“A lot of kids are lost and looking for somewhere to go,” says Lee Spielman in the latest episode of Foundation, a mini-documentary series from The FADER and Alpha Industries. “There’s kids kicking around Hollywood that have nothing to fucking do. But they can come here, skate, and be themselves.”
"Here" is Babylon LA, a combination “skate shop, gallery, hangout, and youth center” that Spielman and fellow Trash Talk member Garrett Stevenson founded in 2015 as a way to give the community of skaters, punks, and outsiders that surrounded his band a place of their own. It's the same kind of place that was crucial for him when he was growing up. As Spielman tells it, “For me right now, it’s all about taking the things I loved as a kid, and using the resources we have now to do my own version of it. We all had that spot when we were a kid. And hopefully this spot is that for these kids.”
Shot both inside Babylon and on the surrounding Los Angeles streets, the documentary captures the casual camaraderie and warm D.I.Y. spirit that led a local punk band to become an essential part of their community, now and for many years to come. Watch the full video above.
Director: Robert Semmer
Producer: Frances Capell
Executive Producers: Rob Stone, Jon Cohen, Andy Cohn
Production Manager: Madison LaClair
Director of Photography: Robby Piantanida
Assistant Camera: Ruby Paiva
Sound Recordist: Ryan Kelley
Production Assistant: Patrick Haadsma
Editor: Andrew Sales
Sound Mix: Jake Viator
Color: Andrew Sales
Titles: Fatima Jafri and Madison Bullard
