To the average person, the idea of shutting down two entire municipal blocks in New York City for a party that thousands of people would attend is unthinkable. To the average Brooklyn resident, it may even seem a little ambitious. For someone like Bobby Seeger, it takes a couple of phone calls, and it's a done deal in about five minutes. All he has to do is say six enchanting words ("the Annual Indian Larry Block Party") to the right people, and the rest is history...year after year.
Elisa, Bobby, Keino, Paul Cox, and the crew at Indian Larry Legacy always take pride in their chance to entertain fellow friends and chopper freaks. They do it Brooklyn-style with some traditional flair. Every year the setup gets a little bit easier, but there are always so many details to keep track of. Friends and family pitch in and bust a move so that the party can get underway and everybody can have a great time.
After everything gets set up, the party takes on a life of its own. People from all over the world visit Brooklyn to pay homage to a man who continues to inspire so many lives. Each year the party attracts the usual suspects and newcomers alike as the threatening weather magically clears up, and the sun shines down just the way Larry would want it.
This year a huge banner that depicted the faces of two very special people greeted the crowd. On one side was the image of block-party regular Johnny Chop, and on the other side was the image of the True King himself: Indian Larry. The banner simply and sincerely stated, "Forever in our hearts." What a beautiful thing it was.
Around noon, people were circulating the block and its many forms of entertainment. There were bikes and babes everywhere. Onstage you were bound to see any number of great bands that Eddie McGarry had arranged for the event, including some sideshow acts. There was also a dunk tank here and an ice cream cart there, all of which helped to keep the crowd entertained.
Then, of course, there was the grill area-that's always a great attraction. You can't really call it a barbeque until there's a huge pig circling 'round and 'round. Beer, burgers, hot dogs, and pig-that's the only real way to do it. Special thanks to Frank and Pop's BBQ Shack for all their hard work!
Inside and outside, men talked shop: new brakes, new pipes, new bikes, new paint jobs, new shows, and new additions to their lives. Women caught up and gossiped. Everyone was mingling. Then someone said, "Hey, where's that Seeger punk?" Nobody knew. "He's over there, or he's at the store on an ice run," they said. Maybe he was checking in on his wife and newborn baby? God bless him!
Meanwhile, Paul and Keino were in the back, welding up a radiator that had broken on some guy's car on his way to the party. Never a dull moment! When they weren't fixing things, they were hanging with their friends and enjoying as much of the scene as possible.
In the afternoon the sun beat down, and people were enjoying the environment to the fullest. The bands kept getting better and better. People kept coming and going with smiles on their faces. The sounds of choppers up and down the surrounding streets let the neighbors know what day it was.
When the sun began to set and the food started running out, some people headed down the street to Teddy's Bar and Grill, a neighborhood spot, for a quick bite to eat before they made their journey into the city for an after-party at Red Rock Tavern. Some latecomers took in the remaining moments of the party as if it had just begun.
If you have ever been to this party and stayed until the end, you know that the party is never really over until the last burnout's smoke clears the air. A few guys put their tires against the brick walls as they laid on their throttles until their back tires started spinning. The smoke started spreading all over the street, and it began to look like motorcycle heaven. Local cops on the premises looked the other way, but they caught themselves staring at the performance when no one else was looking.
The people who helped set up the party were now helping to break it down. The stage came down, and it looked like a flat bed again. The garbage was being collected and moved into a pile that the street cleaners were going to hate on Monday morning. It was official-another great block party behind us, and another one to look forward to next year.