Thursday, April 21, 2011

Brokechella (LA's alternative to Coachella)


Sound meditation (theconduitcenter.gongtheplanet.com)

Where there's a will, there's always a way. Coachella was a fabulous money-drain -- cake and circuses for the masses during a time of war, mass unemployment, and soaring debt.

If only there were an alternative to the madness that still recognized our craving for hedonism at a time of stress. Meditating when needed the most is accessible the least and hardest to practice even if we find our way to the cushion.

Spirituality is often the fruit of leisure, when we have time and reason to recognize the fruitlessness of our material pursuits in search of security and happiness. When there is time and opportunity, that is the time to practice. NOW is that time.

Not paradoxically, there was far more meditating going on at Coachella than Brokechella.

The Poor Person’s Coachella
($5) If you’re bummed out that you didn’t make it to the desert this weekend for a little music festival -- don’t fret. While many of our friends [were] baking in 90+ degree heat and getting up close to the sights and, umm, smells of Coachella, the Ahimsa Collective and RentFoodBroke [threw] Brokechella... for the rest of us who’ve been left behind, are poor, or don’t like getting hot and dirty -- literally -- with our neighbors. The Airliner on North Broadway (Downtown Los Angeles) is where Thom Yorke spun a secret show last month. [For Brokechella], local comedians, visual artists, and bands perform[ed] on two stages, featuring tons of original music and covers of their favorite Coachella acts (complete lineup). The Grilled Cheese Truck [was] parked outside from 9:00-midnight... More