THE EVENT
The Oddities Flea Market (created by Ryan Matthew Cohn) was held over the weekend of Rock-tober 5th and 6th. As DarkestGoth Girl 2019, I decided to attend and take in the activities. What a fascinating find. Right dead smack in the middle of LA, a few blocks from “Skid Row”, is a diamond in the haystack called “The Globe Theater.”
In 1913, The Globe Theater, a performing arts center, opened it’s doors and now is the oldest functioning theater on Downtown LA’s Broadway Street. This 27,000 square foot historic landmark is full of plush grandeur and is true to it’s time (forget finding an elevator, use the stairs).
Curator Ryan Matthew Cohn managed to find a unique niche for the Goth Community to explore. Alongside his lovely wife, Regina Cohn, the couple now travel and work together to build this magnificent empire.
I arrived on a Sunday and although I did not get to visit all of the vendors as some were posted as Saturday only, it did give me a quieter Sunday afternoon opportunity to speak with vendors, get to know the community, and promote DarkestGoth Magazine.
VENDORS AND MERCHANDISE
touching on a few of many…
Some of the highlights of the show include meeting the mastermind behind the event, curator Ryan Cohn at his merchandise booth. I purchased an official “The Oddities Flea Market” t-shirt from him. His booth had many oddities including nostalgic monkey toys, several Victorian hand brooches, antique photos and ephemera, a large gator hand, bone collector items, the official t-shirt, and more http://www.theodditiesfleamarket.com
The ring maker for Robert De Niro (who played Louis Cyphre) in the cult classic “Angel Heart”, surprisingly had a booth there. His name is Alex Streeter. Some of his famous clients are Marilyn Manson, Jimmy Page, David Bowie, Steven Tyler, Keith Richards, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Aaliyah, Axl Rose, Hyde and many more around the globe. Throughout the years his work has been featured in Vogue, Elle, the NY Times, NY Mag, Guitar Aficionado and many other publications. Alex’s charming daughter Lily, hosted the booth and was wonderfully accommodating while searching for the perfect ring. http://www.alexstreeter.com
Karen Jerzyk is a sensational photographer! I purchased a photo from her. It is of Oddities Flea Market curators, Ryan and Regina Cohn sitting down at an elaborately divine macabre dinner. (see photo in gallery) Later I ran into Ryan again outside of the venue , chuckled, and showed it to him. That is where he introduced me to his lovely wife, Regina. My phone was dead so I didn’t get a chance to grab a photo of us all. Darn! What I do have is the memory of the moment and an insanely fabulous photo (to matte in velvet and ornately frame) for a wicked conversation starter in my dining room! http://www.karenjerzykphoto.com
Dead Sled Coffee makes a refreshingly smooth and smoky iced tea that I enjoyed enough to go back for a second round, called “Nightshade Kentucky Bourbon Tea”. They also offer a Papua New Guinea “Oddities Coffee” curated by Ryan and Regina Cohn as well as a Cold Brew Arabica coffee. http://www.deadsledcoffee.com
Atlas Obscura is one of the most interesting reads for strange and unusual places to explore around the world. I subscribe to them and always finding fascinating new things. Two of the representatives were there and offered everything from books to 2020 calendars. I was happily gifted a small “insiders” enamel pin to wear. http://atlasobscura.com
Deer Women had one of the most beautiful presentations in the show. In a “Ye Olde Apothecary” style, they specialize in Gothic tea blends and offer free iced tea samples. http://deerwomen.net
Fearsome Beast hosts gorgeous needlework by Katherine Walsh. For those of you looking for uniquely bizarre textile art, check it out! www.fearsomebeast.com
Father Sebastiaan offers custom fangs. If you’re going to wear fangs, I highly recommend that you have an imprint of your bite wings for a custom made set handcrafted by a professional so that they fit like a glove. This is how they do it in Hollywood. http://fathersebastiaan.com
“Vampiro” is a novel written by Richard Montemarano. Speaking to him, I was informed that it is about a close-knit Italian mafia type family that is an underground organization of vampires. He quotes “Each of us, through our own thoughts, which influence all electrons everywhere at all times, are slowing energy down so we can observe it based on the way we believe it should be observed.” Sounds like a great read! http://www.vampirothebook.com
Straight Outta the Coffin has some cool pins and stickers. Looking for glow in the dark Mansinthe lips with fangs, lick my lips, and all? Here is where you’ll find it. www.straightouttathecoffin.com
Necromance Hollywood has the official “Hidestyle” necklace for sale. Hide came into Necromance’s brick and mortar store in 1995, 24 years ago, and had some jewelry made for him. Among them was a fabulous metal skull necklace joined by a ring. The design has not changed since that day. They also have government obtained (due to overpopulation environmental issues) prairie dog feet earrings resembling a miniature hand of glory set for those of you with extreme macabre taste. If American Horror Story had a Little House on the Prairie episode starring John Mayer this could very well be it!
https://www.etsy.com/shop/NecromanceHollywood
For the Goth that has everything, introducing “Clove Cigarette” solid perfume by Thorns @ Thorns_Clothing. The samples were out and smelled authentically true to nature. Get yourself on the waiting list today for this new release.
Glass eyes inside egg sculptures and teeth lining seashells is a weird form of art and makes interesting conversation pieces. The artist even made a set of white ivories to resemble David Bowie’s smile. Now that’s some Space Oddities. Check it out at “Beans of John”. http://beansofjohn.com
Right outside the venue door, Vital Proteins offers delicious free collagen water. I highly recommend the Blueberry Mint which was the one that was suggested for me to try. It was awesome! http://vitalproteins.com
CLOSING THOUGHTS
I think it’s about time we had a community event for Goth Weekend. I did not get to the stage due to a very recent surgery and missed a few vendors. We’ll catch up next time! Overall it was fun experience and I look forward to future events. For all you Goth’s out there searching for something new and exciting, be sure to check it out!
