2016 05 25 edge web

MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 VOL. 1 -

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No.

18

www.TheEdgeLB.com The Edge Long Beach @EdgeLongBeach

the list

BARBECUE RESTAURANTS IN LONG BEACH These places are a perfect way to kick off the summer season.

Memorial Day is Monday, but for most people, the party starts Friday. Many in the community will be honoring, remembering and celebrating our veterans who have sacrificed for their country by kicking off summer with some classic American barbecue. For those of us who are lacking culinary skills or want a change of pace, here are 10 restaurants in Long Beach where you can get your barbecue fix without having to fire up that grill.

1. Bigmista’s Barbecue and Sammich Shop

5. Sura Korean BBQ and Tofu House Restaurant

3444 N. Los Coyotes Diagonal

621 Atlantic Ave.

Closed on Mondays | Tuesday-Thursday 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m. | Saturday 11 a.m.-6 p.m. | Sunday 11 a.m.-4:30 p.m.

You have to try the BAPOM (Big Ass Pile Of Meat) at Bigmista’s, just for the chance to say it aloud. This entree is delicious. It’s two pounds of pulled pork, brisket, ribs and pulled chicken, plus sides! For all the breakfast lovers of the world (or at least in Long Beach), Bigmista’s serves up barbecue with your pancakes. But then maybe the countdown burger is more your style; only 30 of these bad boys are served a day. The meat is a blend of short rib and brisket, topped with sharp cheddar, smoked bacon, a fried egg, grilled onions and bbq aioli all on a freshly baked bread. And don’t forget Neil and Phyllis have opened a second place called Bigmista’s Morning Wood. It’s on Carson Street, near the Long Beach City College campus.

It serves wood-smoked breakfast and lunch dishes.

2. Johnny Reb’s True South Long Beach 4663 Long Beach Blvd.

Monday-Sunday 7 a.m.-9 p.m. | Friday-Saturday 7 a.m.-10 p.m Johnny Reb’s has been a mainstay at the same location in Long Beach for 34 years. For those closer to Orange County, this southern-style barbecue restaurant has two other locations, one in Bellflower and the other in Orange. Johnny Reb’s is unapologetically southern, from their appetizers (fried pickles and homemade ranch dressing are deliciously flavorful) to their desserts, and we haven’t even started talking about their signature cocktails, oh my! Johnny Reb’s features a breakfast special with chicken and waffles, and just in time for 2/

Korean tacos at Sura Korean BBQ Restaurant

Memorial Day weekend the restaurant is featuring two entrees for $30, which sounds like a great deal. Back to barbecue, Johnny Reb’s boasts the “Carolina Combo,” a choice of two meats from pulled pork, beef brisket or BBQ chicken and two sides. Johnny Reb’s website lists several food delivery services such as GrubHub and LA Bite for those who want to Netflix and grub.

3. Lucille’s Smokehouse Bar-BQue 6257 E. Second St. and 7411 E. Carson St. Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

One of Lucille’s most popular entrees is the “Back Porch,” which features a trifecta of meaty perfection including ribs, chicken, tri-tip and two sides.

The baby back ribs and two sides are another hit. If you’re looking for a lighter entree, try the BBQ chicken salad featuring smoked and grilled chicken breast on a bed of greens,

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

tomatoes, grilled sweet corn, black beans, cheddar cheese and topped off with spicy onion straws. Any of these three options will have you salivating and are sure to keep you coming back for more.

4. Naples Rib Company 5800 E. Second St.

Open 10 a.m. daily for delivery | Monday-Thursday 4 p.m.-9 p.m. | Friday 4 p.m.-10 p.m. | Saturday Noon.-10 p.m. | Sunday Noon-9 p.m.

Naples Rib Company is a family-owned business operated by the Ursini family since 1984 and located in Belmont Shore. The menu is extensive, from pasta to seafood. But the barbecue, and particularly the ribs, are the piece de resistance. The baby back ribs are seasoned and barbecued to perfection and the tri-tip has been treated with tender loving care.

So, if you happen to be in that neck of the beach, drop by and you won’t be disappointed.

Monday-Friday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Saturday-Sunday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Sura Korean BBQ and Tofu House is open every day of the week and located off Atlantic Avenue in Long Beach.

If you’re craving tacos, but you also want barbecue, why not combine your two loves into one, satisfying your tastebuds with a Korean BBQ taco or burrito.The fusion tacos and burritos come with a plethora of filling choices like bulgogi, spicy pork, chicken, tofu or vegetables and only cost a dollar on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Yes, this restaurant offers vegetarian and tofu options – shiitake mushroom fries anyone? Sura’s Korean BBQ Bulgogi (a Korean dish of thin beef slices marinated and grilled on a barbecue) cooks a spiced rib-eye in a special, house marinade that leaves your taste buds ruminating about your next trip back.

6. Beach City Deli and BBQ 1714 Clark Ave.

Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Closed on Sundays Beach City Deli and BBQ on Clark Avenue will be celebrating its second anniversary in August, and the first location in San Pedro has been making delicious sandwiches for seven years now. They smoke all of their meats in house, like their pastrami and slow-roasted pork loin for their popular Cuban sandwich.The BBQ tritip is coated in a housemade dry rub, smoked until tender, and then thinly sliced and piled high in a sandwich with their secret tri tip sauce. You may also want to try the BBQ brisket sandwich. For those rib lovers, the restaurant offers baby back ribs or a rib plate. continues on pg.6

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CONTENTS FOUNDER/PRESIDENT Von Raees CEO Jesse Dillon EDITORIAL editor@hlrmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Gary Metzker SENIOR REPORTER Blake Pinto PHOTOGRAPHER Karen Sawyer REPORTERS Jesus Ambrosio Madison D’Ornellas Kevin Flores Olivia Otsuki Emily Rasmussen GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION Jorge Arroyo Katie Lowery Allison Rojas WEBSITE Jorge Arroyo SALES DISTRIBUTION SUPERVISOR Edward Davis ACCOUNTING Vera Shamon PUBLISHER HLR Media ADVERTISING advertising@hlrmedia.com SUBMISSIONS: Please send all press releases to: editor@hlrmedia.com

HLR Media, LLC .All contents herein are copyrighted and may not be reproduced in any manner, either in whole or in part, without the express written consent of the publisher. The views and opinions expressed in this paper are not necessarily that of the management and staff at HLR Media, LLC 525 E. Seaside Way, Long Beach, CA 90802 Phone: (626) 386-3457 Fax: (626) 600-4452

THE EDGE-U-CATOR Memorial Day weekend is upon us and that means three things for me: It’s almost summer; I won’t be able to park anywhere near my house because everyone wants to come to the beach and, finally, the 100 Days of Summer.

Memorial Day also means the beginning of barbecue season and The Edge has you covered (in barbecue sauce!) by bringing to you The List (formerly the Top 20) of places in the city for finger-licking barbecue. And if you need something to do this coming weekend, at the bottom of The List is five fun things you can do right here in Long Beach.

To get your 100 days of summer started off correctly, the city is offering a free concert from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday at Marine Stadium which is on Appian Way. Flashpants is a band that combines audience interaction with ’80s music that will have people dancing, laughing and making new friends all night long, at least they hope. The festivities begin at 5 o’clock with a Kids Zone, leading up to the concert at 6 p.m. Bring blankets, chairs and picnic dinners and relax on the lawn for a great evening of family fun. Several food trucks will be on hand. From Memorial Day to Labor Day, the city will offer hundreds of free or low-cost cultural programs, sports activities and special events. “100 Days of Summer” is a partnership among Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine and the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau to promote opportunities to “stay and play” in Long Beach. Starting Friday, www.100daysofsummer.org and www.lbparks.org will provide great ideas for fun without having to travel far or spend a lot of money. Listings will include free concerts and movies; Long Beach Sea Festival events; the El Dorado Nature Center; Rancho Los Cerritos and Rancho Los Alamitos historic sites; ideas for spontaneous fun like biking, golf, tennis, kayaking and swimming; free drop-in youth and teen programs; and much more.

the list:

02

Finger-licking good barbecue in Long Beach.

news: 04 Goodbye Khoury’s, hello Ballast Point. The brewpub is scheduled to open in the summer.

feature: 05

Finally, a reminder from our friends at Long Beach Airport that it’s going to be a busy summer season because Southwest is scheduled to begin service and JetBlue (my favorite) is adding extra flights and destinations. Thank goodness we don’t have lines like at Chicago’s O’Hare Airport, but still, leave at least an hour, if not more, to go through security and then see why LGB has been voted as a Top 10 airport.

Remember, if you want to write for The Edge, see the ad on page 11. We have already four new reporter ready to go. Join us.

As always, if you love us or hate us or have a story idea, let us know with a comment on our Facebook page or our work-in-progress website www.theedgelb.com. Or send me an email at editor@hlrmedia.com

Gary Metzker Managing editor

04

The first Long Beach Vegan Food and Music Festival is coming to town on June 4.

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cOVER: 08 Rand Foster started out with only 300 albums. Now, he oversees Fingerprints, a 10,000 square foot mecca of T-shirts, coloring books and, yes, albums.

entertainment:

10

Michele Gone is the frontwoman for a Hole cover band. But that isn’t all she does.

calendar: 12 artist: 14

We Buy Houses Need to Sell Fast?

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Lost a Job?

Matt Roberts is the man behind the camera and the website Humans of Long Beach.

Call (562) 283-8733 Any Condition... Any Situation

Rand Foster, owner of Fingerprint Records. Photo by Karen Sawyer www.theedgelb.com

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news TALKING BREW WITH RABBI DREW

BUOYANT OVER BALLAST POINT Brewpub setting up shop in Long Beach with a scheduled opening this summer

Ballast Point is taking over the location that was occupied by Khoury’s.- Photos by Drew Kaplan We welcome our beer columnist, Rabbi Drew Kaplan, to The Edge. He will be appearing on these pages and throughout month on our website. Look for his blog called Talking brew with Rabbi Drew at theedgelb.com.

T

he blossoming scene of beer in Long Beach is about to get a massive boost with the opening of a new Ballast Point brewpub. Located in the southeastern corner of Long Beach just across a bridge from Seal Beach, the new location is scheduled to be opening up this summer in the Alamitos Bay Landing. Taking over the spot formerly occupied by Khoury’s, the new Ballast Point site will reside in a huge space with more than 11,000 square feet and a gorgeous view of the Pacific Ocean.

Plans for the Long Beach location were already in motion even before Ballast Point’s acquisition by Constellation Brands in November for $1 billion. Ballast Point, which was founded 20 years ago, has four locations in San Diego County and recently opened a location in Temecula. With this location neatly situated in the southeastern-most point in LA County, it will offer Orange County residents, as well as LA-area residents, close access to their beers.

While the Long Beach location has no definite opening date, since it is still under construction, Ballast Point has already begun the staffing process; a job fair was held for several positions last week. It is unknown yet whether the positions for which the job fair was held for hosts/hostesses, food runners, bussers, cocktail servers, bartenders, retail merchandise staff, dishwashers, prep cooks, line cooks, and sous chef have been filled or if there will be future job fairs, but it is certainly a sign that the new brewpub plans to be oper-

by Drew Kaplan

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You will be able to quench your thirst and look out at the Pacific Ocean once Ballast Point opens in the summer. ational in the near future.

The names of Ballast Point’s beers are all nautically-themed, whether of sailing or fish, so the new brewpub location on the Pacific Ocean is an incredibly appropriate one, especially being located adjacent to the Alamitos Bay Marina. Well-known for their excellent India pale ale Sculpin, as well their sweeter, grapefruitier version of the Sculpin, Grapefruit Sculpin, Ballast Point brews dozens of beers, as well as fun variations thereon. In addition to the grapefruit version of the Sculpin, they also offer a Pineapple Sculpin and Habanero Sculpin. A variation on their imperial porter, Victory at Sea, is a Peppermint Victory at Sea. With some brewing on the premises, the

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

Long Beach Ballast Point brewpub will be the fourth brewery in Long Beach, joining Beachwood BBQ & Brewery, Belmont Brewing Company, and Rock Bottom. The craft beer scene in Long Beach is exploding, with Torrance’s Smog City opening a taproom in Bixby Knolls this summer and Long Beach Beer Lab getting ready to open up this fall. Also in the works is the possibility of Ballast Point working on producing some sour beers, which would be a nice addition to a growing trend in the local craft beer scene. With January’s opening of the Beachwood Blendery focusing on sours and wild ales, Brouwerij West having opened up in San Pedro near the ports in February, and this fall’s Long Beach Beer Lab, the sour

scene is certainly an exciting trend in local Long Beach beer.

Located at 110 North Marina Drive, the Long Beach Ballast Point brewpub will have an amazing view facing the ocean, with excellent beers, and delicious food to accompany the experience. Bolstering the growing local beer scene in Long Beach, this new addition to Long Beach will be an incredible spot to visit.

A resident of Long Beach for 6 ½ years, Drew Kaplan is the Alevy Campus Rabbi for SoCal Jewish Student Services. You can check out his beer adventures on Instagram at @ BeerHappens.

feature

HAPPY COWS, HAPPY VEGANS Tofu bahn mi available at Vegan Food and Music Festival. - Photos courtesy of Kawani Brown

I

f there is one thing Long Beach is good at, it is celebrating.

Each year, the city is host to all sorts of festivals ranging in celebration of diverse cultures, different foods, beers, and wines, all types of music genres, and the list goes on. This summer, a new festival will come to town – the first Long Beach Vegan Food and Music Festival at Rainbow Lagoon Park downtown. The festival will be from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and expects 8,000 guests. Locals can enjoy the best quality vegan food and products from vendors from all parts of Southern California. In addition to the vegan food, drinks, and merchandise,

by Olivia Otsuki

Kawani Brown and her family that will be promoting veganism and eco-health at the Long Beach Vegan Food and Music Festival. there will be live local and international bands playing all day long, a vegan chili cook off, and some scheduled craft activities.

Kawani Brown and her husband Edward Iniguez have lived in Long Beach for 10 years, and in all their years, vegan festivals were only accessible in Los Angeles or Orange County. “Long Beach sort of has that eco focus and health focus, too,” Brown says. “Long Beach sometimes gets missed on things. You have L.A. stuff, and you have Orange County

stuff, but then Long Beach is like, where do we fit? Where do we go?”

At these festivals outside of Long Beach, Brown and Iniguez found that the events and activities were usually meant for adults, and weren’t suitable for families, especially with children. This inspired Brown and Iniguez to create a space that celebrates veganism that welcomes all ages. In addition, they wanted the event to be free so that it is accessible and educational for everybody, including non-vegans. “It’s free, we wanted it to be free because we want non-vegan folks to come and explore, get information, try food, there will be great music that everyone loves,” says Brown.

“We wanted to make sure there is plenty of space, plenty of room to hang out on the lawn, and plenty of food, picnic tables, a kid’s area. But then also, if you don’t have children, we have a beer garden with vegan beer, all that – so there is something for everybody,” she says.

Over 100 food and merchant vendors from all over Orange County, Los Angeles, and Long Beach are scheduled to attend. They all sell earth friendly food and products including soaps, holistic healing, clothing, handbags, beauty products, and more. Some merchant names include AFC Soy Foods, Better Desserts, Best gumbo in the Hood, 88 Vegan Leather Handbacks, Happy Cow, Mama’s International Tamales, Vegan Pizza and Zen Comfort. he full list can be found on their website,lbveganfest.com The musical line-up includes Knyght Ryder, a local Long Beach tribute band of five guys who sing 80’s and 90’s rock songs. Demantau is a German band that combines a wide range of genres including folk, funk, jazz, rock, with acoustic and electric guitar, keys, trumpet, and other instruments. Gambler’s Mark is a band from El Monte that has been described as psychobilly, punk rock. Feli and the Lemonshakers are a Los Angeles band with members from Sweden, Chile, Brazil, the US, and Spain.

They use their cultural diversity to create an eclectic sound of summery tunes. Americana Super Radio is a Long Beach rock n’ roll band.

Last, but not least, DJ Jack Pharaoh, also known as Raffi Zaki Norberg will close out the night with electronic music.

“We will have a vegan Chili cook off, and

the participants so far are from all over Los Angeles, Orange County, and two are from Long Beach. They will bring their chili with them, which will be vegan, and bring their ingredients lists and there will be judges,” says Brown. There will be five celebrity judges. Anji Bee and Ryan Lum are the creators of Chilicast, Lovespirals, and Healthy Happy Vegan. They have been on several shows, including The Doctors and the BBC. Chef Roberto Martin of eLOVate Vegan Kitchen in Santa Monica, cooked for the Ellen DeGeneres household and just released his second book “Roberto’s New Vegan Cooking.” David Carter is an NFL player who became vegan to heal his sports injuries, and John Salley is a former NBA player.

At the event, there will be other activities, including two sessions of yoga. One will be at 11:30 a.m., and the kid’s yoga will be at 1 p.m. Veg Kids, a group organized by kids for kids to communicate about being vegan is scheduled for the event, too. They will have an activity arts and crafts area, and face painting.

Contact Olivia:

/oliviaotsuki /oliviaotsukii /oliviaotsuki

www.otsukio.wordpress.com

City of Long Beach Current Job Opportunities Apply Online! http://www.longbeach.gov/civilservice Effective Friday May 20, 2016 Job Title

Monthly Salary

Filing Deadline

Ambulance Operator

$10.69 - $11.79 hrly

May 25, 2016

Building Maintenance Engineer

$4,651 - $6,320

June 13, 2016

Business Systems Specialist

$4,327 - $11,083

June 17, 2016

Plumber

$4,012 - $5,456

June 13, 2016

Police Recruit - NTN Exam

$4903

June 17, 2016

Police Recruit - POST Waiver

$4903

June 17, 2016

Public Health Nutritionist

$3,998 - $6,990

June 27, 2016

Public Safety Dispatcher - Lateral

$3,488 - $6,990

May 27, 2016

Registered Nurse

$4,767 - $6,812

June 24, 2016

Senior Accountant

$5,548 - $ 7,549

June 2, 2016

Senior Surveyor

$6,168 - $8,387

June 3, 2016

Special Services Officer

$2,861 - $6,320

September 8, 2016

Job opportunities change every Friday 24-Hour Job Recruitment Line (562) 570-6201 Equal Opportunity Employer City of Long Beach Civil Service Department 333 W. Ocean Blvd., 7th Floor Long Beach, CA 90802 Ph: (562) 570-6202 Fax: (562) 570-5293 TDD: (562) 570-6638 www.theedgelb.com

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the list continued 7. Beachwood Barbecue and Brewing

decks, four DJs and two rooms of music playing Top 40, Hip Hop and House music. Boarding is at 3:30 p.m. and the yacht departs at 4 and returns at sunset. General admission tickets are $45 and you may have an opportunity to wear the captain’s hat, all aboard.

210 E. Third St.

Monday-Sunday 11:30 p.m.- Midnight Beachwood Barbecue and Brewing does not do sauce! Their meats are slow-cooked, dry-rubbed and succulently seasoned. To showcase their true, meaty flavor no sauce is needed, but they do offer a variety of barbecue sauces on the side. One of Triple B’s specialties is the pulled pork sandwich, North Carolina style, dipped in red wine vinegar BBQ sauce, on a pretzel bun topped with coleslaw; or you can try smoked chicken with a choice of two sides. The restaurant also houses 22 different IPA beers which they continuously switch out.

Doors don’t close until midnight for all the late night diners.

Burlesque, Blues and Variety Show

North Carolina Style, Pulled Pork Sandwich at Beachwood Barbecue and Brewing

8. Famous Dave’s Bar-B-Que

9. Twins Smokehouse BBQ

300 S. Pine Ave.

1555 W. Willow St.

Monday-Sunday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. | Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m.

Famous Dave’s, in the heart of downtown Long Beach, has a menu that could send you over the moon. The Georgia chopped pork is smoked up to 12 hours and chopped to order, complete with two sides. The garlic mashed potatoes are a hit too. If you enjoy seafood, try the cedar-plank salmon, a six ounce filet caramelized with pineapple BBQ glaze, grilled, and served on a smoldering cedar plank with your choice of two sides. The best part? There really is a famous Dave.

Closed on Monday | Tuesday-Saturday 11:30 a.m.-8 p.m. | Sunday 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

On the westside of Long Beach,Twins Smokehouse BBQ is a Louisiana-style barbecue restaurant whose motto is “The smoke ain’t no joke,” and boy are they right. The barbecue brisket, rib tips and hot links are so tasty you would think that you took a trip down South, but do not forget their signature sides, like the red beans and rice, candied yams, cajun rice or collard greens.

10. Handy’s Smoke House Meats and Delicacies 4149 Long Beach Blvd.

Monday-Tuesday Noon-6 p.m. | Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 11 a.m.-7 p.m. | Sunday Noon-5 p.m.

Handy’s Smoked Meats in Bixby Knolls is all about the meat, perfect for your Memorial Day barbecue plans. You can phone in your order or check out the restaurant and order to go. Handy’s smokes it all – pork, beef, poultry, fish – and even makes smoked chicken, albacore and salmon spread. Did someone say that this spot is “smokin” hot?

Top 5 Events to Attend on Memorial Day Weekend Memorial Day ’80s Party Booze Cruise Now that we’ve feasted our eyes on these 10 restaurants, let’s check out some weekend events. On Saturday, a Memorial Day ’80s Party Booze Cruise may be in order, tickets are $25 to $35 and there will be a costume contest and a Michael Jackson dance off. So ship ahoy to the Star at Berth 55 that will sail along the Port of Long Beach as you jam to ’80s music and sail the night away.

Long Beach Pier Pressure

Hot Links at Twins Smokehouse BBQ

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| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

Sail into Sunday by attending “Southern California’s Biggest and Best Yacht Party for 5 years running,” that is Long Beach Pier Pressure on the Catalina King Yacht which has three

If you would enjoy someone else doing the dancing why not go to a Memorial Day Burlesque and Blues Variety Show at Harvelle’s Long Beach. Come check out the “Dirty Little Secrets Burlesque” followed by a comedy show and blues bands to complete your evening, and it’s an evening to feel guilt free as a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Marine Corps Scout Sniper Association (SSA). Doors open at 2 p.m. and the show starts at 3 o’clock. General admission tickets are $15.

Applebee’s Breakfast Fundraiser On Memorial Day Monday, Applebee’s in Signal Hill is honoring all neighborhood heroes by hosting a Flapjack Breakfast fundraiser which benefits The Rock Club Music is The Remedy, whose purpose is to assist veterans and at-risk youth improve their lives through music. The tickets for this event are $10 and it’s a great way to start your Memorial Day as breakfast starts at 8 a.m. and ends at 10 a.m.

Long Beach Transit’s AquaLink Finally, if you’re looking for something gentle on your wallet and relaxing why not take a water taxi ride.

Long Beach transit water taxi service began on May 21 and continues until September 5, seven days a week.

Tickets are $5 one way. If you are visiting the Aquarium of the Pacific, Shoreline Village or the Queen Mary, the AquaLink transports riders to water-front locations such as Belmont Pier and Los Alamitos Landing. Drinks and snacks are available for purchase on board. Another great option is traveling on the free Passport bus service which traverses downtown and stops off at all the popular attractions.

Whether you’re eating a tasty rack of ribs or dancing the night away on a yacht, one thing is certain. You will be having fun.

long beach gay pride parade

A boy walks under a giant rainbow flag that was being carried on Sunday during the 32nd Lesbian and Gay Pride parade down Ocean Boulevard.

- Photo by Karen Sawyer

www.theedgelb.com

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Pictured here, Fingerprint Records is a store located on East Fourth Street. The store has been opened for over two decades. Photos by: Karen Sawyer

PARTY ON, RAND

I

t’s almost rare to see the rows of fresh-pressed and previously-loved vinyl organized in alignment rather than pushed aside and repurposed as crowd control barriers.

On a week-to-week basis, there’s typically always something in store behind the guitar neck-knobbed doors. But the warm, welcoming figure, reclined on a couch in an effortless essence of progressive cool, already knew that.

If rooms are reflections of our minds, then Fingerprints Music Store is Rand Foster regurgitated through physical media.

by Brooke Becher

From a crate to a store Then — in 1991 — Foster emptied out his crates, about 300 records, into Belmont Shore bins and opened Fingerprints at its original location on Second Street. With enough encouragement from a co-worker, he left his manager job at indie-retailer Moby Disc as

8/

they “sold-out” in corporate fashion in order to set out on his own.

Before that gig, he was shooting proms and chili cook-offs with his Nikon FE for a novelty photo company, which was good money he made on his own time. There really wasn’t much to lose – besides a disgruntled girlfriend, now wife.

With a business plan written off the cusp, Foster went dutch on a shared lot with Zpizza for 18 years. As customers transformed from passersby to clientele, he noticed that Fingerprints was growing into a destination spot that no longer drew in traffic.

Like taking a puppy home for the weekend, a friend in 2011 handed Foster the keys to 420 E. Fourth St. in downtown Long Beach.

Though signs pointed him to opt-out of “shaking things up” – the homelessness of downtown, the post-apocalyptic reality of the Tower Records, Virgin Megastores and Wherehouse Music downfall – he did so anyway, and moved in.

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

Hometown hero Rand Foster, founder of Fingerprints, the city’s destination music store and the concert series Summer and Music, crafts a career out of music fandom.

Though the 10,000 square-foot, bricklain shrine has expanded to multi-physical mediums such as Zelda T-shirts and adult coloring books, vinyl fastens Foster’s empire like mortar.

Now, his store discography is one of the richest collections on the West Coast. His barricade-less in-stores have brought in Foo Fighters, Grimes, and Alt-J amongst other headliners. And a lot of times, they come back.

Violent Femmes stopped by for a sold-out set earlier this month.

“We’re this stupid little record store,” Foster says. “It’s amazing we’ve seemed to have such an impact.”

In 2014, the red cursive neon nameplate taunted anxious fans while employee-turned-roadies spread the main room’s CD seas for legendary nerd-rockers Weezer. More recently, the couch in the library room behind Berlin Bistro was temporarily evicted to house Coachella vets The 1975 as their teeny-bop empire continues to expand.

About 700 teenagers wrapped around the building to meet the band, Foster recalls. Yet two weeks ago, a middle-aged crowd who celebrated punk when it was a new sound rather than a Forever 21 fashion statement gathered at the East Village hotspot to pay their respect to Cali-punk pioneer Mike Watt.

The list goes on: Tegan and Sara. Jack Johnson. Wayne Coyne. Brian Wilson.

“As somebody whose first records were Beach Boys records, I love that when people think of Brian Wilson, they think of Brian Wilson at Fingerprints,” Foster says. “To have any association to someone like that — that my work here is somehow mentally connected to the pure genius that is Brian Wilson — is mind blowing and so rewarding.”

“We’re delivering a once in a lifetime experience,” Foster says.

One person who has had the opportunity to enjoy the live artistry is Mark Clark, a friend of Foster’s for about five years. “We met through a mutual friend,” Clark says. “Although I had

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The Violent Femmes play live at Fingerprint Records May 7. Over a month ago, and after 15 years the band released their new album

shopped in the Second Street location many times and had seen a numbers of shows there, I’ve got to know him much better since the store moved to Fourth Street.

“I’ve met Lou Reed there, Brian Wilson, seen Chrissie Hynde, the Trashcan Sinatras, Travis, Yo la Tengo, Weezer, and too many other great up and coming performers to remember. I wish I had a place growing up where I could have seen so many great shows for free.”

Shows at Fingerprints are like David Bowie or Prince; they are an anomaly and of their own genre. There is nothing to compare them to. When a customer presents their information or receipt (typically buying the artist’s latest release doubles as a ticket to the in-store event) be sure to leave expectations next door at Berlin Bistro.

Most likely the set will hit around 30 minutes to an hour. Instead of smog machines and amp-walls, accept the raw authenticity projected by an intimate setting. The only barricade is one melded out of respect.

So when Rivers Cuomo asks for backing vocals, asking volunteers to join him on stage, make sure you’ve warmed up on the bike ride over.

Since you got in with their new stuff, it’s safe to say artists will be playing their new stuff. Unless they’re Dave Grohl.

If you want the hits, check the artist out at a festival. If you want to two-step, skank, mosh, crowd surf, catch them at a venue without a glass front, built to sustain a night of irresponsible debauchery.

With that being said, disappointment is highly unlikely. Not because there’s any certainty in this business, but because failure is what keeps Foster up at night.

“Imagine having a band in for a record signing. And no one shows up. I can’t tell you how many nightmares I’ve had about this,” Foster says. “We’ve got to be on time. We’ve got

Gordon Gano, Brian Ritchie and John Sparrow from the Violent Femmes sign posters and records at Fingerprint Records May 7.

to have the right food. It’s a lot of work, but its work we love doing.”

But even though in-stores tend to drag in cult-like coteries, Foster fights pretentious stigmas (think Jack Black’s character in “High Fidelity”) and looks to foment an all-inclusive aesthetic, like a fixed-roulette for a guaranteed good time.

He explains that artists will book a string of West-Coast performances or signings at his colleagues’ locations, beginning in Seattle, and “almost always” there’s a bigger turnout.

“I don’t think that that’s a reflection on those stores. I think that’s a reflection of our consistency,” Foster explains. “There are a lot of people who will just take a chance because we have an aesthetic that we aim for every time.”

Sure, the annual 7 a.m. lines trailing down Elm Street on Record Store Day and having Neil Young’s manager on speed dial must be flattering for Fingerprints in the digital age of fast, free accessibility at fingertips.

According to the Record Industry Association of America, Americans listen to four hours of music per day. Though streaming officially staked its claim as the main component of industry revenue in 2015, Vinyl LPs sales were up 32 percent, to $416 million—the highest total for record sales since 1988.

But, as Foster notes, “The industry is still in a weird place.”

“I don’t think anybody has tremendous certainties,” Foster says. “If they do, they’re probably just making stuff up.”

From a store to a city As Fingerprints turns 24, Foster has created an entire career out of music fandom.

Since 2011, he’s curated the city’s sound as a member of the Downtown Long Beach Associates, a non-profit organization that annually disperses $100,000 in city-funded events, with

some bringing local music to the streets. Summer And Music, a Foster-founded homegrown concert-series that created Buskerfest, is moving into its eighth year.

His involvement in these projects revolves around music discovery and expanding the “support your local scene” mentality, Foster says. “[Trends like streaming music] give us more reasons to do nothing and stay at home,” Foster says. “It hurts your friends. It hurts the bands. It’s not what music is about.”

Foster’s own music discovery began with smudging imprints on vinyl as a kid. A lean budget often dictated what he listened to.

While people rushed in for the new $8 Van Morrison record, Foster sought out guitarists he might have heard of before or obscure cover art as he flipped through the 3-for-$1 bin.

Not that he had anything against the Belfast cowboy. He just couldn’t afford him.

The result: an intellectual yet impartial music palate that remains reluctant to swim in the mainstream.

“A lot of [music discovery] is trying the weird jelly at the smorgasbord,” Foster says.

“Some of it is having friends who know what’s gonna ring your bell.”

Currently Foster can’t seem to take glitchy, German indie-rockers Notwist and dark-toned miserabalists the National off repeat.

However, in a lot of ways, Foster is catching up. He’s finally dropping the needle on classic discographies that tuned today’s sound from the Rolling Stones and the Beatles.

But the discovery continues from what he hears on the street, to what he books in-store, to what’s playing locally. He’ll be with his wife and two kids at FYF Festival on Aug. 27 and 28.

“Long Beach sounds so big. And my aspirations were so much smaller,” Foster says.

“It turns out that there’s a world where me www.theedgelb.com

having a party for a bunch of my friends with [some] of the biggest acts in the world end up somehow being a good thing for the bands as well. We don’t take that for granted.”

why did the Chicken cross 4th st. ?

to get to Honduras Kitchen.

Come try the chicken that didn’t make it across the street.

Long Beach . Huntington Park www.HKHondurasKitchen.com

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 |

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entertainment

M

ost of us have taken a Lyft or Uber before. It’s just something we do these days. Whether it’s opening the app and sloppily striking your fingers on your phone to get your drunk self home or casually hailing a driver to get to work on time, it’s something we’ve all experienced. We entrust a stranger with our safety to get us to our destination and not much else. This stranger can take many forms and wear many hats – quiet, angry, just part-time job for extra cash but few wear as many interesting hats as mom/Lyft driver/ Hole-cover-band frontwoman Michele Gone.

by Angel Carreras

**** I remember first meeting Michele Gone. I needed a quick ride to work, so I open the Lyft app to request a driver.

–SET PICKUP– –OPTIMIZING ROUTE– –REQUESTING DRIVER– “MICHELE IS ON HER WAY!” I wait a few minutes inside my apartment, and then get the “YOUR DRIVER IS OUTSIDE” text notification. Outside of my apartment complex is a small red Kia and inside is Michele, being cordial and asking me to come on in, not something I’m accustomed to from Lyft or Uber.

She is bubbly and animated. Standing (uhh, sitting) at 5 feet, 6 inches or so, the Lyft driver’s personality practically oozes out of her, extending to her blonde, frizzy hair (with pink ends). Gone turns to the back seat and shakes my hand as we begin our drive and random discussions, touching on everything from David Lynch to Disneyland.

Her bleached-jean blue eyes widen in the rear view mirror when we touch upon topics she has a vested opinion in. Bring up something she’s uncomfortable with and her face sours; she purses her lips and furrows her brow, an expression that seems to suggest she’s fighting every urge to ask, “Why would you ask me such a stupid question?”

She’s a person that seems to have so much pent up energy, it’s hard not to be captivated when she speaks. She uses her hands to tell a story, freely flowing in and out of impressions and animated gestures, explaining the people that comprise her life and what their motivations in this certain story she tells are.

She says she’s in a band and at this point, inquiring minds want to know more. **** Tuesday afternoon, Gone is at Sushi 39 Degrees, a sushi spot off Redondo Avenue. Gone comes in and everyone seems to stop, rotate, and stare.

Nursing a sore neck and headache from a night out in Echo Park, Gone pulls up a seat, orders whatever a “Payroll” roll is and begins

SHE’S GONE.

Michele Gone, that is, has spun the wheel of many jobs and this time it landed on mom / playing guitar in a Hole cover band / Lyft driver

Michele Gone got in trouble in first grade for wearing a Hole T-shirt to school.

10 /

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

entertainment talking about herself.

Born in Palos Verdes Estates, the singer / mom has always had an affinity for being pretty punk from an early age.

“My mom loved Nirvana and Hole,” Gone, 29, says. “I remember one of my first cassettes in first grade, I popped “Live Through This” into my little Fisher Price cassette player – the one with the attached microphone – and I wore my Hole shirt to school. My first-grade teacher deemed it inappropriate for someone my age and I got sent home” She mentions the teacher didn’t like the connotations of the word HOLE and a giant pink heart on the shirt of a young woman. No stranger to controversy in her youth, Gone details another instance of getting in trouble at school. This time not for wearing a suggestive shirt, but for suggesting to sing Madonna’s “Like a Virgin” at a school function. Of course, this didn’t come to pass.

Gone now gets the last laugh. She gets to sing and play guitar (and wear whatever the hell she wants) with her new Hole cover band, which was put together quickly.

Michele taught herself to play guitar with some guidance from her musician husband, Kevin. He is a “telepathic guitar player,” as Gone puts it, and plays by ear, having played for more than 20 years.

In a band himself (Feral Kizzy), Gone says her husband is very supportive of her side gig. When playing riffs and testing new songs or covers, he suggests “try it like this, try it like that, bend the string this way.”

A medical anthropology student at Cal State Long Beach, Gone’s first experience playing music live was at an open mic night at the college’s restaurant The Nugget. Here, she had an awkward (her guitar wasn’t working, she needed some liquid courage to get on stage) yet ultimately satisfying experience that convinced her to dedicate more time to music.

She eventually met her bandmates (Veron-

the opportunity to spend time with her son, Memphis, who is 5.

Before Lyft, Gone worked many odd jobs.

Spin the Wheel of Really Random Jobs and odds are wherever the needle lands, she has done it. From working at a masculine, male-oriented antiques store called – you guessed it – MANtiques, to working at Sprout’s grocery store, to teaching belly dancing when she was pregnant, she’s used to the nomadic lifestyle. Stints in Cairo, England, Texas, North Carolina, Virginia, and Portland have her prepped for the punk rock lifestyle and her band’s first full show, which she hopes to have ready in July at The Prospector.

While at The Prospector, keep your eyes peeled for GUTLESS or HONEYBLOOD. The band’s currently undecided on which name to choose, but GUTLESS has a slight edge.

Although she likes the convenience of Lyft as she can make her own hour and gets to see her son and husband, Gone yearns for a life away from conventional jobs. Her main goal?

To travel, write, and keep making music. “I

can’t think of a better conduit than that for how I feel about relationships, people I don’t like . . . it’s the perfect band for all my angry stuff and someone already did it and bared their soul for me. I can embody the music and not reveal too much of myself.”

When not playing guitar, Gone plays the role of mom and Lyft driver. Photo credit-Angel Carreras ica and Melissa from local band Rats in the Louvre) in Long Beach after a show in which she “told them they were rad and asked if they wanted to play sometime.”

So, why a Hole cover band? “The lyrics are scary, the screaming is guttural, the guitars are awesome, the synthesizers and drums are tight,” Gone says. “They’re insane and great.

It’s like the soundtrack to my life. I feel a kinship with the music.”

When not playing guitar and screaming into people’s faces with her band, Gone plays the role of mom and Lyft driver. She enjoys Lyft as it “lets me drive and make a few bucks while I run my car into the ground,” she says as she flashes a devilish grin. She mentions how not having a traditional 9-5 job gives her

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www.theedgelb.com

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 |

/11

// MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 // Queen Mary // Thursday // Queen Mary 80th Anniversary Celebration

// March 11 - May 29 // TRANSFORMED BY FIRE

$7 10 a.m. - 8 p.m. Museum Hours, Dinner 6 p.m. Richard Oelschlaege’s creations in clay are - 10 p.m.| Museum Entry: FREE, Dinner: Prices something you must see in person.

Range From $150-$2,500 It’s the Queen Mary 80th Anniversary Cele// April 7 - May 29 // bration Dinner. The event will be held in the High School Exhibition – Displacelegendary Grand Salon from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Tickets and tables are available for purchase. ment: Where Do We Belong?

All proceeds benefit the Queen Mary Heritage $7 Foundation.

LBUSD High School students were create an original work of art that depicts their understanding of displacement. // Memorial Day Weekend //

Memorial Day with the Queen Mary The Queen Mary is proud to offer free admission to active service members of the armed forces, retired military personnel and veterans. Special discounts will be available for their family members.

// Sunday // Sunday Brunch at the Queen Mary $49.95 per adult, $19.95 for children 12 and under Prices on holidays and special events are $59.95 Adults & $19.95 Kids. $7 parking with validation (up to 3 hours) $12 all-day valet parking with validation | 9:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Queen Mary “Wrapped in the elegant grace of the Grand Salon and featuring live entertainment, the Champagne Sunday Brunch has the air of a royal soiree and is anything but typical. Free flowing champagne, live music and a tantalizing signature menu that is sure to please even the most discerning palates, makes the Queen Mary Champagne Sunday Brunch a Long Beach tradition that cannot be missed.”

Long Beach Museum of Art // March 11 - May 29 // Beyond the Frame: New Media Arts from Taiwan $7 Long Beach Museum of Art An innovative exhibition featuring new media artists who continually evolve their creative practice with rapid advances in media technology. For more information, visit lbma.org.

12 /

Aquarium of the Pacific

Raisin in the Sun is on stage Friday at the Long Beach Playhouse

// Most Fridays // Shark lagoon nights 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

See a shark! Touch a shark! Free! Are you sold out yet?

// Saturday // Saturday Family Fun: Sea Jellies 10 a.m.-11 p.m. $49 per child/adult pair non-members, $36 per child/adult pair members “Come to the Aquarium to introduce your preschool student to marine life. Another in our series of parent, me and fish classes, the Saturday Family Fun program is created for four- to six-year-olds with an adult.

These classes are designed for you and your child to interact together in a fun and dynamic learning environment. ”

MOLAA // April 1 - Oct. 27 // Black Gold Free 4640 Atlantic Ave. A photo exhibition called “Black Gold: Oil in the Neighborhood,” which explores the industry that helped shaped the Long Beach area. Hours: Tues., Wed., Fri. from 1-5 p.m.

Thur. from 1-7 p.m. and Sat. from 11 - 5 p.m.

For more information, visit hslb.org.

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

// April 10 - May 29 // Artful Healing Exhibition $10 “The Museum of Latin American Art presents Artful Healing, an exhibition that explores the restorative power of art. Artful Healing displays how art has the ability to “heal the body and elevate the soul,” a belief central to the philosophy of MOLAA’s founder Dr. Robert Gumbiner. Curated by five local high school students, Artful Healing presents objects from MOLAA’s Permanent Collection alongside works by Long Beach artists of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds.”

// Now - Jan.1, 2017 // MOLAA at TWENTY $10 “Celebrating its 20th anniversary and recent accreditation from the American Alliance of Museums (AAM), MOLAA presents its largest comprehensive Permanent Collection exhibition to date. Learn about the Museum’s founding and be inspired by MOLAA’s Modern and Contemporary Latin American art collection. MOLAA at Twenty showcases founding collection highlights, emergent collections of new media, and art of the Latino diaspora that includes U.S. Latino and Chicano art.”

WED 5/25 3D Printing and Design Class 4 - 5 p.m., FREE Long Beach Main Library 101 Pacific Ave. A Basic lesson on 3D printing and design at the library’s newly opened studio!

Alex’s Bar Karaoke 9 p.m., 21+ Alex’s Bar 2913 E Anaheim St., Long Beach Booze and drunk people singing classics, what’s not to like?

Salsa Dance Lessons Cover charge may apply , 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Sevilla Night Club “Join Café Sevilla every Wednesday night for salsa dance lessons in our club taught by renowned local salsa dance instructors.

Come with a partner or come solo, you are guaranteed to have a great time!”

calendar Open Mic Night at DRNK

SUN 5/29

6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

DRNK Coffee + Tea 4245 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach Say what you mean, mean what you say. The perfect opportunity to speak your mind.

Long Beach Antique Market 6:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Long Beach Veterans Stadium 4901 E. Conant St “Long Beach Veterans Stadium is the home of the OUTDOOR ANTIQUE & COLLECTIBLE MARKET held the third Sunday of every month. Over 800 dealers.

Martial Arts Workshop 7 p.m. - 9 p.m., FREE Homeland Cultural Center 1321 E Anaheim St. HEEEE-YAAAH! Learn Martial Arts FOR FREE at the Homeland Cultural Center!

Sunday Brunch at the Queen Mary

THU 5/26 Ken O Malley Live Irish Music 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

The Auld Dubliner 71 S. Pine St., Long Beach Ken O Malley play an early evening set every Thursday.

FRI 5/27 A Raisin In The Sun At The Long Beach Playhouse 8 p.m. - Tickets $20 5021 E. Anaheim St Go see this play at a local Long Beach institution that, “Questions race and politics, of assimilation and historical awareness are seamlessly interwoven in this touching and wrenching family drama.”

Martial Arts Workshop at the Homeland Cultural Center

predators at the Aquarium of the Pacific for FREE during Shark Lagoon Nights. Guests will have the opportunity to touch bamboo sharks and see large sharks such as sandtigers as well as rays in the Aquarium’s Shark Lagoon.” Ronny and the Classics live jazz band will be performing as well.

CRAFT CLUB: KINTSUGI – EMBRACING THE BEAUTY IN DAMAGE 7 - 8:30 p.m.,$15 MOLAA “Following the Japanese philosophy of wabisabi which embraces the flawed and imperfect, our teaching artist Carmen Vargas will help you “repair” a broken plate.

Damage can’t be erased, but through Kintsugi the change is embraced and the object becomes more beautiful than it was before.”

SAT 5/28 Sevilla offers salsa dancing lessons on Wednesday nights

Brewitt Neighborhood Library Book Club

Snapback Long Beach

10 a.m. - 11 a.m., FREE Brewitt Neighborhood Library 4036 E Anaheim St Bring your favorite book and get involved with the bookworm community! This book group meets the fourth saturday of every month.

10 p.m. - Free before 11 p.m., $5 After The Federal Underground 102 Pine Ave, Long Beach Throwback Hip Hop / R&B classics

Shark Lagoon Nights 6 p.m. – 9 p.m., FREE Aquarium of the Pacific According to their website: “The public is invited to get up close with the ocean’s ultimate

BK Strollers 7 a.m. - 9 a.m.

Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf

4105 Atlantic Ave. “Everyone is welcome! Business owners, residents, friends and family are encouraged to join the Bixby Knolls Strollers, a neighborhood walking club that meets every Saturday morning. It is a great way to get fit, check out the businesses, explore the neighborhoods, and meet your neighbors. (Friendly) dogs are welcome, too. LaunderPet will provide bags to dog owners. The walks last for about an hour. Route changes each week.”

Flamenco Dinner Show $59 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Café Sevilla 140 Pine Avenue, Long Beach “Every Saturday night, we offer a threecourse dinner menu combined with a two-part Flamenco Dance performance for $59 per person. These shows are a sensory indulgence of sight, sound, and taste, leaving our guests with a piece of true Spanish culture.”

Rocky Horror Picture Show Adults: $11; Senior/Child: $8 11:55 p.m.

2025 E. 4th St. Long Beach The tradition continues. Beware if it is your first time. You’ll be in for quite a surprise

9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Queen Mary 1126 Queens Hwy, Long Beach $49.95 per adult, $19.95 for children 12 and under. Prices on holidays and special events are $59.95 Adults & $19.95 Kids. $7 parking with validation (up to 3 hours) $12 all-day valet parking with validation.

“Wrapped in the elegant grace of the Grand Salon and featuring live entertainment, the Champagne Sunday Brunch has the air of a royal soiree and is anything but typical. Free flowing champagne, live music and a tantalizing signature menu that is sure to please even the most discerning palates, makes the Queen Mary Champagne Sunday Brunch a Long Beach tradition that cannot be missed.”

Traditional Irish Music Session 4 - 7 p.m.

The Auld Dubliner 71 South Pine Street, Long Beach Some good ol’ live traditional Irish themed music.

MON 5/30 Trivia Night at Willmore 7 - 9:30 p.m.

Wilmore Wine Bar 3848 Atlantic Ave. Competitive trivia and great wine will have you coming back again and again.

Graffiti Murals Workshop 6 p.m.

Homeland Cultural Center 1321 E. Anaheim St. Get a taste for the culture of street art.

TUE 5/31 Alex’s Bar Karaoke

sole saturdays 10 p.m.

The Federal Underground 102 Pine Ave, Long Beach Like you’re at a house party. Is that a good or bad thing? Up for you to decide. www.theedgelb.com

9 p.m. , 21+ Alex’s Bar, 2913 E Anaheim St. Long Beach Booze and drunk people singing classics, what’s not to like?

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 |

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artist of the week

THE FACE BEHIND HUMANS OF LONG BEACH

Turning the camera on the street photographer

Matt Roberts.

Street photographer Matt Roberts who started Humans of Long Beach. Car - Disassembled car that is now a bench on 4th Street and Cherry Avenue. Photos by Matt Roberts

M

att Roberts is a street photographer capturing stills of everyday Long Beach life – and you are an important part of the picture.

In 2012, he started his Facebook page “Humans of Long Beach,” which is inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton’s book, “Humans of New York.”

Eight years ago, Roberts moved from Liverpool, England to Long Beach. After a difficult divorce and fight against depression, his lifelong friend who was living in Long Beach at the time told him, “Come out to America, I’ll get you a job.”

Roberts got off the plane, and has been in Long Beach ever since. “And I’m never going back,” says Roberts.

“The first thing I bought was a camera,” says Roberts. He enjoyed taking all types of photographs. “But my favorite was taking pictures of people,” he says. After he had started collecting portraits from all around the city he read an article on “Humans of New York.”

He realized that he was doing similar work to Stanton, but Stanton’s conversations and stories that went along with the photographs are what particularly inspired Roberts. Then on Facebook, he stumbled across other “Humans of . . .” from different cities around the world, and he started his own page.

by Olivia Otsuki

14 /

Over time, he also started collecting words in his notebook along with his photographs.

On his days off, he bikes around the city with his camera at the ready, and asks people that catch his eye if he or she would like to have their photograph taken. For some, he asks a couple questions, and for others, there are several pages of conversation with a series of pictures.

His first post on “Humans of Long Beach’’ was of two men, Bill and Steve, from Pennsylvania. They are holding a cardboard sign that says, “Traveling broke & hungry anything helps god bless.” The caption for the photograph says, “The Travelers. Our first subjects, Bill and Steve. 7 months out of Pennsylvania, one week in LB. I responded to the sign by handing over six dollars. “What will you spend it on?” Bill shrugged as if unsure and replied almost apologetically “Food and cigs.”

Since then, he has posted close to 3,000 photographs, capturing all types of people and personalities from all parts of Long Beach.

“The biggest thing I’ve learned is that no one is right and that everyone has their own opinion,” says Roberts. In general, he says the people of Long Beach, as opposed to other cities he has visited, show the most loyalty to their city. “A lot of loyalty from Long Beach.

You wouldn’t hear people saying I’m from L.A. with the same loyalty as Long Beach,” says Roberts.

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

“The Travelers” Bill and Steve: the first photograph of two men from Pennsylvania, that was posted on Humans of Long Beach.

Part of his artwork is the conversation that is generated on Facebook from locals around town. “The good guys always get the most likes,” says Roberts in reference to the photograph of a single father, Jason, “The Custodian,” he posted on May 17. Other photographs stir controversy, such as Erroll, “The Rebirth,”

who wears a shirt that says “Same sex relations are an abomination to God, Leviticus 18:22 20:13” on Pride weekend.

“Some say ‘you only go downtown,’ but that’s where the biggest mix of people are.

And I like doing stories on homeless people,” says Roberts.

artist of the week E: “What is the best feeling in the world?”

MR: “The best feeling?” He pauses. “I haven’t thought about that one before. Let me get back to you. I told my ex wife once that scoring a goal [in soccer] is better than sex.

But let me get back to you.”

E: “What is your dream?”

MR: “My dream is to retire and to travel. I’ve always wanted to go around in a boat. Now I travel with my girlfriend. We go to Europe each summer, a different place each time.”

E: “If you could boil your life down to three life lessons, what would they be?”

At this point, Roberts tells me a story about his international travels, and this one instance in which the locals of Singapore tricked him with a story, then drugged and robbed him.

MR: “Don’t trust strange women. Don’t trust strange anyone. Two, there’s nothing as valuable as a good friend. And lastly, enjoy it.

You’re only here once, and time goes by faster.

It starts racing.”

“The Lover” Epo who says, “I love life to the fullest because tomorrow is not a promise, it’s all borrowed time. I want to live life to what it’s supposed to be like and touch as many people as I can at the same time”.

The Edge asks Roberts some of the questions he asks locals.

We meet at a bench made of disassembled car parts on Fourth Street and Cherry Avenue.

His bike is parked and he has his camera in his bag. He’s wearing a Long Beach tank top, that shows his Iron Maiden tattoos with Eddie

the Head holding the flag of England.

The Edge: “What was the most defining moment of your life?”

Matt Roberts: “Coming here to America, I wish I did it 30 years ago.”

An answer to the prior question comes to him.

MR: “It’s a bit of a corny cliche, but the best feeling in the world is love. I told my friend that I love him. I also met the love of my life. At the time, I wasn’t even looking for a girlfriend, I didn’t want one. But love – that is the best feeling. I met the love of my life in America.”

Find his photographs and conversations with Long Beach locals on the Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/humansoflb.

Contact Olivia:

/oliviaotsuki /oliviaotsukii /oliviaotsuki

www.otsukio.wordpress.com

Save the Date The H.A.R.P. Awards

Helping. Angels. Receive. Praise Saturday June 11th 2016 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm Recreation Park 4900 E. 7th Street Long Beach, CA 90804

For tickets, contact (562)443-2152 or email harpproductions@gmail.com

www.theedgelb.com

| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 |

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| MAY 25 - MAY 31, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com