Can You Dig the :Digs?
*Originally written for DIG Magazine online but was officially published and edited long after my time at the publication.
https://www.digmaglb.com/music/can-you-dig-the-digs
*One member (Ava Zell) wasn’t present for the interview but she later answered a few questions through DMs.
Lead singer Andrew Padilla rehearsing one of many songs to be performed live.
“I slept like four hours today,” shared lead singer and founder Andrew Padilla. “I don’t know if that says a lot but when it comes to music, in the middle of everything, I’m either listening to music or playing it. It’s just one of those things you have to have, it has to be there”
Inspired by the raspy, indie, alternative sound from the likes of the Strokes, the Arctic Monkeys, and the Smiths, the Digs are a local band composed of Cal State Long Beach students and alumni looking to inspire connection and have fun making something new as a byproduct of self expression.
Claire and the drums will never be seen without her trusty cowbell.
Starting from a casual turned geeking conversation about a Strokes sticker, Padilla, 19, and eventual band drummer, Claire McLoy, 19, initially met for tutoring on math homework. Their shared passion and fandom for the garage rock icons would lead to Padilla creating a Reddit post on r/CSULB in search of other members, eventually leading the duo to Aris Ammons, a 23-year-old CSULB alumni with six years of experience playing the guitar. With that, their three person band began.
So, how deep did the trio need to go before coming up with The Digs?
“Well… we went through like 50 names and they all sounded really corny. Our first one was called ‘Three Four Seven Eight’ and it was annoying because no one could find us. People would just look it up on YouTube and ask ‘What is this time signature stuff?’ I think we went with Three Way Date, then we went with The Pikes, and then we went with The Digs,” Padilla shared. “We had to change our name from the Pikes because there was a CSULB frat with the same name,” added Ammons.
One of the band’s two guitarists, Aris Ammons goes to work.
It wasn’t long after adding Ammons and settling on a name that they realized they needed a bassist. Luckily it wasn’t long before Ava Zell, 21, was introduced.
According to Zell, “I’ve grown up playing music with my family playing in bands with my dad and brother, in school and various other projects. An old coworker connected Aris and I and the rest is history!”
Before even conceiving the idea for the band, Padilla released an EP on Spotify titled Whoopsie Daisy. A culmination of his passion for early 2000’s rock and the isolation he experienced during quarantine, he would go on to use the EP to recruit his bandmates as well as guide him in the creative process.
“There’s this one song called ‘Grown’ and that one’s about every stage of my life and I feel like that defines what all the other songs are about; the stages in every teenager's life and how they deal with loneliness, ” he shared. “I like that it resonated with my bandmates too and I hope it resonates with more people in the future.”
The newest instrument and member to join the band, Gio Aguirre finds his footing at his first practice with the band.
The youngest and newest member of the band is Gio Aguirre, 18, on the keyboard. A graduating senior in high school, Aguirre, despite only recently joining the band, has actually known Padilla the longest and, like the rest of the band, is passionate about creating music.
“I’ve been playing piano for around six years. I started off playing classical music and writing sheet music a little bit and then I went into more improv and started trying to make my own type of music that way. (...) A little background, the way I met Andrew is I was friends with his sister for a couple years back in middle school and one day she invited me to her birthday party and I met Andrew and found out he played a mean guitar,” he shared. Aguirre cites his academic responsibilities for the delay in him joining the band but ultimately, this is The Digs!
With the band growing, McLoy admits that it’s somewhat a struggle to coordinate rehearsals but also acknowledges some of the magic that that brings. “I think the rarity of it makes it all special. We still do have time for our own social lives but we try to make time because we do this for a reason, it’s fun,” she shared.
“There’s just a romance to being in a band,” Padilla added.
The emotion and intimacy with which they perform is a fun but raw look into each individual member, why they play music and the band as a whole.
For Aris, “It allows me to express myself because I’m not the most talkative person, I don’t like talking that much, so I kinda let music do the speaking for me even in what I listen to, not just the music I play.”
Gio is impassioned by the endeavor of originality, “I like the fulfillment of hearing something that we created that sounds good. Experimenting with it a little bit and then finding something that hits and you get that feeling of that’s it, that feels good.”
“I have a billion different songs stuck in my head all the time and it just allows me to get it out there,” shared Claire. “I’m doing that constantly anyways, anybody who knows me knows how I’m always playing the drums on myself but it’s nicer to be able to play with people and get those ideas out.
Moving forward, The Digs hope to further define and refine their sound as well as, one day, producing a full fledged album.
The Digs have an unreleased single titled “Over My Head” that is one of many songs they’ll be playing at their next performance at The Pike Bar in Long Beach on May 21 at 5:00pm! To keep up with everything else related to the Digs you can find them on Instagram at @the_digs_band!
Three Combat Gyms in Long Beach
*Originally published in DIG Magazine online and the Summer ‘23 print issue.
Eugene Correa instructing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu at Hardworx Fitness 4th St. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
Getting fit for the summer heat does not have to just mean pushing weights or running miles. If you’re looking for a new way to strengthen the mind and body, consider trying out a combat sport or martial arts! Here are three combat sport gyms in Long Beach and how they uniquely motivate people to be stronger tomorrow.
GUV’NORS BOXING CLUB:
Two of Guv’nors more experienced boxers spar in the classically red, white and blue ring. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
Guv’nors Boxing Club occupies the second floor above a convenience store off of Cherry Avenue and Anaheim Street, but don’t be discouraged by the unique location. The woman and POC-owned Guv’nors is an aesthetically traditional boxing gym with a full sized ring as well as another room largely dedicated to weightlifting equipment.
According to Elizabeth Parr, owner and head trainer, her gym is catered to “anyone who wants to workout hard: for kids who want to compete, young adults with busy schedules, parents, or retirees looking to stay in shape and be part of a boxing gym.”
Parr also has a contract with the city that allows her to create an adaptive program for special needs individuals in the community.
Two members touch gloves after a tiring sparring session. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
HARDWORX FITNESS 4th ST:
This location on 4th Street is the second gym opened by Raul Inaya. Unlike Guv’nors, Hardworx trains many different disciplines: kickboxing, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ), boxing, wrestling, and even some HIIT workout sessions. According to Inaya, their primary goal is to “ try to help as many people get into shape through boxing and kickboxing as well as traditional fitness.”
A member taking the kickboxing class prepares to work with a heavy bag. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
Featuring many coaches with notable experience in contemporary professional mixed martial arts, like current professional fighter Eugene Correa or former Bellator Light Heavyweight World Champion Emanuel Newton, training at Hardworx is not easy. But, according to Raul, nothing is impossible in his gym, “I have a member that just fought in Las Vegas last weekend. He’s 73 years old and he’s a cancer survivor, so it’s pretty cool.”
Emmanuel newton works does some Boxing Worx with a member of the gym. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
FIGHT SOLUTIONS HQ:
Two of Fight Solutions’ more experienced members demonstrate the next exercise to the rest of the room. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
Established in 2008 on 7th Street across from Wilson High School, Fight Solutions HQ is the closest of the three to Cal State Long Beach. It is owned and coached by former affiliate of Chute Boxe Academy, Gerson Schilipacke. He is a Brazilian practitioner of muay thai, which is a fighting style similar to kickboxing that also utilizes shins, knees and elbows, as well as a MMA trainer.
He believes in the power of martial arts as a method to improve your mental and physical health. On Fight Solution’s website, Schilipacke shared: “Due to the fast-paced nature of the sport, you can’t trouble yourself with worry while training. You’ll get hit in the face or mess up the drill you’re working on. Practicing a martial art allows you to focus on yourself and nothing else,”
While still wanting to produce competitive fighters, Schilipacke’s goals are actually largely driven by his altruistic influence on the community.
Schilipacke shared, “Here in the gym, you can see the pro fighter, the amateur fighter, the regular day-to-day person that wants to get in shape and learn self defense, they all have the same training, they’re always sparring safely together. Different goals but, all under one guidance it’s a respectful, helpful, and family environment.”
Gerson critiques and corrects two of his members’ technique. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
While these gyms are all local and available to anybody interested regardless of age, experience or fitness level, what often widely varies beyond the fighting discipline specialty is the tone of each gym.
Although Hardworx Fitness and Fight Solutions HQ are similar in the way they offer many different fighting styles that culminate into the combat sport, mixed martial arts, Hardworx’s environment is more intense and caters to “whoever is open to that type of workout and training,” according to Inaya.
In contrast to that, Schilipacke shared his and Fight Solution’s coaching philosophy as largely beginner and casual friendly with an emphasis on creating a familial environment. This is a theme actually shared with Parr, who has big aspirations for the casual Long Beach boxing gym, hoping that one day one of her amateurs will make it to the Olympics.
“This takes a village and many years,” shared Parr.
Albert Tran’s Depolarization of Fashion
*Originally published in DIG Magazine online.
Albert Tran poses for a photo in front of the CSULB Library. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
Dressed in vibrant and thematically stylized outfits, Albert Tran, also known as @aesthetic_alberto on Instagram, is one of many young men redefining the polarized landscape of traditional fashion.
A 22-year-old fashion content creator as well as a full-time student in the Department of Communication Studies at Cal State Long Beach, Tran draws from influencers and celebrities with versatile fashion arsenals “like Timothee Chalamet and Harry Styles.” He is inspired by outfits with inherently masculine structure, such as blazers or suits, that also manage to use color palettes typically regarded as feminine.
When piecing together his own outfits, Tran uses this inspiration to make his visually unique, often monochromatic fashion statements and an appealing exploration of the apparent dichotomy in industry trends caused by the gender binary.
“I like to dress in very masculine clothing but I also like to feminize it with the colors because of society’s association of pink, purple, really any bright colors and pastels, with femininity,” said Tran.“Being able to combine both of them makes the outfit more of a standout, rather than sticking to one or the other.”
One of Albert’s many hot pink outfits. Photo courtesy of Albert Tran.
As a fashion content creator, Tran posts photos of himself in a variety of outfits, both as a form of self expression and as a means of potentially inspiring one of his many followers. Despite only investing a little more than a year into his content creation and with the modest wallet of a college student, Tran has managed to consistently equip himself with head-turning style as well as over 7,000 followers on Instagram.
“I’ve been doing [content creation] for about a year now and I love it because I like to get creative and I feel like what I do online is like having an outlet because I don’t get to do that anywhere else,” he shared.
In contrast to many other people passionate about fashion, Albert shared that he derives most of his inspiration from social media.
“A lot of people say ‘I find it from my family and my friends’ but I feel like my style is really drastic from my family and friends,” shared Tran. “Everytime I go somewhere I feel like I dress very much with bright, colorful clothing and I usually get that from social media and the influencers I follow.”
Finding many of his statement pieces at local second-hand shops as well as on online second-hand marketplaces like Depop, Tran is also an avid thrift shopper and also sells his unused clothes. A testament to the growing accessibility of fashion, Tran, like many other fashion creators, constructs aesthetically pleasing outfits without breaking the bank - high quality, low cost.
Despite not being a fashion major, Tran maintains aspirations of professional styling and design. Although he hasn’t styled anyone or designed anything yet, Tran intends to continue cultivating his interest, focusing on himself and further pushing the bounds of how to express Albert Tran.
In Harry Styles’ music video for his hit single, “Watermelon Sugar,” Harry dons a watermelon themed crochet crop top. Screencap from GMA Entertainment Network.
Tran again referred to Styles and Chalamet’s pushing of what is typical masculine fashion.
“I want to experiment with more feminine clothing,” shared Tran. There’s a lot more masculine pieces in my closet right now and I want to get into more of what they’re doing: crop tops, corsets, more revealing vests, clothes that’s more feminine per se. Since clothing has become more universal and there’s a lot more versatility between men and women, there’s no clothing between genders anymore. I’m trying to elevate that moving forward.”
Tran attributes some of his founded confidence to experiment to his participation in the clothing ambassador program hosted by “Drmrs Club,” a brand and platform dedicated to empowering dreamers “To be more committed to your dreams than your own damn comfort zone.” Tran connected with similarly impassioned people from all over the world, further developing both his brand and sense of self.
Albert Tran poses for a photo in front of the CSULB Library. Photo by Charlie Nguyen.
Furthermore, Tran offers advice to anybody else looking to explore and possibly redefine their sense of style.
“Don’t be afraid to experiment and always try to know yourself. At the end of the day, if you’re not comfortable wearing a blazer or a pop of color, trying to start small and building your way up to finding your style is the way to go. Don’t be afraid but also don’t be too uncomfortable to the point that you can’t wear it.”
Long Beach Streets: Volume II
*Originally published in DIG Magazine online.
We’ve already had a look at Long Beach Streets but in a city as infinitely diverse and rapidly dynamic as Long Beach, there’s always going to be more story to tell. Here are a few photos from Downtown, Belmont, Bixby Knolls, Westside, as well as a little piece of fun trivia.
Downtown + East Village
Downtown is the eccentric heart of the already culturally diverse city of Long Beach and has many unique experiences to offer. From shopping at the Pike to drinks on Pine, Downtown and its constant livelihood make it a great weekend choice. Set up on the Promenade every Friday morning is the Long Beach Fresh Farmer’s Market, which features local growers and businesses, such as Caile Cafe.
A business at the Long Beach Fresh Farmer’s Market, Caile Cafe, working on some orders at the grill. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
A person crosses the front of Edison Theatre located on 213 E. Broadway. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Pictured above is Edison Theatre, a venue for the dramatic arts that’s unfortunately sat largely unused since 2006. One of many buildings in Downtown symbolic of Long Beach’s significant place in California’s history.
Fingerprints Records, a well-known records store in Downtown Long Beach, is located at 420 E. 4th St. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
For many, Fingerprints is at the core of Long Beach’s music scene. Widely regarded as the record store, especially in Downtown, this music shop has been host to many legends, upcoming artists and timeless performances. From Foo Fighters to GloRilla, Fingerprints has been serving artists and the Long Beach community for over 30 years.
The sign for Louis Burger III sits on 6th Street and Atlantic Avenue. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen
One of the few restaurants open well past midnight, Louis Burger III is an iconic restaurant that’s managed to maintain its retro theme and prices. An open till 2 a.m. staple, their selection rarely disappoints!
Belmont
A bicyclist rolls down the beach path, Shoreline Way, that connects Belmont Shore to Alamitos Beach. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
While this is technically Cherry Beach, the photo was taken from Belmont Heights! Shoreline Way is a path for those adjacent or willing to make the trip out to the city’s namesake, a long beach.
A camper van transporting a furry companion stops at a light in front of Bluff Park. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
A home in Belmont Shore features various directive signage for notable areas in the neighborhood. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Whether it’s Belmont Heights or Belmont Shore, you’re never far from a relaxing or interesting view. Of all the beach locations in Long Beach, the Belmont area gives the most quintessential California “surfer” vibe sought by many tourists and newcomers.
Bixby Knolls
A small community pop-up is held in an alley off of Atlantic Avenue in Bixby. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Studio Pick, a local all-ages art studio, focuses on the unbridled cultivation of creativity Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Bixby Knolls is an active local community with its main strip, a stretch on Atlantic Avenue, being lined with many and varied small shops and restaurants. Generally regarded as a suburb, Bixby is a fun area to go for some shopping, a casual meal, desert, or just to kill some time.
Ambitious Ales still sporting the sign of the previous occupant Tuttle Cameras. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
A mini public library sponsored by Little Free Library. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Like much of Long Beach, Bixby is a dynamic area constantly experiencing transformations and innovations. Bixby Knolls is one of the many places here in Long Beach that exemplifies the positivity that can come when the community is invested in by the community.
Westside
Signs rusting in the parking lot of the USPS Cabrillo Station. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Located off of Santa Fe Avenue and Pacific Coast Highway, Fabulous West is a small bar prideful of their location. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
West Long Beach is a working-class neighborhood. The neighborhood is separated from the rest of the city by the 710 freeway and is commuted to and inhabited by many of Long Beach’s laborers. Rather than focus on the typical port sights and the Queen Mary, I chose to accentuate the old town-y environment that can be overlooked.
This Pacific Coast Highway bridge links the West and the Central parts of Long Beach. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
A unique sight for those that commute from across the freeway, the recent California showers have filled up the LA River and helped cultivate and spruce up some much needed greenery!
Bonus: Rose Park
Signage in front of another home in Rose Park claiming the building to be over 100 years old. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Rose Park is a largely residential neighborhood lined with historic homes, many at least a century old, so it’s a shock to many Long Beach locals that it is also an unsuspecting tourist spot! Featuring one “attraction” aptly dubbed “the Skinny House.” The home, built in 1932 on a slim 10 feet by 50 feet lot, is cited by the Guiness Book of World Records to be the narrowest home in the country.
However, this record does seem to be in contention as several other similarly constructed homes around the country also claim to be the skinniest. Interestingly, most of these skinny houses share the unique trait of being built to spite or disprove another party.
The skinny home hides behind a tree. Photograph by Charlie Nguyen.
Garry Winogrand
Garry Winogrand
Anybody could look at Winogrand’s work and find something to be inspired or intrigued by. He loved photography very deeply, primarily experiencing the world through its lens. Hundreds of thousands of photographs of varying subjects, ranging from the serious to the hilarious and often a fluid balance of in-between, Winogrand’s photos express the full range of human emotions, attributed to the intentionality of capturing his perspective. He took photos of what he wanted, not what was collectively agreed to be photographable or commercially worthwhile. While what he photographed often coincided with newsworthiness, there are also several examples where this philosophy produced some of Winogrand’s most controversial (unsavory to some) photographs (a collective example being his book, ‘Women are Beautiful’).
“Whatever comes out, that’s the way I have to express it. I would like not to exist. I’m not speaking in mysteries, and I’m not talking about suicide or anything. I’d just as soon not exist.”
I wish I was in his position to take some of the photos myself; while others, I wouldn’t have taken at all. What I find most entertaining about his street photography is, despite his ability to divert attention, be inconspicuous with the camera and essentially become invisible, there is usually at least one person hyper aware that he’s capturing them. When I encounter this situation, I’m often compelled to put my camera down and pretend like I didn’t notice them but Winogrand didn’t shy away from these situations. Many of his greatest photos are of an observant subject in the sea of American life. It’s courageous, compelling, and constant storytelling that can be looked back on for profound historic reexamination and a glance through Winogrand’s eyes and maybe his mind.
“So I think what I do is nuts. The nature of the photographic progress, it is about failure. Most everything I do doesn’t quite make it. Hopefully, you’re risking failure every time you go out to make a frame.”
He shot film rolls without regard, blasting away as if he had infinitely renewable printing/storage. When he died, he left 2,500 rolls of undeveloped film, 300,000 unedited images, 6,500 developed—but not printed—rolls and 300 untouched photographs (WPOST). “The previous generation of documentary photographers made pictures in service of social causes, Winogrand and his peers believed that the everyday had value as a photographic subject” (MOMA). This is essentially what modern street photography and its many off-shoot genres is, finding art and photogenic frames in the mundane.
“The pictures are taking me in a direction of what I expect from art, which is to see things through another person’s eyes and to feel less lonely. Did he really want anybody to see ‘em? I don’t know. Garry, I don’t know.”
Garry Winogrand was an involuntarily electrifying pioneer of modern photography philosophy. Reportedly both insufferable and invulnerable, along with a portfolio that feels endless, Winogrand was observed to be larger than life. Inspiring but immensely imperfect, he lived and breathed through the viewfinder and was a central figure in photography's transition from strict photojournalism to an art enterprise. He was also existentially lost and mildly disturbed. His work was unfortunately unfinished before he died. Following posthumous development, his work often granted great insight to his personality and perspectives but most characteristically, his persistence. Despite his failing health and degrading prestige, Winogrand never stopped shooting his truth (granted, that often could be reduced to an extensive ‘appreciation’ for women).
