Mucho Wednesday’s Is Changing Zip Code. Word.

By Hilda GabrielaApril 14, 2011Vida Nocturna

After a 3-year residency at Downtown LA’s La Cita Bar, the weekly dance party “Mucho Wednesday’s” is saying gratzi and sayonara to the Mexican barcito turned hipster bar.

Yes, we know. Take a deep breathe. Let the news sink in. Ok, read on.


“Mucho Wednesday’s”, famous to many for bar hostess Valerie’s Texas Micheladas, is saying, “Here we come!” to Echo Park’s the Echoplex come April 26, 2011. And get this, it will also be dropping its name.

Again. Exhale. All will be well. 3, 2, 1. Sana, sana, colita de rana. Continue.

Ricky Garay, co founder of the Mucho party talks to us about the move, and about how he hopes the new home for the dance party will raise the profile of the Latin alternative music community.

Our conversation went a tad like this:

Ricky Garay. Photo by www.lamadreiswatching.com

Hilda Gabriela: Yo’ Ricky! What the heck?!

Ricky Garay: Yes, I know! Mucho Music is taking on a larger role as a promoter of the Latin alternative community for bigger shows and concerts in the Los Angeles area, and we’re starting by taking the Mucho party to the next level: bigger, better, and on the weekends!! We are taking weekends back and moving to the Echoplex stage in Echo Park where bands like Thom Yorke, Nine Inch Nails, The Mars Volta, Jane’s Addiction and countless other music legends have played. We are raising the profile of our Latin alternative community and will be kicking things off with a special show with Carla Morrison on April 26.

Mucho Wednesday's moves from La Cita bar to the EchoplexHG:  So, will the Mucho party be different at the Echoplex?

RG: The new events increase the level of inclusiveness and will merge into the thriving indie music scene happening in Echo Park! Our new home at the Echoplex will allow us to host events on the weekends, extend our hours to 8pm-2am, have one main act with multiple supporting acts, and our DJs as well as guest DJs, and we’ll also be allowed to welcome an 18 and over audience, as oppose to a 21 plus.

We’re going to transform the Echoplex into an engrossing audio/visual experience on the Mucho nights there, with big themes, fun activities, and very special staging!

The event will also have a new name. MUCHO will be presenting the event but as far as the name itself, let’s just say we’re basing it on the cultural tidal wave we’ve been dreaming about!

HG:  Which artists do you plan on inviting?

RG: It’s a surprise! But part of the reason behind our move is so we can go more “international” with our booking. We’d like to point out the acts we’ve been booking in San Diego where we already have a bigger stage: Bostich & Fusible, Plastilina Mosh, Pinkertones, and even El Guincho at La Cita. I can tell you that we’re starting things off with Carla Morrison on April 26.

Mucho Wednesday's moves from La Cita bar to Echoplex

HG:  Will the new place have a dark corner somewhere in the back of the venue where strangers can be strangers no more?

RG: The Echoplex is our new home, and our casa es su casa, so as soon as you walk in, YOU ARE a stranger no more. But, I will be making out with everyone as they walk through the door, in case you were wondering.

HG: Good to know. I’ll make a note of that. So Ricky, if you build it, will they come?

RG: Absoloutely! On multiple occasions we’ve drawn sold out crowds for a 10pm-2am party with one or two acts on a Wednesday night. Many people were left outside in some cases. There is no one programming Latin alternative parties on the weekends at the moment, and we feel that it’s long over due!

We’ve had regulars for over three years and we look forward to seeing their smiles in our new home at the Echoplex. Nestor is one of our loyal followers. Shout out to you, Sir! I don’t think he’s missed one Mucho party! LOL. But, yes, we definitely see a feeling of nostalgia in many of our Mucho followers, but I can assure you that our new home will allow us to take the Latin alternative scene to the next level.

Mucho Wednesday's moves from La Cita bar to Echoplex

HG: Very well, then. How is Mucho Wednesday’s saying goodbye to La Cita?

RG: We’re saying more of a “thank you” to La Cita and to our supporters with a month long series of classic Mucho programming, with some of our favorite acts including, Gustavo Galindo & Upground on April 13th, Nina Dioz on April 20th, Bang Data on April 27th, and El Conjunto Nueva Ola for our grand finale on May 4th for our Cinco De Mucho party!

HG: I bet you have many memories of MW’s at La Cita.

RG: So many! One of them is having Pilar Diaz start live music for us, and the second is finally getting Ximena Sariñana to perform on our tiny stage. And in terms of fondness, honestly, all the great times we’ve shared with the Mucho bands, and all the new friends we’ve made along the way are unforgettable. One of the craziest memories I have to say is Ricky and Dante from Very Be Careful crowd surfing while playing their instruments. I swear we all had heart attacks!

Mucho Wednesday's moves from La Cita bar to Echoplex

HG: Very well. A new MUCHO presented event at the Echoplex will replace the Mucho Wednesday’s party starting April 26.

RG: That’s right. We invite everyone to come to our showcase with Carla Morrison to get a taste of things to come.

HG: Who tastes whom?

RG: huh?

HG: The tasting? Who and who?

RG: What do you mean?

HG: What?

RG: Oh, never mind.

 

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Mucho Wednesday’s @ La Cita
336 S Hill St
Los Angeles, CA 90013

April 13th  Gustavo Galindo & Upground
April 20th Nina Dioz
April 27th Bang Data
May 4th  El Conjunto Nueva Ola for the grand finale and the Cinco De Mucho party

New MUCHO event @ The Echoplex starting April 26
1154 Glendale Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026