Old-Time Music Has a Home in Historic Filipinotown

1642 has made its mark as a cozy, well-curated space on Temple Street that serves great brews and great music that's gentle on the ears.

Owner Liz Fischbach has created a room that's attractive to locals and musicians, including the old-time square dance band Triple Chicken Foot.

Members Ben Guzmán, Mike Heinle and Kelly Marie Martin live in Historic Filipinotown.

They have been discreetly organizing a Thursday night open jam at 1642 for some time now.

The Los Angeles Times noted in an article published over the weekend:

[The] improvisational core of old-time music has turned the band's monthly open jams at the1642 Beer and Wine bar near Echo Park into a draw for novice old-time musicians like 26-year-old Nick Bachman. "I always wanted to play the banjo, it has this mysticism about it, but no one young was really doing old-time music in Minneapolis," says Bachman, a television animator who moved to Los Angeles from Minnesota last year. "Here, there seemed to be a newer old-time scene to get into that [Triple Chicken Foot] was leading."

We checked in with Liz by email for her reaction. She was hard at work at the bar, but wrote back to say:

Yeah, I love the old time scene goin' on.  Lots of great pictures of these guys in print.  I'm glad [the Times gives] credit to Walter Spencer too, another great musician, a banjo/bass player who is really into old time, and he lives around the corner.  He used to do the Sunday night roast at the bar... I love that all of this is in the 'hood here, in Hi-Fi.

1642 Beer and Wine is located at 1642 Temple Street in Echo Park. Hours are Tuesday through Sunday 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.  (213)989-6836

To read about more urban square dancing in Downtown L.A. and Triple Chicken Foot, read the EastsiderLA's take here.