The Street Kings, On the Pier and Peerless

They have to be ready to move at any given moment, should the cops stop by and ask for their permit. Their show stops us all in our tracks. Someone up front makes a hole so I can capture these moments, now I can crawl along the pier and grab a perfect spot, just outside the cones, and watch these break dancers of the street give us their all. One guy’s from Jordan, another from Syria, another speaks perfect Spanish. Their message resonates as they ridicule racism, tell the kids don’t drink and don’t do drugs, stay in school, help around the house. They pull in a mixed bag of volunteers, even a kid they call “Dora the Explora,” who they train on the spot to do a routine, and at the end they make sure she’s got good grades, does chores, and makes her mama proud. They give her a twenty and inspire us to reach into our own wallets and dig out our twenties for the cause of this super group of the street. People from all over the world hand over donations for the world class entertainment these Street Kings provide.

Before there were Street Kings, there was Larry, the guy with the rolly bag, sitting on a bench. I asked him his story, and it turns out he’s moving from Brazil to Australia, and he’s got a few hours between flights. Later, there’s Frank the Magician, who magically transports me back to the 40s. Without even knowing it. And Janice and Jesus, who were shooting a selfie. I asked for a reenactment and got a whole new set of poses, instead.

Danny Pelavin told me that people move to New York to be noticed. Here in LA, they’re more liable to want to hide in plain sight. Less inclined to say “yes” to a photo than their New York twins. But I did see a twin of someone we crossed paths with in NYC. A doppelganger. Food for a later thought. For now, the self-imposed deadline is upon us, and as we get to the end of the pier, take a gaze into the distance and give a listen to the breaking waves.