2016 07 27 edge web

JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 VOL. 1 -

Issue

No.

27

www.TheEdgeLB.com The Edge Long Beach @EdgeLongBeach

VIVA LA LUCHA! MOLAA’S FIFTH ANNUAL MEXICAN-STYLE WRESTLING EVENT PROMISES TO BE SPECTACULAR

the list

WHERE TO FIND LIVE MUSIC THIS SUMMER IN LONG BEACH Music is integral to our every day soundtrack, or at least it’s on my playlist.

Yes we all have soundtracks, and if you don’t have one by now, maybe you’ll acquire one at the end of this article by checking out one, two or even all the concerts, bands, music festivals or other “sounds of music” taking place this summer in our city.

By: Dominique Dupree Jazz Angels performing Picture courtesy of jazzangel.org

Concerts at the Pike 95 S. Pine Ave.

Check out the free summer concert series at the Pike. Enjoy live music every Saturday and bring your lawn chairs, blankets and maybe even a snack.

Voices on The Veranda Summer Concert Series 100 Aquarium Way

The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting its summer concerts on the rooftop Veranda for the third consecutive year, featuring solo singers, jazz and rock the other types of music. So, enjoy the wonderful vista of Rainbow Harbor while sipping on a cocktail or having dinner. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. The concert starts at 7 p.m. and ends at 9 p.m. On Wednesday July 27th, get your samba fix with Kátia Moraes & Brazilian Hearts.

Porch Party At The Pike 1836 E. 4th St.

On July 29 at 9 p.m. Porch Party at The Pike Restaurant and Bar is presenting a local, technicolor-rock band Channel. Check out this free event at Social Distortion drummer Chris Reece’s self acclaimed “restaurant by day and kick ass live music venue by night.”

Long Beach Municipal Band Concert Tune in to the 107th season of the Long Beach Municipal Band’s free concerts that start at 6:30 p.m. The theme for this week is, “A Grand Ole Opera” 2/

featuring special guest artist Jennifer Lynn playing hot, electric violin. Who said opera wasn’t cool? So enjoy a picnic with your family and a fun evening of music at the park. July 27 the band will be playing at Los Cerritos Park; July 28 at Marine Stadium and July 29 at El Dorado Park West.

Cirivello’s Live Music 4115 N. Viking Way

For a taste of summer blues, go see vocal powerhouse Deb Ryder at Cirivellos Sports Bar and Grill on Thursday, July 28 at 8 p.m. Order up some pizza and brews and chill out at this performance.

Shoreline Symphonic Winds Concert 4520 E. 23rd St.

Shoreline Symphonic Winds will feature contemporary, concert favorites, show tunes and movie soundtracks before playing their feature film which is part of the Long Beach Parks and Recreation “Movies in the Park” program. Locations vary, but July 29, the concert series will be at Stearns Champion Park at 7 p.m.

Jazz Angels Summer Session Showcase II at Shoreline Village 401-435 Shoreline Village Drive

The future of jazz could rest with the Jazz Angels.This jazz and educational program provides mentorship and musical programs for local youth.The Jazz Angels, a non-profit organization, mentors and assists young students to hone their musical talents, in addition

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

to improving their self-confidence and leadership skills while preserving the feeling and sound of this classic musical genre. See Jazz Angels play on Friday July 29th from 4:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.

(Long Beach’s old school rock band) July 28 during their residency at Haskell’s Prospector Steakhouse and Saloon. Tickets are $5 and doors open at 10 p.m. If you have dinner be sure to explore Prospector’s “wild, wild west” motif, deep seated booths and the delicious relish tray.

Summer Time Reggae Festival presents Don Carlos at Gaslamp Long Beach

Midsummer Night Scream: Noche de los Muertos

6251 East Pacific Coast Highway

300 E. Ocean Blvd.

We’ll be jammin’ at Gaslamp Music + Bar + Kitchen, Long Beach, when reggae singer Don Carlos & Dub Vision Band along with other artists such as Special Blend, Sure Shot Rockers, Jah Faith and the Royal Lineage Band will be performing on July 30. Doors open at 5 p.m.

The 29th Annual Long Beach Jazz Festival East Shoreline Drive

This three-day music festival features some of the best artists of this year and yesteryear. If you love good music, classic R&B and jazz then the place to be is Rainbow Lagoon where you can enjoy fresh air, try an amazing selection of food, watch innovative art and all that jazz! The jazz festival runs from Aug. 12-14, featuring such artists as Michael Franks, Jeffrey Osborne, Dave Koz and David Sanborn: Side by Side and many more.

The Jungelcat’s Residency At The Prospector’s 2400 E. Seventh St.

Move to the music of Sama Dams and Queen Califia at The Junglecats’s

Who says that you can’t celebrate Halloween twice in one year! On July 30 at the Long Beach Convention Center, check out the 1980’s era costume bash and Midnight Scream’s Noche de los Muertos, headlined by Oingo Boingo Dance Party. Come in costume and win prizes for the best and worst dressed. Purchase tickets in advance and use code MUERTOS to get a $10 discount. You can also get your face painted! So, get scared this summer at Midsummer Night Scream!

Cumbia Cruise 200 Aquarium Way, Dock #4

The Cumbia Cruise will be on board the Grand Romance Riverboat. Cruise the Long Beach Harbor and dance the night away to special guests performances by Los Masters Plus and Vintage 3 cover band. DJ’s Ruben La Mode and Charlie C will be navigating sounds with cumbia, bachata, merengue salsa, rock en espanol, top 40’s and top 80’s. Picture this: three hours, three levels, three decks and two bars where you can see, sip and savor while cruising on a Sunday afternoon.

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FOUNDER/PRESIDENT Von Raees CEO Jesse Dillon EDITORIAL editor@hlrmedia.com MANAGING EDITOR Gary Metzker MULTIMEDIA EDITOR Blake Pinto SENIOR REPORTER Emily Rasmussen CONTRIBUTORS Brooke Becher Angel Carreras Amanda Del Cid Dominique Dupree Tami Graham Darralyn Huston Drew Kaplan Heather Kern Michaela Kwoka Matt Simon Michelle Vazquez PHOTOGRAPHERS Miguel Barillas Matt Roberts GRAPHICS/PRODUCTION Jorge Arroyo Katie Lowery Allison Rojas WEBSITE Jorge Arroyo 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: (562) 435-1010 Fax: (562) 435-8038

CONTENTS THE EDGE-U-CATOR

the list:

02

We’ve scoured Long Beach for the best spots to catch live summer music.

news: 04 Long Beach’s AIDS food store gives comfort and support to those with HIV/AIDS.

the critic:

05

What happens when a Long Beach newbie experiences everything for the first time?

business: 06 Moxi roller skates have grown into an internationally renowned skating brand from a small garage in Long Beach.

cover: 08 MOLAA is hosting its fifth annual Viva La Lucha, a Mexican-style wrestling event, July 30.

entertainment: 10 DancerPalooza is coming! Grab your best pair of shoes and get ready to dance the night away!

restaurant: 11 The Siren Call of Sushi Kara: Meet the owners and head chefs making some of the best sushi in Long Beach.

calendar: 12 artist of the week:

15

From local to national, Hearts Like Lions road to success hasn’t been easy..

We’re not crazy, at least not all of us!

In honor of our six-month anniversary it’s time for a brief recap of this start-up print publication flying in the face of conventional wisdom, and digital competition.

We’ve had the privilege of highlighting a variety of Long Beach characters in our short time. We met DJ Hitman, a UPS driver by day and DJ by night, whose life was transformed after he was shot. We spent a day with Chef Nugs, the man blending culinary expertise, cannabis and a passion for helping veterans. We discovered hidden community gardens around the city, and pleaded for the return of Jose Alvarez.

We’ve gone behind the scenes with local icons like Rand Foster, Justin Rudd and Mayor Garcia. And we’ve brought a spotlight to some lesser-known individuals as well with stories about the many buskers of Long Beach, amazing boxer Liz Parr, and Danny Flores, the ex-gang member who has transformed his life.

You may have seen us at major events like the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, Beach Streets or the recent Dew Tour. But we have also strived to expose the events that truly make Long Beach unique by attending Sumo wrestling matches, the Wonder Women Tech. Conference and Pow!WOW!.

None of this is possible without you though, and we can’t thank you enough. Your continued support of our crazy dream is what keeps us working tirelessly in an effort to bring Long Beach a product they can truly be proud of and call their own.

Forget OC Weekly.

Forget LA Weekly.

We, The Edge, are the only weekly exclusively dedicated to the wonderful city of Long Beach.

With six months down, we hope there’s many more to come.

Remember, if you want to write or take photos for The Edge, check out the ad in this week’s issue. Join us, and help make this a weekly publication for the community, by the community.

As always, if we make a mistake, if you love us or hate us, have a story idea, or want to advertise with us, let us know by emailing editor@hlrmedia.com or with a comment on our Facebook page The Edge Long Beach or our website www.theedgelb.com. You can also follow us on Twitter @Edgelongbeach.

Blake Pinto Multimedia editor

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Two luchadores pose menacingly as the 5th annual Viva La Lucha prepares to invade Long Beach. Photo provided by Carlos Avila www.theedgelb.com

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news

FEEDING MORE THAN HUNGER

Long Beach’s AIDS Food Store Gives Comfort and Support to Those Infected and Affected with HIV/AIDS John Newell, president of the AIDS Food Store, gives The Edge a look at the food bank’s pantry supplies.

Photos by Emily Rasmussen

D

espite the great advances made by modern medicine, the struggle for those infected with HIV/AIDS continues. The ability to gain or keep a job can be more difficult with the virus, and the stigma against the people who have it are, unfortunately, still present.

However, the volunteers and president John Newell of the AIDS Food Store in Long Beach want everyone to know there is a community of people wanting to help. Founded in 1985 during the peak of the AIDS epidemic, it is now the largest food bank in Southern California that is strictly geared toward helping people with HIV/AIDS. The volunteer-run nonprofit organization, based at Christ Chapel Long Beach, gives food to people infected with HIV/AIDS at no cost.

To most of the clients and volunteers there though, it’s more than that. Newell said that over the years, the AIDS Food Store has become more like a family.

“In ’85, right in the height of the AIDS crisis, things were crazy. We were probably having 100 to 150 people come through here, we were disturbing every week. We’d see our clients probably for two, three, maybe four months – and then they’d pass away from HIV/AIDS,” Newell says. “Luckily, now with medicine getting better, our clients are living longer.

So now we’re seeing our clients for years and years, which is good that we’re still here able to serve them. But the perception out in the community is that HIV and AIDS is now a disease you can live with, that you can manage.”

Even though HIV is not as life threatening now, Newell says, there is still a need to feed people.

“They’re not able to work for whatever reason it is, and food is something that I found

by Emily Rasmussen

4/

that just unites everybody. It’s something that you sit down with your friends and family, and everybody wants to break bread,” he said. “You want to go out to dinner, you want to have a drink, have a glass of wine, have a delicious dinner – and it brings everybody together.”

In 2000, Newell’s partner died from HIV/ AIDS. He wanted to find a way to give back and honor his memory, so he started volunteering at the AIDS Food Store in 2008. Now, he has been the president for the past three years.

Center of Long Beach told The Post that there is a 50 percent mortality rate with more than 3,000 people living with AIDS since 2013, which is disproportionately impacting the African-American and Latino communities in the city.

As of now, about 50 clients come to get food at 3935 E. 10th St., every second and fourth Saturday of each month. Many of the clients come to not only pick up food, but to also have fun.

“We give not just food – we give a lot of comfort, talk to them, some of them will be home all week with no one to talk to. So they come here to socialize for like two or three hours. It’s great, I love it,” says Thomas Lee, a client and volunteer at the AIDS Food Store.

Lee was diagnosed with HIV in 1987, while living in Texas. After moving to Long Beach, he became a client at the AIDS Food Store in 1995. Only two months later, he also became a volunteer.

“It gives me a lot of comfort to come here,

being [HIV] positive myself, when I first found out when I was positive in 1987 it was a death sentence. People were dying, a lot of friends I know that were HIV positive wouldn’t take their medication, they’d go on a pill holiday.

I’ve had about four friends die, because they stopped taking their medication,” Lee says. “I take my medication every day and my viral load is undetectable and my T-cell (white blood cell) count is over 1,000 T-cells. I’m one of the lucky ones.”

Since the AIDS Food Bank’s beginning in 1985, people like Lee are becoming more involved with the community that has formed here. Margo Martinez, one of the founding volunteers of the organization, says that the relationship between the volunteers and clients has evolved into something more.

“In the beginning, although the numbers were greater, we did not get to know our clients. They were with us for sometimes weeks at a time, but now our clients have become our friends. Because they are with us for months and months, it’s an entirely different relationship based upon the same need,” Martinez says.

She says the AIDS Food Store started out with just a group of people from Christ Chapel, who gave a few bags of food on Thanksgiving to some of the congregants that were unable to work due to HIV/AIDS. “The need became greater and greater, so we started the food bank with just people in the congregation. Most everybody would come into church on Sunday morning with a bag of groceries in one hand and their bible in the other hand,” Martinez said.

Now, with about 10 to 25 volunteers on each day they distribute food, the AIDS Food Store has grown into a successful nonprofit. And as long as the need to help feed people with HIV/AIDS continues, the AIDS Food Store will remain.

“AIDS Food Store has kind of been a big secret in Long Beach, which I don’t want it to be a secret anymore,” Newell said. “I want everybody in this entire city to know that the AIDS Food Store is right here on the corner of 10th and Termino. We’re here, we’re available, and we’re ready to help serve.”

Contribute to The Edge!

The AIDS Food Store is located and associated with Christ Chapel Long Beach, off 10th Street and Termino Avenue

Are you a passionate journalist who loves writing about arts, dining and entertainment? As the independent voice of Long Beach, The Edge is welcoming a hand full of contributors who are eager to cover the latest trends happening in LB. Selected writers will have the opportunity to showcase their work in our print and digital publications while building their portfolio with professional reporter experience. From

Due to the increase of HIV/AIDS in Long Beach, Newell wants to let everyone know that the AIDS Food Store has the resources to help more people that have been infected and affected with the disease.

From 2013-2015, HIV/AIDS was contracted by more than 6,000 people in Long Beach, according to the Long Beach Post. The LGBTQ

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

investigative stories, features on local artists, to play and movie reviews, The Edge provides a platform for writers with an array of interests. If you’re a Long Beach local who desires to take an endeavor into journalism, then contact us to see how we can help you!

Contact: editor@hlrmedia.com

the critic

SMALL AND INTIMATE: REVIEWING THE LONG BEACH PLAYHOUSE HOW TO SUCCEED IN BUSINESS (WITHOUT REALLY TRYING) (MAINSTAGE, JULY 2 – AUGUST 6, 2016) Left: Alyssa Garcia (ENSEMBLE), Erin Martinez (ENSEMBLE), Lisa LeBlanc (ENSEMBLE), Mallory Kerwin (HEDY LARUE), Sarah Chaffin (MS. KRUMHOLTZ), Rachel Seldon (ENSEMBLE), Kari Venaas (ENSEMBLE) Right: Dash Porter (ENSEMBLE), Graham Wojcik (ENSEMBLE), Russell Malang (BUD FRUMP), Nick Bradfield (GATCH) Michael Hardy Photography ing,” and “what she was thinking,” an intimate and transforming feeling. However, by the third act after a 15 minute intermission, most of the audience were yawning and slouching in their seats. We were all just waiting for it to be over. It’s a shame too because there, again, seemed to be a lot of authentic artistry, time, effort and rehearsal put in on the part of the actors, stage hands, set designers, choreographers and even the live musicians that played behind the set.

How could a gal like me flit around Long Beach, enjoying all it has to offer; meet all these influencers? Live fabulously by the beach, eat the best food, see the best performances and write about it? Some might look at this as an undaunting experience; I look at it, as an adventure. This column discusses the intricacies of my life based on my own experiences moving to Long Beach. The Critic is here to take you on this journey. For the next year, I’ll find a home, become a part of a community, taste cuisine, experience live theater, music, meet and greet the Long Beach arts, entertainment and dining community.

I hope you join me, assist me, warn me and invite me in.

“Being the new one used to mean that nobody knew you or cared about you. Now it means you’re pretty limitless and you’re starting a new time in your life deciding how you want your life to be and who you want to spend it with.” - The Critic

by Darralynn Hutson

T

here’s a time for big, loud and remote.

Then there’s time for small, close and intimate. Tonight, I

needed the latter.

After moving from the city of Los Angeles, I was yearning for some of that small-town sensitivity and taking in a live theater production for my first outing seemed like the right thing to do. It felt cultured, thought provoking and entertaining. Theater in Long Beach, especially at the Long Beach Playhouse lends itself to a diverse yet older crowd but a full crowd nonetheless.

Overall, the production was excellently portrayed and beautifully staged yet needs a softer approach.

Final Review

(Effort goes a long way)

This particular Saturday night, “How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying,” a lively ensemble of nostalgic performances set against a large business environment – played to a full audience. Director Anthony Galleran brings How to Succeed…starring the starry-eyed Steven Alcantar as Finch, its’ ambitious protagonist and Monica Beld as Rosemary, his love interest and biggest fan to the Mainstage at the Long Beach Playhouse.

Although the title suggested that there’s a way to get to the top of the corporate ladder without trying very hard, the lacks truth in reality. A lot of work goes into making it; whether it’s strategic introductions, background research or even being at the right place at the right time – it takes an awful lot of work to succeed. At times, watching this production was just as hard as it was to create; all the fullon musical numbers, largely moving staging that included the aisle-ways and entrances in elaborate choreography was exhausting.

The characters were easy enough to relate to: a secretary that really just wants to be someone’s wife; the mail clerk that aspires to get his own executive title and executive office, even the boss that simply wants to make his side piece happy. We never get attached to any one character because they weren’t developed much past surface-level with few life-changing arches audiences want to see in such a production. What was missing in the grandness of this production was that it was meant for a small house to a small group of people. There was one harmonious scene when Rosemary and Finch, with Allison Aoun who played secretary Smitty, lead the vocals in a song that gave both “what he was thinkwww.theedgelb.com

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/5

business

Pigeon and Indy developed their fearless styles from skating in roller derby leagues. Photos by Karen Sawyer

RESURRECTING THE ROLLER SKATE The Moxi Squad is bringing a modern twist, and backflips, to a timeless classic

M

any times, old toys are only good for a quick trip down memory lane and a fond shout-out to the simpler days before tossing them back wherever we happened to find them while searching for the electric bill that’s past due.

But one old “toy” – roller skates – has had a recent resurgence in popularity, and if you’ve seen a group of girls cruising the streets in some distinctly flashy pairs, it’s because ground zero for their revival rests in Long Beach at the Moxi Skate Shop.

The shop is known as much for the famous Moxi Skate Team used to spread awareness about the brand as they are for the skates themselves.

“Sometimes we have planned roll-outs,” says Amy West, Moxi’s shop owner. “We’ll meet at the shop and skate a planned course, like out to the lighthouse, and back through town.”

However, they’re not skating just for fun,

by Blake Pinto

6/

training or during planned roll-outs, it’s simply a way of life for them.

There are over 20 members worldwide that make up the Moxi squad. Seven girls and one guy make up the main crew in Long Beach, each bringing a unique skill set to the team.

One member is a fashion designer and in the process of helping design the next boot; another is in marketing and great at pitching the business and helping spread brand awareness; another studies interior design and is helping to lay out the design of a new shop that was scheduled to open last month in San Pedro.

West says they all have various nicknames: Pigeon (West), Banzai, Legs, Bucket, ChickPea, Enzo, Indy, and EstroJen. Most have regular day jobs also and are only sponsored by the shop after making it through a tryout.

This particular day, I was chatting with Pigeon and Shayna Meikel a.k.a. Indy (I will refer to them by their skate names the rest of the article). The pair say the reason they’re spotted so regularly is because they skate

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

pretty much everywhere they go.

“We’re skating between the shop and home, to go out and party,” Indy explains. “There’s some bars that don’t care with concrete floors that support the skate shop and let us in.”

Pigeon adds there is one place they can’t easily roll through, but they’ve found a way around that as well.

“We can’t take them grocery shopping, unless we go to Rite-Aid. They’re cool,” she says.

Much of the roller skating revival can be traced to the steady, budding, roller derby scene throughout Long Beach and surrounding areas. Pigeon currently runs the Beach Cities Roller Derby League (BCRD), while the founder of the Moxi brand, who goes by EstroJen gained a lot traction for the brand through roller derby. But not all leagues are created equal.

“It is like the [World Wrestling Federation] versus [mixed martial-arts],” Pigeon says about the different types of roller derby.

“There’s the theatrical, and then there’s the

really precise and trained one.”

One look at Indy’s leg and you can’t help but notice a bruise on her thigh the size of a watermelon; she probably didn’t get that bruise in the theatrical one.

At the Moxi skate shop Pigeon owns, they sell skates for any type of skater, even beginners. But they aren’t cheap.

“I could just own a regular skate shop, but having the Moxi name makes everyone want to come here,” Pigeon says. “It’s like having a Van’s store.Everyone knows the brand and they know we’ll have Moxi’s there.” Indy adds.

The shop doesn’t only sell roller skates. It also carries protective gear and, as Pigeon likes to say, they carry “all the accessories for the roller skate lifestyle,” including fanny packs, skating socks, shirts, sparkle laces and roller skate jewelry. The Moxi skates range anywhere from $100 to $300. It may sound a bit pricey, but keep in mind they’re handmade in the U.S. (‘Merica!) out of real leather and suede.

So, who started all of this? As Pigeon points

business out, she owns the shop but not the brand Moxi. Another skater from the Moxi squad, Michelle Steilen a.k.a. EstroJen, is behind that.

The epitome of every rumor heard about EstroJen (basically that she’s one badass woman) is true. I found her rocking a pair of her famous Moxi skates, and skating across a makeshift plank of wood her and a friend had attached wheels to, so the plank would roll as she skated on it. Her plan is to practice balancing on it now, so she can put the plank across rooftops or wherever else she can think of in the near future. Talk about first impressions.

Her garage/office, or “garoffice” as she affectionately calls it, reeks of a passionate entrepreneurial mind that has poured their soul into resurrecting the roller skate. Hundreds of skates line the wall and hang from laces strung to the ceiling too.

“I got my first pair when I was . . . I don’t really remember,” Steilen recalls, saying she remembers skating in roller rinks as a child until she discovered roller derby and began to take it much more serious. Nowadays though, she skates for what she believes is the driving force behind the Moxi brand: Fun! “It feels like it’s about to just explode for some reason,” Steilen says.

She founded the Moxi brand in 2008, by writing a letter to Riedell (a shoe and skate manufacturer in Minnesota). She tried to

explain that roller derby was back, but many people doubted that.

“I told them this is just the start,” Steilen recalls. “I promise you, this is just beginning to hit the aggressive girls, the girls that are not afraid to fall down.”

Steilen leads by example. Ever seen a woman pull off a backflip in skates?

“I really have put everything into it,” Steilen says, noting she has no savings or health insurance – don’t tell Obama. “Everything I’ve made, all the money, I just reinvest and keep reinvesting because I know it’s going to go off, it’s what the world needs.”

The funny thing is, many people would say the brand has already taken off. She distributes to over 200 locations nationally and has fans and brand recognition internationally, from South America to Europe.

She smiles as she recalls one time when a neighbor came up to her because one of their relatives across the country heard they lived next to EstorJen. For now though, she’s glad Moxi has gotten all the attention it has but wants to make sure the core message of the brand isn’t lost amongst hype.

“It’s not for the best skaters, it’s for the people that love skating the most,” Steilen explains. “It’s just an awesome toy that needed to be dusted off for all the lazy people in the world that don’t like regular exercise.”

Moxi brand Founder Michelle Steilen a.k.a EstroJen in her “garoffice.”

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cover

Last years Viva La Lucha had hundreds in attendance and this year’s promises to be even bigger. Photo provided by Jennifer Alcantara of MOLAA

DRAMATIC, RIDICULOUS AND DANGEROUS MOLAA prepares to host Mexican-style wrestling in the Sculpture Garden

M

asks laced with culture, rooted in myth, and colored with tradition are set to adorn the Museum of Latin American Art you know and love July 30.

Not just any masks, but those of Lucha Libre Luchadores.

For those that don’t kneel at the altar of tight, bright-colored spandex and big, bombastic personalities, here’s a quick primer: when it comes to wrestling, there’s the big guy - Vince McMahon’s World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. (WWE) - and then everyone else. Much smaller wrestling promotions like TNA, Ring of Honor, and New Japan Pro Wrestling are all vying for exposure and prominence amongst viewers and there’s one style that turns heads due to it’s fastpaced, high-flying matches: Lucha Libre style

by Angel Carreras

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wrestling.

So, what the heck is Lucha Libre? It’s the Mexican-born-and-bred style of wrestling finding relevance and gaining momentum within promotions such as Lucha Underground and the latently campier Lucha Va Voom. Lucha Libre can be and is many things; it’s where comic book characters come to life via people willing to lace up tights, don a mask and perform death defying stunts for the sheer enjoyment it can bring others.

It’s dramatic, ridiculous, at times dangerous, but above all else, it’ll always be one thing -entertaining.

“Traditionally, Lucha Libre has been something that has a community feel to it. It feels like something-- it’s less slick than something like WWE, it’s more of a phenomenon than that,” says film director Carlos Avila. His documentary, “Tales of Masked Men,” will be shown at the museum’s lucha themed night.

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

“The best analogy I can give is it’s a poor man’s theater. It has great qualities. The storytelling is a bit more broad, very theatrical. The story is told in the ring and the melodrama is very much a part of it.”

It’s this high stakes entertainment and melodrama that the Museum of Latin American Art aims to provide with Viva La Lucha, the museum’s take on this Mexican-style wrestling sports spectacle.

Pioneered by Denise Galvan in 2012, this will be MOLAA’s fifth iteration of the luchadore laden event, and according to MOLAA Events Specialist Jennifer Alcantara, it could be their biggest yet.

Last year there were 600 attendees, while only a week out from the event this year, the museum has already sold more than half that number in advance ticket sales. What is it about Lucha Libre at MOLAA that has people coming back in droves?

For Carlos Avila, it was the theatricality of his boyhood hero, Mil Mascaras, that kept him coming back.

“He had so much charisma and just a presence in the ring. The mask, the cape, the colors. It made such an impression on a kid like me. That’s where the impetus [to make a documentary] came from.” Avila says.

Growing up in Echo Park, Avila’s family would pack up the station wagon and drive to the Olympic Auditorium in Downtown Los Angeles. It’s here that then-10-year-old Carlos Avila fell in love with Lucha Libre wrestling and witnessed some of Lucha Libre’s biggest stars: Ray Mendoza, Sicodelico Jr., and Avila’s aforementioned favorite (and eventual featured luchadore in his documentary), Mil Mascaras.

Avila’s documentary won’t be the only thing at the event to keep you busy, entertained, and educated.

cover Art workshops, local artists, face painting, mask making, food vendors (such as Artesana, who serves artisanal-style Mexican paletas as well as a lucha salsa selling vendor, amongst others), and live music by Spanish rock band Aqquarela will accompany the evening’s festivities.

After the film and music - much like the Luchadores themselves - the museum’s sculpture garden will undergo a transformation of its own. Typically idyllic and serene, the garden will transform into a makeshift arena, chairs enveloping the immediate surroundings, and a ring erected in the middle of the garden to give fans and museum-goers an intimate and entertaining viewing of five wrestling matches.

... submerge yourself in a mexican culture that you sometimes might

Two luchadores wrestle, struggling to gain the upper hand. Photo provided by Jennifer Alcantara of MOLAA

not be aware of...

– Jennifer alcantara

“Once these wrestlers put on that mask, they take on a different identity. They don’t think about what happened during their day, what they need to do when they get home or their problems-- it’s ‘I’m here to entertain’,” Alcantara says.

She mentions how these Luchadores “have no limit.” Last year, Alcantara says, the Luchadores were jumping in the audience, doing backflips from the crowd, and getting the audience “very much involved.”

For those with no interest in dudes wearing masks, doing backflips and pummeling each other, it’s more than just theatrics.

“Viva La Lucha is a great night - not only for you and friends or significant other, but with family too, to submerge yourself in a mexican culture that you sometimes might not be aware of, that you might not think of when you think of mexican culture,” Alcantara says.

“It’s a night of entertainment, a night of fun, acrobats, and theater. Not only will you be entertained, but you’ll be educated, too. It’s a night of culture” Viva La Lucha takes place July 30, 6 p.m.-10 p.m.General admission is $15 in advance or $10 for members. For more information go to https://www.molaa.org/events/viva-la-lucha/.

Known for their extravagant masks, the luchadores are a symbol of Mexican culture. Photo provided by Carlos Avila www.theedgelb.com

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 |

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entertainment

SO, YOU THINK YOU CAN DANCE? The week-long DancerPalooza event is ready to dance its way through Long Beach

Dancers put on their tapping shoes, for one of DancerPalooza’s showcases of dancer.

For those dancers who don’t have the time or money to spend a full week at DancerPalooza there are individual crash courses that can be taken, starting at $350 per ticket.

Some of the best big-name teachers like Stephen, Boss a.k.a tWitch, a finalist on So You

Hip Hop dancers show what they are made of on DancerPalooza stage Photos courtesy of DancerPalooza

P

repare to dance the night away.

A full week of dancing and fun is heading to Long Beach with DancerPalooza taking place the entire first week of August. Tickets are already going fast according to Executive Producer Nikole Vallins.

“Ever since dancerpalooza dancers were featured on Ellen ticket sales have skyrocketed,” Vallins says.

Previous performers who have been with DancerPalooza include dancers from the hit show Dance Moms and choreographers from Dancing With the Stars.

There is a free portion of DancerPalooza called Beat Street, which is described as a mashup of amazing dance performances where you can also interact with vendors selling anything and everything dance related.

Intensives, which are like dance workshops, will be taking place throughout the entire week. There will be shows every day of the seven day event that locals can pay to see.

Prices for the dance shows that will be taking place at dancerpalooza vary from $25 to $65.

An all-access pass to the event performances can be purchased for $160.

Vallins said the event is great for people of all backgrounds, including people who are simply dance enthusiasts.

by Amanda Del Cid

10 /

Vallins said people who are unsure about the event should attend one of the three days that are free to the public.

Completely free to the public, the Beat Street portion of dancerpalooza includes a swag bag, free giveaways, guest performances and autograph signings.

Vallins says the best part about Beat Street is the chance to see world class dancing at no cost.

“People don’t have to pay big money to see big names and people who are just passing by can take a peek at what DancerPalooza has to offer,” she says.

For the more experienced dance enthusiast there are workshops and courses in many different styles of dance available at DancerPalooza. Tickets for intensives, which include more than 20 hours of intensive classes, rehearsals, intensive specific events, and 36 or more crash courses to choose from are $950 per person. There are age limitations for crash courses and intensives, but there are some exceptions if you send in a video of your child dancing. It can be reviewed to see if they can qualify to participate in the age-restricted classic.

Intensives focus on more specific styles of dance and each intensive offered at DancerPalooza comes with varying age ranges. Some strictly for children and some strictly for older dancers. There is an intensive for every kind

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

Think You Can Dance and a who played a lead role in the Step Up franchise.

Young dancer Lex Ishimoto, 18, from Irvine California, will be participating in his first DancerPalooza. He says he is excited and has wanted to participate before but was unable to. Currently with the Boston Ballet as a second-string dancer, Ishimoto wishes to become a master of many styles of dance. Ishimoto was part of the DancerPalooza group featured on Ellen that has resulted in the rising popularity of this years event.

“It was a great experience and one of the most exciting performances I have ever done,” He says.

This year’s DancerPalooza will be the biggest test yet and hopefully a launching pad for loads of young talent.

The event will run from August 1-7. Tickets can be purchased by going online to http:// www.dancerpalooza.com/register.

City of Long Beach Current Job Opportunities Apply Online! http://www.longbeach.gov/civilservice Effective Friday July 22, 2016 Job Title

Monthly Salary

Filing Deadline

Automatic Sprinkler Control Technician

$3,461 - $4,685

August 5, 2016

Business Systems Specialist

$4,327 - $11,083

August 19, 2016

Communication Specialist

$4,217 - $11,083

August 5, 2016

Police Officer - Lateral

$5,876 - $7,284

Continuous

Project Scheduler

$6,192 - $9,994

August 26, 2016

Public Health Nutritionist

$3,998 - $6,990

September 2, 2016

Public Safety Dispatcher - Lateral

$3,488 - $6,990

August 5, 2016

Senior Civil Engineer

$7,709 - $10,500

August 12, 2016

Senior Surveyor

$6,168 - $8,387

August 5, 2016

Senior Traffic Engineer

$7,736 - $10,537

August 5, 2016

Special Services Officer

$2,861 - $6,320

September 8, 2016

Systems Support Specialist

$4,327 - $9,760

August 12, 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

restaurant

Washington and spicy tuna tempura roll. Photos courtesy of Instagram

THE SIREN CALL OF SUSHI KARA

Sublime quality and exotic catches base the allure of Chef Song’s Los Altos sushi bar

I

n one of the many suburban strip malls hugging Bellflower Boulevard hides a glass-front cove serving up fish in the raw.

Like a stubborn rip tide, escaping the lure of Sushi Kara is only made possible after you’ve given into its forceful will. Swim parallel.

Treat your taste buds.

Natural light illuminates a calm glow over its deep-mahogany tables and the black marble countertops. An awkward assortment of art freckles the sundry olive walls, neither complementing nor clashing with one another, but plays a supporting role to the tube. It’s the cardinal-red statement piece backing the

by Brooke Becher

chefs that set the sushi bar’s modern tone.

But really, who are we kidding? It’s what’s presented on white porcelain that invokes the awe of 2830 N. Bellflower Blvd. Fresh doesn’t even begin to explain it. In fact, make sure whatever you order isn’t still moving – videlicet the sweet shrimp.

Owners and head chefs Yun Song, 40, and Jay Kim, 36, opened the sushi and sashimi oasis of Los Altos Gateway’s asphalt lot in 2011.

Before shaking his hand, I remember Chef Song from a few nights ago during a craving-induced 8 p.m. solo-sushi trip. He traded in his popped-collar teal polo for the white coat, but kept the same thick smile while

joking in casual conversation with regulars from behind the L-shaped bar that juts out on the right.

“Well sometimes, people buy us lots of beer,” Chef Song mentions when I shared the memory. His frank yet jocose demeanor seems to have everything ending in a laugh. “By 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., I’m done.”

I’m finally putting together how to get on his VIP list for whom he rations his rare, meltin-your-mouth otoro with. The supreme quality found at Sushi Kara is a craft within itself.

To ensure said status, the fish are never frozen and are aged for at least six hours in 35 degree Fahrenheit conditions to eliminate any pathogenic outcomes every sushi newbie has nightmares about. Premium sea salt is used to clean and preserve the fish as well.

A local fishery revives Chef Song’s supplies about five to six times per week, receiving wild varieties on a global scale.

Bigeye and bluefin tuna are caught in either Spain or Hawaii, depending on the plate. Albacores are from Canada and the scallops hail from Japan.

Part of that is seeded in Chef Song’s attention to detail. Typical joints will feature Atlantic salmon, but Chef Song opts for northern schools from frigid, Scottish waters noting that the added fat lends more flavor.

“Each fish not only has it’s own flavor, but that flavor has a personality – kind of like vegetables,” says Chef Song.

Beyond plating some of the most sapid dishes in Long Beach, his process for top-quality flavor is pretty straightforward.

“If I like it, I find that, people will like it too,” says Chef Song. “So far it seems to be working.”

It’s as simple as that.

These self-set standards seem to be coaxing the Yelpers, with Sushi Kara holding an average ranking of 4.5 stars among its 341 reviewers.

Must-haves that make our list are the yellowtail sashimi and spicy popcorn lobster roll.

Chef song says that the most popular items are the baked lobster and aloha rolls, although he encourages you to be bold and chopstick-up for the Uni on your next visit.

As for him, daring is no longer squid or eel.

It’s lasagna.

“I never mention this to anyone, but I‘m

Thrift & Vintage

Baked salmon roll pictured with eel and salmon sashimi with tamago. starting to learn Italian cuisine at home now – at least, I’m trying,” says Chef Song, noting that he’s always learning and looking for new recipes, techniques and tips on Youtube. “I like cheese, but I do sushi. We never get to use cheese here!”

Sushi Kara is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day, with lunch special combos that include miso soup and salad from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. seven days a week. They do not offer happy hour.

RECIPE For SPICY POKE TUNA - 8 oz Tuna - 1 Tbsp of eel sauce - 1 Tbsp of chili oil - 1/2 Tbsp of Furikake (Japanese Seasoning) - sliced green onions Mix all the ingredients to make fresh flavorful poke tuna! Enjoy the rich flavor taste!

For your choice of rice, you can have one of the followings: 1. steamed white or brown rice 2. Fried rice (recommended that you prepare the rice first)

Heritage Event

2100 E. 4th Street (562) 434-7121 thriftshop@allb.org Hours: Mondays 10-4, Tuesdays - Saturdays 10 - 6 www.theedgelb.com

Starts August 4 With Toys • Books • Linens China • Crystal • Collectibles

Gently used, but new to you! | JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 |

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// JULY 27 - AUGUST 08 , 2016 // “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 // July 28 // flowing champagne, live music and a tantalizlol @ the Queen Mary ing signature menu that is sure to please even 7:15 p.m. & 8:15 p.m. the most discerning palates, makes the Queen $10 per show Mary Champagne Sunday Brunch a Long The Queen Mary presents the next installment Beach tradition that cannot be missed.” of Salon Series, Upright Citizens Brigade Touring Company, a 45-minute unscripted Long Beach Museum of Art and totally improvised performance.

UCB TourCo. brings the best improv come// July 16 - Oct. 16 // dians from the legendary Upright Citizens Brigade Theatres in New York and Los Ange- Vitality & Verve: In the Third les to new audiences all around the country.

Dimension The UCB Theatre - founded by Amy Poehler, $15 Matt Besser, Ian Roberts, and Matt Walsh - has Long Beach Museum of Art been home to some of the biggest stars in V&V3D features immersive, multi-media incomedy today. stallations by a select group of nationally and internationally renowned urban contempo// July 31 // rary artists, ceramic artists and sculptors.

Queen Mary

brazilian nites at the Queen Mary

General Admission - $35 ($45 at the door) , $60 VIP ($70 at the door) , Children 12 and under - $12 ($22 at the door) Brazilian Nites presents the 22nd Annual Brazilian Summer Festival featuring the Brazilian percussion collective - Grammy nominated MONOBLOCO! Plus local top Brazilian bands, authentic food, arts and crafts and scintillating Samba dancers!

// August 19 - 21 // 12th Annual Art Deco Festival $25-$399 “Cruise” back in time to the golden age of travel for a weekend aboard one of the greatest maritime monarchs in history. Drink, dine, dance, and discover the opulence of this by-gone era immersed among the largest collection of art deco in the world. Pack your vintage duds and celebrate the luxury and grandeur of the era at the 12th Annual Art Deco Festival presented by the Queen Mary in association with the Art Deco Society of Los Angeles.

// 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

12 /

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

// Every Friday // Art chat

// August 6 - 7 // The Latino Comics Expo

FREE 1 p.m. - 2 p.m.

Long Beach Museum of Art Art Chat is an informal tour of the exhibitions, Anderson House and the Sculpture Garden led by knowledgeable LBMA staff. Visitors are able to discuss the artwork, learn about the history of the museum campus, and have questions answered.

11 a.m. - 5 p.m. | General Admission $ 10, Seniors and Students $ 7, MOLAA Members & children under 12 FREE, Free Admission on Sunday The Latino Comics Expo (LCX) returns to MOLAA for its 5th Anniversary show! The nation’s first comic convention dedicated to Latino comics creators will feature industry veterans, up and coming talent and everyone in between. Meet your favorite creators, discover new artists, and take home original comic books, prints, posters and more!

Aquarium of the Pacific // Most Fridays // Shark lagoon nights 6 p.m. – 9 p.m.

The public is invited to get up close with the ocean’s ultimate 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.

// 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

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

// July 11 - July 29 // MOLAA’s Art and Culture Camp Sign up now for MOLAA’s youth summer programs! Beginning July 11 to July 29, MOLAA offers three weekly sessions of Art & Culture Camp for kids 6 to 12-years-old.

Camps incorporate movement ( Zumba & Capoeira), cooking, urban gardening, art workshops, DIY crafts and a bilingual exploration of Latin American art and culture.

// July 23 // Reggae Meets Cumbia 7 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Gather with friends at MOLAA for En La Noche: Reggae meets Cumbia withPachamama Estela and Zapoteca Roots. Enjoy a fes-

tival-like atmosphere with vendors, a cash bar, photo booth, the Dogtown Dogs food truck and access to our galleries to view our current exhibitions.

// August 20 // en la noche 7 p.m. - 10 p.m. $20 MOLAA’s popular music series, En la Noche presents El-Haru Kuroi & Samba Society two performances not to be missed.

// 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.”

// June 30 // Viva La Lucha 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Don’t miss the return of Lucha Libre at MOLAA! Guaranteed to make the crowd go wild, Lucha Libre Mexicana Entertainment returns for a night of five action packed Lucha Libre matches with high soaring kicks and flips. Guests will also enjoy a live musical performance by Aqquarela, a Lucha Libre marketplace, food truck, cash bar, face painting, and an opportunity to take their picture with a Luchador. First match starts at 7 p.m.. Don’t forget your lucha mask!

calendar

WED 7/27 Lunch Break Yoga 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Promenade Square Park FREE Free yoga, open to everyone! Do the downward dog and forget about that TPS report due in like, 45 minutes.

Voices On The Veranda Summer Concert Series: Katie Moreas and Brazilian Hearts Doors at 6:30 p.m. , Concert 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. $20, $15 for members Voices on the Veranda is back! The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting a summer concert series on its rooftop Veranda with singer/ songwriters, jazz and rock bands, and other musical acts showcasing their talents. Sit back and relax with food and drinks while enjoying the view of Rainbow Harbor at sunset.

THUR 7/28 Long Beach Municipal Band Concert Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Marine Stadium FREE Summer Music = Family Fun is the theme of the 106th season of the Long Beach Municipal Band. These great free concerts in the park feature the sounds of big band, pop, jazz, blues and more.

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

The Auld Dubliner Ken O’Malley is back with the luck of the Irish and his great music!

FRI 7/29 Character Breakfast At The Aquarium Of The Pacific 9 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.

Aquarium of the Pacific Members Free, General admission required Join Aquarium mascots for breakfast and exclusive photo opportunities in Café Scuba this summer. Enjoy a tasty selection of breakfast foods available for purchase and take your photo with Sharky, Ray, Maria the Magellanic Penguin, or one of our many other special characters. There will be a featured breakfast item each month! No RSVP necessary. Aquarium admission required.

DJ Sets – MASS MOVEMENT 8 p.m.

The Brass Lamp The Brass Lamp welcomes back DJs of MASS MOVEMENT, a local DJ collective spinning feel-good music & positive vibes! They have a monthly spot DJ-ing – every third Friday of the month!

Movies In The Park Drake Park Movie starts at dusk FREE Movies in the Park returns on select days throughout summer! Movie and popcorn are free! Movie playing is Norm of the North.

SAT 7/30 MIDSUMMER SCREAM HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL Long Beach Convention Center Midsummer Scream features more than 100,000 square feet of event space that will showcase vendors, makeup demonstrations, stage presentations, live entertainment, a screening room, haunted attraction experiences and more. If you’re a fan of fear, you can’t miss this!

Promenade Square Park FREE Free yoga, open to everyone! Do the downward dog and forget about that TPS report due in like, 45 minutes.

memorable songs and dances in this classic Broadway musical.”

MON 8/01

TUE 8/02

Summer Brassfest 2016 August 1-7 The Brass Lamp Bar A creative way to bring music, fundraising, and community together! The Brass Lamp presents SUMMER BRASSFEST- A week full of live music, great food, and duh, craft beers!

To participate, buy transferable wristbands that gets you entrance for a day, a weekend, 3 days, or ALL WEEK (VIP)! Proceeds of the wristbands will go toward the long-awaited store front sign! Come support the musicians, small businesses, and the community!

Movies In The Park

Long Beach Municipal Band Concert Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Bluff Park FREE Summer Music = Family Fun is the theme of the 106th season of the Long Beach Municipal Band. These great free concerts in the park feature the sounds of big band, pop, jazz, blues and more.

Moonlight Movies On The Beach Princess Bride

College Estates Park Movie starts at dusk FREE Movies in the Park returns on select days throughout summer! Movie and popcorn are free! Movie playing is Inside Out.

Movie starts at sunset Granada Beach FREE Andre the Giant! That guy from that Disney movie with that dorky dad dude! Hell yeah!!

“Alfredo’s Beach Club presents Moonlight Movies on the Beach. Movies are FREE and

Lunch Break Yoga 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Rodney Hubbard & David Harris 8 p.m. - 10 p.m.

The Brass Lamp Join The Brass Lamp for a night of serenades by singer songwriter, Rodney Hubbard with folk and soul vibes, and a touch of jazz with great originals and covers. Rodney will be joined by his primary music collaborator, local to Long Beach, David Harris on electric guitar and vocals.

SUN 7/31 MIDSUMMER SCREAM HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL Long Beach Convention Center Midsummer Scream features more than 100,000 square feet of event space that will showcase vendors, makeup demonstrations, stage presentations, live entertainment, a screening room, haunted attraction experiences and more. If you’re a fan of fear, you can’t miss this!

LB Playhouse: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying 2:00 p.m.

5021 E. Anaheim St. $24 Support your local playhouse as they bring you a play with “Biting comedy and bright insights are highlighted with delightfully

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www.theedgelb.com

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 |

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calendar cont. there is plenty of FREE PARKING. Dinner, Snacks and Popcorn are available for purchase.”

Lunch Break Yoga 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Promenade Square Park FREE Free yoga, open to everyone! Do the downward dog and forget about that TPS report due in like, 45 minutes.

WED 8/03 Voices On The Veranda Summer Concert Series: Leftover Cuties Aquarium of the Pacific Doors at 6:30 p.m. , Concert 7 p.m. - 9 p.m. $20, $15 for members Voices on the Veranda is back! The Aquarium of the Pacific is hosting a summer concert series on its rooftop Veranda with singer/ songwriters, jazz and rock bands, and other musical acts showcasing their talents. Sit back and relax with food and drinks while enjoying the view of Rainbow Harbor at sunset.

Long Beach Municipal Band Concert Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Los Cerritos Park FREE Summer Music = Family Fun is the theme of the 106th season of the Long Beach Municipal Band. These great free concerts in the park feature the sounds of big band, pop, jazz, blues and more.

Lunch Break Yoga 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Promenade Square Park FREE Free yoga, open to everyone! Do the downward dog and forget about that TPS report due in like, 45 minutes.

THUR 8/04 Assistance League Long Beach Heritage Event 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Free Entry 2100 E. 4th St. Shop for Vintage clothing, jewelry and more.

Gently used but new to you!

Whale Dolphin And Sea Life Cruises

FREE age 2 an under Ride into the open Pacific Ocean to search for whales, dolphins, sea lions, and other marine life. Whale watching is daily at noon and 3:30 pm.

Long Beach Municipal Band Concert Starts at 6:30 p.m.

Marine Stadium FREE Summer Music = Family Fun is the theme of the 106th season of the Long Beach Municipal Band. These great free concerts in the park feature the sounds of big band, pop, jazz, blues and more.

Ken O’Malley Live Irish Music 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.

The Auld Dubliner Ken O’Malley is back with the luck of the Irish and his great music!

FRI 8/05 Assistance League Long Beach “Happy Birthday to Us” Aug. 5-6, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m., Aug. 7 noon - 5 p.m.

Free 2100 E. 4th St. At Retro Row location for 25 years they will be celebrating with a special weekend of extended hours, birthday cupcakes and special sales including 25 cent items. Come join the party!

Long Beach Municipal Band Concert Starts at 6:30 p.m.

El Dorado Park West FREE Summer Music = Family Fun is the theme of the 106th season of the Long Beach Municipal Band. These great free concerts in the park feature the sounds of big band, pop, jazz, blues and more.

Long Beach Crawfish Festival August 5 - August 7 | Friday 5 p.m. - 10 p.m., Saturday and Sunday noon - 10 p.m.

350 E. Shoreline Drive Live music, a Mardi Gras masquerade ball, second line parade, free Souvenir E-photo, karaoke lounge with live band, dancing, kids area, bar with specialty drinks “Screaming Crawfish”, VIP experience section, live sports tent and tons of crawfish and more. Savor the flavor of New Orleans right here in southern California.

noon - 3 pm.

100 Aquarium Way $45 adults, $40 seniors, $30 children age 3-11,

14 /

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com

LB Playhouse: How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying 2 p.m.

5021 E. Anaheim St. $20 Support your local playhouse as they bring you a play with “Biting comedy and bright insights are highlighted with delightfully memorable songs and dances in this classic Broadway musical.”

SAT 8/06 Rocky Horror Picture Show midnight - 2 a.m.

The Art Theater $11 If you haven’t seen ROCKY with The Art Theater’s shadowcast, you ain’t seen nothin’ yet.

Costumes and audience participation galore!

This low-budget freak show/cult classic/cultural institution concerns the misadventures of newlyweds inside a mad scientist’s strange mansion and crazy party that they come across on a rainy night after their car breaks down in the woods.

The Latino Comics Expo 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

MOLAA $10 General Admission, $7 Seniors & Students, FREE MOLAA Members and Children under 12 The Latino Comics Expo (LCX) returns to MOLAA for its 5th Anniversary show! The nation’s first comic convention dedicated to Latino comics creators will feature industry veterans, up and coming talent and everyone in between. Meet your favorite creators, discover new artists, and take home original comic books, prints, posters and more!

SUN 8/07 The Latino Comics Expo 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

MOLAA $10 General Admission, $7 Seniors & Students, FREE MOLAA Members and Children under 12 The Latino Comics Expo (LCX) returns to MOLAA for its 5th Anniversary show! The nation’s first comic convention dedicated to Latino comics creators will feature industry veterans, up and coming talent and everyone in between. Meet your favorite creators, discover new artists, and take home original comic books, prints, posters and more!

Whale Dolphin And Sea Life Cruises noon - 3 pm.

100 Aquarium Way

$45 adults, $40 seniors, $30 children age 3-11, FREE age 2 an under Ride into the open Pacific Ocean to search for whales, dolphins, sea Lions, and other marine life. Whale watching is daily at noon and 3:30 pm.

MON 8/08 Queen Califia Residency at Que Sera 9 p.m. - 2 a.m.

Cover charge may apply Hopefully you read our story about these supremely talented musicians, and if not , well I mean you’re an awful person, but go support this not-awful band at their Que Sera residency!

Whale Dolphin And Sea Life Cruises noon - 3 pm.

100 Aquarium Way $45 adults, $40 seniors, $30 children age 3-11, FREE age 2 an under Ride into the open Pacific Ocean to search for whales, dolphins, sea Lions, and other marine life. Whale watching is daily at noon and 3:30 pm.

Harbor Tours #2 at 100 Aquarium Way $12 adults, $10 seniors and $6 children age 5-11, FREE age 4 and under You will learn history about the harbor as well as see the beautiful Long Beach skyline, California sea lions playing in the harbor, the world-famous Queen Mary, large cargo and container ships from all over the world, and much more!

Lunch Break Yoga 12 p.m. - 12:45 p.m.

Promenade Square Park FREE Free yoga, open to everyone! Do the downward dog and forget about that TPS report due in like, 45 minutes.

Movies In The Park McBride Park Movie starts at dusk FREE Movies in the Park returns on select days throughout summer! Movie and popcorn are free! Movie playing is Zootopia.

artist of the week

THE HEART (AND DEDICATION) OF A LION

Local band, Hearts Like Lions, start to roar cross-country, but it isn’t easy Hearts Like Lion members (left to right), Stephen Ramos, Luke Schoepf, Nick Sturz, and Michael Grasseschi. Photo courtesy of Noah Mensink

H

undreds, if not thousands, of teenage garage bands have their roots right here in Long Beach. Everyone around the city knows someone in a band, or at least knows someone-who-knows-someone.

But what separates the bored teens who bought a guitar because they could play Rock Band on expert, from those who want to make music a career? Well, according to Luke Schoepf, bassist of local band Hearts Like Lions, it’s all about dedication.

“All of us know what we want and we want to do this for our career,” Schoepf says.

“There’s a lot of bands who just play for fun, they play a lot of local shows, get their friends to come, and that’s all they can get. Not saying they’re horrible or not talented, they’re probably really good at what they do. But they have school, or have work. But for us, we just know what we want. We’re just willing to sacrifice those things to really push forward to make it work.”

Hearts Like Lions is an indie-alternative band, that started in 2011 with just a few friends from Lakewood High School, hanging out and making music together. Stephen Ramos sings and plays guitar, Nick Sturz on drums, and Schoepf on bass. And once high school was over, the three band members decided to give it their all.

“Our first tour was in 2012, and that was just Stephen, Nick and I. We just toured in a Ford F150 truck and it was pretty janky – playing at random parks, a mall, and super small coffee

by Emily Rasmussen

shops,” Schoepf says.

For the next couple years the band kept writing songs and practicing, also playing at local venues like Di Piazza and the Federal Bar. They picked up an additional member along the way, Michael Grasseschi, as an additional guitarist.

In 2014, their hard work started to pay off when they got signed to Tooth & Nail Records.

The Seattle-based record label, which has signed bands such as Anberlin and Underoath, released Hearts Like Lions’ first EP the same year. “These Hands” has six songs, which Schoepf says sounds like many of the indie-emo bands from the early 2000s.

Right before the EP was officially released, the band sent a copy of their songs to KROQ Locals Only show. It was about a year later, in fall 2015, that they finally heard one of their songs on the station.

“It was really trippy, because we grew up listening to KROQ hearing all our favorite bands being played there, and then our songs being played on KROQ,” Schoepf says. “It was kind of surreal.”

Their song “Stranger” lasted on the Top 5 songs for the KROQ Locals Only Playlist for about two months. After their song made it to radio, their fan base began to grow rapidly.

During 2015, Hearts Like Lions went on over 10 tours across the country. As time went on and they started to get bigger, Schoepf was impressed by the growing crowds.

“The more we come back to these cities and places, we look out into the crowd – and the crowds get bigger and bigger, and people are singing along to our songs. It’s funny to think

We’re just willing to sacrifice those things to really push forward to make it work.

–Luke schoepf

that we were just a local band, playing our music,” he says. “Of course our friends would sing the songs, but now I’m playing shows in Nebraska and seeing people out there sing along, and I have no idea who they are but they’re singing along to songs that we wrote.”

Although Hearts Like Lions is getting more attention, it is still difficult for the band members to make a living. With the band on Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud, Schoepf says that the internet has helped gain fans for his band, and other local bands, but it also comes with a downside.

Spotify says it pays labels and publishers between $0.006 and $0.0084 per stream, according to Business Insider. And according to the Guardian, they suggest the payment a signed artist with a label, gets only $0.001128. www.theedgelb.com

“You’d have to play our album 240 times for us to get $3. It’s great for the consumer and fans of music, because it gives you access to so much music for really cheap,” Schoepf says. “You can’t really pick and choose what we do for money, because we just want people to hear our music. That’s really all we care about, connecting with people through our music. If we’re not on Spotify we’re missing a huge chunk of people who can listen to us, become our fans, and become our friends.”

With constant touring and only being home for a few weeks at a time, it’s hard to find a job that will support that much time off.

Luckily for most of the members of the band, they make it work. Ramos works at Steelhead Coffee and an after-school program, and Sturz works at Easter Seals helping disabled adults; meanwhile Schoepf is learning ropes becoming a photographer. But to every member of the Hearts Like Lions, the band is their day job.

“It’s just sticking it through and not being like ‘Sorry guys, I gotta quit, I have bills to pay.’

But saying ‘Alright, I can go without a phone for these next two months,’ because I know that it will pay off in the end,” Schoepf says.

Hearts Like Lions is expecting a new record to be released this fall, with 10 songs. Schoepf says the album has influences from bands like Young The Giant, Bad Suns, and the Local Natives.

“The new album is the next logical musical step for Hearts Like Lions – musically, lyrically, and emotionally,” Schoepf says. “We’re maturing as a band and you can tell we did with this new album.”

| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 |

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Sunday afternoons at 2:00pm Talks with the Maestro at 1:00pm in BP Hall Cool concerts filled with your favorite music

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| JULY 27 - AUGUST 2, 2016 | www.theedgelb.com