Crowd

The Los Angeles River flows from its source and merges into the Pacific Ocean, spanning a total distance of about 51 miles. Within the planned area, the river stretches for 32 miles and divides the City of Angels into two sides. The downtown area is situated on the west side of the Los Angeles River. While this western side of Los Angeles includes affluent areas like Hollywood and Beverly Hills, it also encompasses the disorderly and impoverished neighborhoods of Little Tokyo and Chinatown.

Little Tokyo is one of the most chaotic areas in terms of public safety in the whole of Los Angeles. After 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening, one must be cautious when walking alone on the streets. If there is an urgent need to withdraw cash from an ATM, having a companion is definitely a wise choice.

Right next to Little Tokyo, within a block, there is an area called Skid Row, which is the city's notorious slum. Skid Row doesn't refer to just one street but rather an entire area between East 6th Street and East 4th Street, bordered by Maple Avenue and Stanford Avenue.

Unlike the impoverished areas in other cities, Skid Row, also known as the "Homeless Capital", is located right next to the downtown area. This is due to the fact that the surrounding counties and cities have developed much more prosperously than the city center itself. The alleyways here are dilapidated and crowded, inhabited by minority groups such as African Americans, Mexicans, and other Latinos. They live in small, cramped spaces resembling tin can houses, engaging in the most menial labor in the city, all in the hope of making a living.

In recent years, there has been a heavy metal rock band called Skid Row. However, they have little connection to the impoverished area of Los Angeles. This band, which rose to fame in 1986 and was immensely popular during the wave of heavy metal rock, originated in New Jersey, not from the local Skid Row in Los Angeles.

Nevertheless, Skid Row in Los Angeles has become a paradise for many underground rock musicians. Just as the Bronx in New York gave birth to street-oriented hip-hop, underground rock music enthusiasts gather in Skid Row, expressing their inner emotions and dreams with a distinct rebellious attitude. Al's Bar is located here, at the intersection of East 5th Street and San Pedro Street, within walking distance of St. Julian Park.

It was not yet 7 o'clock in the evening when Hugo arrived at his destination by bus. Walking on the street, he could see all sorts of vibrant outfits, flashy black coats, gloomy black eyeliners, fiery red hair, bursting color balls exploding within his line of sight, exuding infinite charm.

In the late 1980s and early 1990s, the unemployment crisis resurfaced in the United States, which was one of the reasons for the Rodney King incident. As a result, heavy metal rock and grunge rock began to gain strong momentum, while the punk music that was popular in the 1970s slowly made a comeback. Initially, these genres stood out as exceptionally alternative and trendy in the mainstream market, making it difficult for major record companies, professional music magazines, and top music studios to accept such unconventional and avant-garde elements, thereby fueling the growth of underground rock.

However, unexpectedly, the rise of grunge rock led by bands like Nirvana unleashed a frenzy that engulfed everything else in music. It achieved tremendous breakthroughs in terms of both reputation and market, thus integrating grunge rock into the mainstream culture of the United States. After entering 1992, this trend not only did not weaken but rather continued to intensify, as if another era of rock craze, similar to the one after 1977, was about to arrive.

As Hugo looked at the bustling scene before him, he felt as if he had stepped into the magical world of Harry Potter. Although there were no wands or spells in this world, the musical notes flowing from the instruments and fingertips were the most enchanting spells in the world, possessing a captivating energy. Each figure in front of him, whether familiar or unfamiliar, extroverted or introverted, dressed strangely with their instruments, seemed like musical notes forming different shapes in his line of sight. Then, they played a beautiful melody under the navy blue sky.

Although Hugo had told himself more than once that this journey was a heavenly opportunity, today he couldn't help but marvel again at how beautiful life was. He was grateful to have arrived in Los Angeles in 1992, not only giving him the chance to become a talented actor but also allowing him to witness the most glorious era of rock.

Hugo stood in amazement, excited and a bit overwhelmed. He wanted to approach the cool girl with numerous earrings hanging from her ears and strike up a conversation. He also wanted to join the unknown band sitting on the street corner, playing their instruments and celebrating. He even wanted to be like a star chaser and surround Billie Joe Armstrong, the lead singer of Green Day... It was like a Disneyland for rock music lovers, filled with joy but also a sense of looking around and missing out on other things.

"Hey, Hugo!" a voice called out from behind, causing Hugo, who had recently developed a reflex, to turn his head directly. A handsome guy with long golden hair approached with long strides. "You're Hugo, right? I didn't mistake you!" The guy had his long hair tied into a ponytail, revealing a clean and stern face. His blue-green eyes were deep and distant under the soft streetlights.

Hugo recognized the face, very familiar. He could even recall where he had seen it before—it was the guitarist he had met while performing with Charlize on the Hollywood Walk of Fame last time. However, Hugo couldn't remember the guy's name. He was weak in that aspect, only slightly better than his sense of direction.

Seeing Hugo's puzzled expression, the handsome guy smiled brightly. "I'm Neil Anderson, from last time..."

"Yes, Neil!" Hugo's eyes immediately lit up, and his eyes formed a crescent moon with the radiant smile on his lips. "Hollywood Walk of Fame..." Hugo quickly added, proving that his memory hadn't failed him. But seeing the pause in Neil's smile, Hugo involuntarily raised his voice at the end, "...right?"

Neil chuckled and nodded. "Yes, the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Didn't expect to meet so soon." Neil's eyes sparkled with a bright light. He had wanted to have more conversations with Hugo last time, but he had something going on that day, which left Neil feeling regretful.

Neil hadn't asked for Hugo's contact information that day. In the early 1990s in the United States, besides landlines, pagers were the most reliable means of communication. If neither was available, finding a stranger in a big city like Los Angeles was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

But Hugo was right about one thing—they both shared a common interest. As long as they could find the same circle, meeting again wouldn't be so difficult. And that's how their second encounter happened today.

"Do you have a performance tonight?" Hugo noticed the guitar on Neil's shoulder and pointed towards the nearby Al's Bar, asking.

"Oh, no, it's just a habit," Neil shook his head. "What about you?" Hugo also brought his guitar today. He chose to wear a white t-shirt with a crow pattern, paired with light blue jeans. Finally, he put on a jacket with a white Superman logo pattern. Compared to the afternoon, this outfit felt much more blended.

Hugo chuckled, and in Neil's eyes, he could see the smile as well. Hugo said, "Me too. I don't have a band now; I'm just a music enthusiast."

"Same here, currently on my own, making a living through street performances," Neil said simply. When it came to rock music, solo rock singers were relatively fewer, and making a career like David Bowie was not an easy task. "So, you performed jazz last time. Have you been working on some rock songs lately?"

Neil seemed a bit eager, jumping straight into the topic without wasting any time, but Hugo didn't mind at all. "Oh, of course. I dabble in some songwriting now and then, although there aren't as many suitable for guitar performances. You know, sometimes you need a complete band."

"You're knowledgeable about other instruments too? Wow, I thought being so excellent at the guitar would be enough for you," Neil looked around and sat down right beside the street.

"Oh, no, no. Besides the guitar, I'm not good at anything else. I only have basic knowledge of the keyboard," Hugo replied honestly, sitting on the ground as well. "But I enjoy creating, so I delve into other instruments as well."

"In a rock band, it's impossible to go without a guitar solo for years. A skillful guitarist can elevate the quality of the entire band. So, the guitar is already enough," Neil said with a smile. The excitement was evident between his eyebrows, and he asked, "By the way, how did you come up with the chords for the song you created last time?"

Hugo and Neil engaged in an enthusiastic conversation, and by now, the surroundings were filled with the bustling sound of people. People stood or sat in small groups, eagerly discussing and many had already started playing live on the scene. This atmosphere resembled a grand rock music festival, except that most of these music enthusiasts were quite talented, infusing the air with an exhilarating scent of passion.

It's hard to imagine that in the depths of Los Angeles under the navy blue night sky, there existed such an unknown corner, pulsating with countless musical notes silently permeating the land, becoming an integral part of this city's bloodstream. Reflecting on the countless days and nights spent in this sacred land, Hugo never truly connected with this group of music lovers, and that was such a regret. But of course, the more regrets from the past, the more intense the excitement in Hugo's heart at this moment. It was a feeling where even the streetlights on the corner revealed the graceful curves of musical notes, casting everything in a hazy and mysterious glow.