Rahill Jamalifard Walks Us Around LA
Words by Rahill Jamalifard, Photos by Bailey Robb and Morgan Rindenga.
Generally speaking, I’ve always been a bit of a late bloomer, from monumental life moments, like getting my first kiss at eighteen, to witnessing the ocean for the first time when I was fourteen, I seem to take a longer road than most.
Los Angeles falls into that ‘later in life’ category. I started visiting LA in my early 20s when I was still thrilled to sleep on couches and bum around with my band in borrowed vans while on tour. Everywhere in LA seemed like a strip mall to me back then. Highland Park had the best tacos, and the only tourism I was familiar with was visiting the Ramones gravestones at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. Luckily, my relationship with Los Angeles has made some headway since those earlier years. These days LA feels more like a second home. I visit often, I have my spots, my routines, and my community. I look forward to reconnecting with friends, eating good food, and walking down then begrudgingly back up massive hills. High inclines - the perfect segue into my LA travel guide, the place and spaces I love to frequent. Please enjoy this photo story as I walk you through my most recent LA trip.
As a Midwest native I am truly unfamiliar with the West Coast’s terrain. I find comfort and familiarity in all things flat. To challenge this comfort zone I take an enjoyable walk every morning down to Cafe de Leches that’s followed by a very arduous, back breaking pant home. The first stop on the way back was Stones Throw Records accompanied by the legendary Peanut Butter Wolf. We spent the day recording music from his label's spacious headquarters in Highland Park. That evening we spun records together with my band at his bar, which is connected to the same building and one of my favourite bars in LA, Gold Line. I really can’t think of a better listening bar in the States. It is on par with some of the best listening bars I've been to in Tokyo, and luckily for me, usually filled with familiar faces and sounds.
A stone's throw away from Stones Throw (yes, the pun was intended) and Gold Line, is one of my favorite venues in LA - The Lodge Room. I had a show there the following day with the Ethiopian keyboard king, Hailu Mergia and a local favorite, Pachyman. It was a sold out show so the crowd's energy was truly magnetic. Honestly every time I see or play a show there I have a great time. It’s a combination of a really nice staff, great cocktails at Checker Hall, and really solid music programming.
The day after the show, my friend Bailey and I scooped up a to-go order from my favorite breakfast spots in Highland Park, Amara Kitchen, then made our way to KCRW in Santa Monica for a guest DJ set and interview on the radio show ‘Morning Becomes Eclectic’. If the coffee and breakfast wasn’t enough to jumpstart my enthusiasm for the day, the two iconic hosts Anthony Valadez and Novena Carmel both sharing the gift of infectious energy and spirit, did the job. I talked basketball with Valadez, exchanged stories with Novena, and spun records in their good graces. When it was time to leave it felt like I was a kid being told playtime was over.
I jammed so many events into one week but still made time to hit up my record store spots, like Mount Analog in Silver Lake, where I scored two Mahasti 45’s. I also finally ate at Raffi’s Place in Glendale, which did not disappoint. As someone who grew up eating 98 percent Iranian food at home, the cooks there sure know what they are doing. My advice would be to get the jujeh kabob or soltani plate. We were rehearsing everyday, and my band mate Jamen who is a LA native would pick a spot for us to get lunch. My favourite spot he took us to was in Little Tokyo, a place called Rice and Nori. This place had character, was loud but orderly, lunch was under ten dollars, and the onigiri was divine. I made friends with some birds outside on the bench where we ate. We were serenaded by the Japanese cowboy, Arthur Nakane, who sets up his diy solo ensemble in the Little Tokyo outdoor food court and brings smiles to all the temporary inhabitants who visit.
One day during the afternoon hours, I invited Beck over to Electric Ear Studio in Highland Park to be guest on my monthly NTS radio show Radio Rahill. We became good friends since he featured on my song ‘Fables’ off of my solo record Flowers At Your Feet which was released in May. We rapped about what his experience growing up in east LA was like, and how his early interactions with music shaped his career.
The final show rounding out my trip, was a memorable event presented by NTS and HUF at a crazy church in Pico Union. This show was really sweet and felt intimate, though it was packed with sets from Trinh DJ, Pink Siifu and Budgie. I met friends for a nightcap at Good HouseKeeping before heading back to catch my flight home the following day. I suppose it was a combination of the lush greenery, the shows played, and the places and faces I got to see, that made this one of the most memorable LA trips to date. I think this is one of LA’s secret strengths, the laid back energy doesn’t add or catalyze the stress of a busy schedule, forcing you to proceed with ease, something hard to do after living in NYC for 15 years. I suppose the great take away here is to hang loose even when the schedule is wound tight. Could anything sound more LA than that? Till next time.
Catch Rahill live at the Getty Center this Saturday 29th of July. Tickets are free but reservations are required here.
