Every first Sunday of the month, nestled in Lincoln Heights, there is a celebration of the arts and life. It's called "Heart On." This event takes place in the playhouse atmosphere of the bar and lounge known as the Airliner. Once you walk in you will be greeted by live bands jamming on the first floor, while upstairs you will come face to face with a multitude of DJ's mixing all sorts of grooves to make your feet move. The outside area is an open art gallery on the back stage where your eyes can feast on treats ranging from murals to body painting. The fun never ceases to stop and you will find yourself being continuously entertained and even pleasantly distracted by all the activity taking place inside and out.
The "Heart On" was created by Martha Carillo. Martha has been running the show for over a year and it has only gotten bigger and better. With the help of her family and friends she has brought a renewed and refreshing twist to her vision of an artistic co-op. All the artists involved with "Heart On" cooperate, corroborate, and cohabitate in a communal space that serves as a platform for the freedom of expression and the preservation of the integrity of their crafts.
Somehow Martha has gathered an abundance of talented artists to converge at the "Heart On" to share and release their creative energy onto the masses. Martha has been able to transform Sunday night into an accepting and loving atmosphere. All this magic lends itself providing the right ingredients for a night to remember. The doors open at 8:00pm and the party rolls on until 2:00am. However, that seems to be the only downside because one only hopes and wishes that the music and fun would keep on going until way after sunrise.
The Airliner is a decent sized place, and on September 5th it played host to 22+ artists, 8 bands, a photo booth by Happyland, visuals by Traxex, live painting by John Everett, and live body painting by Kiersten Sugano. And if you thought that wasn't enough, DJ's Brand B (dirtRAID), Ian Trujillo, and resident DJ Gingee of Magic Garage were getting down on the turntables. It doesn't matter if the DJ's are digging through the crates, making live beats on stage, or having four or five mix masters on stage at once, because they all find a way to transcend their craft onto a different level. The DJ's are the architects who lay out the blueprint to the dance floor all night long. And last, but far from the least, the acoustic and percussion section has the bottom floor rocking with bands such as Dirty Bandits, 5 Signs, and Sequent Gem. Some of you may know these artists and some of you may not. If you knew what I knew, it would behoove you to get acquainted.
Since the inception of the "Heart On," the first Sunday night of every month in LA hasn't been the same. It's nice to know that there are still places that promote and encourage the arts and realize the importance of community building. The whole experience is organic and handpicked from a selection of gifted and extraordinary people. Also, if you get hungry while dancing, they even have a kitchen on the premises with an assortment of tasty, inexpensive treats. Try to get there early as possible -- you will thoroughly enjoy yourself from the moment you enter until the moment you leave. The "Heart On" is a well needed and timely escape from some of LA's pretentious and gaudy scenes. LA is a big city and there is undeniably additional room for venues such as the "Heart On." But, for now, you cannot and will not go wrong with the original.