WE MOVED!!!!!!!

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VDG'S MAKE OUT PARTY

Written by Erik Ramirez

Last week, we (VDG) threw our first show of the year in our hometown of El Monte. Actually, scratch that. We didn’t call it a show. We figured with Valentine’s Day right around the corner that we would have some fun with it. So we took that, and coupled with our love of cheesy 80s teen movies (think every John Hughes movie ever), we decided to call it a Makeout Party. Although we don’t know the extent to how much making out actually took place that night, we like to think everyone there had a good time anyway.

To put it lightly, the Makeout Party got off to a rocky start. The first band of the night, L.A. based Shit Giver, had to deal with a shoddy P.A. and a crappy power source, causing the band to put up with barely audible vocals and the bassist to deal with the occasional electrical shock. Even with all that going on they still managed to sound amazing. Their sound, a mix of 80s Post Punk, punk, and shoegaze helped to set off the tone of the night and what was to come. The next band up, East L.A.’s Twin Seas, brought some New Wave and Dream Pop to the party and they totally killed it. Garage rockers The Rosewaters came and got everyone moving before the night came to an end with our set.
We would just like to say that none of it could’ve been possible without all the help we got from our friends. From letting us use their house, helping us setup lights and decorations, lending us equipment, selling beer and food, and taking photos of the night, our friends are the best and we just want to let them know how much you mean to us.  

THE WORST SHOW EVER

One usually expects to end up at an art gallery when attending a photography exhibition, however for Cameron Pagett that was not the case. We arrived half an hour early, we were a bit skeptical about having received the correct information as to where this event was taking place, there were warehouses leading up to the space and we were thrown off at first. If I'm being honest, I started to feel disappointed. I thought I would be attending a nice opening reception not another warehouse-turned -gallery- for-the-night type of event.  However, we remained hopeful as we pulled up to the location. We noticed a group of young gallery attendees outside The Aerial House where I could spot Cameron wearing his custom made denim jacket with the words "THE WORST" on the back. 

It was now 6:30 and we proceeded to make our way into the space. I was not sure what to expect but I definitely was not expecting an aerial studio. I was very confused. I imagined Cameron's photographs would be lining the walls. I approached Cameron and congratulated him on his first solo exhibit. Still very confused as to when I'd get to see his photographs, I asked him how he was going to showcase them and he told me it was top secret and to stick around till 9 p.m. Looking around I was trying to figure out how in the world were we going to see his photos!? There were only exposed brink walls and those weren't walls to place art on.

Curiosity took over so we stayed throughout the event. SK collaborated with Minty Boi on this event which promised exciting musical appearances. Bands such as Fringe and Model/Actriz, who's based in the east coast, gained new fans in the west coast. After, some exciting and interactive performances it was time for SK to present Girls and Summer. We were asked to sit down. Yes, sit down. A crowd of strangers attending an art show were asked to huddle around a screen and sit on the floor together. With beautifully curated music SK presented his photographs through a video. This was a really different and personal experience. Usually, art shows can feel a little weird and pretentious but this show was the complete opposite. SK captures really raw, intimate and genuine moments with his camera so this type of show seemed fit.

If you would like to experience Girls and Summer by Cameron Pagett this Friday don't forget to RSVP to cameron@sklauridsen.com

NOCHE DE CORAZONES

Mondays are definitely Mondays for us, we have 12 hour school days and this Monday wasn't any different. Oh, except for the fact that we cut our school day short to eat tater tots and watch our friends open at the Echoplex.

No biggie.

We were tired and hungry so going to our 7 p.m class didn't seem appealing at all. We planned on eating dinner together and then having a quiet end to our Monday night but in between caramel lattes and tater tots we decided that going to a concert was a better ending. Hey, we deserved this. When you pass your economics quiz and pretty much nail your design presentation you gotta treat your self because logically, when you're doing well in the beginning of the semester it's a good idea to stop showing up to class. Duh, anyway, with our phones at 12% we drove to the Echoplex and watched The Red Pears open the Noche de Corazones.

With both phones practically dead and a camera in the trunk we decided why not try to sneak in our dslr. So, we casually walked into the venue bought our tickets and discreetly walked passed the ticket counter with our camera in hand.

Best spur of the moment decision ever.

Featured are The Red Pears & The Altons on 2/13/17

PSYCHEDELIC CUMBIA PUNK

We watched Thee Commons live for the 3rd time last weekend and like the 2 previous times it was a night to remember. We saw them a year ago when they played in the Ace Hotel during Night on Broadway, this time they headlined Viva!'s outdoor stage at Night on Broadway which brought in over 75,000 people. This is a big deal for a local band from East LA and we honestly could not be more excited.  So, this time around we were surrounded by people who had never even heard of cumbia so you could tell they weren't ready for what was about to happen. There was a mix of people who thought they'd get a dance party and those who knew exactly what was about to go down when Thee Commons played their own material. To clarify, Thee Commons play psychedelic-cumbia-punk which means there is a lot of dancing, jumping and moshing. The performance Thee Commons give is never a dull one and neither is being part of the audience for that matter, to the left of us we had a group of friends prepared with a beautifully embellished charro hat and a bottle of tequila, yep, couldn't get any better than that.

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WITHOUT WOMEN THERE IS NO REVOLUTION

On Saturday, women got up early to participate in what is now known as one of the largest marches in LA since the 2006 immigration march. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered in Pershing Square as a peaceful act of resistance against the new administration in charge of this country. This protest went global. According to the LA Times, there were demonstrations in more than 50 countries, it even reached the Isle of Eigg, a tiny island off the coast of Scotland, population 88. 

Crowds gathered in support to for LGBT, Muslims, immigrants and anti-trump throughout the crowds of people. The target in these protests weren't the patriarchy or even Trump, this ended up being a bunch of people coming together and acknowledging that America is better when we are united and standing in solidarity. It felt like a huge gathering of love and positivity The crowds included women of all color, men and even entire families. Seeing babies with their mothers and even little kids protesting with their parents gave me so much hope. They are the future. What really bummed me out was seeing older people in the crowd. This isn't the first time they protest this and it's disappointing that women's rights remain an issue to be protested. 

It's the beginning of 2017 and women all over the world are still gathering to protest for their basic human rights. It's been over 100 years of women doing this and frankly, I'm over it. I am not a morning person but I woke up at 6 am to go protest and support my fellow females and I'm pissed about it. I'm livid. I had to wake up early because old white guys don't get that they can't control my reproductive rights. I had to spend my last Saturday of winter break out in the sun because old white guys don't get that women deserve basic human rights. This. Is. Ridiculous. I'm mad this march even happened in the first place but you know what? I'll wake up early, again and again and again and again if I have to because this has gone on for too long. Marching and protesting may not influence direct and immediate change but staying quiet is not an option. 

I'm marching for the future of this country. For my future. For my babies. For my friends babies. I'm marching so women 100 years from now don't have to. I really hoped that this wouldn't be an actual reality, that this generation didn't actually still have to protest but it is. So now I just hope the women or immigrants or people of color or LGBTQ in the generations after me don't have to. 

So, what's next? These protests were just the beginning, there are more tangible actions to take that will help the movement stay strong. Here's a link to an explanation of those actions and the official Women's March website.

The best part about this is that the turn out in LA alone overshadowed the numbers at Trumps inauguration.