The October/November 2025 issue of the Riversider Magazine
Riverside’s underground Punk rock, hardcore & ska scene
The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa’s Festival of Lights
Día de los Muertos isn’t just an event; it’s a celebration of culture, community, and spirit. Each November, Riverside hosts its Día de los Muertos celebration, a community-driven festival that highlights Riverside’s deep cultural roots. This celebration, organized by Cosme Cordova and numerous local artists and community leaders, fills the streets of Downtown’s Arts & Culture District with tradition and heritage. The event features traditional music, beautifully crafted colorful altars, and captivating dance performances, all paying homage to the Mexican tradition of honoring loved ones who have passed.
Just as the seasons seamlessly transition, so does Riverside. Come mid-November, the region’s iconic holiday spectacle will come alive for the next six weeks! The legendary Mission Inn Hotel & Spa’s Festival of Lights will bring millions of twinkling lights, an ice-skating rink, seasonal treats, and live music for all to enjoy.
We invite you to mark your calendars and experience Riverside’s cultural traditions and holiday magic this season.
Inland Exposures
The Riversider | October/November 2025
WHO DO VOODOO WE DO?? Hometown heroes, the Voodoo Glow Skulls, headlined this year's Riverside Art & Music Festival at White Park in late September. Photo by Jesse Lopez
A young Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 when they were originally called "Blink," performing at the Showcase Theatre in 1996. Photo by Mike Moriatis
Blumenthal & Moore, Inland Southern California’s pre-eminent criminal defense firm, is devoted exclusively to the defense of the accused.
The firm’s trial-tested attorneys handle a range of criminal matters, from simple to complex. They are often retained in difficult cases, and defend people from all walks of the community.
In every case, the client benefits from a team approach. By combining their expertise, the attorneys at Blumenthal & Moore bring more than 100 years of legal experience to every case, providing each client with the best possible defense.
Virginia Blumenthal, Jeff Moore, Brent Romney and Heather Green all contribute unique strengths and perspectives, along with thorough knowledge of the court system in Riverside and San Bernardino counties. Mr. Moore and Mr. Romney are tough former prosecutors who put their experience to work in defending cases, while Ms. Green has a passion for defending those with mental health disorders – prioritizing justice for everyone, regardless of mental health status.
Founding attorney Virginia Blumenthal, known for opening the first female-owned law firm in the region, has been named one of the Top 100 trial lawyers in the United States by the National Trial Lawyers. Over time, she has received a long list of awards for her courtroom excellence and volunteer service in the community.
Most recently, Ms. Blumenthal was named Best Lawyer in the Inland Empire by Inland Empire Magazine (2024); received a Champions for Justice Award from the Fair Housing Council of Riverside County (2023); received the Civil Rights Law Giant Award from the Riverside County NAACP Youth Council (2023); and received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Corona Chamber of Commerce (2023).
Also in 2023, the team at Blumenthal & Moore received the Small Business Eagle Award from the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce – an honor that reflects a culture of excellence, experience and nearly five decades of commitment to clients.
(951) 682-5110
3993 Market Street
Riverside, CA 92501
blumenthallawoffices.com
Love Letter to Riverside
Our lives are so tightly intertwined with the music scene that was the underground heartbeat of Riverside in the 90s. It’s how we all met, Zach, Ken, and I (Alondra). Although we went to different high schools, we were pulled into the same circle by our now editor, Ken Crawford. He was cool with some of my friends from Poly, and before we knew it, we became quick buddies.
An odd couple for sure, Ken and I cruised around in my large work van that would be packed with skaters, and off we would go. To take them to whatever skate spot was on deck for the night or to anywhere playing music.
Hardcore, punk, and ska were the music of choice, and we tried to go to shows every week. I was small and brave, but mouthy and loved going to shows with Ken because he is a friendly giant, so I felt safe. So safe that I was comfortable jumping into pits filled with grown ass men churning with a sonic energy you could feel in your soul. He always watched out for me, made sure I didn’t get trampled, and that was practically a full time job!
It was Ken that introduced me to Zach who became my husband and partner. Our fondness for the underground music scene truly brought
us together. Going to shows weekly and witnessing the burgeoning community develop into a major music scene gave us so much life experience, so many amazing moments that truly shaped who we are today.
For Zach, it was all centered around photography. It was where he first used his camera and discovered his love of documenting live music. He used his camera to get into shows and practically risked life and limb to document Riverside’s hardcore scene.
While in high school, Zach converted his home bathroom into a darkroom. He developed film and made prints that were used by bands for album artwork, promo photos, and show flyers.
Zach is very grateful to 98 Posse’s legendary promoter, Bill Fold. Zach would walk up to the UCR Barn box office and Bill would have a wristband ready to grant him access to photograph the many bands that performed in the 90s. All the countless hours sweating in front of the stage helped Zach develop his skills as a music photojournalist and led to his successful career.
This is why we are so thrilled to highlight
Riverside’s 90s music scene in this issue. We start by presenting the history and background of the people and venues that made it all happen, like Spanky’s, The UCR Barn and, of course everyone’s favorite, the Showcase Theatre. Paying homage to these icons, homegrown Riversiders Zach and Ken have curated the most amazing photography and memorabilia exhibition at the Riverside Art Museum.
The show’s opening reception is on Thursday, November, 6-9pm during Art Walk. It will be free for all ages! The show will run through April 12 and should take us all back to our roots worth exposing the younger generations to.
We are so excited to share this very personal exhibit and look forward to seeing you at the reception!
Shelter at the UCR Barn in 1996.
Fishbone at the Barn, 1998.
All of these images will be on display at the 60 Miles East exhibition.
John Riley Dixon, Jesse Lopez, Audrey Maier, Mike Moriatis, Taso Papadakis
Special Thanks:
Kaitlin Bilhartz, Patricia Lock Dawson, Philip Falcone, Evelyn Cordner, Jack Amarillas, The Standerfer Family, Amber Lussier, Leslee Gaul, H. Vincent Moses, PHD, Lucia Winsor, Riverside Museum, Mark from Riverside and all of our advertisers.
Distribution
Kimo Figueroa, Abijah Hensley Dedicated to the memory of Aaron Schmidt 1972-2022
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Riverside's Finest
Remembering Vicky Tafoya
We knew that when we saw Vicky perform at the Farmhouse Collective on May 10 that she was in pain. We didn’t know that it was the last time she would perform.
She was moving slowly and using a cane and talked about being exhausted, but she never showed it in her voice. She was a true master of her own voice and commanded a crowd as well as anyone, bar none. In another era she would have been a household name when being excellent was enough.
That performance captured everything essential about Vicky as an artist: the way she could transcend physical limitations through sheer force of will and an unwavering commitment to her craft. But for those who knew her, it also revealed something deeper about who she was as a person.
Jello Biafra of Alternative Tentacles Records, speaking at Vicky’s memorial service, put it perfectly when he described her transformation from someone who was “painfully shy” in the early days to the commanding presence she became.
“By then, she had willed herself into this larger than life persona…she was drop dead gorgeous, and she knew it. That smile is what everyone from Marilyn Monroe on down wishes they had,” he said.
“The minute she walked in a room, you knew she was there,” Biafra continued. “But what made Vicky remarkable wasn’t just her presence. It was how she wielded it.” As Biafra observed, “It was about then I realized…what was the voice, the rest of it was will.”
That will, that conscious decision to transform herself into the performer she became, was matched only by her genuine care for others.
Biafra recalled watching her give someone a makeover at a record fair.
“There’s Vicky with her hair stuff, teasing Anne Marie’s hair, giving her a makeover… she said she had never felt so pretty in her life,” he said.
Vicky wanted to talk about her flower hair decorations as much as her music. She was exceptional, she was a superstar, but she also made you feel like an old friend even if you’d only had a few short conversations. People who can control a crowd from the stage must master more than their craft. They also have to be hypnotists—they have to be able to get to your souls with just a glance.
That same gift she had that made you feel like she was singing to you is the same gift that made you feel like an old friend chatting on the couch at the Penrose Record Room. Whether commanding hundreds from the stage or talking records on the sofa, she brought that same authentic connection to every interaction.
“She would not even leave her front door until her hair was done and her lashes were on,” Biafra remembered, capturing her perfectionism. But it wasn’t vanity, it was understanding that every element mattered in creating that connection with her audience.
In his eulogy, Biafra offered this beautiful vision: “There’s Vicky singing with that beautiful pitch-perfect voice with the angels. But those of us who knew her understand that wherever she is now, she’s probably making the angels feel like old friends too, sharing stories about her flowers while commanding heaven’s stage with that voice that could reach straight through to your soul.”
WORDS: KEN CRAWFORD PHOTO: ZACH CORDNER
Mount Rubidoux
R I V E R S I D E C A F R E E P u m p k i n P a t c h R I V E R S I D E C A F R E E P u m p k i n P a t c h
F R E E P U M P K I N S
F O O D A N D G A M E S A R T S & C R A F T S F R E E P U M P K I N S
F O O D A N D G A M E S A R T S & C R A F T S
MOLLY & CHRISTIAN GURROLA THE MOTHER SON TE AM
Hidden Gem: Performing Arts at UC Riverside
Two shows, endless energy at UC Riverside
Korean dance and comedic Dracula shine in this season’s must-see performances.
Global Dance and Hilarious Theatre in Two Standout Fall Productions
If you’re ready for unforgettable nights of creativity and community, look no further than UC Riverside’s fall performing arts season. These aren’t just shows; they’re opportunities to support culture, laughter, and connection right here in Riverside.
NORRI
Choreographer DaEun Jung brings Korean folk dance to life in NORRI, weaving traditional movement with pansori (Korean folk opera), Western opera, and pulsing electronic beats. “Norri” means “play.” The piece is playful, powerful, and deeply rooted in heritage while bursting with contemporary energy.
The Asian-American and Korean-American communities in Riverside will especially treasure this performance, but it’s truly for anyone who loves innovative dance and intercultural art. Produced in collaboration with Los Angeles Performance Practice, the shows will have limited seats available.
This intimate experience will sell quickly, so don’t wait to get your tickets.
DRACULA: A COMEDY OF TERRORS
Prefer your theatre with dark humor and a little bite? Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors reimagines Bram Stoker’s classic with quick costume changes, witty wordplay, and over-the-top fun. Think Mel Brooks meets Monty Python, but with fangs.
Perfect for families, teens, and anyone who loves clever comedy, this fast-paced romp will keep audiences laughing all night. Seating is first-come, first-served, so plan to arrive early and save your seats.
WHY JOIN US?
These aren’t just performances; they’re moments of cultural connection that ripple beyond the stage. Whether you’re a student, faculty member, alumnus, or a neighbor — this is your chance to step inside the theatre and feel art come alive.
Tickets are modestly priced, but truly limited. Come celebrate creativity with us!
PHOTO: TASO PAPADAKIS
Performing Arts
Performing
Performing
Contemporary Authors, Music, Theatre and Dance
Powerful live performances at UC Riverside
If you’re ready for unforgettable nights of creativity and community, UC Riverside’s fall performing arts season has two can’t-miss events: NORRI and Dracula: A Comedy of Terrors. These aren’t just shows; they’re opportunities to support culture, laughter, and connection locally in Riverside.
DISCOVER PROMISING NEW TALENT AT UC RIVERSIDE. Located in the heart of the Inland Empire, UCR is home to emerging new talent in dance, music, theatre, and creative writing. Ticket purchase and details for the following events can be found at performingarts.ucr.edu
Riverside Community Players
Nestled behind Riverside Community Hospital on 14th Street and Brockton Avenue resides the home of Riverside Community Players (RCP), an independent theater group that has been in operation since 1925.
While its modest facade may go unnoticed to some passers-by, it has been a vital source of family entertainment and provided a platform
for creativity and expression long before Riverside was known as the “City of Arts and Innovation.” RCP proudly celebrates its 101st season in the 2025-2026 season, and thanks to the support and dedication of its patrons, cast members and staff, it is sure to celebrate many more years to come.
Founded in 1925 by local actress Janet Scott, RCP’s first two seasons were held at the Women’s
Club, then the historic Loring Building on Mission Inn Avenue and Main Street before moving between various locations throughout Riverside including The Golden State Theater, Central Middle School, and Riverside City College. By the early 1950s, the company decided it was time to have a space of their own. With the help of generous contributions and community support, construction of their 14th Street location was completed in 1953 and has remained its home for over 70 years.
The 182-seat facility is complete with dressing rooms, storage areas for costumes and accessories, an office space, green room, a construction area for in-house props, and a production room overlooking the audience and stage. Its exterior features an outdoor patio area and a “walk of fame” at the theater’s entrance where dozens of actors, board members, and supporters have been commemorated with their hand prints and signatures embedded in the concrete sidewalk dating as far back as its opening in 1953.
One of the facility’s most unique features is its “Theater in the Round,” or “Arena Seating” configuration in which the stage is located in the center of the room with the audience seated 360 degrees around it. While this style of theater gained popularity at the time of its construction, it has since become extremely rare, with only two other theaters of its kind still in operation in southern California today.
Although this setting provides a truly unique
WORDS: MANO MIRANDÉ
Actors rehearsing a new production for Riverside Community Players' 101st season.
experience to its audience, it also presents a number of challenges when planning productions.
“There’s always going to be a time when your back is to the audience as an actor," Lynne Ennis, RCP Vice President, explained. "We have to plan it so you’re not standing in one place for too long and our patrons know that. It also holds true for set design. We can’t build construction that blocks the audience’s view, so it’s challenging for actors,
directors, and technical staff when it comes to interpreting a script.”
Ennis, who first graced RCP’s stage in 1968 at only fifteen years old, has directed ten productions and acted in numerous plays over her nearly 60 year career.
“We have a nine member board. It’s an elected board, and we’re a membership based organization, so our members elect the board and they’re
typically for three year terms,” she explained. “We’re all volunteers, and we all have a variety of expertise, but all of us are also actors.”
A typical season at RCP features an average of five shows in their “Main Stage Series,” and two “Family Series” shows geared towards a younger audience and cast. In order to fulfill the many roles required for each production, RCP holds open auditions on Sunday and Monday
One of RCP's first performances in 1925.
Importance of being Ernest, 1950
Community
The Riversider | October/November 2025
evenings consisting of “cold readings” of the script.
“We really strive to put the right person in the role that they fit,” Ennis said. “It’s an eight week commitment, five weeks of rehearsals and three weeks of performances, so it takes a chunk out of your life, and most people have day jobs.”
Despite the demanding commitment required of cast members, “Our auditions, especially lately,
have been really well attended, and that I have to credit the board with because we’re doing plays that people want to do,” Ennis said. “Our 100th season was completely made up of shows we’ve done throughout our 100 year history based on audience input and board decisions. This year’s theme is that we’re doing shows we’ve never done before, so actors are interested in the shows and they want to do it.”
The 101st season kicked off in late August with “Towards Zero,” a murder mystery from a recently discovered script by Agatha Christie. On Halloween night they will debut an “Addams Family Musical” followed by their annual production of “A Christmas Carol” in December, featuring a different director’s unique interpretation of the holiday classic every year.
In 2026, the season will continue with a production of “Alice in Wonderland” as part
of their Family Series, as well as several award winning plays such as “Clybourne Park,” “Into the Breeches,” and “The Cottage.” Productions run over a three week period with shows on Friday and Saturday evenings and afternoon matinees on Sundays and the last Saturday of the series. They offer reasonable ticket prices averaging $20 per show, as well as $75 season passes and senior discounts. Amid ongoing construction and expansion of Riverside Community Hospital, RCP also offers free parking and shuttle services to its guests.
Riverside is fortunate to have such a unique performance group and theater in the heart of the city. RCP’s DIY ethic and ability to create and sustain an outlet for creativity for over 100 years is proof that passion and love for your craft can result in lasting success.
“We’ve had people that have had season tickets for decades, and they still come,” Ennis said. “It’s the support of our patrons and the devotion and dedication of the volunteers that work in the shows that have helped us continue on.”
For more information on Riverside Community Players please visit riversidecommunityplayers. com or follow on Instagram @riversidecommunityplayers
Gigi, 1983
Riverside’s De Anza Theater & It's Punk Rock History
WORDS: JOHN RILEY DIXON “RIVERSIDE’S PLUMBER”
The De Anza Theater opened on June 6, 1939, with a screening of Young Mr. Lincoln starring Henry Fonda. For decades, it served as a neighborhood movie house, a place where families and kids made memories. My own mother still recalls seeing Snow White there in the 1960s. Today, the building houses Clark’s Nutrition, but for a brief stretch of time in the 1980s, it was one of the first community hubs for punk rock in Riverside.
Decline of Downtown Riverside By the mid-20th century, downtown Riverside was in steep decline. Suburban shopping centers like the Plaza and the Hartford Center drew shoppers away. The historic Mission Inn closed as a hotel in 1968 and was converted into low-income housing. The Fox Theater walled off part of its interior and became an adult cinema, “The Pussycat Theater.” Businesses closed, foot traffic dried up, and the De Anza struggled to keep its doors open. Searching
for revenue, the owners began renting the stage out to promoters for live music: country, rock, new wave, and punk.
Stan Warrick and the First Wave of Punk Promoter Stan Warrick became the catalyst. On March 9, 1984, he booked the Circle Jerks, paired with Riverside legends White Flag. Warrick quickly brought other legendary acts to the Inland Empire: M.I.A., Jody Foster’s Army, 45 Grave, Stalag 13,
Channel 3, and more. The De Anza became an all-ages space where punks could gather. Warrick had a few staff, but most of the labor came from kids who volunteered in exchange for tickets and backstage access.
One of them, Rich Peterson, recalled: “We met before the first Circle Jerks show. I helped out with the flyers from the very beginning passing them out at North High, the Tyler Mall, the Plaza,
The De Anza in 1939.
The Riversider | October/November 2025
even on the bus. I felt privileged to work with Stan. I was the only one allowed to have a camera; anyone else, the bouncers would smack it out of their hand. I looked up to Stan. He was bringing punk to Riverside.”
Peterson wrote a scene report in the independent publication Public Enemy which captured Warrick’s tenure at the De Azna.
Warrick’s time there was hallmarked with vandalism and destruction. Peterson describes to me in more detail the extent of the damages.
“People would kick the pipes in the restrooms, flooding them out. The two first rows of seats were ripped out to make a pit, kids would get into drunken brawls in the parking lot, often with bands watching from the side lines cheering them on.”
By June 1984, the owners had had enough and halted punk shows, preferring safer audiences.
Punk’s Return: 1985 and Beyond
But punk wasn’t gone for long. In August 1985, the Circle Jerks returned with White Flag, this time under Casa Tanka Records and S & J Productions. Just months later, Goldenvoice brought the Dead Kennedys to the De Anza (October 11, 1985).
Eric VonArab who was there recalled the chaos:
“By the time Love Canal went on, the bands were already drinking. I went on stage and said, ‘Let’s get drunk and f*** this place up.’ I didn’t mean literally, but by the third song, kids were ripping out seats and tearing down curtains. I begged them to stop, told them they were ruining their own scene. The owner was livid… hey, I tried.”
The De Anza would sporadically host punk shows into the late 1980s, with bands like T.S.O.L. and Suicidal Tendencies, though by then the acts were more mainstream and drew a different kind of crowd. In 1990 the theater finally closed, later becoming the Clark’s Nutrition we know today.
Legacy
Though its time as a punk venue was brief, the De Anza left a lasting imprint. Many of the kids who went to those shows carried the fire into
Riverside’s next wave of venues like Spanky’s Cafe and the UCR Barn.
Chris Vigil of Spiderworks remembered: “Fortunately, when the De Anza stopped having shows, Spanky’s was just getting started. Young musicians like me, who cut our teeth at those early De Anza shows, had a place to play when we finally got our own bands together.”
The De Anza’s punk chapter may have been short, but it was a vanguard for the Riverside underground scene.
Follow @riversidesplumber for more unique info about Riverside’s past
Meet Your Local Artist
Presented by Eastside Arthouse
Written Chris Menezes
Photographed by Juan Navarro
Riversider
Natali Rosas: The Breakingly Beautiful
Under Natali Rosas’ hands, broken objects become whole again. What others might discard, she transforms into something luminous and alive. Her art isn’t about perfection. It’s about finding beauty in the pieces—and reclaiming her own story.
“ART GAVE ME MY VOICE BACK”
Natali has been creating since childhood. Moving often—across Los Angeles— art was the constant that grounded her. By eight, she was drawing and painting; by twelve, she was teaching her friends. “I always wanted to be an art teacher,” she says.
That dream carried her into college, though school was never a straight line. Just as she was finishing in 2015, Natali gave birth to her daughter, Xyla. At six months, Xyla suffered a medical crisis that left her without sight, hearing, or mobility. Doctors said she might not live past five. Today, she’s ten. “She’s been through hell and back, but she’s my world,” Natali says. “Both of my daughters, Xyla and Gaea, are my inspiration.”
Facing overwhelming medical costs, Natali pivoted from art, earned a business degree and, with her thenhusband, built an air duct cleaning company from the ground up. But as her daughter’s health struggles mounted, her marriage unraveled. “One of my pieces, a Frida, filled with disassembled items, reflected life married with him—it was a struggle,” she says. “I hibernated for two years, couldn’t talk to family or friends.”
Returning to art gave her the strength to leave. “Finishing a piece gives me this extraordinary sense of pride and empowerment,” she explains. Shortly after, a close friend introduced Natali to artist Juan Navarro. He believed in her, supported her, and connected her with Eastside Arthouse, where she found a sense of community she had long been missing. “When I’m with them, I’m in my element,” she says. “I am proud to be living in Riverside—I’ve finally found my home.”
Natali’s work was recently featured at The Cheech, a milestone that reflects how far she’s come. Today, she paints in oils and acrylics, takes commissions, and builds intricate works from salvaged materials—each piece carrying part of her story. “People call it trash art, but to me, it’s salvaged goods. It’s about finding beauty in what others overlook.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to use art to create healing spaces for survivors of domestic violence and parents of children with special needs. “Art gave me my voice back,” she says. “I want it to empower others too.”
Resilient and deeply personal, Natali’s work is proof that even broken pieces can shine.
EASTSIDE ARTHOUSE
4177 Park Avenue
www.eastsidearthouse.studio
@eastsidearthouse
Miles East
A new exhibition at Riverside aRt Museum featuring Riverside ’ s underground Punk Rock, Hardcore and Ska scene from the late 1980s to early 2000s
60 Miles East is the story of Riverside from the perspective of two local kids who bonded over skateboarding and hardcore music in the early 1990s. They reconnected three decades later to document the scene that shaped them.
Ken Crawford and Zach Cordner first crossed paths in the hallways of Poly High School. They spent weekends at shows at backyard parties and in sweaty venues, collecting photocopied flyers, and discovering bands that would never make it onto MTV or commercial radio. Zach carried cameras to document what they witnessed, capturing the energy of live performances and the community that formed around the music. Ken served as chauffeur and provided a home base. His parents’ house became a place for listening to records and planning trips to shows.
WORDS: KEN CRAWFORD
They were building an archive and the relationships that would prove important later. The photographs Zach captured during those years became the foundation for understanding how a community functioned before social media, before the internet made scenes instantly visible to the outside world. These images document authentic moments caught, not constructed. The immediacy of film photography reflected the immediacy of discovering music through friends, record stores, and hand-copied flyers.
Ken’s role proved equally crucial. The rides to shows, the gathering space, the network of relationships that made exploration possible. Every scene needs its connectors, the people who make things happen by bringing others together.
Three decades later, they reconnected as
Editor and Publisher of Riversider Magazine. During conversations about covering Riverside’s cultural landscape, they kept returning to those formative years when the city’s underground music scene felt electric with possibility. They realized they had the contacts, the archives, and the perspective to document that era properly.
Riverside sat at the eastern edge of suburban sprawl in the 1990s. Any further east and you were in genuine wilderness: Joshua Tree, desert, mountains. Los Angeles and Orange County had their underground music scenes, close enough to feel the pull but far enough away that making the drive for every show wasn’t practical for teenagers with limited transportation and pocket money.
So Riverside did its own thing, wearing the outsider badge with pride. We’re not from LA. We
Strife at The Showcase Theatre,
don’t live by the beach. We’re from the smog and the heat, sixty miles east.
This distance created space for something distinct to emerge, free from the expectations of established scenes. Riverside’s underground developed its own venues, its own ethics, its own way of supporting bands and building community. The exhibition documents this specific cultural moment when geographic isolation fostered creative independence, and when a community of young people created lasting institutions that would influence music culture far beyond city limits.
THE SANCTUARIES
SPANKY’S
& THE SHOWCASE THEATRE
The thriving all-ages music scene in 1990s Riverside is largely possible because of downtown restaurant owner Ezzat Soliman.
Spanky’s began with bands playing on the round stage outside City Hall, earning tips from passersby. When Ezzat approached them about moving inside his restaurant and splitting door money, what emerged became one of the most important venues in West Coast punk history.
Ezzat Soliman died in June 2025 as we prepared
The Showcase packed like sardines for an Assorted Jelly Beans show.
Lining up at Showcase in the late 1990s.
MIKE MORIATIS
this exhibition. His passing reminds us that this story looks very different without his involvement. When you scour the dozens of tributes on social media, the comment sections overflow with a common theme: Ezzat created a place where all felt welcome, where outcasts found refuge, where people who may not have had success at school or nurturing family lives could find a place where they fit.
His family’s cooperation has been crucial to what we are doing here, helping us preserve not just the history but the spirit of what made these spaces special. His involvement in punk may not have been intentional, but that doesn’t diminish its importance.
But the sanctuary couldn’t last in its original location. When the Mission Inn was purchased and prepared for reopening, Riverside’s redevelopment agency envisioned a downtown that would attract high-end tourists for elegant evenings. This vision couldn’t coexist with the reality of where young people were gathering at clubs like Attitudes (a dance club) and Spanky’s.
The displacement forced Spanky’s to relocate to Corona, where it became the Showcase Theatre. What might have seemed like a setback instead positioned the venue within the broader regional network that made the Inland Empire scene possible. Rather than just serving local Riverside bands, Showcase became a premier all-ages destination that drew touring acts from across the world from the mid-90s until the early 2000s.
Ken Stansbury describes how different scenes functioned as “gears that came together to make the overarching scene, like a watch.” Each area had its own character. “Each scene was helping to promote, and then Spanky’s hit... they were all gears, multibands within those scenes, and each scene was helping to promote.”
Spanky's during lunchtime in the late 1980's.
Moshpit inside Spanky's
Voodoo Glow Skulls performing in 1990 at Spanky's with their original roadie Paul Chavez.
Ezzat
Soliman
THE 98 POSSE STORY
Promoter Bill Fold and 98 Posse turned friendship into a sustainable career model. What started as friends throwing warehouse parties in the late 1980s evolved into one of the most influential promotion crews in punk rock history. Bill’s approach was revolutionary in its simplicity: treat bands fairly, keep shows all-ages, and maintain the relationships that made it all possible.
The name itself comes from Public Enemy. In their early records, Public Enemy’s crew referenced driving “98s” (Oldsmobile 98’s) instead of the typical Cadillacs that other hip-hop crews favored. Bill was into both cars and Public Enemy at the time, adopting the name from lyrics like “my 98s tough to chase.”
“I was like, they can’t do anything with 98 if it’s not all ages,” Bill recalled. The all-ages policy was non-negotiable. The crew’s commitment to accessibility extended beyond door policy. “I just always tried to do right by everybody, tried to always, you know, overpay when possible, if we oversold, we tried to overpay.”
The UCR Barn became their primary venue. The Barn is older than the campus itself and has
been a place where students gather through many different iterations over the years. For most of the 1990s, 98 Posse booked the Barn several nights a week, and its presence had a huge impact on the Riverside scene. Ironically, many UCR students had no idea what was going on there because it wasn’t around any housing or places where students spent their evenings. The Barn is still there but almost unrecognizable from the 98 Posse days since its major renovations.
The 98 Posse crew were made up of a group of kids from Riverside and Moreno Valley that were into skateboarding, music and general troublemaking. Eventually Travis Barker started to hang around helping around the office and working shows. Travis would listen to all the band demo tapes, making piles of which acts should get shows and which shouldn’t. “That was his job... all the incoming bands, he would make a pile of ‘we should put these guys on shows, these guys are great.’” according to Fold.
When Travis left the Aquabats for Blink-182, the friendship endured despite some initial tension. Bill had advised Travis to take the Blink opportunity over the Suicide Machines, Travis’ favorite band
at the time. The same ethics that governed those early Barn shows scaled up as the crew grew with Goldenvoice, eventually producing some of the biggest music festivals in the world including the Coachella Music & Arts Festival.
This wasn’t just business development. It was friendship as a career path. Some of the 98 Posse members are still working Goldenvoice concerts over three decades later, having figured out how to turn hanging out with their friends into a job that lasted a lifetime.
The extensive flyer routes became legendary. Bill and Art Moreno would load up the “Persian Golf” —a blue VW Golf car bought from Ken Smith—and methodically hit every record store, skate shop, and youth hangout from Riverside to LA. “It was like military-precision operations that ensured maximum scene penetration,” as Bill described it.
They operated differently from other promoters who used pay-to-play models where bands had to sell tickets to their friends or forfeit equipment. Bill understood, “Because I was inside of it. I was already there... I was at these shows with these guys, whether they were playing or not.”
Travis Barker at his original Famous Stars & Straps store in Riverside, 1999.
98 Posse's Bill Fold with No Doubt, backstage at the Barn, 1998.
Local hardcore band Burial at the Barn, 1996. ZACH
Many of the relationships forged through 98 Posse endure decades later. The model they created challenged the typical music industry approach. Instead of viewing success as a ladder to climb away from origins, they built something that allowed them to grow while maintaining connections to the community and values that started it all. The endurance of those relationships demonstrates something distinct about the Riverside approach to scene building.
TREASURE MAPS
Hand-drawn directions to shows, addresses scrawled on napkins. Misspelled street names,
not to scale, but they got you there. Photocopied flyers with venue info that might or might not be right. Half the adventure was finding the place.
Before cell phones, before the internet, before GPS, the punk scene operated on faith and hand-drawn maps. The romance of uncertainty drove the experience. Information traveled through photocopied flyers, directions written on whatever was handy, and word-of-mouth instructions that always seemed to include phrases like “turn at the big tree” or “it’s behind the auto parts store.”
Directions would be scrawled on notebook paper, the back of other flyers, sometimes directly on your hand with a ballpoint pen. Street names
were frequently misspelled. Maps weren’t to scale. But somehow, you’d find your way to the warehouse in Ontario, the community center in Corona or the backyard in Moreno Valley.
The effort required to find shows created investment in the experience. By the time you finally arrived, having decoded the directions and navigated the back roads, you were already part of something. This wasn’t just about logistics. It was about creating community through shared effort. When everyone had to work to find shows, everyone was invested in making sure they happened. 98 Posse perfected the art of information distribution with their legendary flyer routes. The
Before the internet and GPS, we all depended on these crudely-drawn maps on flyers to find the shows.
“Persian Gulf” car would be loaded with boxes of flyers, and Bill and Art would spend entire days methodically hitting every record store and skate shop from Riverside to LA. “We had a flyer route car... and to be part of these shows, we all flyer, we all go do the flyer route.”
The flyers themselves were works of art and information design, cramming band names, venue details, age policies, and ticket prices into spaces the size of index cards. They were proof you’d been there, evidence of a scene worth documenting. The best ones became collectible, trading hands long after the shows they advertised.
Bill Fold mentions how the flyer route was crucial to their success: “The flyer route was a major part of a face and personality, and the genuineness of who we were. We listened to the music, we liked the music, we knew the bands. We hung out with the bands and we were at the shows.”
These treasure maps represented something larger than navigation tools. They were proof that scenes existed, that communities were building, that something important was happening sixty miles east of the center of everything. The physical act of following hand-drawn directions connected people to a larger network of kids creating their own entertainment, their own cultural spaces, their own rules about what mattered.
THE SCRIBES (DON’T F*** YOUR PRINTER)
“The first thing I told Mike and Shale when they started Mean Street,” recalled Ken Stansbury. “Don’t f*** your printer. Ever. You miss press time because you’re not ready? Too bad. You roll with what you have. Your credibility depends on consistency.”
In the pre-internet world, this wasn’t just practical advice. It was survival doctrine. Fanzines
printed at Kinko’s at 2am, stapled by hand, distributed at shows. Without these documents, some of us wouldn’t remember any of it. The writers who made sure the scene had a voice and photographers who hold the visual record of the era.
Ken Stansbury hosted poetry readings at Aroma Cafe (where Gram’s Mission Barbecue is now) from 1985-1988. “They were great. It was when you could smoke inside. They served beer. It was a great coffee house.” Some of the punk bands would do stripped-down, unplugged versions at these readings. “And that was finally cut short after about five or six months when a pit started.”
Mean Street Magazine started a year after Spanky’s opened, when Mike Halloran and Shale approached Ken through an introduction by Mark Goldstein. Ken consulted for six months initially, then stayed longer when they expanded.
The magazine shared office space with 98 Posse, with designer Mike Roccio serving as the visual bridge between the magazine and the promotion crew. Roccio taught Bill Fold computer design skills while helping establish Mean Street’s professional appearance that set it apart from typical zines.
“Mean Street had what was called ‘other side of the street.’ It didn’t have classifieds, and in the very back it had poetry. So some of the punk poets were submitting their poetry for Mean Street,” Ken said. “And there were nights at Spanky’s where poets would get up and read between bands.”
Stansbury understood the broader cultural context: “There was a community ethic that still permeates even now... it was more genuine, right? And it was DIY, and there was a community ethic.”
Magazines like Mean Street, Skratch, and Factor X formed the nervous system of underground music scenes nationwide, connecting isolated pockets of punk, ska, and hardcore across geographic distances that felt impossible to teenagers without reliable transportation. Mean Street’s larger format and professional distribution set it apart from photocopied zines stapled at kitchen tables. While smaller publications documented shows and championed local bands, Mean Street provided legitimacy that venue owners, record labels, and touring bands recognized.
The magazine ran ads for Goldenvoice, 98 Posse, Showcase, and other promoters, creating a shared calendar that helped scattered fans feel part of something larger. Its consistent monthly schedule meant the Riverside scene had a reliable voice in the broader underground network.
These publications weren’t just documentation, they were community infrastructure. They connected scenes, legitimized venues, and created the shared language that made regional networks possible. Without these printed documents, much of this history would exist only in fading memory and personal collections.
ANCESTOR WORSHIP
There were venues before. Big theaters, bars, nightclubs. The De Anza Theater, Monopoly’s, even the bandshell at Fairmount Park. Most had closed by the time we were old enough to care, and most were rental halls anyway, not the kind of places you build a scene around. Not places where
Seattle hardcore band Botch performing at a Riverside house party in 1996. ZACH
people knew they could show up on a weekend night and see a band of some sort.
The ancestors didn’t wait for permission or proper stages. They didn’t know they were starting something, they just knew they had something to say. Raw energy before anyone told them how it was supposed to sound.
Ken Stansbury describes the early foundation: “Before the quantification of hardcore, reggae, jam bands, you know, you’d have Hari Krishnas... straight edge.” The diversity was key. “You would have these hardcore goths playing with a jam band…or a reggae band. It was a mishmash, and people absolutely soaked it up.”
House parties in orange groves where bands set up Marshall stacks in backyards. The Skeletones, early Voodoo Glow Skulls, and countless bands whose names live only in memory. Equipment failed, vocals were buried, everyone learned by doing. But there was authenticity and urgency that couldn’t be manufactured.
Bill Fold started with warehouse break-in parties in the late 1980s. He found ways to get into empty buildings on Jurupa Ave, mark them with fake business names like “Bob’s Automotive,” and throw shows until the cops inevitably arrived. “We would literally leave with the crowd, complaining about, ‘this is a ripoff!’ This goes back to the days we were fucking with people.”
These weren’t just pranks. They were proving that you could create scenes anywhere, that
official sanction wasn’t required. “I threw a party at Warren and Hans’, they had a house that they got evicted from and they got like a three day notice,” Bill recalled. “So we threw a party on whatever the third day was. It was just like a full rager... And I was like, okay, this is easy.”
The ancestors established that DIY wasn’t just an aesthetic choice, it was the only option if you wanted something to happen in Riverside. These ancestors laid the groundwork, creating the DIY community template that would define Riverside’s approach to underground music. They proved you didn’t need established venues. You could make your own.
The house parties in orange groves weren’t just about music. They were about community building in spaces where mainstream society wasn’t watching. Ken described it, “There was good contained house partying, which you could have great house parties with bands back then, on pieces of land, ‘cause we could do them with Marshalls stacks out in Arlanza and La Sierra.”
THE HEROES
But a few bands ascended to hero status. They proved you could make it without leaving, without compromising. Local legends who showed the rest of us it was possible.
Voodoo Glow Skulls became the ultimate example. From backyard parties to Epitaph Records, touring the world but never stopping being Riverside
guys. They still lived here, supported local shows, treated their success as belonging to the community that supported them.
The Casillas brothers, Frank, Eddie, and Jorge, and their crew went from playing backyard parties to signing with Epitaph Records, touring internationally, and appearing in movies, but they never stopped being Riverside guys. They also owned Cheap Guy Muzak, a record store that served as a DIY music venue and a home for the scene out on the western edge of Riverside.
Bill described his relationship with them, “Frank and Eddie did not trust anybody... Like, they didn’t trust me. I had a hard time with them for a while... It took years before we were cool... But I understood it. They would go around, they had like 30 people in their band, and you get fucked. It’s hard to get to the next spot if you’re not getting what you’re supposed to get.”
Heroes were bands that maintained their integrity, supported other local acts, and proved that they could build a sustainable music career from an Inland Empire base. They showed younger musicians that the choice wasn’t between staying local or selling out. There was a third path that honored both ambition and community.
Other bands achieved different versions of heroism. Some got regular airplay on KROQ. Others built devoted followings that sustained them through decades of touring. A few members went on to join nationally known acts like Travis
Photos from the Voodoo Glow Skulls' first photo shoot in 1990.
Miles East
Barker’s trajectory from local drummer to global celebrity. But the definition of “making it” in Riverside was broader than commercial success.
The heroes were accessible. They would hang out after sets to talk with fans, understanding their success was inseparable from the scene that created them. As Bill noted, “When Hatebreed was coming through, it was like, ‘yo, I heard about
the burrito.’ That was the show.” The Carlos O’Brien’s four-foot burritos became part of punk folklore, with bands specifically requesting them when booking shows at the Barn.
Local legends who proved it was possible while staying rooted in the community that made them. They understood that their success belonged to everyone who had supported them along the
way, and they acted accordingly. This accessibility and community connection distinguished the Riverside heroes from typical rock star behavior, creating a model that influenced how success could look in underground music scenes.
THE CONVERSATION CONTINUES
We understand the limitations of our own experiences and don’t purport to have the complete story of this era. We want 60 Miles East to be a point of coalescence for all of us. The story of what made us different.
60 Miles East is an expanding brand and umbrella for Riverside storytelling. If there’s something you feel we missed, somebody or someplace that is uniquely Riverside that we overlooked, we want to hear it and tell those stories as well. This exhibition is hopefully the first of many under from Sixty Miles East umbrella.
Creating space for Riverside to define itself rather than be defined by others. The Riverside Art Museum gallery exhibition is the first of many projects from 60 Miles East . We want it to be the story of our experiences about what makes us different.
The exhibition 60 Miles East: Riverside’s Underground Punk Rock, Hardcore & Ska scene from the Late 1980s to Early 2000s , will be open to the public from November 1st until April 12th, 2026. The Riverside Art Museum is located at 3425 Mission Inn Avenue.
Please join us for the opening reception on Thursday, November 6 from 6pm-9pm. Admission to RAM is free. For more info please follow @sixtymileseast on Instagram.
Voodoo Glow Skulls dressed as babies for the Barn's annual Halloween show, 1996.
Smokestacks frontman Mark Nemetz looks over photos with 60 Miles East Co-curator Zach Cordner in The Cheech storage room that's holding the items going on display at RAM.
The Riversider | October/November 2025
Building Our Region’s Korean Communities
WORDS: AUDREY MAIER
Driving along Commerce Street in Riverside, what now looks like an unremarkable parking lot was once the site of the first Koreatown in the United States: Pachappa Camp.
Apart from the statue of independence leader Dosan Ahn Chang Ho on Downtown Riverside’s pedestrian mall and a Riverside Point of Cultural Interest sign at 3036 Cottage Street, little on the landscape honors the legacy of early Koreans who traveled over 5,000 miles at the turn of the century in the wake of Japanese colonization of Korea.
How Koreans built a community in Riverside is one of many immigration stories that enrich our region’s history. At the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California (CRIISC) we connect and collaborate with the community to preserve and share little known histories.
Building Our Region's Korean Communities exhibition is on view until November 15 at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California.
JULIAN JOLLIFFE
Korean independence leader Dosan Ahn Chang Ho in a Riverside orange grove.
CRIISC’s new exhibition, Building Our Region’s Korean Communities , presented by Altura Credit Union and opened in collaboration with the Young Oak Kim Center at UCR, shares the incredible, but largely unknown, story of Korean pioneers in our region.
Much of this history was unknown, even to scholars, until Dr. Edward Chang came across a 1908 Sanborn Fire Insurance map. At 1532 Pachappa Avenue the insurance agent wrote “Korean Settlement.” Dr. Edwad Chang had dedicated his life to studying Korean American history but he had no idea this settlement existed. The map opened new research avenues as Dr. Chang scoured the Korean Newspaper Sinhan Minbo, and identified important family archives such as those from Violet Catherine Kim who grew up in Pachappa Camp.
With generous funding from the Mellon Foundation, Dr. Chang and others from the Young Oak Kim Center at UCR created a traveling exhibition that has toured the country. Now it has returned to Riverside at CRIISC where we were able to expand the story even further. What unfolds in the exhibition is a powerful story of how Korean Americans who lived, worked, and advocated for Korean independence from Japan built community networks throughout the Inland Southern California region in places like Riverside, Redlands, Upland, and Claremont. Despite anti-Asian sentiment, Japanese imperial ambitions, and economic hardships they created thriving faith communities, ambitious business ventures, and contributed to the large expatriate efforts to develop an independent government for Korea.
Pachappa Camp was founded in 1905 by Korean independence activist Ahn Chang Ho, known by his pen name Dosan. Dosan was among some of the earliest Koreans to come to the United States. In the late 1800s a few Korean diplomats, students, and ginseng merchants had arrived in the United States. In 1903 the S.S. Gaelic brought 102 Koreans to Honolulu, Hawaii to work in the sugar fields, officially beginning Korean immigration. By 1905, 7,226 Koreans had immigrated to America, arriving before Korea was annexed by Japan in 1910. They made the long and perilous journey to the U.S. for educational, political, and religious freedom and sought to uphold their cultural values and patriotic spirit by forming a strong Korean independence movement in the U.S.
Almost as soon as Dosan arrived in San Francisco in 1902 he dove into interdependence activity, establishing the Chinmoke Hoe (Friendship Society) in 1903 and then moving to Riverside in 1904. Dosan came to Riverside because he had friends in the area but he quickly worked to organize and support those living in the citrus rich city. While in Riverside he founded key organizations to help other members of the Korean community including the Gongnip Hyophe (Cooperative Association), the Korean National Association of North America (KNA), the Korean Labor Bureau, and most importantly, Pachappa Camp.
Likely it was church connections that brought Koreans to Riverside. The Calvary Presbyterian Church was active in missionary work. The original
Above: 1908 Sanborn Fire Insurance map documenting the Korean Settlement. Here: Korean Independence Conference at the Gage Canal, 1911.
Historical Riverside
The Riversider | October/November 2025
parishioner logs from Calvary indicate that Koreans came to Riverside with letters of introduction from American ministers working in Korea. These connections helped the community put down roots quickly.
For instance, Corenalus E. Rumsy, an orange grove owner and business man, was impressed with Dosan’s work ethic and loaned him the $1,500 to start the Korean Labor Bureau. The Korean community paid Rumsy back in a single month. The Korean Labor Bureau helped grow Pachappa Camp as it allowed newly arriving immigrants to find work quickly and thus attracted more people to settle there. Korean workers in Riverside became a crucial part of the citrus industry. Famously, Dosan cautioned his fellow workers to pick each orange with care as if the act itself was for the independence of Korea.
At the height of the citrus harvest Pachappa Camp’s numbers swelled to about 300 men, women, and children. When the Koreans arrived at 1532 Pachappa Camp there were already bunk houses that had been built for Chinese railroad workers but with the leadership of Dosan twenty buildings and a one and a half story community center duplex grew on the site. At this time, many Koreans were present in San Francisco and Los
Angeles but they often lived alongside Chinese and Japanese immigrants and across different parts of the city rather than as a single community.
Pachappa Camp was different, here Koreans built their own settlement which included not just men, but women, and children. Also on the site was a Korean Mission connected to Calvary where they practiced their faith while learning to read, speak, and write in English. Children born in America were taught the Korean language and important cultural knowledge while all Pachappa residents abided by strict community rules. Pachappa Camp became known as Dosan’s Republic and today is recognized as the first Koreatown.
Dosan’s Republic became an important crucible for independence activity. Koreans living in America denounced Japan’s invasion of their country. While the Japanese claimed Koreans were their subjects, members of the Korean National Association (KNA) resisted. They identified as Korean Nationals, people without a country. They fought to be recognized as Koreans and collaborated to build the democratic principles that would one day become the foundation of South Korea’s government.
In Riverside, these democratic principles were forged. In 1911, upon the arrival of Dosan Ahn Chang Ho, the 3rd Korean National Association
of North America held its annual meeting in Riverside. At that crucial meeting, they decided the KNA should function as an “intangible government,” a Korean government in exile that was self-governed. Two years later, the authority of the KNA as a de facto government was tested.
Often workers would travel across Inland Southern California as different crops ripened. In 1913, this set off an international incident. On June 26, eleven Korean workers arrived at Hemet’s train station because they were contracted by Choe Soon-Sung to pick apricots for Hemet ranchers Joseph Simpson and William Wilson. At the station, a mob of white folks confronted them, threatening violence unless they left town. After they were driven out, the townsfolk declared Hemet a “White Man’s Valley” and claimed that residents resented the Korean workers because they threatened children’s ability to “earn pin money” during the fruit harvest.
“The Hemet Incident,” as it was known, became an international affair. At the time, Japanese officials were visiting California, opposing the negative treatment of Japanese Americans. They jumped to defend the Korean workers, claiming them as Japanese subjects. The Korean National Association fired back. Reverend David
Dosan's Korean National Association convention at Pachappa Camp, Riverside, in 1911.
Lee communicated directly with U.S. Secretary of State William Jennings Bryan declaring, “We, the Koreans in America, are not Japanese subjects. … we will never submit to her as long as the sun remains in the heavens … The intervention of the Japanese Consulate General in Korean matters is illegal, so I have the honor of requesting you to discontinue the discussion of this case with the Japanese government representatives.”
Bryan, and by extension the U.S. government, recognized the authority of the Korean National Association to represent Koreans in America and halted the discussions with Japanese officials. After this incident, the identity of Koreans in America was clear. They were Korean Nationals actively engaged in the fight for Korean independence.
In 1913, the same year as the Hemet Incident, a citrus freeze rocked the prosperous citrus belt, ruining fruit and putting citrus pickers out of work. Families looking for employment moved to Dinuba, Reedly, and Willows and by 1918 Pachappa Camp no longer existed.
While Pachappa Camp only survived for thirteen years it leaves an enduring legacy. The same principles that were discussed in the 1911 Korean National Association meeting in Riverside were the beginnings of the current South Korean government that persists today. These stories and others featured in Building Our Region’s Korean Communities remind us to continue looking at our past. New discoveries, like the one made by Dr. Chang might be hiding in plain sight.
Building Our Region’s Korean Communities is on view at the Civil Rights Institute of Inland Southern California until November 15, 2025.
Located at:
3933 Mission Inn Ave. Ste 103
Open Wednesday - Friday 12:00pm - 5:00pm. Tours available upon request.
Tragic Endings Ghostly Meal & Tour
WORDS: ALONDRA FIGUEROA
As a longtime goth girl type, I’ve cruised around the cemeteries in Riverside quite a bit. In the ‘90s, we used to climb up the mountain behind Target and into Olivewood Memorial Park to wander through the gravestones, smoking clove cigarettes with friends. Now those areas are fenced off, but those were wonderful nights.
Today, thanks to a collaboration between Olivewood Memorial Park and The Mission Inn Foundation, you too can tour the cemetery on a dark and dimly lit night. What a thrill to peruse the graves of those who died tragically and honor them once more.
The Tragic Endings, Ghostly Meal and Tour is a genius idea brought to life by Leah Collier, the General Manager of Olivewood Memorial Park. She’d compiled a list of compelling stories and fallen heroes buried within the cemetery gates.
As the Mission Inn Foundation had been doing tours of Olivewood, she naturally approached Jennifer Gamble, president of the foundation, about doing a haunted collaboration. Together with their teams, they devised this wonderful experience that is perfectly timed as we officially enter spooky season.
In chatting with Jennifer, she shared that this tour was thoughtfully planned as a way to remember Riversiders who’ve passed, especially those who were lost tragically. In this particular tour, fallen heroes’ graves will be visited and their names spoken aloud in remembrance. This is to honor the belief that one dies twice…once when you die physically and then again when one’s name is no longer spoken aloud. What an interesting concept that one ceases to truly exist when they are no longer remembered.
Also, very touching is that this tour focuses on those tragically killed in the line of duty while serving the Riverside Community. Several officers
Your tour starts here at the Grace Manor.
are mentioned and their tragic stories told so that we can honor them as they deserve. To further honor our fallen heroes, any gratuity is donated to the Fallen Officers Foundation.
Your haunted evening begins with refreshments and appetizers catered by Inner Pizza. Featuring such delicacies like pumpkin and sage arancini which are risotto balls stuffed with fontina
cheese—delicious! Sfincione, a focaccia-like pizza topped with eggplant caponata. Such a simple yet tasty pizza. There was also braised beef on crispy polenta coins served with fresh horseradish cream, wow! Last but certainly not least was the perfectly themed “Death by Chocolate” opera cake.
All of the yummy food was great, but what
really impressed us was the beautiful setting of the rumored haunted Daniel Battles house on Bandini Street. Now known as Grace Manor, owners Graciela and Mike Patterson graciously donate their home to be part of these tours and we are so glad they did!
As you walk in you’re greeted by Graciela and Mike who are dressed in Victorian attire, motioning you to enter their perfectly manicured backyard that faces their very own graveyard! They love to go all out to decorate their home for the holidays and Halloween is Graciela’s favorite.
Her and Mike rotated taking small groups on a detailed tour of the inside of their gorgeously renovated Victorian home. Upon entering, I felt immediately heavy and lightheaded. As a sensitive, this is often the case when entering old spaces, so I didn’t think much of it. That said, what we captured using Zach’s SLS (Structured Light Sensor) camera system while on tour made it very clear that this house really is haunted and harboring ghosts!
As we walked through, it was evident the owners put much love into renovating this house. Mike did most of the renovating himself, even installing the ornate ceiling tiles found throughout the house, so gorgeous! It was absolutely fabulous in the dining room and we loved the intricate and very detailed decor including creepy skeletons and mannequins. Not to mention the old servants quarters that they’ve turned into an absolutely terrifying doll room. Graciela is extremely detailed
JESSE LOPEZ
Spirits caught in stickfigure form on the SLS camera.
The Dyer crypt at Olivewood.
Murderer William Shimizu buried next to his victim Frank Kojima.
and leaves no nook or cranny untouched! Everywhere you looked, the spirit of Halloween showed through.
At the end of our tour something spectacular happened! As we were walking down the stairs, Zach was sharing with Mike that, when he’d been by the week prior to take photos for the article, he had captured some amazing raw footage of two ghostly apparitions with the SLS camera!
Spirits manifest in many different ways and Mike had told us that a statue had been thrown across the room and then recently another object fell right in front of him. As Zach and Mike joined us at the entrance to the home, Zach captured another large figure at the bottom of the stairs! This spirit depicted by a large stick figure responded to us intelligently by waving when asked to do so as well as shaking its hand or head when the answer was incorrect. This was amazing proof that we were not alone on this haunted tour. Our group was both delighted and frightened, but we all left feeling grateful for the opportunity to interact with the other side.
Next we headed to the Olivewood Memorial Park for the second half of the night, the cemetery tour of Tragic Endings. Once we got there docent of the year and ghostly hostess Patti Koesling started our tour by sharing that it was our goal tonight to breathe some life back into these amazing Riversiders
and share their history. There would be several tragic endings shared, each whose grave was lit by lantern to show us where their actual graves sites were located.
The tour was eerily tragic and quite thorough. It gave us historical information both about Riverside and the heartbreaking ways some of these Riversiders passed.
We heard about fallen heroes like motorcycle officer Clifton Lyle Burtner who was the first Riverside Police officer to lose his life on duty. On the fateful night of November 27, 1938, Officer Burtner was tragically run over by a woman who had been distracted by the glittering holiday lights and, sadly, crashed into Officer Burtner. He was rushed to the hospital, but, after battling eight grueling days, he succumbed to his injuries on December 4, 1938. He was only 45 years old. He was not just a police officer; he was also a devoted father and husband who served his community with pride and joy. Adding to this tragic tale, his widow, Mamie, was left alone to deal with this loss after their son, Cliifton Jr.. Had been killed in a motorcycle accident a few years prior.
Another tragic ending was the story of not only the Dyer family tragedy, but also of the cemetery’s only family crypt. In 1893, Leman Dyer, 21, was on a hunting trip in Arlington Heights with his fifteen year old cousin, Tommy, when Tommy tripped and accidentally shot Leman in the leg. He bravely carried Leman almost a mile to a camp to get help, but sadly it was too late. Mr. Dyer was so distraught from losing his beloved son that he dedicated the only crypt in the cemetery to him and it still stands today.
Truly tragic is the story of the brave young
boy, Ronald Hubbard, who while enjoying a lovely afternoon at Mockingbird Reservoir, saw a woman, her baby, and her young sister drowning in the lake. He rushed in to help save the life of the seven month old baby boy. He brought him safely to shore, but saw the girls were still in trouble as neither could swim. He went back in for them and sadly, they were so scared that they dragged him under and all tragically drowned. This story was so avoidable and so sad!
Another story that caught our attention was about the Rumsey family. In the early 1900s, the Rumseys were a prominent family in Riverside. Cornelius Earle Rumsey made his fortune through a bakery business which he sold to Nabisco. In 1904, he and his wife, Mary, hired a house boy named William Shimizu who cooked, cleaned, and took very good care of them, becoming their most loyal servant for years. He was so trustworthy that they allowed him sleeping quarters in the house. Several years later, the Rumsey’s hired Frank Kojima to be their butler, and this is where the chaos began. William instantly disliked Frank and was very jealous thinking that Mr. Rumsey was spending more time with and giving too much attention to the new young butler.
On April 16, 1907, William asked for a personal day off and rode his bicycle to town to buy a handgun, a new suit, and new shoes. On his way back he sent $150 to an undisclosed person in Japan. When he got back, he hid behind a door and when Frank entered the kitchen, he shot him in the heart.
The next morning, a neighbor saw a bicycle left on his property and discovered William slumped by a tree; he was dead. William had performed the ancient Japanese ritual of Hara-kiri where one kills oneself by disembowelment, in his case using a gun. The Rumsey’s treated both of them with equal respect and laid them both to their final resting place side by side at Olivewood. Oh my gosh! This is sad and the irony of being laid to rest next to the man you killed/killed you is not lost on us. Yikes! What a way to spend eternity.
Overall the Tragic Endings tour was awesome and informative, spooky and dark and definitely worth the price of the $75 ticket for the experience.
Important to note that haunted Grace Manor is available for small private events that include haunted tours of the Victorian home. Graciela is also excited to offer gothic and other themed tea parties on the beautiful property as well. For more information follow their instagram @gracemanor_
The Mission Inn Foundation also wanted to thank Olivewood Memorial Park for donating their time and property for the tours which helps fund the foundation. For those of you who love delving into the dark…there may be some tickets still available for Tragic Ending Ghostly Meal and Tour available on October 11 and October 18. Tickets can be purchased on Eventbrite. This is a nice, creepy eighteen and over event to attend and goes to an even greater cause, so be sure to check it out if you dare.
For more information on the Mission Inn Foundation please visit missioninnmuseum.org and follow on Instagram @missioninn_museum
Docent Patti Koesling leading the tour of Olivewood.
Officer Burtner was the first RPD officer to be killed while on duty in 1938.
Dining: Midtown
The Riversider | October/November 2025
The Outpost
WORDS: MANO MIRANDÉ
PHOTOS: ZACH CORDNER
A welcome addition to Riverside’s family-owned business community is The Outpost, an Italianinspired restaurant located on Sunnyside Drive adjacent to the Riverside Plaza.
Specializing in artisan pizzas and fresh seasonal salads, The Outpost offers a unique dining experience with a relaxed atmosphere and nature-inspired decor that provides a perfect setting from a date night to a casual family dinner.
Its location just steps away from Condron Coffee is no coincidence. Business owner Ryan Condron saw an opportunity for expansion when the space became available in 2022.
“One big complaint with the coffee shop was that we didn’t have enough seating,” he explained. “So, we decided to try an overflow room as a study hall and event space and named it The Condron Outpost.”
Sunnyside Drive has since experienced an impressive revitalization with the addition of several murals as part of the city’s “Beautify Riverside” project and the recent re-branding of the surrounding area as the “Midtown” district. With city officials pushing for more dining and retail options in hopes of bringing new life to the
neighborhood, Ryan decided to convert the space into a restaurant.
Although he has opened several local businesses including an indoor playground facility which also housed the original Condron Brothers Coffee, he had never opened a restaurant. This decision presented a number of challenges, beginning with what type of food options to offer its guests.
“We thought about what was missing in Riverside as far as a good mom and pop style restaurant,” he said. ”Riverside doesn’t have a lot of good options for salads, and my wife is really big on having salad and pizza, so we landed on that.”
The Outpost’s unique take on traditional dishes has been instrumental to its early success since it opened in April 2025.
“We try to keep the menu very curated, with four-to-five options of pizzas, salads, and appetizers,” Ryan said. “Sometimes you go to a restaurant and they hand you a book, and it can be overwhelming. So, we try to keep it very simple.”
Popular starters include the “Walk in the Woods” charcuterie board, ”Bruschetta (The Right
Way)”, made from Ryan’s home recipe, and the “Fried Olives”, which he said, “might sound a little odd, but they’re absolutely fantastic and very addicting.”
The centerpiece of the restaurant is its authentic “Forno Bravo” wood fired pizza oven, capable of reaching temperatures of up to 1,100 degrees with an impressive turn around time of only one-to-two minutes. The pizzas created through this unique process are worth the trip alone, but their signature salads, curated beer and wine pairings, and delicious desserts make The Outpost a one of a kind dining experience.
Sausage & Peppers pizza
Bar & Restaurant Guide
The Riversider | October/November 2025
AMERICAN (NEW)
Batter Rebellion 1393 University Ave (951) 901-9357
Bushfire Kitchen
5225 Canyon Crest Dr Ste 92 (951) 534-0697
ProAbition Whiskey Lounge & Kitchen
3597 Main St (951) 222-2110
The Rustik Fork Eatery 1355 E Alessandro Blvd Ste 101 (951) 656-3555
The State 3800 Main St (951) 728-3330
Yard House 3775 Tyler St (951) 688-9273
BAKERIES/DONUTS
American Donuts 3355 Iowa Ave (951) 329-3238
Baguette Bakery & Café
767 W Blaine St B (951) 788-5300
Baker’s Dozen Donuts
6100 Magnolia Ave (951) 369-0198
Beignet Spot 4019 Market St (951) 224-9830
Better-Be Donuts Café 1015 E Alessandro Blvd (951) 653-0166
“Vampire loads,” are devices that draw electricity even when off or in standby, and they can quietly raise your energy bill. Take charge this season with simple steps to keep wasted energy and costs from haunting your home.
Andrew Santino:
Friday, January
30 Live
RuPaul’s Drag Race
Werq The World Tour 2025
Friday, October 10
MasterChef All-Stars Live! Featuring Past Contestants
Friday, October 24
Robert Plant’s Saving Grace Featuring Suzi Dian with Rosie Flores
Sunday, November 23
Theresa Caputo Live! The Experience
Friday, January 16
Air Supply
50th Anniversary Celebration
Sunday, February 15
Los Ángeles Azules
Sunday, October 12
Mark Normand Ya Don’t Say
Saturday, October 25
Iliza! Live Sunday, December 7
The Temptations & The Four Tops Celebrating 40 Years
