Jul 01, 2014 Summer is here!
Who says Southern California doesn’t have seasons? Summer is here and I’m pretty stoked. While it’s true that we have great weather all year long, there are some things I look forward to from June through September this year and every year…
FYF. The annual event’s calls itself “the best weekend of the summer,” and for me that’s pretty true. I’ve never braved Coachella because it’s way beyond my limited tastes in music and boundaries of hygiene, but the proximity and types of bands at the Fuck Yeah Fest work better for me, anyway, with its punk and post-punk tendencies (Les Savy Fav, above) . Actually, I wish there was a little more hardcore punk this time around but I’ve never seen Slint, Murder City Devils, Avey Tare’s Slasher Flicks, or Against Me! And I’ll catch Boris anytime, anywhere. Too bad this is totally sold out, but maybe you know someone who knows someone?
The Hollywood Bowl. Seeing bands at a big, seated, fancy place typically isn’t as much fun for me as going to a dive bar or a small club, but there’s something about the Bowl. There’s the history, the picnics, the stars over the Hollywood Hills… Each time I walk up Highland, it feels like a special occasion and it’s especially awesome when an upstart band like Sonic Youth (above) takes the stage. I haven’t circled any concert dates on my calendar yet (hint, hint) but I will be taking my daughter to the Summer Sounds program next month (matching international-flavored concerts and arts classes for kids in the morning).
Anime Expo. The largest anime, manga, and Japanese culture convention in North America is coming up next week. Yes, there are voice actors, artists, musicians, and directors who attend the annual event as guests of honor (that’s actress and pop star Anna Tsuchiya, above) but now there are cosplay celebrities taking center stage, too. I was there when anime was called “Japanimation” and vendors sold stapled-and-folded zines and fansubbed video tapes, but don’t miss those days at all. The crowd brings as much as the exhibitors, and this is a seriously great time for manga and anime fandom and cosplay in the United States.
San Diego Comic-Con. Yes, the annual gathering of nerds is super commercialized, exploited by Hollywood and the media, and way too hard to get in. But there’s still nothing like it. Where else can you see Marvel and DC dorks, underground comix readers, Trekkies, cross-dressing Harry Potters, goths, steam punks, and sword-and-sandals fans under the same roof? I’ve been going since 1979 and have seen event change throughout the decades but am still blown away like I was when I was a little kid. (Doesn’t hurt that Boris is playing the Casbah on one of the nights.)
Go skateboarding. June 21st isn’t just the first day of summer; it’s also Go Skateboarding Day. Actually, I didn’t go then because it’s also my sister’s birthday and I was watching her kids. But this summer I’m getting on it for sure. I’m not any good whatsoever but I have fun going out with my friends (and daughter) and I don’t get hurt (much). Who’s down for sessioning the ditch?
Other stuff: Family road trip from San Diego up the I-5 and down the coast; Dodger games; a killer group show at Coagula with Shizu Saldamando, Alice Bag, Diane Gamboa, and more; another Imprint talk or two; spending time with my daughter before she starts first grade.
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