Hometown hood turning out for homie VP Kamala Harris. It was the most entertaining and honkingist motherfucker of all traffic jams. The Grand Lake marquee, “America just told Trump: You’re Fired” mirrors the sentiments of the spontaneous crowds out celebrating everywhere, shouting America is great again, Fock Donald Trump, Black lives matter, and Barbecuing while Black is beautiful! And everybody was waving flags. We got our flag back! People swigging champagne, partying like there was no tomorrow. One black woman ran up to the car and foisted some champagne on us, I took a swig. It was that kind of night. We hugged crazily through the car window. Solidarity in Oaktown.
Chetana Karel’s brother-in-law, Allan Marchaud, who owns the Grand Lake Theatre in Oakland should be classified as a living Alameda County treasure. He has generously offered the theater space for progressive meetings between matinees, and refused to back down from using the marquee as a community sounding board when other merchants and alders complained.
When I had out-of-town guests, I’d often take them into the theater to show off the faded grandeur of the art deco motifs, Allan, or an usher, always waved me through, never asked for tickets. you don’t need no stinking tickets. It still has the heavy brocade curtains from its vaudeville theatre heydays.
And the real treat was to go to the first evening show on Friday night, when the Wurlitzer organ came up through the stage playing scary music, the opening bars of Phantom of the Opera. We’ve slayed the behemoth. Now, to work.
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