto Rico - 45 (UA)
Jo Ann King: Hey Lancelot - 45 (Phil L.A. of Soul)
Ike & Tina Turner: I Wanna Jump - 45 (Minit)
Jesse James: Green Power - 45 (20th Century Fox)
Michele Richard: C???est Pas Prudent - LP (Trans-Canada)
Jacques Dutronc: J???ai Tout Lu, Tout Vu, Tout Bu - 45 (Vogue France)
OV Wright: Ace of Spade - 45 (Backbeat)
I was also happy to finally meet my longtime online friend Nina IRL for the first time, but alas didn???t recognize her when she said hi (her trademark red hair was now blonde), and she and her husband didn???t stay longer than 30 minutes. BOOOOO! But Soulstrut lurker R*ger brought his posse, and oddly enough, I ended up talking with them more than just about anyone else. Nice bunch of folks. R*ger if you???re reading this, post up son!
MARCO, TSEGA, R*GER AND THE POSSE:
When it hit midnight, everybody went their separate ways for food & parties. As for ourselves, Tsega and I went directly to Star Shoes on Sunset Blvd. to catch Egon and/or That Kid Miles play funk 45 raers. Unfortunately, the bouncer took one look at Tsega???s retina-scorching attire and said ???NO SHORTS.???
We were dejected, but my stomach had calmed by this time and I was hungry to boot, so the NY-style pizzeria right across the corner looked appealing. We walked in and immediately noticed a table full of party-attired girls being talked to by another table of two equally sharply-dressed but somehow not-quite-fully-together guys. Since one of them was Asian and one was Middle Eastern, let???s call them the Harold & Kumar of Sunset Blvd.
Over the course of our (delicious) pizza, Tsega and I fought (90% unsuccessfully) to stifle laughter at the pair???s attempts to holler at just about every patron in the establishment, male or female. For instance, when the girls next to them left, they started rapping to the two Asian dudes the next table over. Really loudly. With surefire conversation-starters like ???Where you guys from? Any good parties tonight? Can you pass the red pepper????
But things really got popping when another group of girls walked in and sat at the table behind us. Harold didn???t miss his opportunity to spit game the only way he knew how.
???Where you ladies from????
???I???m from Chicago but I???ve lived here for 3 years,??? came one girl???s reply.
???Well we were born in L.A., both of us,??? Harold bragged as Kumar nodded.
???I guess you lose then,??? the girl quipped.
???What?!!???? Harold stammered.
???You lose. We came from somewhere else, so LA is really fun to us,??? she explained. ???But you???ve lived here all your life so it???s not as cool to you.???
???Listen,??? Harold puffed himself up. ???Chicago sucks. LA is awesome.???
???What?!???? the girls??? table collectively gasped.
???OHHH SHIIIIIT!!!??? Tsega and I howled.
???Look, LA has the best clubs, the best people, the best weather,??? Harold proudly proclaimed. ???What does Chicago have? A bunch of wind!???
???From everybody farting,??? Kumar added tastefully.
???You better stop talking smack about Chicago,??? the main girl replied, her head- and eye-rolling audible as her words.
???Why? Even your baseball team sucks!??? Harold accused.
By this time, the girls had gotten up and were leaving, but not before turning to us and saying ???We???re really sorry you had to hear all this.???
???Hey, I was just in Chicago two months ago,??? I replied. ???I loved it.???
Soon the girls were out the door, hurling expletives at Harold & Kumar the entire way.
???Oh yeah,??? Harold retorted after their exit. ???(insert Chicago baseball player here) totally sucks. You girls aren???t even good looking. You THINK you???re good looking cos you???re dressed hot but you???re really ugly as shit.???
???Fucking bitches!??? Kumar hissed to no one in particular.
Tsega and I figured these guys must get dressed to the nines every Saturday night, put on their best cologne and jump in their ride to do what every other red-blooded male does on the weekend. No, not to go to the club, dude. To hit on girls at the pizza parlor. I thought you knew!
I was still interested in catching a bit of the Star Shoes experience, so Tsega posted outside the club a la Paul Wall to allow me a couple minutes inside. Sure enough, the music was 100% raw funk rarity but the club was one of the ???under cover of darkness??? variety and through the smoke and lack of illumination, I could only make out a vague impression of a hipster crowd, no faces. I lamented the abscense of proper lighting, my friend Tsega, and an alcohol buzz, then quickly rejoined big T outside.
With the night still young, we drove out to Silverlake to what was promised to us at the BBQ as a huge houseparty that would likely go all night. When we found the street, we found no party at the address listed. But we did find another party in progress one block down, so we invited ourselves in. To say that this was the quintessential Silverlake hipster party would not have been an understatement, and I hadn???t even been to Silverlake before to know enough that it was true. Lotsa white kids with funny haircuts, tight 70s/80s clothes and the DJ playing the Stooges & Blondie were all present and accounted for. The same could not be said for anybody we knew personally. We bailed before Debbie Harry got to the rap portion of ???Rapture.???
On our way out of Silverlake to drop me off, Tsega and I both caught notice of a rotating ???Foot Doctor??? sign. One side had a cartoon happy foot jumping for joy. When the sign turned around to reveal a sick, bandaged foot on crutches and frowning, we both independently started into laughing fits. This may seem like a minor detail, but to us it was probably the most memorable thing about Silverlake that night to us, the Harold and Kumar of SoulStrut.
NEXT: A VISIT TO THE PASADENA RAER BOWL
I want pics of you drunk dialing.
I second that emotion.
where your celebrity fliks though, any sign on of
Thank you. I consider it my public duty to keep you folls amused and am happy to hear that I've had some success in that arena.
UNKNOWN DUOPHONIC DRUNK DIAL IN THE CLUB
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/slideshow?a=67b0de21b30fe86f452e&auto=0&idx=14&m=1&d=1125497425376
DRUNK DIAL TO COSMO AT THE AFTERPARTY,
PHONE HANDED TO DIABOLIK'S JODIE A. (HIDDEN BEHIND MY HOMEGIRL KELSI)
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/slideshow?a=67b0de21b30fe86f452e&auto=0&idx=24&m=1&d=1125498322926
Nah, the closest I got to celebrities that week was seeing the street shoot of TNT's WANTED. The girl in the shot might have been famous but I don't think so.
I think he was on SoulStrut that week.
SUN. AUG 14, 2005
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Now the part that all of the record geeks have been waiting for - our visit to the Pasadena Rose Bowl Flea Market. Kelsi was looking for clothes and cool ideas for work (she helps design trendy handbags), Mark & I were looking for the vinyl. We got to the spot at 8:45am, paid $10 early admission (RIPOFF), and started hunting in the rapidly-brightening sun. We didn???t end up leaving until 3pm, making ours a full 6-hour visit.. and we didn???t even see about 35% of the dealers. Obviously this was an incredibly huge market, much bigger than any flea I???ve been to before. Vintage clothes (especially the previously-mentioned 80s tees) were in abundance, as were movie posters, 60s-era furniture, paper collectables of all kinds, and scads of enterprising young Japanese attendees filling up carts with their clothing finds, presumably to ship back home for an astounding profit. It was definitely a contrast to the pitifully meager selections (and overwhelmingly non-Asian crowds) that NC fleas usually offer. And though the prices were understandably inflated compared to NC, they still weren???t unreasonable, and I caught a lot of bargains by the time we left the premises.
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DEALER 1 ($6)
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Pino Donaggio: Dressed to Kill OST LP Varese Sarabande
Dominic Frontiere: The Stunt Man OST LP 20th Century
Despite the late vintage, don???t front on the heart-shattering Dusty Springfield vocal track on this album!
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DEALER 2 ($75)
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This vendor had an amazing (and apparently untouched) selection of alt-type records for sale from his personal collection, and it yielded some of the best scores of the day, especially considering the $6/item pricing. Plus when he saw the T. Rex album, the guy informed that when I play it, ???the girls??? clothes will come right off.??? He gave me a similar testimonial about his Erik Satie records, though I wasn???t quite in agreement about that assessment. Unless you date exclusively French Lit majors.
Adam & the Ants: Antmusik EP 12" (pic sleeve) Do It UK
Adam & the Ants: Dirk Wears White Sox LP Do It UK
Anticon: Hip Hop Music for the Advanced Listener LP Big Daddy
Eater: Lock It Up / Jeepster 12" (pic sleeve) The Label UK
Freestyle Fellowship: To Whom It May Concern LP Sun
Kraftwerk: Trans-Europe Express LP Capitol
Pharcyde: 6 Tracks 12" (purple wax) ?
The Shaggs: The Philosophy of the World LP (1980 reis.) Rounder
Small Faces: First Step LP (gatefold) WB
Stereolab: Aluminum Tunes 3LP Drag City
Tyrannosaurus Rex: Unicorn LP (gatefold) EMI Regal UK
Various: Scandal Ska OST LP (promo) Island
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DEALER 3 (.50)
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This dealer was Andrea ???Big Mama Freak??? Kusten, formerly of the Fuzztones and Th??? Outta Place. She had lotsa great records but not many I needed, so instead I bought her really cool homemade Faces and Sweet t-shirts. She mentioned that she had recently bought a big vinyl collection with Mike Vague, so when I told her I had DJ???d with him the night before, she gave me a significant discount on the shirts saying I was ???family.??? Good peoples.
Strawberry Switchblade: Jolene / Black Taxi / Being Cold 12" (pic sleeve) Korova UK
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DEALER 4 ($3)
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? And the Mysterians: 96 Tears LP Cameo
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DEALER 5 ($2)
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The Stranglers: 1980 EP 45 IRS
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DEALER 6 (.25)
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Sylvie Vartan: Sylvie A L'Olympia LP RCA France
Ha! This was hidden in about 25 boxes of pedestrian .25 records. For two bits I had to pick up a spare copy of this amazing live French version of ???Friendship Train??? that I love to play out.
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DEALER 7 ($30)
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The Latin Souls: Tiger Boo-Ga-Loo LP (promo w/ time strip) Kapp
Not the best latin soul album in the world, but I love the genre so I had to cop.
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DEALER 8 ($35)
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These two dudes were definite beatdigger types, and had a stereo turntable setup in their van, playing a great selection of funk, boogie, and oldschool hiphop. Their stock was varied, high quality, and fairly priced, though personally I only found a few items I needed. I talked to the main guy for a bit about our love of latin soul after I bought a personal grail album off him for a bargain $30.
The Flying Lizards: s/t LP Virgin
KC & the Sunshine Band: Boogie Shoes / I Get Lifted 45 TK
The Latin Blues Band: Take A Trip Pussycat LP Speed
Unfortunately I ran out of money before I found the ultimate treasure of the entire day, but I at least took a photo of it for the benefit of the SoulStrut massive:
After the flea market, we rolled to a so-so Chinese restaurant in Hollywood that had fake meat on the menu. Nothing really notable about this dinner - sorry! Then we cleaned up, hung out at Mark???s for a bit, and around 9pm I borrowed his car to drive to the Lucky Tiki (one of LA???s original tiki lounges, apparently) to meet up with the Satisfaction folks one last time while he and Kelsi watched BLACK GUNN at home.
The vibe at the Lucky Tiki was low-key (and the temperature was WAY TOO HIGH) but the decor was amazing, and Lee Joseph (owner of Dionysus Records) was spinning appropriate 50s-60s exotica sounds. Chatted with Tony, Rena, Glenn, and Cowbwoy, and met Lee???s very giggly but sweet girlfriend, Cowbwoy???s friend Rosa, and another girl who works at a vegan restaurant. All in all, a nice little farewell get-together.
NEXT: ESCAPE FROM LA
He was just out here in Palm Springs. I ran into him looking for records down the street from my house. I had no idea who he but he said he was down here for THIS, which I still have to go see.
Sounds like you had a pretty good time out here, Marco. With the highlight of your trip being Tsega's shorts.