e pluribus slackus

John Leech outside of the original location adjacent to The Vista Theatre at the nexus of Sunset/Hollywood & Hillhurst. Check out the marquee... Diner & American Graffiti are playing. Feeling old?

The Onyx Cafe (2nd incarnation), 1802 N. Vermont Ave. Photo by M.I.Morales 1997. According John, this address was built in the early 20's. It's first tenant was Joseph Guidero, an optometrist who had just graduated. He occupied the space until approximately 1988. When he passed away, the space was leased to the Bad Eye Gallery... then came The Onyx in 1989.

 Softness. Even now, six or seven years after I first experienced it, I can feel the softness that informs the physical as well as psychic space of The Onyx. People in faded clothes with attenuated ambition; round edged Formica tables from the 50’s with room for strangers as well as friends, twilights and late nights with L.A.’s smoggy mist gently seeping. Its soft, like hearing velvet, Velvet Underground on a Sunday morning, black velvet paintings, absinthe, filtered moonbeams, pale lipstick.

     You drink a little caffeine to wake from slacker slumber, only to stretch like a lazy cat and toy with the money mouse before returning to your natural state of ease and pleasure. The Onyx is a circus net of people who will catch your fall even if they don’t particularly like you. You are family, a big misbegotten clan of postmodern bohos - 3rd generation beatniks, x-punks and cyberpunks, dreadlocked brothers, neo-hippies, aging madmen and fabulous art goddesses all dancing together with a studied but heartfelt unpretentiousness.

     This phenomenon sprouted from the disenchanted soil of the 80’s, blossomed in the early 90’s, and is beginning to slip into history at the edge of the millennium. The inexorable encroachment of capital that haunts all Zeitgeist scenes (e.g., North Beach in 50’s, Haight/Ashbury in the 60’s, Soho and downtown L.A. in the 80’s), has made its presence felt. The Onyx as cultural center of an incestuous Silverlake/Los Feliz art community made our scene possible. It provided a living room for our alienation, a locus for our longing. Thousands of lives have been touched by the soft concentric waves of our Onyx circle.

-- by Jesse Hopkins, 1998

"I seek the utmost pleasure and the least pain." Plautus

Onyx Coffee Zone street sign modified by Andy Takajian. Photo by Guy Pohlman.

The interior of the original Onyx Cafe on Sunset Drive. Michael Carpenter sitting with Roberto. Interior design by Fumiko Robinson, photo by Anchell. 1986.

 

Greetings, comrade citizens...

The Whitmore family has sold their condo in Los Feliz and have made tracks for the northwestern U.S. in Oregon. We will sure as hell miss you guys. Happy trails... Mike will still be making periodical visits to El Lay & Amoeba Records.

Eddie Ajamian is a counselor at Camp Nubar for the summer in upstate New York - William the Wonderdog is there with him.

Ed Laroche is quite possibly in Prague by now.

Heard that Rodney Lomax might be visiting L.A. soon, be great to see him.

Saw Marijuana Mike at Psychobabble... haven't seen him in years, damned good to see him. Still has his van!

John Leech splits his time between L.A. & northern California, is writing sci fi books and hasn't aged a day since the old place closed.

Make sure & check out Paul Posadas' website with lots of truly great shots of The Onyx during it's reign & during the final moments as it was going down during that last great party. That is also Paul's work at the top of the page... the shot of the cup o' joe sitting on the table just below the Onyx banner.

More & more cyber tavellers seem to be tripping onto the site. Welcome. Please do help out with names, corrections & additions. Contributions of stories, poems, photos & art welcome as well. All welcome. If anyone has pics of The Onyx/Echo, in the words of the first trust fund baby... "bring 'em on", & in the words of Sir Mick, "I ain't got no".

-- xxxooo s.a.

The following are links & images to & from our wild history -- artists, writers, musicians and other rascals from The Onyx, Onyx Sequel & Onyx/Ehco.

Steve Abee
Eddie Ajamian
Bob Aldrich
Audrey Allen
Gabriel Alvarado
Rafael F.J. Alvarado
Phil Alvin
Amos
Van Arno
Anthony Ausgang
Guia Avesani

Mark Nichols, 1992 by Guy Pohlman

Paul Bacca
Joe Baiza
Liz Balogh

B by Shaggy Victor Balogh

Jim Balsom
Gabriel Baltiera

Alfredo de Batuc
Tom Bliss
Bodjig's Fundraiser at The Onyx/Sequel
David Bogoian
Don Bolles

S.A., Lorraine Perrotta, "Ike" Ake Boschen & Eddie Ajamian (with William... you can see his bright, white eyes in the bottom right corner of the pic) just before Ike took off for Sweden in February '04. He crossed over soon after.

David Brown/Brazzaville
Betsy Burke
(Brenda) Johnny Burton
Michael Carpenter
(Perpetua) Carol Cetrone

Chili Charles showing the love closing nite at The Onyx. Photo by Paul Posadas.

Tommy Chiffon
Evan Chimarios
The Cinnamon Roll Gang (Marcel Dejure's rolling thunder)

By artist Mike Cronin, Head of The Dynasty of Divine Love & Tolerance

"Crazy" Ricardo
Daisy
Wendy Dale
Sally Daliege
Amy Darsa
Chris Davies
Papo de Asis
Chris Degelsey

Dennis, our resident crackhead/homeless guy, sitting on Vermont Ave. looking out into the abyss for answers & the ocassional burning bush. Photo collage by S.A.

Holy Smokes By Marcel Dejure

Zack de la Rocha
Dino
Walter Dumani

Artist Mark Durham

Mark Ehrman
End Looms For The Onyx After Losing Lease by Jillian Bailey
Carol Es
Scarlette Fever - Guess who? One of the dazzling Velvet Hammer beauties...
Carl Figuls
Rev Mo Figuls
Fiona
Carey Fosse
Danny Frankel

Danny, Mike, Darryl & Cary

Mimi looking very Jackie O.

Kari French

Gayle Gang w/Phoenix & Derek

Simone Gad
Jean Garvey
Mark Gash

S.A. Griffin, Beat Nite - 1992. Photo by Jesse Hopkins.

Ian Giggy
S.A. Griffin
Gronk

Gronk at the old Onyx on Sunset Place, 1988 by Guy Pohlman

Beck Hansen
Channing Hansen
Scott Hardman
Drawing On The Past - Onyx Remembered by Scott Hardman
Bianca "B" Hemerik

by I. Niemand Amalgamated / Icarus

Andrea Idarosa & Max
Patria Jacobs
Terry Jackson
Hassan Jamal

David James at my old digs on Vermont Ave. in Los Feliz. David ran the open lit thing.

Billy Jayne (Jacoby)
Joshua Jose/Tribal Cafe
Carolyn Kellogg

Enchanted Head by Vinzula Kara

Kill Radio ~ Internet/104.7FM - Alternative/subversive/anything goes radio where Hassan, Rev Mo, Michael Perrick, David Rockello, Paul Baca & S.A. all dj.
Doug Kirkup
La Luz De Jesus Gallery
Stacy Lande

Wonder Box, Flying Carpet Dart Box #1, 1995, by Steven La Ponsie.

Ed Laroche
Lawrence

From Beat Nite. These two guys, inhabiting one sweater (like a character from the book in their hands) were reading "beat poetry" from Dr. Suess. My son Spencer (about 4 then) simply walked up on the stage & joined them.

Ben Porter Lewis
Rodney Lomax
Nathan Long
Lorca The Poetry Dog
Lorenzo
David Lovins
Rick Lowell
Richard Lubrich
Kate Lust
Ron Maker
Marijuana Mike
Barry, Wendy & Max Markowitz
Bill Marcus
Dominic Marks
Brenna Martin
Milo Martin
Dafydd McKaharay
Jeff Merchant
Louie Metz
Maggie Miller
Alex Nava

Monday nite jazz at The Onyx Sequel.

Carlos "Cake" Nunez
Octavio
Olivia

Manuel Ocampo

Onyx Employees
Onyx Flyers - From many a show... more coming
The Onyx Guitar

by Pablo for Kari French's last Barbie show.

Pablo
Martha Packard (Calm down!!)
Thee Peanut Gallery - Marcel Dejure's space de art & performance in Silverlake

Michael Perrick & Hassan Jamal.

Bill Petty

Mr. Guy Pohlman

Onyx Spoken Word (Poetry Anthology)

Check out Paul Posadas' website. Lots of great pics, a blog & wonderful energy.

Holly Prado
Kennon B. Raines
Raugust
Frank Reiber

Lucas Reiner

Vice by Hank T. Ripper

Rio
David Rockello

Jaime Rode by Paul Posadas, 1992.

Notes of A California Bohemian by Lionel Rolfe
Roman
Bill Roper
Carl Schuster
Tony Scibella
Lawrence Shultz
Araceli Silva
C.C. Skusa
Skylight Books
Slick
Elaine Smith
Michael Spalt

Brooke & Simone

Blakeslee Stevens Napkin art by Mark Durham

Julia Stein
Laura Strand - Art opening at The Onyx, 1996

Mick Sweeney, Irish import & late nite/good time piano/guitar man at The Onyx/Sequel. Photo/art by Paul Posadas.

T.K.
T Rick
Andy Takakjian
Tatsuya
Lisa Teasley
Victor Toledo
Alp Tolun
Hope Urban
Cat Uribe
Paul Vaca
Karrin Vanderwal
Onyx Obit by Karrin Vanderwal
The Velvet Hammer - Va Va Voom!

David Weidman -Men In Dresses/Meathuas Cuisine

Michael Whitmore, howling at Beat Nite..

Forrest Whittaker
William of Wonderland
William Holden
Z
Zack
Jack Zinder
Red Zulu

Proprietor John Leech riding herd during Act Of Kindness. Especially in the later years, when the Los Feliz Homeowners were trying to run us all out, the fire department liked to come by and bust John for having too many people inside the cafe. An expensive proposition. On the left balancing a camera in his hand is chiropractor to the L.A. underground, Phil Eng. Also in the pic from left to right : Richard Lubrich, Jim Balsom w/camera, St. Teresa Stone, New Zealand songbird Katie Soljak's blonde and bronze rear end (w/white fur) & Johnny Speed looking off to his left. Photo by S.A.

Tomas, Lorraine Perrotta & Jesse Hopkins.

One of the L.A. Mudpeople at The Open Ended It, Onyx/Echo.

 

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The Open Ended It