Eagle Rock Music Festival: Still Killing It

Jonny Coleman

In an oversaturated festival market, the Eagle Rock Music Festival returns this Saturday, October 6. For 14 years it's been creeping up as one of the most ambitious and forward-thinking local festivals, and become tremendously successful. It's got cheap tickets ($10), adventurous local bookings -- including The Pharcyde, Imperial Teen, and folks affiated with Mochilla, Dublab, Brainfeeder, Stones Throw -- and even unique venues. Experimental music in the local church, anyone?

Produced by the Center For The Arts Eagle Rock, the festival is now helmed by Brian Akio Martinez, a local whose job has become recognizing the connective audio and visual tissue of L.A.'s Northeast district. We recently caught up with Martinez, in the midst of last-minute fundraising and juggling line-up changes.

Jonny Coleman

Are you from the neighborhood?
I'm from the Eagle Rock area, specifically Glassell Park. The area was a little bit rougher back in the late '80s and early '90s. I got a job at the CFAER when I was 18, a gig teaching guitar to kids. Today, the neighborhood doesn't represent one type of person or one scene.

What was Dahlia Days?
It's the original name for our festival. The dahlia's a big flower over here. The CFAER is actually a 1914 Carnegie Library. Right past the Eagle Rock plaza, it becomes Glendale, so this is the fringe of Los Angeles.

The original goal was celebrating art and culture in the community and surrounding businesses. We were putting small groups into venues. A coffee house would have some jazz; a restaurant would have some music, etc. Over the years, people really took to the idea. It was becoming so popular that people would spill out into the sidewalks and into the streets, literally. That became a city concern. We were programming cumbia at Rantz Automotive. I credit Jenny Krusoe, then our director, and Luis Sanchez for the beginnings of the ERMF and having the vision to help us expand it.

When did you begin programming for the Center?
I finally got my chance to start programming about six years ago. The torch was passed. We ended up acquiring a new executive director, Julia Salazar. She really gave me an opportunity to really expand some of those ideas.

What's your relationship with Sunset Junction?
They've always been really great to us, especially in the beginnings, we'd come to them for advice. We were learning as we were growing, much like they. They were helpful with logistics. Obviously, where they fall short is the issues they had last year, it was a financial things plus things inside the community. The staff at the Center are concerned about the community. We want families, teenagers, adults, grandparents. We are constantly thinking about them. If you lose your community, you lose your credibility.

How do you get such a nice lineup for only $10 at the gate?
For me, I play music. I went to school for it. I played a lot of jazz, rock, orchestral. Jazz opened up the gates to me, some obscure rock stuff, some electronic. I play bass and upright bass. That gave me access to all sorts of genres, from electronic to classical to rock groups. Dublab was one of our first partners and one of our strongest to date. The product got more interesting and everyone started paying attention. Then, through The Smell, I met the LA Record guys, then the FYF crew. These partnerships are the backbone of what we do.

Where does the money go?
It's a suggested donation, and we're not going to turn any one away for lack of funds. In a perfect world, I'd keep it free, but the city has a lot of rigid fees.