Steve's Basement

The Grittiest Tomato

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 06:09:00 +0000

Here in San Francisco there exists numerous urban gardens tended by green thumbs bent on having a small pastoral slice of life. I work in the Civic Center area of San Francisco, where there are wonderfully cared public gardens in the South of Market Area. These gardens are intentionally planted and make for a quiet lunchtime to mellow out and relax. They are peaceful retreats from the workplace and the urban flux of noise, grit, broken bottles and the smell of homeless urine.

I walk by the intersection of Market Street and 10th Street every day on my way to and from work. There exists a vacant lot of debris and rubble from a previous building.

To my surprise, I saw a wild tomato plant sprouting from the broken concrete and brick just inside the chain link surrounding the site.

Nature and chance will never cease to amaze me. How little tomato plant could sprout in such a seemingly inhospitable place is confounding, but offers the biggest pleasure of surprise and wonder.

The plant had two other smaller tomatoes beginning to emerge and I hope they make it to full ripeness.

I can't help but wonder how they got here. Some errant seed blown by the wind? Did someone discard a half eaten sandwich with a slice of tomato? No matter how, my day of discovering this was enlightened with an early morning smile, appreciating a small patch of wilderness in an urban setting.

Dinosaurs & Robots Architecture Roundtable

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:13:00 +0000

I have to admit, I've been lack on my blogging responsibilities. None the less, Mister Jalopy over at Dinosaurs and Robots has posted some of my thoughts regarding a previous post of his on architecture and materials. Have a looky see here.

Original post I responded to here.

Bernie Mac & Issac Hayes, RIP

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sun, 10 Aug 2008 21:47:00 +0000

Both of these cultural icons deserve to be remembered.

Not A Sensible Weapon Of Choice

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 05:18:00 +0000

Some genius thought it would be a good idea to rob a store with a palm frond. Makes for better performance art.

Video of the crime.

Link, via

Skate Study House

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sat, 10 May 2008 20:28:00 +0000

Inspired by iconic mid century modern artifacts from the Case Study Houses, Blends has organized an exhibit of furniture design made from skateboards and skate paraphernalia called Skate Study House

I have always viewed skating as a legitimate methodology for design, since skating teaches one about the infinite possibilities in a given set of seemingly limited circumstances. This show looks fun and who wouldn't want a George Nelson Ball Clock made of skateboard wheels (shown at left). Stop by their Los Angeles store to see the goods on display over the next week or order via the website

Via

Simulacra

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 03:44:00 +0000

Strange Maps has a nice post of the America's profiled in a stain of jam.

These things are fantastic when observed and just recently my coworker Marcus noticed Mickey Mouse in a coffee stain on our break room counter top. Unfortunately our office manager has no soul and promptly wiped up the apparition with a wet sponge.

One of my favorite holy simulacra is The Virgin Mary appearing as a stalactite of ice in a Texas grocery store freezer. Apparently prayers have been answered, cancer was cured..."and stuff like that." Link

Have Ax, Will Travel

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 21:40:00 +0000

A blog post on Dinosaurs & Robots has a nice narrative of Ed Kienholz taking justice on a TWA customer service center in 1968 due to a package of his damaged beyond repair during flight. Truly ballsy and inspiring to say the least. Link

Not that I'm condoning violence or vandalism at airports or anything, but you gotta hand it to Kienholz for living up to 'An Eye for An Eye' credo for a Tiffany lampshade.

Yelle "ACDG" Remix Video

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 06:02:00 +0000

Absolutely amazing shit. Wish I could rock like this.

Running With The Devil

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sat, 26 Jan 2008 06:01:00 +0000

One of my finer memories as an adolescent was attending a Van Halen concert at the Forum in Los Angeles for their 1984 tour. I was 14 years old and went to the show with my dad who had picked up the tickets. They were excellent seats, loge seats just above the floor and off the left side of the stage. We could see it all, we were where the action was happening.

I consider myself very fortunate to have been to that show and seen the real deal line up, before Van Halen went into those bad, bad years with that Hagar guy.

David Lee Roth is a showman, a slap stick rock and roller who knows how live life on a stage and keep you entertained. During a break between songs Diamond Dave says to the crowd, "Hey check out all you Southern California people all high on Northern California pot." My otherwise mellow father let out quiet the yell and joined in on the cheers of about 18,000 stoners. Ah, Mr. Roth thanks for revealing my dad's a closet pothead.

I wasn't too keen on 'Jump' or some of the other syth crap they were dabbling with, but went nuts for just about any other song. Especially the tracks on Van Halen I, II and Fair Warning. Good stuff indeed.

Chunklet has posted an isolated vocal recording of David Lee Roth singing "Running With The Devil" Have a listen here. Via

Free Rice

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 02:32:00 +0000

Some people get hooked on phonics. I'm hooked on free rice. Freerice.com is a website with an interactive vocabulary game and an admirable goal of donating 20 grains of rice for each vocab question you answer correctly.

It's pretty simple with multiple choice questions for vocabaulary definitions. What's fun is for each question you get correct, the next question gets harder. If you answer wrong, the next question is easier.

Before you know it you'll be playing the game and will have donated 1000's of grains of rice.

According to the site, Free Rice has two goals:

1- Provide English vocabulary to everyone for free.
2- Help end world hunger by providing rice to hungry people for free.

This is possible due the sponsors who advertise on the site. The donations are made to the United Nations World Food Programme. Learn more about where the rice goes by clicking here.

Bands with fruit in their title

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 16:37:00 +0000

I have some friends with whom we share a good deal of musical interests. Given our collective range of knowledge about music we get into asking each other rock trivia questions. Usually the questions can get obscure, for example, ‘Name the make & model guitar responsible for Ted Nugent’s signature sound.’ Recently one person asked, ‘Can you list bands that have a fruit in their title?’ What an excellent question!!! Here’s the list we’ve compiled so far. Thanks to Brian, Christina, Jen, Matt, Chris, Sung, Malcolm, Jeremy & Lisa for input. By the way, Ted Nugent almost exclusively plays a Gibson Byrdland, which is a semi-hollow body guitar.

Berries:
The Strawberry Alarm Clock
The Strawberry Zots
Strawberry Switchblade
Chuck Berry
The Raspberries
The Cranberries
The Cherry Poppin Daddies

Peaches:
Peaches & Herb
Peaches
Peaches Christ
Peach Union

Oranges:

Agent Orange

Orange Juice Jones

Apples:
Fiona Apple
Apple
Apples in Stereo

Bananas:
Juicy Bananas
Bananarama
Electric Banana

Lemons:
The Lemonheads
The Mighty Lemondrops

Limes:
Lime Spiders

Figs:
The Figs

Fruits have seeds in them. So…
Chilies: the Red Hot Chili Peppers
Pumpkins: the Smashing Pumpkins
Tangentially (and it's pushing it) ... Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds
Legumes are fruits so…The Black Eyed Peas

Philip Johnson's Grim Reapers

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 01:23:00 +0000

At the 580 California Street building in San Francisco there are some very unusual statues at the top of the 23 story skyscraper. The Post-Modern building was designed by Johnson & Burgee and completed in 1984. Johnson & Burgee commissioned sculptor Muriel Castanis to create the figures and she described them as 'Corporate Goddesses.'

The 12 foot high figures are mounted in front of a mansard roof and peer out over the city. There are 3 figures on each side of the building. Each one is devoid of hands or a face.

While the sculptures are typical of Castanis' work, I recently heard an interesting story about the figures. Apparently the figures are suppose to be Grim Reapers. The anecdote relayed to me indicated that Johnson's firm had a very difficult time getting this building through the planning commission and approved. These Grim Reapers are meant to symbolize the members of the planning commission as agents of death for architecture.

I heard this story through a colleague who works at Morphosis and apparently Philip Johnson had mentioned the statues to Thom Mayne while Morphosis was preceding ahead in the early stages of their San Francisco Federal Building.

While I can't back up the validity of the story or any other meaning associated to the figures I do really like the idea of members of SF's Planning Commission symbolized as a Grim Reaper. If you have ever tried to get a building built in San Francisco you will know what I mean.

Eat Peanut Butter to Save the Planet?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 16:59:00 +0000

Say what? Eating a peanut butter and jelly sandwich can help reduce carbon emissions, reduce water consumption and off set the amount of land needed for agriculture? Your lunch will also save an animal's life. While I'm a little skeptical about some of the figures it's some what compelling to see how such a simple act can result in such larger positive changes. Read more about it at the PB&J campaign via 21st Century Citizen

Three Way Pistol Duel

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 01:58:00 +0000

I am amused on this friday night by the following puzzle:

You're a cowboy, and get involved in a three way pistol duel with two other cowboys. You are a poor shot, with an accuracy of only 33%. The other two cowboys shoot with accuracies of 50% and 100%, respectively. The rules of the duel are one shot per cowboy per round. The shooting order is from worst shooter to best shooter, so you get to shoot first, the 50% guy goes second, and the 100% guy goes third, then repeat. If a cowboy is shot he's out for good, and his turn is skipped. Where or who should you shoot first?

Many thanks to that's how it happened

More puzzles here

Hobie Super Surfer Skateboard with Clay Wheels

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 01:19:00 +0000

This is one of my favorite possessions and I have to thank the internet for allowing me to share it with you. I purchased this skateboard almost 20 years ago at a Goodwill in Canyon Country, CA and I’ve faithfully displayed it ever since. Hobie is a Southern California based company started by Hobie Alter. He began as a surfboard shaper in 1950 and began producing skateboards in 1962. The best skaters of that era, such as Danny Bearer (’65 World Skateboarding Champion), were sponsored on the Hobie team and rode the Super Surfer.

My board is pretty worn, kinda beat up and a previous owner decided to cover the top of the deck with a coat of brown paint and some orange stripes. However, the underside of the deck is not painted over and gives some telling clues as to the make of the board, along with the original clay wheels.

The deck is laminated strips of oak and walnut hardwood, so this skateboard predates the bent plywood skateboards of today. When this was new, it was a finely crafted looking skate. In the absence of any logo, the laminations along with the dimensions and squared off pin tail were the confirming factors that it’s a Hobie Super Surfer from around the late 60’s or early 70’s.

The wheels are made of clay with drop in ball bearings. Clay wheels were the standard before the modern urethane wheel with bearing cassettes came into the market in the early 70’s. Clay wheels were pretty deadly as they are hard and the slightest crack or small rock on the sidewalk would screech the rider to a halt, with nowhere to go except smacking the concrete. These clay wheels show plenty of signs of that along with numerous chips. These are the original Hobie Super Surfer wheels that came with the skateboard, another tell-tale sign to the model. The trucks are also original to this model and the rubber grommets in the trucks are in great shape showing no signs of cracking.

One very interesting thing I noted that gives some indication about how the board was ridden and the owner is how the wheels are worn out. Skateboard wheels are subject to what’s known as ‘coning.’ Over time as the board is used, the repeated turning of the board puts unequal pressure on the surface of the wheels. There is greater pressure towards the outside edge of the wheel so it wears more in that area, thereby turning the cylindrical wheel into a tapered cone. The wheels on the right side of this board show much greater coning than those on the left, indicating that the original owner had a preference for how they rode or which direction they turned. I’m gonna guess that they were goofy-footed and liked to make frontside turns.

Part of the beauty of old, found things is knowing some of the facts and studying the object in a way that allows you to construct some of the history and piecing together a narrative. This Super Sufer is a gem for me, along with all the wear and tear it’s sustained over the years.

Top 10 Power Ballads of all Friggin' Time, Dood!

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Fri, 31 Aug 2007 23:45:00 +0000

So, I just scored a new jukebox for the basement and it's going over near the pool table. Good Times are awaiting!!!

One wouldn't think that getting a jukebox would be such be a mentally challenging event. But think about it, with so much great music out there, so many rockin' tunes, how possibly does one choose a limited number of tracks to fill it up? Pretty tough huh?

I'm gonna start off with some power ballads. Classics, gotta fill up on some classics first then move into some B-sides, Heavy Metal, oldies and maybe some weird obscure stuff. Here's my list of top 10 power ballads I'm gonna load into the machine. Feel free to comment and perhaps add your own top 10.

10. "Beth" - KISS

9. 'I Want to Know What Love Is' - Foreigner

8. 'You Give Love a Bad Name' - Bon Jovi

7. 'Amanda' -Boston

6. 'Is This Love?' - Whitesnake

5. 'Stairway to Heaven' - Led Zepplin

4. 'Keep on Loving You' - REO Speedwagon

3. 'Still Loving You' - Scorpions

2. 'Sister Christian' - Night Ranger

1. 'Love Hurts' - Nazareth

But Mies, Where's the Diving Board?

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 15:29:00 +0000

I have many favorite things. Two things I really consider to be among my favorites are architecture and infrastructure. I get especially excited when some of my favorite things work together creating something beautiful and perhaps unexpected which may add another layer of meaning. Mies van der Rohe's Farnsworth House is an example that has just recently been demonstrated as such during last weeks storms in the midwest United States.

The Farnsworth house is located near Plano IL, situated in a flood plain facing the Fox River. Given the site is subject to occasional flooding Mies used an ordering system of piers which elevated the main floor 5'-3" off of the ground. This iconic mid-century modern home floats over the site while the buildings perpedicular cross axis confronts the river head on with an entry, elevated patio and a wide set of stairs as if to invite and flirt with the river. Well, last week the river took the house up on its invite and these pretty photos showed up in my in-box.

Since these pixs were emailed with a thread longer than the wall of China I have no idea on the source of these images. I'd like to be able thank and give credit to whomever took these pixs. If anyone knows please post a comment. If you'd like to know more about the Farnsworth House you can visit the home page and Landmarks Illinois news page. Thanks to Israel Kandarian for initially emailing the pixs.

One California Day

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Sat, 18 Aug 2007 20:34:00 +0000

Man, I love watchin' surf flixs. Granted, not as much as I enjoy being in the surf, but it can help get the stoke going and get you through the periods when there's no swell of interest.

A new surf flix titled "One California Day" by Mark Jeremias and Jason Baffa has recently released and is now playing at selected theaters. Their previous surf flixs have been real enjoyable with cool narratives, no attitude and, of course, bitchin' surf. This one is a collection of surf stories that attempts to embody the California surf experience and tradition.

Filmed in 16mm color and featuring individual surfers for selected areas along the California coast, the flix showcases Alex Knost (Orange County), Dane Perlee (Santa Cruz), Devon Howard (Cardiff), Jimmy Gamboa (Malibu), Joe Curren (Santa Barbara), Joel Tudor (San Diego), the Malloy Bros (Central California), Tyler Hatzikian (El Segundo) & Tyler Warren (Dana Point).

They got super lucky with a huge stoke on SoCal's Big Wednesday, which was the swell of the decade in early 2007 and lasted about a week. You can visit the flixs website and watch the trailer here.

Keep on makin' bacon

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 00:29:00 +0000

As much as I'm interested in keeping with the bacon theme, I am speechless and somewhat mortified that some jackass concocted this foul sounding drink - Ladies and Gent's it's the 'Bacon Martini.' If you just said 'Oh Fuck', well that pretty much sums it up. Here's the recipe:

"Lightly mist martini glass with vermouth, and rim the edge with bacon grease. In a cocktail shaker, mix 3oz vodka, one dash tobasco, and one dash olive juice. Shake well and strain into cocktail glass. Skim excess bacon grease from surface of cocktail. Garnish with one slice of bacon."

Read more here.

Bacon Tomb

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Tue, 14 Aug 2007 20:01:00 +0000

I enjoy eating a meal in the basement. It's relaxing to have a bite while reading a book or listening to music. Other times the boys come on over for some 49er's action with bowls of chips and dip. Whatever the occasion, food is often consumed down here and not all of it leaves. Believe me, I've found plenty of petrified food and crumbs 'o plenty in the shag rug and between the couch cushions. None of it ever intentionally placed.

Well, some dude actually got curious enough to make a lexan case for a bacon strip and an egg. Here's the results one year later. Great pixs, Yummm!!!!

Scotia, California

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 22:55:00 +0000

It's often necessary and healthy to leave the basement from time to time. Not just to restock on basic provisions like Cheez Whiz and pretzels, but to take a drive or go on vacation. That fresh air will do you some good.

I just took a recent trip up through the Northern California coast between Mendocino and the Oregon border which took me through the logging and lumber mill town of Scotia. My guide book describes Scotia's quaintness as 'neat as a pin.' Well, it sure is neat as pin and about as frightening as a deranged lunatic waving a Bowie knife in your face.

There's a surreal perfection to everything in town, like a backdrop to Blue Velvet or better yet Twin Peaks. But the least obvious aspect of Scotia, and scariest, is that there is no local government. That's right, you guessed correct. Instead of a city council with elected officials Scotia is straight out of some Dickens era novel and the last of the wholly owned company towns in the United States. That company happens to be The Pacific Lumber Company (PALCO).

Here's how it works:
If you're an employee of PALCO, you'd live in one of the immaculately maintained worker houses, owned by PALCO. Let's say the kitchen sink has a plumbing problem. You call up the PALCO housing department and they send over one of your co-workers, the PALCO plumber, to fix it. Your kids are raised in Scotia, under the shadow of PALCO. With limited career options for them in the area, PALCO will send your kids to college on a scholarship. This way your offspring can return home and work as middle management in PALCO's offices, perhaps in forestry management.

Scotia claims there is zero crime and no homeless in Scotia. PALCO has a security division that I would bet has a budget that's probably bigger than most small town law enforcement agencies. Not to mention ubiquitous security cameras placed strategically about town.

The area is undergoing some change, but only out of necessity. Hard economic times are forcing PALCO to sell off the town. This is due to the over foresting of redwood trees (of which only 3% of original, old growth forest remains), new management practices and downsizing. Oh and there's that whole environmental Spotted Owl thing too. PALCO's employees will have the first shot at buying the homes, but there's a bid to sell off other parts of the town to neighboring Rio Dell. You can read about the politics and economics involved this NY Times article from last year.

Ed "Bid Daddy" Roth's 1964 Surfite

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 19:29:00 +0000

Down here in the Basement things get a little tight. Off in an unoccupied, dark corner there's a group of boxes that I had to go through to clear some space. I totally unearthed my collection of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's Revell scaled plastic models. Most of them are reissues based on the originals, but one is indeed the real deal model from 1965. It's the Surfite and is also one of my favorite Roth designs.

Here's some shots of the instructions and model parts, complete with Tiki Surf Hut and firepit!!! Holey Moley, a Tiki Surf Hut and firepit did you say? Damned straight that's what I said.

The Surfite is a true original Roth creation. The actual car is a molded fiberglass shell shaped to carry a surfboard and mounted on to an Austin Mini Cooper chasis. The engine is also an Austin, 1269cc to be exact with a whopping 38 horsepower. Front tires were 10", rear ones 12". The car made some claim to fame in a brief shot in the 1965 Annette Funichello & Frankie Avalon movie "Beach Blanket Bingo".

I plan on posting some more of the Roth models, such as the Beatnik Bandit & Mysterion. So check on back!!!

A Good Smoke

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 14:15:00 +0000

With the 4th of July holiday upon us, I feel it appropriate to ponder the design of incinerating devices. For without them, millions of people would be left indoors watching tv on this fine holiday, missing out on family picnics, hot dogs and blowing off the tips of their fingers with ill timed fireworks.

I'll leave the subject of matches to pyromaniacs and wayward Boy Scouts. I'm more interested in cigarette lighters. Cigarette lighter designs seems to have fallen by the wayside over the generations. Not surprising. These sometimes complex fetish objects evoke a time when smoking seemed harmless and made social climbing effortless.

Down here in the Basement, we enjoy a good smoke. And I ain't talking about that wacky-tobaccy stuff either. What do you think we are, a bunch of reckless tea-heads? Nope to dope and ugh to drugs. We prefer the harsh chemical and pesticide laden products of Chesterfields and filterless Camels. Here's the Basement's own vintage cigarette lighter.

I acquired this gem at the Pierce College Swap Meet in Winnetka, CA around 1991. It works beautifully despite the heavily worn finish. It has a cast copper housing with a chrome plated finish. The blue is a translucent finish applied over the chrome plating. The inscription is for Barney L. Phillips' "Bowl-A-Rama" in Studio City.

I've tried to come up with a ballpark for the age of this thing and the best I can summarize is that it's friggin' old. Take a look at the phone # in the inscription, "Po 2-4700". I don't know about you, but that number sounds about as old as the invention of the telephone itself. Consider too that I've spent most of my life living within a 5 mile radius of Studio City and have never heard of or seen Mr Phillips' fine establishment.

I'd like to think that this lighter has had some good times and interesting stories in its past. In the book "A Stiff Drink and a Close Shave - the Lost Art of Manliness" authors Bob Sloan and Steven Guarnaccia have this to say about the art of lighting a woman's cigarette:

"You must start early, readying your lighter when she's first fumbling through her purse for her pack. But don't reveal it too soon. Stay suave. Wait until she's removing the cigarette from the pack. Keep your arm loose and don't crowd her. Ignite the lighter away from her face and let her hand guide it in. If she's swayed, her eyes will linger on yours. If not, just close the lid, tip your hat, and move on."

Wow!

Repo Men and Freeway Archeology: notes on the Repo Man soundtrack and LA urbanism

noreply@blogger.com (Stephen Hegedus) — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 00:51:00 +0000

“Let’s have a war!” - Fear

“Architecture is war” – Karl Chu

I first watched Repo Man when I was a sophomore in high school and thought it pretty odd, by way cool. Having grown up in Los Angeles, the film’s portrayal of Los Angeles as a dystopia wrapped in an age of nuclear fear resonated with me. After all, 1984 was the year Reagan was re-elected President and Cold War tensions were alarmingly high. Angry and loud, the soundtrack to Alex Cox’s debut film mirrored my first hand experience of the city. Most of the songs compliment the filmmaker’s postmodern satirical swipe at a word based on technology, and with a few roughly banged out guitar cords essentially captures the feeling of being in Los Angeles during my adolescence.

One of the first songs in the film, Suicidal Tendencies’ “Institutionalized” introduces a cast of characters who are aimlessly lost, apathetic and frustrated.

“Sometimes I try to do things and it just doesn’t work out the way I wanted to/ I get real frustrated and I try hard to do it and I take my time and it doesn’t work out the way I wanted to/ It’s like I concentrate real hard and it doesn’t work out everything I do and everything I try never turns out”

Their social landscape is deformed and fragmented. Within this setting of aggravated suburban youth, the film plays with the clichés between technology and the breakdown of human interaction. This very real prophecy, culled from the visions of misanthropic theorist Paul Virlio, comes around in the lyrics of Black Flag’s “TV Party”:

“Why go into the outside world at all. TV news shows what it’s like out there/ It’s a scare/ You can go out if you want/ We wouldn’t dare”

The placid tradition of television is interwoven with another great legacy of Los Angeles – the automobile. It is within the confines of a steel box that human interaction occurs among the grime of the city’s streets and freeways. Not merely a backdrop to the film, LA’s grid of asphalt and concrete is paramount to how social exchange is conducted in the film vis-à-vis the automobile. It is the essence of real public space in LA and almost every scene involving driving has a song to accompany it. Distinctly linking the driving scenes to the context of LA car culture are the songs by The Plugz. A band from the early LA punk scene, The Plugz are considered to be the first Latino punk band and they also have the most number of songs on the soundtrack. The Plugz had strong roots within the Latino community of LA, which highly identifies with automobiles as part of its heritage and culture.

In the context of 1984, it should be no surprise that number of the soundtrack’s lyrics involve themes of war or overthrowing government regimes. It links the abuse of technology with the fall of civilizations. Extending the metaphor to the built environment, architecture, as an artifice of technology, needs to rise to its responsibilities toward civilization and social exchange. The nerviness of a social agenda is easily forgotten when design is preoccupied with formal gymnastics.

“I was riding on a concrete slab/ Down a river of useless flab/ If you’re on the streets you lose your nerves.” – Iggy Pop, Repo Man

With all its grittiness, this soundtrack captures a time and place that could only be Los Angeles. I purchased my first car in the mid ‘80’s. My teenage self took to the streets and began merging overpasses and urbanism, off ramps and architecture. The songs of Repo Man, as with the movie, are a trip down any of the city’s freeways, exit anywhere you want and keep driving south…to the junkyards and ports of San Pedro.