Crank Mob Anniversary

I’d been on a freakin’ exercise bike almost every single day since my physical therapy for the torn ACL got started, along with all of this intensive muscle-rebuilding and now find myself in this odd place where I am in better shape that I’ve been in my entire life by far, but unable to play sports of any kind.

This doesn’t stop me from riding my bike! And I was waaaaaaaaaaaay overdue for a Crank Mob. I was expecting the usual biking around with about 200 cyclists in festive costumes and hilariously decorated bikes and so forth, stopping at various liquor stores and parking lots, having LAPD nervously watch us. I got that, except apparently this was the 1 year anniversary of the Crank Mob and this meant there were about 3 times as many cyclists as usual, a HUGE decorated RV blasting tons of electronic beats and dance music, a projector set up in the middle of the starting point to commemerate the occasion, and so much more that was to happen…

As I met my crew at Sawtell & La Grange, the medical plaza and sidewalks and streets were completely overflowed with the masses of cyclists, all with our blinking red and white lights. Then out of nowhere the massive RV appears to have just dropped from the sky blaring Justice.

Most of the action happened in the parking lot of the Costco right by my place. The jousting was back in full force and I was ready to play with my new camera. I scored the most amazing photo right at the moment of impact.

As fun as the jousting was, it sort of fell into the realm of what I expected for Crank Mob. What was completely out of the realm of what I expected, and what even seemed possible or realistic, was the live punk show with a full drum set, two guitars, singer, and plenty of sound power that fueled a massive mosh-pit right in the lot.

I also can’t say I expected a bike-car to join in on the fun.

Nor a Happy Birthday cake arriving on a Costco kart.

Or a bunch of stunt-jumps off a ramp in toddler bikes with training wheels.

Joining a group of several hundred festive bikers at night and riding and partying as if it is the end of times is one hell of an escape from the life of a young professional working out of various corporate cement beehives.

It was the most social, easy-going Crank Mob crowd of all the rides I’d been on and the whole experience makes me want to drop down several g’s for an awesome road-bike and ditch my car forever.

How was this coordinated? Who fronted all the money to buy all those kids bikes to share with the crowd? Where did the live band come from? This is the kind of event where you don't ask those questions and just have F.U.N.

Hollywood Bowl swan song

Never before had I experienced box seats before at the Hollywood Bowl, and now I am not sure I can accept anything less. When the ushers showed me to my seat I could have sworn at first I was mistakenly shown a seat far more expensive than I could ever afford and that certainly some angry dude with way more money than me would push me out of his seat when he arrived later, but no I was definitely in the right place.
Cat Power kicked it off with some of its now familiar intimate, brooding alto voice. Since seeing her at the Wiltern last February I've been a fan. Staying true to her habit of random covers in the middle of her set she broke into a slow version of CCC's Fortunate Son.

Spiritualized followed it up with its spacey and slightly psychodelic and genre-defying sounds. As they eventually got into their faster and faster songs, the audience was pretty psyched and warmed up to get us revved up for:


He might be losing his hair but he sure as hell is not losing his touch. His gospel infused, bluesy diatribes tell mysterious stories across a rugged landscape. His imagery may be bleak, the rhythm sometimes tepid, but Nick Cave himself was furiously animated and alive. With about twenty albums to pick a setlist from I was quite happy with what was played.



This was a great concert to save for my last Bowl event of the summer. Easily worthy of the ticket price, the great bottle of wine my friends and I went through, and the high level of expectations I set. I'm left with the bittersweet feeling of being proud to have have experienced a summer full Bowl concerts, and sadness in wondering why I didn't do this years before and that the summer season is over with.

I'm ready to stick to more intimate venues and smaller artists now that I can say I've tried out so many large venues this summer..