2016 03 23 theedge web

MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 VOL. 1 - Issue No. 9 www.TheEdgeLB.com The Edge Long Beach @EdgeLongBeach

To hell and back Danny Flores is an ex-gang member and this is his story of redemption

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M A I D E N V O Y A G E

2016 ANNIVERSARY YEAR

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CONTENTS 08

CEO Jesse Dillon EDITORIAL editor@hlrmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Gary Metzker SENIOR REPORTER Blake Pinto PHOTOGRAPHER Karen Sawyer

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GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION Jorge Arroyo Allison Rojas WEBSITE Jorge Arroyo SALES Jeffrey Vaughn Candace Klewer

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1. The Whispers are coming to town, along with Howard Hewett and Chante Moore. The performance is Friday night at 7 o’clock at the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center at 300 E. Ocean Blvd. My two favorite Whispers songs? “And the Beat Goes On” and “Rock Steady.” Admit it, you’re humming one of them right now. 2. The Aquarium of the Pacific will host a screening of “Sonic Sea,” a 60-minute film produced by the National Resources Defense Council. The film was created to raise awareness about the impact of human-made noise on marine life. Tickets are $5, but free to Aquarium members. The event starts at 7 p.m. Thursday.

The Aquarium is located at 100 Aquarium Way. 3. The Long Beach Museum of Art is featuring Beyond the Frame: New Media Arts from Taiwan, an exhibition featuring new media artists who continually evolve their creative practice with rapid advances in media technology. The exhibition runs until May 29. The museum is located at 2300 E. Ocean Ave. As always, if you like us or hate us or have a story idea hit us up on social media with a comment on our Facebook page or our website www.theedgelb.com. Or send me an email at editor@hlrmedia.com Gary Metzker Managing editor

DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR Edward Davis

PUBLISHER HLR Media

I hope you were one of the approximately 50,000 people that came out to enjoy everything that Long Beach has to offer at last Saturday’s Beach Streets Downtown event. I ran into people I haven’t seen in months. And it was great to stop and talk to business owners instead of whizzing by in my car. I know that Supervisor Don Knabe, the mayor Robert Garcia and the three district council members Lena Gonzalez, Suja Lowenthal and Suzie Price have been getting kudos, and rightfully so, but let’s not forget two of the real unsung heroes of the event: manager Tasha Day and special events coordinator Jay Lopez of the city’s special events and filming department.

Three things you should know:

CONTRIBUTORS Jesus Ambrosio Madison D’Ornellas Kevin Flores Olivia Otsuki Emily Rasmussen

ACCOUNTING Vera Shamon

The edge-ucator

NEWS: 04 Long Beach is feeling the ‘bern’

top 20:

06

Taco joints in long beach

feature:

08

Music and culture on display at Native American festival

entertainment: 10 There were miles of smiles at Beach Streets Downtown event

calendar: 16 What to do in and around long beach this month

classifieds: 18 artist of the week:

21

The band Tall Walls and its Long Beach sound.

cover: 22 Arts educator Danny Flores draws upon his past life to help people in crisis Cover photo by Karen Sawyer

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news

h c a e B g n Lo

g n Is Feeli

Some people in the city will sing for Sanders and even lose sleep for the Democratic candidate for president

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mongst the organized chaos of the early celebrations for St. Patrick’s Day, Bernie Sanders supporters were part of the Long Beach Irish Heritage Parade & Festival on March 12. Throughout the parade, people holding signs and shouting “Bernie, Bernie!” were seen amongst roller-blading leprechauns and Irish drumming bands. Many people on the sidelines were cheering for the Sanders group, but it was also met with mild opposition and booing.

Sanders, the independent Vermont senator running for president in this year’s election, has clearly gained some momentum in Long Beach. The candidate’s far-left policies, like raising the minimum wage, making college tuitions free, and increasing taxes on the One Percent, has appealed to more people than just

by Emily Rasmussen

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’ n r e B ‘ e h t

feature NEWS

I was raised with the idea that we’re all in the same boat and so the people who are sinking to the bottom, that kind of brings us all down.

And if we lift each other up then we’re all – Kristen Cox (volunteer organizer) better off.

millennials in the city.

Sanders is still trailing Hillary Clinton for the Democrat nomination, since the state primaries have started. In Long Beach, 50.38 percent of voters are registered as Democrats, followed by registered Republicans at 20.23 percent, according to CensusViewer.com. The pressure of the upcoming presidential election can be expected to increase, as the California primary election on June 7 gets closer.

Josiah Miller, a local musician representing Sanders at the parade, said he has been following the campaign since the middle of last year. He has tried to spread awareness for Sanders by being a part of events like this, even driving out to Nevada to help with the caucus.

“He just keeps impressing me, impressing me, and impressing me,” Miller says. “I want to do everything I can to see him win because I believe in him. I never believed in anybody like this before Bernie. That’s why I’m here.”

Kristen Cox, the volunteer organizer for Long Beach and Los Angeles, has been following Sanders for over 20 years. She

TOP pg.4: ong Beach Sanders volunteers gathering at the end of the parade. BOTTOM pg.4: Coordinators of the parade discussing the conflict of political signs in the Long Beach Irish Heritage Parade. Sanders supporters were eventually allowed to continue. ABOVE: A man who was part of the parade cleaning crew waving to the Sanders parade. LEFT: Parade goers giving the thumbs down to Sanders supporters.

-Photos by emily rasmussen

says the ‘Bernie Sanders for Long Beach group is the most active in Southern California.

“We need to get back to being compassionate and caring about each other,” Cox says. “I was raised with the idea that we’re all in the same boat and so the people who are sinking to the bottom, that kind of brings us all down.

And if we lift each other up then we’re all better off. That’s why I’m doing what I’m

doing, because I’m determined to raise everybody up instead of watching us all sink together.”

She said the main motivation for volunteering is for her four children and their futures. Being the volunteer organizer comes with its rough days, and Cox said she only gets about four hours of sleep at night. Every moment of her time is put into this campaign, even when doing this interview, Cox was on her way www.theedgelb.com

to Arizona for that state’s primary.

People of every demographic in Long Beach has come to volunteer for the Sanders campaign, Cox said, like the LGBT community, seniors, veterans, millennials, and others. The group has handed out flyer at events like First Fridays in Bixby Knolls, Beach Streets, and at supermarkets. The unofficial campaign office is upstairs of MADE, on 240 Pine Ave.

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tacos chapala photo courtesy of FLickr

by Madison D’Ornellas

Greetings Taco-heads!

1. Taqueria La Mexicana #2

3270 E. Fourth St.

The first taco oasis on the list is a window-inthe-wall shop, supplying wafts of carne asada scents and smokey exhaust from the nearby kitchen. You enjoy your mini foil-wrapped feast on plastic lunch tables adjacent to the window, able to watch jealous pedestrians eyeing your authentic treat. This place is it.

5. Las Delicias De Michoacan 755 Magnolia Ave.

Calling all spicy lovers. Slabbed with hot red and green salsa, these tacos will knock your socks off and leave you in tears. Not for the faint-hearted.

But for those willing to cleanse their sinuses, we salute you.

6. Taqueria La Fogata 2. Tacos Chapala

3205 E. Anaheim St.

This is not the best place to go if you’re tummy grumbles for a taco treat, but it compensates its overthe-meat helpings for its clearly evident authenticity.

Tacos Chapala is literally a kitchen with tables. I urge you to be daring and try a cabeza taco. Mooooo.

1950 Santa Fe Ave.

Greasy tortillas, yes. Crispy meat, yep. Spanish television on blast, you bet. But La Fogata is quaint and charming. It looks to be a one-woman show, a single lady taking your order, cashing you out and serving you oily, charred tacos. Come with a book.

7. Taqueria La Mexicana 3. Tito’s Bakery

1107 E. FourthSt.

Holy spices, Batman. Tito’s Bakery is fantastic, but don’t take my word for it. The meat is juicy, the onion and cilantro combination was perfect and the tortillas almost kept your hands dry. Sit on top of your car with tacos from Tito’s. A bit pricey for a taco joint, but so worth it.

4. Taqueria El Pacifico

1473 Atlantic Ave.

king taco photo courtesy of FLickr

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Yikes. Heat lamps. If you feel like creating a taco toppings masterpiece check out Taqueria El Pacifico, but don’t go looking for tasty meat. These tacos are on the less expensive side and allow creativity from the taco-muncher.

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1490 Santa Fe Ave.

La Mexicana is as fresh and gritty as you can get.

Don’t be intimidated by the bars on the windows and the close proximity to the Port. The tacos are delicious.

8. Tacos Guadalajara 2086 Pacific Ave.

A taco window next to an auto repair shop can only mean one thing: goodness. Tacos Guadalajara is my favorite taco joint in Long Beach; authentic, the perfect amount of onions and cilantro and juicy meats.

9. Tacos El Toro De Long Beach 2081 Pacific Ave.

Go for the salsa. El Toro is a cute little place with Mexican memorabilia and a large menu, but the taco meat is a bit bland. Come with an empty stomach though, the tacos are tiny and will disappear from your plate quick.

10. Taco Beach

13. Nick’s Deli

223 Main Street, Seal Beach

The breakfast burritos at Nick’s are heavenly; the right amount of tortilla, the right amount of spice in the hot sauce and a staff behind the counter that treats you like a part of the family. The only thing wrong with Nick’s is that you’re not there already.

211 Pine Ave.

Taco Beach is covered head-to-toe with stuff; shark heads, lights, beer posters and colored paint engulf the walls of this half-patio, halfrestaurant nook. The fish tacos are nothing special, but pretty tasty.

14. El Taco Loco #2 1541 E. Artesia Blvd.

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This diner-style taqueria is Long Beach’s provider for the best el pastor tacos. Walking in you feel relaxed. Walking out you feel contently taco-ed.

o to

Another chain on this list, but a good one.

Chronic Tacos is fueled by family recipes and fantastic beer-battered fish tacos. Try your tacos “baja style” the next time you get Chronic; they’ll send you straight to the beach. And don’t forget to pick up The Edge while you’re there.

te

900 E. Anaheim St.

12. Chronic Tacos 3870 E. Ocean Blvd.

15. Tacos Y Mariscos La Fuente

FL i

Yes, a typical Mexican restaurant chain with decent tacos and tamales. King Taco may not be royalty among this list, but it does the job.

of

1841 Long Beach Blvd.

sy

11. King Taco #27

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Not to be confused with The Crazy Chicken, El Taco Loco is a bit crazy.

Crazy good. Handmade tortillas and hearty tacos make this place another go-to.

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chronic tacos photo courtesy of FLickr

Look no further than these tasty taquerias freckled across Long Beach.

16. Great Mex

5530 E. Atherton St.

This is another favorite. I go to Great Mex for the breakfast burritos, which are served all day. But the taco deals on Tuesdays, the enchiladas and the salsa bar brings an eclectic Long Beach crowd back to Great Mex every day.

17. Super Mex

732 E. First St.

Not as super as Great Mex, but Super in its own charm. This family-owned spot has been around for years, and is a daily provider of classic Mexican cuisine. Good tacos, good service and good digs.

to ho

o oc l o c El ta el taco loco photo courtesy of FLickr

Eating at Rivera’s reminds me of having my first taco in Tijuana. This place is the real deal. Beautiful paintings on the tile walls make any experience at Rivera’s feel like your first time; it takes you out of Long Beach and onto a homegrown plate of tacos.

20. Cocorenos

3400 E. Broadway Ave.

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19. Rivera’s Tacos

5498 Atlantic Ave.

18. Cinco De Mayo

351 Pacific Ave.

I had my New Year’s meal at Cinco.

Usually overlooked, this corner watering hole is too good to be missed.

The beans and rice make the plates and the salsa is too good to be true. Get the carnitas tacos. You won’t regret this choice. www.theedgelb.com

Cocorenos’ interior will make you forget about your flour-tortilla tacos. The food is not as authentic as the place looks, but good enough for a decent taco run.

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FEATURE

To share and appreciate Native American Festival displays music, traditions and culture at Shoreline Village.

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FEATURE

T

here was a deep thumping of handcrafted drums. The airy whistle and howl of a flute, and the jing-jangle of bells on moccasins could be heard as different Native American bands and musicians performed live last weekend at the 6th Annual Native American Festival in Shoreline Village.

They played traditional songs that had been passed down through the bloodline for generations, and new songs that have been written in a traditional style.

There were different booths set up to teach the community about different aspects of Native American history and culture. Next to the teepee display, there was a booth to learn how to make dream catchers, with strings, beads, and feathers.

In front of the shop Rain Dance, a man taught locals about the craft of smoking pipes and how they are used in the community. He discussed the use of carved wooden Native American figures in front of shops to show a business sells tobacco.

He dismantled stereotypes by asking and answering questions he frequently comes across, one example he used was, “Why don’t Indians get cancer from smoking tobacco?”

Medicine bags were for sale, which were traditionally honored to people with different healing objects placed in them.

For example, they may include a buffalo’s tooth for survival, a horse’s tail for a safe journey, an eagle feather for strength, or

by Olivia Otsuki

a hawk feather to help guide you in the right direction.

While the meanings of each item, color, or story may vary slightly between different tribes, they all have a common thread – to respect everything, to use each part with a purpose, and to share that knowledge and appreciation for what nature has provided.

Eric Alvarado, Native American frame maker and flutist, described the knowledge he has personally gained: “My sister and I would spend our summers on the Res (reservation),” and there, he was taught about woodworking, music, and stories. Now, he hand-makes customized wood frames. Previously, he created frames with sandstone, or dream catchers, and beading. He frames Native American art, which includes paintings, photographs, shields, ceremonial pipes, and spears.

In addition to the variety of interactive booths and booths selling hand-crafted jewelry and moccasins, there was live dancing and men showcasing their dance style regalia. One man wore the regalia of the Southern Straight style from the Southern Plains, which is sometimes described as a “toe-heel” step dance. Another man wore the regalia of Grass style, which is a dance that requires the graceful flow of movement to resemble prairie grass swaying in the wind.

A Hoop Dance family, Moontee Sinquah and his two sons, Sampson and Scott, came from Phoenix to perform. They travel across the United States and internationally, performing the Hoop Dance. This

is a Native American healing dance, in which traditionally, the grandfather would sing, and the grandson would dance by moving through hoops to the beat of the drum. Scott said, the drums represent “the heartbeat before we come to this Earth, in our Mother’s womb. Something that soothes us and that we can pass on.”

This was their fourth year performing at the estival, and Scott, also known as Scott Sixkiller Sinquah, was the third-place winner for the 2016 Worldwide Heard Museum Hoop Dance Contest.

He introduced his father’s dance at Shoreline Village: “You might see a butterfly, a cowboy on a horse, or maybe a big pelican on the pier,” he said with a laugh, “but the harder you cheer, the harder he dances!”

Together, the three sing, dance, write the songs, and play the drums. Sampson

www.theedgelb.com

Page 8: Scott and Sampson Sinquah singing and drumming while their father, Moontee Sinquah performs the Hoop Dance. TOP, L-R: The band Red Spirit Fusion performing on Shoreline Village’s The Boardwalk Theater. . A man telling the Long Beach community about Native American smoking pipes and showing people how they are used. Moontee Sinquah performing the Hoop Dance, a traditional Native American healing dance. BOTTOM: - Photos by olivia otsuki

played the drums and sang, while Scott and Moontee performed the dance – and though their styles differed in footwork and movement, their dances both entailed graceful transitions of hoop variations that shifted into different shapes from a lotus to an eagle.

Until next year’s festival, as the Sinquahs say, “May you have a safe journey through life, and we hope to see you again.”

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entertainment

Miles o S

aturday was a day unlike most in Long Beach.

Especially on a four-mile stretch of Broadway Avenue from Pine Avenue in downtown Long Beach to Euclid Avenue in Belmont Heights with some side streets thrown in.

People were smiling – not that they don’t on other Saturdays – but really big smiles.

People weren’t speeding.

People weren’t honking horns and yelling out windows.

For an estimated 50,000 people, it was an opportunity to walk, bike, Rollerblade and roller skate right down the center stripe of Broadway if they wanted to.

Swee Woo, 62, took two buses from Torrance for the chance to ride her longboard down Broadway to the cheers of passersby. She was hard to miss as she hoisted a miniature umbrella emblazoned with the American flag. She was hard to catch as well.

The Beach Streets Downtown event put on by the city was meant to be a feel-good event. And one look at the Beach Street’s Facebook page confirms that the day was filled with good vibes, including this comment from a crossing guard at Third Street and Cherry Avenue who said “it was one of the most awesome volunteer

by Gary Metzker

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experiences” he had ever had.

Long Beach resident Keely Steffen didn’t even know about the event until she went for what she thought would be a routine bike ride.

“I had no idea,” Steffen said. “This is great for the community.”

Mark Emelyne of La Mirada thought he was going to compete in a bike race.

“This is better than a bike race,” he said.

“It is fun biking around with no traffic.

It give you a chance to check out all the businesses.

Little treasures were strewn about the four-mile corridor. There were free hats, free cotton candy, free mimosas with cheese and meat, pull up contests, chalk art and music absolutely everywhere.

There was juggling, Easter bunnies and a dog in a top hat and bowtie. Most of all, there was a community getting to know each other.

City officials were happy with the turnout. Third district councilwoman Suzie Price told the Press-Telegram: “Everyone kept saying thank you,” Price said. “It worked out great. It was a perfect day; the diversity was amazing. It was just one of those days that made me so proud to live in Long Beach.”

The city’s new bike share program was on display Saturday as well and participants were excited to take the bike’s out

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entertainment

of Smiles Beach Streets Downtown attracts 50,000 and a feel-good vibe follows.

for a spin.

“This is so cool,” said Jamaal Johnson of Long Beach. “This is a very nice idea.

I can’t wait until there are more stations and more bikes.”

Johnson said the $7 per hour fee was worth it. “I didn’t have to put my bike and my wife’s bike in the back of the car and drive down here and then put them back in the car when we were done.” www.theedgelb.com

Frauke von der Horst has lived in her two bedroom house on Broadway for more than 30 years. She said she was pleased to see the event going so smoothly.

“They are all smiles out there,” she said from her porch. “My arm is tired from all the waving I’ve been doing. And what’s really great is that hardly anyone is one their device (smartphone). Everyone has been very thoughtful.”

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cover

TOP: Maira Pacheco hands balloons to kids at Beach Streets March 19 in Long Beach. Pacheco was promoting a new patient special at A Smile Dr. created especially for the event. RIGHT: Kids jump in the bouncy house located on the parking lot on Fourth Street and Cherry Avenue at the Beach Streets event March 19 in Long Beach - Photos by Karen sawyer

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50,0

People C Wro

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Can’t Be ong

cover

TOP: Adults and kids take over the streets March 19 at Beach Streets. The event started at the park at 10 am and right after took over downtown, retro-row and Broadway. ABOVE: A crowd of people bike down Broadway Avenue March 19. Beach Streets organizers estimated that 50,000 people attended the event.

- Photos by Karen sawyer

www.theedgelb.com

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businesS

ienvenue En rance B F

Pandor Bakery works ‘round the clock to bring a piece of France to Second Street

I

f you’ve strolled

by Pandor Bakery and Cafe at 5327 E. Second St., let’s clear one thing up right now: It is not an Indian restaurant.

Regardless of the name, one step inside and you’ll be inundated with the smell of a traditional French boulangerie.

Well-traveled owners Tiffany and Reffi Sepetjian have been working ’round the clock nursing their dream of bringing fresh and authentic French cuisine and baked goods to America.

“The one thing when we started to travel abroad is you notice different flavor components of different fresh bakeries in France,” Tiffany says. “We wanted to bring that here.”

So bring it here they did, literally.

They have imported baking equipment directly from France and get many of their ingredients from France.

by Blake Pinto

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But why stop there? They take it to another level by recruiting French chefs directly from the country on visa programs based on advice they receive from a special consultant based in France. He’s like a sports scout, but instead of looking for the next Lebron, he’s combing the region for the next Lionel Poliâne.

“If he finds someone who is great, he’ll let me know,” Tiffany explains. “We more or less know when the people we have need to go back home, so he’ll go out and scout and he does the same thing as you would do here like putting out advertisements and he checks them out.”

It is a true spare no expense approach.

“It has been really expensive,” Tiffany admits.

After a failed attempt to secure a French bakery franchise, the couple was stuck with everything they had already

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imported and invested in.

“It all fell apart on us,” Tiffany says.

“Life has a way of doing that, so you get resilient.”

Rather than fold, they went all in and opened their first Pandor Bakery in Newport Beach in 2012. It’s been an enormous success.

“We’ve kind of just been on the fly, doing what we have to do.” Tiffany says.

“You know, the American dream can sometimes feel like a nightmare, you just have to persevere.”

They would open a location in Long Beach shortly after, but admit it has been a tougher sell than they had imagined.

“We actually wanted to start in Long Beach. I like the community, it’s kind of a hip, fun and fresh community,” Tiffany explains. “I think we expected being on Second Street that people would naturally gravitate in.”

Though the restaurant is far from a failure, they know there are areas they can touch up. They don’t currently offer alcohol, and being on Second Street in the midst of a plethora of Long Beach bars makes the lack of wine or – ahem – Champagne quite noticeable.

Long Beach resident Patty George says she would love to enjoy a glass of wine or Champagne when she comes in.

“Being in this area, it’s hard not to serve alcohol,” George said.

A couple of employees agree as well.

“For sure, just look at the people next door,” employee Kateriyna Svitlynets said in reference to their neighbor and Long Beach watering hole, Riley’s Pub and Grill.

But they also admit that during their morning rush, the lack of alcohol isn’t stopping lines forming all the way around the corner.

“We get really busy,” Svitlynets says.

BUSINESS

Those people in line are waiting for some of the most authentic French baked goods in all of Southern California. Pandor is even challenging the freshness of actual French boulangeries.

“A lot of people don’t know, our croissants we do all from scratch,” Tiffany says. “80 percent of bakeries in France right now buy theirs wholesale.”

Almost everything on the menu is made from scratch, every single morning.

Now, after four years of using some of the best boulanger’s (artisan bakers) in France to make their product, she is ready to cut the cord on their most unique import, the French chefs.

“It’s actually a thing we’re stopping,” Tiffany admits. “You know, loyalty in a company and a culture is really important. We have to deal with the fact there is a cultural difference between an American mindset and a French mindset, especially the French culinary mindset.”

She said that many times the French chefs display a more emotional attachment combined with their culinary prowess, for better or worse.

“I’m really trying to find a great, skilled American-based baker and then train them on the great technical methodologies that we have here and have incorporated into our culture.”

For Tiffany, whose background at USC was geared toward advertising, bridging the gap while searching for a baker is a challenge she believes she’s fully prepared for. After training for years under some of the best in the world, she’s the type not afraid to get her hands dirty, or doughy as she described the sleepless nights when they first got started.

“We were just totally shorthanded,” Tiffany says. “It was a great opportunity for me to test and see if I could maintain it, and I did. There have been a lot of sleepless nights because there were 24 hour rotations because there is just so much time in making sure that you’re prepped for the next day.”

Though she wants to maintain the French authenticity, she has seen America grow as a culinary powerhouse through the years, and thinks that Pandor can be a great chance to show the next step in American culinary evolution.

“I think that America is totally evolving,” Tiffany explains about the savory side of their menu including quiche, bruschetta and escargo. “We started off slow in the 70’s . . . and now we’ve taken it to a place that is so unique and so creative, and I think it is the same thing

that will happen on the bakery side.”

For now though, she’s content to put a smile on the faces of Long Beach that happen upon her little haven.

“Our goal is for anyone who walks through our door to smell and taste things that make them feel good,” Tiffany says. “When I see a young mom coming in with her kid, and a little boy is smiling or putting his face up against the glass and wants to eat something, takes a big bite and you can see him go ‘Oh this taste so good,’ that’s success for me.”

www.theedgelb.com

Pg. 14: At Pandor everything is produced inhouse and made from scratch. Pandor makes its own croissants fresh each day. ABOVE: Kateriyna Svitlynets talks to costumers from behind the cashier at Pandor Artisan Boulangerie & Café March 18. Pandor offers to its costumers among other products, breads, pastries and French assortments.

- Photos by Karen Sawyer

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// MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 // THU 3/24

Queen Mary

Thursday, March 24

// March 24 // Free after 3

The Sandy Awards 5 p.m., Free Pacific Room at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center 300 E. Ocean Blvd.

Try out your paparazzi skills for some photography fun inside the Pacific Room of the Convention Center. Dress code is cocktail attire. Over $15,000 in prizes.

2016 marks the 80th anniversary of the Queen Mary’s Maiden Voyage and to kick off the celebration, the ship is offering free entry to the ship on March 24th after 3 p.m.. On this day, we will offer enriching histori l tours for just $5 and we will launch The Salon Series, a monthly evening of entertaining public programming for guests of all ages.

Taste of Downtown East Village

// April 8-10 // Fantasea Magic Festival: In association with the A demy of Magi l Arts, and their world famous clubhouse the Magic stle, award-winning illusionists come together for one spellbinding weekend. Prices range from $19 to $159 for an all-weekend pass.

Long Beach Museum of Art: // March 11-May 29 // “Beyond the Frame: New Media Arts from Taiwan” This exhibition of “new media” artists from Taiwan show ses their skills to use traditional art techniques with modern technology.

Aquarium of the Pacific // All month // Teacher Appreciation Month The Aquarium is offering $5 admission to all pre-K-12 teachers and school staff members during the entire month of March. Teachers and staff members must bring proof of ID via school or district ID for discount.

// March 23 // “Live Web st: Special Announcement” 9:38 a.m.-10:15 a.m.

The Aquarium’s president will make an important announcement about the Aquarium via livestream. Livestream is available on the Aquarium’s website.

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ra ra riot - Photo courtesy flickr

// March 24 // Sonic Sea: Film Screening 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $5 for public, free for members

// March 27 // Easter Breakfast 8:30 a.m.-10:30 a.m., General public: Adult $45 and child (3-11) $25, Members: Adult $35 and child (3-11) $15 Reserve tickets online.

// March 29 // “The Storm of Creativity,” Kyna Leski’s Discussion and Book Signing 7 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. | $5 for public, Free for Aquarium members “The Storm of Creativity” book signing and lecture with author Kyna Leski 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $5 for public, free for members

MOLAA March 23-March 25 Latin Rhythms: poeira Dance Class 7 p.m.-9 p.m., $10, Free for members Get your groove on with some Brazilian dance lessons at MOLA. Bring comfortable shoes and water.

| MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

// March 25 // Craft Club: Mixed Media Embroidery with artist Ann Sheila Garrett Rodriguez 7 p.m.-8:30 p.m., $15 general admission, $10 member admission

March 23-March 24, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.

First Street between Linden and Elm Put your foodie ps on and take a stroll through the East Village Arts District during the first of the three-part Taste of Downtown series. Painting classes, food, drinks and free bike valets included.

Divided Heaven and guests 9 p.m., 21+, $5 The Prospector 2400 E. 7th St., Long Beach, 90804

Elephant Revival / Mandolin Orange

Wave Racer

7 p.m., Tickets in advance $17, Day of show $20 Troubadour 9081 Santa Moni Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069

Doors open at 7 p.m., $5 The Observatory 3503 S. Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, 92704

Napalm Death with Melt Banana, Victims, Netherlands

WED 3/23

March 24

Michale Graves 7 p.m., Free Dipiazza’s 5205 E. Pacific Coast Highway

The Sword with Royal Thunder 9 p.m., Tickets start at $25 El Rey Theatre 5515 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles,90036

Japan Night 8 p.m.-midnight, $10 The Federal Underground 102 Pine Ave. Performances by Atomic Stooges, Tempalay and REATMO.

Doors open at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m., $15 The Observatory 3503 S Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, 92704

SAT 3/25

Friday, March 25

Citizen And Turnover with Sorority Noise plus Milk Teeth 8 p.m., $16 Teragram Ballroom 1234 W. Seventh St., Los Angeles,90017

Snakearm, Wild Roses 9 p.m., $8-$10 Alex’s Bar 2913 E. Anaheim St.

calendar Bill Burr 8p.m., $39.50 Terrace Theater at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center 300 E. Ocean Blvd.

Daughter

coheed and cambria

Doors at 7p.m., show at 8p.m., $25 The Observatory 3503 S Harbor Blvd Santa Ana, 92704 The English crooners are set to serenade and emotionally wreck all who attend, in the best way. Bring tissues and a best friend.

The Bollweevils with Whitekaps, Stalag 13, Sederra, Mr. Firley and One Fight 8 p.m., $10 The Constellation Room, Observatory 3503 S. Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, 92704

35th Annual L.A. Spring Fair March 23-March 27 Whittier Narrows Park 1600 Rosemead Boulevard, South El Monte, 91733

- Photo courtesy flickr

Redfoo w/ DJ Dainjazone, The Shuffle Bot and the Q The Hype Man 8 p.m., $25 The Roxy 9009 W. Sunset Blvd., West Hollywood Remember Redfoo? With the “big-ass fro” and “party rocking” expert? Join him and other DJs for a night of dance.

Sophie 9 p.m., Tickets start at $22 El Rey Theatre 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036

Denzel Curry with Allan Kingdom and JK The Reaper 8 p.m., $20 Lo ted inside the Constellation Room of The Observatory 3503 S. Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, 92704

Wolfmother with Deep Vally Doors at 7 p.m., show 8 p.m., $25 The Observatory 3503 S. Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, 92704 The Aussie rockers are back.

SAT 3/26

Saturday, March 26

tch Northern Youth with Sister Crowley and So l Tennis Pros 9 p.m., 21+, $5 Troubador 9081 Santa Moni Blvd, West Hollywood, 90069

Ra Ra Riot 8p.m., $20 Located inside the Constellation Room of The Observatory 3503 S Harbor Blvd, Santa Ana, 92704

michael graves - Photo courtesy flickr

Monday, March 28

MON 3/28

SUN 3/27

Sunday, March 27

50 cent Book Sale 1 p.m.-7 p.m., Free Pehrspace 325 Glendale Blvd, Los Angeles, 90026 In need of a good spring read? Thousands of books will be offered at just 50 cents to celebrate pehrspace’s 10th anniversary.

Abbath’s Decibel Magazine Tour with High on Fire, Skeletonwitch and Tribulation

8 p.m., $5 at the door, 21+ Alex’s Bar 2913 E. Anaheim St. Alex’s Bar will be the host of James Bond trivia night. Bond girls and Aston Martins not included.

TUE 3/29

Tuesday, March 29

Doors open at 6 p.m., show at 6:30 p.m., $30 The Observatory 3503 S. Harbor Blvd Santa Ana, 92704

Lissie

Brain Party Trivia: James Bond Edition

LISSIE with Skrizzly Adams 8 p.m., Tickets start at $23 El Rey Theatre 5515 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, 90036 Lissie might be the closest-sounding voice to Janis Joplin. Let her soulful, raspy tones take you back to when you first a a rocker sing and scream from the heart.

- Photo courtesy flickr

www.theedgelb.com

| MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 |

/17

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Promotional Products promotional products Encore Awards 1344 Newport Avenue.

Long Beach, CA90804 (562) 597-8100 AwardsByEncore.com Restaurants restaurants Modica’s Deli 455 E. Ocean Blvd.

Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 435-7011 Modicas.com

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Long Beach, CA 90803 (562) 438-2714 Eatchronictacos.com

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American Steak & Fries 700 Pine Ave. Long Beach, CA 90813 (562) 634-5172 Cinco De Mayo 351 Pacific Ave. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 432-1604 Canadian Pizza &Grill 1241 E.4th St. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 980-7605 Jerry’s place 1537 E. 4th St. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 436-3323 Utopia Good Food & Fine Arts 445 E. 1st St. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 432-6888 The Village Grind 443 E 1St St. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 506-1190

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WA WA 406 E 1ST St. Suite A Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 590-3485

Cyclo S.E Asian Noddle’s 4754 Pacific Coast Highway Long Beach, CA 90804 (562) 494-1230

Roscoe’s House of Chicken & Waffles 730 E. Broadway Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 437-8355

| MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

Steamed Organic Vegetarian Cuisine 801 E. 3rd St. Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 437-1122 steamedcusine.com

Real real Estate - Lender estate - lender

Tax Consulting tax consulting Tax Consulting and More 3520 Long Beach Blvd. #212 Long Beach, CA 90807 (562) 427-4536 www.taxconsultingnow.com

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Technology technology Titan Technologies 925 Driftwood Ave. Seal Beach, CA 90740 (213) 784-3070 www.titan-ca.com Title Company title company Linear Title Company of CA 301 E. Ocean Blvd. Suite 2020 Long Beach, CA 90802 (435) 252-5245 Retail

retail

Beach Bargain 700 E. Broadway Long Beach, CA 90802 (562) 912-4650 Pacific Discount Store 2073 Pacific Ave. Long Beach, CA 90806 (562) 612-0705

SUPPORT OUR LOCAL BUSINES PARTNERS Pick up your weekly Edge at any of these locations

artist of the week

Q &A with

Photo courtesy of memo mendez

W

hile some people walked or biked the four-mile stretch of Beach Streets, others danced the day away at various stages spread throughout the city that showcased some of the local talent Long Beach has to offer.

Among the various acts that performed during Beach Streets last Saturday included Tall Walls with their delightfully groovy tunes at the East End Block Party stage on Euclid Avenue and Broadway Avenue.

This isn’t the first time the band has taken to the streets of Long Beach to perform their music. Their first official show as a sextet was in late August of last year at the annual BuskerFest in Long Beach.

The band had success at BuskerFest, winning a recording session at Brian Frederick’s 3 Pt. Studios to prove it.

The band consists of lead singer Daniel Perkins, Roberto Escobar on the bass, Vanessa Acosta on the trumpet, Alanah Ntzouras on the saxophone, Greggory Moore, percussionist and Jay Penev the drummer, who is also known as the Bulgarian Hammer.

At the corner of Euclid and Broadway just as they were getting ready to load up their gear and explore Beach Streets, The Edge spoke to several members of Tall Walls to learn more about their music.

By Jesus Ambrosio

The Edge: Tall Walls won BuskerFest last year. Tell me about what led up to performing Buskerfest?

Jay Penev: Buskerfest was our first performance with this lineup that we currently have. The band was originally just Daniel Perkins,who is our front man and plays guitar, and Roberto Escobar,who plays bass and sings. We worked on the songs for about nine months.

When we got together with Greggory, Vanessa and Alanah it was kind of a

one off, because all three of them are involved with other projects. We did BuskerFest and we won, and performed beyond how we expected. We couldn’t really deny the magic that was taking place as soon as we started playing together. It’s a wonderful group of people, musicians and we try to have a lot of fun with the songs.

The Edge: Tell me a bit about you sound and what are you influences?

Daniel Perkins: Buddy Holly, for sure.

Jay Penev: I know what you are going to say.

Jay points at bassist Roberto Escobar.

Jay Penev: The Ramones!

Roberto Escobar: No, we don’t sound anything like them!

Greggory Moore: The way I’ve come to describe our sound to people it is sort of like a mix between Buddy Holly, The Jam and the Arctic Monkeys, but with horns and whatever I do just vibing that shit out and dancing. Throw the phrase “sun-drenched-power-pop” in there and you are pretty close to home at what we are doing.

Jay Penev: This can only take place in Long Beach. It’s a very Long Beach sound. People that are attuned to the music that comes out of this town will tell you that.

The Edge: Did you guys know you wanted to have horns in the band?

Daniel Perkins: I was part of a Belle & Sebastian tribute band that Greggory was also a part of. They had different singers and we were going to sing “Judy and the Dreamer of Horses,” and I met Vanessa and Alanah there. I showed up to practice and they were really good.

We were just starting up with Tall Walls and I thought when we are ready, and only when we are ready I want to ask them to play with us. Instead of adding another guitar, I wanted something else.

So I had a song really stripped down

rhythm and harmony, but not a ton of melody, and in the back of my mind it was waiting for them to show up.

Roberto Escobar: They happen to be really sweet and nice, so that didn’t hurt.

They have the best vibe on the stage too – big smiles and dancing. They really make it so we are a party up there.

Daniel Perkins: They say that the best person for a job is the one that already has one. Greggory, Vanessa and Alanah are in so many bands, yet they have time and so much energy to play. I don’t know how they do it, but they have lots of enthusiasm.

Greggory Moore: A quick story about [Tall Walls] when they were first together they were actually called The US Americans. I saw them live, and lot of times when I see bands I sit there, and think to myself I can make them better. Ironically, I saw them play and I never had that thought. I saw them play their show and I was like “wow” because they had been together for like five minutes.

Jay Penev: [We had been together] three weeks maybe. I remember [Greggory’s] Instagram post [after that show] it said something like “The US Americans; these guys have been around for about 20 minutes and they sound so good . . . fuckers!”

Greggory Moore: They didn’t sound like they were missing anything, but they had a broader vision. Once they brought [Alanah, Vanessa and myself] in then I could see what their vision was.

The Edge: Where did you guys get the name Tall Walls?

Daniel Perkins: We had gone through a lot of names; in 2016 unless you are coming up with a name that is purposely misspelled it’s almost impossible to come up with something that some other band already has. Tall Walls looked cool graphically, and it has a few metaphors.

Whether there are Tall Walls that keep www.theedgelb.com

you in or that you have to get over. There is also a little bit of political message [in our songs], and it ties into a little bit of what we are doing.

Jay Penev: It certainly does not mean the tall wall that Donald Trump is talking about, does not refer to that at all!

The Edge: You mentioned the last song you played was about world peace through bowling, what was that all about?

Daniel Perkins: That’s actually a cover of a band called Camper Van Beethoven from the ‘80s. The song as I understand is just a bunch of nonsense that this guy was shooting out. Anything he thought of, so it has that beautiful stream of consciousness approach that in the end sort of make sense.To me when the song says “Take the skinheads bowling” is kind of makes it a funny title. You would never go bowling with skinheads. You’d think that you would fight them or get beat up by them. So to me I really feel like the song is about world peace, and I’m not kidding. I’m not sure they think that’s the meaning, but we do.

The Edge: What are some of the things you guys love about Long Beach?

Greggory Moore: Well the BuskerFest crowd has excellent taste in music.

Other band members laugh.

Daniel Perkins: It goes without saying one of the best things about Long Beach is the music scene. I think it’s as good as or better than most. Few places have a city that supports the music scene like Long Beach does. They really seem to feed off of each other, and I think as much as the musicians are lucky that the city supports live music in turn it’s become a more dynamic city. There are a lot of opportunities to play other than clubs and bars – there are a lot of public events like today.

To learn more about Tall Walls visit tallwalls.bandcamp.com or check them out on Facebook.

| MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 |

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Headed in the right direction

A

s the sun goes down on the courtyard of the First Lutheran Church in Long Beach, the silhouette of the ex-gangster becomes more and more Dick Tracyesque. His fedora and profile are a shadow cut-out against the evening.

He sits on a cement bench, having just volunteered at the church’s after school program where he helped the kids make Dia de los Muertos artwork.

When he opens his right hand, it reveals a tattoo outline of a gothic cross that stretches across the expanse of his palm. A silver wallet chain jangles when he shifts. His movements have the lumbering affectation of a body that’s been put through hell. On his black button-up shirt a decorative calavera looks ahead unwaveringly. When people question his infatuation with skulls, he reminds them: “You’ve got one in your own head.”

By Kevin Flores

T

Arts educator Danny Flores draws upon his past life to help people in crisis Corpse

he son of migrant farm workers, Danny Flores (no relation to the writer) grew up in a broken home in Culver City. Some of his earliest memories are of his father brutalizing his mother.

“When you’re a little boy and you watch this man beat the life out of your mother, it rips the soul out of you,” he says.

Danny experienced this over and over again. “Even if you didn’t see it you heard it. And if you didn’t hear it, you saw the wounds afterwards.”

Inside and outside the home, he was surrounded by rampant substance abuse. Police raids were a regular part of life in the neighborhood.

When Danny was 7, his father left his mother for another woman, never once having played catch with his son. The departure of the family’s breadwinner

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| MARCH 23 - MARCH 29, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

sunk them into poverty.

“If something broke it stayed broke. If my mom couldn’t pay the bill, electricity got shut off. If the water heater broke, no hot water.”

Among all the chaos, Danny found some comfort in the men from around his block who stepped in and took on a father figure role.

“These dads would take me places: fishing, camping, to the beach, to the movies. I was very fortunate for these men who took me places. I think they probably knew the craziness that was going on in my house and rescued me.”

But the turmoil at home did not end.

Increasingly, Danny was becoming the target of domestic violence; the aggressors: his own brothers. He remembers one time they broke his jaw and, after getting it wired shut, he came home and they beat him so savagely the

wires broke off.

“They would put me to sleep on a Friday night and I wouldn’t wake up until Monday,” he recalls.

The violence caused a metastasizing self-hatred to develop, which eventually consumed any sense of identity Danny had left. More and more, the influence of gang life moved in unbidden to fill the growing void inside him.

By the age of 16, he was on the streets hanging out with gangbangers. After an attempt on his life, his sister suggested he go live up in Keen, California, where she knew some people associated with the National Farm Workers Association.

He made the trip, hoping to flee from the violence.

There he met union leader and labor organizer Cesar Chavez, cofounder of the association, and became involved with the labor movement,

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Photos by kevin flores

“What scared me the most was that nobody was going to be able to walk up to that podium and say something good about me,” Danny says. “What would they say? He was a high-level addict?”

This thought animated something in him.

When he looked at his reflection in his mother’s bathroom mirror he felt nothing but contempt. “Who are you?” he asked the man in the mirror. “I was disgusted with myself, disgusted by being nothing.”

Most of all, Danny yearned to make his mother proud; a mother who had come from Mexico to work as a migrant farm worker, following the harvest from Coachella Valley to Salinas, enduring long, hard hours under oppressive heat without restrooms or places to drink water, sleeping in a car, and then enduring an abusive marriage.

“I had chosen the gang over my mother.”

Danny entered a 12-step program, and with the help of the fellowship he found there, began to turn his life around.

But before he had fully recovered, his mother died.

“I ran outside and I looked up at the stars and I said, ‘Hey God it’s just you and me now, no more mom.’ ” He was scared but at the same time he felt a great peace come over him.

“I have a bullet inside of me. I have stab marks on me. I made bad decisions that got me incarcerated over and over again. But I changed.”

A participating in rallies and going doorto-door handing out leaflets. Though he didn’t recognize it at the time, the experience instilled in him a passion for community activism.

“Cesar Chavez taught me to have less and give more, to provide for the community what it’s lacking—jobs, resources and hope for the hopeless,” he says.

Upon his return to Culver City, Danny was still struggling to find hope while a constant rage brewed inside him.

Lacking any role models and the tools to diffuse his anger, he went from zero to sixty, becoming a full-time gangbanger.

By the time he was 25, Danny had become the walking dead.

He was deep into the gang lifestyle, abusing drugs and alcohol and accruing a rap sheet longer than he could account for. He found himself sleeping in bushes.

He remembers waking up to slug slime smeared across his shirt and ants eating at his body.

“That lifestyle strips you of everything, like laughter and happiness. Your humanity slips away. You become part of the street, just like the oil, the dirt, the grime, the gum. You stop caring,” he admits.

Danny was on a steep downward spiral to oblivion. His mouth tasted of blood, he had unexplainable stains on his skin and was hallucinating day and night.

Pallbearer

D

anny had reached the nadir of dereliction. Behind him lay a painful history of violence; before him a premature death and eternal damnation. He imagined his imminent funeral.

Necromancer

fter getting clean, Danny spent six years as a crisis intervention worker for Community Youth Gang Services of Los Angeles.

He first came to Long Beach in the summer of 1993, in an attempt to broker a truce between the Asian gangs and the Mexican gangs in the city. He met with the TRG gang, the CBC gang and the AZB gang. With his help, a longstanding gang war was ended for many years.

“I watched people I brought to the table get awards and I read newspaper articles written about how they had made peace.”

Today Danny, 54, has spent 21 years working for the city of Long Beach Health Department as a case manager at the Multi-Service Center for the Homeless. He is also a board member at Centro C.H.A., a community center for low-income, underserved Latino/a youth, families and neighborhoods.

Throughout that span he has continued volunteering in gang intervention and as a community sponsor for men seeking to have former gang injunctions lifted by the court system. He also volunteers for MAGIC www.theedgelb.com

(Men Achieving Goals In Communities) mentoring at-risk youth and doing art with them at parks around the city.

“A lot of the guys are fatherless, and I think that’s where I have a good relationship with them,” he says.

Danny says he uses art as a conduit to help broach serious topics with youths who may be facing — much like he did — the influence of gangs or the ever present spectre of domestic violence.

He says many of them are under the constant threat of being shot, stabbed or beat up.

“When they’re doing art, there’s a thing about them that kind of shuts down, and it makes them real quiet. And I’m able to teach them about things that are important for them to live a healthy, peaceful life.”

Last year, Danny received recognition from the Arts Council of Long Beach for his work as an arts educator.

“Some of these guys I started working with them when they were 14 years old and now, 27 years later, they’re still around. And the beautiful thing about it is that it comes back around, where the mentee becomes the mentor. I can’t get high anymore because I’m the guy they call if they need help with substance abuse.”

The best thing anyone has ever said to Danny was when a former mentee came back and said he wanted to take his place after he retired.

Whenever he does decide to retire, Danny says he’d like to go around to emergency rooms and ask people if they’d like someone to talk to.

“There’s a lot of fear in there and there and people are just staring at each other. I want to do anything I can to help people in crisis.”

Today, when Danny looks back, he says he doesn’t feel any resentment toward his brothers who beat him. “I have nothing but love and respect for all my family. Forgiveness is my practice besides peace.”

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