Arts coverage sponsored by Nikos Constant.
This past Saturday, El Clasico Tattoo hosted their annual lowrider cruise and art show, covering the cozy Echo Park parlor from floor to ceiling with the work of over 67 artists.
The night scaled from a busy sidewalk hang before opening, to pop’n and ’lock’n crowds flooding Sunset Boulevard by 9:30. By 10 PM, ghetto birds (helicopters) started to circle and flash the party. LAPD ended the night over an hour later after pushing a police line from Echo Park Avenue to Logan Street.
“I have been in business in Echo Park for 17 years; it has changed for both the better and worse,” Sal Preciado, the owner and a 25-year veteran black-and-grey tattoo artist, told L.A. TACO. “ I find it curious that in all the other years we have had this event, we have never had an issue with law enforcement. They keep it cool because they know we keep it cool. This event is about good times, art, culture, and unity.”
“Every year, we personally stay hours after the event ends to clean up the street and make sure all is good,” he continued. “So yes, it is interesting this year, with the increase in racist policies and policing, that the cops showed up in full riot gear to our event and shut it down, when last weekend’s Echo Park Rising event/population did not elicit a police presence. We love Echo Park Rising; this is no shade to EPR. But it is curious, and we did comply … It was discouraging and disheartening, but that’s life in the Echo.”
A show of Chicano pride amidst continuous citywide ICE confrontations, the night was a testament to resilience and a reminder that LA’s brown pride will never fold. Sal hosted pieces across the culture, from Bogotá/New York fineline-tribal superstar J. Diego Prieto to East San Diego’s very own traditional tattoo muralist, Sergio Hernandez.
Beyond the art show, suped-up bikes and vintage cars were just as much a part of the action, engines channeling roars from the crowd, blocking traffic behind candy paint.
“My vision for Park Dance on The Floor was to have an event for us, by us,” Preciado says. “In the ever-changing landscape of L.A., especially Echo Park, it is important to find ways to stay connected and rooted while still remaining true to yourself. I curated the Art Show to be an organic reflection of who inspires me and my crew—people who love art and do art because it is in our fabric to create just as much as breathing … It is a celebration of BIPOC, Indigenous, Queer, and Immigrant homegrown love … Like Chicano Heaven, when the world around us can feel like hell. It is a visceral experience just as much as it is visual.”
This particular Saturday, I was hosting a group of artist friends from Mexico and Colombia, which challenged me to think about their context and interpretation of how Chicanos can party versus the normality of Los Angeles nights when living here. Walking to the liquor store down the street, every other car parked or driving on the way was low and slow, families and friends posted outside their vehicles, watching the crowd back at the shop dancing in the street.
A number of other vehicles got caught in the action, including a Waymo, which was quickly hosting over 15 different graffiti tags on its hood. A photographer friend of mine and I talked about how common of a procedure this is now, barely surprised that more pieces of public property weren’t direct targets of vandalism. The buses coming into the area swerved their ways out of the crowd entirely, knowing better than to get caught in the heat as well, one could assume.
“Sal’s show is epic,” said photographer Suitcase Joe. “Happens once a year and the street turns into a block party. It’s an event I look forward to every year.”
The prior Wednesday, I dropped off art for the show from “Illustrated Madness,” a booklet I put together featuring original drawings over Suitcase Joe’s photos. First showcased earlier this year at Beyond The Streets, one of Sal’s contributions to the project featured a scratched-in memo and a pair of dice on a portrait of King Dino, a homeless artist known for portraying and dressing as a pimp.
Reflecting on the original, which was laid on the front counter, Joe started telling a story about the last time he saw Dino, and Sal remembered his own. Looking up at the shop walls ready for rearrangement, he asked Joe how difficult it would be to bring Dino and some of his art out, making room for more diverse and inclusive talent as close as days before the big show.
“Dino was a hit,” Suitcase Joe said. “Sal loves him as much as I do. It was a great night.”
A slew of subcultured vendors were present, from vintage vinyl and magazines to graffiti fashion screenprinters. Most notably, I found a man cross-legged on the floor with craftswork laid across woven blankets. I asked him for a photo and he lit up, posing perfectly between a soaring number of people making their way to get closer to the music and crowd.
His friend told me he usually sets up across the street whenever he has goods to sell and that tonight was really special, to have all these people and supporters present, which is different from his feeling overlooked more by the usual crowds. (I told them I’d be back with that photo when I get my latest roll developed, so stay tuned).
“Most of the people just show up and want to participate in their own way … ,” Preciado said. “We support the hustle and appreciate what they bring. We are still here, so come see us, get tattooed, support our small business, check out the art on the walls, chat with our stellar artists. We pride ourselves on being approachable with zero tattitudes.”
The LAPD sent L.A. TACO the following statement about their presence at the party: "On 08/23/2025, around 10:00 pm, officers responded to a radio call of a large group blocking the street in the area of Sunset Bl/ Echo Park Ave," an LAPD spokesperson told L.A. TACO in a written statement. "Upon arrival, additional units were requested to assist with clearing the large group out of the street. The group dispersed, and I do not have any arrests being made from this incident."
