📄 Transcript [show]
People have powerful feelings about the traffic in Los Angeles.
It says something that local officials warned motorists about a temporary roadwork closure on the 405 last year by calling it Carmageddon.
Angelenos took the hint, and this weekend they're expected to steer clear of the latest 405 closure, named, of course, Carmageddon 2.
That's how it is in L.A., a snarl of overstuffed freeways and commuters who keep their cool, except when they don't.
KPCC's Stephen Cuevas has this profile of a punk rocker whose music expresses the insanity of L.A.
traffic while extolling the virtues of public transit.
Couple of things you need to know about Eddie Solis.
He lives in L.A., loves the band Kiss, and does not own a car.
Being someone who's from L.A., born and raised, and, you know, having a few cars in my past, I saw the city much differently through a different perspective through the eyes of a bus rider.
One just all the way to the back.
Look at the sheriff.
Line 18, Wilshire, Western Station.
Just steps from the front door of his home, across the street from a tortilla factory in L.A.'s Boyle Heights neighborhood, Solis catches a bus that connects him with the city's subway, and the commuter train he catches to his day job at an indie record label in Hollywood.
It just opened me up to, like, little neighborhoods, galleries, clubs, bars, just everything.
Just seeing what's out there, little pockets of the city.
Solis' journeys aboard L.A.
buses and subway cars informs a lot of the material on The New Los Angeles Part One, Through the Eyes of a Bus Rider, the latest release by the singer-guitarist band It's Casual.
The New Los Angeles No one has learned much In Solis' vision of a New Los Angeles, people abandon their cars, climb aboard public transit, and rediscover their communities.
One song extols the virtues of the L.A.
County Metropolitan Transit Agency's E-ZPass, and the urban underbelly it introduces to the rider.
And that's, like, a nod, an homage to, you know, the people who know, but you can even go cheaper and really beat the system and really steer away from spending money on gas and oil profits and all that.
Fifty dollars is all it takes for me to get to work.
Fifty dollars is all it takes for me to get to work.
It's not just for me to witness racial tension, for me to witness illegal aliens.
It's not to paint a negative picture.
It's just my perspective of what is seen.
Off the bus and back on the street, we make our way past a jazz saxophonist playing for pocket change and down a long escalator to catch a train.
So, where are we now?
We're at the Red Line Station.
We're at Pershing Square Station in downtown L.A.
And what's our destination?
We're going to go downstairs another tier, and in about five minutes, we're going to get on the Red Line going northbound.
Okay, let's go.
The Metro Red Line snakes from North Hollywood to downtown Los Angeles.
It's the train that inspired its casuals' signature tune and spawned a viral Internet video.
It was partly filmed late at night on a moving train as it hurtles from station to station.
Solis thrashes away on his guitar and barks the lyrics, celebrate the Red Line, and call out the congested freeways that coil around Los Angeles.
This is a Metro Red Line train to North Hollywood.
The 210-605, the freeways are not so nice.
The I-5, the 210, the freeways are not so nice.
The thread that comes out of the record that ties everyone together is just like, be alive, don't be a victim of having a car.
The 210-605, the freeways are not so nice.
The I-5, the 210, the freeways are not so nice.
The Red Line, the Red Line.
An MTA spokesman said he couldn't comment on Eddie Solis' furious pro-Metro message, but the Red Line video was a hit at the offices of Move LA.
Eddie's done a good job.
Thank you, Eddie.
It's the public transport.
The transportation advocacy group headed by former Santa Monica Mayor Denny Zane, he liked the juxtaposition of Solis blissfully riding LA public transit in one scene with scenes of the band raging against those notorious freeway jams.
Eddie is all frantic when he talks about highways and so mellow when he's like grooving on his skateboard and on the bus and on the Red Line.
There's a metaphor for the transformation, you know, from the, oh my God, I just got to get out of the traffic, to, hey, this is cool.
I can mellow out.
Or you can blast the tune like too many people as you claw your way across Los Angeles by car, bus or skateboard.
Los Angeles.
There's too many people.
I want them to go away.
Even though I think they're so afraid.
Too many people could also be a motto for its casual, over the years, the band whittled itself down to a power duo of Solis and a rotating cast of drummers.
So you may think the burly bearded punk rocker just can't get along with freeways with people or his native LA.
Not true.
I love it.
I love everything about it.
I've traveled throughout the US many times and I could never look forward enough to coming back.
The weather, the different cultures, the landscape.
I was just like, you know what?
Now I know why everyone moves to LA.
Solis will bring the love and the volume during a Redline mini tour next month.
Its casual will play a different venue within walking distance of several Redline metro stops from Union Station to West Hollywood.
For the California Report, I'm Stephen Cuevas.
And that's the California Report, a production of KQED Public Radio in San Francisco.
Our director this week is Nina Thorson.
Ciel Muller is our technical producer.
We had additional engineering from Danny Bringer and Howard Gelman.
Thanks to Hank Hadley at KCBX.
Our online team includes Lisa Pickoff-White, David Marks and Don Clyde.
Our interns are Katherine Borgeson and Rachel Johnson.
Tyki Hendrix is our elections editor.
With production help from Tina Lauberberg.
We had editing support from Paul Rogers.
Victoria Maleon is our associate senior producer.
Ingrid Becker is our senior producer.
The news director is Bruce Kuhn.
I'm Rachel Mairo.
Thanks for listening and have a great weekend.
This is the California Report.
Funds for the California Report are provided by the James Irvine Foundation.
Expanding opportunity for the people of California and supporting the California Report since its premiere in 1995.
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More information at Chevron.com.
The 210-605-7000.
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The I10.
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The 605.
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Are not so nice The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line Between 10 to 6 or 5 The freeways are not so nice The I-5, the I-10 The freeways are not so nice The 101, the 405 The freeways are not so nice The 605, the 101 The 101, the 101 The I-10, the 210 The 605, the 101 The 405, the I-10 The freeways are not so nice The red line The red line The red light.
The red light.
The red light.
The red light.
The red light.
The red light.
Welcome to Los Angeles Nista, episode 125.
I am the show creator, producer, and host, Eddie Solis.
And today is a downtown Los Angeles episode.
The destination I'm going to be highlighting is a destination called the Downtown Playground.
And my in-studio guest, Josh Walker.
What's up, man?
What up, Eddie?
How are you?
Dude, we're doing so well.
All right.
And Ricardo.
Great to see you again, buddy.
Great to see you.
Ricardo, what's your last name?
Garcia.
Garcia.
You know, I know you as Ricardo the Fabulous Artist.
Thanks, man.
You know?
So, you know, I wanted to do another Downtown LA episode.
And I said, you know, Downtown Playground.
It's new.
It's exciting.
It's relevant.
It's fresh.
Off of Lammoth and Alameda.
Nice.
Right?
14th and Alameda.
But, I mean, it's all pretty close.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We'll name check the address and all that after.
Let's talk about, let's talk about, Josh, why don't you tell me how it became to be and how it got visualized and how it ended up being materialized.
Awesome.
So, believe it or not, the playground existed before I came into the picture.
And so, I'm going to tag team this with Ricardo.
But I met Ricardo, geez, a year ago now, maybe?
A year and a half?
About, yeah, a year and a half or so.
So, I was living in Long Beach and kind of since I was a kid, I've wanted to live in like a creative space, like that cool brick warehouse thing that we'd all seen artists have and whatnot, but seemed like not so attainable.
So, I moved from Long Beach to Downtown LA.
There was this old building that was purchased out by this company and they were renovating it slowly.
But to counter the cost of renovating, they were renting it out to people, artists.
And so, it was still really grungy.
And this was at 15th and Alameda, essentially, by that big recycling, that metal recycling plant.
Anyway, so I got in there.
Rent was really cheap, which was cool.
And right away, I met two, three, four other people that were in there, artists, doing the same thing.
The funny part about it is that it's not zoned as a residential area.
Right.
And so, we were all kind of flying under the radar and the way we explained it, we were like, you know, we work crazy hours, you know, like, you know, who's to say we're like not working at four in the morning when we're like crashing.
But anyway, so moved in there and immediately met Ricardo and then a couple of other cats that go by the name of Unincorporated Life.
And just right away, solid people.
You know those types of people.
You know those type of people like yourselves.
Like when we met.
That you meet and you're just like, you feel like you've been friends your whole life.
Absolutely.
And so, they took me under their wing right away.
Ricardo's doing art.
He's got this gorgeous space on the bottom floor that was huge.
And he was throwing parties, man.
And it was all about getting art on the wall and getting people there.
Awesome.
And so, I'll let Ricardo kind of tell you about how he came to do that, I guess.
Awesome.
Yeah, just like what Josh mentioned.
I mean, it was an incredible synergy once we kind of met.
And this building, this crazy building with this crazy landlord, his name is Hasid.
I figure I need to drop the dime on his ass.
Just the fact that he put us in a horrible situation.
But more than anything, in the positive note, it was just an incredible synergy full of creative people.
And we were just basically feeding off each other on, you know, on just everything from our parties to events to fashion shows, you name it.
And I guess...
And supporting each other.
I think it was a big thing.
That's important.
Absolutely.
We had a family there.
And we...
It was really cool because you like, you live down the hall from these people.
And so, at any hour, you just go knock on the door, what's going on?
You pop in and they're painting or unincorporated life was always sewing and making stickers with their die cut machine.
And so, it was like this summer camp that like, you know, nobody ever wants to leave summer camp.
So, why not create one that you can live in?
And so, we actually coined that spot The Brick because it was this big brick block, if you will.
I love that.
And things were going well.
I...
At that time, I was focusing on a publication with a friend of mine, Chelsea.
We called it The Fresh Press.
And so, we actually popped open an office and we were working on that.
And I guess where this is going is I was over at the office one day and I get a call from my buddy, Shane, who's in unincorporated life.
And he was actually up in Colorado working on a project.
And he calls me and he's like, hey, man, I just got some news that there was a big bust at The Brick.
Like, you got to get down there.
And so, I fly over there.
It's like 11 o'clock at night.
I hadn't been there all day.
The police...
Police are there.
Right.
Yellow tape.
LAPD, yellow tape.
And so, finally, they cut the tape and they let everyone in.
And there were probably, I don't know, 10 or 15 people outside, really concerned, weren't allowed in all day.
I go upstairs and my door has been busted open with one of the RAM things.
Whoa.
And my whole place is trashed.
Yeah.
And so...
By the LAPD.
Yes.
Every room...
Every room busted in, completely trashed, looking for drugs.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
And what happened was there was a big grow-up going on upstairs.
And, you know, we would smell some weed, but, like, we had no idea.
That's right.
The scale.
So, like, these guys were really pro.
And I guess to keep it short, they...
It was massive.
And so the moral of this is that we all essentially got booted out.
They cut the power to the building.
And here, you know, all these legit artists who are, like, trying to do good things in the city literally, like, left homeless.
Management doesn't pick up the phone.
No sorry.
from LAPD, nothing.
We're just like stranded.
And our apartment is trash to boot.
And so, you know, we're kind of just like stunned.
And everyone's like scattering to try to find like places to put their stuff.
I mean, our doors wouldn't even lock.
And so everyone kind of found their own things.
And we reached out to friends to help, you know, until we could find a new place.
And shoot, a year, year and a half ago, somewhere around there, this happened.
And I guess since then, we've all kind of like found our own little new homes in LA and these new pockets.
And about a month and a half now ago, I saw on Facebook that Ricardo had found this new place, which is now the downtown playground, but this gorgeous 3000 square foot space that he got a killer rent on for what it is.
And you've seen how beautiful it is.
And so I saw it on Facebook, and I hadn't really heard from him for a while.
You know, we were all kind of connected, but not like we were before.
And so I was like, man, I got to come see the spot.
And I was actually living on a boat in Marina del Rey, which was kind of fun, you know.
And so I came down, and I was just like, like freaking out, man, I was getting the chills and like just looking up at the walls and seeing the potential that this place had.
And so I got to throw mad props to Ricardo for taking the leap and getting this space.
I mean, you know, getting a big space like that, rent first and last is always fun, pulling together and all that fun stuff.
And so man, he really took the leap.
And he knew, like what he needed to do, like for this community and for this cause.
And so, you know, the people that we used to be with in the brick, we're slowly kind of pulling them back together.
And so now I'm doing this with Ricardo, or pardon me, he's accepted to have me on as his partner in this thing.
And so the old space that he had was called Cinco's Playground.
And maybe you could speak to, you know, why you call it the playground.
No, absolutely.
Just, and it's amazing being, having Josh, you know, being part of all this.
The playground is basically just a concept that I created.
Just, I want people to come into an environment where they just kind of put all their worries, their issues that they have away, you know, and this is like, once you enter, say my realm, my sanctuary, I want you to just celebrate your life, you know, be creative, don't worry about things.
This is almost like the Lost Boys from Peter Pan kind of thing.
Being in the moment.
Absolutely.
Being in the moment.
And that's Buddhism.
That's yoga.
I mean, that's love.
That's love.
Love in yourself.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
And that's a good point you brought out.
It's really everything.
I mean, from physical to spiritual to mentally.
Emotional.
Emotional.
And what we forgot to be is being a human being, being a person.
Absolutely.
And it's interesting that Josh and I, we were talking about even just how community these days, it's really more of an online kind of, Yeah.
of communication, so to speak, where the playground brings you together.
We communicate as what we were intended to do, you know?
Who would ever think that, you know, technology is fantastic.
We use it, especially if you're doing business and creating projects and have passion projects, you get your message out.
And, but who would ever think that face to face conversations would be like going to obscurity?
Isn't it weird?
Isn't it true though?
It's scary, man.
It is true though.
I was talking to Ricardo before we came about, which was your YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube YouTube I think we're kind of, all of us, the first generation to grow up with the internet.
And so we know both worlds, without internet and with it.
Pardon me, let me back up.
We didn't necessarily completely grow up with the internet.
I believe I was in like second or third grade when it came about.
But it was still young and it wasn't everything like it is now.
And so I think we were the last generation to grow up with analog and digital, if you will.
And so this new group coming up, it's interesting, you know, just not having that.
And so, you know, I guess that means keeping it alive for us.
Yeah, so in a way, I mean, you know, the downtown playground, you know, it's a hub for people to go interact and connect.
And, you know, you could sharpen your communication skills.
The hot start of communication and conversation.
Absolutely.
And, you know, I believe that, you know, as technology grows, people who are consumed by it and use it for, you know, their own productivity will be, will see their demise in intelligence.
And I think that, and not to sound like a, you know, like, I don't want to sound like a snide remark.
But, I mean, if you are someone who has a lot going on and you are using it, then it's great.
Absolutely.
Because if you have so much going on, you're still doing this kind of thing and you're just sending your message through this.
It's a tool.
It's a tool.
And it's a life, everything, there needs to be a balance.
Right.
And I think that it's easy to get lost in the internet.
Absolutely.
Because it's fun and it's quick and it's easy and all of these things, you know.
And it is great if you're, if you're, you know, involved in a lot.
Exactly.
You know.
It's a tool.
But then I get worried about those adults I see.
Right.
Playing games all day.
Right.
Yeah.
And eating junk food.
It's like, dude, what's going on here?
Like, that's creepy.
Well, I mean, we're all at parties, you know, where you see all these people looking down at their phones, man.
And that's scary.
And so we really want to, you know, do what we can to push against that and fight back.
And I mean, you know, the car thing.
It can be brought up here too, man.
So huge.
You know.
Yeah.
Just really pushing back against some of these things that we see as becoming a problem for us.
Absolutely.
And, you know, I think just right off the bat, downtown playground.
To me, it's like you guys are filling a void in downtown.
Thank you.
I go to a lot of places.
All the major venues.
All the underground places.
And what I, what resonated with me was the fact that, you know, you could see a band there.
Look at Art on the Wall.
Right.
And have enough wiggle room to kind of like do whatever you want within reason.
Yeah.
Totally.
You know, and have this very, like, I felt like I was in someone's living room without a roof.
Right.
Thanks, man.
That's my description.
Very homely.
Very warm.
That led to, you know, being excited, being comfortable and staying there.
Yeah.
For the night.
You know.
Really cool.
I mean, come on.
I mean, we've all gone to a lot of places.
You know, some places are a little too sterile.
Right.
If you know what I mean.
Like, you know.
Yeah.
They're supposed to be a cool place of community, but they kind of lack the truth.
Right.
You know.
Now, you guys had a soft opening.
We did.
Yeah.
So you want to speak to that a little bit?
Yeah.
Yes.
Well, basically, I guess I'll just go in a little bit back.
What you mentioned, the downtown playground is that.
And we try to also get people involved in the creative process.
We're trying to kind of get them involved that they're also artists as well.
That only because they can paint, draw.
They can play music.
They could also be kind of like, I'm not sure if you saw that big Jenga that we have there.
Sure.
And just that interactive kind of process of exploring your creativity.
We're trying to encourage that as much as we can.
And that's really what we're trying to also do more.
Can I piggyback off that and say that it's so interesting watching kids as we get older and the crazy things, you know, we say crazy, but the things that they do.
Just that innocence and that purity.
Right.
And that like a thought comes into their head and they do it and they act on it.
Now, we get older, we have to put some kind of filter on that.
Sure.
But keeping that alive.
And, you know, when you want to draw or scribble, draw and scribble and do it.
And I think that in growing up and I'm only 26, but in the years that I've spent and kind of analyzing the like social like confines that get put onto us and the filters that come in in front of our eyes.
Right.
I think that it's.
It's a lot of work to fight against those things because they're so powerful, whether it's the media and whatnot.
I mean, a long time ago, I decided I didn't want to have a TV.
And, you know.
That's amazing.
Every now and then I'll throw on a show and stuff.
But like in general, man, just there's, you know, one life that we have to live.
And to spend that much time, you know, someone feeding you like all this stuff that seems pretty hollow.
Yeah.
And, you know, I think the fact that that's your ideal and you're involved in the downtown playground.
And like, I just knew when I was there, like, you know, these guys without even knowing you guys much.
I just connected with you guys.
I just I knew that there was between both of you.
There was this place was going to reflect what you guys wanted to see.
And that went on to be a platform of creativity, hospitality, a warmth that loomed over it.
That's like very kind of like on L.A.
You know, that very warm feeling.
Yeah.
And I also think that you guys were definitely unconventional, like intuitively in a non-reckless way, in a very intellectual way.
And that's kind of resonated through the venue.
I was like, this is very cool.
I like it.
I get it.
The fact that you don't have a TV or chose not to have one, you know, I mean, that says a lot about someone.
The scary thing is, is when you talk about the masses and people who don't share our ideals.
Absolutely.
People have so much.
Absolutely.
So much faith in television.
It's so scary.
They believe in it more than they believe in themselves, which is why.
You know what I mean?
And to me, that is creepy.
Exactly.
And what we're doing is believe in yourself.
Listen to that voice.
Act on your voice instead of taking in these millions of other voices coming at you.
Come back home.
Yeah.
Trust yourself.
And the word playground.
I mean, think about the playground.
And that's why I brought the kid thing up is that that innocence.
And listening to yourself and those thoughts inside of you and acting upon them.
The word playground to us is that.
That's where, as a kid, where you went to do that and be that and meet new people and bump into someone and, you know, whatever it may be in the playground.
I mean, think about it.
I mean, you know, here's just another analogy of where society has gone.
When someone wants to discuss an issue, whether it's good or bad, there's a text that comes through.
Of course.
Like, oh, well, you know, I'm not too happy about this or, oh, thank you so much.
But whatever happened to the art of walking up to someone and saying, can I talk to you for a second?
Or even a phone call.
Yeah.
Which is so much as text now.
And, I mean, words are great, but we're not always all perfect with our words.
And things can be miscommunicated so easy.
Easily.
Easily.
And so a phone call and the intonation of voice, I think, is massive.
It's true.
It's true.
Let's talk about what the downtown playground is set up for.
I mean, I've seen a band there.
Yep.
Right?
You guys could host bands, live shows in the room.
Absolutely.
Which we actually just posted our next show.
No pun intended with post.
This is a brainchild of Ricardo.
I'll just touch on it and then let him go into it.
But in short, we're going to have 20 plus artists on the wall.
This is anywhere from amazing artists that have really refined their practice to younger, more amateur artists.
And the idea is, you know those flyers at Round Town?
Yeah.
That, you know, you leave the club and they're all over your car.
Hate that.
Yeah.
There's like 18 on one windshield.
Exactly.
They come out of like the Palladium and there's like 18 flyers.
Right.
It's crazy.
And you got to like put on your windshield wipers just to get all of them out.
Well, and then everyone does that and they're all over the ground and it's a wreck.
And actually, Eduardo Castillo of Pattern Bar just did this big write-up on how annoying that is and how people need to stop doing that.
It's a waste.
In so many ways, they're missing their target audience, et cetera, with these tools like internet that we could use.
Right.
Anyway.
So anyway, getting back to these postcards, Ricardo had this idea.
He had this idea that you go and you collect those, right?
However many you'd like, same size, maybe not same size.
And then you repurpose them, whether you're a painter or you're a photographer, you do your thing with them, however many you want.
Personally, I'm going to do 20 and hang them on the wall.
And we're going to have a show that's all about that and you and getting your friends out to come and hang out and meet this artist's friends and just really get the good people together.
And so maybe you want to talk a little bit more about.
No, thank you.
Yeah.
Yes.
As a matter of fact.
It's incredible that I started just thinking about this idea of like, first of all, we're recycling, you know, just all this.
That's a positive message.
Absolutely.
Exactly.
Absolutely.
And the great thing is that a lot of these artists and including myself, you know, you go to these shows that we have throughout the city and basically you do all this effort to obviously make a painting and take it there and hang it.
And in the end of the night, sometimes you don't sell or you're lucky, you know, if you're going to sell.
That's, you know, that's very, the lineage is similar to being in a band.
The components, the steps to get that final product on the shelf.
Absolutely.
And then you're like, okay, well, it's on the shelf.
Right.
Worldwide, but how many records sold?
Exactly.
And so, so me as an artist, I started thinking, well, it's time to kind of give a little bit of respect to these artists for their hard work and their efforts that just to even make it to our place and to hang it.
And I know how difficult.
Because you know how much work goes into that.
Absolutely.
You know, and challenging.
And it's not like they're making money here.
So I thought, wouldn't it be great that I could just.
We could just show that appreciation for an artist to do these postcards that they could paint something.
And, you know, yes, it's, they're probably going to sell them for really, you know, not, not too, too expensive.
But the great thing is that at the end of the night, we're hoping that they would at least have a nice money for, for a nice dinner or something, you know, at least just a token of our appreciation, so to speak.
And hopefully at the end of the night, they could sell that expensive piece.
But at least we're trying hard to put some money into these artists.
So, you know, we're hoping that they would sell them for a nice dinner or something.
So, you know, we're hoping that they would sell them for a nice dinner or something.
So, you know, we're hoping that they would sell them for a nice dinner or something.
So, you know, we're hoping that they would sell them for a nice dinner or something.
That's, that's really cool.
So it's good intention.
Absolutely.
Right.
Let's talk about your art, Ricardo.
Yes.
I was familiar, familiarizing myself with your art right before I went.
How long have you been an artist?
Professionally about 13 years.
Yeah.
And tell me this.
When did you commit to doing it professionally?
Actually, I never did.
I tried quitting all the time.
I tried to pull away, but it keeps pulling you back.
It just keeps on pulling me back.
Gotta love that.
Yeah.
It was interesting because I was born and raised here in Los Angeles.
Oh, likewise.
Oh, awesome.
Well, very rare to meet someone like that.
Very rare.
Ended up moving to Texas.
Started doing some stuff there.
Same for Miami.
But I guess to make a long story short, every time I tried to quit, I would sell a piece at a gallery or something.
And it was just one of those things.
One of those signs like, don't quit.
Don't quit.
Yeah.
And until I just made, you know.
I guess I didn't have.
I didn't have a choice, so to speak.
That I just kind of went fully on this thing that we call being an artist, so to speak.
Sure.
But since then, I've been very grateful and very blessed and really excited just to.
I just realized, you know, a few years.
It's interesting how almost destiny has kind of a way of guiding you, so to speak, you know.
That now, I mean, art to me is everything.
The creative process.
There's nothing else that I get amused, really, from this amazing temperament.
I mean, I'm not going to say that I'm not going to be able to do this in the real world just as much as I do to create, so to speak, you know.
Yeah.
I mean, I think, God, I mean, you know, I do music.
I think I've recorded six records and have toured a lot.
Personally, you know, that's my artistic output.
When I end the show, because I try to get creative with episodes, but what I notice, what I like is the process of work.
Absolutely.
Like, I don't go back and really listen to my music.
Right.
Like, once.
Like, literally, I'll just, that's it.
I like the process of like writing, rehearsing, demoing, all the steps.
Right.
You know, like, you know, like just dodging, dodging, and then like making it happen.
You know.
Oh, absolutely.
That's the fun.
You know.
I mean, you can probably.
Very fulfilling.
Yeah, yeah.
I mean, very, there's a lot of lineage with art, right?
Absolutely.
Same thing with publishing, maybe.
Like, the steps it takes to put that publication together, and then all of a sudden, here it is, but you're not going to like really just go over it and over the final product.
You're on to the next thing.
Exactly.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Absolutely.
It was fun putting that together, and we had never done that, too.
I mean, my partner, Chelsea, she wrote for the LA Times for a bit.
So, I kind of did more the design layout and the photography, and then she was a killer writer with these interviews.
But you know, we had never put together a little magazine type publication, so that was kind of a trip.
No, and it's amazing, that whole creative process, you know.
I mean, it's, and we all have that, which is amazing, you know, just to, like you said, with your writing music, composing.
I guess we're composers, sort of.
Yeah.
Sure.
I'm a composer with my paintbrush, as well, you know.
As far as, as far as doing it professionally for 13 years, so give us a website where we can see your art.
Absolutely.
It's garciarecardo.com.
And by the way, I know I should, I'm also throwing out that I also have another website, my partner Matt and myself, we started this organization called Wishrise, wishrise.com.
It's basically where...
Yeah.
It's a platform where Make-A-Wish Foundation meets Kickstarter, so to speak.
We're definitely, you know, trying to help out these people with terminally ill illnesses and try to make their wishes come true kind of thing.
That's, I mean, that's so admirable, words can't even explain that, you know.
It's actually, not to get too off track on it, but it's just so important, so I'm glad you mentioned it.
I just heard the story this morning of how it came about.
A good buddy of theirs.
Yeah.
At a very good company.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
He's a very young age, contracted this cancer and passed far too soon.
And so kind of in celebrating his life, they were like, what can we do to make this a positive thing and special?
And I guess that he had had a wish to go see some family overseas and I don't know if he was or wasn't able to do it.
He wasn't able to because of financial reasons.
That probably broke your heart to think about it.
Man, this is last wish and Make-A-Wish is for kids, but this is for all ages.
And so you go on looks just like Kickstarter.
You post your wish and then people can hop on and find.
And so really a tool for them to be able to, you know, raise that money.
That's killer.
Touching to me.
I mean, it's, you know, totally selfless to put that up and spend that time.
You know, the downtown playground, you could get there pretty cool and calm, car free, because that's why I went that way.
Right down Alameda.
I ran out to Boyle Heights and I was just moseying on down my, you know, I was like, I'm going to go to the playground.
I'm going to go to the playground.
And then I saw my porch waited for the Line 18, went over the bridge and is literally hop, skipped and jumped down at Alameda.
We got a nice ten minute walk.
Took in the sun rays and you know, you know, the scenery and I walked there ten minutes.
Not enough walking going on.
And so, you know, people can get there from all directions, even without a car.
So they could go there and drink and not drive.
So they could be responsible which is which is key.
I believe in work hard.
Yeah, of course.
You know, so if you want to go there and have some drinks and hang out and party with friends, do it, man.
Absolutely.
But you know, I don't want you getting into a car and getting hurt or hurting someone else because that sucks for everybody.
Yeah, absolutely.
You know, so from hands-on experience, being car-free, it worked.
Yeah.
You know, and it was just, you know, it was like a 10-minute bus drive and a 10-minute walk.
Yeah.
That's awesome.
And how cool nowadays that you have these ride-sharing services like Lyft and Uber, you know.
I mean, obviously the least cars that are on the, or the less cars on the road, the better.
But with these guys, if you're in a bind, you know, whether you've been drinking or you just don't have a car or whatever it is and you need to make that call and you're putting money in your buddy's pocket, which is so cool.
Yeah.
It's like, again, a support system.
Absolutely.
You know, and I believe in that, especially when it's independent business.
Absolutely.
You know, I always use the analogy of like, you know, when I get hooked up for a show, like, you know, through this radio show, you know, we get invited to a lot of places.
Yeah, it's supposed to be cool.
Yeah.
I'm like, yeah, you know, put me on the list to see Metallica.
Yeah.
No problem.
But you know, the local artists, I want to pay at the door.
Because I understand how that works.
So huge.
You know what I mean?
Like, it's a support system more than ever.
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Everyone's got to pay that rent, you know.
Exactly, dude.
And if we would love to never charge for our parties, but we keep them super low.
And yeah.
And that can work if you got like sponsors from big companies.
Of course, you know, which we're definitely seeking out.
So any sponsors out there.
Absolutely.
So here's what we're gonna do.
We're gonna take a music break.
We're gonna come back and we're gonna talk about your favorite places in LA.
Yeah.
Yeah.
I'm gonna tell everyone how to get to without a car.
That's incredible.
Car-free.
All right.
Here we go.
All right.
Hi, this is Eddie Solis.
You're listening to Los Angeles Nista on skidrosestudios.com.
This episode of Los Angeles Nista is brought to you by La Mascota Bakery, a family owned business serving the community since 1952.
Tamales and sweet bread made the old fashioned way daily.
And by the grace of God.
Yeah Life is too short to not hold a grudge No concessions I will not budge I won't forgive, there'll be no compromise Meet you halfway, I'd rather die I'd love for a tone or make amends No surrender, we'll never be friends Be no peace, there'll be no love Life is too short to not hold a grudge You fucked me over, you hung me out to dry You swept me under, you said goodbye No blood, tone or make amends No surrender, we'll never be friends There'll be no peace, there'll be no love Life is too short to not hold a grudge You fucked me over, you hung me out to dry You swept me under, you said goodbye I feel no guilt, I feel no shame If I killed you now, it would be the same You kept my heart on, feel like I'm dying I'd hold my grudge until the end of time I'd love for a tone or make amends No surrender, we'll never be friends Meet you halfway, I'd love for a tone or make amends There'll be no peace, there'll be no love Life's too short to not hold a grudge You fucked me over, you hung me out to dry You swept me under, you said goodbye Life's too short to not hold a grudge No concessions, I will not budge I won't forgive, there'll be no compromise Meet you halfway, I'd rather die Meet you halfway, I'd rather die Meet you halfway, I'd rather die Meet you halfway, I'd rather die Meet you halfway, I'd rather die I jumped off of a cruise ship Into water like some men Broken eyes, swim to shore Hey man, what'd you do that for?
Time collapses like a hit and run Bullets fired from your tongue When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Get that in your head When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Get that in your head I never had a plan B The only person I could trust was me Hugged it by what the critics say Fuck them Who the fuck are they?
Who cares anyway?
Time collapses like a hit and run Bullets fired from your tongue When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Get that in your head When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Get that in your head When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Death is their domain Death is their domain Death is their domain Death is their domain Death is their domain Death is their domain I jumped off a cruise ship My life per server was a straight jacket I never had a plan B Hey man, what do you want from me?
Time collapses like a hit and run Bullets fired from your tongue When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Get that in your head When wild horse subtains The spirit is dead Death is their domain Get that in your head Death is your domain . . . . .
Here I am I laugh at you All of your hatred What does it do?
I'm a threat How ridiculous Try to bankrupt me You're a fool I don't need your blessing for anything Security compromises everything Here I am As free as the wind I've never bowed down You Will never win Here I am As free as the wind Here I am Take you Your best shot.
Round after round.
And I'm not gonna stop.
I'm a threat.
You're a fool.
Try to discredit me and discredit you.
Your enemy.
You'll never know.
It's not me.
It's your own shadow.
Here I am.
As free as the winds.
I'll never bow down.
You will never win.
Here I am.
Taking the shot.
Here I am.
Alas, that's you.
All of your hatred.
What does it do?
I'm a threat.
How ridiculous.
You're a threat.
Try to bankrupt me.
You're a threat.
You're a fool.
I don't need your blessing for anything.
Security comp remises everything.
Here I am.
I'm as free as the winds.
I'll never bow down.
You will never win.
Here I am.
I'm as free as the winds.
I'll never bow down.
I'll never bow down.
You will never win You will never win guitar solo You will never win You will never win guitar solo Here I am guitar solo Here I am guitar solo I'm free guitar solo Keep the children occupied After school Got a match to deploy them To do When they come home Nobody's around Keep them occupied At the school Here I am guitar solo Still waiting We need to come home.
Nobody's around.
We gotta get them occupied.
After school.
Get them occupied.
I got used to making mistakes.
I got used to making mistakes.
I tolerated phonies and fakes.
I opened myself up and let myself down.
I gave them the rope and now I'm hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around like a fucking piñata.
Must be open and you'll find nothing.
Hanging around a puppet on a string.
Sliced me open, you'll find nothing.
Hanging around.
I'm just hanging around.
Hanging around.
I'm just hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around like a fucking piñata.
Must be open and you'll find nothing.
Hanging around a puppet on a string.
Sliced me open, you'll find nothing.
Hanging around.
I'm just hanging around.
Hanging around.
I'm just hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
Hanging around.
See you next time.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
Bye.
