Skip to Content
Art

Peace, Beats, and Bombpops ~ Tropico de Nopal Artspace ~ Echo Park

4717.jpg

MEAR ONE CBS

An inspiring night went down yesterday, with creative, pro-peace friends throwing it up and partying for Peace, Beats, and Bombpops: A Night of Independence Through Unity at Tropico de Nopal Artspace in Echo Park. Everyone had a great time, dancing and rapping with one another, and no doubt took inspiration from the confluence of subversive forces in the candle-lit, cactus-dotted garden courtyard.

2442.jpg

A whole gangload of selectors spun dancehall, hip-hop, soul, and funky-ass funk to get booties shaking, while Hearts Challenger's old skool ice cream van provided candy, lip gloss, and mmmm...Big Sticks. I was drenched in sweat all night, but apparently I'm too self-concious to eat a Big Stick in public at this age.

5316.jpg

In the corner was set-up a booth for the Iraq photo project, where everyone could take a photo to add to the project with themselves holding a giant sign reading 'Peace in Iraq.' I think over 600 photos were added to the archive last night!

5615.jpg

One of the things (besides peace) bringing me out last night was to see the mind-blowing MEAR ONE do a live painting. His work is very inspiring, but there was actually a lot to see in watching the man paint as well. Starting methodically, after awhile he really throws his physical self into what he does, hitting his knees, rythmically splashing paint over the work, and working the entire surface over in such a controlled flurry of activity, one of my friends said he was feeling protective of the abused canvas. The piece speaks for itself and speaks volumes. Respect to MEAR ONE for his works of beauty and action.

4817.jpg

Brandy Flower was rocking his phenomenal Mark of the Beast collection of slanted corporate symbols, possibly the only L.A. art exhibit to be shut down by LAPD for being 'offensive and aggressive' or some shit. The symbols are so familiar that they blend into any scenery, yet no matter how 'comfortable' you feel around them, taking awareness of your surroundings and coming in for a closer look reveals a genius jab at the babylon system or some infantile expression like 'Hard Cock,' which provide much needed levity after a couple clever reminders of our government's global tyranny. Like the greatest music, there is always something new and jarring to find among Brandy's work, even through repeated exposure.

3917.jpg

The best of the images are possibly the most simple, blending symbols of Western excess with the names of cities brutalized or negelcted like the Def Leppard logo that simply reads 'Darfur.' Brandy and the great Mike C were running things as always with their Hit N' Run Crew, busting out one-of-a-kind t-shirts by the city's best rising artists before bringing Japan to its knees in the coming weeks.

5716.jpg
5217.jpg
2542.jpg

Lot of hots kids shaking their hips, but I think I mentioned that. You know Sticky Rick was in the house, I took a picture of him dancing that I've promised to hold over his head for the rest of his life. Nathan Nice, the LA-born-and-bred MC who rocked the Hallowed Wheat Paste jam, was also chilling. Big ups Nate!

2926.jpg
3421.jpg
4516.jpg

But yeah, the music and vibe was fucking great. Peaceful, bursting with creativity, flowing with beer, and full of willing dancers and plenty of amiable L.A. heads. Respect to Azul 213, Pablo Aguilar, Reyes, Phloe, Mike the Poet, Tropico de Nopal, the Esparza-Ahrens family, Mike C, Inside Out Community Arts Family, Nathan Nice, Rebeccona, Alma, Danny, Graffism, Restitution Press, H&R Crew, Mear-1 CBS, Toks, the DJs, and everyone else who made it such a positive, fun night!

Peace & love! Have a great day BBQing!

22110.jpg
1875.jpg
5815.jpg
3020.jpg
3720.jpg
2731.jpg
1783.jpg
2824.jpg
3522.jpg
3621.jpg
5914.jpg
5415.jpg
3275.jpg
5516.jpg
2362.jpg
3817.jpg
508.jpg
4417.jpg
5159.jpg

Stay in touch

Sign up for our free newsletter

More from L.A. TACO

Tamal or Tamale? How to Correctly Pronounce the Singular Form of Tamales

The tamal vs. tamale debate has an almost emotional connection with people simply because it becomes a “how my family speaks the language vs. how it’s ‘supposed to be’ written” type of language conflict. In a culture like Mexico, where family always comes before anything, it makes sense that people will go with what feels familiar rather than what they are expected to say.

December 24, 2024

L.A.’s 13 Best Bars With Games and Activities

The best L.A. bars for axe-throwing, cumbia nights, playing pool, doing graffiti, smoking, playing pinball, and other fun, possibly delinquent activities.

December 23, 2024

Everything Wrong with Tesla’s $500 ‘Mezcal’

"Mezcal has become a commodity for many, without any regard for the earth, [or] for Indigenous people's land rights," says Odilia Romero, an Indigenous migrants rights advocate from Oaxaca and the executive director for CIELO. "Oaxaca is also having a water access issue.

December 20, 2024

This Weekend: Sonoran Caramelos, Brisket Tteokbokki, Mex-Italian Fusion, and Country-Fried Tofu

Plus, Malay-style wings, a collaboration pizza-topped with Philippe The Original's French-dipped beef and hot mustard, and more in this week's roundup.

December 20, 2024

More Than 70 People Reported Feeling Ill After Eating Oysters At L.A. Times ‘101 Restaurants’ Food Event

Ragusano is disappointed that the L.A. Times didn’t publicly disclose that there was an outbreak at their event. “Obviously they’re not going to print it in their paper,” Ragusano said. “But they‘re a newspaper and newspapers are supposed to share the news. This is how people usually find out about something like this,” she added. “It's ironic because it happened to them.”

December 19, 2024
See all posts