I am very proud to be a part of Amoeba Hollywood's very own World Music DJ series. Worldwide Underground starts this Sunday from noon to one p.m. Every Sunday we will explore a different sound from across the world. Most of the DJ's participating make their living spinning at various hot spots around Los Angeles. Worldwide Undergound is a chance for you to check them out playing music that is near and dear to their hearts. All of us participating will attempt to cross every musical & cultural border possible.
Below is a description of the series, the DJ's biographies, as well as links to their websites and the clubs they spin at.
Amoeba’s World Music DJ Series! Beginning on June 15th, Gomez Comes Alive! brings Worldwide Underground to Amoeba Hollywood! The sounds start at noon and include everything from Afro-Beat to Turkish Psychedelia to Reggae en Espanol and beyond. Special guests and surprises galore!
EVERY SUNDAY BEGINNING AT NOON
AT AMOEBA MUSIC HOLLYWOOD
A while back I wrote about DJ Ant. Valadez Sunday night DJ sessions at Footsies. I am honored to join him this Sunday. Come on by, have a drink (or several) and listen to us play whatever we feel. Maybe the vato used in the flyer will be there. You can only be so lucky.
Sunday, April 20th
@ Footsies
2640 N. Figueroa
Highland Park
9 p.m. Free
Orale.
"Gawd daamn!' I said to Richard, my co-worker and Amoeba Hip-Hop specialist, thinking I was Ice Cube for a moment. "This bar reminds me of...'
"The Short Stop," he replied.
"Yeah," I replied. "But when it was still a cop bar." By now the tequila in my drink hit me pretty hard.
"It's because it is the same owner...'' he answered, as my thoughts trailed. What was worse? A bar full of corrupt Rampart police or lame hipsters? To me, it's all the same.
Footie's was part of the hipster's exodus from the Silver Lake/Echo Park area and into Highland Park. The first steps occured at Mr. T's Bowl back in the early 90's, followed by such places as The Cave. The Cave is now a bar full of annoying 20-somethings that wish they lived in the 80's. The latest gentrified bar is The York, located on York near Ave 56. It is so tame and boring there that it might as well be located in Pasadena.
For all my shit-talking, I have to say I like Footsie's. It still retains some of that neighborhood hole-in-the wall appeal that it once had. DJ Ant, or Antony Valadez, spins there every other Sunday night. He is one of L.A.'s many underrated DJ's. All the clubs know about him because he can flat out rock a club. In fact, The Little Temple has him on lock down every Friday, along with fellow Deejay Sloe Poke, for the very popular Resident Fridays. It's a mean pick-up spot if you are newly 21-years old. It's the night they play the commercial shit for the ADD generation...with a slight slant to throw them off, just a tad.
On Sundays, Antony gets to play whatever he wants. One minute he is on a Isley Brothers/Meters trip, then he is on a Sa-Ra/Bowie trip, followed by classic Hip-Hop and Reggae tracks. The genre breaking mix matches the crowd at the bar. Soon all the heads are bopping. The bartender dances with glee after every deep cut. Vato Locos, hipsters, bikers, Post Laker and Dodger game sport freaks, lost east coast girls who came to L.A. to find themselves and the Midwestern boys who love them, conjoin in one room.
Copyright © 2007-2012 Amoeba, All Rights Reserved.
Amoeba and the Amoeba Music mark and logo are trademarks of Amoeba Music Inc.
The views and opinions expressed in Amoeblog are those of the individual bloggers and not necessarily those of Amoeba Music.
