FOK Rock Out & Help Give The Bicycle Kitchen A New Home
Photo by Kelly Martin.
The Bicycle Kitchen/La Bicicocina hatched in the kitchen of a studio apartment used for bike storage at the Los Angeles Eco-Village in 2002. Jimmy Lizama, a downtown bike messenger, used this spot as an operation room for his two-wheeled ride. His bike shop soon beckoned other cyclists like Aaron Salinger, Ben Guzmán, Orlando Godoy and Somerset Waters, and Lizama quickly found himself joined by a small group of skilled bicycle enthusiasts. Lizama and Guzmán dubbed the space "The Bicycle Kitchen/La Bicicocina," filed a DBA and assumed the titles of co-founders. Within just two years the space evolved into a bustling cyclist hub and outgrew the cramped kitchen. In 2005 they moved into a storefront on Heliotrope Drive in L.A.'s Bicycle District. But The Bicycle Kitchen is bursting at the seams again.
Aiming to remain within the same 'hood, the organization is currently searching for a 2,000 square foot space within 0-3 miles of its current location. A group of about 30 volunteers, also known as "Cooks," run the nonprofit, which is brimming with tools, stands and bike parts used to work on the bicycles of anyone who wheels through the front door. Although a suggested donation of $7 per hour is standard, The Bicycle Kitchen will never turn you away if your pockets are empty. Not only do Cooks fix bikes, most commonly the flat tires on bikes, they also teach cyclists how to repair their bicycles, empowering and liberating fellow riders.
Since the operation is an all-volunteer run, nonprofit bicycle repair education space, fundraising for their big move is a must. Celebrating the musical talents of its Cooks and supporters, also known as "friends of kitchen," The Bicycle Kitchen has launched FOK Rock - a two-part musical benefit.
The first half of FOK Rock is a name-your-price album appropriately themed "Friends of Kitchen Rock!" that features an eclectic mix of tunes by Aarrón!, The Cooling Time, The Ditty Bops, Glassell Park 3, LaMuff, Lethal Apes, McDougall, Mikki and the Mauses, Psychic Weather, Slumgum, Telematique and Triple Chicken Foot. The compilation will be available for download on Bandcamp come September 21.
A concert at The Echo, also on September 21, serves as the second half of FOK Rock and showcases short performances by artists rocking the compilation as well as FOK Rockers Jeremiah and the Red Eyes, Danger Bees, Common Decency & the State Law and Cárcelas. DJs, a raffle and other surprises will round out the evening. Doors open at 8pm, and admission is only $10.
All FOK Rock proceeds will benefit The Bicycle Kitchen. "We are considering this our space fund launch," says Kelly Martin, operations facilitator for The Bicycle Kitchen.
We can't think of a better way to spend $10.
