Bring on the bands | Courtesy Tony Aguilar
BOYLE HEIGHTS — There is no shortage of musicians in this neighborhood, where mariachis gather for gigs at Mariachi Plaza and Cesar Chavez Avenue. But Antonio Aguilar and Eddie Rivas said they expect the neighborhood pool of musicians to expand, and that’s why they are opening an hourly rehearsal space, Eastside Rehearsal, in a former cement storage warehouse.
“I want Eastside Rehearsal to be a place where musicians can be creative, get loud, and be comfortable in a well stocked professional environment,” said Aguilar, who has played in a rock band with his wife and worked as a stage, tech and tour manager. “I want this to be a positive addition to this already thriving community”.
The studio, which is scheduled to open this month, is located in a blue warehouse building in the 2600 block of Cesar Chavez Avenue. After several months of work, the warehouse now has five air conditioned and soundproofed rehearsal rooms rooms ranging from 300 square-feet to 185-square-feet. All band rooms, equipped with drum kits and other equipment, will be $15 per hour and our drum room will be $10 per hour, Aguilar said.
“Musicians get treated like shit on a nightly basis,” he said “Our rooms are going to be clean and they are going to be affordable.”
In light of all the demographic and economic changes Boyle Heights is undergoing, Aguilar wanted to stress that he and Aguilar are not new to the neighborhood. Aguilar and his wife are Boyle Heights homeowners while Rivas, who has played in bands, is an East L.A. native who has taught in Boyle Heights for over 15 years.
“I am not a gentrifier,” Rivas said in an email. “I’m investing because I love Boyle Heights. I want Eastside Rehearsal to be a place where musicians can be creative, get loud, and be comfortable in a well stocked professional environment,” he said in an email. “I want this to be a positive addition to this already thriving community”.
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