This December take time to smell the atole. Sit back and take in the aroma of pan dulce and canela. Put the world on hold and enjoy the ambiente.

I know, there’s the whole shopping business that needs to get done, and I know you have to work to pay the bills. All I’m saying is give yourself some chill time.

When you do get to the shopping take a look at Eastsider Writer’s December Feature: The Urban Xic Mercadito (www.urbanxic.com), a concept developed by both Felicia Montes of Mujeres de Maiz/In Lak Ech and Joel “Rage” Garcia a local artist. The mercadito was born from both of their roots in trade and inspired by similar efforts they’d seen in current models of cultural tianguis/markets.

“The focus was to make art/products by LA artists accessible to other communities outside of LA,” said Garcia, a formally trained graphic designer who keeps himself busy with many other projects that support community and immigrant causes. He is also the silent artist behind many CD covers and poster designs that we have become familiar with; including Slowrider, MC76 and Olmeca. (more…)

El Rey de Latino Comedy

Thanks Rudy for sponsoring ESW for the month of October!

Don’t forget to check out Rudy Moreno Wednesdays and Thursday nights at the Ice House and Jokers!!

Wednesday Nights
LATINO COMEDY SHOWCASE
The Ice House Comedy Club
24 N. Mentor Ave., 
Pasadena, CA
www.icehousecomedy.com
CA   91106
626.577.1894

Currently in its’ 8th year, Latino Comedy Showcase is famous for discovering new Latino talent as well as hosting many celebrity drop-in sets. Future big stars JEFF GARCIA, GABRIEL IGLESIAS and “Latin Kings of Comedy’s” JOEY MEDINA and ALEX REYMUNDO are just a (more…)

This month Rudy hosts a Friday Night Special!

If you know anything about me, know this: I luuuuvz me some comedy. I’ve been hanging around the Ice House in Pasadena since I was 18. (Dang! That’s twenty years!) I’ve met those with names like Lopez, Garcia, Mencia, Rodriguez, Iglesias and others like Lampaneli, Bodden and Tucker. But there is one name that has always been a constant, Rudy Moreno.

Rudy has been hosting the best comedy nights in town for close to ten years. Every Wednesday at the Ice House in Pasadena and every Thursday at the Commerce Casino.

Rudy and I go back like ELAC!! Not that he went there. I was a student there in 1994 when I saw him and Gilbert Esquivel perform at the ASU. I’ve been a fan since!

Rudy started his career in show business at age 13 , when he formed his first ( of many ) garage bands, he then went on after high school  to be a radio disc jockey , also working as a DJ in many So. California nightclubs.  After years of performing as a mobile DJ, he was approached by Rudy Salas , the leader of the famed rock group TIERRA and was asked if he would consider doing stand up, and that he would let him get started by opening for the band at their gigs,  the response was huge . From there Rudy started to open for several different acts over time , including Ice Cube, Natalie Cole , Los Lobos ,  Lynyrd Skynrd , and the legendary Smokey Robinson to name just a few . (more…)

Right click to print or click and drag to your desktop!

It is high noon in Cypress Park and Antigua Coffee House is jumpin’. It’s amazing how quickly word has spread about this place. It’s like a community reunion center. In the couple of hours that I’ve sat here reading my book, a number of people walked in that recognized at least one other person here. It’s like the Cheers of coffee shops.

Pancho! Xochitl! Fancy meeting you here Mitch!

Nestled on the corner of Loreto and Figueroa, Antigua has once again sparked vigor to a blighted section of town. 

The hustle and bustler’s come here for a piece of sanity. In one corner of the shop Mitch offers a young lady a chance to join a multi-level marketing team. Next to me Pancho and Mando talk about their days at CSULA and trade contacts for an upcoming educational presentation. In the farthest corner Xochitlmilco and her boyfriend Cuauhtemoc Huitzil do (more…)

In the three years it existed in El Sereno, Antigua Cultural Coffee House established itself as an example of how to run a business that serves the community. Serving one cup of coffee at a time, Antigua’s following snowballed. People from all over LA would come to El Sereno to get a cup of Joe from the little shop that could. Many people loved that it offered free wi-fi, with great coffee and food. Some people loved it because of its fair trade policies, other people liked it because it was an open venue to hold meetings, art shows, recitals…you get the picture.

Even after a successful run, being featured in the Los Angeles Times, Tu Ciudad and Yelp!, among others, it fell victim to a bad lease agreement and had to close shop. In June of 2008 the doors were closed leaving a lot of people without a public place to gather.

Since then, Yancey Quiñones, has been working on his new shop in Cypress Park. (more…)