Sep 29, 2015 Save Music in Chinatown 7 recap with Rachel Haden, California, Upset, Steve Soto, and Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss
In the months approaching the seventh Save Music in Chinatown fund-raising concert, I decided to make a zine about the first two years. Committing something to print really makes one put things in perspective. What’s the story? What is the beginning and what is the end?
The beginning is easy: When my wife and I found out that our daughter’s school needed money to pay for its music program, we wondered how we could help. Wendy and I aren’t rich or connected with potential donors but we are familiar with both the neighborhood’s Chinatown culture (where my grandparents hung out and where her parents get dim sum every week) and its punk rock heritage (Germs, Weirdos, X, Dils, Black Flag, and so on). So we envisioned organizing all-ages matinee punk shows to help the local students.
Keeping ticket prices low ($12 advance, $15 at the door, kids under 12 are free), we can’t possibly raise enough dough to cover the school’s entire annual bill of 50 thousand bucks with three shows a year. But we have made a difference, donating about $10 thousand per year, raising awareness, and creating a community. It’s been fun to not only channel the underground energy of the Hong Kong Cafe and Madame Wong’s but see key figures of early L.A. punk and little kids like my daughter get to know each other.
And how cool is it for the children who can handle going to shows to see bands play in a dive with the barest of gear but the truest of passion on a tiny stage to a small crowds of friends and families. In the zine, there was a recurring theme among musicians, supporters, and other contributors about informing kids’ outlook on culture as well as insuring they get a music education.
This Sunday’s lineup was as awesome as it was deep, and it was almost impossible to decide who would go first and who would headline. Luckily, everyone left their egos at the door and we were able to arrange the bands like a mix tape. The gorgeous, epic sounds of Rachel Haden opened the show like daybreak, ratcheting up to the hyper melodic California and raging hooks of Upset before stripping it down to raw, unironic roots music by punk originator Steve Soto and Sean Wheeler & Zander Schloss–survivors of punk and lifers, all three.
Everything was held together by Atomic Nancy, the proprietor of Little Tokyo’s Atomic Cafe who brought 45s from the now-destroyed punk hangout’s legendary jukebox. How cool was it for her to crank the actual records that played when Steve was in the original lineups of Agent Orange or the Adolescents? X, Sex Pistols, Clash, Cramps, Plugz, Madness–our bands are right in there but now we encourage our little kids to dance like crazy instead of starting a slam pit.
Approaching the midpoint of Eloise’s career at Castelar, more ambitious minds might start gauging the trajectory of our benefits and begin to set goals. We’re trying hard not to. Sure, it would be nice to raise extra money or host hotter bands that attract huge crowds and the press. But this is a labor of love where we work alongside friends, not big names, and build a community, not a market.
I really don’t know where Save Music in Chinatown is going. Maybe we’ll work toward a larger show when Eloise hits fifth grade. I wouldn’t say no to doing something in the plaza with Redd Kross, The Go-Go’s, X, or OFF! But definitely no flash mobs or celebrity appearances to gain attention. A well-meaning person actually suggested those to me, and no amount of publicity or notoriety would be worth it.
And after being worried about our cool lineups not getting more coverage or selling out immediately, I’ve come to appreciate that our shows are easy to attend. It’s amazing to have way-too-big bands like the Bicycle Thief, Adolescents, and Dengue Fever want to play our humble shows and it’s extra cool that we can see them with with our kids while enjoying cookies and coffee from the bake sale instead of worrying about foaming-at-the-mouth super fans trampling us.
In addition to securing music education for the students at Castelar, exposing children to DIY culture at our shows, and creating a scene, I hope that we’re modeling to Eloise that the best way isn’t always the most profitable way. Everything doesn’t have to grow big to be successful and popularity is meaningless. We’ll always work hard to make the next Save Music in Chinatown show the best ever, but we definitely don’t want our family side project to get hung up in all that crap.
Join Save Music in Chinatown’s community page of Facebook to find out about future events, and follow Imprint on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook, too!