A beautiful day on Americas’s favorite holiday “the Super Bowl”. But for us, it was a day filled with art, (of course), a lovely brunch, and dinner bringing together the best of food culture and “America’s celebration”.
Starting with an inspiring visit to the Hammer museum, immersing ourselves in the creativity of Alice Coltrane before indulging in a feast of flavors. Then a visit to Bar Ama after to set the tone. Starting with apps then a rich and savory mushroom birria as the main course. To close the day on a sweet note, we enjoyed a decadent pistachio cheesecake, perfectly paired with a glass of wine and a classic martini because the perfect ending are great drinks.
When the evening unfolded we caught a glimpse into Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl performance, which was masterful in symbolism, a blend of hip hop excellence with social commentary. The cast of all Black dancers adorned and draped in red white and blue hoodies representing the American flag highlighted themes of ownership, and cultural reclamation. This symbolic performance suggested that Black Americans are an integral part of the nation’s fabric despite historical and continuous struggles we face, while Samuel L. Jackson as Uncle Sam critiqued patriotism. Performing on top of a Buick Grand National, hence GNX the name of his newest album.
Lamar's performance was a celebration to emphasize themes of strength, resilience, resistance, and Black identity, it was a reference to our resilience and cultural history.
Julian Lucas, is a photographer, a purveyor of books, and writer, but mostly a photographer. Don’t ever ask him to take photos of weddings or quinceaneras, because he will charge you a ton of money.