L.A. Taco had a front-row view to catch snaps of Usher, Erykah Badu, Ella Mai, Daniel Caesar, Kali Uchis, and more at the Smooking Grooves Festival in at the Queen Mary.

Photos: Smokin’ Grooves Fest 2019 ~ Long Beach

core/paragraph

core/shortcode

align

linkDestination

caption

credit

creditUrl

lightboxSrc

originalHeight

originalWidth

srcset

height

width

core/image

shortCodeTransforms

columns

linkTo

core/gallery

<p>J.W. Hendricks is a half-Venezuelan photojournalist based in LA. His work has primarily focused on social and labor movements, and has been featured in publications such as CalMatters, Boyle Heights Beat, and The Intercept.</p>


J.W. Hendricks

The crowd dances and moshes as La Resistencia performs in MacArthur Park on August 16, 2025.

Culture

After ICE’s Show of Force, Ska-Punk Fans Reclaimed MacArthur Park This Weekend

L.A. TACO STAFF

The Runts performing their last show at LodgeRoom in Highland Park.

5 Independent L.A. Concert Venues We Like To Get High At

<p>Professional punk and Editor-In-Chief for James Beard Award-winning L.A. TACO. Associate Producer for JBA-winning Las Crónicas Del Taco. Former restaurant scout for Jonathan Gold. Co-author of &#8220;Oaxaca: Home Cooking From the Heart of Mexico (2019, Abrams) and &#8220;Asada: The Art of Mexican-Style Grilling&#8221; (2023, Abrams).</p>


Javier Cabral

<p>L.A. born and raised. Probably at a show or overspending money on food.</p>


Miguel Maldonado-Velasco III

The Garden's fans camped in front of the barricade since the show started at 4 PM.

Live Music

Clown-Faced Fans Swarmed The Garden’s ‘One Strange Night In Orange County’ Festival

<p>A.k.a. Afroxander; Editor-At-Large (formerly Weekend Editor) at L.A. Taco and a lecturer at California State University San Bernardino &amp; San Diego State University. He has covered arts, culture, history, politics, and sports with an emphasis on Latin America and its U.S. diaspora for over two decades.</p>


Ivan Fernandez

Juanes Reminds Us of the Power of Love and Unity at the Hollywood Bowl

The singer of LA ska band Chencha Berrinches throws his hands up at the crowd onstage at Levitt Pavilion

Events

Levitt LA Is Back! 10 Free Summer Concerts in MacArthur Park

<p>Abraham Marquez is a freelance writer from Inglewood and a member of the National Association of Hispanic Journalists (NAHJ). He is a 2021 USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism Fellow. He writes about social movements, sports, politics, and immigration. Instagram: @abemarquez02</p>


Abraham Marquez

Guitarist Tom Morello under a red light onstage at Echoplex in Echo Park, with abassist to his left

Tom Morello Unites B Real, Pussy Riot, K. Flay and More to “Defend L.A.” at The Echoplex

Explore

Footer - NEW

Legal Footer

Main - NEW

Mobile

Neighborhoods

Top Guides

Become a subscriber today to get unlimited access

Thanks for reading!

L.A. TACO is paid for by readers, not billionaires. 8,000 Angelenos keep this newsroom independent. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

This one's for members.

No advertiser paid for this. We depend on members to write these investigations, please join.

This investigation took months.

Support This Work

We're paid for by readers, not billionaires. 8,000 Angelenos keep this newsroom independent, and members read everything. Memberships start at $5.95/month.

Keep reading L.A. TACO.

Free registration

Please register for L.A. TACO to Vote 

Register to continue

We are truly independent local media.

Free to Read, just share your email 

Every place on this list was visited by someone on our staff. Create a free account to read all of it. No payment, no catch.

The rest of this guide is free. We just need an email.

We take our food reporting very seriously, and answer to readers, not advertisers.

The rest of this article is free. We just need an email.

The rest of this report is free. We just need an email.

We're indepdenent local news, help us write these stories by sharing your email (it's free)

All we ask is your email

Read this opinion piece for free, just share your email

All we ask is an email...

Create a free account and keep reading. No payment, no catch. We're reader-funded, and this is how we get to know who we're writing for.

Read this one on us.

Celebrating the Taco Lifestyle in Los Angeles, CA

L.A. TACO

Support L.A. TACO

<div>Ivan Ehlers is an Ecuadorian-American cartoonist and writer. He is a regular contributor to <i>The New Yorker</i>, <i>MAD Magazine</i> and the <i>Los Angeles Times</i>.</div>
<div></div>
<div>IG: <a id="m_-8957504711371111195plusReplyChip-0" class="gmail_plusreply"></a>@ivan_ehlers</div>


Ivan Ehlers

Featured

Sunday Taquitos #34: Coup Season

<div>
<div dir="auto">
<p dir="ltr">Jake Hook is a local food historian in Los Angeles. They run the Diner Preservation Society, dedicated to highlighting the city&#8217;s traditional food culture. Follow him on Instagram at @<a href="https://www.instagram.com/dinertheory/">DinerTheory</a>.</p>
</div>
<div class="yj6qo ajU"></div>
</div>
<div></div>


Jake Hook

Opinion

Brick-and-Mortar Restaurants Need to Stop Blaming Street Vendors

Taco Members Only

These Wok-Fired Asada Tacos Are Available For Five Days Only, Starting Tonight

<p>Sam Ribakoff is a reporter, journalism teacher, communicator for labor unions, and a nice guy from Long Beach.</p>


a man stands in front of a mural with a pig in a police hat being crossed out

Sam Ribakoff

Politics

Becerra Vs. Hilton: Which Gubernatorial Candidate Disgusted Us Less at Last Night’s Debate?

<p>Héctor Zaldívar is the head of a print magazine and art/music publication titled Dead Relatives. Completely written and designed by Zaldívar, every month subscribers are mailed in-depth stories on different subcultures from graffiti in Latin America to hardcore punk to lowrider culture and back.</p>


Héctor Zaldívar

a black and white photo of a crowd of people

Joe Altmann’s ‘Gladiators’ Captures DIY Culture from L.A. to Saigon

Aisha Wallace-Palomares

<p>Izzy Ramirez is a Los Angeles-based staff reporter with L.A. TACO, documenting immigration enforcement and state power as it unfolds on the ground. Their work centers real-time alerts and long-term public archiving throughout the Southern California region.</p>


Izzy Ramirez

<p>Jaylyn Preslicka is a reporter from the greater Los Angeles area who specializes in investigative reporting. She has covered immigration, health, politics, and policy for various outlets.</p>


a woman in a striped shirt in front of vines

Jaylyn Preslicka

News

Read This If Your Loved One Has a Final ‘Removal Order’

<p>Erwin Recinos is a seasoned visual artist with an eye for capturing life as a working commuter aboard public transportation in and around Los Angeles. For 20 years now, Recinos has been documenting the urban landscape, street culture, and Hispanic communities of Los Angeles utilizing his daily routine and the city of Los Angeles as an inspiration. Recinos also works with popular food and event websites such as LATACO.com and Eater LA to capture the cuisine and culture that is so important to the city of Los Angeles and across Southern California.</p>


Erwin Recinos

post

Shawn Stern playing at the Terragram Ballroom on Sunday, May 18th, 2025.