South Bay Customs hosts fest

Blowtorched food,
rock n’ roll, and craft
beer at Crude Craft

by Ed Solt

Saturday night, everything crude and crafty will be celebrated at South Bay Customs,  the American motorcycle shop tucked away in El Segundo’s Smoky Hollow district that is also an art gallery and music venue.

The event will feature craft beer, food, and music at the vibrant warehouse on Penn Street, which began as a straightforward motorcycle shop but has become one of the area’s most unique cultural gems, one particularly known for its high-caliber music shows.

“I started to have bands play to promote my shop as a crossover to get more work for the shop,” said owner Michael Schreiber. “I didn’t plan on it becoming a music venue. People enjoyed the music and we naturally evolved.”

There is a connection in everything South Bay Customs does, Schreiber said.

“Our underlying thing in everything we do is quality,” he said. “We want to build the best motorcycles, have the best beers, the best food, and the best art. We identify with and love mixing in with the ‘craft’ of other genres.”     

The Crude Craft events exemplifies the shop’s ethos.

Fill R’ up Gastro Pub has literally been lighting up the LA culinary scene with a blowtorch. They describe themselves as “Gasto mechanics” and would look at home underneath one of the shop’s many motorcycles in their customary attire of welding gloves, aprons, and masks.

“Fill R’ Up Gastro Pub puts their own spin on food,” Schreiber said. “It is performance art. They use a blowtorch to cook and present bite size portions so you get a taste of everything they make throughout the night.”

The beer featured at the event will be Oskar Blues Brewery’s Pale Ale, Mama’s Little Yella Pils, and the Pinner Light.

“We connect with the risk we took opening shop and how they took the risk as the first to use cans in 2002,” Schreiber said. “It’s an innovation that’s now become an industry standard.”

Headlining band The Curly Wolf combines punk rock, ragged country, rockabilly, and Americana, and has established itself one of the hardest working bands in the South Bay. You can find part of the band behind the bar at Redondo Beach’s Gasser Lounge, which is owned by the drummer Mike Bouchard. Gasser Lounge is likewise a mecca for local motorcycle enthusiasts.

“I met Mike years ago and admire everything he has done,” Schrieber said. “We come from the same people. It was second nature they’d be a part of our first Crude Craft.”

The Midnight Screening, a duo from Signal Hill consisting of brothers Matt and Chuck Herman, will open the bill.

“One brother plays the acoustic guitar, harmonica, and the hi hat of a drum while the other brother plays bass and the kick drum,” Schreiber said. “They really nail that ‘Bakersfield Sound.’” I was an instant fan.”

The Frantic Rockers, a throwback ‘50s rock band from Gardena, plays in between the two groups.

“Lead singer Jesse De Lucas has the awesome dance moves of James Brown,” Schrieber said. “Onstage, he goes all out and does the splits.”

The Crude Craft starts at 7 p.m. February 6 at South Bay Customs 115 Penn St, El Segundo, . Tickets include admission, food and three micro brew tickets. $25 pre-sale / $30 day of. 21+. For more information go to southbaycustoms.net. ER