8:59am | A local small business owner with the urge to do a little something more than just donate a few dollars to Japan relief efforts has organized a benefit show featuring live music, DJs and vintage wheels set for April 10 at Alex’s Bar.
The Sunday show starts at 3 p.m. and will run until closing time, according to information provided by event organizer and promoter Frankie Alvaro. The cost is $10.
Alvaro, a DJ and co-owner of Long Beach-based Salon Pop, said he wanted to something more than simply donate money to help relief efforts in japan in the wake of the devastating earthquake and tsunami earlier this month, so he decided to “take matters into [his] own hands” and organize a benefit show with several of his friends and colleagues.
Featured will be a vintage scooter, motorcycle, van and car show in the bar’s parking lot. Bands slated to take the stage include Dante Vs. Zombies, The Black Apples, TRMRS, Grand Elegance, Gabriel Hart and the Fourth Wall, Red Roses, Dano’s Juke Joint Freak Show, Death Hymn Number 9, New Fidelity, The Crystelles and Gestapo Khazi. Additionally, DJ Frankie the Face, Geaux Geaux, Reuben Kaiban, Will’mer, Johnny Sleeper, Glory Boy Kev and Marv Mack will take to the decks and spin a range of musical selections. Don Pie is set to serve as the emcee.
“This is the biggest event I’ve ever booked, and I’ve been booking shows and deejaying for eight years,” Alvaro said. “The idea came to me from pretty much straight desperation. I wanted to help these people, but I didn’t want to just donate $10 dollars by texting a random. And then not even being certain when, or how much of, that money would actually reach these poor people… So that’s when I had the idea for the show, and it came together pretty much overnight.”
Alvaro said that with so many people wanting to participate by donating their time and talents, the big event “came together flawlessly.”
A raffle will also be held, with the drawing set to take place sometime around 9 p.m., the prizes for which have been donated by a number of local shops on Fourth Street, as well as local tattoo shops, guitar stores and clothing and skateboarding companies including Salon Pop, Moxi Skates, Alex’s Bar, Torch Tattoo, Vicky Coleman Tattoos, Pocket Pistols Skate Company, Lil’ Devils Boutique, Songbird Gifts, Sneaky Tiki Boutique, Hawleywoods Barbershop, Sourpuss Clothing, Rusty Guitar, Dawnoftheshred.com and the The Smiths/Morrissey Convention.
Japan native Eiko and her son, Yuske, owners of local vintage shop Immoni, will take 100 percent of the proceeds from the Sunday night event back to their homeland with instructions to give the money to a charity that will put the money to good use immediately, Alvaro said.
“We all need to do our part for Japan, and this is a great way for people to donate money while having a great time,” he said.
Alex’s Bar is located at 2913 Anaheim St. and can be reached by calling 562-434-8292.