Last week, we got a sneak peek at the Think Tank Gallery’s latest show, entitled Drinkin’ Smokin’ & West Coastin’, and it was a total blast! Think Tank should be familiar to many readers, as it has been home to many immersive shows over the past few years, in addition to a ton of really great art shows.
Their latest show, in partnership with Van’s, is Drinkin’ Smokin’ & West Coastin,’ a month long art exhibit and special event showcase celebrating the best and worst of Los Angeles nostalgia and the stereotypes we all love (and hate) about the City of Angels.
While it was not 100% complete when we checked it out, it was still pretty damn cool. The main gallery’s walls were filled with artwork showcasing all that LA in the 80s and 90s had to offer. While opening night was this past week, the show will run through September 23, 2017.
In addition to all the great art work, there are 36 days of special events, including readings, live music, pop up escape rooms, speed dating, comedy shows, and more. But more on those in a minute.
The venue is also filled with some pretty amazing installations as well, such as the the DMV Dive Bar Lounge, hosted by Playboy and Lagunitas, with racing arcades, a 1992-era California Driver’s License photo booth and more. There is also a 420 Video Throwback Lounge hosted by Showgrow, an interactive Pizza Box Police Chase RC Car Track installation by Ash Santos, a 90s Newsreel TV Lounge by Danny Heidner, and my personal favorite, Ray Mart: A 1992 Koreatown Liquor Store popup Ray Young Chu.
During the preview, I talked to Ray in his Ray Mart for a good 30 minutes, while he showed me around his humble abode. While not that big, Ray Mart is jammed back full of small little details, and some fun hidden stories. In addition to that, Ray is one hell of a nice guy, and really cared to take the time to show off his wares.
So why, pray tell, is a horror-related website writing about this show? Well, that’s because are some great horror-related events as part of the programming! For example:
- From September 11th through 13th, there will be some pop up escape rooms on site, each themed after the one of three themes of the show: drinkin’, smokin’, and west coastin’.
- Our friend Abel is hosting a new variation of his speed dating, Serial Killer Weed Dating, on September 12th.
- Drunken Devil’s “To Live And Di(n)e in LA” will be there on September 21st.
- And finally, though their location has yet to be revealed, I have it on good authority that a certain Order will be there on August 24th for their most sacred day of the year.
Regardless, the show looks great, and you should definitely go check it out! For more information, visit them online at: https://drinkinsmokinwestcoastin.com/
