Besides putting in some work for his part in the next Animal video, during the past year Lino Gonzalez has also been working on his new Eastern Massachusetts-based clothing company 90east. In addition to getting 90east up and running, he’s also been supporting his local scene in ways like putting on grind box jams and producing videos of local riders. Read on about 90east, Worcester life, and Tortilla Sam’s… -RD
How did 90east come about?
Originally it started as had an idea for Wormscape 2 video, and started riding and filming, started making some shirts. Everybody was into it and just started doing it.
What happened to your other Mass Transit and Symmetric past ventures?
Trademark issues caused the demise of both of those. We got cease and desist orders from companies that had both of those names.
What about the 90east name?
We’re good; we’re registering the trademark for it right now.
Who is the 90east crew?
Abdul Fofanah, Jake Frost, Mike Penny, Webster Jake, Carlos Rohena, Jesse Williams, Harold Harwood and Lee Hopkins. There’s no official team, it’s just a crew. Like with the video, whoever we are riding with and films a bunch of stuff, they’ll get a part. It just represents us as a whole.
Is it true that Abdul could nosemanual the entire Bunker Hill bridge in Boston?
(Laughter) I don’t know about that one, he can go pretty far though.
What’s up with the Wormscape video?
It was a video just for fun. Me Mike and Carlos were riding a lot together. We would just jump in Mike’s truck and drive wherever around the Worcester, Massacusetts area, and start riding. Stuff would be going down so I was like, “screw it let’s start filming it.” There’s not one single clip in that video that anybody stressed on, ever. If something happened, it happened; if it didn’t, it didn’t. That’s kind of the same way the 90east video is going. We get some of the crew together and if something happens, it happens; if it doesn’t, we just go out to eat. (Laughter)
How many copies were made of the Wormscape video?
40 copies.
That’s it?
That’s it.
No more?
No more.
Ever again?
No. (Laughter) I wanted it to be like an old-style video. Back before the internet, people would make local videos all the time. You would hear it through the grapevine that this crew had a video. It was hard to track down; you couldn’t just go on the internet, type in whatever, and have the video pop up. You’d have to know somebody, or you just never saw the video. I gave it out to friends; it was strictly for a good time.
How’s the 90east video coming along?
It’s kind of like the Wormscape video, but a little bit bigger scale. Leigh Hopkins is holding it down in the Boston area; he’s filming Abdul, Jake and a bunch of people in that area. I’m handling the Worcester area, filming everybody over here. There’s no set deadline, maybe sometime in early 2010. We’ll see what happens; we’re not trying to stress over it.
You held a box jam in Boston last summer; how did it go?
It was a lot of fun. It was definitely cool for everyone to get together for something like that, people you haven’t seen in a long time come out. I think it’s definitely a necessary part of the scene. It builds the scene, and gets everybody together and excited about riding, in a way that’s not a contest; there’s no competition. We’re trying to do some more things like that
Explain the mystery of Jesse Williams.
I can’t even begin to explain Jesse Williams. He’s definitely a local legend. He may even be an international legend. He should be. (Laughter)
So you are screen-printing all the 90east shirts yourself?
Yeah, I figured that’s the best way to do it. It’s definitely a hassle dealing with other people, and there’s always a chance they are not going to come out the way you want it to come out. I figured it’s better to just get the equipment and do it ourselves. I worked in a screen-printing shop before, so I had experience in doing it before. It’s more of a genuine part of when people buy 90east stuff.
So you made your own screen press?
Yeah, I did. I saw some plans online, and I just got some wood that cost next to nothing, measured everything out, made the press, then bought the screens, ink and dryer and everything else. I kind of feel like my whole life has been kind of DIY in a way. In Worcester, the general scene is that way. There’s nothing big going on here, so everybody has to do everything themselves. That has influenced my view on doing stuff.
So is Tortilla Sam’s in Worcester the official meeting place for the 90east crew?
There’s a coffee shop next to Tortilla Sam’s called the Bean Counter, and I started going there years ago. That was kind of the meeting spot in the morning; we’ll ride, and just end up coming back to Tortilla Sam’s. It’s the official meeting spot. It’s sick because it’s BYOB, and we know everybody that works there, so it’s a natural hangout spot.
What happens when a waiter doesn’t give you the complimentary chips and salsa?
(Laughter) I’m not too happy when I don’t get chips and salsa.
