Skankin'

Every Friday night, on the wonderful KJAZZ station, you could be transported back in time to the warm island sounds. Reggae. Latin. Cuban. Salsa. Ska. Rocksteady. Rare cuts. The show, The Havana Kingston Connection, was on the air for 5 years. Sadly I only found out about it for its last year or so. Hosted by Joey Altruda, it was a special place and you could tell the host really digged the music he was playing.

Tonight, at Little Pedros (now the Bordello) in deep downtown, you can see the master play live. Altruda has been playing around LA for years. His band, The Joey Altruda Riddim All Stars will be making all the hipsters skank to the beats tonight. It'll be good to have a little taste of his show back again. Plus they sell cheap Schlitz there.

The only tough thing about Los Angeles is, as we all know, public transportation. I want a few tonight and don't want to be on the road afterwards. Simple right, just take the Gold Line to downtown. Not that easy. I can take the Gold Line to the Civic Center stop and then still have to walk sketchily for a couple miles or cab it to Little Pedros. After the show, it gets even tougher. The last Gold LIne going East leaves at 11:50! The party will just be getting started then. So I will have to cab it all the way home or just drive and not drink. Los Angeles really makes it hard to take public transit. I miss San Francisco and New York, the ease of just going outside and getting across the City on a bus/muni.

I should just hop on my bike I guess. Could fix my flat and tighten up the seat, funny how at my old house this would be automatic. Am I nervous of the "new" area and driving over freeways, dodging cars, going through gang hangs? But seeing the rad culture and the trippy signs and the kickin' murals and old buildings and all that you can't see as well in a car. If it doesn't rain it would be a perfect night to go for a ride. It's about 5 miles according to the net.

Anyway, show should be hoppin' tonight.
901 E 1st St
Los Angeles, CA 90012



Joe Bataan "Subway Joe"
Joey Altruda "Tropical Espionage"