Arroyo Secodelic is on a mission to re-vibe LA as a festival capitol, bringing us an off-the-wall lineup no one would expect in one of the most unique festival set-ups that we have seen in a long time. The inaugural event will take place May 22nd- May 25th across seven different venues in Highland Park including The Lodge Room, Oblivion, Cheerio Collective, De Playa Records, and The Highland Park Ebell Club; Arroyo Secodelic is going to turn your Memorial Day Weekend into a psychedelic punk-rock dream. If you’re embedded in the L.A.music scene, there is no way you can miss this event.
You can buy tickets now or enter our social media ticket giveaway for a chance to win 3 pairs of tickets @jankysmooth – read to the end for details.
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With all of the hype surrounding Coachella over the past week, there has been a lot of discussion surrounding the absence of multi bill lineups missing from Los Angeles’ festival scene; especially with the fall of our local events like FYF Fest and Burgerama within the past decade. Even when diverse and promising festivals do arrive like This Ain’t No Picnic or Primavera West, they often vanish the next year without a trace only existing as a distant memory for those who were lucky enough to catch them. This void that Los Angeles has long felt since the disappearance of Sunset Junction is about to be filled…
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Arroyo Secodelic is a vision created by promoters Tom Segal and Guy Keltner (also the lead singer of Acid Tongue) who aimed to create a community-based festival throughout the neighborhood similar to Echo Park Rising. When we asked Tom what led him to this path, he told us he was inspired by Denver’s Underground Music Showcase . Ironically (and unfortunately) Underground Music Showcase just ended last year, so Arroyo Secodelic is here to pick up the torch and carry on this legacy based around showcasing community – with the neighborhood being just as important to the experience as the performers are.
Partnering with Southern California’s premiere psych and garage rock promoter Desert Daze, it’s no surprise that Arroyo Secodelic is bringing us an incredibly unique and curated lineup that blends psych, garage rock, punk, and fuzz; perfectly showcasing the history of Los Angeles’ underground music scenes. Desert Daze as a getaway festival may have ended, but their influence in bringing the heavier sides of psychedelic music together can still be felt with the signature lineups that they frequently promote throughout SoCal. Although bigger forces in LA counter culture like Desert Daze, KCRW, and Creem are all collaborating together in making this vision of Arroyo Secodelic a reality; more independent venues like Backyard Party and Lummis Day festival from Pasadena are bringing their DIY ethos into the equation as well.
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There is so much excitement surrounding the unique multi-venue format of the festival and the affection felt for the promoters, that it’s almost easy to forget just how incredible the lineup itself is; From 1980’s punk rock legends of Los Angeles like FEAR and Adolescents, modern garage rock staples like The Warlocks and Levitation Room, and proto-punk legends The Flamin’ Groovies – Arroyo Secodelic has something for anybody with the slightest taste for Los Angeles’ underground edge.
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Arroyo Secodelic founders Tom __ and Guy Keltner had originally crafted the concept for the festival after meeting at DIY space The Other Side in Lincoln Heights, and these roots of that DIY spirit are exactly what makes an ambitious dream like Arroyo Secodelic so crucial in reviving Los Angeles’ festival culture. There are so many underground music affecionados living in neighborhoods like Highland Park who have absolutely zero interest in attending a major event like Coachella, feeling as if large-scale festivals completely lack the sense of community and discovery that tighter-knit music scenes can offer. It’s instantly apparent upon first glance that Arroyo Secodelic is a love letter to the history of Los Angeles’ underground, with a very thoughtfully crafted lineup representing different DIY scenes throughout the city’s history.
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Not only is Arroyo Secodelic a deeply passionate love letter to Los Angeles’ underground music history, but it’s an intricate showcase of what Highland Park has to offer as a neighborhood as well. There are so many unexpected venues hosting shows on this lineup that readers have probably never visited before. Oblivion is the hottest new DIY punk venue in Los Angeles so it was an obvious choice for this lineup (that FEAR show on Saturday is going to be absolutely wild), but there are more niche spots on here that rarely host concerts of this level. Arroyo Secodelic also has shows taking place at Highland Park Ebell Club, Blind Barber, North Figueroa Bookshop, De La Playa Records, and Cheerio Collective. With a lineup as curated as this one, you’re absolutely sure to experience some new amazing performances from some artists that you may not know. However, you’re guaranteed to experience many special new locations you never knew existed this weekend as well.
With how much passion and thought is going into making Arroyo Secodelic an experience unlike anything we’ve ever seen before, it cannot be missed if you’re a fan of Los Angeles’ underground music history or even just a local who wants to celebrate the community of Highland Park. Even if you aren’t invested in purchasing a 4-day pass across all of the venues, individual tickets can be purchased for some of the larger shows and there will be free community stages at select venues as well. With the lack of DIY underground festivals currently in Los Angeles, and especially those with diverse multi-genre bills such as this one – Arroyo Secodelic is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated events in all of LA this year. It’s set up based around community may revisit the format that made Sunset Junction and Echo Park Rising such memorable experiences for both it’s residents and visitors alike.
To Enter Our Giveaway:
Go to our Arroyo Secodelic post at any social media platform @jankysmooth for your chance to win 3 pairs of tickets.
- Like the Post
- Tag a friend (or all of them)
- Make sure you both follow Janky Smooth
Winners will be selected on Tuesday, May 4th at noon pacific. Good luck!
Words by Danny Ryan
