📄 Transcript [show]
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.
Line 18.
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's journeys aboard L.A.
bus, 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's 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 and homage to, you know, the people who know what 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.
It's all it takes 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.
E-ZPass!
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, the Pershing Square Station in downtown L.A.
And what's that?
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, which celebrate the Red Line and call out the congested freeway, 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.
Okay.
The 210, the 605, the freeways are not so nice.
The I-5, the I-10, 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 transportation company, It's the public 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 a 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 gotta 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 Red Line mini tour next month.
Its casual will play a different venue within walking distance of several Red Line 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 Thorsen.
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.
Don Clyde.
Our interns are Katherine Borgeson and Rachel Johnson.
Tykee Hendricks is our elections editor with production help from Tina Lauerberg.
We had editing support from Paul Rogers.
Victoria Malione is our associate senior producer.
Ingrid Becker is our senior producer.
The news director is Bruce Kuhn.
I'm Rachel Miro.
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.
And the California Endowment.
Health happens in schools at Calendow.org.
And Chevron, investing in renewables, strengthening communities and creating jobs.
More information at Chevron.com.
The 210, the 605, the freeways are not so nice.
The I-5, the 210, the freeways are not so nice.
The 101, the 405, the freeways are not so nice.
The I-5, the I-10, the freeways are not so nice.
The 210, the 605, the freeways are not so nice.
I-5, the I-10, the freeways.
The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The red line The 210 The 605 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 line 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 episode 107 of Los Angeles Nista.
I am your creator, producer, and host, Edward Solis.
And this is an official NAMM preview.
And I'm on a mission to explain and articulate to all the people around the world that NAMM is more than just standing in line and getting Gene Simmons autographed.
It's about, there's a lot of work that people put into it that are components to keeping their business moving forward.
And it's a huge thing for a lot of people.
And, you know, I thought about who am I going to bring in?
And I thought, you know, I thought Joe Mora would be the person.
Perfect person.
Because you represent, like, the 360 degree involvement of NAMM because you play in a band called House of Broken Promises.
Yes.
You're a bass player.
Yes.
And vocalist.
So you're, you know, professionally playing and touring.
You teach or have taught.
Yes.
You know, you've teched for, you know, guys like in Weezer.
Stuff like that.
House of Broken, Band of Horses.
Exactly.
And we'll get into all that detail.
And...
And you're involved in Pedrini's Music.
Yes.
In La Crescenta, which is a music retailer.
And NAMM stands for National Association of Music Merchants.
Correct?
Yep.
Now, you brought two special guests.
I did.
I'm really excited.
Why don't you introduce them?
These people rule.
It is my lovely mother, Diane Mora.
How are you, Diane?
And my super athletic dad, who's 80, by the way.
What?
And going to be 81 coming up, yeah.
What?
Hold on.
He's actually a senior Olympian.
I'm just going to put it out there.
Gold medals.
Just benched 150.
Wow.
I got to interrupt really quick.
Yes.
You're 80.
I don't know what it is about the water back in the day.
I just had the owner of El Cholo Restaurant in.
Oh, okay.
90.
And you guys are just full of energy.
He's an old school pachuco from Boyle Heights.
Well, we got to bring him on by himself.
I live in Boyle Heights.
And this show's about LA.
That's what I was telling him.
But nonetheless, my mom and my dad.
Manny.
That's me.
Pleasure.
It's a pleasure to meet you.
Thank you for coming in.
My pleasure to be here.
It's the first time for me.
Thank you.
So I don't know what's going on.
Well, people around the world are watching and listening.
So speaking of pachucos, I'll bring, you got to wait till I bring my 32 inch pants and 16 bottoms for the train.
Let's do it.
He's got the zoot suit off.
No, I mean, I take that stuff very seriously.
This is all in jest.
All in jest.
Okay.
So let's get into, you know, as stated, we're going to cover, you know, touring musician.
Yes.
Retail.
We're going to cover, you know, tech work.
And teaching.
All NAM related.
Yes.
Now let's start.
And let's start with retail.
Padrini's music.
Yes.
Why don't we talk to Manny and Diane here.
Let's talk about the backstory.
When did you guys get involved with Padrini and how did it start?
Well, it started.
Want me to?
I'm going to let her tell you the details.
Now, my father was 98.
Bruno Padrini started it in Glendale, 1946.
I came to work there.
God.
When I was 13.
When I was 13.
And then permanently right after high school.
Wow.
We moved.
We have moved six times in 68 years.
This is our 68th year.
We just moved to our new location at 3610 and a half Foothill Boulevard in La Crescenta.
We love it.
It's our little boutique store.
And we're very, very happy.
Our customers are finding us.
They're following us.
And like I say, we're specializing mostly now on all the music.
We're selling musical accessories and the printed music, which nobody in the area has.
Sheet music.
Yes.
Or books.
And teaching methods.
And we have our teachers there.
Exactly.
And all that's business 101.
I mean, you're filling a void.
No one else is selling it.
That's right.
Right?
So that's good for you.
Now, how do you guys take on roles between Manny and Diane?
There's a lot of work that goes into independent retail.
Buying the product.
New and used.
Promoting it to sell.
Positioning.
Right?
Just cleaning the store.
I mean.
I mean, it's a lot of work.
Let's talk about all this.
Well, I do most of the internet, the Facebook, the eBay, and all of that stuff.
And the books.
And I order, along with my sister Noreen, we take care of the sheet music.
Manny takes care of all the accessories.
I mean, the guitar strings.
Anything.
The pedals.
Any of that.
He just was with his comedy the other day.
Like, what guitar pedals should I get?
Yeah.
So you do all the purchasing for pedals, straps.
Strings.
All the accessories.
The strings, et cetera.
Yes.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Mm-hmm.
Things of that nature.
And once in a while, you know, somebody needs, say, a violin, and we don't have it on board.
I says, I can get it for you in a day, which we do normally do.
Right.
So not to lose the sale.
Exactly.
I don't say, well, we don't have them now.
No.
They're coming in.
No, I jump on it and say, I'll have it for you in a day.
We'll get it.
Because I do have the source, the connection to get it.
Otherwise, I wouldn't say that.
Right.
Right.
You follow through, and you make them happy.
Yes.
Right.
So it's been working out very well.
You know, it's a small store.
Very small.
As opposed to what we have.
We had.
Right.
Right.
If you want a comparison, we had 2,500 square feet on top of the store, the old one, and 1,100 on the bottom.
But the bottom was all teaching rooms.
All teaching rooms.
Wow.
As opposed to 600 square feet now.
Yeah, the downsides.
Just it was the rent was too high, and, you know, to try to do some, it was just too much, you know, couldn't keep up with the guitar.
Too much overhead.
Yeah, it's too much overhead.
It was overwhelming.
Exactly.
So now it's great.
The rent's low, and it's a nice little fun location.
It's a little, I don't know, I dig it.
I like it.
One thing, one thing, as a customer, you know, from the outside looking in, you know, to me, Guitar Center for me as an artist is a place where, okay, they're open late.
You go get something, like if you need it, like on a gig night, you know.
More or less.
Yeah.
That's, that's my.
Kind of Home Depot for musicians.
That's, that's my involvement more, more or less with that, that chain, personally.
I think they're great.
They're great because they have great prices, because they can.
They buy lots of volume.
It's a volume game.
Yeah.
Now, when I think about it, independent, you know, this is where I think the independents have an upper hand, and that is because you guys can offer teaching within your four walls of any instrument.
Right.
Right?
Like, I mean, violin, trombone, you know, just snare, marching band, you know, anything, brass, woodwind, any kind of guitar.
A lot of the chain stores, like Sam Ash and Guitar Center, don't offer that.
Well, they don't even carry violins.
No.
Sam Ash kind of does, but Guitar Center, there's no horns.
Right.
No.
So, I think independent retail still has, you know, a lot of, a big, a big, a big heartbeat in the industry.
And, and you guys also do a lot of guitar work and instrument work, right?
Yes.
Yes.
He restrings and tunes guitars.
My sister does it.
We restring violins, whatever.
And, uh.
Somebody brings in any other instrument, let's say like a horn or something.
We have a gentleman that does it.
Right.
Comes right to our store, picks it up.
But most of the, anything to do with guitars and violins or string instruments, we take care of.
Repairs.
Repairs.
Right.
Anything.
Anything.
Yeah.
So, so let's talk about an example.
So, you guys are carrying used instruments now.
We have a few.
A few.
Violins and a few trumpets.
Trumpet, flute, clarinet.
Right.
Used and new.
Right.
Right.
And it seems like on a used.
Product.
Right.
Product.
The margin's bigger.
Is that, is that right?
Yes.
Pretty much.
Because it depends on, on if you've got it, if you're selling it on consignment for someone.
Sure.
Um, or if you just happen to buy it at a good deal.
Yeah.
Right.
Right.
Yeah.
Somebody comes in, we've had them come in and say, I don't want this clarinet anymore.
And, you know, most dealers will say, well, hey, I can't give you what you'd get by selling it on eBay, but they just want to get rid of it.
Right.
Right.
So you'll pick it up and you'll make more money than on a new one.
We've had some great stuff come in.
Oh yeah.
Got silver tone guitar.
Oh yes.
That's cool.
Yeah.
Like stuff like, really?
Yeah.
Really nice stuff.
Now, now as far as, um, the, the, the, the trend or the process of turning product over, like what is considered in your world sitting too long on the shelf?
How long?
Too long on the shelf?
Yeah.
Could be quite a while.
And that's when the price will start going down.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Some of the guitars.
In order to make, uh.
Yeah.
You can't leave.
A small profit and move.
Yeah.
Last year, I think it was, we went to NAMM and, uh, we bought a bunch of guitars and you'd think they would be, you know, some of them that we still, I mean, they've eventually all did sell, but you sometimes you'd think they're going to go a lot quicker than they do.
And you know.
No matter whose name is behind it.
Right.
Yeah.
Things take, it's harder to get the sale.
It's like that in all retail industry, no matter what you're selling.
Yeah.
It takes more work to get the sale, more work, meaning you got to do stuff on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.
Yes.
Um, she, the whole internet has really been.
A good thing for.
And you guys have bands play also.
We, yes.
Not anymore, but because it's smaller.
Oh yes.
We had some great bands.
You gave it a try.
Uh, GFP.
Yep.
Yeah.
That was great.
Tony Hetson.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
It was really cool.
You know who just joined that band?
Uh.
Who's on drums?
Joey Castile.
Oh really?
Yeah.
Oh okay.
Isn't that cool?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
So.
From Queens, right?
Oh okay.
Yeah.
And he's still in Eagles of Death Metal.
Oh he is still with that.
Oh okay.
I didn't know.
That's cool.
So, so let's talk about your son for a minute.
It seems like he had a pretty good foundation to build off of being that you guys were involved in a music store.
So, so Joe, you actually teach and have taught.
Yes.
Uh, do you still teach?
Um, not anymore.
I've taught high school, um, group lessons in high school and then I taught private lessons for about 10 years.
Mm-hmm.
And then it would be all, um, a theory, uh, bass and guitar and just, you know, anything.
Right.
I also even gave like a, you know.
I gave, you know, basic recording classes to kids with their laptops and garage band and stuff like that.
And also too, cause there was no one showing me how to operate pedals and stuff like that when I was growing up.
So I would do like.
Trial and error.
You learned.
Pedal board workshop.
Yeah.
Pedal board workshop.
Right.
So, but yeah, it's like you, sometimes you just, uh, when I first started teaching, I was like, well, what am I going to teach?
But then you realize, oh, I wish someone would have showed me that.
I wish someone would have showed me that.
So I kind of based my curriculum on stuff like that.
I mean, it just seems like, you know, the curriculum of music is endless.
Yes.
It really is.
It really is.
Right.
It's kind of getting right down to the core of what the student wants to, you know, do.
That's the thing.
You can go the old school method of like, oh, you know, you're supposed to start with a nylon string guitar and you're supposed to do that.
It's supposed to that.
But it's like kids want to play punk rock, you know, and if you show them what they want right away, they're a little bit more susceptible to learning other styles of music instead of, you know, being like, oh, why do you want to learn that?
You know, show the kids what they want.
And also too, it's, let's not kid each other.
It's a business.
You want them to keep coming back.
Right.
I mean, instead of trying to correct them and say, this is wrong.
Yeah.
This is right.
They're going to be like, what?
Yeah.
You know?
Yeah.
So you want to kind of like intuitively align yourself with them and like, okay, what do you want to learn?
Yes, definitely.
Now to this day, what does Padrinis teach?
Um, guitar, bass.
You're getting a new piano teacher, correct?
And voice.
Voice.
And woodwind.
Woodwinds and brass.
Very cool.
Yes.
Let's talk about how NAMM is a catalyst for independent music retail.
When you guys go to NAMM as an independent retailer, what are your goals?
Well, sheet music primarily and books.
They mainly, yeah.
That's our focus.
The teaching methods really go.
I mean, one time at NAMM, they were invited to come back the next day, like when it was closing down and they ended up, they bought like the whole Alfred publishing booth.
Yeah.
The Warner Brothers.
So they don't have to carry it back.
Yeah.
So it's a good, it's a good.
Super deals.
Right.
Super deals.
Mm-hmm.
Very cool.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Then you can see the music.
You know, I know people can go on Amazon and they can order it off, but most of my teachers want to see it.
What is it?
They go through it.
Yeah.
That's never going to go out of style.
Yeah.
That's why vinyl is back and bigger than ever.
People want to hold it and then look at the artwork.
Yeah.
You know, something as simple as that means a lot to people still.
I was just going to say that if we focus on the product that the people want, which we do, then we'll be successful and we'll have a customer base forever.
Absolutely.
Absolutely.
It's all the teachers.
A lot of teaching.
Like I say, I'll say it again.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
We're training teachers.
years.
You think, oh, I gotta have all these cool, hip books, but they don't sell.
They don't sell.
It's the teaching methods that sell, you know?
So it's the teacher is a catalyst to sell that.
Yes.
Yes.
Oh, wow.
And do you have the Wednesday discount?
Yeah, we have a 10% discount on Wednesdays.
That's awesome.
Another thing we're going to start, we were talking about this, is having a what do you call it?
When you go and have the drinks for free.
Oh, happy hour.
Yeah, that mixer.
No, happy hour.
Right.
And maybe from 5 to 7, because we are openly have an additional discount, or maybe 5 to 7, buy one set of strings, get one free.
This is something in the making.
So kind of a real intuitive thing, like I feel like doing this this week.
Yes.
Not always the same.
Right.
And then we just, we have an email base of at least 600, 700 people.
That's pretty good.
And we just put it out there.
That's really good.
So when you go to NAMM, do you guys actually write orders and purchase?
Yes.
Yeah, I'm bringing one in.
He's bringing one in.
If you go to, it's like you have to get the orders in at certain times.
They offer so many, there's NAMM show specials.
Of course.
That's the point of going, right?
Yes.
You go there, you know, like I said, we needed a guitar line for the store.
Because there's another local music store called Grayson's, but they carry the Fenders and the Rickenbackers and the Gibsons.
So we needed to carry something a little different.
So I looked up Axl guitars.
You know, really cool looking guitars, vintage look, like between $200-$300.
You know, assembled in America.
All really good.
And yeah, we got a good special on that.
So, you know, just to fill up the store.
And those were eventually all sold.
I think we had a good time.
Maybe it was like last year, we made a bunch of new connections, different people, different stuff.
Straps with our name on them.
If you are a retailer though, it's definitely you want to go on Thursday.
That's the day.
Because it's Saturday and Sunday, that's when you're there to see Gene Simmons.
Exactly.
That's a zoo.
So I would say that.
But it's, you know, they have a great rapport.
They're salesmen.
So we will go to Cayman or come on.
You'll see everybody.
My salesman from Alfred, Mark Malone.
I said, Mark, I don't know if I'm going to make it during the week, but Joe's going to go, oh, come around 5 o'clock, we have a beer.
Come and hang out.
They take care of you guys.
You guys have a great relationship.
That's why you go.
You want to meet these people.
Are you talking to phone with them?
Yes.
That's really great.
I have a clear picture of how NAMM is helpful to retailers.
Now, how is it helpful to a teacher, Joe?
I mean, when NAMM comes around, through the eyes of a teacher, how do you use it to progress your teaching?
Is it the tools they offer?
I think of a bunch of several reasons, I would say.
One, it's just, I mean, for me, it's inspiring because it's like a kid in a candy store.
Meeting new people.
Yeah, yeah.
And also inspiring because you're seeing these players.
Like, you'll walk around the corner and that's Stevie Wonder just killing it on, you know.
A lot of the musicians that perform, it's some of the best players in the world.
So, you see that.
I've taken students to NAMM show to get them excited as well.
Yes, that I usually always would do.
Michael, come, you know, check this out.
That's cool, man.
And they really get amped, you know, and it's just more inspiring.
You want to play music and this and that.
And it used to be, it used to be a lot more freebies in the 90s.
Oh, yeah.
So, you know, a lot of picks and stuff like that.
For when it comes to teaching, there's different, depending on what product there is, if there's something new or cool, like, oh, that'd be kind of, you know.
Some products are kind of like, oh, that would be cool.
No, I remember there was a guitar called the Fretlight and it had like every, like LED lights on the guitar that would light up and impress what scale it is, you know.
So, some things like that are cool, some are not.
But, there's just gadgetry, you know.
Yeah.
So, little things.
Little things like that, you can see.
So, it's inspirational as a teacher.
Yes, yes.
Now, let's talk about your pathway, or your path you've built for yourself as a professional tech.
You've worked with Weezer, you've taken them, what?
Band of Horses.
Yeah, System of a Down, One Point, it was like a one-off.
Trace Songs is my main gig.
I'm the chief backline tech for Trace Songs.
So, I mean, so that's drums, guitar bass.
I just say chief backline because I'm the only guy, so I get to say I'm the chief.
And you are the chief.
So, as far as, or El Capitan.
Yes, yes.
It's great, you get in, and this will kind of cross over into the artist thing too, but basically you start, you know, you're like, hey, I'm the guy who works for this guy, and usually they want that guy to play their stuff.
So, you're kind of a middle man.
Yeah, so you have a connection with them.
Yes.
Exactly.
And then also, it gets into the fact of, by, you know, as you're working on stuff, so the different, like, gadgetry, once again, that they have for, like, changing strings, and, you know, any type of tools for working on the guitar, stuff like that.
But you also meet a lot of other techs as well.
You see, hey, that guy, this guy.
And if you align yourself with those guys properly, that leads to more work.
Yes, exactly, exactly.
So, it's really all connected.
It's, and most of that kind of stuff too, which also leads into the artist, being the tech, the artist, is the deals go down at night.
Exactly.
At the parties and stuff like that.
That's where you're really going to kind of, you know, secure.
Yeah, in the hotel rooms.
It's super networking.
So, you know, they have those mixers in the hotel rooms, and free drinks, and someone's playing acoustic, some huge artist, and they're like, you know what?
You should try this product.
Give me your address.
I'll send you 10 of them.
And then that's how it's done.
Yep, totally, totally.
So, let's talk about your music.
Before we go into what you're doing now, you created and fronted a band called HDR.
Yes, that was, yep.
Now, what was the lifespan of that?
HDR, I think, was about 12 years, maybe.
And I think the highlight, you know, we did the Warped Tour.
Opening for Bad Religion was awesome.
The whole House of Blues run with them.
I remember that, yeah.
And the biggest thing was, our video was done by Rick Cossack, who did your video as well.
And when Jackass took over MTV Studios, it aired, it was on MTV, and then they had it, but it also aired in the Times Square, big old jumbo try-on.
I remember that.
So, that was pretty cool.
And then, people, that kind of stopped.
And basically, I got asked by Arthur Say from House of Broken Promises and also Unita to front their band.
They needed a bass player and singer, so I switched from guitar to bass.
And things are going good.
And you've been doing some European runs.
Yes, we did.
We did Europe this year, when I came back to the show the first time.
We did Desert Fest, and then we got asked back to do Hellfest on the day of Black Sabbath.
I'm excited.
That's cool.
Yeah, totally.
That's cool.
So, I mean, all these components that we're talking about, that NAMM caters to, you know, music retail, major and independent teaching, and also, you know, tech, tech work.
And being a professional touring musician, I mean, that's, I think the same thing, or I would forecast you would say the same thing that you get out of NAMM as a musician is inspiration.
That, I would say the, it's, you know, sometimes you say you can't reinvent the wheel.
So, you know, like, where are you going to show me a guitar?
I know I got a guitar.
I got an amp.
What more do you, what more do you need?
But then there's some new, there's all, there's been advancements lately that are great for, say, the tech and the player.
Like, like Elixir Strings.
Those came out maybe 10 years now or so.
I love Elixir Strings.
They, it's, yeah, I didn't think you could read.
Which we do sell.
Yes, we sell.
A lot of people don't carry them.
I know.
Well, they're expensive, but you put them on your acoustic guitar and it's like, Jesus, it sounds amazing and they feel great.
So, things like that.
The, going, going around and just kind of, seeing, seeing totally what's new in certain, in certain aspects.
Especially now with all the computer software.
That's a whole nother gamut that's kind of crazy.
All the different stuff like that.
And then recently, since the turntablism has gotten so popular, just like Hubert will be there and.
Right.
They have different genres and stuff like that.
Yeah, it's a bigger spectrum now, huh?
Yes.
Because of, just the covers of home recording.
And I guess, too, just to give the listeners an idea.
Imagine, I guess, it's like five football fields.
Yeah.
Filled with equipment, I would say.
Right.
Because there's a, it's like, building A, B, C, and D.
Right.
And it's just, yeah.
I used to go when it was an LA convention center.
Oh, yeah.
Remember that?
Yeah, for like a couple years or so.
Yeah.
Yeah.
That's when I started going.
I was in the 90s, right?
Yep.
Yep.
Mid 90s, 96.
Yeah.
And then I remember they built the new convention center in Anaheim.
Yes.
Yeah, they redid it finally.
That's huge.
But there's like, like you see trends at NAMM too, which are interesting.
Like the ukulele trend.
That's.
Really?
Oh, yes.
Oh my God.
Yeah.
That's the new hip thing.
So the more manufacturers are making it.
Oh, you bought, yeah, yeah.
I think it's building E, you'll walk down and it's just the one below D.
If you know what I'm saying at the convention center.
But anyways, you walk in, just tons of ukuleles.
That's like the new hip thing.
You'll see a lot of different, a lot more, I'm seeing a lot more luthiers, custom guitar companies coming up on their own.
Like we had ASG in here.
Yeah, yeah.
All those guitars.
Yeah, and there's, I think there's, it's called, there's an association of all these guys that got together.
They all make guitars on their own.
Like Fano is a guitar company, but they all are under like one kind of umbrella.
Umbrella, yeah.
Yeah.
Like on this show, we unveiled the Motorhead guitar.
That's right.
Which was cool.
That's awesome.
And at NAMM, they're going to be unveiling the Anthrax guitar.
Okay.
So, you know, there's a lot of those really small boutique companies.
Yes, yes.
That do that sort of thing.
So let's talk about actual, I have a music teaching question for you.
Okay.
Okay.
So, so, you know, no matter how good the teacher is, I mean, if he's teaching, he's probably going to have to, you know, really, really be able to scale it down for the entry level person.
Like, this is how you finger a chord.
That was, when I first started teaching, that was the weirdest thing to kind of think about.
Like, how do I start this?
Like, you know, and you just assume they know nothing at all.
Right.
That's the easiest thing.
So it takes a lot of brain power.
Yeah, yeah.
It had to be like getting the curriculum together was, it was a little, at first was kind of, okay, how am I going to do this?
And then basically, you realize, okay, we'll start with, you know, because you could say like, oh, like it's, you know, the tuning peg or the, all the little parts on the guitar, they don't know what you're talking about when you say, some people don't know what frets are.
And some people I've had, they hold the guitar like upside down.
They, you know, like, really?
Like how, how, how, how?
Like one grabbed it once and it was just all, I was like, really?
What?
Yeah, yeah.
I was like, okay.
So you'd assume they know nothing.
And then basically what I would do, I just start with naming off like, okay, we're going to go over the parts of the guitar.
It's the body, the neck.
And so that's very entry level.
Yeah.
You get into a history of it.
You want to know what, you know, know what your instruments called, what the things on it are called, you know, down to say, if you have a strat, like, okay, like, you know, you have the pickup selector on the strat and how each one works for each pickup and stuff like that.
And the fundamentals.
Yes.
Yes.
And then, you know, I would really just like to talk to the student a lot too, because you're dealing with a different person.
I've taught the bully.
I've taught the jock.
I've taught the cheerleader.
I've taught the nerd.
I've taught the metalhead.
I've taught, you know, and each person.
It really is.
Yeah.
And it, a lot of the times though too, it's, you know, I remember one time, some mom that I was teaching her kid, she was like, I took him out of therapy.
Thanks.
Cause it, you know, yeah, they'll come in and start telling your problems.
And it's like, you know, you could tell the kid's sad or mopey, like what's wrong.
And we're going to fight today.
And you know, it's a whole kind of like counselor thing where you, I didn't think I'd be put in that position.
That's what it is.
It's cool though.
Yeah.
You know, in certain times like that, but you, you see some cool things.
And also too, I never wanted to come across as bitter punk rock guy.
And one of the coolest things ever was I had this kid come in all into like a blink and rancid and some 41 and you know, all those bands, the C kind of punk bands.
Yeah.
We'll be blank.
Maybe a B, but make punk.
I like to call it, you know, it's not black flag.
Who are we kidding?
And so I could easily be like, that stuff sucks.
Listen to black flag.
But I don't.
And so before you know it, this one kid, um, was into that, but then I showed him how to play slide guitar.
And before you know it, he's like playing his whole gamut changed full slide guitar, blues, and more susceptible to listening to black flag and black flag and stuff like that.
And it was kind of interesting to watch the change by not being like, though, that sucks.
That sucks.
That sucks.
Yeah.
Give them a chance to figure out what they like.
And then they're way more susceptible to, well, that's, you know, that's kind of Buddhist a little like you're just like being open, you know?
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
You know, and I just been really, like, you know, I'm not so rigid, just being intuitive and like letting him have his, I'm the farthest thing from a football coach when it comes to teaching.
Right.
And then you get some students where I remember one point being like, it ain't going to get not to be like conceited.
So I was like, it's not going to get cooler than this.
I'm showing you how to play the dead candidates exactly what you wanted.
You know, you're not putting in the time that you get to that point.
Like, and I've even said to someone like, I'll keep teaching you.
I need the money.
Right.
But even because it is business too, but you know, it's like some kids just don't just, you can tell that they're just not into it.
You know, but then you get the ones that are, and you just watch them excel.
Like one of the, my favorite, I always talk about it.
I played him on the shows.
Cody Farwell is his name, but he goes by Snorlax, team Supreme.
But yeah, he's actually sponsored by Ableton and he plays, he played at the NAMM show.
Cool.
And I was one of the kids that I brought when he was like 13.
He's now 26 or so.
And yeah, it was cool.
That's a good feeling.
Yeah.
Yeah.
It's like, all right, cool, cool.
He's doing really good.
That's awesome.
Performing at NAMM show is fun too.
I've got to do that a few times inside.
Oh, with where?
With HDR.
We played inside the NAMM show.
We were sponsored by a switch guitars actually, and they had us play inside.
So that was kind of cool.
Oh, that's awesome.
Yeah.
Yeah, definitely.
That was fun.
That's really cool.
So, so as far as going back to the retail end of things, what would you say your store offers that major chains don't?
Sheet music, printed music, and all your accessories.
Real customer service.
Yeah.
We're about the only ones that carry what we do carry.
You know, and we've been lauded for service.
Very much.
Service.
Service.
I'm telling you, we, they love our, what we give.
We're kind of a couple of happy look people here because they come back to us.
Some people come in and just want to hang out to them.
They just hang out.
Yeah.
But that's what a business is about though, right?
Yeah.
It's no matter what you're selling, it's like you're selling yourself.
We have a lot of friends that come in just like they were saying to hang out like a bar.
Yeah.
Minus the booze.
And I have an act or a repertoire.
If one of you use that word for telling a lot of jokes.
Oh, you want to, you want to, uh, five seconds of, uh, not today.
Okay.
We'll give you your own episode next month.
Well, like these two ladies that, uh, I have the business next to us.
They happen to come by.
We have a nice bench where I decorate outside a little flower bed and, Oh Manny, can we, um, you might, if we sit down for a minute, not today.
I'm not going to sit down for a minute.
I'm going to sit down for a minute.
I'm going to sit down for a minute.
You might, if we sit down for a minute, not today.
I'll say that.
And then we all bust out.
Oh, he'll ask the people, you want your change back?
That is one of my ones.
I like that one.
You want your change back?
I tell you, and I do it very seriously because after I ring it up, you know, and they got maybe a buck and a half coming back and I look in the straight in the eyes.
You didn't want your change back, did you?
They don't know what to say.
They take it, they get serious.
So serious, right?
They're dumbfounded.
Then I bust out laughing and they're like, you know what?
I'm not going to do that.
I'm going to do that.
I'm serious, right?
They're dumbfounded.
Then I bust out laughing and luckily I haven't been punched out yet, but the beat goes on like that.
I can't help myself just keeping them laughing.
That's good for you too.
We all got to laugh, you know?
These friends have become, these customers have become friends.
We just, and allies, right?
We've moved a business in one weekend and these were customers that came with their trucks, with their tables, with physical help to help out.
They did care enough to make sure it's done right.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
Yeah.
We're so happy that we were not going to fold like so many others that you're going to keep going.
Yeah, we're going to keep it going.
Good, good.
As far as the buying habits of people out there, I have a theory that it's changed because of all these phones and you can buy anything at any time.
I know a lot of people are spoiled with Amazon.
They want it there, they want it now.
I just think, you're talking about laughing, I'm going to make a right turn really quick here.
I think a lot of people can't shop and be happy, be happy no more.
It's like whenever they go in, they got their phone and are like finding the price.
Oh, to see if they can get a better deal.
That's fine.
I second that one.
Oh, we had that experience.
Yeah, and that's fine.
You won a good rate, but you know, put your phone down for a minute.
Just buy it because you're into it.
Yeah.
You know, more or less you're getting a good deal.
We had a thing too when we revamped the store.
We had a major revamp and then, but the thing was like how we have to somewhat compete with Guitar Center.
Of course.
Even though you don't want to, we have to figure that out.
But the closest guitar store to them is in Pasadena.
So we basically were like 10 bucks more.
Whatever the, you know, like if say we have a guitar for this or that, I mean that was kind of a basic idea.
That was a formula that you came up with?
Yeah, we kind of were like, look, because it's going to cost them that much more to drive down to Pasadena with the gas or whatever.
Five each way.
Yeah, or just, you know, so it wasn't always that because the product, it would be a different margin for different prices of things.
But, you know, it's like, okay, you're going to get that pedal for 69 bucks at Guitar Center.
We're charging 79 because, they also got it way cheaper than we did, so we still need that.
And then also with, like I said, the customer service you get there is just amazing.
You don't, you know.
Right.
It's always been like that.
I don't think it's rare, maybe only Steve's service.
Oh, I think it's always been family employees except a couple times.
That was my brother's buddy.
Yeah, it's always been family employees the whole time.
The right blood connection.
Yes.
That's cool.
Yeah.
Now, as far as your store goes, what would you say is the most important thing you have?
Let's talk about your stock.
What do you have that others don't?
Besides sheet music.
Besides sheet music.
And accessories.
I mean, it's like instruments.
It's a seven, we always used to call it like a 7-Eleven for musicians.
Right, that's it.
Because it's like, you know what they have that no one has?
Jaw harps.
Stuff like that.
Kazoos.
A bass suit.
A seat strap.
Musical spoons.
Melodicas.
Yes.
Musical spoons?
Yeah.
Cool.
Washboard.
Washboard.
Stuff like that.
That's awesome.
My grandfather was always, was like, if you're a real music store, you gotta have everything.
To the point where he had like a big like sousaphone.
Oh, yes.
But, you know, they've had the downsides.
But it's mainly like, you know, stuff like that where it's, you know, think of all the mouth reads.
But mainly the weird, there's some cool knickknacks.
Like jaw harps is the coolest thing.
Right.
Plus we have a lot of musically related gifts.
I mean, we have towels with music.
We have pencils.
We have all kinds of boutique music.
We have all kinds of music.
We have all kinds of music.
We have all kinds of musical gifts.
Very cool.
Yeah.
A lot of, if you ever, you know, when you were taking that piano lesson as a little kid or whatever and they have like the classical bust of Beethoven, all those things.
Nice.
Stuff like that.
The old fashioned metronomes.
Oh.
The old, you know, like grandma had on the piano, you know.
Like keep up with that.
That's your meter.
That's your meter.
Wow.
That's, you know, I think that's really cool.
Now, what kind of amplification do you guys like to stock?
We always practice amps.
That's the small.
We tried to carry big amps before.
They sell sometimes.
Sometimes they don't.
Right now, it's just your basic little, like, you know, some Dan Electro's, Honeytone amps, stuff like that.
Small little ones.
Stuff for the bedroom.
Yeah.
Yeah.
When they had the bigger store, we had a lot of stuff.
We had like Tony from Soulfly, Static X.
His SWR cabinets were there.
Gonzo from Armored Saint.
His whole drum set was there.
Amory, when GFP played, he left the drum, you know, signed it.
So we had a lot of cool stuff on consignment.
Crate amps, crate tubing, we had a full PB bass stack rig, but it's just...
No room.
Yeah, no room right now.
And it's like, the people can get it cheaper, the bigger amps and stuff at Guitar Center.
So we had to really kind of pick and choose on like that.
So it's mainly, okay, cool.
Have some nice guitars, but we do, we have a, you know, we have a Gibson and, you know, some cool fenders, but never keyboards.
We never really sold keyboards either.
Yeah.
Speaking about guitars, what we sell the most in guitars are the cheapies. $59, $69, $79 guitars.
Entry level for your kids.
And they're classical guitars.
They are.
Stuff like for, you know, student lessons.
And they go out like mad.
A lot of people go that route.
Yeah.
The others that are a little bit more expensive, they hang in there for a while, but eventually somebody will come by.
Her dad used to always say, don't worry, you got that product that hasn't been moved.
One day, someone will buy it.
And that is so true.
And you'll make that margin.
That's right.
And that's so true.
That's so true.
But we, you know, it's just a small accessories that we sell.
And I keep being redundant about the sheet music, but that is the focal of our selling.
Well, you know your business better than anybody else.
And she is so great on the computer.
She's really, she's become an expert as far as selling things.
When things were going pretty bad, negatively speaking, the rent was high.
Economy, the whole thing.
Yeah, it was bad.
I had 30 students and it went down to 10.
Yes.
That's, yeah, that's bad.
That was a translation of the economy.
Yeah.
She went down, she started online as far as eBay.
She's mainly been on the computer maybe for just five years now.
I mean, she's an expert.
Yeah, she's got it down with the eBay.
And that's how we made some money through eBay and Craig's.
And we had some people come in that were on tour.
You never think, because the computer's new to them, you know.
We're talking a business that started in 1946.
So just to be online and selling that way and to try to keep up with the times, there's no, it's them two.
That's it.
There's no one else, you know.
So it's, it's marketing and them, it's all on them.
But I mean, she's a brain.
I had a drum set.
I had a drum set on consignment.
Came from Israel.
Israel.
They were on tour.
Uh-huh.
And they bought it.
Oh yeah.
I was like, maybe it was like 120 bucks or something.
It was four or five pieces, but it was used.
They were thrilled.
They bought it.
And it's a great, they were a great band from Israel.
That's awesome.
Yeah.
Yeah.
But it's cool.
You know, they always had like a lot of cool people in the area, always becoming artists and stuff.
Like even Billy Ray Cyrus, came in and gets his guitar fixed there.
I restrung his guitar.
Are you serious?
Yeah.
Yeah.
And he's like, it's cool.
He's like, and this was before Hannah got all crazy and blew up.
She was still Hannah.
She wasn't crazy.
She was Hannah.
She was Hannah.
She's Miley Cyrus.
Yeah, because they lived in La Cunada or so.
And he came in, you know, all techs, you know, I just, you know, like look at the Ma and Paul stores, get my guitars fixed.
And I thought that was kind.
He's totally cool like that.
He brings his guitar himself.
He's a low maintenance dude.
Yeah, not like here's my tech bringing it in.
My tech's bringing in four guitars, make sure they're done by tomorrow.
Yeah, totally.
Because that's how guys do it.
You know, that's pretty rad.
That was cool.
Yeah, that's very cool.
Well, I want to thank all of you.
Thank you for having us.
Thank you.
For being a part of Los Angeles Nista episode 107, our first NAM preview.
And we'll talk to you soon.
It's been our pleasure.
Thank you so much.
Thank you, Eddie.
Love your work.
Bye.
Bye.
I'm on the phone line Turn it off Critic in your sight I go for gold I'm on the phone line
