East West Musical Instrument Company

The East West Musical Instrument Company had the most officially musical name for a company that had little to do with music.  They made leather goods – totally badass, hand-crafted, utterly amazing leather goods worn by everyone who was anyone (and had a bit of cash!) in the 70s.

The small store was founded by Norman Stubbs.  Its artisans were hand crafting leather and suede garments for rock gods from Janis Joplin to Carlos Santana (even Springsteen owned an East West), and every hippy with great taste.  They were right up there with Nudie and Granny Takes a Trip, but there is surprisingly little information on the web about East West …

… which apparently makes it all the more easy to knock them off.  Of late, Miu Miu, Balenciaga, and Urban Outfitters have done it …

Miu Miu 2011

Miu Miu 2011

Left – Balenciaga Resort 2010, Right – East West Parrot Jacket, 70s

Urban Outfitters

… and a store called South Paradiso in L.A.  The owner, Romulus von Stezelberger, was lucky enough to track down some of the orignal East West patterns, and produces the designs with the blessing of East West founder Norman Stubbs.  I’m not so sure how I feel about it, though …

South Paradiso Parrot Jackets

South Paradise “Rodeo”

Either way, it all definitely proves one undeniable truth – the East West Musical Instrument Company of San Francisco was totally rad.

The Grande Ballroom

I spent the weekend in Detroit, which isn’t necessarily a new thing for me.  My father grew up there, and my grandparents remained there until the end of their days, and so I, as a result, passed many a long weekend in Motor City.  But this trip was different because for the first time in my almost 28 years, I actually explored the city beyond the very suburban confines of Southfield, Birmingham, and Royal Oak.  To say it was an eye-opener would be an understatement; it was more of a soul shocker.  Detroit is a city rich in history and architecture that has been virtually abandoned, leaving a handful of unbelievably cool, and totally unique cultural moments.  This week I am going to post my favorites, beginning with the Grande Ballroom.

Built in the 20s as a ballroom for dancing, the Grande Ballroom was later resurrected in 1966 when it was purchased by an unlikely duo – a Dearborn, Michigan high school teacher and local radio DJ Russ Gibb.  The venue was meant to be a Fillmore Theater for Detroit, and Gibb worked alongside counterculture god John Sinclair to create a home for psychedelic rock in the city.

Everyone played in the Grande Ballroom.  Its stage hosted the likes of Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane, The Grateful Dead, Alice Cooper, Cream, The Who, John Coltrane, the Rolling Stones, and Sun Ra; the venue’s house bands – The MC5 and The Stooges!  The legendary Kick Out The Jams was even recorded during a live performance at the Grande Ballroom in 1968.

There isn’t much left of the Grande Ballroom today. but that’s kind of the case with most of the city.  The history, though, is just beyond incredible.