A Choice of Weapons: Live From the Basement Lounge

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Live From the Basement Lounge

My friend, DJ Lord Monsta, DJ and Understudy to Brother J of XCLAN, did a show this past Thursday night at The Basement Lounge in the East Arts Village of Long Beach! The Basement is a cool place. I've lived in the EAV back when it was called Downtown and the Broadlind Hotel was a vacant piece of ish when I lived there. Since then, it's been restored to it's old beautiful self and businesses are thriving in the area. Hell, I was walking home one night from a poetry reading on Linden Ave and there was an underground party happening in the Broadlind. There were about three skinheads who saw me and decided they wanted to step to me. I had three books of loose leaf poetry notebooks in one hand, it was dark, and I was alone. I started to run but my hand went towards my waistband and those fools backed the hell up and left me alone. True! I hadn't reached for anything except my poetry! I didn't want to have pages flying all over Linden and Broadway and get my azz kicked to boot!

So, now the neighborhood has come a long way from where it was. I walked into the club and folks were cooling after a great Laker Championship Victory! I met Ashley Dominique, the hostess and promoter, who gave me a press pass and let me shoot pics for A Choice of Weapons. The Music was cool! Got to see two DJ's do they thang, got to see Ashley get down! She can really rap and saw another Sistah get down on the mike as well.