What is La Lucha?

The question comes up again and again so I decided to write a couple instalments describing life at La Lucha or as we sometimes like to call it La Lucha lifestyle. We hope this place continues long after we are gone, so here is one of a couple entries in the journal of this adventure story.

Yesterday, La Lucha Space was a music venue. Uncle Joe Meazle and his awesome mandolin playing friend opened the stage with old songs reminiscing on the beauty of (the ladies in) Arkansas. The place was packed around 9p.m. and Joe remarked feeling like he was playing in a room full of his friends.

Arrah and her crew from Philadelphia arrived at the scene a few hours earlier. On the second of their five week tour, the Ferns landed a black van into the back stage area and unloaded the stuff for the show. After meeting Leila and the chickens they found some couches and coffee, a place to chill out and check their emails before the show. Even though they've never been to Conway before, in a sense, they too were playing in a room full of their friends.

Most travelling musicians enjoy playing for an intimate audience every once in a while. People are here to see a show and excited to hear new bands play. While we can't afford to pay the bands, a couple inflatable mattresses and clean towels make us a five star stop in the underground railroad of culture. Touring bands get to make friends and fans, sell a couple shirts and CDs, and usually stay the night. If we are lucky and we get to hang out during breakfast, hear stories of life lived on the road and get a wiff of the music brewing in other parts of the country.

La Lucha is a venue, a public living room, a hostel, a meeting space, an underground cafe', a port of call for ideas, a brewing ground for culture. La Lucha is just an idea, the rest is potential waiting there to be transformed into reality.