THERE WILL BE MORE HERE

I am about to go and have burritos with my boyfriend because I am cold, and hungry, and in need of lunch; but before I depart I would like to preface what will soon occupy this space. As you have probably gathered by reading this blog, I am heavily inspired by the underground or counter-culture movements that have taken place over the years. A huge inspiration within the past few years has been the growing artistic community in Los Angeles.

When I was 15 I went to my first show in a crowded room filled like a can of sardines with about thirty smelly, sweaty, unusual looking people. We all congregated in this claustorphobic space and waited intently for the bands to play, and when they did, it was a religious moment. Your ears were ringing, your heart was pounding, and the throngs of people had become one big unified mass of dancers. Everyone was jumping up and down, swaying around, and just letting their limbs thoughtlessly drift to whatever rhythm the music possesed them to. I was drawn in from that moment on, and whenever I had five dollars and a ride to that seedy Los Angeles venue, I would go to the shows. There was an immense sense of community at these places, as if everyone were a family for the four hours of their night that they were there; everyone was happy, and no one judged.

Some of the most interesting individuals sauntered out to go to these shows and it was always fun to see the well-dressed hipsters mingle with the weirdos. It had been a while since I experienced that though, and for months I had no way to get out to Downtown, and I had no way to go to the shows. It put a damper on me for a long while, something was missing, that sense of freedom and kinship was gone.

Well Friday night the 13th my boyfriend and I gathered our spare change and made the mission out to Echo Park once again to see a monumental show. After all that time, and the place still looked the same albeit with a sprinkling of fresh faces. The crowd was still nice and supportive as ever, and seeing such an interesting assembly of people made me feel at home. It was the first night I was able to comfortably come outside and flaunt my shaved head WITHOUT a hat. Being around that place galvanizes you to continue being a fearless individual. What a beautiful thing that is.

Anywho, I'll be sure to share some pictures of the people and the venue and offer a teensy weensy glimpse into what a fabulous place Los Angeles can be for weirdos after dark.