A benefit concert was held on Saturday at the old L.A. County jail in Lincoln Heights. The benefit was set up in order to raise money for the Aztlan Cultural Arts Foundation Child Artistic Development. The old jail building was a creepy place to enter, but once you were inside, you were able to take part in the appreciation of the creations by the youth groups that attended there. Original Aztec art was displayed throughout the many rooms and hallways as well as several still life pieces and other original sculptures, paintings and projects. One I liked in particular featured severed plastic baby doll parts arranged inside of a shadowbox. This piece was dedicated to victims of child abuse.
A short walk down the hallway or into one of several cells would show you brightly-colored murals with cultural influences or huge stone carvings of Aztec sundials. It was a unique blend of music and art in one very out-of-the-way place. Everyone seemed to get pretty lost trying to maneuver their way through Lincoln Heights, an area that most Hollywood-dwellers don’t venture out to that often!
Noise Records and Century Media, SickHeavyMusic.com and other vendors gave out free goodies and promoted their offerings. There was an outside barbeque pit and some munchies being sold inside. There was even a tattoo and piercing booth.
Although there were all kinds of scheduling problems and technical difficulties, the bands were good sports about things and the people who hung out and saw the show seemed to be enjoying themselves. Among the bands I caught were: Locura, a young and LOUD four-piece thrash/death band, the heavy, Deftones-inspired Droid, who frequently play throughout the Hollywood club circuit, Chapter 23, a really cool, rap/metal band, and Madcap, with their own brand of by-the-book punk rock songs.
The bands were enthusiastic, and were cool enough to volunteer their individual talents to help the cause. Benefit concerts are always a good way to get in that extra practice time if nothing else! All in all, it was a good effort, and a good time. Special thanks to Steve Joh at Noise Records for the invite.
Lesa Pence
