- Post date
- 27 Dec 2018
- Caption
- Here is a very cool flyer from the @mujermona archives (thanks!) This gig went down at the infamous and unforgettable El Trópico in Boyle Heights/East Los, right in front of th Evergreen Cementary. This was a mythic place. By the late 1990s it was paisa bar with a dubious reputation. Había topless dancers and ficheras en las noches, que bailaban con los clientes al ritmo de un conjunto y luego se perdían en algunas de las esquinas del congal.
Nonetheless, El Trópico had the remnants of a proper stage, a functioning P.A. a large dancefloor, and some greenrooms in the basement that were testament of its former glory as a music venue.
Héctor, the then owner of El Tropico was an older cool man who was amenable to booking Eastside punk and “Chicano groove” bands gigs there, particularly as tardeadas and on the slow days of the week.
Also, El Trópico hosted a transgender night, this before our supposedly more accepting times. So, during the late 1990s and early 2000s El Trópico was the spot for some memorable shows and nights.
The line-up for this July 9, 1999 show featured Esperma Revelde (definitely quite a fascinating name for a band), Perfectos Extraños, Ridicule, Astral & Nopal.
The show itself was also an art show and celebration for “Nico’s Birthdate,” who I assume is Nico Avina, the artists and also co-owner of Espacio 1839, the Boyle Height store-gallery par excellence.
El Trópico was demolished in the late 2000s, but the land went to good use for once. The Sol y Luna complex was built on the site of El Trópico. This is a complex of more than 50 affordable apartment homes for the community built by the East L.A. Community Corporation.
- Location
- Evergreen Cemetery, Los Angeles
- Type
- flyer
- View on Instagram
- https://www.instagram.com/p/Br66-e4hpow/