Pop ya collar

In my free time or shall I say when I am not working, I spend a great deal of time running around various kid friendly parks in town and in the surrounding cities. I lack the much needed backyard at home so I have no choice but use the park circuit to let the monsters play. We (as in the kids and myself) have given each park its own special silly name so that we keep track and really try to not visit the same place within at least a week to keep it fresh.

Today while I was sitting on a swing at "pirate ship" park, I thought about the "park and glove" scene from On The Waterfront. A truly classic film on many different levels. I can't help but dig the acting, the story, the music, the drama etc. I am a third generation longshoremen and I have grown up appreciating the benefits of union labor. The waterfront has changed quite a bit since this film was made but I still get the chills when I watch the scenes with the longies with their hooks on their shoulders. My grandfathers retired longshore friends said "we never did that shit" when I asked about the placement of the hooks. So resting the hook over the shoulder was either a East Coast trend or a Hollywood fabrication. However the hooks are real symbols/tools that represent the back breaking labor of unloading/loading cargo in the past.

Here is a taste of what I am talking about. Brando was soo f'n cool with his collar popped in that wool flannel jacket. The seasons are about to change a little. Time to bust out the jackets and hoods. Almost time to release some gear. Stay posted folks, these cards can't stay up my sleeves forever.

TriArt Fest

A little repost action for the homey, Craig. Should be a pretty cool event, both lineups look solid. Pedro needs this kinda energy! Please read the 411 below.

Here is the TriArt Mission Statement (taken from their website):

The TriArt Festival was created to increase the awareness and appreciation of San Pedro as a vibrant, sophisticated venue for all aspects of the arts including art, dance, and music and showcase the changing face of San Pedro as an artistic center.

END FWY Spiel:

This is somewhat of an up-and-coming San Pedro (town) civic event with a small budget and no corporate sponsorship. Although the TriArt Fest is in its fifth year, it is just now starting to gain some notoriety. The festival will include 12 professional dance companies from 12:00pm to 3:00pm and music from 3:00pm to 10pm on both days. This is the second year that DannyLou and I have been asked to be music directors which means we pick the bands and handle the sound. Last year we put together the music for one out of the two days with much success. This year we are handling the music end for both days. Thanks to Mr. TriArt himself, Joe Caccavalla for giving us another chance. We feel that this is a huge opportunity for the San Pedro Punk community to showcase the diverse sounds coming from our small town. This is definitely an alternative to the usual cover bands that frequent our town civic events. All roads end in Pedro!

– Craig Ibarra


SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24TH

TOYS THAT KILL (san pedro) ... 8:25pm
http://www.myspace.com/toysthatkill

DEATH HYMN NUMBER 9 (fullerton/san pedro) ... 7:25pm
http://www.myspace.com/deathhymnnumber9

LENGUAS LARGAS (arizona) ... 6:30pm
http://www.myspace.com/lenguaslargas

IMAGES (carson/san pedro) ... 5:35pm
http://www.myspace.com/images

BOMBÓN (san pedro) ... 4:40pm
http://www.myspace.com/bombonhoorah

THE EXXTRAS (san pedro) ... 3:50pm
https://www.facebook.com/theExxtras?sk=app_57675755167

BLACK SPARROW PRESS (san pedro) ... 3:05pm
http://www.facebook.com/blacksparrowpressband


SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25TH

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD TO CANDYLAND (san pedro) ... 8:25pm
http://www.myspace.com/theundergroundrailroadtocandyland

MIKE WATT + THE MISSINGMEN (san pedro) ... 7:25pm
• san pedro debut of watt's third opera, "hyphenated-man."
http://www.myspace.com/missingmen

THE LAST (hermosa beach) ... 6:30pm
http://www.myspace.com/10395802

SACCHARINE TRUST (wilmington) ... 5:35pm
http://www.myspace.com/sactrust

HARI-KARI (south bay) ... 4:40pm
http://www.myspace.com/harikarisanpedropunk

CAN OF BEANS (san pedro) ... 3:50pm
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Can-Of-Beans/252302708008?sk=app_2405167945

KIDS OF CASEY ANTHONY (san pedro/los angeles) ... 3:05pm
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kids-of-Casey-Anthony/178438825533302?ref=ts

DANCE INFORMATION:

http://www.lachoreographersanddancers.org/TriArt_Festival_Dance.html



MUSIC INFO (DAY ONE):

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=248442788502073



MUSIC INFO (DAY TWO):

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=187602867967451

http://www.triartfestival.com

Billy

We lost a classic character last week to the evil they call cancer. Bill was a great man and he will be missed. My thoughts and prayers go out to my brother, Dave and his family.

Bill was the cool dad who took "the boys" to our first concert, Metallica summer 1994 at Cal State Dominguez Hills in Carson. I still have the tee shirt from the show. Rest in peace.

Em Oh You Es E

My wife and I purchased Annual Passports a few years ago for the first time. I knew people who had the passes but never thought I would be that guy going to "the happiest place on earth" on the weekly. I was lucky enough to visit Disney at least once or twice a year for the past 20+ years, grateful indeed. My wife on the other hand was raised in Santa Cruz so she was not so lucky. Disney instantly became our favorite date spot and we enjoyed the experience a couple times a month. You really can't go wrong with a mid week dinner, a ride or two and then bounce home. Yep, those were the days, things were a lot quieter back then.

Now as parents, Disneyland is a totally different experience. We have been wanting to purchase passes but felt the kids were too young to appreciate it and/or not ready for the madness. Most likely my wife and I were the ones who were not ready. Eventually we caved and bought the passes once again. So far we have taken the Fam Bam a dozen times often just for a few hours and it has been awesome every time.

I am really trying to get motivated with this future Cavotu collection. Long over due to say the least but I am clearly my own worst enemy. Disneyland is super motivating with all the colors, artwork, magic, excitement etc. As your therapist, I highly recommend at least one Disney day a week. But non peak season and non weekends of course. With that being said, I think it is time for my fix. Let's go!

Skate(r)

Bob Dylan said it best...

"Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'."

And with that being said, I am rather bummed to write a blog announcing that San Pedro's favorite skateshop, Sunken City has permanently closed it's doors.

Shop owners, Brandon Zankich and Rick Plancich took a huge hit from the poor economic times and were forced to close their dream business. Sunken City skates established quite a buzz around town despite the fact that they relocated 3 times in the past 4 years. Pro riders like Daewon Song, Chris Haslam and Cooper Wilt called Sunken City their home away from home and hung out on a regular basis.

The good folks at Cavotu wish the Sunken City fam the best of luck on their next life chapter. The future is wide open. Keep on skating!

Check out a couple clips of Rick and Brandon doing their thing.

Bukowski Bluebird Birthday Booze Boy

San Pedro's own Charles Bukowski would have celebrated his 91st birthday today. Charles aka Hank was one crazy dude who definitely indulged in his fair share of booze, cigs and females. A poet, a writer, a novelist, a cult hero, the list goes on. Whatever title you want to roll with, the work of Bukowski will be praised for many years to come. I would never claim 'super fan' but I appreciate his skills with words/phrases etc. I can think of at least 2 or 3 people that I know who have a bluebird tattooed on their skin in his honor. I thought for a minute about walking over to Green Hills to look for his grave but then thought that was a bit much. Another day doggy. But thats what we have the Internet for, right? The "don't try" is pretty classic. Cheers!

denim and leather

I saw these silly bearded boys in concert a while back. I don't know anyone that can rock the denim vest look and make it look this cool. They have tons of energy on stage. A must see next time they roll thru your town. Enjoy the goodness that is Valient Thorr.

416 Broadway

The Hundreds is a clothing/lifestyle project that I follow on the regular. I'm part of the millions of people from all over the planet who read their blog and check their website every freaking day. The Hundreds dot com is a great source for all things street-wear, music, art, Cali life, etc etc. They are without a doubt 'thee' lifestyle brand to follow. I can't think of another brand that consistently hits the nail on the head like the Hundreds.

My daughter and I recently visited their new retail joint in Santa Monica which happens to be their 4th store. Not bad for a brand that just celebrated their 8 year anniversary. I have been to Rosewood a few times, their first store, located in LA's Fairfax district. I totally planned on going to Grand during my NYC visit this past June but never made it. Post is their San Francisco joint, Bay Area love and on my future visit list. Each store is completely different from the next and all offer the customer a unique shopping experience.

Pey is only 20 months old but she ran around like a kid in a candy store. The Santa Monica layout is pretty cool, a clean use of space which is only a couple blocks from the beach. I liked the shoe loft area and the overall white paint theme. I'm pretty sure they blogged about the concept on the website. The front window display has a turntable, old school boom box, and an original Nintendo console cemented into the ground to say the least.
The Hundreds founders and I were all born in 1980 so it's pretty cool to think that I can relate to everything that they are inspired by. It's amazing to see their achievements and successes in their 8 year history as a brand. Super motivating when I factor in that I started Cavotu back in 2005. Don't worry, we will breathe again. I could argue that these dudes don't have wives and babies so they have no clue what the life struggle juggle looks like. But they definitely got the drive and are not showing any signs of slowing down anytime soon. Time to kick it into high gear which really just means its time to change a diaper, haha. Let's go.

Fresh from the earth

You can't go wrong with a juicy seedless organic mini watermelon. Nature's candy, need I say more. These bad boys where organically grown in Orange County. Check out for Tanaka Farms for the 411. Boom.

New Blink

I have been a Blink 182 fan since day one (1990 something). I remember listening to my dubbed copy of Chesire Cat over and over. I knew it wasn't a musical masterpiece but it was catchy, fun and defined where I was at in life. I was hooked. Over the years I remained a fan of all things Blink whether it was their side bands, media projects, clothing companies, etc etc. Yes, this might sound a bit obsessive but I always felt connected in a way. Blink was the background noise during my teens and early twenties. I felt like they were into the same shit as me or maybe that's just what I told myself.

Mark called my college apartment at SDSU after my roommate launched blow pops onto the stage during their on campus show. I never knew exactly what she wrote but the G rated version was probably something like "for a good time, call Jaci." Unfortunately no one was home when he called but we had Mark's message on our answering machine for weeks after. I remember listening to Drop Your Pants and Jacket while I was living in Singapore. I remember winning tickets, rad seats by the way, from 91X (San Diego rock radio station). I have tons of Blink memories and could go on and on.

So now I'm 31 years old, married with children and I still get the chills when I hear Blink is recording a new album. Mad respect for Mark, Tom and Travis. Enjoy their new song. Stay stoked!

Blogs that I follow

This logo is easily one of the legends in the street wear game. I remember my first S shirt back in 1993. I was sooo stoked to wear it to my "free dress day" at catholic school. Life was simple then...

Shawn still carries the torch yet it burns a little different these days. His blog is one of my favs for its simplicity. Thanks for the inspiration.

Hello again

I once called myself a blogger...fail.

This was by far the coolest blog I wrote last year. Miss you Speed

Atak!

I'll be there shortly

I used to bleach one spot in my hair. I used to grow the sides of my hair long and then bleach the hair and call it my ear muffs. Bleach and I have a long history. Its not like I need to be taken serious or anything but I guess I just kinda forgot about the bleaching thing. I like this cat. Period.

Just because...

Don't wanna be just like you.