Topline:
The impact of East L.A. on punk rock has been overshadowed by the genre's explosive early years in Hollywood in the late 1970s. But journalist (and punk) Stephanie Mendez says the scene on the other side of the L.A. River, rooted in backyard gigs, has in recent years been finally getting its due.
Why it matters:
The influential backyard gig scene in Boyle Heights and East L.A., which began in the early 1980s, came about partially out of necessity, Mendez told How To LA host Brian De Los Santos. Turned away by Hollywood clubs, and sometimes openly racist bookers, East L.A. bands started putting on gigs anywhere they could.
“It's also this very Latinx cultural inclination,” Mendez says, “to throw our quinceañeras, our bodas, baptisms, birthday parties in our yards. It's just easy. It's accessible, especially for low-income communities.”
Now, backyard gigs have spread and are considered a quintessential California thing. “We have East L.A. to thank for that," Mendez says.
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